Posted by:
FR
at Thu Apr 11 13:33:16 2013 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by FR ]
Please understand, what I have settled with(not the ideal or best) Is about 12 inches if substrate, not five.
I place glass or lexan pieces at different levels, starting at about five inches down. I do not limit myself to any number.
with different species, there are different approaches. Like some species like to lay eggs between two hard layers, others under one layer, and yet others prefer to make chambers.
To make it clear, How close you get to what they prefer is what relates to how much benefit you will see.
What I do, does not mimic nature, but it has resulted in results more like what is natural. The more you take away, the less benefit you will see.
Sadly you cannot rationalize this, I stated, I do recieve great eggs the day after shedding, more commonly within five days. Thats if I support it RIGHT. If I do not apply the principles correctly, I will not see any benefits. If you or others, minimize what I did, you too will not see the results I recieved.
The key to this approach is to understand what your trying to achieve, What are these animals looking for? That is what is important, HOW you do that can be done in a million ways, but all the ways must meet the needs of the animals.
They seek darkness, They do not want air movement, that is any oppertunity for dry air to effect the eggs. And of course the right temps and effective humidity.
Depth required is based on those needs. How deep they use is based on temps, humidity and lite.
In some parts of the country(habitat type) like here, they normally deposit eggs fairly deep, here the surface is hot and dry, so they go deep enough to find the right temps and humidity.
In northern parts of the country, the deeper you go the cooler it gets, so they cannot go deep. In other parts, the ground is wet, so they find mounds and raises and must lay fairly shallow to find the right temps and humidity.
But no where do they lay them in light, open view. You know, like bird eggs in a nest. In all cases they lay them in total darkness.
The problem is human rationalization. You think you can offer the right conditions, in a shallow tray, like five inches, heck you can even make it dark. And your right, the problem is, snakes do not rationalize like humans.
For instance, you understand the conditions needed, They may only understand how to find those conditions.
One more thing, they recognise a good nesting area, by smell. The perfer to nest in a place they already have nested in. Or their parents nested in, or even other snakes nested in.
You measure temps with a heat gun or thermometer and humidity with a hygrometer, what do they use???????? How do they know what is right? and to such a fine degree, to the degree and without tools???????
I have a question, why don't hognose nest in a tree or tree stump, I am positive they could find the right conditions and such and they do exsist where hogs live. And other snakes do use them, like ratsnakes and such. Why don't they?
The point is, they do not think or rationalize like you do. They also do not know what they want is suppose to fit in a five inch deep sweater box.
you also should understand, dang, they do make racks with deep boxes, and no one said I cannot use them. Or make my own box that is closer to their needs when what you have now.
Also, what I did was make a bad copy of what they do in nature, what your thinking of doing is making a bad copy of what I did. I recomend, if your going to make a bad copy, take me out of it and do what I did. Make a bad copy of what they really use and need. Best wishes
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RE: Hognose nesing in racks. - FR, Thu Apr 11 13:33:16 2013