Reptile & Amphibian Forums

can anyone give advice on what temp range to keep atrox, and is it necessary to use full spectrum lighting? thanks

Hi:

Here's a bit of information for AZ WDB's where I lived. Yes, give them a full spectrum light.

In Tucson, Arizona they typically bask in the open till it gets to about 32 degrees C then they head for cover, about 10 am!. The night time temperatures are about 23 C.. so that's when they move to their ambush spots. If you can give them a 10 degree temperature swing it should do very well. May & June the daytime temperatures in AZ are about 40C and 20% humidity Julys & Augusts in Arizona are a bit cooler between 35 & 40C but the humidity is up to about 60%. The only crazy things out in the day in June are wacky lizards bakeing their brains.

They don't hide in rocks and seem to prefer sandy soil and clumps of bushes/cactus for cover. They go underground to escape the heat of the day and move up to the opening at dusk. No problem with heat after sundown the ground is still plenty (30C +) warm for a long time. I'll send you a few pictures to show you what I mean if you contact me by email. Be careful..they have a very nasty venom that make a real mess of human tissue.

cerastes@earthlink.net

Good Luck,

Al
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The more people I meet...the better I like my venomous snakes.

Thanks for the advice. atrox182

This isn't meant in any way to discredit Al, but you shouldn't feel like you *need* to supply full spectrum lighting to any snake. Some make the argument that it helps to enhance their coloration, but that's about the only thing it would do, and I'm not convinced that the large cost of decent UV bulbs justifies it. Of course, that's completely personal opinion. The only herps that need full spectrum lighting are the herbivorous ones that otherwise wouldn't be able to absorb Vit D properly. Pure carnivores, like snakes and monitors, get their Vit D directly from their prey.

In the end I guess it boils down to whether you want to spend the money (don't forget replacing bulbs as often as the package states) to possibly get a bit more color out of your herp, while it may not do anything at all. I've never given any of my charges full spectrum lighting and they've always done just fine. Whatever you decide, stay safe! Al wasn't exaggerating a bit, and in fact may have underscored it a little, the effects of atrox venom. Take a look at the SHHS website at venomoureptiles.org for some...graphic...pictures of atrox bite victims.
-Chance
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Chance Duncan
1.1 Retics (1.0 Tiger Het, 0.1 Dark Lavender)
1.1 Olive Pythons
1.1 Woma Pythons
1.1 Ball Pythons (Het Albino)
http://www.rivervalleysnakes.com

Hi Chance:

How's school going? Really miss you as a regular around here. You enhance the varity of opinions and knowledge base on web forums. Good luck with your breeding projects.

Al
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The more people I meet...the better I like my venomous snakes.

Hey Al. I was hoping my post wouldn't come across as derogatory by any means. School is..well, school. Toughest semester yet. I'll make it through though. I always do. I'm going to try to post more often if I can. I figure that since I no longer keep any venomous, at least it won't give my fans that ammo against me...lol. That, and since I'm not an active member of the community any longer, I guess I no longer give a crap about what other hot keepers think of me.

As for my projects, I'm keeping my fingers crossed on a couple females, olive and woma, to drop eggs for me, hopefully sometime within the next few months. More and more though here lately, my projects have been shifting back toward these guys, something I've been wanting to do after too long a time of not having them. You wouldn't believe the number of requests I've had for eggs and chicks. I certainly never would've guessed. But it pays the feed bill, and that's what's important.

How is your little Acanthopis, if I'm remembering correctly?
-Chance
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Chance Duncan
1.1 Retics (1.0 Tiger Het, 0.1 Dark Lavender)
1.1 Olive Pythons
1.1 Woma Pythons
1.1 Ball Pythons (Het Albino)
http://www.rivervalleysnakes.com

Great to hear things are well with you & your collection. It's always tough slogging through all the work but the reward will be worth it.

No problem with your reply, since everybody has their own preferences on how a species should be kept, you were just giving your opinion.

I have my own "fan club" on another site...with flame throwers at the ready.

Illegitime non carborundom est!

Al
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The more people I meet...the better I like my venomous snakes.

thanks for the advice. atrox182