Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm just wondering how you're keeping them? I bought a pair of adult WC females the other day (Been captives for at least 3 years though, with the guy i bought them from). At the moment i have them in a rack, in separate tubs, and they seem ok. However, whenever i approach the tubs, they jump about like crazy, and get out. This means franticly searching for them. What im wondering is, will they always be this jumpy in the tubs, or will they calm down in a week or so. I recieved them on tuesday, and have tried to feed them both twice (first time i tried large rat pinkies, 1 ate the other didnt, yesterday i tried small adult mice, neither ate, and one got out whilst trying to feed her ). Am i just not giving them enough time to settle, or should i move them into a vivarium together with a front opening? Thing is, i only have space in the vivarium for about 3 snakes, and im getting a WC male beginning of next year to try breeding them. This will have to live in a rack tub during quarantine anyway, so i would prefer to keep them all in my rack, rather than have them spotted about the house.

Please help settle my mind about the calming/not calming issue!!

Sorry for the long post

Lee

This subject was coverd pretty well at least twice in the last month. if you scroll down about 10 posts or so you will find most of the info you want. As to calming...Don't count on it. Most stay pretty jumpy.
Frank

try using lizards till they get used to the feeding routine b4 switching to fuzzies..

you cant get lizards to use as food in the UK, or not from anywhere ive seen yet.

I'm not buying house geckos as most are WC hence heavy parasite loads.

Do you mean the posts by drunk_on_chivas? Sorry, but these dont really apply to me :-/ in UK its VERY hard to get hold of live lab mice, and im not really wanting to breed my own. The guy i got them from was feeding them thawed fuzzies, but i havent been able to get a reply from him as of yet. So i was wondering, am i just not giving them time to calm down (by calm down, i mean not defensively striking at me whenever i go near the tank, and not trying to get away whenever im in there trying to feed them). So far ive been trying to feed them with tongs, but they get spooked, and spaz out. I left 2 large pinks in overnight (one in each tub) and one was missing in the morning. Should i just leave them a week before doing anything else (could be hard, i spotted mites in one of the tubs, think it could have been from one of the mice i tried the other day - didnt look too nice, havent seen anything moving on the snakes, just on the paper towel substrate) or should i clean it out first?

don't u have feeder anoles over there?
i don't know why ppl worry so much bout parasite load. Your snakes are wc and in the wild theres nobody to feed them clean food...the food they get at their habitats are not free from parasites. Perhaps the parasite problem might be an issue for cb snakes but i think wc snakes are hardy enough to handle the parasites...
any thoughts anyone?

Nah, we dont have feeder anoles (not live ones anyway). To anyone who breeds house geckos - how prolific are they? I might start breeding some just in case i can get them to breed, cos ill have to start the babies off on something? I asked about this on message boards in UK, but they are mainly arseholes who replied, with the usual 'house geckos are pets' bs (they dont seem to realise that they feed other peoples pets [mice, rats, gerbils] to their herps).

Let them settle for a while, you have had them less than a week. If they do have mites treat them as they could be adding to the stress on the snakes.
Also if they have gone from been in vivs to tubs that could have an effect on them, wait for the seller to reply and ask him about how he kept them and adjust your husbandry accordingly.
I am also sure the people that replied on the UK forums would be intrested in this thread. The thread you started on LF had nothing to do with these snakes you asked

"live food?
« on: Sep 9th, 2003, 9:23pm » Quote Modify

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
dya reckon it would be worth getting a colony of house geckos and breeding them for food, as both an occassional treat or to start problem hatchlings?"

No mention of this Sp of snake, and the majority of responces were telling you that you would be better breeding mice as they were more prolific and cost effective.

Shaun

Hiya, yes i know i forgot to mention the snakes in my post on LF, but i doubt it would have made any difference.

Back to the snakes, they were being kept in tubs a bit smaller than mine, so the space isnt an issue.
Haven't spotted any mites on the snakes themselves, but have ordered some mite spray just in case.
They are starting to settle down now, starting to use their hides a lot more, and are a LOT less jumpy when i approach the tank.

Hi Lee,

Not at work this week, try my home e-mail or give me a call.

The Flyers have readily fed on defrost small mice since I got them and probably just need a while to settle. They are extremely highly strung, as you've discovered. There is no need to feed live they will feed, just give them a little more time. The larger female in particular is usually a very aggresive feeder(very aggresive full stop). I only fed them once a fortnight, they have maintained very good body weight on this feeding regime.

As you have mentioned they have started to calm down since they have arrived, I suspect the shipping has just unsettled them a little.

Cheers Lee.

Regards Mark