Puts them big rattlers to shame

[NTD]

Just skinned up this boa.  I've played with much bigger snakes than this but this is the biggest one I've skinned so far.  It's a Colombian Boa Constrictor and is 10ft 10" long.  It was a bit of a pain to skin  
This skin is tentatively spoken for, I just figured I'd share.

[youngbowyer33]

WHOA

[Pappy]

Nice skin,you are right them big ones are tough to skin,not like what I am use to.Had a guy give me a 16 ft one,it took a half a day to skin. It weighted 130 lbs. It was a little spooky for me and I ant scared of snakes.   
   Pappy   

[Justin Snyder]

You could eat for a week.  I know where to look when I need rawhide now. 

[Kegan]

Dang it NTD... you made me drool all over my keyboard

[NTD]

Pappy, It seems that the constrictors (boas and pythons) are simple to skin right up to the 5 ft mark or so, after that the connective tissue really doesn't want to leave the skin.  I'm not only not afraid of snakes I'm crazy about em, but I think a 16 ft carcass would be a lil spooky too.

Justin, Yep I imagine this skin would make okay rawhide.  It's not that thick but I'm sure thick enough for protecting a moderately violated back.  Timo gave me a good idea though if ya don't want the extra weight, said they thin out nicely on a belt sander.

Kegan, If you like these skins maybe we can do a trade sometime.  I just finished up (tru-oil is drying) an elm stave that apparently originated from you.  I'm definitely going to want to get more of that stuff!!

A buddy of mine has a really old pair of albino burmese python breeders.  I'm not looking forward to them dying, or the job in skinning them but they sure will make pretty skins.  What the heck to do with a 12ft and a 16-17ft carcass...the coyotes and vultures are having a hard enough time keeping up with me as it is...

[Lemos]

I skined one of those once it was only 7 foot though and the skin sticks to the muscle like crazy. It was nice and thick though ,almost like rawhide

[JW_Halverson]

Just how is it that you get all these exotic snakes?

[NTD]

John, if I told you I'd have to kill you   I just ask the right people.

[JW_Halverson]

John, if I told you I'd have to kill you   I just ask the right people.

What do you think someone would offer for trade for my hide after ya killed me?

[NTD]

  I don't, I guess it depends if you have any tatoos that might look good on a bow.

I don't mind sharing how I get the exotics though.  I am a reptile keeper and am well connected in the reptile industry, at least locally.  I have friends who are breeders, importers and store owners.  I just put the word out to them that when they have animals die to let me know.  I give them a few bucks to hold em in the freezer for me and I check in on them periodically to see what they have.  That's how I get the exotics.  I get a lot of native stuff too.  A good night of road herping can yield a half dozen road killed snakes.  Usually they are in pretty good shape.  Most snakes when run over blow their guts out the cloaca, or maybe a side wall...Leaves most of the back intact.  Sometimes they get more torn than that but I try to salvage what I can.



One corner of my reptile room


A Pile of Newborn baby boas

[Timo]

Interesting stuff Nate! That thing you are holding one of those highly venomous lizards?

I just got a road kill timber rattler.Big and fat at the but,I figured she was full of babies,and she was 8 total.

[NTD]

Dang your good Tim, Yep that is a Mexican Beaded lizard, it's one of only 2 venomous species of lizard in the world.  But there are no documented deaths from these guys, Just wish you were dead kind of pain.

That's too bad the Timber didn't drop here young before she got hit.  But good thing her skin won't go to waste.  I like them timbers, someday I'll have to trade you for some.

[Timo]

I guess the other would be the kamona?

[Postman]

Wow - great setup NTD love that beaded liz.  I had a decent herp room in college. Now I just have a coupla corns in my classroom. What's that mangrove snake lookin' boid? Doesn't look like a wild morph of anything I know, but I'm hazy on the australian ones.