Posted by:
Gregg_M_Madden
at Fri Feb 22 13:56:12 2013 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by Gregg_M_Madden ]
To GoHogWild,
Here is a simple answer with no riddles or side stepping the question.
If you are keeping your hogs in a rack system, offer a 95 degree hot spot in the back of the tub and allow for an 80 degree or so cool end in the front. I am able to achieve this in tubs as small a 6 quarts. It is a tried and true method that yields great result when it comes to your hogs health and reproductive capabilities. If you are keeping in a large cage with natural deep substates, you can offer a hotter basking spot using a heat light. 100 to 120 degrees will be fine for a basking surface temp.
As far as scent feeding goes, sometimes it is a must and if you breed hogs, you will 100% have to scent feed neonates at some point. Not all, but some will indeed require scent feeding to get started. I would say from my experience that 4 out of 10 need to be scent fed. Tuna scenting is hit or miss. Mostly miss. Toad works way better. If you do not have a toad to mash up, (rubbing a pinkie on a live toad will rearely, if ever work) you can buy green tree frogs and mash them up. They work just as good if not, better. They are readily available at any reptile show or pet shop. A hogs preference for scenting has nothing to do with their conditions. It is a hard wired instinct.
Frank,
Taxonomy is not BS. As much as you like to think that it is in the case of mexicans and westerns and other reptiles, molecular testing has place mexicans and westerns as far away on a biological level as westerns and easterns. In fact, westerns are much more closely related to southerns than they are mexicans. So, no, they are NOT 99% alike.
It is great that you observe then in the wild doing this and that. It is interesting. However most of what you observe in "the field" can not be applied in captivity. Some of it should be attempted in captivity.
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I have seen enough. - Gregg_M_Madden, Fri Feb 22 13:56:12 2013 