the story,
So I'm tossing El Diablo's cage today, and find the usual shanks, wire cutters, and something that smells a lot like a reptile version of pruno. well I come across the biggest snake turd I have ever seen. the kind that, if he was married he'd call his wife over to look at it 'Honey... ya gotta see this..." maybe even take a picture to show his friends at the bar. It even looked a little like a stretched out mouse. eww. typical tricolor trash. (I Feel a new thread coming)....
Well anyway he's pullin his usual tough guy attitude with me "I aint comin out, you want some? come and get me.
You can't show fear or hesitation to these hardtimers so I picked him right up and believe it or not he didn't even musk me! We did the human gerbil wheel for a while till he was good and tuckered out. (i try to give him some time in the "yard" every day (except after eating of course). A tired snake is a snake less likely to get in trouble, and sure enough after a few minutes of hand over hand, he wound himself in between my fingers and just chilled for about ten minutes. he is definitely mellowing out.

Now the help part. i have noticed both on my pueblan milk and my mexican king the belly scales are turning a milky white color. does this mean they are getting close to a shed? what should I do? or is it indicative of another problem? both spend a lot of time in their moist hides. heat is within tolerances for both, but the milk likes it cooler than the king. (the king is bigger too, but seems kind of lethargic at times) any help appreciated.
thanks
Mike

now back to the story...
I have noticed El Diablo has a definite preference for my right hand. Kind of a good cop/bad cop thing. He'll hang out on my right hand forever if I let him but if mean old lefty shows up he gets real tense and curls into striking position, not that he has ever struck but he really gets freaked out if he is perched, and my left hand is anywhere in sight. has anyone else seen behavior like this? I've never been mean to him with my left hand, (or any other part of my anatomy) he just has it in for lefty. weird huh?
M
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..1 Jayne "The Hero of Canton", Ball Python
..1 Edmund Slackbladder, Mexican Kingsnake
..1 El Diablo "They haven't built a cage I can't get out of" Pueblan Milksnake
(Currently serving 25 to life in a Maryland Supermax
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Me; And finally monsieur a wafer thin pinkie
El Diablo: blaggh
Me: ah sir its only 1 leetle pink one
ED: ahh, sod off! I'm full
Me: ah sir hmm? its only wafer thin?
ED: bah! i couldn't eat another thing I'm absolutely stuffed. !
Me: ah sir, sir just ...just one......?
ED: ok just one
Me just the one.
Me: voila!
Me: bon appetite!.......

Huh? Not sure I really followed your story...

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The tri-color turd that looks like a stretched out mouse could actually be a regurgitated mouse/rat. The smell would be a lot worse than feces. Keep an eye on him, make sure he has plenty of fresh water and a good heat source.
If their bellies are turning milky, that is indicative of a shed cycle starting (my BP's belly gets pink). Leave them alone: just keep them supplied with fresh water and keep the moist hides moist, otherwise don't feed or handle till after they shed.
(I have the impression that going through a shed cycle must be like having the flu: the snakes usually just curl up somewhere and don't move much till it's over.)
I can't answer the right/left hand thing... just another snake mystery.

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Andrea

pretty sure it was a turd, it was a good three days after feeding that I found it

If it looked like an actual mouse it was probably a regurge.
After passing thru the digestive tract it would just be goo!

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

true, but at least it was mostly digested. definitely a lot less mouse than what I gave him three days earlier.