Musical Snake

Today's been a pretty dull snake day. I had a voice lesson this morning, so I didn't take Topkapi out. She was not too thrilled. but I made it up to her in the afternoon.
I took her out and placed her around my sister's neck while I finished some muffins I was making. She was playing the guitar (my sister, not the snake, although how cute would that be?) and Topkapi was extremely interested in the vibrations coming off the instrument. She kept stretching herself out to reach the strings. Adorable.

This is what I was baking:

Orange muffins

1/2 cup and 2 tbsp. butter
1 3/4 cups and 2 tbsp. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. orange zest
3 1/4 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups orange juice

Beat butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, add orange zest. Sift lour, baking powder and salt together. Pour flour mixture in parts to the butter mixture, alternating with the orange juice.
Pour into prepared muffin pans. Bake at 350 F. for 20-25 minutes.

To Be or Not to Be

Damascus has finished shedding and he looks gorgeous!
I guess I am going to have to give the humidifier SOME credit, even if it is reluctantly done. I love having fights with inanimate objects. Sometimes I feel like just throwing a glove at the toaster and challenging it to a duel.

Barbossa is not done yet. I have been placing him in his steam baths and slathered him with baby oil, so we'll see how he ends up shedding. I'm hoping to take him out after I'm finished writing this, so he can soak up some Miami moisture. There is plenty to spare, believe me.

It is getting perilously close to Halloween and I still have no costume. I wanted to be Medusa, because, hello, having snakes in my hair is my job description. But we'll see.
Last year I was Cleopatra, so if anything, I could dress up as her again. I don't know, I am torn. It also has to be a costume that I can pack up and take to the next Florida Pagan Gathering, which is in early November. It celebrates Samhain, which is Halloween in Pagan-speak. I'm so excited, I'm already having dreams of setting up my tent. I'm such a camping dork.

Waddles of Courage

This is not snake related, but I thought it was quite amusing.
A few days ago I step outside with my iPod and as much sunblock on me as I could slather, to go for a walk. I go most mornings, a good 45 minute walk that clears the head but might one day give me sunstroke. So I open my door and I encounter a grey cat and a momma duck with her babies. They were both sitting, patiently waiting to ambush me with heir cuteness.
Of course I went back inside and brought out a big bag of cat food for them. I placed a pile in front of the cat and was about to put one in front of the ducks, when they decided I just wasn't quick enough. They took matters into their own hands.

Cat, what cat?


We laugh in the face of danger!
The cat, however, did not find it too amusing. Is a little respect too much to ask for?

Feeding Frenzy Friday Part 23

Some babies ate today, some babies did not.

Damascus of course ate the mouse I offered him. It was a pretty large mouse so at one point I really thought he was having trouble swallowing it. I was preparing myself to jump to the rescue (don't ask me what I would have done if he really was choking, I have no clue) when he managed to slide it down a bit more down his throat. I almost had a coronary.

Maat, say it with me, did not eat. I gave her Pedialyte and checked her for the millionth time to make sure she has no injuries or anything that might give a clue as to why she is being so stubborn. I found nothing, of course.

Talulah ate fine.
I did not offer Coral food since she already ate earlier this week and I don't want her to explode. She looked disappointed, but she'll get over it.

Upgrade!

I'm trying a new thing with Maat. My sister brought an article from the wildlife center about feeding reluctant colubrids, which is what Maat, as a corn sake is. This would also include Coral, but thankfully, she likes her food just fine.
One of the recommendations they give in the article is to check and see if the container the snake is in is too big. Snakes live in dens in the wild, so they prefer smaller, more constrained spaces. For an older snake this is no problem, since they are used to being in captivity, but for a really teeny tiny one like Maat, a smaller cage would maybe make her feel safer.

I have a ton of containers, but none of them are really appropriate. I was standing in the snake room, casting my eye around, when I tripped over an idea. What if I switch Tybalt and Talulah into Maat's tank, and put her in their's? The two siblings are getting chunkier by the hour it seems, so a new tank is not such a bad idea. Maat's is roomier so they might, I say might, be tempted to, I don't know, maybe MOVE a bit. Lazy snakes.

So that's what I did. I scrubbed the two cages and placed fresh paper towels in them. I placed Maat inside her new home and she seemed pretty okay with the move.

Tybalt and Talulah, not so much.
They are still up there bemoaning their fate, but hopefully they'll realize their tank is actually bigger. It's an upgrade, guys!
I know it's hard, but have faith in the human who's been taking care of you for a year. Geez.

Something New

The one and only Coral, of course. I took her out this morning to feed her and I was able to keep a hold of her while I pounced on my phone to see if I could get a picture. Voila.
I decided to feed her today instead of waiting until Friday. She's missed about three weeks of mice, so although a few more days of waiting wouldn't make much of a difference, why make her wait?
She ate in a very interesting position. Today she decided that she was feeling needy, and so she wrapped herself around my hand, as you see in the picture. I placed her in the container where I feed her and put the mouse in front of he. At this point she usually wants to explore all around the container, but today she stayed wrapped around my hand. She didn't bother striking at the mouse, I think she's on to me. Yes, Coral they're frozen/thawed mice., it's better for you than live ones. She started swallowing with the majority of her coils still holding on to me. I thought there was no way she could swallow in that position, but I was wrong. I learned something new toay, snakes can swallow prey in whatever position they like, and the feel of a mouse going down a snake's gullet is interesting to say the least.

In This Desert

Coral finished shedding this morning. All in one piece, good for you Coral! This is because she is super smart and she actually lays inside her water bowl when the humidity levels in her cage go down. My other babies don't quite get this concept, it could get as dry as a desert and they'd still be laying under the heat lamp, waiting for the stupid human to mist their cages.
I gave Barbossa a steam bath again yesterday morning, and I'll probably do it again tonight. I am still miffed with the humidifier, but I'll guess I'll keep trying to use it, leave it for more hours on and see what happens.

I just have one more thing to say for today: it is damn hot outside. I just came back from a lesson and stepping outside is like opening the gates of hell. Truly God-awful. Ok, that's it.