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Monitoring Hibernation in Reptiles

published Sunday, November 13th, 2011 at 3:05 pm by

 

It’s important to monitor your Reptile if it does go into hibernation and of course you will know if it is a Reptile that hibernates when you first aquire it, it’s very important to recognise if it is a hibernator and how to deal with this period of the year.

It’s important to make some plans for the Hibernation and make a safe draught free comfy place for the Reptile to go. This can be a simple box or container in it’s normal habitat.

The temperature needs to be reduced slowly until the ambient temp is around 10-12 dgrees centigrade. You dont need complete darkness, butI would lower the light to help.

Keep checking your reptile every week or so and just monitor it’s weight and general appearance of it’s skin, if it’s very dry then you can soak the skin or just dab with a damp cloth.

Keep an eye on it’s breathing and especially the nose and eyes to check they’re clean, dont worry you wont disturb it !

Reptiles can hibernate for anything from a month to 4-5 months a year but again you need to know what is best for your species. When it’s time to wake the sleepyhead up then slowly increase the temperature over a few days back to normal and this should start to increase it’s activity and slowly begin to eat again

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Turtles as Pets

published Tuesday, October 18th, 2011 at 10:39 am by

Turtles are endlessly fascinating and are often popular choices as pets, although most people do not realise the amount of work and effort needed to care for them properly, including large tanks special lighting, good filtration and lots and lots of cleaning!

Which Turtle?

For beginners, the best choice is an abundant local species, bred from captivity. These not only do not have to adjust to different climates and seasons, they will also be used to a captive environment and adapt more easily to the presence of people. They are also less likely to be harbouring diseases and parasites. Another option is to adopt a turtle that needs a new home. Never take a turtle from the wild if possible as wild populations are already being threatened by human encroachment into their habitat.

Good species for beginners include the red-eared sliders, the most well-known pet turtle, and the cooters, mud and musk turtles. Remember, though, that many of these, if healthy and properly-cared for, grow to 12 inches or more and will require a significantly large enclosure. In addition, turtles will live for decades and as such are a long-term commitment.

Housing Your Turtle

The biggest problem people don’t realise is that these little reptiles have fairly sophisticated housing requirements. For younger, smaller specimens, a 10-gallon tank is the minimum; as the turtles grow and mature, a twenty-gallon tank or even larger is highly recommended. Don’t forget that a larger tank will provide more room for swimming and basking and will therefore need less cleaning.

The tank needs to contain at least 6 inches of water (deep enough for the turtle to flip over if necessary) and also have an elevated area when the turtle can bask, completely dry from the water. This can be as simple as a pile of aquarium gravel or smooth rocks at one end of the tank, although pet stores will sell other manufactured alternatives. If you have more than one turtle, make sure that the basking area is large enough to accommodate them all simultaneously.

Filtration is an extremely important requirement as turtles are very messy creatures and produce a copious amount of waste. Canister filters are ideal and it is always better to go for something slightly larger than your needs than something which may turn out to be inadequate.

Regular cleaning of the tank is vital to keeping the turtle healthy (and this is the area most people fall down on); by the time the water in the tank turns cloudy or starts to smell, it is too late! It is also important to drain a third of the tank water regularly and replace it with fresh, de-chlorinated water of the same temperature. In addition, keep an eye on the tank itself, the basking area and any other objects inside the tank as these need to be thoroughly scrubbed whenever grime begins to accumulate.

Heating and Lighting

Like all reptiles, turtles need to be provided with an artificial heat source and ideally should be kept at a constant ambient temperature of between 68-80 degrees F all year round. As turtles hibernate, any temperature lower than this range may cause it to stop feeding and prepare for hibernation. The best choice is a submersible water heater (with a thermometer installed in the water to monitor temperature). Further basking heat can be provided by installing a heat lamp above the elevated area.

Aside from heat, turtles need to have regular exposure to UV light in order to manufacture Vitamin D and prevent metabolic bone diseases. If you cannot provide enough strong, direct sunlight, this may need to come via special fluorescent bulbs.

Feeding Your Turtle

Most turtles are omnivores and thrive on a varied diet. Thus commercial turtle foods on their own may be insufficient. It should be supplemented with raw fish, insects, worms and aquatic plants although try to avoid foods which rapidly decompose in water and always remove uneaten food promptly. It is recommended that turtles be fed in a separate plastic container (e.g. cat litter tray filled with water) as they are extremely messy eaters and this will help to contain the mess as well as reduce the need for frequent tank cleaning. This also allows you to monitor your turtle’s food intake. Turtles like routine and so should be fed according to a schedule. Also, unlike many other reptiles, turtles can become obese if given too much food and thus need to be monitored for their own health.

Turtles and Children

Despite their traditional popularity as pets for children, turtles are not actually a good choice of pet for kids. Not only do most children not have the ability or inclination to provide the necessary level of care and cleaning a turtle needs, they also do not understand the need for careful hygiene. This is an important issue as turtles, even healthy specimens, can harbour the Salmonella bacteria which is easily transmitted to children through handling and can cause serious illness, even death in very young children. While the risk is easily minimised with good hygiene practices, such as washing hands with warm, soapy water immediately after any contact with a turtle or turtle tank, it is still not advisable for children to keep turtles without adult supervision.

While it may all seem like a lot of work and hassle, turtles can make wonderful, rewarding pets in the right hands.

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Snake Tips

published Monday, October 10th, 2011 at 2:26 pm by

If you’re looking for an unusual, eye-catching pet, it’s hard to go wrong with a snake. They’re exotic enough to catch people’s interest, yet hardy enough to require minimal care. Nevertheless, uninformed first-time owners tend to make some basic mistakes, some of which can be quite costly. Here are some simple tips that can help ensure the health of the snake and prevent a lot of aggravation as well.

1. First, take note of how large your snake can grow to be. Most North American varieties only grown to be about four feet long, which is a reasonable size. Don’t let a pet store employee talk you into buying a Burmese python, since these critters can grow to be over thirty feet long, and will require huge cages and tremendous amounts of food. (And before you ask… No, most zoos will not accept these as donations.)

2. Don’t scrimp on cage size. A cage that is too small can be very stressful and unhealthy to your pet. Pet store clerks will sometimes try to sell you caging that is inadequate in size, so don’t fall into this trap. For adequate comfort, the combined length and width of the cage should at least match the snake’s length. Snakes can grow fairly quickly, so don’t forget to take that into account as well!

3. Do find out how docile that particular specimen is. Most non-venomous North American snakes are fairly docile, but if you’re a first-time keeper, you should probably make sure that your prospective pet can be handled easily.

4. Make sure that you select a pet with a hearty appetite. Ball pythons, for example, make great pets—but they are notoriously finicky eaters. Corn snakes make great starter pets because they are exceedingly docile and aren’t picky about what they eat.

5. Snakes—indeed, any reptile—can potentially spread salmonella. The risk involved is very small, but one should still play safe. This is especially true when young children or people with compromised immune systems are involved. Do read up on reptile hygiene and salmonella before purchasing your pet.

Obviously, these tips only constitute some basic advice. I recommend that all prospective owners should read up on snake care in general, as well as the specific needs of the species that they plan to purchase. A little bit of basic research can prevent a great deal of aggravation in the future.

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Moving House With Your Reptile

published Wednesday, September 28th, 2011 at 2:17 pm by

 

A lot is written how to move with dogs, cats or even fish. But what if your beloved ones are far more exotic and unusual than other people’s pets, don’t they need some special and accordingly unusual care during the move? If you are the lucky owner of, say, a snake or a hamster here are few suggestion for your smooth with them:

The first thing to remember when moving reptiles is to keep them moist. It can be achieved by putting a damp blanket inside a moving container for your pet. Reptiles can be packed in boxes, venomous snakes should be be double boxed. Make holes in boxes to maintain good ventilation during the move.

Make the inside of the box soft for your pet by putting their foam panels, crumpled paper and pieces of cloth. Mark the box with both common and scientific names of your reptile. Be sure to write “live cargo”, “this side up” and “keep at room temperature ( 70-75F)” if you’ll be shipping your pet. The main danger of shipping your pet reptile is changes of temperature; a reptile can’t survive in too cold or too hot surroundings and it’s hardly avoidable during the move.

One of the convenient ways to move your reptile long distance is by overnight postal service, though USPS won’t guarantee live delivery; they might be only liable if the box in which you were moving your pet would have been damaged, but if your beloved one baked or freezed to death you would get nothing. This method of shipping is very common for moving turtles in cushioned, insolated boxes with air holes.

Nowadays, moving reptiles by airlines has become difficult due to people who were careless for shipping regulations and caused numerous accidents with their pets. Delta Dash (Delta Airline’s priority cargo service) and American Airline’s Priority Parcel service used to accept reptiles properly packed and clearly labelled. When moving your reptile by car don’t leave it alone overnight, always take it into motel where you’ll be stopping, if its pet friendly, of course, to soak your pet in a bath.

When moving small mammals like mice, gerbils, guinea pigs and hamsters, it’s better to use their normal container and move them in your car. Take the water and food out of their container and use rest areas to water and feed your pets. Maintain comfortable temperature – don’t park the car in the sunlight; remember whatever temperature is comfortable for you is comfortable for your beloved ones.

You also can ship your exotic pets abroad, provided they are not listed in CITES . You will need to fill out US Fish & Wildlife certificate before shipping your pets. You’ll also need to provide the list of animals you’re shipping with their common and scientific names and mark it on the shipping container.

Also you” need to contact your airline, that transports animals, for example Delta, to find out the procedures they demand. And make sure your pets pass Wildlife Inspection Port. Provided you took care of everything mentioned above check if the state you are moving to requires Health Certificates, Import Certificates or Value Added Tax and should they be ffixed to a pet carrier. It especially concerns countries of EU which have very strict regulations for incoming animals.

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The Fun in Keeping Corn Snakes

published Friday, September 23rd, 2011 at 8:40 am by

It’s not hard to see why corn snakes are considered the best beginner pet snake to own. Not only are they docile and enjoy being handled but they are also extremely hardy and therefore easy to care for. In addition, they come in a beautiful variety of colours and patterns.

Choosing Your Corn Snake

It is always best to start with a captive-bred specimen and corn snakes (Elaphe guttata guttata) are easily available as they breed readily in captivity and large numbers are produced annually.

Choose one that has clear eyes and is alert and flicking its tongue. Its body should be well-fleshed with no cuts or scrapes. Check also for signs of ticks and mites and also for a clean vent. Most corn snakes live for about 20 years and grow to a length of 3-5 feet, which is ideal for a pet. Captive-bred corn snakes are usually docile to handle and in any case, their bite is not venomous to human beings.

Housing Your Corn Snake

While corn snakes will tolerate a variety of environmental conditions, it is still important to provide the optimum living environment in order to preserve your snake’s health and condition. As they are relatively small, corn snakes do not need enormous enclosures and in fact, many people keep baby corn snakes in plastic shoeboxes with holes punched for ventilation.

Otherwise, a ten gallon terrarium or vivarium or similar size enclosure would be a suitable choice for a young corn snake, graduating to a standard twenty-gallon long aquarium upon reaching maturity and full adult size at about 3 or 4 years. Even larger aquariums, such as the thirty-gallon breeder tank or the fifty-five gallon tank would also be appropriate.

One thing to remember is that corn snakes are excellent escape artists therefore considerable thought must be given to escape-proofing the enclosure, such as a secure-fitting lid that can be clamped down.

The substrate on the floor of your terrarium is extremely important. Cedar shavings and pine shavings are believed to cause respiratory problems in snakes and therefore best avoided, as is corn cob bedding, often used with birds, as this can cause intestinal blockage if swallowed by the snake and may also cause excessive drying of the dermal tissues.

Preferred substrates include reptile bark, which can be bought from most pet stores, and newspaper or paper towels which can be easily removed when soiled and thus help to keep the terrarium clean, although they can look very unattractive. Another option is Astroturf – however, this does have a tendency to rot when wet so it is best to operate with 2 cut pieces which can be rotated so the soiled piece can be cleaned.

One important aspect that is often overlooked is the provision of hiding areas. This is essential in providing the snake with a feeling a security and can be as simple as a cardboard box, although many pet stores now offer sophisticated commercially-manufactured “hiding spots”. Whatever you choose, it must be large enough for the snake to curl up in and be out of sight but not so large that the snake will feel insecure.

Pieces of bark half buried in the substrate can also be ideal as the snake can burrow under them. It is important to provide hiding places in both the warm and cool areas of its enclosure so that it can feel secure in any area; it is also good to provide a branch for climbing.

Heating Your Corn Snake

One of the key aspects of keeping reptiles is thermoregulation. As corn snakes, like all reptiles, cannot manufacture their own body heat, they have to rely on ambient temperature to raise or lower their internal core temperature. Proper thermoregulation is essential for health and for specific processes such as digestion and immune function. This means that your snake must have access to at least one area where it can warm itself and ideally, there should be a gradient of 70-85 F (21-29 C) within the terrarium.

To achieve this, there are several methods: you can install an overhead heat lamp (with a metal reflector) above one side of the terrarium to create a basking area; alternatively you can use undertank heating pads to provide a gradient of temperature across the floor of the terrarium. Hot rocks are best avoided as they provide a very localised heat source that is often too intense, with the result that a snake will often burn itself as it tries to curl tightly around the rock. If buried underneath some substrate, it can provide a more dispersed form of heat but in general, it is best to avoid any form of heating that the reptile may have direct contact with. Note that corn snakes are not from temperate areas and as such do not need tropical temperatures.

Feeding Your Corn Snake

Like all snakes, corn snakes are carnivores needing live or freshly-killed prey. Young corn snakes are usually fed ‘pinkling mice’, with the size of the prey increasing to adult mice as the snake grows. As long as they have appropriate heating in the enclosure, corn snakes are not picky eaters and most will thrive on a regime of once- or twice-weekly feeds. Adults may only need feeding once every 10 days. Remember that appetite will diminish around the time of a shed so feeding frequency should be reduced accordingly. Remember also that if there are not enough appropriate hiding areas, corn snakes may become stressed and refuse to eat.

Water is also important and a dish of clean water should be available at all times as corn snakes drink frequently. Unfortunately, corn snakes will often defecate in their water so this must be noted and replaced immediately. Corn snakes will also bathe in the water dish just before a shed.

A Perfect Pet…

With their easy care and handling, corn snakes are justifiably one of the most popular snakes kept as pets. Their availability in a dazzling array of colours and patterns means that they are a favourite with experienced enthusiasts as well as hobby beginners.

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