Reptile & Amphibian Forums

this time of year some of your rats are unseen & others just won't stop climbing their cages?? Same temps, same ages, same everything. Some won't come out, some won't go back in. What gives? Mostly I'm speaking of TPR's. You'd think there'd be conformity across the board. What prompts some to forever explore their enclosures, 24/7, & others to remain hidden, all being well fed going into "winter"?
Any & all responses welcomed.
Dan.

LOL dunno but my pair of TPR's are doign the same thing right now. Although in all truthfullness I am more frustrated over getting them to consistently eat F/T rodents then their inconsistent shyness.

Sean.
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1.1 BRB
1.1 Triple Het TPRS's
1.1 Amel Bloodred Corns
0.1 Abbott Okeetee Corn
0.1 Blizzard Bloodred Corn
1.1 Thayeri Kingsnakes
0.1 Reeve's Turtle
0.2 Amstaff's
1.0 Pudytat

Are they wild caught? Had my Texas rat for more than two years now, caught in late summer. The first year he went off feed around October 1 and hunkered down most of the winter and resumed feeding in late March. Last year he cruised right on through the winter, feeding regularly, being active, and so far this year he has done the same. Sometimes it just takes a 12-month cycle for them to get acclimated to the absence of winter I guess. And then there is the old truth that you can keep a dozen snakes of the same species and all will be slightly different in temperament and habits.

>>And then there is the old truth that you can keep a dozen snakes of the same species and all will be slightly different in temperament and habits.

I think that sums it up, in a nutshell.

We, as herpers, always get so frustrated when our herps don't do what WE want them to do, which, to me, is akin to wishing our children to become what WE would have liked to become, whether our children wanted to or not.

As I've said before, just another reason to love them. I've got about 80 subocs (and the collection is constantly growing), and NONE of them act the same or have the same temperament. I would consider most of them docile and inquisitive, but that's where it ends in behavioral similarities, and even then - not so much.

You have to ask yourself questions such as...Could this snake sense that winter is coming on and doesn't like the fact that it may be spending an entire winter in a 10" x 4" shoe box on top of dry aspen (or paper towels or newsprint or whatever)? Is this snake's skin to dry, and is it looking for relief? Maybe. Is it's cage too stuffy and stagnant, and is it looking for fresh air? Possibly. Does this snake consider substrate pH, substrate dampness, darkness, humidity, draftiness, aridity, stuffiness, temperature, etc. etc. before it beds down for the winter? Very probably, but to what degree is the question. Could one shoe box or cage be two degrees different than another shoe box or cage right next to it or above it? Certainly. Do I, as a human, feel the difference in my own home between 78 degrees F and 80 degrees? You betcha.

So, why do some of our snakes act one way when even their own siblings in a cage right next to them act the complete opposite? Who knows? Don Soderberg once asked me, "Why does one kid get carsick when the other kid can ride on contented for hours?" That was a good analogy.

DR
Suboc.com

I have had my black rat for 18 years now and he has never made any schedule or repitition to his behavior. He does what he wants, eats when he wants at all different times of the year and at all different times of the day. His temps are always the same. He doesn't eat on a "normal" schedule either.
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Shannon in Reno
1.0 savannah monitor (Pombe-means "beer" in Swahili)
2.3 dogs
1.0 cat
8.36 rats
Bunch O mice
5.50 chickens
0.1 black rat snake
~500 hissers
1 giant millipede
0.1 Chissel tooth kangaroo rat
1.1 rabbits
0.1 Rosy Boa
1.0 Amazing Boyfriend

Thanks all!
Reckon there's no figuring out what makes their little pinhead sized brains tick the way they do but it's hard not to look for commonalities. All our guys are CB. When "winter' set in (we're in Florida) quite a few of them switched to live food only. Weird. Dusty, the tri-het male we got from you spent 2 days racing around the cage, non-stop, & then went quiet again. He's in great shape but sure reminded me of our cat that goes on a tear outa nowhere & then just goes to sleep! LOL. 80 TPRs...
WOW!
Dan

That's funny. I've seen my in-laws' cat do that same random bolting-off-for-no-reason thing.

So there you go! Kats evolved from snakes. That's the commonality I was looking for!!

I always put my adult snakes in a closet for the winter. I check on them every 2 weeks and give them fresh water. It doesn't get that cold but they always breed in the spring and I seem to get good egg production. It's also kind of nice not feeding anything for 2 to 3 months.