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My new Unicolor

L

landonsjohnson

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I picked up this beauty from Black Pearl and it is every bit what John said it was. He is getting acclimated to his new cage ( a 75 gallon). I picked him up a little bit so you could get an idea of his size but I'm not yet entirely convinced he won't tag me (in the last pic you can see the typical Drymarchon neck bend that starts to say, "Watch out!" which he goes into after about 2 minutes of in-cage 'playtime'). He starts to hiss and move around but does not demonstrate any defensive aggression and has not yet turned back on me even when I grab his tail. Trust needs yet to be built in both directions... maybe I should just haul him out of there and take my chances...

Landon Johnson
Spring Grove, PA


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The best thing I have found with handling Drys is to just do it. If they nail you, try not to flinch or let them know it hurts, and they usually will give up with that tactic after once or twice doesn't get the reaction they were hoping for. I've been nailed twice by my Guyanan YTC female, and the second time required a bandaid. But right after I got the bandaid put on, I went over and picked her back up and let her know it didn't bother me. We've kind of come to a mutual respect for each other, but I'm sure there will be another nip sooner or later. No biggy.
 
Cool beans. I've kept black tails, easterns, and texans for a while and never really had any inclination to start up with unicolors until I had a chance to visit some really nice ones this summer.

He's a real beauty. How old is he?
 
I'm not entirely sure how old he is... I got him from Jon Michels. He did forewarn me that the snake was very active, but had never been inclined to bite or get all defensive. I've found this to be accurate so far. I don't know how much he was handled before I got him so I've been being careful.

I spend time watching him and he is nothing like my big ol' fat eastern used to be. The most active he would get would be to do that 'jerky-jerk' motion and huff. Still you could just pick him up. Give him a whiff of food though...

This unicolor is busy all the time. When I approach the cage, he coils his neck but does not do it in earnest, if you kmnow what I mean. He gets a bit of the 'flat neck' thing going on and jerkyjerks himself around, hissing all the while. Around the cage 2-3 times. Then I open the lid and he stops, looks up, and starts to come up towards me, much more curious than aggressive. Still hissing but inquisitive. If I move, he might huff and move in another direction; he might come out further to see what is going on. I've not yet let him hook over the rim of the cage yet. I distract him and put the lid back on.

I have picked him up a couple of times - he does not flinch to the touch but becomes very active, faces me, coils loosely, and hisses. More like 'are you food?' or 'what'cha doin'?' than 'get out!'. I've not yet taken him completely out of the cage or touched him closer than 2/3 of the way up yet - too scared he'll bite me and run away LOL

I got tagged when I was 11 by a 3' boa constrictor that bit me in the face (on my mouth). I think he reacted to the reflection of my glasses. I've been a little shy about it ever since.

So goes the ongoing saga of me and my Cribo learning to trust one another. Soon I'll get up enuff nerve to just pull him out.

Landon Johnson
Spring Grove PA
 
Like the ol' Nike commercial said: Just Do It.

The two worst bites i ever had were an 11' retic that got me my second week working at Hogtown herps about 20 years ago. It bit me and pulled back, as did I, so the tooth that hooked into my thumb ripped it open to the bone for about 2", and required 12 stitches to close it up. It also severed the nerve on the side of the thumb, and to this day it still feels a little tingly. The other bite I got was a 14' burm about 3 years later at the same place. She nailed me when she missed a rabbit I was dancing in front of her, and didn't seem to realize she had me and not the bunny. I had a bottle of cinnamon oil nearby that I had heard was good to pour on a snake's mouth if they were locked onto you, but it turns out this snake only bit down harder. It eventually took three grown men and a tongue depresser to pry that serpent off me. It also hurt like heck when those teeth dug in about an inch into my hand, but this time me accbitshe and required no stitches at least. I'd hate to get nailed in the face. I had a lappet-faced vulture once nail me in the face during a falconry show I was in at Weeki Wachee, Florida. She had dropped her rat on the ground, and I bent down to pick it up and give it back to her, she evidently thought I was challenging her, so she bit me accross the nose. Blood ran down my face and was dripping off my chin, but I finished the show with the audience in stunned silence. Since they do have the most powerful beak of any raptor, I considered it a nice warning from the gal since she could have easily removed my nose from my face.
Yeah, just do it with handling that cribo. He might tag you, but it won't be all that bad. Most likely, he will be pretty cool and mellow right out after he gets to know you, which won't happen until you handle him some.
 
OK, I took the plunge, opened the cage and just reached in and grabbed him and pulled him out of the cage in one fell swoop. He didn't seem all that happy about it, but he did not turn his head and more or less squirmed his way back into the cage. He was out maybe 10 seconds so I decided to try again when he turned around to come back out. I slid my hand under his neck and he backed off and hissed but did not seem all that aggressive - at all. I eventually was able to pick him up again but as John said, he is very fast. It's like he wouldn't hesitate to just slip right out of my hands unlike most snakes I've had, who will double back when they extend too far.

He pretty much hissed at me the entire time I was 'messing with' him, but as I recall that is normal for drys? No defensiveness, just 'hissin' and cruisin''. I assume that most likely he will mellow out with handling and become a little calmer?

Glad to have finally taken him out. I don't want him to necessarily be a 'lap snake' but he could be a little less squirmy.
 
My little unicolor female is extremely fast, not unlike a coachwhip or racer, when she wants to move. She has calmed down well over the past month or so, and now cruises arounf my hand constantly while I'm handling her, but doesn't seem to wish to run off anymore. Ross Allen once wrote Drymarchon are the only ones who have been known to show affection for their keepers, and I used to think maybe he had been bittenn one too many times by one of his hot snakes, but now days I believe I can relate to that statement he made many moons ago. They sure have a way of working themselves into one's heart. Give your young snake a little time and he'll come around to the point you won't want to put him back in the cage.
 
i'm a wuss. that's why i only buy cb drymarchon these days:) thank God i live close to ECCM (alan b) who produces a bunk load of beautiful outbred ones every year. last guyanan wc yt i had grew to 8 feet and would rear up like a cobra.
 
Landon I am pretty sure I have a sibling of your uni. Your guy is captive bred just not handled all that much. He should be out of an ol' Chuck Elliot bloodline. (That has to be spelled wrong. Apologies to the San Juan Snake Man.)
My girl acts much the same but has never bit me.
 
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