Not-Really-Colubrids: African House Snakes! Discussion and Show-off

Very sorry to hear it.

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Necropsy results, if anyone is curious. Long and a lot of veterinary jargon but the TL;DR is that nothing definitive unless I send out for expensive advanced testing, but a tumor of some kind seems likely, possibly lymphoma or something else that also affected his immune system.

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Regardless, with that much of an issue for digestion and urate expulsion, it definitely looks like the best option was to let this baby go peacefully.

It sounds a bit similar to my Enchi Crystal male I lost almost 2 years ago, but I believe his mass ruptured. He was not diagnosed with a mass, but given a sudden discharge of bloody fluid and tissues it seemed likely. Opportunistic necrotizing bacteria and underlying autoimmune issues was the diagnosis for him.

Really sucks… But putting him down peacefully is one of those sacrifices I wish more people would consider while the animal is still acting at least somewhat normally .

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My best friend is a veterinarian, and they wholeheartedly agree - better a day early than a day too late.

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I said it on insta and I’ll reiterate here: I’m so glad he had your care till the end, including the very difficult choice you made to prevent his future suffering. That’s such a painful call to have to make. I’m really sorry you had to make it. He was a beautiful little guy.

Hope you’re doing okay; take care of yourself and eke out a bit of time to mourn if you can.

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So sorry to hear about the sad ending. I agree on the “better a day too early than a day too late” idea, but it’s never easy to make that call!

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So – I’ve been putting off introducing the new girl until I have a name for her. Which I still don’t. Several contenders have entered the ring but none have yet to reign supreme.

So! Introducing: ….TBD! The beautiful little female Zambian green who came home to us a couple weeks ago!

She is tiny, beautiful, and we are enamored. (She also arrived with an odd spot/blotch on her side that I’m keeping an eye on.)

Also, I really had thought Chester hadn’t gotten the job done despite a second pairing wherein I did observe a possible lock, but today I let Andromeda slither between my fingers as she went back into her enclosure, and I felt several suspicious lumps in her lower third. Hope (and eggs) may still yet emerge…

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I’m enamored with the eyes on the Zambians! But the price tag when I researched was too high for me. But she looks to be worth every penny! :+1:

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They are a pretty penny, and even more on top of that to bring into Canada! I’d initially wanted to bring in a 1.1 pair but adding a male on top of the cost of this little one made that prospect too expensive. I’m sure I’ll find a way to get a male before this little one’s grown up, but man it does cost a lot. This is why I’m so picky about who I bring into the family.

She is absolutely worth it, though, yeah. :3

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So beautiful. Congrats! Is that the splotch in pic1, a few inches down on the neck? I sent @snakesofshadowlake / Natalie a little baby corn that had a bad spot where the shed stuck, very shortly after shipping, and it reminds me of that.

Fingers crossed for Andromeda. :crossed_fingers:t2:

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The mark in pic 1 has happened since we got her, and I think a particular piece of decor was to blame. (Turns out she’s small enough to stick her neck through the tiny holes in the top of a coconut hide.)

The splotch is a little odder. It’s smooth, not apparently inflamed, and to my eye hasn’t gotten lighter or darker since we got her. I think it hasn’t changed shape, either, but I’m keeping handling to a minimum for now so I’m not totally certain.

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It just looks like pigment. And not so worrisome! :slight_smile:

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Well you certainly made a wise choice that’s for sure. I wish you the very best with your quest for a mate for your little one! Where there’s a will there’s a way! :wink:

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Yeah, definitely doesn’t look like the stuck shed spot on Batman. It does seem more like a genetic color fluke—but of course you’d know better having real eyes and fingers in her to feel.

She’s beautiful. Best of luck finding the right name!

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Good news – I did get ahold of Bushveldt and Nicole confirmed it seems to be a birthmark of some sort. A relief! And she shed for us a few days ago. She’s looking perfect.

And we settled on a name! In honor of the incredible vertical leap she executed the second time I had her in hand…

Introducing Cricket!

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Cricket! Perfect! I would have loved to see that jump!

I had one do an incredible feat of strength, trying to get away from me when she first arrived. I named her Starla from Napoleon Dynamite :laughing:

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She truly is lovely! Her face is beautifully marked!

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I love Cricket!! :heart_eyes:

I love Zambian greens. I decided a while ago that that’s the type of house snake I’d get if/when I get one (though I do also love the KZN reds). So I guess it’s lucky for me that I’m not in a place to get any new snakes for a while. Hopefully by the time I’m in a position to get a new noodle, the price will have come down a bit on the Zambians. :sweat_smile:

Can’t wait to see how Cricket grows!

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This is brilliant and I salute you for the deep cut ahahaha. Also, my wife says she caught a glimpse of The Jump: she heard me yelp and looked over and in her words: “there you were with two hands grabbing a snake tail and the snake a vertical line upwards from your hands”

It is, isn’t it? I love the little paint-spot freckles behind her eyelines so so much

Well hey – classic green and red is not a bad way to go if you end up getting two. :wink: same-size same-sex pairs can also be cohabbed. You know. Just in case.

I do think Zambians will eventually come down in price a little. It’s rarity driving the market right now, but there’ll be a tipping point.

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You think anybody thinks I’m a failure because I go home to Starla at night?! Forget about it!!

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