Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What is the prefered Temp range for a L. t nelsoni? I don't think its the same as an eastern..

Matthew

I use a basking spot - a small heat pad on a dimmer - at the high 80's range, while the rest of the cage is whatever the room temp is, which can be 68-80 this time of year on different days/nights. I have a Ranco ON/OFF controller that shuts off the heaters/dimmers when the air temp is 78-80.

An importent point - use a hide that is very low to the ground and spans the heated area partially and the cool area partially. The snake will sit on the cool area and selectively place part of its body on the hot area as needed. This may be better than having just one hide over the hot area only and another over the cool area only. The goal is to let the snake choose temps while hidden. The same effect can be accomplished using newspaper sheets that the snake can hide under.

One last thing because I talk too much- latin American milks have thin skin. You should either limit ventilation or soak the snake in just 1/4" of water for a few minutes periodically if you notice its skin looks dull/dry or if humidity is low where you live. A well hydrated milksnake looks bright. I've been to nelsoni habitat in person, at least in one locality. It is humid in Spring and Summer. Winters can be cool and drier. Ample ground moisture though. And even though the air temp can be hot, the soil around trees can be surprisingly cooler. One can see how these animals can escape the heat there just a few inches under the surface in select spots.

Pictured are some of the low hides I use to span the warm and cool areas with a single hide, or now that the snake is bigger, push two hides together so the snake can thermoregulate and be hidden. Like I said, layers of newspaper can do the same thing, or a makeshift low plywood hide.

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Mark

Ok, I have him on Newspaper. I added an under tank heater last week. Funny, but I think I had my L. t connati at room temps most of its life. I wonder if its just milksnake nervousness causing the regurge issue?
However, last year I lost a pretty Pueblan to something like this. I'm a bit nervous..

Matthew
Usually, my milks just escape, I don't like snakes dying on me.

83
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..J Yohe ....

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83???
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Randy Whittington

why not?.....I was in a hurry and it seemed like all they asked for???

.....ok......think they like it cooler and warmer and all?...they might....but even my knobs puked at under 80....put them up 2 shelves and they ate and bred the next week...tadaaa...80,82.....red milks...baby,6 month,,,,just got them...thanxx JH....turn light on at 5:30 am....4 of 5 were pressed up to the glass this morning ,coiled ,but hugging the front...take temp...oops,,,forgot to turn it down last night....84.5 degrees...they like it....(they all ran to back when they saw my mug...still 84 almost probably)....tonight I turned it down to maybe 80.....

hondos like it at 80-ish here...I kept them lower....need something in lower raxx...they all want the middle 6 rows...balls on top rows...the bottom 4 or 5...now what?....thought the pyros and knobs would work...nooo...they want it 80 or so....cave rats like it under 80 I think...working so far....

so anyways...most snakes here prefer it at 80 or above....I should run a big fan and circulate the air more...but in winter mode I run 2 heaters instead....fan soon.....it helps....

....again...why not....83.....LOL

(yet I have some balls the same )tough snakes...
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..J Yohe ....

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I get you now. Seems a little on the warm side for a constant temp but I guess it depends on how your doing other things such as feeding.
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Randy Whittington

like I said...top rack rows have little balls...then corns,milks, kings etc have to fill in all the bottom rows...and noone likes the bottom 3 or 4 rows...which sucks and would be a waste of space....I actuallt have gotten rid of alot of breeder corns to make room and keep better stuff higher in rack....cave rats are cool with it...hmmmmm....all the other stuff wants it over 80 ....and like I said...even a knob regurged twice till I put her into 3 degree higher temp at around 82 or more......

.....I should run tapes I know........

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..J Yohe ....

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do you have any video of them running?LMAO...j/k
L8r

SHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh,,,,JH doesn't know they have legs....they kept them secret till I got them....(reds).....

yea...running..........anyways......they need the exercise to keep them healthy...I feed then avery 2 then 3 days usually....I had them 2 weeks and told the wife...hey...two weeks and I fed them 8 times...cool.....and they take it well ,do not show it, and only 2 pinks were not eaten in 5 ? weeks from all 5 reds I just got....killer man.....they were bowl trained in a week I think.....(open cage and see them check out food bowl when placed back into rack)....

..........running.........I should try that too.......(Ha!)....

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..J Yohe ....

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I'm not sure I could hit 83 EXACTLY but hopefully I'm closer than I was!

Matthew

try and have at least an 80 spot .....even if you can get 84 all day and it drops at night to 78.....they need some heat everyday....

hondos can take cooler I think......as can some others....most I have not ownded yet though....hondos did do ok on my lower levels.....my nelsoni are at around 80....they are not where I would like them....
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..J Yohe ....

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Yeah, OK. It was confusing me since I've owned an Eastern milk & a Connant's neither which had anything more than room temps. Both did fine, which I would expect for the Easter anyway, but the tropical race was quite happy.
BTW, I never use any other substrate than newspaper. You cannot improve on the best. Well, except in looks. LOL
Hopefully, he will come around. Does seem more high strung than my previous milks, too..

Matthew

Love it.
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Mark