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The general rule of thumb with hots is to only insert in a cage with them what limb you're willing to part with. I'm still curious to know what species your boss's alleged rock rattlesnake is, because based on the pix provided, it absolutely isn't anything from the standard rock rattlesnake genus, C. lepidus. https://www.google.com/search?site=...285.oo8-VofXskk He can hit up any of the AZ, NM, or TX herp societies where they occur if there's doubt to the ID. That ain't lepidus. If he has a lep, it certainly ain't the one in the photograph provided.
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Apr 27, 2014 08:02
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I got this girl at the Pittsburgh show this afternoon Ive been wanting to get into boas for some time, and explore the world of non colubrids. She's a Khal strain DH sunglow. Those who keep boas, how does your milage vary with steralite tubs? I have her in one now, as she's small, and Intend on moving her into something bigger as she grows, but has anyone had any problem with them before?
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Apr 27, 2014 18:31
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I know UVB isn't required for snakes, but are there any exceptions? Or rather, are there any snakes that DO require UVB lighting?
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Apr 29, 2014 06:59
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MrConfusedTurkey posted:I know UVB isn't required for snakes, but are there any exceptions? Or rather, are there any snakes that DO require UVB lighting? I've never really experimented myself, but diurnal invertebrate eaters such as rough green snakes seem to benefit tremendously from UVB. I've also had friends tell me that other species that don't require UVB will sometimes seem more active and healthy if provided UVB with their normal basking lights. Bottom line is that vertebrate feeders that eat whole prey items don't require UVB but may benefit from it. Invert eaters (depending on species) probably do require it. Big Centipede fucked around with this message at 07:45 on Apr 29, 2014 |
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Apr 29, 2014 07:42
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What about common beginner snakes such as kings and corns? Are they known to become brighter and more active with UVB? I know that with my king, I used to have him with a UVB light. He was my first snake so I did not know they didn't require it, and a few months back I learned this. I turned it off, and he seems to be just as active. Could it also just depend on the snake?
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Apr 29, 2014 19:51
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MrConfusedTurkey posted:What about common beginner snakes such as kings and corns? Are they known to become brighter and more active with UVB? I know that with my king, I used to have him with a UVB light. He was my first snake so I did not know they didn't require it, and a few months back I learned this. I turned it off, and he seems to be just as active. Could it also just depend on the snake? Could just be people imagining that it makes a difference or maybe it varies depending on species. I've personally never used UVB on snakes though.
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Apr 30, 2014 00:43
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I used UVB on my rough green and he lived a long, long time compared to what other keepers report theirs getting to. I was told it was essential for them. I used it on my Malaysian vine snakes, too.
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Apr 30, 2014 16:00
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I would default to using UVB for all diurnal animals in the absence of data to the contrary, since its tied to sunlight activating Vit. D. Nocturnal animals probably don't need it, but one of our local exotics vets still recommends it anyway.
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Apr 30, 2014 17:19
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Bilirubin posted:I would default to using UVB for all diurnal animals in the absence of data to the contrary, since its tied to sunlight activating Vit. D. Nocturnal animals probably don't need it, but one of our local exotics vets still recommends it anyway. It definitely couldn't hurt.
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May 1, 2014 01:20
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House of Reptiles piiiicccsss~ Lilith, 14ft 140lb burm. She was abandoned in someone's apartment around 2009, given to us by animal control. She peed mightily right before I took this pic.  Rex, 12ft Dwarf retic and Asia, 13ft normal female burm. Rex is from Bob Clark, originally, and is the 'founding father' of all dwarf retics.  Boss and I feeding Asia.   Rat snuggle time They weren't alive  Dziko, 26-27yr old leopard tortoise. Everyone's favorite girl. She comes up to you for chin scratches and loves a hyacinth blossom. Has pyramiding due to improper care from her original owner.  Pago and Priscilla, Argentine BW tegus. Pago is Mr. Personality and loves to take strawberries from your hand as gentle as a puppy. He loves attention and will come when called. 'Cilla is still developing her attitude after having been recently rescued, but is generally a sweetie. Pago is our main man for the educational presentations.  Soledad, 8ft albino male burm. Easy as pie. Is also a star of the educational shows.   Our 1yr old Wedge-Headed caiman (Paleosuchus trigonatus), juvenile common snapper and alligator snapping turtle. No names for these guys. I suggested 'Chompers' for the caiman and was soundly mocked.  Grean Basin Gopher snake we have in the back. Probably the yellowest animal of its species I've ever seen.  Mating group of rubber boas (Charina bottae). Can't sell these locally because they're a native species, but we take the young, tag and release them once they're eating well on local prey items. Then we track how they stay in the area or disperse.   Our GTP pair. Top pic is Dad, a Wamena, and bottom is Mom, an Aru/Sorong.  And their eggs, which are due to hatch 5/26. I'm over the moon excited because I get second pick, after the boss. Some of our animals for sale:  Rankin's dragons. Like beardies, but smaller.  Baby Argentine BW tegu. Unrelated to Pago and Cilla.  Young blackheaded python (Aspidites melanocephalus). Incredible species.  Burgundy Goliath birdeater tarantula.  Peach Throat monitor. She's very whippy and nervous but never bites. We call her the Princess.  One of the six Venuzuelan SunTiger tarantula slings.  Sub-adult Purple Bloom tarantula. Depending on if its male or female, as an adult it'll have metallic, iridescent purple coloring. Bobbaganoosh posted:The general rule of thumb with hots is to only insert in a cage with them what limb you're willing to part with. Yeah that's why we go with tongs/hooks/plastic barriers and long rear end hemostats. Easier to replace metal than flesh. The voids we do handle a bit, mostly around milking time or during a cage re-haul, but we always remember that a tiny piece of tissue could render them deadly again. quote:I'm still curious to know what species your boss's alleged rock rattlesnake is, because based on the pix provided, it absolutely isn't anything from the standard rock rattlesnake genus, C. lepidus. If there's any fault in identification, I promise you it'd be me and not my boss. I'm a slow kid when it comes to matching pics with correct names, but the boss is one of the oldest names in the industry and has worked with every herp society from here to Idaho. Basically, I screwed up the order of the pics and there was some confusion; we DO have a C. lepidus klauberi. Earlier in the thread I was sure we didn't because the list on the door/website was incomplete, and the boss told me we didn't have one because he's forgetful and relies on the sheet as much as any of us. We've got him, though, and he is a lep. This guy right here:  This is who I confused him with, Pete our C. oreganus lutosus:  The pic I posted earlier from the herp hunt is for sure a C. oreganus, though, so if you're thinking that's a lep then I don't know what to tell you; they're not found in that region as far as we know, and it'd be a cold hard winter for them if they were. That animal was found right outside of a grouping of well-known oreganus hibernacula, and it'd be pretty hard to find much else in that area. I don't take the best pics when herping, but hopefully you can see the distinctive fading chevrons and the darker tail end:  I do have a lot more pics of museum residents, but I'll save that for a separate post once I get the boss's permission to post some of them. Captain Foxy fucked around with this message at 02:41 on May 1, 2014 |
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May 1, 2014 02:34
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I am so envious to see the rubber boas. One of the herpetology graduate students (the last of Carl Gans fwiw) while I was an undergrad had one and I just fell in love with it. Have wanted one since. How is the temperament of the emerald tree boas? Right now I just have the leopard gecko and a caecilian (Herpele).
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May 1, 2014 03:41
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Rubber boas are just goddamn cute snakes. I mean you'd have to be hitting them in the face repeatedly to the point where it'd be ridiculous before you'd get bitten by one, and like most semi-fossorial snakes they're absurdly easy keepers. They're really neat little animals in the wild too, since they use their tails as clubs to hold back adult rodents while they consume their litter underground. They're also unusually faithful to their home burrows, and can be found in the same territory year after year. I love them, and my boss feels the same. By emerald tree boas I'll assume you mean green tree pythons, which are essentially identical but come from an entirely different continent (convergent evolution yaaaaaay!). We do actually have an ETB (as well as the two GTPs and their eggs) but I didn't get any pics of her. The GTPs are actually fairly docile animals. The nasty reputation comes from their insane feeding response and the nippiness of the youngsters. Most Aussie species are like that. I'm hopeful that with careful, regular handling in short bursts, I can have a mellow handleable GTP that I can use for educational work.
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May 1, 2014 04:12
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Mr. S (My Northern Blue Tongue Skink) is shedding so I took a picture of the colour he takes on:  Here's a shot from right before his colour faded/darkened:  I used flash in the shedding picture but no flash in the one where his colours are normal. I forgot to take a picture of his belly though, whoops!
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May 1, 2014 05:07
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Some advice please reptile goons. My oldest son has reached the grand old age of eight and has been asking for a pet snake since at least the age of four. He has always been fascinated by snakes, he doesn't have a teddy bear, he has a cuddly snake. He's the kid at the zoo completely ignoring the chimps to spend half an hour staring in rapt fascination at a Boa despite the fact that it hasn't moved once. He's fascinated by all animals really, he wants to be a zoo keeper or wildlife photographer when he grows up and it's something we would like to encourage. So we are currently looking to get him a snake. I have a reptile specialist near my work (Reptasia in Fleet, Hampshire, UK) they are new but the shop seems well regarded. I went in to speak to them on Monday and they have recommended a Ball Python with a VE Viva medium sized vivarium along with all the kit. The advice was that the larger, calmer snake would be better and safer for a child and the care requirements are not to strenuous. He will of course have close parental supervision in care and handling, we have a cat, dog and a couple of aquariums which he helps with already. However this is going to be his pet so I want to make sure it's not going to be out of his depth. We'll be taking him back to the shop on the weekend so he can ask questions, see the animals and I can get everything priced up. Anything else I should consider or think of?
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May 1, 2014 10:05
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A ball would make an excellent starter pet. They're a really good 'lap' snake if your son wants something to sit on his wrist or curl up in his lap while he watches TV. If he wants something that will move a bit more and be more active when he picks it up, a corn or a king snake would also be a good fit. Corns/kings/milks all do have the tendency towards being a bit nippy as babies though, whereas baby balls will just try to curl up and hide. The only possible issue I see is purchasing a snake 'kit' since they rarely, if ever, come with what you need and most of the time you're paying for what you don't need or even want. The VE Viva medium's dimensions are very similar to a standard 40g breeder tank, which is mostly what we recommend for adult ball pythons, so you're in the clear there, but you'll want to make sure you fill it with a lot of hides and cage decorations if you put a very young snake in there, just to be sure the space doesn't stress them out. The standard snake set goes one hide on the hot side and one hide on the cool, to allow the snake to move freely between one or the other without having to choose between being comfortable and being too cold/too hot. Burrowing snakes like ball pythons will tend to spend most of their time in the hides, so keep that in mind. They don't mind being pulled out to play with often, just be sure you don't let your son handle the snake on the day you normally feed, or the day after. And it should go without saying: don't feed live. Feed f/t. It's more convenient and safer if your son wants an easy handling animal, not to mention much safer for the snake. Here's the only caveat to ball pythons: temperature. Temps are the number one issue with them, and the number one reason they are considered picky eaters, so if your snake refuses to eat, the first thing to do is check your temps. A temp gun is the best equipment available, but you can also use cheaper thermometer....just don't stick it on the glass. Put it in the hot and cool sides, on the glass above your heat pad/the area below your light, and make sure that it rests for a while to get to temperature. You want the temps to be 90-95F (30-35C) in the warm side and 70-75F (20-24C) in the cool. Maintaining those temps are the number one thing you need to do, husbandry wise, and there really isn't much else, so get yourself and your son in the habit of checking them daily. Enjoy your snake! Just be prepared for your son's room to be a wall of tanks someday. This is how it starts.
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May 1, 2014 18:48
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My sister bought some chickens once and now owns a small farm, this sort of thing runs in the family. Thanks for the advice, it's all been added to our notes and things to ask about. They did have a couple of ready to go, all in one type setups but the guy said don't bother. The Viva isn't so much a pre-built setup as much as a base, they then help you choose everything else you need based on what you are buying it for. My son is pretty excited about all this now, I suspect we are going to have a snake named 'Bullseye' (his snake, his name, I asked why, 'it's cool') hanging around the house soon.
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May 1, 2014 20:49
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Hi guys. I'm not a regular PI poster but on a whim I decided to come see if there's a frogs n' lizards thread and shure nuff. Looking over the OP: I think Oriental firebellied toads (Bombina orientalis) are worth adding to the "easy starter frog" list. They're cheap as hell (usually under $5 each), captive bred, and extremely hardy. I have two that have lived on neglect and crickets for 6+ years now and are still going strong. The one thing I'd caution with them is that they must be kept with either sand (small enough to swallow and pass) or large pebbles (too large to swallow). My local pet store keeps theirs with a gravel-sized substrate that is exactly the wrong size. Firebellied toads Other than that, they're an easy small-tank setup: you need a clear water area (run an aquarium pump with a charcoal filter to keep the water clean) and several areas they can climb entirely out of the water. They only eat live prey, so feeding them smallish dusted crickets (maybe up to 3/4 inch or so) works well. We also have some tiny snails in their water which came in with an aquatic plant ages ago, and those are great because they gobble up any drowned crickets before they get too disgusting, and I suspect the frogs may occasionally eat one although I've never seen them do it. The other thing I'd mention is that a couple years ago, a crested gecko breeder mentioned to me that he likes to feed his geckos yogurt to supplement the repashy diet + crickets. I tried it out and holy poo poo do my cresties love yogurt! I buy lowfat fruit yogurt, usually strawberry banana flavor, Lucerne (Safeway's house brand) which doesn't have too much sugar and is made with real fruit. It's cheap and I think especially helps the geckos with absorbable calcium. I've been feeding it for four years now without any issues, all four of my cresties and my one gargoyle are all healthy and happy as far as I can tell. In addition to the firebellied toads and the geckos, I also keep a few dart frogs - we currently have three D. leucomelas and one P. bicolor. In the past I've also kept vittatus and lamasi. I very briefly had three tincs, but they died within less than a week of coming home from a herp con, and I'm convinced they all had parasites, were badly stressed, and they were my very first dart frogs (along with one of the leucs that I still have) so I probably didn't help things with my inexperience. If any of you guys are in northern california, I occasionally attend the quarterly gatherings of the Northern California Dendrobatid Society, which meets at Chuck's house where we have BBQ and yack about frogs and also lizards, insects, and Chuck's greyhounds. Also also, "Frog Day" is going to be in my neck of the woods this year - it's later this month in Fremont. Any goons planning to attend? Captain Foxy posted:The black mamba is named Ladysmith Haha Ladysmith Black Mambazo reference, I love it. Leperflesh fucked around with this message at 02:03 on May 2, 2014 |
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May 2, 2014 01:42
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Yeah, fire bellies are awesome and incredibly easy to take care of. No real heat necessary, no serious lighting to deal with, and very simple dietary requirements. Plus your tank sound like its full of tiny dogs barking when a rainstorm is about to roll in. E: question on lighting: which mercury vapor bulb should I go with for my Veiled? I noticed petsmart started carrying this National Geographic-branded stuff, is any of it worthwhile or just the same junky store brand stuff with flashier marketing? Powersuns have been recommended but I haven't been told any real reasons to go with them over the competition. For that matter Megaray is making some pretty big claims but I'm not seeing anybody doing a uv roundup the same way PC hardware sites do and providing any hard numbers and comparisons. Kilersquirrel fucked around with this message at 05:47 on May 2, 2014 |
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May 2, 2014 04:36
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Leperflesh posted:If any of you guys are in northern california, I occasionally attend the quarterly gatherings of the Northern California Dendrobatid Society, which meets at Chuck's house where we have BBQ and yack about frogs and also lizards, insects, and Chuck's greyhounds. Anyway here's my latest acquisition, a western shovel-nosed snake. He's still a bit human-shy so I don't have any good pictures yet, but here he is scarfing down a cricket.   I don't suppose anyone here has any experience with these guys? I talked to a few people who'd kept them before and read some stuff online and everything said pretty much just throw them in a terrarium with some sand, a heat pad, and some bugs and they'll do fine, but I tried to keep one last year and after a few months of seeming doing seemingly fine it abruptly died. Here's some bonus pictures of my collared lizard pair going crazy over the alien concept of "water". Since they're desert lizards they always seem to have a weird and individual reaction to water. They're technically capable of getting all the water they need from their food, and some collareds I've kept will ignore water completely no matter how it's offered. Others will mostly ignore it but then every once in a while be like "oh hey I remember this stuff" and drink for five minutes straight. Here it just so happened that both the male and female got in the water mood at the same time.  
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May 2, 2014 06:19
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Knormal posted:... You don't by any chance ever go to the Central Valley Herp Society meetings, do you? Because if so we may have run into each other. If not I bet we at least know some of the same people. No, I haven't met those guys, but we probably do know one or two of the same people.
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May 2, 2014 09:09
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Yeah, that's a lep. They're protected in AZ, so they and our few other montane crotes are like the Pope to us crote junkies. Can't have them sans an educational permit, can't touch them. Fortunately I work with an org that has them, as well as gilas, the desert saugie, and even a Mex. beaded lizard (the AHA). Another colleague has his educational permit for gilas, so it's the herp equivalent of a religious experience to work with any of these animals. And yeah, that's an oreganus out in the wild. No question on that id. I lived in Eugene for a spell, a nice launch pad for NW herping. Rubber boas truly are the cutest buggers. Terribly underrated. Tried to cool mine off this winter, but the garage never fell below 59F this winter in the desert. They had no clue I was attempting to cool them, and were crawling about as if to say "Sup?" Need a boa fridge next winter. And that's the peculiar thing about them: what's usually a rotten day for herping (rainy, boggy, chilly) is paradise for rubbers. It's funny what other herps, desert ones included, have similar peculiarities. A comerade of mine took one of his two crote baptisms from a lutosus. $59k bar tab. Sadly, he hasn't refined his ways as much as he should have by now. Suffice to say, we don't herp together anymore. His next will likely be his last, and he stupidly seems to not give a crap. Which screws us all, dammit.
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May 2, 2014 09:48
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So I have been reading through the thread, and I read that the compact UVB bulbs are actually awful for them. I want to get a hood with a 24" bulb for my painted agamas, would a 10.0 be okay for them? I will be putting it across both tanks, so they will each be getting about 5-6" of UVB light over their ten gallons(They're both really young still). Lllreptiles has them for cheap, but I want to make sure I'm getting the right items. Here are links to the hood and bulb in question: http://www.lllreptile.com/store/cat...uorescent-bulb/ http://www.lllreptile.com/store/catalog/reptile-supplies/light-fixtures/-/24-fluorescent-hood-fixture/ Edit: Also, how saturated is the Ball Python market? Would it even be worth trying to breed and sell balls or would a beginning breeder just end up with a bunch of balls that won't sell ever? What about for common colubrids like corns, kings and milks? MrConfusedTurkey fucked around with this message at 23:45 on May 2, 2014 |
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May 2, 2014 20:19
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The beginner snake market is pretty saturated to hell and back, yes. That's not to say though that there wouldn't be a market in your area, especially if you live somewhere somewhat out of the way, rural or even just small. Big cities not so much; there will be many many other breeders. Also keep in mind with a market this dense in 'product', so to speak, you'll really want to refine your breeding goals and you cannot be afraid to spend money on higher end stock so that you can get a better and more successful return. Consider that you can't even give away a normal ball python baby, and then remember that there's generally a 25-50% chance of normals in any given clutch, if not more. It's pretty daunting. There are other neat, uncommon species to work with, but you'll also have the caveat of having less interest because it's less common. Still, check out variable king snakes, grey banded king snakes, Honduran milkshake morphs, and maybe even Chinese beauty snakes if you want something fairly small while also still pretty cool and generally sought after. Today was feeding day at the store. Lilith did not get her rabbit dyed pink, but several kids still thought it was the Easter bunny, even seeing it dead and soaked in water beforehand.  
Captain Foxy fucked around with this message at 01:35 on May 4, 2014 |
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May 3, 2014 04:58
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That's good to know. Honestly my heart belongs moreso to colubrids, I would LOVE to do kings and corns. Those beauty snakes are gorgeous as well! I am nowhere near being prepared to take on the task, but maybe in a few years I will get started, it is seriously something I am willing to undertake. I want to make sure I understand genetics more especially, and the incubation processes for each species I am interested in. If anyone knows of any exceptionally good books or internet resources on breeding and genetics for colubrids I will definitely look into it. I also want to say thanks to those of whom that have helped me with my agamas. The one that was really tiny looks like she is beginning to grow again. When I get the chance I will be taking them both to the vet to make sure that they are parasite free, since I am positive they were wild caught and I think it's still a problem, despite the fact the smaller one has begun gaining weight (I have been gutloading waxworms and crickets). I have a few more questions (surprise). I keep finding conflicting information on their diets. Some say they should have vegetables, others say they are strictly insectivores. I have been feeding both to be on the safe side, but which is true? And is gutloading their insects with Fluker's calcium fortified cricket water and food enough with vitamin drops once a week enough or should I try dusting again? Last few times I tried they wouldn't go after dusted crickets. MrConfusedTurkey fucked around with this message at 03:41 on May 4, 2014 |
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May 4, 2014 03:35
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Going back to the snake UVB discussion, little research has been done to the best of my knowledge. This is from one of Gary Ferguson's (did a lot of the first studies on UVB and chameleons) grad students: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/zoo.20255/abstract and then there is this paper that showed UV did increase D3 in the blood of corn snakes: http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/ajvr.69.2.294 So as a side note, it's really odd being on the academic side of the herp world at times. I (and a lot of people) started as herp enthusiasts, but gently caress do people in the trade piss me off at times. Every time I see file snakes being imported I want to hit whoever thought that was a good idea, and poo poo like the kingsnakes on the Canary Islands is not helping. A few idiots are probably going to be responsible for the loss of a lot of endemic birds. (http://news.discovery.com/animals/albino-kingsnake-slithering-amok-in-canary-islands-140428.htm) if you hadn't heard.
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May 6, 2014 03:28
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So, about two months ago my Cali King escaped. This is him, his name is Elvis. I looked for him, but I finally gave up two weeks ago. I got a replacement snake, this is Rolo.  THEN about a week ago I found a shed from Elvis. So I set another trap. He did not get caught, but he did get the meal from it last night. Today, I found him! He's been free for seven weeks and he is really loving mad about being caught again. So, I have a 20 gallon long tank which Rolo is in right now, and a 10 gallon tank that I had sitting around that I threw Elvis in. Because Rolo is just a baby, the 10 gallon will be okay for her for right now, correct? Do I need to do any fancy cleaning when I switch them around or should they be alright just to swap tanks? They both came from the same place and are healthy as far as I know. I'm concerned about smells and I don't want little Rolo to think there's a big mean snake hiding somewhere in the new tank. Any idea how long it will take for Elvis to calm down after his escapade? He's shaking his tail and making bitey faces at me every time I walk past. 
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May 6, 2014 20:01
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Well we took the plunge, I picked up the vivarium and all the kit yesterday, it's a VivExotic ReptiHome Maxi medium, we went for a digital thermostat (HabiStat) which has the light on a timer and a heating mat on constant control. I'll try and grab some pictures tomorrow, the only question I have at the moment is the light which is a red bulb, does it need to be? Could I replace that with a white light as it's only on during the day? I set that all up yesterday and got it running, temps on the hot and cold sides seem fine. After talking with the shop owner we have a taken on a year old regular ball python, an unwanted pet unfortunately. He has been checked over by a vet and the shop have had him for a little while, very sedate and relaxed when being handled. I think I was in the shop for two and a half hours talking through everything and my son spent most of that time walking around with Bullseye looking at everything, he is a very happy boy. They advised me to try and feed him tonight as it was feeding time, but not to get to concerned if he doesn't show interest. He didn't at first, so I left the rat in there for a bit then heated up it's head again in hot water and gave it another go. I've never fed a snake before, it's not subtle is it? drat near took the tongs with it. Like feeding a scaly Labrador. Anyway, all good so far, happy snake and happy boy. I'll try and get some pictures over the next few days.
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May 6, 2014 20:15
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Jekub posted:I'll try and grab some pictures tomorrow, the only question I have at the moment is the light which is a red bulb, does it need to be? Could I replace that with a white light as it's only on during the day? I use a red bulb for mine, as they are nocturnal and during the day they hide in burrows in the wild. They aren't bothered by red lights and can hardly see them, so it's safe to assume red bulbs actually reduce anxiety and help keep the animal more comfortable/secure. If you can, it's actually recommended you use an under tank heater as belly heat is more preferred and it won't dry the tank out as fast. Only get a UTH if you can also get the thermostat/controller however, or they can be more dangerous than helpful (burns). Obviously stick with the overhead bulb if you're like me and have the dumb tank on your carpet until you can get a stand. Silver Nitrate posted:Because Rolo is just a baby, the 10 gallon will be okay for her for right now, correct? Do I need to do any fancy cleaning when I switch them around or should they be alright just to swap tanks? A ten gallon would be fine, and I would recommend changing the bedding/disinfecting. It's not so much a matter of health, as much as it will be stressful. Kingsnakes are not afraid of eating other snakes, and smelling a different snake in their tank, especially for the younger one, could cause this stress because other predators = danger. Health-wise, you don't know if he might have by chance gotten into something. As far as his feisty behavior, let him settle in for three days as if you had just received him before you handle him again. He had to live based on instincts for a while again, which is most likely the reason for the bitey behavior.
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May 6, 2014 20:57
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I actually don't recommend switching bedding if there's no health concerns present for either snake. Yes it creates stress; that's actually ideal! Snakes don't get much in the way of enrichment, and allowing them the mild level of heightened sensation smelling another snake is exciting, especially for ophiophagous/snake-eating animals. We actually put sheds of venomous and snake-eating snakes in with other snakes all the time. The snake typically gets agitated, smells the shed several times, and then roams around looking for the other snake and expressing territorial marking behaviors. They generally eat better and retain better health as well. Think of it like going to work; it creates stress, but it also makes us feel more in control. Snakes appreciate the same dichotomy, believe it or not. Jekub posted:Well we took the plunge, I picked up the vivarium and all the kit yesterday, it's a VivExotic ReptiHome Maxi medium, we went for a digital thermostat (HabiStat) which has the light on a timer and a heating mat on constant control. I'll try and grab some pictures tomorrow, the only question I have at the moment is the light which is a red bulb, does it need to be? Could I replace that with a white light as it's only on during the day? I set that all up yesterday and got it running, temps on the hot and cold sides seem fine. You need a 24/7 heat source, so if you're only planning to run a white bulb 12-14hrs a day, that's fine, but you'll need something to keep the same temps stable at night. I recommend using a red bulb or a ceramic heat emitter if you're heating from above, and that should be your only heat source. Switching from a daytime bulb to a nighttime bulb is an option as well, but it gets tedious and can be neglected if it's not on a timer and automated. MrConfusedTurkey posted:I use a red bulb for mine, as they are nocturnal and during the day they hide in burrows in the wild. They aren't bothered by red lights and can hardly see them, so it's safe to assume red bulbs actually reduce anxiety and help keep the animal more comfortable/secure. We actually know little to nothing about how varying colors of light affect reptiles. It's theorized that they can't see them as well or at all, but I would not say it's a safe assumption by any means. Fossorial animals generally live without much visible light, true, but I don't think a red bulb is always the more comfortable option. quote:If you can, it's actually recommended you use an under tank heater as belly heat is more preferred and it won't dry the tank out as fast. Only get a UTH if you can also get the thermostat/controller however, or they can be more dangerous than helpful (burns). Obviously stick with the overhead bulb if you're like me and have the dumb tank on your carpet until you can get a stand. You're spot on for the first part, but a little off on the second. It's recommended that you use a rheostat/thermostat for a UTH IF you're using an unreliable brand like Zilla/ZooMed/Flukers; those guys cause belly burns left and right. However if you're using an Ultratherm, that's not always necessary. That's the perk of the Ultratherms; they use a different heat dispersal system so they can be used with a piece of cardboard or carpet underneath or on top of it to raise/lower the temps without causing burns. Keep in mind that no heating system is 'plug n play', so to speak, so some level of adjustment is always necessary to get those perfect temp zones, and with BPs even a one degree fluctuation can cause them to go off food, so you really need something stable, above all else. Either raising/lowering the bulb, using a thermostat, or going with a different wattage are all options. Captain Foxy fucked around with this message at 19:28 on May 8, 2014 |
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May 8, 2014 19:21
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I saw a couple of things at the pet store today when getting mice. The first thing was cool, I got to see a snake drinking, which I've never seen before. The second one was not so cool, it was a spider ball python moving its head really weird. The guy at the store said it was wobbles. I had no idea that happened. :/ Spiders are so pretty too. I got a couple of better picture of Elvis, the angriest snake alive today. He's looking pretty good I think.    
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May 9, 2014 02:25
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I was probably unclear, but yes there is a heat mat (ProRep), the thermostat has two power outputs, one thermostatically controlled which the heatmat is connected to and one on a timer which the light is connected to. The light is on a day timer (7am till 7pm) though I may just put the switch somewhere accessible so it can be turned on when needed. The problem I was having was originally the bulb was a 60w red heater bulb which combined with the heatmat was making it difficult for the thermostat to properly manage the temperature. We've now swapped it for a 25w day bulb and everything seems a lot more stable. A misunderstanding of the thermostat, they have two models which look identical, the next model up apparently controls both sockets, this one doesn't. The light output is on when you tell it to be. As it's purely there for visual I may swap it out for an LED at some point as the 25w still adds heat which gives the thermostat a period of fluctuation where it needs to deal with the additional heat being added or removed. Jekub fucked around with this message at 08:48 on May 9, 2014 |
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May 9, 2014 08:45
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Captain Foxy posted:I actually don't recommend switching bedding if there's no health concerns present for either snake. Yes it creates stress; that's actually ideal! Snakes don't get much in the way of enrichment, and allowing them the mild level of heightened sensation smelling another snake is exciting, especially for ophiophagous/snake-eating animals. We actually put sheds of venomous and snake-eating snakes in with other snakes all the time. The snake typically gets agitated, smells the shed several times, and then roams around looking for the other snake and expressing territorial marking behaviors. They generally eat better and retain better health as well. Think of it like going to work; it creates stress, but it also makes us feel more in control. Snakes appreciate the same dichotomy, believe it or not. Now I'm picturing a happy snake with a little tie on going to work.
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May 9, 2014 11:38
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 I wonder how long this nonsense is going to last.  Here he is before being a jerk: 
Silver Nitrate fucked around with this message at 18:35 on May 12, 2014 |
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May 12, 2014 18:20
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Silver Nitrate posted:
It's sad that the first thing I thought was WOW NICE NAILS. :p Awesome polish! Weird snake question: is it normal for some snakes to just not like the normal heat range suggested for the particular breed? My corn snake refuses to go on his heated side and pretty much only hangs out around (and under, to the point of dumping out his water) his water dish, where the temp is ~72F during the day. Even after feeding he just goes back to his favorite spot over there, and then just curls up and pokes his head out and sleeps for a while. Is my snake broken?
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May 12, 2014 19:04
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I recently adopted a couple of "retired" green anoles from one of my college's animal research labs. I'm wondering how safe is it to place linear fluorescent UVB units directly on top of the screens covering the tanks, considering that the anoles occasionally like to climb upside-down on the ceiling, and sometimes hang out very close to the bulbs. Should I consider propping the lamps up so that they're a little further away from the screen?
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May 12, 2014 22:03
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That drat Satyr posted:Is my snake broken? Nope! Your snake is thermoregulating. It's actually a fairly common thing for snakes to spend 90% of their time on the cooler side. Basking zones assist with the daily warm up and during feeding. If you watch a snake all day in the wild, you will see it bask during the high temps of the mid-morning, for a short period, and then it's back to hunting and patrolling territory in a range of temperatures. That being said, you should always monitor your temps. A snake staying in the hot zone all the time could actually indicate that the cage is too cold, and vice versa. Troutful posted:
Nope. A linear UVB only produces for up to 12", so putting it any further from the screen may mean they don't get access to it at all. It doesn't produce heat and anoles are active enough that they don't stay in one place for too long anyway, so it's not a concern.
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May 17, 2014 18:56
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Hi reptile thread! I've been wanting a reptile for a while and fell in love with cresties after handling them at a reptile store, been researching them but I have a few dumb newbie questions to clear up. My boyfriend is really squeamish about bugs, I'd love to keep crickets to feed it but if I have to is it okay to keep it on CGD? Perhaps with mashed fruit once in a while as a treat? If they get most of their calcium from supplements on bugs would it be a good idea to get a UVB light instead if that helps? I really love the idea of live plants but if crested geckos are just as happy with fake plants I can deal with those. Those Magnaturals feeding ledges look nice and convenient for the geckos, does anyone know if they're worth the price? I'm in Ireland so it can get pretty cold here during the winter, was gonna buy a heater in case of any cold snaps but not sure what would be better, heating mat or ceramic? Sorry for all the questions, I'm just keen to make sure I can provide for it before I go out and buy anything 
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May 18, 2014 18:28
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It is completely fine to feed a crested exclusively CGD, it is nutritionally complete for them including calcium. Mine get wax worm treats occasionally too - they like them more than crickets, which mine appear to be too derpy to catch. They also like yogurt and squishy nectarines and half rotted banana bits (though they will only eat about a thumb nail's worth). UVB won't hurt, but watch the temps. My guys get natural sunlight once a week when we drink coffee together at the breakfast table by an open window and they look at me with hatred in their little scaly eyes for daring to disturb their slumber. My gargoyle won't eat bugs at all, even squashed wax worms rubbed on his face  Edit: oh, and for temps I tend to just keep my room a little warmer, but failing that I find that a heat lamp works better because they are arboreal and I worry if I stick a pad to the side of the cage that they will burn their toes. Mocking Bird fucked around with this message at 20:32 on May 18, 2014 |
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May 18, 2014 20:30
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Trilineatus posted:My gargoyle won't eat bugs at all, even squashed wax worms rubbed on his face Mine didn't know what to do with bugs at first. I had to shove baby roaches in his mouth for him to figure out that it was something you eat. Now he goes crazy for them when I throw him in a tub with some.
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May 18, 2014 20:48
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Thanks for the advice! I'm pretty excited to join the legions of crestie addicts soon 
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May 19, 2014 11:11
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