First Rat!

[alexknott]

My younger than yearling female bp ate her first rat today, i got her as a baby back in march and she was really skinny and sickly looking but i got her healthy now. Shes been eating 3 adult mice a week for a while but wouldnt eat f/t rat pups. 5 days ago she ate three mice and 2 days later she was hungry and looking again so i called the pet store and they dont sell live feeder rat pups but said they had a small rat, i got there and it was a definite medium but it didnt look too big so i got it anyways and she struck it almost as soon as it hit the bottom of the enclosure.

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[Lankyrob]

Nice to have a switch over :)

Is that its normal enclosure? There doesnt seem to be hides in there from the pics? And how is your humidity with using the carpet?

[alexknott]

Its a little different set up but ive used it forever.lol. The rock on the left is a hide and the water bowl is in the middle and the other side is open space, its how my dad set up mine when i was 3 and ive done it ever since with a few tweeks. ive acclimated a fresh w/c adult female using that set up feeding gerbils in two weeks, and if the shed looks a little dry i mist the cage 3 times a day but ive only had to do it once. all i use is a day light, and a night red heat

[Lankyrob]

What side is the heat on? It seems to me the snake has to choose between the temperature that it requires and safety/security? How do you measure your humidity?

[alexknott]

the heat is on the side with the hide, shes a very active snake, they always are for me. i have a hygrometer and thermometer in the center of the cage about an inch off the bottom

[Lankyrob]

Personally i would puta hide on the cool side too, otherwise if it wants to cool down it HAS to be exposed, give it the choice at least :)

[jarich]

Always nice when they switch over easily like that.

I'd agree with Rob on the hide on the cool side. It's possible that the increased activity in your snake is because it does not feel secure in that enclosure. Give it another hide and some ground cover and see if it settles down a bit. Not that activity is a bad thing, merely that it is unusual for a nocturnal animal to be very active in the daytime unless it feels uncomfortable sleeping in its hide.

[alexknott]

I'll see what i can do for now, its only a 20 long

[Aaron_S]

I'll see what i can do for now, its only a 20 long

Don't worry about the size. Just give the snake a form-fitted hide on the cool side. It'll be happier. They don't need "open space".

Also, I'd switch substrate from that carpeting. It's a harbinger of bacteria and gross. Something like a mulch or eco-earth would hold humidity better too.

Good looking snake though.

[alexknott]

Thank you, my humidity reads 5% higher with the carpet than with the mulch but will definitely add a hide

[Aaron_S]

Thank you, my humidity reads 5% higher with the carpet than with the mulch but will definitely add a hide

K, keep using the bacteria ridden thing. You can make a humid hide if you switch as well. It's healthier for the snake.

[alexknott]

I also change the carpet once a month, i do everything i can to care for my animals

[icole]

That Rat looks huge.

[Lankyrob]

That Rat looks huge.

What makes you say that? Looks perfect size to me?:confused:

[icole]

The lump is half as long as the snake. And it looks quite stretched out.

[Lankyrob]

The lump is half as long as the snake. And it looks quite stretched out.

Lol, thats a standard size feeding lump in our house :)

[alexknott]

I thought it was a little big as well, I'm going a little smaller next time

[alexknott]

I thought it was a little big as well, I'm going a little smaller next time

I will also add that its just under a week since i fed her and she's already had A movement and the rats unnoticeable

[Aaron_S]

I also change the carpet once a month, i do everything i can to care for my animals

Research wasn't one of them I see.

[alexknott]

Why don't you do some actual biological research and youll see that the only way for bacteria to grow in repti-carpet is if there are very high levels of moisture that stand for more than 6 weeks. i change mine every 4, and the only other way bacteria can grow in them is if the carpet comes in direct contact with other forms of bacteria not normal for the snake/reptile. I've researched and cared for snakes my whole life. I've had an axanthic bp, yellowbelly bp, i rescued a wild bp, an albino speckled king, a normal bp raised to adult, my female normal bp now, a female california king raised from a hatchling to about 5 feet, a wild caught speckled king, and 6 great plains rat snakes. and my 13 foot burmese

[Aaron_S]

Why don't you do some actual biological research and youll see that the only way for bacteria to grow in repti-carpet is if there are very high levels of moisture that stand for more than 6 weeks. i change mine every 4, and the only other way bacteria can grow in them is if the carpet comes in direct contact with other forms of bacteria not normal for the snake/reptile. I've researched and cared for snakes my whole life. I've had an axanthic bp, yellowbelly bp, i rescued a wild bp, an albino speckled king, a normal bp raised to adult, my female normal bp now, a female california king raised from a hatchling to about 5 feet, a wild caught speckled king, and 6 great plains rat snakes. and my 13 foot burmese

Tell that to mould. We also have a ridiculous higher temperature which increases incubation for some bacteria and such. Did you research that too?

That's nice of your collection. Doesn't mean you know anything though.

FYI, I've got 47 adult females alone this season + everything else I've ever worked with.

[Snakeman8]

alexknot is right, bacteria forms when thier are very high levels of moisture, heat helps the snake digest, not grow bacteria in a low moisture level viviarium.
beautiful snake, by the way.

[Aaron_S]

alexknot is right, bacteria forms when thier are very high levels of moisture, heat helps the snake digest, not grow bacteria in a low moisture level viviarium.
beautiful snake, by the way.

You somehow don't think our high humidity enclosures harbour bacteria quicker than normal?

Let's also look at the fact he doesn't change his carpet for FOUR weeks. That's potentially 4 poops left in there. Even if he spots cleans then by removing the largest amount you now just left fecal matter and the bacteria associated with that within the enclosure.

Yes that's all healthy. :rolleyes:

I change my bedding in my tubs every week. My babies get paper towel changes every 5 days.

[alexknott]

Thank you, and just to point out bacteria in their fecal matter is normal bacteria to the reptile. 6 weeks for the start of bacterial growth its based on a constant 90 degree and 50% humidity as a general study.

[Aaron_S]

Thank you, and just to point out bacteria in their fecal matter is normal bacteria to the reptile. 6 weeks for the start of bacterial growth its based on a constant 90 degree and 50% humidity as a general study.

Shoot me links so I can humbly apologize.;)

Also take a poop in your bed. Don't change it or anything. Just keep acting normal for a month. See if anything happens.

[Lankyrob]

Thank you, and just to point out bacteria in their fecal matter is normal bacteria to the reptile. 6 weeks for the start of bacterial growth its based on a constant 90 degree and 50% humidity as a general study.

You only keep your BP at 50%? it should be a lot higher and if it was you would probably get mould a lot quicker.

As an example, in my GTP viv (near same temps as a BP) with 80% humidity a piece of untreated wood went mouldy in THREE DAYS. This wood was bleached and totally clean before it went it there.

[alexknott]

I keep mine at 60-65%, the study was done on an artificial turf Very similar to the repti carpet. That's why i change mine every 4 weeks, i believe i stated that i used to use the mulch bark, i still would if i could afford it. I joined the forum to share what i know and to learn what others know. If i had the links I'd send them to you. I'm just simply trying to share with you that you can use the repti carpet with no health issues if you change it every 4 weeks.

[Aaron_S]

I keep mine at 60-65%, the study was done on an artificial turf Very similar to the repti carpet. That's why i change mine every 4 weeks, i believe i stated that i used to use the mulch bark, i still would if i could afford it. I joined the forum to share what i know and to learn what others know. If i had the links I'd send them to you. I'm just simply trying to share with you that you can use the repti carpet with no health issues if you change it every 4 weeks.

Without proof I like to believe you're wrong.

Too broke to afford substrate? Holy. It's like 30 bucks for a years supply.

[alexknott]

I was recently laid off and i have 2 kids to take care of

[Wyldrose]

Newspaper is free/cheep and you can change it every week. I recently switched most of my snakes to newspaper and love it. It's so much easier to clean them all, no worries about bacteria and of course way cheeper then carpet, mulch and chips.

[alexknott]

Ill probably do that then, thank you

[mykee]

Aaron is bang on. That repticarpet is a disgusting substrate and if you care one bit about that ball, you would change it. If you do decide to keep it for the love of god change it FAR more often than once every four weeks!!!

[icole]

I use news paper, and Dumeril Boa's are meant to like to borrow. My snake is healthy and happy.

[icole]

I meant burrow not borrow, and now I cannot edit it.

[lady_bug87]

Aaron is bang on. That repticarpet is a disgusting substrate and if you care one bit about that ball, you would change it. If you do decide to keep it for the love of god change it FAR more often than once every four weeks!!!

hahaha you 2 kill me... every time.