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Nerwign posted:My snake had this happen and my vet suggested (or was it my snake-lady friend...) anyway the recommendation is to get some towels and soak in warm water and put them in a tub or other place you can contain her and then put her in those with the towels over/around her loosely. Her movement through the towels and the extra humidity will likely get the eye cap to fall off. Thanks, I'll try that out. Also. had a friend show me how to sex the snake through the "popping" method and yep she's female.
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Feb 20, 2015 10:49
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Hi, me again with the non feeding (but fat and heavy) female adult corn snake. She's been acting a bit weird this week. I got her some nice new Exoterra hides 3 weeks ago, a snake cave with a bottom for the cool side and a bottomless reptile cave for the warm side that allows direct contact with the heat mat. She used both unfailingly since I got them, always in one or the other unless she was out actively moving around / cruising the viv. But this week since I tried to feed last Sunday, she stopped using the cool side cave, instead preferring to curl up round the back of it (there is a branch and some fake foliage but she's not exactly well hidden). She's also occasionally hung out in the middle of the viv, in plain sight, not moving, which is new to me. And this morning I found her curled up between her warm hide and the wall rather than in the hide like every other day. She's not concealed at all! Anything to be concerned about, or is it just "snakes are weird sometimes"? We've only had her 3 months and never owned a snake before so what constitutes unusual behavior is hard for me to know. I've had the main light in the room on in the evening more to try and make her think it's later in the year so she might eat, but nothing else has changed. After being pleased that she took to her new 'toys' so readily, my feelings are now hurt that she's stopped using them :/
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Feb 20, 2015 11:24
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Don't gender 'pop' adult animals, you're really likely to injure them.
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Feb 20, 2015 20:40
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Hood Ornament posted:Don't gender 'pop' adult animals, you're really likely to injure them. Thanks, I had no idea, I just took someone's word who was like yep I know what I'm doing. Won't do it in the future. Luckily this snake is really loving docile and easy to handle.
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Feb 21, 2015 00:34
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buffeh posted:Hi, me again with the non feeding (but fat and heavy) female adult corn snake. She's been acting a bit weird this week. I got her some nice new Exoterra hides 3 weeks ago, a snake cave with a bottom for the cool side and a bottomless reptile cave for the warm side that allows direct contact with the heat mat. She used both unfailingly since I got them, always in one or the other unless she was out actively moving around / cruising the viv. Did you look in the hide? One time my ball python wouldn't go in and when trying to figure out why, lifted it up to find that he'd pooped in it.
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Feb 21, 2015 19:47
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It's been theorized that snakes abandon an area when it smells too "snakey" because prey will avoid that area as well. Maybe try washing up her hides even if they don't look dirty. I always do a full enclosure cleaning, including hides and water bowls, when my snakes make a mess. And if they're on feeding strike or just slow poopers, I clean once every 3-4 weeks anyway.
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Feb 21, 2015 20:13
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Eh God knows. I sterilised the cold hide entirely and put in fresh aspen and she still hates it. The warm one she is in right now and I got them both at the same time and can assume the warm one is snakey. I dunno!
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Feb 22, 2015 00:28
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Well took her for weighing earlier today (she's now 680g, this is in line with her losing about 4.5g a week) and after that she went straight into her cool side cave she'd been ignoring all week and has been in there today so I don't know what the gently caress basically
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Feb 22, 2015 19:23
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Having a sudden snakey emergency! There's 2 feet of snow outside (39ish degrees but another cold spell coming tonight) and what we have hopefully identified as an eastern milksnake (and therefor harmless?!?) trapped in a trash can. Can I convince it to go back to sleep for the rest of the winter? Do I need to feed/water it? Would worms be ok or do I have to get mice... it's a couple feet long. Help?
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Feb 22, 2015 22:28
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I AM NOT A WILDLIFE SCIENTIST BUT: You can just put it in a tupperware bin with air holes in it (I wouldn't use anything much smaller than 1/2snakelength x 1/2snakelength) and a little dish of water until your cold snap is over and let it go near where you found it. Put some paper towels in there so it can hide itself and a secure lid. I wouldn't let it go before it hits 50 degrees, (I'm just guessing that you live somewhere where that is in the near future, correct me if I'm wrong please). Brumation is a pretty cool thing. So long as they aren't digesting anything and they're at cooler temperatures their body goes into ultra-slow-mo and they don't need much. Edit: for better info and to find out if its an escaped pet or not your general location and a picture would be helpful 
Silver Nitrate fucked around with this message at 07:19 on Feb 23, 2015 |
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Feb 23, 2015 07:12
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Southern CT in my basement. Unfortunately, there's 2 feet of really heavy snow outside and everything's going to freeze again tonight/tomorrow so the usual snake/spider/bug tactic of taking it out by the garage isn't an option for a month or two. It was much warmer than usual today (39 degrees) is that enough to wake one up? It was making a bee-line for the space heater but I only noticed it because it knocked over a soda can a foot away from my feet. There was a brief panic attack, I don't think it was scared by the scream. Only one this time, last snake I was much louder. It was also about a foot away from me. I am much better behaved around snakes when I have some warning. The basement is mid 50 to low 60 degrees, he's upstairs now which is a bit warmer but the heat's low for the night. I can set up my brother's old aquarium with some newspaper and a bowl of water in the morning when I have backup. Won't attempt to feed it yet (was worried it would be hungry after hibernation/brumation?). Any further advice would be helpful! This is an unexpected problem!
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Feb 23, 2015 08:27
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Tathrie posted:Southern CT in my basement. Unfortunately, there's 2 feet of really heavy snow outside and everything's going to freeze again tonight/tomorrow so the usual snake/spider/bug tactic of taking it out by the garage isn't an option for a month or two. It was much warmer than usual today (39 degrees) is that enough to wake one up? It was making a bee-line for the space heater but I only noticed it because it knocked over a soda can a foot away from my feet. There was a brief panic attack, I don't think it was scared by the scream. Only one this time, last snake I was much louder. It was also about a foot away from me. I am much better behaved around snakes when I have some warning. The basement is mid 50 to low 60 degrees, he's upstairs now which is a bit warmer but the heat's low for the night. I can set up my brother's old aquarium with some newspaper and a bowl of water in the morning when I have backup. Won't attempt to feed it yet (was worried it would be hungry after hibernation/brumation?). Any further advice would be helpful! This is an unexpected problem! Do what Silver Nitrate said. The temps in your basement should be low enough to continue brumating without harming it. Don't even attempt to feed it. Post a pic if you can though.
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Feb 23, 2015 08:33
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CompactFanny posted:She can dish it out but she can't take it i've got a jaguar morph coastal that's super rad - very low key except for a strong feeding response. here he is as a baby, lovingly photographed by his breeder - i'm an awful photog but he's grown into his reds nicely.
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Feb 23, 2015 09:07
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I had a scary moment with my corn snake a few nights ago. I heard a strange thumping in one of my racks, so I checked it out and found my corn snake (who only goes in the rack when it's too cold for her to be in her big outdoor tank) thrashing around wildly with blood trickling from her mouth. She had a sharp shard of aspen caught in the back her mouth from when she ate earlier in the day. I think she was trying to work it loose, somehow made the problem worse instead, and completely flipped out. Which obviously didn't help either. I gently opened her mouth and pulled out the aspen, and she calmed down immediately. She seems fine now, back to normal mellow behavior, and the swelling has already gone down. I'm keeping a close eye on her now and if I see any signs of infection, she's going to the vet. gently caress aspen. All I can ever find locally is cheap, coarse, dusty poo poo filled with chunks and shards. Sometimes a brand seems halfway decent, but then the next bag sucks. I've tried several different brands and the only one I've found with consistent good quality is Nepco, but it's pricy and I can only find it online. So I spent the day yesterday switching every single one of my tubs to paper towels. I've used paper towels before and I'm not really impressed with them. Newspaper is an option, but it's ugly and stains my snakes' bellies. I might try cutting my own liners out of some kraft/butcher paper. What do you guys prefer for snake substrate?
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Feb 23, 2015 14:40
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 The tank is old and scratched and been used for gardening. He's been fairly alert today upstairs was 68 degrees, back downstairs is 57.9. There is a plastic pane on top with a weight and a gap for air. I can check more places if that's too cool. Eastern milksnake? *autocorrect. Neighbor didn't want him though so no! V Tathrie fucked around with this message at 20:40 on Feb 23, 2015 |
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Feb 23, 2015 17:17
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That's a handsome milkshake
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Feb 23, 2015 20:03
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Did it bring all the boys to the yard?
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Feb 23, 2015 20:07
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Tathrie: Since you're in CT and looking at longer than a few weeks, I would contact your local wildlife rescue and see if they will take it in. Or keep it as a pet, but that may not be legal where you live
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Feb 23, 2015 20:44
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Samila posted:I had a scary moment with my corn snake a few nights ago. I heard a strange thumping in one of my racks, so I checked it out and found my corn snake (who only goes in the rack when it's too cold for her to be in her big outdoor tank) thrashing around wildly with blood trickling from her mouth. Ahhhh that's scary. I use Sani-chips, they are like little bitty squares of aspen. For my guys that need a little extra humidity, I sprinkle damp sphagnum moss on top. Here is Dr. Snake demonstrating Sani-chips. 
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Feb 23, 2015 20:50
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Can snakes get constipated? I fed mine the usual rat pup on Monday but he doesn't seem to have poo'd yet. His behaviour is normal and it is possible I cleaned it away whilst changing his tub without noticing but I want to make sure it isn't an issue.
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Feb 27, 2015 21:01
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Silver Nitrate posted:Ahhhh that's scary. I use Sani-chips, they are like little bitty squares of aspen. For my guys that need a little extra humidity, I sprinkle damp sphagnum moss on top. I've never tried sani-chips because I figured my snakes would end up gobbling a bunch of it with every meal, and maybe hoover some up into their windpipes for good measure. However, I trust an endorsement from Dr. Snake. freelop posted:Can snakes get constipated? Oh yeah, they can definitely get constipated. Sometimes they just go a while between poops, but you'll start seeing signs if they're actually constipated. One of my juvenile balls was constipated recently. Her back end became very swollen above the vent and she would lift her tail frequently as if about to poop. I helped her out by giving her 5-10 minute soaks in about two inches of warm water. Some people recommend a gentle ventral massage, but I just give her more exercise. After her soaks, I spread some towels out on the floor and let her crawl around on them for a while. After three rounds of soaks and crawls, she finally let out an enormous poop.
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Feb 28, 2015 16:29
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My 3-4 year old female corn snake, which hasn't eaten for just over 3 months, is losing 4.5g a week. I have been told previously not to worry as it's a winter fast, but have recently been told elsewhere that weight loss of that amount is too fast / a problem if it was a seasonal fast. Snake weighed in at 680g a week ago. Should I be concerned?
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Mar 3, 2015 00:44
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buffeh posted:My 3-4 year old female corn snake, which hasn't eaten for just over 3 months, is losing 4.5g a week. I have been told previously not to worry as it's a winter fast, but have recently been told elsewhere that weight loss of that amount is too fast / a problem if it was a seasonal fast. Snake weighed in at 680g a week ago. Should I be concerned? Age tells us nothing. How long is she?
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Mar 3, 2015 01:47
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5 grams is a drop in the bucket for a near 700g corn, and 3 months isn't that long to go without eating for a snake that size. If you are that concerned, take her to a vet.
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Mar 3, 2015 03:14
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Very shaky maths but if she'd been losing 4.5g a week since we got her (can't be sure as first weigh in wasn't until 6 weeks after taking her home) that would put her starting weight at around 735g meaning she would have lost around 7.5% of her body weight since then. Fluffy Bunnies: She's around 4.5ft I believe, I need to try and get a slightly more accurate measurement though! I've set her an ultimatum anyway, if she's not eating just after the start of Official UK Springtime (tm) (March 20th) then I'll get her looked at, for peace of mind if anything. Thanks all
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Mar 3, 2015 11:39
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buffeh posted:Very shaky maths but if she'd been losing 4.5g a week since we got her (can't be sure as first weigh in wasn't until 6 weeks after taking her home) that would put her starting weight at around 735g meaning she would have lost around 7.5% of her body weight since then. As long as she is drinking regularly, I wouldn't worry just yet.
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Mar 3, 2015 12:07
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buffeh posted:Very shaky maths but if she'd been losing 4.5g a week since we got her (can't be sure as first weigh in wasn't until 6 weeks after taking her home) that would put her starting weight at around 735g meaning she would have lost around 7.5% of her body weight since then. 735g for a 4.5 corn sounds pretty fuckin big. Worry when she hits like 500-550g and still isn't eating and stops drinking or whatever.
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Mar 3, 2015 19:10
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Hoping this is the right place... I had an axolotl years ago that I bought as an adult. I recently decided I wanted another, and have had some trouble finding any for sale. I did see a Gumtree ad, however from someone who is selling babies born on 26 December. He suggests keeping them in a small Tupperware box until they are big enough to go into a tank. My tank is 18 x 12 x 12in. I was wondering first, how easy the juveniles are to care for in smaller boxes. I have frozen bloodworm ready to go in the freezer, but I'm scared I'll accidentally kill such tiny things off! Secondly, at what age could it be transferred to my tank? Any advice is appreciated, and if it sounds like I should try to hold out until I can get an older axolotl then I am happy to do that! And if anyone happens to know somewhere in London that has healthy, happy ones then I'd love to hear about it! Bollock Monkey fucked around with this message at 15:21 on Mar 4, 2015 |
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Mar 4, 2015 15:06
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Hey herp pros, got a question for a friend. They have a small (actually rather large, maybe 4x4x4ft) terrarium containing a green tree frog, a green anole, and apparently a very aggressive Eastern box turtle that attempts to eat everybody else. Couple things. First, any ideas why the turtle wants to eat other captives? Apparently they caught it eating a different anole. Yeah they're omnivorous but can the owner curb this behavior, maybe by feeding it something else (I don't know what they're feeding it now)? Is it mad? What does it want? Second, the anole has developed extremely shriveled, dessicated front feet (huge grainy phone photos enclosed) and they don't know why. I study fish, not herps, but I know enough that my first thought was that the humidity was too low. I asked and they said they have no dedicated mister or humidity controls, they just reach inside and hit the interior with a spray bottle a couple times a day. Is that what's causing it? Why just the front feet? If it's not humidity, is there anything they can do to reverse the effect or is this poor little guy just out of luck?  
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Mar 5, 2015 02:21
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I think it wants to eat the anole.
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Mar 5, 2015 02:35
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One of the herp people will be here shortly to talk about mbd probably, but that footless lizard is the saddest thing ever. Looks like they straight up fell off. 
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Mar 5, 2015 02:40
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Those three species are not compatible when it comes to care requirements and shouldn't be in the same enclosure. Box turtles eat meat, it's not really shocking that he wants to eat the very small living things in his enclosure. As for the anole it looks dehydrated and might have MBD. I'm sure they probably don't want to take it to the vet but holy poo poo that cannot feel good.
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Mar 5, 2015 02:46
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Bollock Monkey posted:Hoping this is the right place... Tupperware boxes can work - just be sure the water doesn't foul. I've raised them in small boxes - you get less cannibalism that way. I'd wait until they're getting big for the boxes (3-4 inches maybe?) and are all the same size (or else they might eat each other). I don't really know specifically when I'd keep them together, though - if there's room and hiding places, they'd do fine together, really, provided they're all the same size. I'd go with live earthworms myself if they'll eat them, though - more nutritious, and less likely to foul the water - cut them into pieces if needed. As far as care, I'd just get a tank cycled properly, get some live plants, and have everything set up for a while, and so long as the temps stay cool, they should do pretty well. Hazo posted:Hey herp pros, got a question for a friend. Don't keep them together - they all have different care requirements, and the turtle is going to try to eat the others as you've noticed. It's also insanely high stress for everyone else involved. Turtles are very good at killing other animals if they want to. If he can get at it, it's free protein. I don't know specifically what the issue is with the anole, but he's not being cared for properly - I'd guess it might be damage from the turtle.
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Mar 5, 2015 02:52
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What do you guys recommend? It's a public exhibit and I'd hate for some kindergartener to come by and see a footless anole getting chomped on by a turtle. Clearly the three species don't belong together, and I can try to convince them to split them up even though it's probably too late for the anole (calcium powder seems like too little too late at this point), but what's a better community for the turtle to share? Can they salvage anything at this point?
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Mar 5, 2015 03:33
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Hazo posted:What do you guys recommend? It's a public exhibit and I'd hate for some kindergartener to come by and see a footless anole getting chomped on by a turtle. Clearly the three species don't belong together, and I can try to convince them to split them up even though it's probably too late for the anole (calcium powder seems like too little too late at this point), but what's a better community for the turtle to share? Can they salvage anything at this point? The turtle needs to be alone, it will probably be aggressive towards anything else you put in there. Reptiles don't need friends. Have them either take the anole to a vet or euthanize it, those legs look necrotic and probably hurt. Rehome/remove the frog.
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Mar 5, 2015 04:01
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Hood Ornament posted:The turtle needs to be alone, it will probably be aggressive towards anything else you put in there. Reptiles don't need friends. Have them either take the anole to a vet or euthanize it, those legs look necrotic and probably hurt. Rehome/remove the frog.
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Mar 5, 2015 04:13
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OneTwentySix posted:Tupperware boxes can work - just be sure the water doesn't foul. I've raised them in small boxes - you get less cannibalism that way. I'd wait until they're getting big for the boxes (3-4 inches maybe?) and are all the same size (or else they might eat each other). I don't really know specifically when I'd keep them together, though - if there's room and hiding places, they'd do fine together, really, provided they're all the same size. I'm only going to get one because the risk of aggression with multiple axolotls is too great, and I've only got that tank, which has limited space. Do you reckon juveniles would be ok in a tank with no substrate and a lower level of water, then maybe add in plants etc as they grow bigger?
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Mar 5, 2015 15:19
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That would be fine. Extra space is not a bad thing - he can still find his food in a larger tank, especially if it's live. More water means less chance of fouling it, too. What I like to do is wash out children's playground sand really well, until the water comes out clear, and use this as my substrate. Half an inch or so of substrate would work well, and will encourage beneficial bacteria to colonize it. Too much sand can cause issues, though, with anaerobic conditions, so you'd need good aeration if you wanted something deeper for plants. Elodea and java moss are excellent plants that do really well and can help filter the water. Edit: Just took a look at your tank's size, hadn't really paid much attention to it since I think in terms of gallons. That tank is really a bit small for an axolotl - it would be okay for a juvenile, but way too small for an adult, and the transition would be a problem - at some point, he'll start producing more waste than the tank can take care of. I would try to find a bigger tank - a 20 gallon long (30" x 12" x 12") or a 29 (30" x 12" x 18") would be more suitable for an axolotl - you should be able to find a used tank on craigslist or something pretty cheaply - a dollar/gallon isn't uncommon, which might come with a lid/light (be sure the light is fluorescent - incandescents raise the temperatures too much). Otherwise, you should still be able to get a brand new tank, a hood with a light, some plants, and the animal for under $100, which isn't bad considering you might have him for the next 10-25 years.
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Mar 5, 2015 17:39
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OneTwentySix posted:That would be fine. Extra space is not a bad thing - he can still find his food in a larger tank, especially if it's live. More water means less chance of fouling it, too. Huh, I was going with advice from folk on caudata.org, who were super helpful when I had my last one. I've kinda committed to the tank now, and don't have space for anything bigger  My last axolotl seemed fine enough with a tank this size but I guess it's hard to tell.I'm in the UK so the gallon/dollar thing doesn't really apply, unfortunately! I got fake plants, too. Axolotls often uproot live ones and I figured fake ones would make cleaning easier, too.
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Mar 5, 2015 17:50
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I'd never use a tank that small - it's just asking for problems with aquatic animals, especially ones that get as big as axolotls - too much waste production, and they need more space. I don't know who would have suggested a tank that small being okay - caudata.org is a good resource, maybe just for the juveniles? The thing with tank sizes is that as you increase the amount of water you have, you get more of a buffer for problems. There's more space for the animal, so less stress, and there's more water, so it's going to be less vulnerable to temperature and nitrate/nitrite/etc. fluctuations. They can survive in a ten gallon tank, but when something happens - it gets stressed, there's a heat wave, or so on, it's more likely to die. Java moss and Elodea are both plants that don't root or don't have to root, which is part of why they're so good for salamander tanks. The benefit for live plants is that they help clean the water by removing waste. Filters can stress out animals, depending on how strong the filter is, and enough good plants and a thin layer of substrate means you don't need a filter, just an airline to keep the water circulating a little bit and to discourage anaerobic conditions, plus water changes every so often.
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Mar 5, 2015 18:27
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