Hangin’ with the Animals

posted by Animal Lover2 on Nov 25

By Chris M Jones

The first and foremost ingredient to choosing the right snake is the health of the animal. Once that is out the way, a number of other elements come into the equation. Species, age, temperament, colour, pattern, sex, feeding habits and price are all points to think about when looking for a snake.

Health

If you are looking at a snake in a pet shop or other premises, do not look only at the snake. Look inside and outside of the cage for signs of dirty, unhygienic surroundings. No matter how good the shop is, inevitably you will find sloughed skins, feces and other dirty materials in the cage. However, look at the consistency of your findings and excessively dirty surroundings. Overcrowding in tanks should be avoided, and if any dead animals are found in nearby enclosures, stay away from purchasing the animal. Make sure you are buying captive bred stock; wild caught snakes can harbour all sorts of problems and should be avoided by beginners.

Look at the shape of the snake in its resting position. Never buy a snake that you see resting sideways, with its head tilted on the floor. If its mouth is slightly agape, stay away. The spine of the snake should be visible, but not to an excessive measure. It the snake looks skinny, do not buy it, regardless of its feeding habits. Most snakes are generally very consistent when sloughing their skin, so if you see one with bits of skin stuck all over it, be cautious. Loose folds in the skin are apparent in dehydrated snakes, advise the shop owner if you see this in their stock but do NOT purchase the animal.

‘Never purchase a snake or any other reptile based on your feelings for that animal. Many pet shops have come and gone, the best have always stayed the longest. Neglectful shops soon realise their problems and either fade away, or amend their problems. Buying a snake which has suffered through neglect of the shop will only make the shop continue with their onslaught. However tough it is, please remember, the death of one snake, could potentially save many more.’

If you purchase an animal knowing of any possible problems, make sure it is vet checked as soon as possible. Keep the latest fecal sample from the snake and store it in the fridge until the vet can examine it. Never introduce newly acquired snakes into the enclosures of other snakes without having it fully examined. Larger breeders should keep quarantine areas separate from the rest of their collection. Newly acquired snakes should be quarantined for at least 3 months if this is feasible for the breeder.

Age

With snakes, age is often an irrelevant factor in deciding what species you would like. Baby corn snakes are good beginners’ snakes, and although they can be a little feisty, they calm down quickly and can evolve into lovely animals. One thing to be careful of when purchasing a baby, is to make sure it feeds. If you are unsure of its feeding habits, buy a slightly grown on juvenile. Adult or grown on snakes which have already been handled and are guaranteed feeders, maybe a better choice for the complete novice. However, baby snakes may be more rewarding for anyone to successfully rear.

Price

Always ask yourself; ‘quality or quantity?’ If something is cheap, there is reasoning behind it. Often, under paying for something you really want may in fact turn out to be something it wasn’t bought to be. If you pay too much, you will lose money at the worst, but you can be sure of acquiring something of quality. Do not look to buy any animal which is excessively cheap. Instead, buy the animal you really want to buy, and pay what the animal is worth.

Where to Purchase?

There are a number of places to look when purchasing a snake. I would urge anyone to seek a reputable breeder who has vast experience and a good reputation in the industry. Honesty is the most important factor for any breeder selling animals; do not buy from anyone who you know has misrepresented animals in the past.

Breeders

It is important to realise that a breeder does not have to breed many hundreds of snakes. In fact, some of the best snakes will come from dedicated hobbyists, often only having a pair of a particular species. If you are buying the more commonly seen species, you might want to look for private individuals and seek their advice. With the more expensive snake species and colour morphs, there are fewer breeders to choose from. Always communicate with the breeder before actually purchasing the animal. Ask questions regarding the age, size, lineage, temperament, health and feeding habits of the animal in question. A good breeder will spend time trying to help you, while many other breeders will shrug you off, giving minimal detail and answering only what needs to be answered. As a breeder myself, please be aware that with hundreds of snakes to care for, plus doing various things in your personal life, time can be a virtue. Do not expect an essay when e-mailing a breeder, rather, a polite response with all the necessary information should be expected.

Most breeders will not offer a refund after the sale; this is commonplace when dealing with animals. Unfortunately with animals, mistakes by the buyer can easily be made. It is therefore too risky for the seller to guarantee an animals life, when it is completely out of their hands. However, try and be confident when dealing with a breeder, that they will help you even after the sale. If you run into any problems, they will be there to give you more advice.

Reptile Shows / Expos

Reptile shows offer a great place to meet new people and see many new things, not only with snakes but other reptiles as well. Look for breeders who have spent the money showing off their animals. Well built, classy looking display stands with clean cages and tubs show that the breeder is making an extra effort to sell his or her animals. It shows that the breeders are dedicated, and their effort stems further than just breeding and selling animals. These people are often the ones that will make the effort to help you further if need be after the sale.

If buying a snake from a show, be careful. You must realise that you do not know the people standing in front of you, nor do you know the background behind any of the snakes. Many good breeders will have photo albums of their adult stock on the tables. This is a great bonus; it enables you to view the parents and the lineage of the particular animals you are looking to buy. It also shows that breeders are again, putting more effort into selling their animals and taking pride in their stock.

Avoid any breeders who are unable to answer your questions. Ask for hatch dates, parental information and feeding records. These are minimal details that any good breeder should be able to offer without a problem. Any vendor at the show who is unable to provide this information should be avoided.

Do not feel in a hurry to purchase from the breeders at the table. Ask as many questions as you feel appropriate and take a look at what they have to offer. Ask for the breeders contact details, e-mail, web site and their phone number. If they are unwilling to offer their phone number, try and stay away from them. Not giving their phone number allows them to choose whether or not to answer your e-mails. It is these people which are unlikely to help you after a sale is made.

Newspaper Adverts / Internet Classifieds

This is a way to pick up some fantastic animals, but at the same time the most common way for buyers to be ripped off and often left with unhealthy animals. Many breeders, good and bad will use the internet classifieds. Remember to ask all the necessary questions before buying, ask for photos where possible and expect a reply which is polite and informative. Be careful when viewing photos, that they look normal coloured and not distorted or strange in appearance. Look for other objects in the photo to get an idea of accurate size and colour of the animal. It is commonplace to see people falsely advertising animals, and enhancing images to fit their descriptions better. Try and build a relationship with the seller before you purchase the animal.

Also remember, ‘you get what you pay for’. Do not expect to get bargains; you get what you pay for and rarely anything else. Look for the people who are less willing to give you a good deal, these are often the people who are confident in their animals, and confident that another buyer will come along if you do not buy.

Be wary of ‘Free’ Snakes. It is commonplace to see adverts for ‘Free to Good Home’. Ask yourself why, and check to see if the snake is really what you want. Pretend the snake is actually quite expensive; would you still buy it? If not, don’t get it.

For more information on reptiles and their care, go to: www.petclubuk.com

posted by Animal Lover2 on Nov 14

By Alex Simms

Like any animal, lizards at times in captivity will need to be force fed. There are situations and conditions which will result in a lizard not eating on their own.

Some diseases lizards can get will result in seizures, or a similar condition. It is imperative not to feed them during an incident like this. They will most likely not be able to swallow the food. It is best to seek the help of a veterinarian at this point. The animal will need to have a tube placed into their stomach to feed. If the animal shows no signs of seizures, they can be fed using a syringe. It is tricky to get their mouth open, but should be possible using the syringe itself.

Using the syringe, squeeze the processed food into the back of the throat, taking great care to avoid the trachea at the back of the tongue. Make sure to only offer as much food as the animal can handle. Larger lizards can obviously handle more food. It may also be possible to force-feed feeder insects. If the lizard is having digestive problems however, the liquid substitute is much easier to digest, as much of the work is already done. Another advantage of liquid feeding is the fact that you control exactly what the lizard is getting into its diet.

For the vegetable part of the liquid diet, vegetable baby food works very well. This food is high in vitamins and can easily be digested by the lizard. Make sure to add in a calcium supplement to the food. Younger lizards need to be fed more often but in smaller quantities, while larger lizards will need to be fed less often, but with higher quantities per feeding. You have to follow the natural way your lizard eats its food, as not to upset their natural metabolism. If your lizard eats both insects and vegetables, you can use a type of cat food (used for sick cats) if they will eat it. You can also try to add insect matter (use fresh insects) into the liquid mix.

posted by Animal Lover2 on Oct 15

by: Gary Ruplinger

When people think of pets, most of the time “furry” and “cuddly” are adjectives that come to mind. For the owners of pet snakes, however, these words don’t really fit. Still, snakes make interesting pets, and can even be lovable - in their own way.

Choosing to own a pet snake should not be a snap decision. Snakes can grow large, eat a lot, and require very specific conditions for staying healthy. Some varieties can even be dangerous to humans. Providing for their needs can be quite expensive. To top it all off, snakes tend to have a long lifespan. For the sake of the snake, don’t buy one without being sure you are ready to make the commitment.

All snakes are meat-eaters. Many snake owners keep live mice or rats, which multiply rapidly, as food for their snakes. It is recommended that snakes be fed pre-killed prey animals instead of live ones. Especially if the snake is not real hungry, a live prey animal can inflict injuries to the snake. Many snake enthusiasts order frozen mice for their snakes. Others raise mice and kill them as needed to feed their snakes.

The good part of feeding a snake is that most shouldn’t be fed more often than once a week and some can go for several weeks between feedings. The reason is that they don’t have to expend any energy creating their own body heat. In fact, if the cage is not warm enough, a snake can’t even digest its food.

The enclosure, or cage, for the snake needs to be first of all escape proof. Snakes are escape artists, and don’t need a very big opening in order to find a way out. The cage also has to have a source of heat. Because they are cold blooded, snakes must have a variety of temperatures to choose from. This is how they regulate their body heat. For best results, the enclosure should be heated on one side only and thermometers used on both ends. Each snake species has specific needs in terms of heat, and you should find out these needs before getting a snake.

Other needs include a bowl of water, several places to hide, and a floor lining. If you’re on a tight budget, newspaper works well for most snake varieties. It can easily be replaced when soiled. The water should be kept clean, too. Any wastes or uneaten food should be removed quickly. The cage should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected about once a month.

Keeping a pet snake is a responsibility that can also be an adventure. If you are a beginner, you should start with one of the easier snakes to keep. Do a little research, and you will find out that pet snake breeds are generally rated according to how hard they are to keep. In time, you will learn the ins and outs of snake keeping, and can expand your collection to include some of the more exotic types.

About The Author
Gary Ruplinger is the owner of Boatips, a site providing great information about pet snakes. To learn more about snake care, visit us at http://www.boatips.com/snakecare/ and be sure to check out the rest of the site, http://www.boatips.com as well.