Snake Tamer

dadwtwins

A co-worker told me he had a few snakes. Knowing how much I love to take pics, he allowed me to set up a time to come over and snap a few shots. I did not know what to expect except that none of the snakes were poisonous and I have a deep phobia towards the legless creatures.

When I arrived to his house, I was surprised at the room where the snakes were housed. Not only was the entire room dedicated for the snakes but there were more than 50 of them. The room was kept at a constant sweltering temp of 85deg with 90% humidity compared to the current outside temp of 40deg with a brisk cold breeze.

The snake charmer, Mike, explained each species to me as he took them out of their habitats but unfortunately I started to loose track of the names since there were so many. I will add the proper names as soon as I communicate with Mike next week.

In the beginning of the session, Mike understanding my phobia, held the snakes until I was able to get over my snake phobia before allowing them to slither freely.

<span style="font-weight:bold;">Mike w/Kahl Albino Red Tail Boa</span>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/Snake19/738262321_TXS8n-L.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 480px; height: 600px;" src="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/Snake19/738262321_TXS8n-L.jpg&quot; alt="" border="0" /></a>

<span style="font-weight:bold;">Dumeril's Boa</span>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/Snake18/738268169_VrPbd-L.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 750px; height: 600px;" src="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/Snake18/738268169_VrPbd-L.jpg&quot; alt="" border="0" /></a>

<span style="font-weight:bold;">Normal Ball Python</span>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/Snake32/738264366_keZz9-L.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 750px; height: 600px;" src="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/Snake32/738264366_keZz9-L.jpg&quot; alt="" border="0" /></a>

<span style="font-weight:bold;">Brazilian Rainbow Boa</span>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/Snake15/738261543_ZpMPS-L.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 750px; height: 600px;" src="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/Snake15/738261543_ZpMPS-L.jpg&quot; alt="" border="0" /></a>

<span style="font-weight:bold;">Brazilian Rainbow Boa</span>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/file037/738279842_wG2hx-L.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 480px; height: 600px;" src="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/file037/738279842_wG2hx-L.jpg&quot; alt="" border="0" /></a>

This last little guy kept lunging at me with a hideous hissing noise. Good thing these guys are non-poisonous but it still did not help my phobia in the least.

<span style="font-weight:bold;">Reverse Stripped Red Tail Boa</span>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/Snake28/738263742_KGocv-L.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 750px; height: 600px;" src="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/Snake28/738263742_KGocv-L.jpg&quot; alt="" border="0" /></a>

The rest are just a variety of different shots I took of these beautiful creatures. This time, Mike allowed the snakes to roam freely.

<span style="font-weight:bold;">Hypo Red Tail Boa</span>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/Snake27/738263624_4iHEF-L.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 750px; height: 600px;" src="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/Snake27/738263624_4iHEF-L.jpg&quot; alt="" border="0" /></a>

<span style="font-weight:bold;">Sharp Albino Red Tail Boa</span>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/737828883snake16/738933674_MNrCP-L.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 750px; height: 600px;" src="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/737828883snake16/738933674_MNrCP-L.jpg&quot; alt="" border="0" /></a>

<span style="font-weight:bold;">Brazilian Rainbow Boa</span>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/file008/738272267_iBMLw-L.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 750px; height: 600px;" src="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/file008/738272267_iBMLw-L.jpg&quot; alt="" border="0" /></a>

<span style="font-weight:bold;">Jungle Carpet Python</span>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/Snake25/738263154_su8RX-L.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 750px; height: 600px;" src="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/Snake25/738263154_su8RX-L.jpg&quot; alt="" border="0" /></a>

<span style="font-weight:bold;">Bumble Bee Ball Python</span>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/file620/738267797_BXwvf-L.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 750px; height: 600px;" src="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/file620/738267797_BXwvf-L.jpg&quot; alt="" border="0" /></a>

<span style="font-weight:bold;">Pastel Ball & Spider Ball Pythons</span>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/Snake33/738264506_xDJEh-L.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 750px; height: 600px;" src="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/Snake33/738264506_xDJEh-L.jpg&quot; alt="" border="0" /></a>

<span style="font-weight:bold;">Diamond Python</span>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/Snake24/738262975_qQNAB-L.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 750px; height: 600px;" src="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/Snake24/738262975_qQNAB-L.jpg&quot; alt="" border="0" /></a>

<span style="font-weight:bold;">Ghost sonoran Gopher snake</span>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/Snake26/738263364_3JGTa-L.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 750px; height: 600px;" src="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/Snake26/738263364_3JGTa-L.jpg&quot; alt="" border="0" /></a>
<span style="font-weight:bold;">
Pin Stripped Ball Python</span>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/Snake31/738264240_LfyeZ-L.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 480px; height: 600px;" src="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/Snake31/738264240_LfyeZ-L.jpg&quot; alt="" border="0" /></a>

<span style="font-weight:bold;">
Albino Ball Python</span>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/Snake30/738264065_cGC98-L.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 750px; height: 600px;" src="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/Snake30/738264065_cGC98-L.jpg&quot; alt="" border="0" /></a>

<span style="font-weight:bold;">Bumble Bee Ball Python</span>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/Snake04/738259464_4B2qm-L.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 750px; height: 600px;" src="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/Snake04/738259464_4B2qm-L.jpg&quot; alt="" border="0" /></a>

<span style="font-weight:bold;">Kahl Albino Red Tail Boa</span>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/Snake29/738263941_7AgGi-L.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 750px; height: 600px;" src="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/Snake29/738263941_7AgGi-L.jpg&quot; alt="" border="0" /></a>

<span style="font-weight:bold;">Sharp Albino Red Tail Boa</span>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/Snake17/738261653_zrNzP-L.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 750px; height: 600px;" src="http://www.dthorp.com/Client-Galleries/Snake-Tamer/Snake17/738261653_zrNzP-L.jpg&quot; alt="" border="0" /></a>

By the end of our session, I had my fill of snakes and my phobia seemed to calm down a bit but I am still uncomfortable holding them. Maybe next time.....or not.

Cuong

Fascinating.

Cuong

dadwtwins

Thanks Cuong.

I finally added all the names of the snakes as well

Cuong

Interesting to see those sensory pits on the pythons. I didn't know that they could be above (ball python) or below (red tail boa) the mouth.

Cuong

dadwtwins

Cuong wrote:

Interesting to see those sensory pits on the pythons. I didn't know that they could be above (ball python) or below (red tail boa) the mouth.

Cuong

Pit Vipers have two heat sensor holes that look like nose nostrils and only some types of boas have the sensors along the lower lip but I really like the way the python's heat sensors look along the upper lip. It gives them a very cool look about them.

VayCayMom

WOW, cool shots, thanks for posting with names and all. I love the Brazilian Rainbow Boa!!! Amazingly beautiful! Thanks!

Gale

Super photography..

I hate snakes..scare the bejezzes out of me

Nikonic1

Really nice job capturing how amazing these snakes look. The Pythons are incredible. Also, I took note of the pristine sharpness of the overall photo in the shots where a give snake had it's tongue out flipping it around. Those tongues are moving very quickly and you've captured it incredibly well.

holzphoto

red tailed boas dont' have the sensory pits.

holzphoto

could you ask him what line that diamond python is from?

dadwtwins

Nikonic1 wrote:

Really nice job capturing how amazing these snakes look. The Pythons are incredible. Also, I took note of the pristine sharpness of the overall photo in the shots where a give snake had it's tongue out flipping it around. Those tongues are moving very quickly and you've captured it incredibly well.

Thank you very much. I started to just guess when the tongues would flicker and use the mirror up function to make my trigger finger a little faster. After a few snakes, i started to get te hang of it.

dadwtwins

holzphoto wrote:

could you ask him what line that diamond python is from?

I will ask mike and post back ;-)