Im Back!

Reddevil95128 · Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 11:13 pm Post subject: Im Back!

hello all its been a while since ive poped on these forums but now that ive got a bit more free time I figure id pop back on and get some more posts I have a very large always growing collection and ill be sure to post pics as new things come and as I redo and upgrade my reptile rooms ( this years goal) heres the critter count at the moment lol

1.1 Burmese Pythons
4.3 Ball Pythons (normals,spider)
0.1 Argentine Boa
0.1 Dumeril Boa
0.1.1 Kenyan Sand Boa
1.1 Mexican Black King
0.1 Desert Kingsnake
0.1 California King (Albino Stripe)
1.1 brooks king
2.2 Honduran milks (Ghost,Snow,Tri Color Albino)
1.0 Western Hognose
5.7 Cornsnakes (butter stripe/motley,Silver queen ghost,Ghost,Blood,Okeetee x blood)
1.0 Ornate monitor
0.1 Green Iguana
1.1 Bearded Dragon (German giant x sandfire,Others mutt)
0.2 Crested Geckos ( Dalmation Red,Dalmation Flame)
0.1 Leopard Gecko ( super hypo tang)
0.1 Panter Gecko ( Striped )
0.0.1 Tomato Frog
1.2 Gold Tree Frogs
few new arrivals expected soon like 1.2 of 100% het albino ball pythons and if I ever find a reliable source of Ornate Monitors ill be sure to add a few of them to the zoo lol
I also keep many feeder colonys from roaches.mice.rats.guinea pigs.and rabbits I also breed fresh water fish so ive got tank fulls of fish too!! always something to clean and feed at my house lol

txrepgirl · Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 8:04 am Post subject:

welcome back Reddebil95128.Wow you got a big collection of reptiles

.Can't wait to see some pictures.

worldeater · Respected Member Joined: Mar 06, 2008 Posts: 578

sup red, damn you got a hellova collection!

i got 2 questions for ya,

i've had my first ever snake for a couple months now. a mexican black king. i find his behavior surprising, i allways thought snakes wern't much for personality but the kingsnake is downright funny. super docile, super friendly i mean, i hand feed him f/t mice as i seen you have a pair i wondered if you felt they were different than normal kingsnakes regarding behavior or if their is anything you've noticed about them that stands out.

also, if you knew any tips on keeping em healthy and happy. i got him in a 40 breeder, with a large water bowl branch for getting close to his heat emitter and a large upside down water bowl for a hide that he fits snuggly inside. also have you noticed they allways act like they're starving?

2nd, what kind of fish do you breed? whats your setup? my turtle burns through fish quickly.
_________________
1.1.0 Arg B/W Tegu Joker n Groxy
1.0.0 Australian Water Dragon "Spyro"
1.0.0 Red Eared Slider "Turdy"
0.1.0 White Dwarf Hamster "MiMi"
1.1.0 Black&Albino Kingsnakes "Pearl & Hannibal"

dpjm · Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 4:24 pm Post subject:

Hey Worldeater. My first snake was a Mexican black kingsnake. I found it was pretty easy to keep, even though it was my first reptile. I named him Dillinger because of his tendency to escape the tank and hide in some tiny nook in my bedroom while I tore the rest of the place apart looking. Mine was as yours is, very easy to handle and quite social, and I think that is what drew me toward it in the store, that and it's deadly black color. I kept it's cage pretty simple, like yours, a large water dish, hide box, coconut bark/river stone substrate, and a stick to climb on, and it has done and is doing great. But what do you mean that it acts like it is starving - what specifically is it doing?

worldeater · Respected Member Joined: Mar 06, 2008 Posts: 578

well, he is obsessed with feeding. if i open the cage he's instantly at my hands as he associates me holding him with eating. and he allways behaves like he's hunting for food. when i first got him i fed him an adult mouse every day for 5 days i knew i was overfeeding, but i allways thought snakes wouldn't eat unless they were hungry and that maybe his previous owner starved him as his body wasn't as round as i thought it should have been.
after the 5th day i realized he's just going to keep eating whatever i offer so i feed him 2 mice a week now. he's my first ever snake so it blew me away that he'd act so damn hungry 24/7. when i hold him he's constantly doing laps around my hands and arms looking for mice cause i feed him by hand.
_________________
1.1.0 Arg B/W Tegu Joker n Groxy
1.0.0 Australian Water Dragon "Spyro"
1.0.0 Red Eared Slider "Turdy"
0.1.0 White Dwarf Hamster "MiMi"
1.1.0 Black&Albino Kingsnakes "Pearl & Hannibal"

dpjm · Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 5:43 pm Post subject:

How old is your snake? Mine was a real pig for the first couple years I had him. After his first year I was feeding him at least 3 mice every 5 or 6 days. Maybe your snake really is that hungry.

worldeater · Respected Member Joined: Mar 06, 2008 Posts: 578

he's 4 feet long, if measuring a shed is accurate.

i have no idea how old or the gender of em. there is a small bulge right after the vent, maybe male?

so, am i supposed to feed him multiple mice in one sitting?

he can also eat a medium rat, but it's like twice as wide as he is at his thickest so i think thats a bad idea.
_________________
1.1.0 Arg B/W Tegu Joker n Groxy
1.0.0 Australian Water Dragon "Spyro"
1.0.0 Red Eared Slider "Turdy"
0.1.0 White Dwarf Hamster "MiMi"
1.1.0 Black&Albino Kingsnakes "Pearl & Hannibal"

dpjm · Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 12:41 pm Post subject:

Yeah, you'll definitely want to feed him more than one mouse at a time. When mine was younger, it would go through up to 10 pinkies in one sitting (but at that point it was time to switch to fuzzies). I would not use the rat you described, as it is way too big. A good rule of thumb is use food that is about 1 to 1.5 X the width of the snake at its largest point. For Mexican black kingsnakes, this will usually end up being adult mice or small rat pups, but I'd go with the mice because they have developed fully whereas the rat pups are still in the development stage. Mice are also cheaper, you should be able to get frozen adult mice for a buck each if you buy in bulk. Two or three of these is a better meal than one large rat. This way your snake gets to choose how much to eat (it can eat all three if it is really hungry, or it might choose to just eat two, but with one rat, it's all or nothing).

worldeater · Respected Member Joined: Mar 06, 2008 Posts: 578

Ahh! so feed him as much as he'll eat in one sitting THEN wait a week? that makes so much sense it ain't funny.
_________________
1.1.0 Arg B/W Tegu Joker n Groxy
1.0.0 Australian Water Dragon "Spyro"
1.0.0 Red Eared Slider "Turdy"
0.1.0 White Dwarf Hamster "MiMi"
1.1.0 Black&Albino Kingsnakes "Pearl & Hannibal"

dpjm · Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 1:03 pm Post subject:

Yeah, that's right. When they're growing, you could actually feed every 5-6 days. As they get older and their growth slows, feed them less frequently.

worldeater · Respected Member Joined: Mar 06, 2008 Posts: 578

4 feet would put him at full grown wouldn't it?

do you know if measuring a shed is an accurate way to tell length?
_________________
1.1.0 Arg B/W Tegu Joker n Groxy
1.0.0 Australian Water Dragon "Spyro"
1.0.0 Red Eared Slider "Turdy"
0.1.0 White Dwarf Hamster "MiMi"
1.1.0 Black&Albino Kingsnakes "Pearl & Hannibal"

dpjm · Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 5:22 pm Post subject:

Yeah, I guess they don't get much longer than 4 ft., it might thicken out a bit. Have you measured the diameter at the thickest point?

You'll have to judge for yourself how often your snake would like to eat. Heightened activity is usually a good sign that your snake is hungry. It's good to let them cruise around for a day or so before you feed them, gives them exercise and mental stimulation which they don't necessarily get if you feed them to soon.

Shed is probably the best way to measure the length of a snake, unless you have a really cooperative snake that will go completely straight for long enough for you to measure it. Just make sure you have a good complete shed with tail and head still intact. When you measure the shed, straighten it but don't overstretch it or you will a get an exaggerated measure.

worldeater · Respected Member Joined: Mar 06, 2008 Posts: 578

yea, so he's 47" then.

do you think the bulge behind the vent means he's a male? or maybe just a little underweight?

i'll take a pretty pic of him when i get home.
_________________
1.1.0 Arg B/W Tegu Joker n Groxy
1.0.0 Australian Water Dragon "Spyro"
1.0.0 Red Eared Slider "Turdy"
0.1.0 White Dwarf Hamster "MiMi"
1.1.0 Black&Albino Kingsnakes "Pearl & Hannibal"

Reddevil95128 · Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2008 2:05 am Post subject:

whoa got busy here anywho about my mexican black kings the thing I find that stands out with them more so then other kings I keep or have kept is you can always count on them having a very good feeding response lol both of mine are hard hitting quick to eat whatever comes in there bin I can always count on my female shooting out of her bin on feeding days my female is 3ft on the dot she gets fed 2-3 adult mice per feeding depending on the season I may feed her once a week or once every other week since I do cool her for breeding theres a few months she doesnt eat and it doesnt seem to phase her as for how much you should be feeding your snake id say 3 adult mice a feeding but you want to make sure your snake doesnt become obese if you notice you snake starting to pack on the grams youll need to cut back a bit on feeding

as for the fish ive bred many things some like barbs,white clouds (minnows). live baring fish, cory cats,bettas, and cichlids ive been moving more into south american cichlids my setups range from 55gallon tanks to 10 gallon tanks i have many 20 gallons too and a few smaller spawning tanks if you want a easy fish to breed for turtle food try convicts they are like mice set a pair up in a idealy 20 gallon tank and they will give you between 30-70 fry every 4-6 weeks if feed good also cichlids make great parents so they will do most of the work once the fry are free swimming you can put them in a grow out tank or put a divider in the main tank that way your cichlid pair will get right to making the next batch of babys and you can bulk up the last batch and so on and so forth have any fish questions feel free to message me or post thanks