No longer certain if my A. childreni is in fact a childreni...

[konp69]

if you have doubts about your python, take it to the vet and find out. get them to have a look at. ( the tongue thing etc. )
if your tight on money and dont want to spend money on something you should care about, then dont own one.
species wise, it looks like a spotted. and in saying that, ive noticed spotteds go abit dull in colour etc.
the previous owner should know what it is.
get snakes from reputable/quality breeders.

It has nothing to do with lack of money and everything to do with a total and complete lack of any co-morbid symptoms indicating infection, but a whole plethora of "symptoms" indicating (in the case of the whistling) dry bits of skin immediately pre/post shed and (in the case of the tongue thing) a weird behavioural quirk that is by no means outside the realm of normal snake behaviour. When I say I've never seen him flick his tongue I mean NEVER, not even when I first met/held him over 5 years ago. I'm pretty sure if it were something serious he'd be dead by now, yeah?

I like the silent implication that I don't care about the pets I own and I'm not interested in their well-being. I'd give you a piece of my mind but it's bad form to get stroppy in a place you've just introduced yourself to. Suffice to say you should keep your trap firmly belted shut on that subject - you're talking to someone who dropped over 2 grand on a simple tabby housecat just to make sure she was healthy and kept all her limbs. I have an over-abundance of animal empathy.

As I said, the previous owner had papers indicating it was an A. childreni, and she had proof that she'd gotten it from someone reputable. Clearly the snake was mislabelled - which from what I've been able to ascertain is not entirely uncommon when you're dealing with a species that has several near-identical subspecies.

 

[rosequoll]

I'm going to go with my new theory, which is that he's simply a little retarded. I have a cat that is useless at being a cat (no grace, doesn't understand subtlety, doesn't have a hunting instinct, couldn't sneak up on a corpse, is the most gentle non-aggressive cat I've ever met - seriously, he has not hissed once since we've had him) a cockatiel who can't seem to figure out how to bird properly - so of course I'd wind up with a snake who didn't do the typical snake thing.

Sounds just like my cat! He sits in a loaf pose when we're feeding the snakes and just watches. No hunting, no interest in attacking. Just watches. He once followed a locust around the house for hours without ever touching. He also loves other cats, is super friendly and dumb as a box of rocks. ^_^

P.S.- I'd agree with it being a spotted. Very pretty. The no tongue flicking thing is intriguing but I agree, I doubt it's anything serious or he wouldn't be eating or you'd see other issues cropping up. If you ever take him to the vet for a checkup or any other reason, might be worth mentioning it to the vet, just for curiosities sake....maybe he has a deformed or shortened tongue? I'm just curious now.

 

[konp69]

Sounds just like my cat! He sits in a loaf pose when we're feeding the snakes and just watches. No hunting, no interest in attacking. Just watches. He once followed a locust around the house for hours without ever touching. He also loves other cats, is super friendly and dumb as a box of rocks. ^_^

Hah, certainly sounds like mine. He's so un-catlike that I've openly (although extremely carefully) introduced snake and cat (held the former in a way I could get him away fast if need be) and all the cat did was turn his head sideways, squint, and sniff (as I expected him to). Absolutely no threatening behaviour whatsoever, just sheer harmless curiosity. Snake enjoyed it - he sniffed the cat's nose. It was very cute.

The cat isn't exactly stupid, he just seems... simple, in a way that doesn't imply he's a dunce. He's just a happy, gentle, simple cat with simple tastes. He also is completely terrified of the outdoors - he's an indoor cat, has been his whole life. It is the best way to keep them alive and healthy, after all.

P.S.- I'd agree with it being a spotted. Very pretty. The no tongue flicking thing is intriguing but I agree, I doubt it's anything serious or he wouldn't be eating or you'd see other issues cropping up. If you ever take him to the vet for a checkup or any other reason, might be worth mentioning it to the vet, just for curiosities sake....maybe he has a deformed or shortened tongue? I'm just curious now.

That's a possibility. If it is some kind of problem he has to have had it since forever, because it doesn't seem to have impeded him in the slightest. And like you said, if it was a problem, then it would be a problem. I immediately noticed the lack of flicking seeing as snakes smell with their tongues - he smells with his nose. He just puts it directly to whatever he wants to get the scent of.

Maybe he just never tried and he's none the wiser? I'll bet the first time he does it it's going to completely blow his little reptilian brain.

 

[rosequoll]

I've got a few photos of my boy sitting with the parrot we used to have. He acts like he's sitting next to another cat, or a person, or a plush toy. Turn...sniff. Ignore.

I haven't worked out yet if my Bobby is dumb, or just...easily distracted. He acts like a kitten at 4 years old, sleeps with his mouth hanging open, talks to walls. He's indoor as well, but if he gets outside he gets so excited it takes hours to get him back. He thinks it's a game and runs away chirping if you get within a metre of him. Annoying little monster (not really, he's the best).

 

[disintegratus]

I've no idea what you're python is, but he's pretty! Although, I must say a photo of a snake on a chopping board is pretty poor taste
(forgive the overuse of emoticons, my posts have been taken the wrong way too many times, so now I just OD on them.)

 

[pretzels]

looks exactly like my boy (spotted)..but lots bigger lol.
also iv got a dog who thinks hes a cat and two cats who think their dogs...normal doesnt do well in my house so we dont try haha

 

[CaptainRatbag]

Hah, certainly sounds like mine. He's so un-catlike that I've openly (although extremely carefully) introduced snake and cat (held the former in a way I could get him away fast if need be) and all the cat did was turn his head sideways, squint, and sniff (as I expected him to). Absolutely no threatening behaviour whatsoever, just sheer harmless curiosity. Snake enjoyed it - he sniffed the cat's nose. It was very cute.


Wow, that (meeting the cat) should have got his toung flicking? :lol:

 

[Specks]

Yeh my first pair of snakes were sold to me as childreni and only after a little while I realised they were maculosa ( when I was an idiot)
But Yeh your fella is a maccie

 

[Manda1032]

I have a childreni who was sold to me as a Maccie! As bubs they all tend to look the same. Snap has the dark markings like a spotted but just looks completely different!

 

[Venomous_RBB]

As people before me have said, he looks like a Spotty, a handsome one at that
Here is my girl:

 

[konp69]

Wow, that (meeting the cat) should have got his toung flicking? :lol:

You'd think so, but no - he just moved forward until his nose was touching the cats nose and they sat like that for a few seconds. He didn't assume striking position and the cat didn't ready THE CLAW - they both seemed completely at-ease with one another.

I have strange pets, that's for certain.

 

[Python-Lover4lyf]

It's a spotted python ...

 

[konp69]

It's a spotted python ...

Yeah that seems to be the general consensus.

I'm curious as to how that happens, the mislabelling of wildlife. The person I got it from had a log book, had the paperwork and had everything to show it was legit, so the place she got it from must have had it labelled incorrectly. At some point back in the chain there must have been some kind of screwup - a breeder that didn't recognise the species correctly or something, or it just ended up a big ol' game of chinese whispers.

At the end of the day it doesn't matter, really. Just curious as to how the initial error could have been made.

 

[CaptainRatbag]

to err is human

It doesnt matter how hard we (humans) try to do everything perfectly, mistakes can & do happen.

As Ned said "such is life" :lol:

Enjoy your Mac

 

[Pauls_Pythons]

Spotted or a childreni X Spotted

I like the silent implication that I don't care about the pets I own and I'm not interested in their well-being. I'd give you a piece of my mind but it's bad form to get stroppy in a place you've just introduced yourself to. Suffice to say you should keep your trap firmly belted shut on that subject - you're talking to someone who dropped over 2 grand on a simple tabby housecat just to make sure she was healthy and kept all her limbs. I have an over-abundance of animal empathy.

Well said. Personally I wouldn't have been this subtle. Sick of hearing people jump on this bandwagon. Totally uncalled for.

 

[konp69]

Spotted or a childreni X Spotted



Well said. Personally I wouldn't have been this subtle. Sick of hearing people jump on this bandwagon. Totally uncalled for.

I'm good at being restrained and still managing to make an armour-piercing point.

I'm also good at flying off the handle and being completely angry and verbally violent.

There's no way of telling what you're gonna get until you get it. It's like a lucky dip... OF RAGE :twisted:

 

[konp69]

Necro-update: I'm going with the original assumption that he's a childreni thanks to seeing a few more recently that look the same, but have paperwork also saying "Antaresia childreni". Sure, he might be a maculosa, but if official paperwork says childreni then I will go with that because at least it's directly verifiable (as in, it's written right there on official stuff).