Posted by:
Jeff Schofield
at Tue May 11 19:09:26 2010 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by Jeff Schofield ]
Snakes are NOT 6' tall! The temp outside by your window is 10' above the ground...where are the snakes?? Oh ya! They are on THE GROUND!! Ground temp is alot more stable than air temp! Ever go hunting on a 60 degree day and touch a piece of tin that has been exposed to the sun for 6 hours?? Its warm to the touch, more than 90 degrees! Its called KINETIC energy! Snakes with meals have to absorb X amount of kinetic energy to keep the microbes and bacteria digesting their meal. This can be 80 degrees for 10 hours or it can be 100 degrees for a few minutes at a time, it all adds up! If your snake is loose on a 40 degree day, the air temp means NOTHING. What was the temp on the ground the day before? That day? The surrounding debris, anything get REAL hot?? Maybe the snake went underground, temps there are a lot more stable. Ever find snakes near rotting wood? The bacteria in the wood give off heat that the snakes use for their kinetic energy! Thats why tins sites are so great, they are like pit crews at the Indy 500 and snakes can get all the kinetic energy they need so much faster they can move on....letting other snakes take their place!
Now when your snake shuddered, chances are that was to loosen phlegm caused by the start of a respiratory infection. And read all the care sheets that you want at your own risk....they are usually written by 14 yr olds with nothing better to do! There was a guy around here from PA, not old enough to drive but he had a website and a slew of care sheets you could download. Just because its posted online doesnt mean its published!! GET A BOOK!! Books usually have to pass a peer review process that weeds out 14 yr olds and idiots. Usually. Posting a story online doesnt tell the whole story any more than a stupid care sheet. There are background temps, belly temps, and a slew of other important things needed to keep snakes healthy. Most of all they need an educated keeper.
[ Hide Replies ]
|
Dumb, really really dumb - Jeff Schofield, Tue May 11 19:09:26 2010