Snake handling for local vets

Snake handling for local vets

- February 08, 2018

In Fiji there's not a lot of demand for veterinary services for reptiles, but our local vets at Vet Essentials Animal Doctors Climic in Lami have been really helpful when we have needed assistance. If you're in Fiji with an animal problem, give them a call.

(tel 360 2153, https://www.facebook.com/vetessentials.fiji/)

They don't have a specialist reptile vet, and many of them had no experience handling or treating snakes, so we took our scaly set in for a visit. Unfortunately Rifraf disgraced himself by biting the first vet to hold him, but thankfully vets are not phased by little bites, and no harm was done (except to Rifraf's reputation).

Here are photos of our serene matriarch, Mazikeen, who thankfully has much better manners, introducing the vets and vet assistants to the joys of snake handling.

Introducing Mazikeen

Getting confident enough for photos

Sometimes it's a bit of a wrestling match

Portraits with the lady of our bunch

Comments

Unknown said…

Barajah breeder on fauna classifieds was selling me a retic and I asked for pics and he send me pictures of a bermese python!!!!!

September 13, 2018 at 1:52 PM

Our snakes

We've had these three Fiji Boas since they were born in captivity to their wild caught mothers.

The twins, Rifraf and Magenta, (turns out both males) were born in August 2006, Constantine (turned out female) was born in early 2007.

We'll post random events and some solid information here, that we hope will interest people looking for details of these snakes in their natural environment.

Candoia species are known as the Pacific Boas. Most of the South Pacific Countries have their own species of Candoia. For more information on these species look at

The Candoia Page by Jerry Conway

The Fiji Boa is Candoia bibroni bibroni, and is closely related to the Solomon Islands Candoia bibroni australis. They are relatively small, with a maximum adult length of about 2 metres / 6 feet. Males are much smaller than females, and may only reach about 1. 30cm /4 feet.