I was able to find this beautiful girl at the reptile show I went to. She was a little thin (I think that the vendor had her on a maintenance diet), but once I got her home she took a scented fuzzy no problem. One thing I was surprised about was how well she tolerated handling. No defensive gestures or nervousness at all. Handled better than some corn snakes I know. Being a water snake, I've decided to name her Ariel. (shout out to jjhill for looking at her with me. Thanks again bud
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Here is the point where I ask for some advice.
Should I only feed her mice? I'm not entirely sure how it'd impact her health since her natural diet is mostly fish and frogs. I've considered varying up with mollies from the local tropical fish store, but I'm hesitant because they may carry diseases. Even though I know that the owner quarentines his fish, I'm still hesitant.
Is it necessary to take her to the vet? I'm asking this for multiple reasons. Until I'm able to get a job I need to budget my money very carefully. The closest vet is at an exotic animal center an hour away, and just the appointment costs $65. Also, the vendor said he sexed her as a female, but I'd like to be sure. He also said that she is a wild caught animal and he treated her for internal parasites. So I'd like to make sure that they're gone. Is this something that I can put off, or is it completely unnecessary?
The set-up I have for her is semiaquatic. 1/3 of the tank is a small litter box full of water, foliage, and branches. I also have a heater in there that's fully enclosed in a plastic cage to keep the water at 75. The hot end of the tank is 85. I also have a hide and foliage in there as well. Anyone recommend any changes?
I do eventually plan on breeding her, so expect a few posts in the breeding section in the future. Thanks guys and gals
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