Posted by:
dustyrhoads
at Wed Aug 12 14:31:33 2009 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by dustyrhoads ]
Well, I just had a HUGE response ready and accidentally hit the back arrow and it all got erased, so here's the "abridged version"... LOL
First, I appreciate the kind remarks on my behalf, and while my methods are far from gospel, I have been fortunate to focus on trying to discover the captive needs of this one species. A few months ago, the TPRS count here was 102. Thankfully that number has backed off, but at present all 80 snakes in my collection (mostly TPRSs) are eating frozen-thawed and when I had 102, they were all eating then too.
Bill is right. These snakes are thigmotropic...aka they NEVER see any sunlight in nature, and they are claustroPHILIC -- they LOVE tight places. That is the SINGLE most unifying theme I've seen with TPRSs going off feed...they NEED very TIGHT quarters.
ANYTIME that I've kept TPRSs in anything other than racks (especially glass terraria, or anything even slightly tall and see-through), it's been a circus performance to get them to eat consistently.
But being in a rack is not enough, they have to be VERY small rack tubs...much smaller than you would normally consider for, say, a Corn Snake of the same length. It's the norm for me to keep TPRSs in Vision hatchling tubs (18" long x 7.5" wide x 3.5" tall) until they are almost three years old. And it's almost par for the course, that if I move them up to the next size Vision tub, the V-35 unit (20" x 15" x 5.3" tall), too soon, that the majority will freak out, not calm down, always active due to insecurity, no matter how many hideboxes, and I end up having to move them back to the baby tubs. And of course, their tantrum is over immediately and they start feeding again right away.
Also, I don't typically handle my snakes, especially nervous ones, and especially ones that have a strong feeding response. ('Why fix it if it ain't broke?') These snakes need to feel secure....that is their number one concern. They will starve first.
The Vision racks are also great, because they are black above and beneath each tub...reinforcing that need for tight dark places. I've also had success using melamine homemade racks...those added walls on the sides make a nice dark unit, but DANG they're HEAVY. LOL You can almost blow on the Visions and the will roll for you...yet they're sturdy.
Hope that helps, and if I can think of anything else, I'll add to it.
Dusty Rhoads
Suboc.com
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My best answer - dustyrhoads, Wed Aug 12 14:31:33 2009