Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey, I'm Alex and new to this particular forum of Kingsnake.com. Anyhow, I have some questions!

Alrighty, I live in SW Miami, Florida and there have always been lots of Southern Ringnecks around. Because this summer was a very mild one, I guess they've been out and about more and I've been encountering quite a few. So, I caught two babies in my backyard that I've had about a week and a half, and I need help with. They both look very gorgeous and the larger one has almost pastel colors that I'm really taken by.

Anyway, I have kept a Ringneck before... I was in 3rd grade and fed it earthworms, although it didn't live very long. One day it threw up in its container and that was the end of that I said in another post that I think I had it one or two months, but based on the times it ate I actually think it was about 3 1/2 months, although probably not very good months at all. I don't want the same happening again, and I can't even feed these earthworms yet because these are way too small.

So, here's the deal. I'm keeping them in separate critter keepers in a mix of moist Bed-A-Beast and natural calcium sand, mostly Bed-A-Beast, about two or two and a half inches deep. I have various shells with holes in each container for hiding spots, as well as a couple of sticks for climbing and a small water dish inlaid in the substrate. I am not using a UTH or other heating, but the temps are still in the mid 80s outside with a 5- or 10-degree drop at night.

With feedings, I've had problems. They're too small to eat earthworms so I've tried giving them pinhead crickets which did get eaten by something, but I'm not sure if it was them or if the ants got them. Also, pill bugs/rolly pollies that I find outside in the same areas I've been putting into their substrate, but I don't know if they eat those either!

One of the snakes usually stays burried in the substrate, while the other tends to be more active by climbing and doesn't burrow, but just hides under one of the shells.

I really need help in keeping these because I don't want to do anything wrong, so I've very welcome to anyone's opinions or advice. Thanks in advance, and feel free to tell me what I should do
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Got hips like Cinderella / Must be having a good shame / Talking sweet about nothing / Cookie I think you're Tame

You don't say exactly how long these are. I can tell you that if you get very small worms..there should be no problem. I have a friend who has a green thumb for those and he keeps them on a bark/soil mixture, in a ten gallon and has a very sizable colony. He mists twice daily. he had Northerns, Praries and several w/c from Broward. personally I have a Regal (but those are lizard eaters (22". Oh my friend and I both live in Broward.
Frank

I haven't measured them but I'd say they're between 8-10" and very skinny. I know they're not supposed to get very large down here, but I've seen one over two feet and another about three feet long as adults before in my yard. Anyway, the earthworms I find outside are thicker than the snakes and as or almost as long and I have never noticed any bait shop carrying earthworms. Do you think a bass shop or something would have them? Where did your friend find such small earthworms?

Anyhow, thanks for the help What part of Broward are you in? Ft. Lauderdale, or elsewhere? I'm in Kendall (SW Miami).
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Got hips like Cinderella / Must be having a good shame / Talking sweet about nothing / Cookie I think you're Tame

The record size for our ringnecks is 18" and usually you are lucky to find one over a foot. Regal ringnecks (the giants of this group) top around 30". You might want to have someone check the ID on those 2'-3'ers. Sounds more like a black racer.
I find my small worms in baitshops and occasionally some of the local petshops. Animal Mania in Broward carries them. The nice thing about worms is they do strech out narrower. I grew up in Plantation, but I now live in Deerfield.
Frank

Yeah, I'm aware of the records... so that's why I felt the need to mention it. Actually, I'm positive they had rings around their necks, although, they were yellow and not orange so I'm guessing someone let them go here or something. I saw them at most a year apart, but I saw the larger one first, so it wasn't the same one I saw twice.

Until I got older I thought they all started off with bright orange neckbands that got yellower as they grew because of this. I also think that the larger one laid eggs because, although I don't know what the eggs look like, I found two leathery-soft and long eggs outside and saw babies nearby for a good while. It was around halloween, so I had to pick up the egg to make sure it wasn't just an egg someone threw, but then I noticed it was long and not oval, although it seemed pretty large for such a tiny baby snake, so it may have been something else altogether.
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Got hips like Cinderella / Must be having a good shame / Talking sweet about nothing / Cookie I think you're Tame

I used ground skinks as feeders. They worked well. No heating, bed a beast as the substrate. Sweater box, sunken water bowl, corkbark as substrate. Mine lived fine until they got out while at my supervisor's while on vacation. Lid wasn't shut and lost both of mine. Andy
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Andy Maddox
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

Burgundy baby, With your blue eyed soul, You play the hits and I'm on that roll, Capricorn sister, Freddie Mercury, Jupiter Child cry

Aw, I'm sorry, that's really unfortunate Andy. Are you planning on getting more anytime soon? Is there a chance the ones that got out could be found?

Anyhow, I'm going to get them both larger sweaterboxes sometime this week. It's a good thing that they don't need additional heating, though. I think they have been eating some pinheads, but I'm going to try a bait shop for small earthworms I also will be doing some digging in my backyard soon because we're landscaping the yard, but, my parents want to plant some flower beds themselves and I'm going to help and see what worms (and maybe more ringnecks, dunno) I find, although I usually find them upwards of 6" here.
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Got hips like Cinderella / Must be having a good shame / Talking sweet about nothing / Cookie I think you're Tame

oh yes dont use any extra heating.To warm can kill them they prefer it cooler.in florida I would never use extra heating unless you have ac .either way try this it worked for me for small ringnecks.feeder guppies dropped infront of hem they go after and eat the guppies are droped right on the dirt they go after them.I use regular non chemical soil and if ingested which some will be no problem but you could try this method with a plate,etc .As they get bigger than switch to earthworms.
The guppies hop around and the snakes pursue them maybe thinking they are small salamanders.
Bianca

Thanks, Bianca All this talk of not needing another UTH is making me quite happy!
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Got hips like Cinderella / Must be having a good shame / Talking sweet about nothing / Cookie I think you're Tame