Posted by:
FR
at Fri Nov 30 22:10:08 2012 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by FR ]
The temps I posted are for non-feeding individuals and not reproductive(ovum to enlarged ovum) So I would not expect it to be very high.
Cool temps is very very important, not for hibernation(brumation) but for conserving energy. Which all reptiles do.
An example would be, in nature where they can and do drop their body temps, they can make energy go many times farther.
Some adults we watch may only feed 5 to 8 times a season and reproduce, gain weight and grow.
Thursday, I found a neonate Hog, with a large food bolus, at 48F degrees and the night time low was about 32F. It was active, moving and digesting food.
By allowing cool choices in captivity, you can feed less and gain more. In other words, they are not wasting energy.
Back to that neonate, It was moving to a hot basking area, where i could breakdown that bolus(lizard) in a short time, then move back to cool temps.
In most cases if we fed a neonate a large meal and kept it at low temps, it would reguritate. Or feed very large meals at keep them at 82F, the same would occur. higher and lower temps are utilized for specific reasons.
The problem with snakes is much like varanids, the temps must be usable, that is, something that individual(species) understands how to use.
Much like varanids, if the substrate is not suitable, then they do not burrow.
As I am new to hogs, I am still looking at that type of situation. It appears they do open burrows by digging, but I am not sure they create their own burrows. Please understand, that is not to say they can't, because they obviously do dig their own in some cases. But most of what I have seen for far is modifiying other animals burrows. SO FAR, hahahahahahahahaha
I will get some pics of that neonate, as soon as I get my camera back, I left it in Rodeo NM. Cheers
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RE: FRs question to Hognose keepers. - FR, Fri Nov 30 22:10:08 2012