Posted by:
Buggzter
at Wed Nov 14 23:42:04 2007 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by Buggzter ]
Yes, I am keeping him in the 4'x1.7' tank as a TEMPORARY measure for right now. IF YOU HAD read my post, you would have seen that my husband is working on a new cage - less than 3 weeks from completion taking into consideration that he's working over 80 hours a week at his regular job while construction is in progress. Cam is not utterly heavy, so he actually takes up less than 1/2 of a regular pillowcase (when needed to be moved to somewhere using a vehicle). He's just a touch under the 8' mark, and he's out and about for about 30 minutes a day - more than most Americans, it seems. He's growing well, and eating well. I've CHECKED, and I don't see any stress facts outside of one warning-strike he gave my husband who splashed cold water on him by accident - 4 puncture marks and a hiss. It's why we always have both of us there with him whenever he's dealt with. Our 30 minutes of daily outdoor time between Tony and I almost always includes our burm, and he's allowed to explore the deck of our building and our living room when Becca (who's two) is napping or sleeping. He gets the chance to move around often.
And if the cage was so utterly small for him, he'd be trying to find a way out like he did when he was put into a 2'x1.5' cage for 20 minutes while we did a major overhaul on the cage to get rid of his mites, or how he tries to escape the pillowcase if we need to put him there.. The 75gal is not his permanent cage. PLUS, most people say an 8'x3' cage is sufficient for almost any burm but the largest - if a 15' burm who's not overweight could live in that with excercize, why couldn't a cage half that size work on a short measure for a snake half that size? Or a 10' RTB in a 5x2' cage?
Back to my question: What might this constant soaking indicate? He's happy outside, and we ourselves have to take him out of his cage so I don't think he dislikes it so much... No bad breathing. No mucous. No mites. Doesn't have indications of a shed. Clear mouth and scales and vent. Eating well. Temp gradient is good (75 low, 95 high when you get right at the bottom of the substrate or 89 at the very top - he digs down when he wants a bit more). No change in his friendly temperment.
BTW, in 3 weeks he'll be in a 8x3x2.5' cage that's well-reinforced, decent ventalation, and good 60% humidity in the herp room - certain critters will have more humidity as needed, and all will be able to soak in their cage or will get weekly/biweekly soaks, dependant on species and cage.
I DON'T mistreat my animals. Sorry if I gave you a heartattack.
~Krystie
so you know what I deal with, and it's a joy.
1:0 burm - Camoflage (unknown age - have had for 4 months. Growing 4-5" a month on average)
1:1:1 RTB - Frank (small 2yr), Tina(small 2yr), and Peachy Keen (yearling)
1:1 baby nic boas
0:1:1 baby ball pythons - Happy and Grumpy
1:0 adult ball python - Doc
1:1 yearling dumeril boas
0:0:1 baby nelson's milk snake
0:0:1 baby Cali King
0:0:3 baby corn snakes, varied
1:1 adult leopard geckos
0:0:2 young frilled dragons
0:0:1 water dragon
0:1 bearded dragon
1:1 veiled chameleon
1:1 collared lizards
0:0:1 iguana baby
36 tarantulas, 21 different species
0:0:1 Emp. scorpion
0:0:2 hermit crabs
PS - I don't want this to be an argument. I serriously just want to find out if there is ANYTHING that I might not have thought of before that's causing his constant-soaking. He was in this tank from almost the very start (decent cage for his 6'5" size, until the full cage was built), and we're getting the big cage together. I have a wrist injury where I cannot do many things, so Tony with his REQUIRED 12hr/day 6-7 days/wk job (for 2.5 months only) is building Cam a new cage that he'll be in for the rest of his life.
ON THE SCIENTIFIC SIDE: I'm CURIOUS, not wanting to fight. In the wild, these animals NORMALLY do not reach more than 12-14 feet even as 20 year old female adults because of the food supply in their native habitats (tho there are always ones outside the norm). So why are we required to feed them so much that they "often" grow to twice the weight and 1.5 the length? I'm just currious if there's been research on this whole issue. I don't have a problem with taking care of your animals for the best life possible. But I don't want to over-do it for Camo or my other critters. You can over-feed a RTB or Ball python and cut the life-span in half yet get them to be a another 20% longer/larger than the "norm" for the sp. Same with people - overfeed and we die quicker (relatively), eat less and you might live an extra 20 years. I just have been thinking it's the same for the burm. Certain critters, like iguanas naturally grow very rapidly, but feed them animal protein and they can get full-size in about 2 years instead of 4-6, and then die by 8years old because of kidney failure. Other sp grow much slower, such as certain insects. Burms grow VERY quick usually, but is it because people overfeed or completely the sp? Quick growth is not a bad thing, but too much food will increase growth sometimes severly. You can get a female ball to breeding size in 16 months by quick-feeding, "normal" feeding gets her there in about 24-30 months. What about burms? If Camo is growing and shedding nicely, I'll keep up his feeding schedule and increase food size/quantity as needed.
I don't know burms too well, and I'm of an age where many have had herps longer than my lifespan, but I'm intelligent and try my hardest to give the best care I can to all I am responcible for. That is why I ask questions.  Cheers all! 
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*sigh* (first part short, rest LONG) - Buggzter, Wed Nov 14 23:42:04 2007