Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've read various opinions on getting the best red color from milks over the years and I'm curious if anyone has ever actually tested anything.

apparently some people swear by natural light, some folks dip rodents in a multi-v high in beta carotene, and I've even heard of people injecting various red food colorings into f/t rodents.

any of that stuff have a chance at working, or it all a waste of time and the red color will stay the same no matter what you do?

I do know the colors of some fish and birds can be influenced by what they eat, but I'm clueless about how the color works on reptiles.

The multi-vitamin thing does have some effect, though how much is up for question. I raised a clutch of Sinaloans on bird vitamin-laden mice, and the reds on those snakes were quite stunning. It does make at least some difference.

Moisture works too. Milks kept in cages with moist hides tend to show better color red than dry skin. Soaking a milk before putting it on display helps with the wow factor.