You asked me to explain being a kingsnake pioneer. Just ask around. I started breeding kings in 1964 and have many world first breedings and started many of the morphs here today. I also started many of the methods that are here today. Some I am not so proud of. Like the shoebox approach, it works, but surely its not very good. For instance, look at a shoe box, or any cage for that matter, then look how a snake really lives, hmmmmmmmmmmmm a cage is like locking the snake in a hole or small cave. That simply cannot compare to the choices they have in nature. On the otherhand, we can support the snakes so they do not experience the harshness of nature.
The point most here miss is, reptiles are not mammals, I know that sounds very basic, but its so very true, just look at the husdanbry here. In nature, snakes utilize temps that vary from 45F to 100F, on a by need basis. The hotter temps are used for four basic reasons,
1. to digest prey, the larger the bolus the higher the temp(all they need is a short exposure to high temps)
2. Shedding, this requires replacing all their skin, in nature snakes seek heat for this.
3. Reproduction, there are key times during reproduction that snakes Need higher then normal heat. Not during the whole process, just during key times.
4. to stimulate and strenghten the immune system.
A. to heal injuries and fight off disease
B. to prevent disease and control parasites.
Of course I am sure there are many more reasons, but these are the four MOST OBVIOUS. The evolutionary advantage of reptiles is to vary and control their metabolism. Why would you take away their advantage?
At other times, snakes seek different temps to accomplish different tasks. If there is nothing that requires heat(higher metabolism), they avoid heat and seek to conserve.
On the other end of the spectrum, if the support for progress is not available, food and water, snakes seek cool temps to conserve energy and prevent dehydration. In reality, dehydration is the first most important stimulus to conserve. Of course these are tied together, as in most populations, water is obtained from their prey.
What is missing here is, folks think of snakes as mammals, that is, they use a set temp like 83.218F in the summer, and 55F to hibernate in the winter. You know, we are mammals and we must use 98.6F(aprox) or we get very sick. Which could not be farther from the truth
(what snakes/reptiles actually do). Snakes REQUIRE a wide range of temps, thats what makes them SNAKES.
Again here, people are followers, that is, they follow the advice of others, not the results from the captives. Or so it appears. Of course, these keepers have choices, its odd they don't take them.
As I mentioned, I also do lots and lots of field work(for a very long time). As such, I/we have learned that snakes spend their entire lifes picking temps that fit their temporary needs. Which is not what most keepers are giving them.
The average temp method was developed by me and others because we started to mass produce large numbers of snakes and wanted something "handy" and could be done by others without experience. The truth is, it was developed to aid in the marketing of kingsnakes.
Sir, that was decades ago, Now you would think that folks would have learned what reptiles are. Specially because the keeping of large colonies is very limited to pet shop suppliers. As there is very little market(compared to the old days). So you would think folks would start to keep them in ways that actually benefited and fit the snakes actual needs. Not in the simplist common braindead method. I know, most like to break it down to A,B,C, but there are still 24 other letters that could be used.
Again, I do not know you from Adam, nor do I know how you keep your snakes, and in fact, I could careless, how you keep them. That is between you and your snakes. The point is, snakes are a species and they are individuals. Not all individuals react the same way to captive restricted conditions. Its your task as a caring keeper(you appear to be) to figure out what the "individual" requires. Not just the species average. You see, YOU ARE KEEPING INDIVIDUAL SNAKES, not a species representative.
Now to address your ego, of course it bothers you, if something is said that will allow you to think its your fault. It should bother you. Where your in error is, you should take your aggression out of YOU, your the one failing to understand the above. Not me, I am only offering words for your consideration. You can use these words to help your "helpless" snake or you can worry about your fragile ego. That sir is your choice and how you do that will reflect on you.
As for my ego. If a captive snake fails, its my fault, period. I am the warden, I am the arse thats keeping these wonderful animals in boxes, it HAS TO BE MY FAULT. This one fact is what allowed me to become a pioneer, I took the blame for failure. This allowed me to successfully keep and become the world first breeder of many many many species of many types of reptiles. Yes, I always blame myself for failing(is that ego????) Oh yea, on the way to success there is ALWAYS lots of failure. Dumb people simply think I am lucky, hahahahahahaha
So when I read your post, I assumed, I hope correctly, that you actually cared about your animals. But much to my surprise, it seems like all your actually cared about was your ego and how others precieved you, To bad. Cheers
and put it in front of him again at the hide, he stuck his snout out and before I could even blink!, one tongue flick and he ZAPPED it like it was his last meal on earth. He (and many others)seem to get a feeding response from slightly different scent cues than others normally would that trigger instant, violent feeding responses. I'm not saying this like it's some big secret either, as many folks know about, and have tried this with great success, I'm saying this because certain snakes get stimulated by different "scent cues" that register in their brain to feed.
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