Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all i wish i could post pics, i'm trying to get my new camera working...But today i finally payed off the rest of the balance for my 03 yt cribo...It's a beauty....Any tips for a new owner?
Again i'm trying for pics.I just want to say....I'm quite excited....Thanks
Rayne

DON'T handle it unless it's to move it while cleaning it's enclosure or to feed it in a seperate enclosure if you wish to do so.
Keep it in a small sweater box with a hide, water dish, and suitable substrate. Cypress mulch, Sphagnum moss, newspaper, paper towels work well. If you use one of the more natural substrates mentioned and want to prevent the snake from ingesting any accidently, feed the snake in a seperate, covered, container. Keep the temps at mid to high 70's on the cool end and mid 80's on the warm end. Keep the humidity level moderate and make sure you up it when the snake is preparing to shed.
Continue to feed the snake whatever it was being fed by whom ever produced the snake. Remember, these snakes cannot take food items that are much larger than their heads and will most likely become intimidated and not eat if they food item is too big, so offer small items and let it eat in privacy.
The most important thing is to NOT over handle the snake and NOT to watch it while it's feeding.
Give it some time and when the snake is about approx. 2 1/2 - 3 feet long you can interact with it more.
They are very sensitive when they are babies and juvies and you can throw off their feeding habits and cause them other undue stress by giving them too much attention at this age. Some snakes will actually regurge their meals if disturbed.
Where did you get the "03" YT???
I look forward to seeing pictures.

Good luck!
Bobby

Most every YellowTail that made it to the USA from imports or baby that was born in captivity went to "The Wall". Even wild Yellow Tails tremble at the mention of his name. He knows his YT's.

I think the only way I got mine was because they were coming from the north when Bobby was looking south

I don't think there's anything I can think of to add to what he said.

Doug T

Doug,

I was merciful and didn't buy the 3 snakes that you eventually got along with the 3 I took! LOL
Didn't want to have too many YT's from the same gene pool so I left those for you! LOL
Looking at how incredible the snakes I got from Phil have turned out I kick myself for not buying all six of them!
Now I have to wait for the next clutch to get more.
Got any pics of yours?

Bobby

I could take some today, but the wife has the camera and she's out for the day.

I'll get some soon.

Doug

It came from Glades Herp in Fort Myers Florida. He told me it was captive born from wild caught specimens. Does anyone know of this breeders work?Thanks fo all the info....Can you give me the dimensions of the sweater box you are refering to?Thanks again
Rayne

As far as I'm aware, Glades Herp doesn't breed YT's. They probably got some gravid female imports in their shipment that layed eggs while they were in their care. Bobby Lee got some adults from Glades that are probably from a similar locality so he can probably tell you how your babies may turn out as far as their appearance.
Chris

Chris,

You are correct sir!
The babies that Glades has came from w.c. snakes that were gravid.
They kept the two that were gravid and sold me the one that wasn't. I paired my snake up with a big male that I have and he did the deed.
My babies look alot different than the ones from Glades due to the genes of the dad. All of my babies have deep orange/yellow tails that go half way up the bodies on a lot of them.
Others are almost black like the mom, but also have the nice tail coloration. Some have light head coloration and others are dark.
To the gentleman that bought the Glades YT, did they tell you if it was feeding? If so, have you had it eat while in your care and what did it eat?

Good luck
Bobby

He said it was eating...it ate last tuesday...The males were only eating tree frogs and the 2 females(i supposedly have 1)were on pinkies.I received it 2 days ago now and it hasn't eaten anything.I tried pinkies-which from what you have told me were probably too big....and a small frog...that i have in my backyard...But i had madde a mistake from the first time i held it when i brought it home.I HELD IT. Its jitterish when i come near the enclosure....but what i think is normal.right?Any ideas on how to get it to feed?thanks
rayne

I would count on that snake to have not eaten anything yet.
I can't tell you from experience on how to get them started feeding!
I have a clutch here that I'm just now trying to get to eat.
I tried small live feeder fish in a glass dish along with a tadpole so far.
At that time they were all together in a big sweater box and just had their first shed so I wasn't expecting much from them. I didn't count how many fish there were so I don't know if they ate any.
They are now seperated and I'll try again with the fish and then live day old pinks.
Try scenting with chicken, snake, lizard, frog or offer those as food items. Basically try everything until it eats!
If she is thin and not feeding on her own you might have to force feed her, but try to get her feeding on her own first.
I'm suprised she didn't take the frog!
I know if I can't get mine feeding I'm going to get feeder Tuffies (minnow like feeder fish) and slide them down their throats just to make sure they get something in them. The Tuffies bodies are long and thin and will go down very easily.
Sorry I can't help you in this department.
Maybe others with hands on experience will offer some suggestions.

Good luck!
Bobby

I know someone that wanted to buy those females after they laid their eggs and went to see them.
I was told that they were the more common looking YT being gray from head to about 2/3's down the body and then the final 1/3 being the yellow tail. I would assume that your baby will look like that when grown judging by the way it looks now and from the description of the parents, but you can never tell for sure what they will look like when grown as they change coloration as they age some more drastically than others.
My female is extremely unusual in coloration for a YT and looks nothing like the others she came in with.
She is jet black with bright white lower jaw/chin and the white goes all the way down to about the vent area where the yellow starts to show....BARELY!
She looks like a Yellow Tail Texas Indigo.
Regarding the box size for you baby, I wouldn't use bigger than a 12 quart box at this point. That will give you room for a water dish, small hide, and space to creep about.

Bobby

You said that i shouldn't use bigger than a 12 qt. box.I have her in a 15 right now, will that be suitable, my local target only has 6 and 15 qts. I am just curious, why not any bigger than 12?Thanks
Rayne

I was using the 12 quart as a gauge for what size to use for a tiny, baby snake beacause that's what I have mine in. With the accessories in with the snake there is plenty of room in the box without the box being too big for the snake.
What you're using is fine.
You don't want to use a box with a lot of floor area for a snake that small. For example, a 28 quart box for a baby.
The smaller box makes the snake feel more secure and it doesn't have to explore too large a space to find it's food when it starts feeding.