Transporting a three-metre long snake is no easy feat, but the staff at the Australian Reptile Park managed it when they took the park’s massive male Burmese python, Jockey, to Somersby Animal Hospital for his yearly health check-up recently.
Before the health check, reptile keepers Mitch Gasnier and Imogen Hall put in a team effort to check the weight of the enormous python, which tipped the scales at an impressive 51.1kg.
Jockey remains the largest snake who calls the award-winning wildlife park home.
The comprehensive health check, conducted by Dr Robin Crisman at Somersby Animal Hospital, involved looking at Jockey’s mouth and teeth to scan for signs of mouth rot or respiratory diseases which is common in Burmese pythons, checking his scales for signs of infection and measuring his thickness to ensure he falls within the optimal weight range for his species and age.
“Since Jockey is almost 20 years old, it’s important that we monitor his health closely as this age is quite old for his species,” reptile keeper Imogen Hall said.
“Dr Crisman was thrilled to see that he was in fantastic shape for his age.”
To gain further insight into Jockey’s health, an x-ray was conducted to analyse his bone health, density and identify any potential spinal issues.
Given Jockey’s immense size, Crisman, assisted by keepers, had to perform five x-rays to cover the entire length of his body.
“The x-ray showed that Jockey had no previous fractures, good bone density and was in excellent health,” Hall said.
“Even though the x-ray was to check his bone health, it was crazy that we saw the last meal he ate, as well as how large his teeth are!”
The Australian Reptile Park is home to a vast array of native and exotic reptiles, including snakes, crocodiles, lizards, and turtles.
Visitors can learn about these amazing creatures through the Park’s Behind the Scenes tour, or if they’re brave enough, they can get up close and personal with a massive Burmese Python, like Jockey, during a memorable Photo Experience.
Source:
Australian Reptile Park