Posted by:
Joe Forks
at Mon Feb 11 20:38:24 2008 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by Joe Forks ]
>>Sure, lots of species of snakes bask in the sunshine, but is it to warm themselves or to receive vitamin d3?
Probably both, but again depending on the species.
>>>>It is pretty much understood that captive snakes receive the necessary calcium through the whole body prey that is offered to them.
That is a generalization, which means it is true for the most part. D3 is the principal regulator of calcium homeostatsis, and just because a snake is nocturnal does not discount the need for D3.
For 25 years some alterna breeders have had problems with fertility and kinked babies, especially with WC snakes. What they are eating in the wild are little sun baked D3 cookies (Lizards), take them off that diet and throw them in a plastic box and feed them mice and all the sudden things don't work right for several generations. Once you get beyond a few generations the problems are not as severe, but still persist. Why is that? Can you or anyone answer that with complete certainty?
Anyone keeping and breeding Red Coachwhips will know exactly what I'm talking about.
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[ Hide Replies ]
- Melanin. - Hollychan, Sat Feb 9 11:30:36 2008
- RE: Melanin. - antr1, Sat Feb 9 12:28:17 2008
- OK... - zach_whitman, Wed Feb 13 22:54:04 2008
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RE: Melanin. - Joe Forks, Mon Feb 11 20:38:24 2008