So how is Mike doing?

I guess i better share this.. All health begins with a clean home. Here are my choice of disinfectant, which are readily available in supermarkets throughout Brunei. They are cheap and can last me 3-6 mths. The Dettol Fresh Scent is really nice, i prefer that then the spring mist of the Clorox brand. The Original Dettol is great, all my Snake are use to the smell. Oh, as this are chemicals, pls do wash your snake container with lots and lots of water after disinfectanting them. You dont want to poison your snake in their homes.

Here are my snakes collection. No pictures is the Albino Nelson MilkSnake @ Baby & Reverse Okeetee CornSnake @ Smygle. Well, can you name the Snakes??

In my flickr, i name this set Mike's Intensive Care. Look at it, kesian kan. Im giving him this Home-Made solution 3-times already, once every 24-Hours.. Today, i just gave him another one, it looks like he's getting hydrated & he is abit active than before. This method is the absolutely last method, as this method causes tremendous stress on them. I wouldnt resort to feed him like this, but as vets here is unknown to reptiles world so by Asking a few friends here and there, and i was pointed to a right direction. Hope fully, Mike will recover.

Here is a de-hydrated BallPython. Pls avoid buying Ballpython with this condition, as my previous story say, its a lesson for me to learn, and for you not to experience. It's ready a headache really, luckily i have time to care for Mike. And i want him to grow & be healthy. Pls wish him full recover, as im treating him as much as i can.

And here is my journal, anything i do to my snake, i write it down. Yup, serious SnakeKeeper keeps one.

Hope you enjoy the pics. More pics in my flickr.

3 Ball Pythons, 2 died.

*edited*

brought 3 Ball Pytons, 2-died already. The other one gonna died too. I need more responsible sellers OR maybe I need more infos on how to choose a healthy BallP.

All my other 8 snakes are alive & well. I have started keeping snakes since november-2005. This is my 1st & 2nd time in a row, where my experience fail me. Or the Ballp was already sick in the 1st place. So yeah, i blame myself for choosing a sick snake. Well, I blame myself too, for eagerly to take a BallPython home, with thinking that i can cure the illness the BallP has suffer.

But with this aside.. Question me anything on snake keeping, i'll be gladly to answer all your question. You can see me at cornsnakes.com, kingsnake.com, malaysiafauna.com

For one who want to keep snake, some info.. Snakes doest not tolerate under hot condition. Reptiles are cooled-blooded animals, they need to cool-off to regulate their body temperature, misting them help a bit. But too much misting can lead them to respiratory infection, bacterial infection, fungus/mold infestion & also cold. Yes, snake can have cold too.

Passing snake around without a control resting time, can lead stress to them. besure to allow the snake to rest after a handling period. Stress snake are prone to illness. Passing the snake around also passes any external parasite/bacteria from one snake to the other. Unless, an antiseptic bath is administer after that.

Just like humans, when our immunity drops we get a cold. Same for snake or any other animals. stress can lower the immunity of snake. For imported animals, there is this rest period can "quarantite period". it is a resting time for the pet to fight off & increase its immunity. As all animals will have a bacterial/pathogen in them, its just in normal condition, the animal immunity can fight off this bacterial/pathogen, but when transported/boxed/handle.. the animal develop stress, which lowers the immunity.

When buying a snake, there need to be a quarantine period before the seller sells it. This can prove to be the most & 1st priority for you to enjoy a long lived snake.. AND you should also do quarantine yoursanke, even if the seller claims the snake has been quarantine.

How to quarantine? Easy. I'll mention it in my next post.

expect a snake to be shiny, smooth & active (flickering tougue), it should readily accept a meal with an ample time from its last meal (request the seller, to show you this). avoid snake with cut & bruise.. Question the seller, on anything that you are not satisfied with the snake. Well, you want a healthy snake to take care of, NOT a sick snake.

Well, enough of this. Approaching next year, i hope to see (my own + a friend of mine) locally breed Bruneian-born cornsnake or maybe BallPythons. Locally breed snake are more healthier, as they dont come to stress on transportation & handling, etc. You will be well inform of who the parents are. Healthy parents = healthy babies. I may even make a daily to weekly progress on the eggs, with pictures.. so, Watch this space...

sorry, readers. this is not today but a few months back. Brunei watch out dont jump on buying a snake/python, if the seller is not very informative on snake keeping. I pity people, who had their 1st snake & died. It not your fault. Maybe you dont have enough information. Well, ask me for more info.

Look thru my pass post, the one that died are my Hi-Yellow Ball Pythons,named Yellow & Betty, the other one that is sick is the Normal Ball named Mike. The one below, Lemon is a Lemon Pastel Ball Python. I brought this healthy Ball python from a Reputable friend. Its is eating very well, good appetite, good body, shiny skin & eyes. A good indication of a very healthy snake.

There you go.. I learn a lesson on this.

*I edited the original post.. Hope the other readers here, dont take it the negative way, as Im just sharing my experience here, whether you want to take it the positive way or the negative way*