Pacific Boa Constrictor Snakes (Candoia bibroni bibroni)

RifRaf sheds again and this time it's HUGE! We are always impressed when we get a full shed, more often it's in 2 parts. We keep the intact ones to compare growth rate. Shed skins are always larger than the actual snake. Rifraf is now 4 years old, and is just over a metre long, but this shed was more like 1m 20cm.

Fiji Snake's Smorgasboard Fiji Boas in the wild feed on geckos and other small reptiles when young, and move on to rodents, birds and fruit bats when older. We don't have a reliable source of rodents, so we looked for other ways to supplement their diets now that they are outgrowing the geckos we catch around the house. They start feeding by taking a gecko or two, and then we follow up as they are just finishing the gecko with a chicken heart or pieces of chicken breast. Since we have started doing this they are putting on weight much more quickly than on geckos alone. Gecko's (MOKO), chicken hearts and chicken breast!

Colouring on a wild Kadavu snake. We're seeing different patterns and colours on snakes from different Fijian Islands. Our own pets are from the island of Taveuni and have distinctive zig-zag and diamond-back patterns. This snake is from Kadavu Island and is more irregulalry blotched (and quite pink).

Constantine just felt really tidy today I guess. Here he is all neatly curled up in a Coconut Shell Bowl: looks like a snake dispenser! And here is me, with our visiting friend Mike, having a snake handling moment

It was cage cleaning day, but Rifraf did not want to be disturbed, so it was just easier to lift his whole branch out while I did his cage. he is determinedly NOT waking up.

He was asleep at first but then did at least pop his head up for a look to see what was going on.

All snakes get this cloudy look (called "Blue) a few days before they shed their skin. This is Magenta in blue, about 4 days before shedding