Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Today it is snowing, sleeting and in general being really cold miserable weather. I have to wash mouse tubs today OUTDOORS! Argh!!!

The only critters I have found this spring are ensatina salamanders, a couple of ring neck snakes, and two little toads. I have kept the toads which are flourishing in an old glass snake tank and released all the others where I found them or in my garden.

Last year on April 11, '09 I found my wc Pacific gopher Gomez under a partial sheet of plywood with a big feral cat sitting on top waiting for her to come out. I had to bring her home in an empty water bottle as I was on my hike and had not planned on doing any herping for keepers that day, but really had to see what the cat was interested in.

Her baby picture of her first feeding on the day I brought her home.

Here she is today April 12, '10 enjoying her UTH in her cozy nest.
She weighed about 30 grams when I found her, and now weighs about 147 grams:

She has adjusted to captivity very well. She was brumated along with my bulls when she went off feed late last fall, and is now feeding again. She never has hissed or rattled her tail at me.

No spit! This is the forzen Spring in California. I can't wait for the temps to get right but it's not looking good for at least another week.

Nice little series on your Pacific. It's really good to see the weight-ins progress. I just started doing that and it adds a whole new dimension to it all.

Say, is that UTC applied directly to the bottom of the plastic tub? Always wondered if that would be ok but haven't tried it.
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Have a nice day

Website: SerpenTrack

Great backstory on Gomez. They grow up so fast. From 30 to 147 in a year, what's that, like more than quadrupling her size?!?!

Hey, Brad, the cold overcast weather is often some of the best for herping, at least down here in the valley. It should be even better for you, cuz I think you're closer to the coast than I am. Whenever you have that kind of a cloud-soup/marine layer sitting over your local herp spots, it should be a good day for flipping. Have had some pretty good herping days here in the SFV already...Gophers, Hellis, Ringnecks & Racers. No Kings Coachwhips or Lyres though.

reako45

Hey Darren, thanks for the tip and glad you've been having luck. Now if I could only find something to flip
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Have a nice day

Website: SerpenTrack

It snowed today. But as soon as it warms up the little critters will be out and about. I bet they all will be extra hungry this year, as it is taking so long to enter the warm season. Herping should be very good here in the Sierra Nevada foothills in a week or so.

Say, is that UTC applied directly to the bottom of the plastic tub? Always wondered if that would be ok but haven't tried it.
Yes, it is attached to the bottom of the Sterilite tub. It is a Zoomed 4 watt heater on a thermostat. It gives the snakes a warm spot in the tub. I cover this area with a platter or terra cotta saucer and then a cardboard soda flat. They all really do well with that. I have an indoor outdoor thermometer probe attached to the upper side inside the tub of the heater. I also have monitored the temps with my infrared gun. There is ventilation under the tubs so the heat can escape instead of possibly building up to hazardous levels.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polypropylene

Good stuff and thanks for the link. Looks like that would be a long way from the melting point of over 300F.

btw, I did mispell the acronym in my post, I did of course mean UTH.
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Have a nice day

Website: SerpenTrack

Thanks!
I am currently experimenting with a Zoomed UTH 8 watter under a small Sterilite tub for my lizard hatchlings. The lizards have an inch of clean sand for substrate. The heater keeps the sand warm and my hatchlings are doing very well, eating their crickets and growing fast. The round thing in the center is moist sphagnum moss with a jar lid for water. Zoomed says not to use any bigger than the 4 watter, but in my experience of a couple of years with these UTHs none have ever got hot enough to pose any sort of hazard. Of course I always use thermostats and thermometers as standard equipment.

More great information, thanks again.

"Zoomed says not to use any bigger than the 4 watter"

I don't get this one though, not to use for what specifically?

btw, what kind of lizards?
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Have a nice day

Website: SerpenTrack

Zoomed means don't use anything bigger than a 4 watt UTH on plastic. With the 8 watt UTH I am having no problem with the Sterilite tub getting too hot. Some other sorts of plastics may not fair as well, although I don't know what they might be. The common Critter Keeper is made out of polystyrene 6, which has a melting temp of 464 Fahrenheit, even better than the Sterilite tubs.
In questioning the authority of Zoomed I have proceeded with caution. None of these little UTH's seem to get too hot, and being on thermostat as well as having a safety cut off built in, I think they are safe even using a lager capacity wattage on durable plastics.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polystyrene

The lizards are Western Fence lizards. I got into raising these lizards when I first got pyros and thought I would need to scent pinks (not kill any lizards!), and then just for fun.

My four females and one male. A couple more of the females are gravid so I will be hatching eggs again soon. This is sort of my consolation prize since I don't yet have any snakes old enough to breed! LOL!