RCReptiles.com

[ae_skipper]

Hello! I've been browsing the forum for a bit, now, and finaly decided to join.

Naturaly, I bring a problem with me. I live in Maine, and serve in the armed forces. Clearly, I've picked the wrong section of the states to own a snake in, because I'm having serrious difficulty finding a kennel that will even accept a ball python for short periods of time.

The next hurdle is that I'll shortly be leaving on deployment for 6 months, and my two attempts at gaining housing for the poor bugger have fallen straight-through with last-minute cancellations.

If anyone knows of a boarding service for reptiles, or anyone who would house a young snake for such an extended period, I would be embarrasingly greatful, I'm officialy in 'crunch time'. I'd be willing to drive as far or farther then New York, if necessary.

[RonCrawford]

Hi and welcome to the forum! I'm pretty sure someone will be more than willing to assist you. Can you kindly post a photo of your ball python and give us some background information about it?

[deborahbroadus]

HURRY! By background information, we mean where did you purchase each animal. How much do they weight, what are they and which are males and females. Also approximate ages.

[ae_skipper]

Unfortunately, I dont have any pictures immediately available, but I'll see about rectifying that asap.

His name's Grafvolluth (yes, I'm a nerd for Norse myths), and he's a year old. I'm a horrible judge of weight, but he's got a vet appointment, so I'll get back to you on that, as well. He's reached just around 2' in length, and he's nice and thick with a healthy appetite (two small mice a week). I bought him from Pet Quarters after observing/handling their snakes (and the snakes at two other stores) for about 3 weeks, and all of them were well-tempered, well-fed, and kept in clean tanks.

He was the runt of the clutch when I bought him, so small that the reptile keeper (and a breeder of them, as well) said the other snakes would 'pick' on him by not allowing him to eat or by ignoring him when he shed and was looking for someone to rub against. Arent I a softie for the pity-stories? Standard coloring for a ball, but he's got some awsome markings. The spots on his spine never intersect the splotches on his sides, making a perfect median-strip down his back, and the splotches on his sides tend to make ghost/alien 'faces'.

He's a sweet, patient bugger who will spend hours around my neck while I surf the net. I feed him live mice for lack of a pre-killed provider, but since I feed him in a sepparate box, he's never mistaken my hand for food, or snapped at me at all, for that matter. He's in a 24 (long) tank designed for reptiles with a locking top, but he'll shortly be upgrading to a bigger one as soon as I get back from overseas. I keep him under a 75-watt red light reptile lamp.

[deborahbroadus]

When he goes to the vet, ask for the liver biopsy test for IBD. IF it is negative, I'll board him for you. Go to chat and we'll discuss this futher.

[ae_skipper]

No luck with the chat, blasted old flash versions. If it'd be more convenient, I have Aim, or just the forum PMs...

[deborahbroadus]

aim is fine...go there and we can start up a conference with other parties

[Richard]

Okay.........about the liver biopsy for IBD testing.......I have been advised that the test is the only 100% for checking.....however the snake must be dead for them to test it. Sooooooo I am now leaning towards doing standard testing for elevated counts in the blood and fecals for any possible problems.

Ron, others, have you heard of any IBD live animal tests?

However.......for those really worried............Pythons die rather quickly if infected.....so if one has it....by the time you think of it, it is already gone.

[deborahbroadus]

[PlayBall]

[deborahbroadus]

Last I heard there was a test. I did a google and found a lot of information. Harald may know more.

[JDS3]

If it doesn't work out with Deb for her to board it there is a place called NERD in New Hampshire (New England Reptile Distributors). They are very well known reptile breeders, I don't know if they would keep yours until you return but its worth a shot to ask them.

http://www.[site name removed: violates TOS].com/

*Good luck in wherever you are being deployed to!

[PlayBall]

[hhmoore]

With all due respect, the IBD fixation that I see on this site is just ridiculous. I understand wanting to keep your animals safe, but there are so many things that are far more prevalent than IBD in BPs. If I am thinking of the same case Deb referred to, it wasn't even IBD that was to blame...it was a totally different class of virus.
Anyway - Live liver biopsy is expensive, and a negative result does not necessarily mean that the snake hasn't been exposed (that's why if there is cause for concern, the recommendation is for serial testing). Yes, BPs, and pythons in general, tend to be affected more quickly than boas, so the presumption is that a biopsy should be diagnostic...but there is still an incubation phase, and time is required for inclusion bodies to develop (and in the early stages, I suspect it is likely to biopsy a segment that does not show inclusion bodies). There is a serum test, but my understanding is that it is only conclusive with positive results (in other words, a negative result may be erroneous).
The snake in question is about a year old, though I don't know how long it has been in the OPs possession...unless it is a recent acquisition, the likelihood of it having IBD is fairly slim.

To the original poster - most kennels don't deal with herps. Try contacting some herp societies (I know there is at least one in Maine - if you can't find any, I'll see what I can do about getting you some contacts)...you may find some members that are willing to help out. I may have missed it (or forgotten since I read it), but do you know how long you will be deployed? (My understanding is that there are no guarantees, and even completing a tour doesn't necessarily mean you won't be deployed elsewhere, does it?) Attachment notwithstanding, it may be more feasible to rehome the snake(s) and start over when you get back to the States.
Oh, one more thing...THANK YOU!!!

[hhmoore]

http://www.maineherp.org/