Wow, thats the hard way, I wish you luck. You sure do have some nice hogs.



About racks, I too use and have used racks. But that is not my interest at this time(except for raising neonates).



Whats odd is, how folks get so sensitve, if you choose to use racks, and still take good care of your animals, then great.



I have always been fascinated with behavior and over the years and years, its gotten worse. In fact, if I cannot watch them do stuff, I lose interest very quickly. That may be a product of lizards which are always doing something.



But, I am a snake guy and always have been, I have always thought that all these reptiles are the same behaviorally, that is, they all have these interesting behaviors. With snakes, we have to provide ways they can show it.



So its about me, and not what you guys are doing, as I mentioned a zillion times, you guys are doing great.



So far, my adult pair is going great. They are in a cage that ranges from 50F this mourning to a decent hot spot, cannot measure it now, the female is basking there as we speak. My guess is 80 someodd.



I am working with a group of westerns and also doing field work with mexicans. Whats odd is, these captives are coming out, at the same time the wild ones do. Time of day that is.



The captives are also filling in a lot of behaviors I miss in nature. That peak-a-boo they do.



They do use "retes" stacks, and bask in the open, as well as pick different temps when down.



So far, the female has fed three times this winter. If I see her moving about the cage, I toss in some fuzzies. Sometimes she takes them, sometimes she don't. The male is too busy with her.



Most of the time the pair and I say pair, as the male attends her everywhere she goes. Move between high fifites and low seventies. But not all the time.



As with every method in captivity, there are weaknesses. The major weakness with rack systems seems to be.(in my opinion)



1. limiting the actually learning about the animal. That is, rack systems are more about controlling the animal, then supporting the animal. Simply put, telling the animal what to do.

2. nesting, and this is a big one. I am sorry, but when I see pics of reptiles nesting in the open, a clear box is open, and dropping eggs around, its not about nesting, its about survival. Examples are the pics in the new book, designer morphs. Those pics give me the willies. If your interested, I can show pics of normal nesting. (not hogs)



3. racks are about average and thats just about what you get. The problem here is, snakes are not about the average in nature. The average does not survive. The exceptional does. This is a lesson hard learned.



3.a Science was all about quantifying(to average large amounts of data) The problem is, its good in some areas, and sucks in others, particularly when applied in areas of survival. The reality is, the average does not survive. This is something we really need to look at. Phenotypic pressures are what keeps a species SHARP and current. Phenotypic pressures eliminate all but the few, the exceptional. This is what needs study, the survivors, not the average.



Of course, each of you are individuals and each has their own approach to applying the same method(rack systems), As I do not know you, I do not know what that is. So any of the above may not apply to you as individuals. As a method, it does apply.



I have to say, breeding hets to normals in search of a het males takes work, and I admire your dedication.



I recently aquired an albino female and 100% het male. Two axanthics and a couple possible hets for all manner of stuff, like conda. I guess if I do breed them, it will be a grab bag of offspring.



If I can add anything to whats being done, I would hope its nesting. But that has yet to be seen. I have been able to recieve good nesting from other colubrids. So we will see.



Anyway, thanks for your response and best of luck.

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