Oh my. A video with Dav dancing around a giant annoyed, striking python while giggling like a little girl. Who's having fun here? ME! AND DAV! And in the end the snake wasn't all that annoyed and might have had some fun too. It's what makes these videos so enjoyable, they're FUN. Thanks Dav and crew for the video.
@@shanemiller6982 it's possible. Who wants to go home empty handed if you can borrow a pet behind the scenes? It's all a part of UA-cam and Hollywood when needed but we're here for the entertaining final product right? I'm not so green as to think everything on UA-cam HAS to be real nor am I so bitter or petty as to get upset when they have to Hollywood it up. It's ok. No one's mad. And if you think you can spot a fake on a snake video have you ever looked in to NASA??? SO FAKE. All of it. But it's about the Hollywood effect. Don't forget that next time you are staring at a "picture" (it's an image) of a "gas giant" floating through "outer space" or astro-NOTS playing golf on"the moon" and zipping around in their "moon buggie" Learn to spot the deceptions where they MATTER.
@@MisplacedPixie You sound just like my friend on NASA. Only he thinks the earth is also flat. I'm not mad at dude , I was just feeling shitty from the day I had spent and it was just spilling out of me. It would be a shame to go all the way to Africa and not find the snake your looking for. He probably would have had a better chance finding it in the Fla. Everglades. They say it's full of pythons. I thought the reticulated was from Africa. Guess I was wrong.
@@shanemiller6982 sounds like you have interesting and intelligent friends. I don't pretend to understand the whole flat Earth theory but on all the points that have been told to me I never could prove them wrong on their points. When I first heard about the theory I didn't know that the international flat Earth society was just a joke and didn't have ANYTHING to do with the actual theory, that it's kind of like a Saturday night live spoof website that is just all silliness but if you look into the actual real community they have really good points and flat Earth does NOT mean a floating pizza pan in space. It's really interesting stuff and for me it was fun to look into it. I hope your day was better today. Sometimes I get super grumpy on bad days and leave harsh comments that I regret and have to go get rid of LOL. Hopefully today was lovely and stress free and I'm hoping the same for your tomorrow as well.
I reaaaally appreciate that too! He handled that interaction very similarly to how i'd imagine Steve Irwin would have. Almost everyone else on youtube manhandles large snakes by the neck like they owe them money. Honestly videos like that are painful for me to even watch. Most of them even claim to be snake rescuers or animal lovers, and then proceed to carry a virtually harmless snake by nothing but their neck and the tip of their tail. Ive seen indian pythons necks break from this, eventually leading to their death. Its dangerous to the snake and incredibly disrespectful to handle them that way. We desperately need more youtubers like this who treat snakes with respect.
Dav, all of these Africa videos have been great! Looks like such great herping times!! Glad you got to go on an amazing adventure! Also WOW, that termite mound was beautiful with the tree growing out of it. Thank you for not destroying it to find the rock python❤️ take note people
Not only are you brilliant and packed full of knowledge Dav, there's also a delightful sense of humor 😀 that's hidden away in that awesome brain of yours! DAV: (🤣 "How did that cow get a camera?") I so needed that lil giggle this afternoon! 😊 (THANKS)
Honestly these Africa herping videos by you are full on some of the most entertaining content i've seen on UA-cam, herping or otherwise. This is really interesting and so sick to see not only some familiar faces in the wild but also some species I would never have seen without this series.
Holy termite mound!! Very cool. All such beautiful animals and I enjoy seeing the diversity of species. Way to persevere Dav!! Amazing snake, amazing video. 👏
What a beautiful Rock Python! I hope you were able to take her out of harms way. She’s survived long enough to get to that size and she/he is spectacular! I am so excited for the Ball Python movie!! I really appreciate all the time, expense and effort you put into these videos. Reptiles are soooo cool!!🐍❤️🐍
Best footage I have seen of the African Rock Python. I really wanted to see one in Africa too, but I never would have grabbed one. What an experience that must have been for you! I hope you were able to save her.
I could tell when she was about to strike every time lol. It's that scary pause that afrocks do. When they hold still, suddenly get eerily silent, and just stare you down, back up lol. Back up further than you think you have to too, because they have incredible speed and range even compared to other giant snake species. They strike like an oversized blood python lol.
Obsessed with the little scorpion trying to come home with you. I love seeing the adults, my emperor scorpion (Meatball) is still like the size of a jelly bean.
Great video Dav! That was a beautiful python!! I’m loving all these videos you took while over in Africa! Thank you for sharing it with all of us it’s truly amazing footage!
Those lazy tag attempts the rock python made at you in one of those shots looked like it was telling you it's way too early in the day to work up a real temper. 😂 "Just go awa~y *yawn* I need my beauty-nap before it gets to a sizzling temperature." It also looked well fed and those iridecent scales were beautiful. A gorgeous snake; what a luck you managed to find it!
All I could think about was black mambas when you were out there in the bush. Love the trip! The Lizards were so beautiful. That orange was so vibrant. I’m guessing Mrs. lizard was not impressed! 🤣😆 He needs to work on his approach! Rattle on!❤️
I’ve always loved rock pythons and wish I still had mine but thankfully I was able to breed them twice years back and have the chance to get one of the babies back when I move out of NY. It’s no baby any more but she’s tame and would love to breed them again in the future. They are another misunderstood species that are often overlooked and underrated but are truly amazing and beautiful species. Thanks for doing this episode and reigniting my passion for the species. You Rock 🤘🏻🤘🏻🐍
Yup, Rock Pythons got their rep because for many years they were direct imports. As with basically every species of python and boa that had a continuous and active wild animal imports, they all had the reputation of being mean. I'm sure if you tried to grab a retic in the wild it would have a very similar reaction.
I'm planning to get a cb african rock python. Do you have any suggestions about heat and humidity requirements? And tbh no wonder wild ones are so pissed, they must be in order to survive. Africa is harsh and full of competion that can also feed on them: Lions, Hyeans, african wild dogs, Leopards and so on.
@@boredomchannel that’s one reason why I love African species they are tough as nails. But honestly I always kept mine similar to ball pythons but I also gave them a nice hotspot to bask around 100-110 and uvb light and just a heads up they grow super fast. My babies would reach around 6ft after a year and sometimes get temperamental around2-3 years old but with regular handling they grow out of that stage. Any other information feel free to ask bud
@@pumpkinchowGlad to hear that you use uvb for your snakes. Most people think snakes don't need it but in reality they need it like any other reptile. The ideal is to keep one outdoor year around with the help of a large greenhouse during winter. Do you think it's a neat idea?
@@pumpkinchow Totally agree with the higher hotspot temps. My female loves hanging out in her hot side and I also keep it a little over 100. Definitely a little hotter than i keep my burms or retics. My august 1st 2022 female afrock is already 8ft btw!
Rock pythons are big,bad,and beautiful. We need to do more to save these majestic snakes from extinction. People actually kill these snakes for their skin should be ashamed because with today's technology we can make snake skin stuff outta synthetic materials that feel like real snake skin. So there is no need to kill these beautiful snakes even for meat. Sorry Dav, I go on a rant when I hear things that are disturbing like rock pythons being killed either out of fear or marketing reasons. Now I will love the planet, feed my reptile obsession, and rattle on. Thank you Dav!
I've never even heard of a file snake. Wow! Love learning! And for the egg eater.. I didn't know they regurgitate the shell.. 😂 I love how the cows turned and looked at you when you moo'd. I love that Emperor scorpion eating. So cool. I'm so glad you found a rock python. They're really interesting.
Hi Dav Love all of your adventures. I am glad that you found some interesting snakes. That rock python was so huge. And had a very nice pattern. And the irredentist colors were so pretty. Glad that you had a nice trip.🦎🐍♥️Cindy
So nice to meet the File Snake. The Egg Eater has adapted to his diet. The Sand Snake was mild mannered, Attractive and interesting. That Termite mound was gigantic! Magnificent and beautiful Rock Python! I cannot believe anyone would kill this stunning snake. So glad you found the snake at last.
I hope that you will continue to travel and make these videos. It certainly makes you want yo see captive reptiles in better adapted surroundings. Would love a large enclosure with red headed agamas. Don’t care if they are common. They are stunning.
Wow, that was bigger than I thought... What happened to it, did you have the time to get it to safety? Also, I'm sure that if you had checked that scorpion's linkedin, it would have said that it was a professional drone flyer... should have given it a chance! ;)
@@notmemancmon ...oof like any other snake? So we safe the snakes with catching them and keep them as pets? Should we do that with every snake? Probably not. Its really sad that he supports something like that. So i hope they release it far from a Village or something (probably not)
Love how you was dodging that biting end lol also noticed how you was going back and forth he she lol great viedo Dave!! Can't wait for the movie oh I am so excited 😊 😆 🤗
Honestly after years of working with these I’ve actually found the WC animals to be the ones I’ve gotten along with the best. They have their reputation and that’s a mixed bag. I think they are very reasonable animals, but they will not suffer fools and once you push them past what they are good with they have no issue letting you know they aren’t having it. They also bluff quite a bit. Hands down my favorite species Of snake I’ve ever worked with. That said they are absolute gigantic muscles and killers in the wrong hands. At 8’ they are absolutely lethal with their strength. Im glad you highlighted the difference between them and burms/retics. The muscle definition is out of this world in comparison to those two. I’m glad you were able to find one! And a beautiful healthy one no less!
Id love to hear anything and everything you have to say about african rock pythons. Care, breeding, your opinions, any of it. They are my favorite species as well. I havent had her all that long by comparison, but lately i find myself holding my female african rock python much more often than my burms or my retics. I love everything about her and want to learn more about afrocks, but its a lot harder to find information on them.
@@alexcrowder1673 yeah. I need to get more content with them on my channel for sure. I want to get out to someone with a decent sized collection of them and shoot a video. They are cooler looking burms with brain cells- so it’s hard not to like them! Lol. They definitely offer a different level of interaction. Captivity has really dumbed down burms a lot for whatever reason much more so than other species I’ve worked with.
@@DanMaganoSnakes Thats exactly what I'm saying. They seem to me to be right up there with retics as far as intelligence goes. At least the girl I've got does. She "talks" a lot like my burms though. As for people with a collection for a video, I know Black Diamond Herp, Fisher Reptile, and Paragon Exotics all breed them. You could try them.
@@alexcrowder1673 yeah, I know 2/3 it’s just who wants their stuff on video and getting there lol. I don’t have Dav’s ability to Jetset lol. Barely staying alive over here haha.
@@DanMaganoSnakesI'm planning on breeding my female Afrock In 2 years. She's already 12ft, but she only just turned 2 years old last month and id rather her be closer to 4. I still need to raise a male up anyways and that should only take about 2 years. Breeding loans are basically impossible for me. I dont even know anyone in my state who keeps Afrocks. I've been waiting on another unrelated clutch from Sam Fisher to buy a male, but i may end up having to grab a 2024 male from someone else if he doesnt have any available soon. I don't want to wait too long to start breeding them. Im also working on breeding some caramel burm combos, and some orange ghost stripe and cow retics. But ill probably only ever breed my burms and retics a couple of times. Its my female afrock im most excited to breed. Shes hands down my favorite individual snake, as well my favorite species ive ever worked with. They vaguely remind me of short tail and blood pythons. Its not that they act the same, but theres a learning curve for learning how to read them and understand them. plus they both have that huffiness, and similarly explosive striking power. I think the afrock in this video was holding back and just bluffing. I think she meant to miss. I totally agree about afrocks muscles too. They are also DENSE. A burm of similar length and thickness feels much lighter and much squishier in the hand than an Afrock of equivalent size does, at least in my limited experience. I do suspect long term captive breeding may have made burms a bit "soft" both mentally and physically though. I cant be sure, but I suspect the differences would be less noticable in wild individuals. Africa does tend to have a little more extreme of reptiles than Asia does though. Nile monitors for example can hold their breath for over 2 hours, while Asian water monitors can only hold their breath for 30-60 minutes. Niles are also a lot more reactive. They dont generally pause to process things. They primarily make split second decisions in the moment. If a Nile sees something that might be food, they arent going to double check like an asian water monitor might, they are going to bolt for it. They cant afford to miss an opportunity for food. Nile crocodiles also have a notably stronger bite force, and thicker skin than Salties do. They are also more reactive. Afrocks and burms are another example of Africa having a more intense counterpart to an Asian species. There has to be a reason they evolved that way. I could just be biased, but it seems like African ecosystems are a little harsher than they are in Asia. Or at least have slightly stronger evolutionary pressures for reptiles. Afrocks can also handle a wider range of humidity than most pythons. It isnt JUST that different localities adapted to different conditions either. Even in set locations within their range it may go from near desert conditions for months, to 100% humidity for months at a time. The shifts between the dry and rainy season seem very very severe based on weather records ive been reading. Particularly in western africa. They do seem to need that dry period too though because I have heard they can get water blisters a bit easier than burms if kept too humid for too long. Anyways, im just rambling now. Once i actually start getting clutches of the big pythons, and im no longer just talk, id be happy to let you visit!
What a beautiful snake, just gorgeous. Thank you so much for sharing your adventures, you do amazing work. I simply cannot wait to see the ball python footage. It's so nice to see wildlife in their natural surroundings, especially when the whole world is focused on human stuff and the craziness sheer power brings among our species. Keep doing what you do as you do it very well and rattle on!!
The rock python was beautiful! And clearly so annoyed rofl! "What does this shiny monkey WANT Im just trying to go home!" I want to know how/if/where you moved her though, that would have been very interesting on film. I dont want her to be harmed just for being too close to people :(
What a gorgeous example of this species! I remember going on a hike with the school outdoor club, it was before the Klipriversberg Nature Reserve was built well over 20 years ago, and we saw a rock python basking on a rock right in the middle of the river. The largest snake I have ever seen in real life, and we didn't need to get close at all to appreciate its size. On a later hike, on a local farm in Walkerville, one of our club members nearly stepped on a puff adder. Fun times. Glad you enjoyed your adventures in West Africa, hope to see you down here in South sometime 😉
What you saw was actually an entirely different species of python. There are actually no African rock pythons (Python Sebae) in South Africa at ALL. There are however Southern african pythons (Python Natalensis) that the locals mistakenly call African rock pythons. Its actually really frustrating and causes a tremendous amount of confusion. I wish theyd just use the correct species names and stop confusing everyone.
I bet that is awesome to catch reptiles native to Africa. Where as you would catch king snakes, rat snakes or other non venomous reptiles back here at home in the USA. Really loving every bit of footage you brought back. And the African Rock Python is gorgeous! Absolutely amazing! Thank you so much for all of this! Stay safe and rattle on!
Love your channels and content and what you do for the reptile community and the information you put out on these trips. I wish to one day herp in these wonderful places
Love all these videos and I cannot wait for the ball python movie! Also, I don’t think it’s fair to say the rock python had a bad attitude. Self-defense is a good and appropriate attitude to have when you encounter an unknown threat! Just sayin, don’t shame her for it!🤘🏼😁😝
that snake you found at the 7 minute mark is neat, the rear fanged venomous one. If you just showed the head I would probably say its a leopard frog. Pretty cool
Im going to start calling Dave the snake whisperer. First that gaboon viper I almost swore was dead. Now this rock python. Snakes just turn into puppy dogs in his hands. Actually better behaved than puppy dogs really.
I thought File snakes weren't Colubrids like House Snakes? House Snakes at least are more closely related to Cobras/Elapids than Colubrids, surprisingly. Though it makes sense considering their intelligence. Edit: awesome vid btw, that Rock Python was gorgeous! Wish those and Indian Rocks were more tame via captive breeding, tho I've heard the latter can be. Still awesome.
They're not; they're Lamprophiids, which are sister to the Elapidae family and separate from the Colubridae. Same goes however now for a lot of species that people think are colubrids still (including the familiar hognose snakes, ringneck snakes, mud snakes, false water cobras etc. that are in Dipsadidae now for example). Intelligence doesn't really factor in it though; boomslangs and indigo snakes are still core colubrids, and some of the smartest snakes out there.
Totally shared the excitement from here! What an amazing animal... please tell me it was relocated to a safe place? We didn't get to hear how it ended for that animal?
This series is immense! What did you do with that beautiful python in the end? And I’d be curious to know if you’ve come across any animals in Africa that you’d like to see better represented in the hobby
The scales on that Egg Eating Snake remind me of our Common Tree Snakes here in Aus. Especially with the blue flecks between the scales when they separate.
I am in sth China, we have wild Burms around our facility, I hope to find one as clean as that rocky, looks like it just got out of the bath, great vid mate
Dav love your channel and think you're awesome but why didn't you try baiting the rock out of the termite mound with a rat or pig or one of the guides?
Had a African Rock Python in the early to mid 90s here in the UK , finally went to London Zoo where how it got to UK i dont know only that it was originally from a Royal Air Force base and apparently to the zoo the only one in private ownership at the time , lovely snake quite calm although could be hissy at times , 6ft when i got it 10ft approx when handed over to the zoo
Oh my. A video with Dav dancing around a giant annoyed, striking python while giggling like a little girl. Who's having fun here? ME! AND DAV! And in the end the snake wasn't all that annoyed and might have had some fun too. It's what makes these videos so enjoyable, they're FUN. Thanks Dav and crew for the video.
That snake was someone's pet.... Maybe the guy playing the bongo's during the outro.
@@shanemiller6982 it's possible. Who wants to go home empty handed if you can borrow a pet behind the scenes? It's all a part of UA-cam and Hollywood when needed but we're here for the entertaining final product right? I'm not so green as to think everything on UA-cam HAS to be real nor am I so bitter or petty as to get upset when they have to Hollywood it up. It's ok. No one's mad. And if you think you can spot a fake on a snake video have you ever looked in to NASA??? SO FAKE. All of it. But it's about the Hollywood effect. Don't forget that next time you are staring at a "picture" (it's an image) of a "gas giant" floating through "outer space" or astro-NOTS playing golf on"the moon" and zipping around in their "moon buggie" Learn to spot the deceptions where they MATTER.
@@MisplacedPixie You sound just like my friend on NASA. Only he thinks the earth is also flat. I'm not mad at dude , I was just feeling shitty from the day I had spent and it was just spilling out of me. It would be a shame to go all the way to Africa and not find the snake your looking for.
He probably would have had a better chance finding it in the Fla. Everglades. They say it's full of pythons.
I thought the reticulated was from Africa. Guess I was wrong.
They took it for themselves. Fucking disgusting.
@@shanemiller6982 sounds like you have interesting and intelligent friends. I don't pretend to understand the whole flat Earth theory but on all the points that have been told to me I never could prove them wrong on their points. When I first heard about the theory I didn't know that the international flat Earth society was just a joke and didn't have ANYTHING to do with the actual theory, that it's kind of like a Saturday night live spoof website that is just all silliness but if you look into the actual real community they have really good points and flat Earth does NOT mean a floating pizza pan in space. It's really interesting stuff and for me it was fun to look into it. I hope your day was better today. Sometimes I get super grumpy on bad days and leave harsh comments that I regret and have to go get rid of LOL. Hopefully today was lovely and stress free and I'm hoping the same for your tomorrow as well.
You are so gentle with the animals. Much respect to you sir.
I reaaaally appreciate that too! He handled that interaction very similarly to how i'd imagine Steve Irwin would have.
Almost everyone else on youtube manhandles large snakes by the neck like they owe them money. Honestly videos like that are painful for me to even watch. Most of them even claim to be snake rescuers or animal lovers, and then proceed to carry a virtually harmless snake by nothing but their neck and the tip of their tail. Ive seen indian pythons necks break from this, eventually leading to their death. Its dangerous to the snake and incredibly disrespectful to handle them that way. We desperately need more youtubers like this who treat snakes with respect.
@alexcrowder1673 yeah allot do. Then again a big central African rock python can kill you, so there's that.
Dav, all of these Africa videos have been great! Looks like such great herping times!! Glad you got to go on an amazing adventure! Also WOW, that termite mound was beautiful with the tree growing out of it. Thank you for not destroying it to find the rock python❤️ take note people
Not only are you brilliant and packed full of knowledge Dav, there's also a delightful sense of humor 😀 that's hidden away in that awesome brain of yours!
DAV: (🤣 "How did that cow get a camera?")
I so needed that lil giggle this afternoon!
😊 (THANKS)
I'm excited for the ball python movie!!! Eeee!! Ty for all you do! You go WAY above and beyond.
This was rad Dav! I love rock pythons. You got out all that bad energy in her. And that pattern is so wavy.
That snake was epically beautiful! Worth the effort put in to find this creature.
Yay! I love Saturday cause of the uploads! Can’t wait for the ball Python movie!
Ohh YEAH!!! Dave of the Jungle getting da BEST footage of the biggest African Python!!
Honestly these Africa herping videos by you are full on some of the most entertaining content i've seen on UA-cam, herping or otherwise. This is really interesting and so sick to see not only some familiar faces in the wild but also some species I would never have seen without this series.
That skink is beautiful...these videos are great!!
Holy termite mound!! Very cool. All such beautiful animals and I enjoy seeing the diversity of species. Way to persevere Dav!! Amazing snake, amazing video. 👏
What a beautiful Rock Python! I hope you were able to take her out of harms way. She’s survived long enough to get to that size and she/he is spectacular!
I am so excited for the Ball Python movie!! I really appreciate all the time, expense and effort you put into these videos. Reptiles are soooo cool!!🐍❤️🐍
His friend takes care off her for now.
Best footage I have seen of the African Rock Python. I really wanted to see one in Africa too, but I never would have grabbed one. What an experience that must have been for you! I hope you were able to save her.
Wow Dav! That's crazy last minute of you!
So glad you were able to find a Rock Python.
Thank you man
#RattleOn
Beautiful python Dāv. Thank goodness you found her.
I could tell when she was about to strike every time lol. It's that scary pause that afrocks do. When they hold still, suddenly get eerily silent, and just stare you down, back up lol. Back up further than you think you have to too, because they have incredible speed and range even compared to other giant snake species. They strike like an oversized blood python lol.
Obsessed with the little scorpion trying to come home with you. I love seeing the adults, my emperor scorpion (Meatball) is still like the size of a jelly bean.
Great video Dav! That was a beautiful python!! I’m loving all these videos you took while over in Africa! Thank you for sharing it with all of us it’s truly amazing footage!
Those lazy tag attempts the rock python made at you in one of those shots looked like it was telling you it's way too early in the day to work up a real temper. 😂
"Just go awa~y *yawn* I need my beauty-nap before it gets to a sizzling temperature."
It also looked well fed and those iridecent scales were beautiful. A gorgeous snake; what a luck you managed to find it!
The west Africa videos have been a hoot, Dav. Thanks for all you do, man. That Rock Python looked like a big ol sweetheart to me.
All I could think about was black mambas when you were out there in the bush. Love the trip! The Lizards were so beautiful. That orange was so vibrant. I’m guessing Mrs. lizard was not impressed! 🤣😆 He needs to work on his approach! Rattle on!❤️
Once again you got me to say, "OMG you're crazy" I appreciate this work and education you provide.
I’ve always loved rock pythons and wish I still had mine but thankfully I was able to breed them twice years back and have the chance to get one of the babies back when I move out of NY. It’s no baby any more but she’s tame and would love to breed them again in the future. They are another misunderstood species that are often overlooked and underrated but are truly amazing and beautiful species. Thanks for doing this episode and reigniting my passion for the species. You Rock 🤘🏻🤘🏻🐍
Yup, Rock Pythons got their rep because for many years they were direct imports. As with basically every species of python and boa that had a continuous and active wild animal imports, they all had the reputation of being mean. I'm sure if you tried to grab a retic in the wild it would have a very similar reaction.
I'm planning to get a cb african rock python. Do you have any suggestions about heat and humidity requirements? And tbh no wonder wild ones are so pissed, they must be in order to survive. Africa is harsh and full of competion that can also feed on them: Lions, Hyeans, african wild dogs, Leopards and so on.
@@boredomchannel that’s one reason why I love African species they are tough as nails. But honestly I always kept mine similar to ball pythons but I also gave them a nice hotspot to bask around 100-110 and uvb light and just a heads up they grow super fast. My babies would reach around 6ft after a year and sometimes get temperamental around2-3 years old but with regular handling they grow out of that stage. Any other information feel free to ask bud
@@pumpkinchowGlad to hear that you use uvb for your snakes. Most people think snakes don't need it but in reality they need it like any other reptile. The ideal is to keep one outdoor year around with the help of a large greenhouse during winter. Do you think it's a neat idea?
@@pumpkinchow Totally agree with the higher hotspot temps. My female loves hanging out in her hot side and I also keep it a little over 100. Definitely a little hotter than i keep my burms or retics. My august 1st 2022 female afrock is already 8ft btw!
Rock pythons are big,bad,and beautiful. We need to do more to save these majestic snakes from extinction. People actually kill these snakes for their skin should be ashamed because with today's technology we can make snake skin stuff outta synthetic materials that feel like real snake skin. So there is no need to kill these beautiful snakes even for meat. Sorry Dav, I go on a rant when I hear things that are disturbing like rock pythons being killed either out of fear or marketing reasons. Now I will love the planet, feed my reptile obsession, and rattle on. Thank you Dav!
Incredible. Thank you for bringing this all to us.
That was the calmest wild Rock Python I've seen.
I've never even heard of a file snake. Wow! Love learning! And for the egg eater.. I didn't know they regurgitate the shell..
😂 I love how the cows turned and looked at you when you moo'd. I love that Emperor scorpion eating. So cool. I'm so glad you found a rock python. They're really interesting.
Hi Dav Love all of your adventures. I am glad that you found some interesting snakes. That rock python was so huge. And had a very nice pattern. And the irredentist colors were so pretty. Glad that you had a nice trip.🦎🐍♥️Cindy
Thats a serious moo you have there lol they responded 😂
So nice to meet the File Snake. The Egg Eater has adapted to his diet. The Sand Snake was mild mannered, Attractive and interesting. That Termite mound was gigantic! Magnificent and beautiful Rock Python! I cannot believe anyone would kill this stunning snake. So glad you found the snake at last.
I hope that you will continue to travel and make these videos.
It certainly makes you want yo see captive reptiles in better adapted surroundings.
Would love a large enclosure with red headed agamas. Don’t care if they are common. They are stunning.
Dude!.... you are absolutely THE LEGEND!
Wow, that was bigger than I thought... What happened to it, did you have the time to get it to safety?
Also, I'm sure that if you had checked that scorpion's linkedin, it would have said that it was a professional drone flyer... should have given it a chance! ;)
It's safe his friend Michael is now caring for it
@@notmemancmon Oh, that's great to hear! Thank you for letting me know! :)
@@notmemancmon what? Are they going to release it?
@@zacktory161 no they don't want it to be released since people will most likely hunt it for its hide
@@notmemancmon ...oof like any other snake?
So we safe the snakes with catching them and keep them as pets? Should we do that with every snake? Probably not.
Its really sad that he supports something like that. So i hope they release it far from a Village or something (probably not)
really felt for you in the intro after watching what you said about how hard it was to pull this off! respect!
Oh my gosh the Rock Python is beautiful and so very thick! She gave you all the attitude, true queen right there. 👑
Love how you was dodging that biting end lol also noticed how you was going back and forth he she lol great viedo Dave!! Can't wait for the movie oh I am so excited 😊 😆 🤗
Super Rad Dāv.....
Psyched you found a rock in its natural habitat....
Great footage and content bro.....
Well done.....
Honestly after years of working with these I’ve actually found the WC animals to be the ones I’ve gotten along with the best. They have their reputation and that’s a mixed bag. I think they are very reasonable animals, but they will not suffer fools and once you push them past what they are good with they have no issue letting you know they aren’t having it. They also bluff quite a bit. Hands down my favorite species Of snake I’ve ever worked with. That said they are absolute gigantic muscles and killers in the wrong hands. At 8’ they are absolutely lethal with their strength. Im glad you highlighted the difference between them and burms/retics. The muscle definition is out of this world in comparison to those two. I’m glad you were able to find one! And a beautiful healthy one no less!
Id love to hear anything and everything you have to say about african rock pythons. Care, breeding, your opinions, any of it. They are my favorite species as well. I havent had her all that long by comparison, but lately i find myself holding my female african rock python much more often than my burms or my retics. I love everything about her and want to learn more about afrocks, but its a lot harder to find information on them.
@@alexcrowder1673 yeah. I need to get more content with them on my channel for sure. I want to get out to someone with a decent sized collection of them and shoot a video. They are cooler looking burms with brain cells- so it’s hard not to like them! Lol. They definitely offer a different level of interaction. Captivity has really dumbed down burms a lot for whatever reason much more so than other species I’ve worked with.
@@DanMaganoSnakes Thats exactly what I'm saying. They seem to me to be right up there with retics as far as intelligence goes. At least the girl I've got does. She "talks" a lot like my burms though. As for people with a collection for a video, I know Black Diamond Herp, Fisher Reptile, and Paragon Exotics all breed them. You could try them.
@@alexcrowder1673 yeah, I know 2/3 it’s just who wants their stuff on video and getting there lol. I don’t have Dav’s ability to Jetset lol. Barely staying alive over here haha.
@@DanMaganoSnakesI'm planning on breeding my female Afrock In 2 years. She's already 12ft, but she only just turned 2 years old last month and id rather her be closer to 4. I still need to raise a male up anyways and that should only take about 2 years. Breeding loans are basically impossible for me. I dont even know anyone in my state who keeps Afrocks. I've been waiting on another unrelated clutch from Sam Fisher to buy a male, but i may end up having to grab a 2024 male from someone else if he doesnt have any available soon. I don't want to wait too long to start breeding them. Im also working on breeding some caramel burm combos, and some orange ghost stripe and cow retics. But ill probably only ever breed my burms and retics a couple of times. Its my female afrock im most excited to breed. Shes hands down my favorite individual snake, as well my favorite species ive ever worked with. They vaguely remind me of short tail and blood pythons. Its not that they act the same, but theres a learning curve for learning how to read them and understand them. plus they both have that huffiness, and similarly explosive striking power. I think the afrock in this video was holding back and just bluffing. I think she meant to miss. I totally agree about afrocks muscles too. They are also DENSE. A burm of similar length and thickness feels much lighter and much squishier in the hand than an Afrock of equivalent size does, at least in my limited experience. I do suspect long term captive breeding may have made burms a bit "soft" both mentally and physically though. I cant be sure, but I suspect the differences would be less noticable in wild individuals. Africa does tend to have a little more extreme of reptiles than Asia does though. Nile monitors for example can hold their breath for over 2 hours, while Asian water monitors can only hold their breath for 30-60 minutes. Niles are also a lot more reactive. They dont generally pause to process things. They primarily make split second decisions in the moment. If a Nile sees something that might be food, they arent going to double check like an asian water monitor might, they are going to bolt for it. They cant afford to miss an opportunity for food. Nile crocodiles also have a notably stronger bite force, and thicker skin than Salties do. They are also more reactive. Afrocks and burms are another example of Africa having a more intense counterpart to an Asian species. There has to be a reason they evolved that way. I could just be biased, but it seems like African ecosystems are a little harsher than they are in Asia. Or at least have slightly stronger evolutionary pressures for reptiles. Afrocks can also handle a wider range of humidity than most pythons. It isnt JUST that different localities adapted to different conditions either. Even in set locations within their range it may go from near desert conditions for months, to 100% humidity for months at a time. The shifts between the dry and rainy season seem very very severe based on weather records ive been reading. Particularly in western africa. They do seem to need that dry period too though because I have heard they can get water blisters a bit easier than burms if kept too humid for too long.
Anyways, im just rambling now. Once i actually start getting clutches of the big pythons, and im no longer just talk, id be happy to let you visit!
Dāv, you totally need to TikTok those rock python dance moves. Annie would be proud.
You have the best herp UA-cam channel no joke
What a beautiful snake, just gorgeous. Thank you so much for sharing your adventures, you do amazing work. I simply cannot wait to see the ball python footage. It's so nice to see wildlife in their natural surroundings, especially when the whole world is focused on human stuff and the craziness sheer power brings among our species. Keep doing what you do as you do it very well and rattle on!!
The rock python was beautiful! And clearly so annoyed rofl! "What does this shiny monkey WANT Im just trying to go home!" I want to know how/if/where you moved her though, that would have been very interesting on film. I dont want her to be harmed just for being too close to people :(
Great video Dāv
I'm so PUMPED for the Ball python part of the trip!
What a series this has been. Appreciate all your hard work to get this content!
Congrats on finding the rock python; that is one bad ass snake, as in 'super cool'!
You do amazing work Dav, fantastic content!
I appreciate ur very detailed description of each snake. Super cool
What a gorgeous example of this species! I remember going on a hike with the school outdoor club, it was before the Klipriversberg Nature Reserve was built well over 20 years ago, and we saw a rock python basking on a rock right in the middle of the river. The largest snake I have ever seen in real life, and we didn't need to get close at all to appreciate its size. On a later hike, on a local farm in Walkerville, one of our club members nearly stepped on a puff adder. Fun times. Glad you enjoyed your adventures in West Africa, hope to see you down here in South sometime 😉
What you saw was actually an entirely different species of python. There are actually no African rock pythons (Python Sebae) in South Africa at ALL. There are however Southern african pythons (Python Natalensis) that the locals mistakenly call African rock pythons. Its actually really frustrating and causes a tremendous amount of confusion. I wish theyd just use the correct species names and stop confusing everyone.
Hey Dave haven't caught a video in a while but that was one badass rock python and this was a great video
I bet that is awesome to catch reptiles native to Africa. Where as you would catch king snakes, rat snakes or other non venomous reptiles back here at home in the USA. Really loving every bit of footage you brought back. And the African Rock Python is gorgeous! Absolutely amazing! Thank you so much for all of this! Stay safe and rattle on!
Another really well out together video dāv
Nice find Dav! Awesome Afrock
What a beautiful creature! The iridescence was awesome!
Beautifull snake. Looking forward to the movie.
Awesome vid Dav. I would love to see a vid of u going to the Amazon and doing how the green tree boas live in the wild.
Wow, that is a gorgeous snake! Looks like a massive ball python but with the attitude of a retic.
Love your channels and content and what you do for the reptile community and the information you put out on these trips. I wish to one day herp in these wonderful places
Love all these videos and I cannot wait for the ball python movie!
Also, I don’t think it’s fair to say the rock python had a bad attitude. Self-defense is a good and appropriate attitude to have when you encounter an unknown threat! Just sayin, don’t shame her for it!🤘🏼😁😝
Your killing it brother, keep up the great work.
Wow, way more mellow than I expected! Good job python whisperer 🤣🤣
Did you release The python elsewhere?
Those snakes were awesome! Especially the RP and skink. Did you find any big cats or large predators while in Africa?
that snake you found at the 7 minute mark is neat, the rear fanged venomous one. If you just showed the head I would probably say its a leopard frog. Pretty cool
african rock pythons are so cool. and what i love so much about them is that they kinda hunt like crocodiles.
Im going to start calling Dave the snake whisperer. First that gaboon viper I almost swore was dead. Now this rock python. Snakes just turn into puppy dogs in his hands. Actually better behaved than puppy dogs really.
That's so cool 😎 rattle on bro and thank you for sharing this beautiful snake with us
Great video 🤙can’t wait for the movie
Glad the trip wasva success
U r insane!! Lol, I thought for sure u were going to get tagged!!! 😂😂😂
I’m waiting for the ball python video that’s gone be epic
Awesome video Dave can't wait for the movie
im gonna togo gana!!! lmao!! good video!!! im a new subscriber, like the content!
Beautiful video, it’s so interesting! Thanks 😘
Amazing content as always, thank you Dav
Love all your video so educational
You’re crazy man!! Very cool
I thought File snakes weren't Colubrids like House Snakes? House Snakes at least are more closely related to Cobras/Elapids than Colubrids, surprisingly. Though it makes sense considering their intelligence.
Edit: awesome vid btw, that Rock Python was gorgeous! Wish those and Indian Rocks were more tame via captive breeding, tho I've heard the latter can be. Still awesome.
They're not; they're Lamprophiids, which are sister to the Elapidae family and separate from the Colubridae. Same goes however now for a lot of species that people think are colubrids still (including the familiar hognose snakes, ringneck snakes, mud snakes, false water cobras etc. that are in Dipsadidae now for example). Intelligence doesn't really factor in it though; boomslangs and indigo snakes are still core colubrids, and some of the smartest snakes out there.
Amazing Dave.
Totally shared the excitement from here! What an amazing animal... please tell me it was relocated to a safe place? We didn't get to hear how it ended for that animal?
This series is immense! What did you do with that beautiful python in the end? And I’d be curious to know if you’ve come across any animals in Africa that you’d like to see better represented in the hobby
I hope you helped it to a safe place.. Great journey!
Thank you Dave❤️🐍❤️
Awesome video bro 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 amazing animals
Really interesting video, hope it was a good travel.
Great video! Thanks!
0:17 - WHOA! That was an alien, maybe a shape shifter! All of the sudden he just disappeared!
Dav any idea how long this ball python film is going to be? The longer the better.
The scales on that Egg Eating Snake remind me of our Common Tree Snakes here in Aus. Especially with the blue flecks between the scales when they separate.
I am in sth China, we have wild Burms around our facility, I hope to find one as clean as that rocky, looks like it just got out of the bath, great vid mate
The Rock python was really thiccc!! Your handling skills on it was amazing 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Dav love your channel and think you're awesome but why didn't you try baiting the rock out of the termite mound with a rat or pig or one of the guides?
Holy mackerel that python is gigantic!! 😍
Hey Dave, is there anyway to get contact information for the Bearded dragon breeder in west Africa???
Awesome trip.
Looks like it only got agitated when you put the camera on its face. Overall looks like a chill rock python
Awesome vid always so informative!
Had a African Rock Python in the early to mid 90s here in the UK , finally went to London Zoo where how it got to UK i dont know only that it was originally from a Royal Air Force base and apparently to the zoo the only one in private ownership at the time , lovely snake quite calm although could be hissy at times , 6ft when i got it 10ft approx when handed over to the zoo
I will always want a rocky, they’re so beautiful
Great vid. Were you able to move the snake to a safer spot?
Cheers,
Chris