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A couple of holdbacks

vegasbilly Mar 31, 2012 10:41 AM

Held these two females back from last year. Kern intergrade with a killer head pattern and a Ventura Cty. Coastal. Big plans this year with some interesting pairings. Some of my adults were slow to resume feeding so it will be a staggered process I'm thinking.

I went back to Cypress Mulch last Fall and try to keep a very damp area that they can burrow under if they opt to shun the damp hide that is also offered....which the hatchlings typically do. Humidity retention is a constant battle here in Vegas to be sure so I offer many options and take the time to observe their preferences.

Bill

Replies (6)

joecop Apr 01, 2012 08:14 PM

Very cool Billy. The first one's head pattern reminds me of the old "smokey and the bandit" trans-am hood logo!!!

Joe

vegasbilly Apr 01, 2012 08:56 PM

Haha! You're dating yourself with that one...the fact I know what you mean dates me too I guess.

Bill

Zach_MexMilk Apr 01, 2012 11:24 PM

Great holdbacks. Your Kern intergrade looks kind of like my intergrade...well, a tiny version haha!

The Ventura coastal is stunning.

Paul Lynum Apr 02, 2012 09:00 AM

Pretty cool!

vegasbilly Apr 02, 2012 10:17 AM

Thanks Paul! I would love to see some pics of some of your adults someday!

Bill

Aaron Apr 23, 2012 01:10 AM

Something I did that worked way better than a humid box was to partition off one corner of the cage with large softball sized rocks, fill the partitioned area with very damp soil and put pine boughs on top. While the soil was wet the snake dug it's own borrow in the soil complete with multiple entrance/exit holes, then the soil dried and the snake had a nice semi-permanant structure built to it's own exact specifications.
To maintain the structure I simply poured a cup or two of water on top of the pine boughs every two weeks or so.
The snake used the structure all the time, it would bask on top of the soil partially under the pine boughs and just watch everything that went on out side. If I got too close it would dive down one of the holes. It's hard to describe but I really feel it felt very "at home", much moreso than I have ever seen with regular moist hides such as moss-filled shoeboxes.
I should mention that this was in a screen topped aquarium, which provides better ventilation. This might not work very well in a sweaterbox setting because it would probably make the entire cage too humid.
Also, the reason I set this up was because the snake had been rubbing it's nose in a sweater box cage. This was something this snake did every July - September but this time it was really bad; it's nose was rubber raw. Upon being put in the new cage it immeadiately stopped rubbing it's nose and stopped trying to get out. Within two sheds the snake looked perfect and you couldn't tell the snake had ever rubbed it's nose.
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