My take on the hydration thing is this: if your caging allows the snake to conserve water, then you do not need electrolytes added. Do not use distilled water ever - no minerals. Added electrolytes once in awhile never hurts of course, it is just not needed when caging is correct.

Cages that allow snakes to conserve moisture are basically cages that limit ventilation. Glass cages with full screen tops do not allow snakes to conserve moisture as well unless you provide a humid hide (at least true where I live in the southwest). Screen tops generally suck. (Those petco snake kits suck in that regard.)

I have been "testing" the usage of vitamins. I have various snakes of different species that I have done occasional vitamin dusting of their food, and I have some animals that I did not. I dust all with calcium however, a very light dusting of the food. Health-wise I cannot see much difference, but I will say this - the vitamin-laden snakes do seem to have slightly enhanced coloration. Certain colors like red and yellow seem to stand out a bit more. At first I thought it was just individual differences, but now I think there is a trend.

Works for birds, so why not reptiles? Since I know nothing about what causes color in reptiles vs birds, I could be wrong here.

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