I think you hit it on the head Don. Your statement that you do what works for you and you don't tell others what to do. Great advice that we could all learn from as we keep these critters. Having said that I will add that I Lived in Calif. for the first 33 years of my life and raped and pillaged with the best of them, Retes included. Back then we all kept Kings together. I caught a significant number of Kings that had eaten recently and as they traveled in Bags they usually regurged. Never saw another King regurged but it doesn't mean that. Saw plenty of other snakes along with Sceloporous and Uta lizards and rodents. But it seemed more dependent on where I caught them. Around Orange County most had rodents (voles,mice,one even had a Bat). In the desert mostly lizards. Since I have been here in Texas I have noticed that food intake seems to proportional to draught conditions. I don't keep what I find now but spend more time (what little I have!!!) observing stuff in the wild. When there is abundant rain the rodents go beserk and the snakes (mostly atrox) are fat. I'm no expert but it doesn't take a Rocket Scientist to notice. By the way--we all change over time. Back then I kept my Kings together. In fact all snakes that i Kept were in cages of multiples. From '64 to '73 i sold most everything I caught. Now all my snakes occupy their own cages and I don't even pick up what I find. I can be satisfied just looking. From 1964 to 1972 I spent some time with FR, going out collecting, he was at my house, I was at his, we even did a little Falconry together. Back then he kept most everything in cages with other stuff. In fact he had a gravid Banded Gecko in the same cage with a Western Diamondback we brought back from Arizona. He can tell you what the result of that co-habitation was all about.

[ Show Entire Thread ]