 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Homer and Marj | Homer just found his dinner | Homer eating | Homer at rest | |
Homer is a Stimson's Python (Anteresia stimsoni)
Current laws in Western Australia (2007) require that you obtain a category 2 license first from D.E.C. before you can purchase your own snake. Taking reptiles or amphibians from the wild is strictly prohibitated (illegal).
Pythons live up to 20-25 years in captivity. Found in Australia from the coast of Western Australia through the center of the country as far east as the Great Diving Range. Not found in the far north, extreme south or east.
Homer is housed in a 60cm(H) x 120cm(W) x 60cm(D) glass vivarium which is heated by a 38 watt Microclimate heat pad connected to a Microclimate thermostat . Lighting is provided by a flouroescent Exo Terra Repti Glo 5.0 UVA/UVB. Night lighting is provided by a 15 watt Exo Terra Night Glo bulb. Day/Night timing is provided by a Kambrook KET99 electronic timer available around $15AU (Nov.2007) at Woolworths. We have used other brands and they have failed us. Currently the 6ea KET99 timers we have currently operate non stop and the oldest is now over 2 years old (Nov. 2007).
The substrate we use is red desert sand it is commercially available at most reptile supply shops in 20kg bags ranging in price from $25-$40AU (Nov.2007). The sand usually gets spot cleaned daily and entirely replaced at 6 monthly intervals.
We use a Large Billabong corner water bowl for our python to drink and bathe in. This is positioned near the hot end of the vivarium which raises the humidity and helps with shedding. He also has two hides to choose from one at the heated end of the vivarium and one at the cool end. For exercise he uses the rock we built and a River gum log we positioned in the cage for him. All natural products were first treated with Top of Descent aerosol spray.
Feeding is sporadic we used to provide our python with 1-2 frozen adult mice every fortnight on his Billabong feeding dish . But recently we've changed to 1 pinky rat and 2 smallish mice. Homer went on a 13 month refusal to eat after eating well for the previous two years with a brumation break from May - October each year. This year was different however in that no matter what we did he refused to eat even scenting with our Geckos didn't simulate him into eating. Finally we tried a pinky rat and some smaller mice thinking it might be the size of prey being offered? Within 30 seconds he caught the scent and within the next two minutes all had been devoured. This has continued every weekend since.
Temperature varies throughout the year with unheated room temperatures from 40c to 10c. The vivarium remains fairly constant throughout the year with the exception of night time temperatures (unheated) which range from 10c in winter (June-Aug) to 30c in summer (Dec-Feb). Temperatures are recorded with Digital Twin Probe Thermometer CH2 min/max and an infra red non contact thermometer.
Photographs open larger in new window
|
|
|
|
|
| Homer and Marj | Homer just found his dinner | Homer eating | Homer at rest | |