Snakey snakey hidey hidey

Lankyrob · 05-12-10, 08:52 AM

Now before anyone has a go - i KNOW that keeping snakes is not a constant hands on thing and that they are best watched rather than constantly handled etc

Just a question tho - how long would you leave it without seeing your snake before you went looking in the viv for it? Whilst i know they like to hide and wont perform on request i like to know that my animals are 1) alive 2) healthy and 3) have no parasites etc.

I dont want to cause the snakes problems/stress by moving hides to find them but at the same time would hate to think there is a problem that i have missed through "ignoring" them for days on end.

Any advice gratefully welcomed!!

infernalis · 05-12-10, 09:08 AM

I see no harm in "checking on them"

I have to periodically check for my adult Pueblan milk, he will hide under his aspen for days at a time, Sometimes I get lucky and see him peeking out, but sometimes I have to rake my fingers through to make sure he's still in there.

Lankyrob · 05-12-10, 11:07 AM

But what would you call periodically? Every couple of days? Once a week? A Fortnight?

Since we put the sphagnum moss hide in for the adult corn we adopted we dont see her anymore!!

SlimeyLimey805 · 05-12-10, 11:21 AM

if i dont see my Dumeril's at least peeking outta her aspen after a couple of days i like to check on her, more for me then for her obviously but i wouldn't want to bother her any more than that.
oh and rob a word to the wise, when i first moved to the US from the UK it took me about three years to realize that 95% of americans have absoulutely NO IDEA what a fortnight is. xD haha

(just so anyone who doesn't know, does know, a fortnight is 2 weeks)

Feebo · 05-12-10, 11:50 AM

LOL Yep, almost the same here. You don`t necesserely have to get the snake out to do a quick wheezing/mites/shed/cloaca check, lots of observations can be made by simply looking at the snake. If I don`t see a snake out at least once in a week I might give it a quick check and as I say, that doesn`t necesserely mean getting it out. Especially with snakes like my Bloods that hide ALL the time. With the snakes you`ve got there at the moment Rob, I`d say it wouldn`t hurt at all to check them if you haven`t seen them in a week or so. Bare in mind that you`re new Royal will disappear for over a week during the shed cycle and won`t appreciate being disturbed, but that`s where you quick check list comes in. Open door, quickly check there are no mites, you can`t hear any wheezing, there`s no blood in the tank, no obvious injuries (it happens) no obvious foriegn bodies in the mouth (won`t be closed properly) nothing hanging out of the cloaca if you can see it that is and that things generally seem right. I check my lot about four times a day,that`s just going up there and walking around the room just looking at all the set up`s, far more than you need to really but I have a whole lot of snakes. If you were to just do the rounds a couple of times a day that would be enough to spot any broken heaters or other problems in time I should think. Hope that helps at least a bit.....

Will0W783 · 05-12-10, 12:05 PM

I generally make sure I see all of my snakes at least once a day. I don't necessarily handle them all, in fact each snake gets handled less than once a week. I have a few that are handled more often since they are more relaxed and "personable" snakes, and I have one or two that just don't enjoy handling and so are really never handled unless I see reason to give a closer examination. If I have had a power outage or other reason to worry about them, I check everyone out carefully.

infernalis · 05-12-10, 01:08 PM

My corn snakes hide is such that I can see him curled up in it through the hole on the front, so that's an easy check, the Royal is just a wee tad big for his hide, so I can see his skin around the bottom, he "lifts up" the whole hide when he's under it.

Chomper has ears, so all I do is go over to his cage and say "chomper, chomp chomp" and he pokes his head out to see what is up.

Both Pueblan milks are really reclusive, they are the ones that require the most checking in on, my black racer is almost always under his water bowl, and I lift that out for a water change nearly every day.

The garter snakes, well they are super busy and always out so they are really easy to keep tabs on.

Freebody · 05-12-10, 01:12 PM

i handle my retic once or twice a week, a few days after feeding but she loves getting out of her cage and roaming the living room,everytime i try to put her back is her cage she goes frantic and moves very fast and tried her very best to not go in or get back out and make it so i cant close the cage up. mine always sits in her cave under her heat light with her head out.If her heads not out for a few days i check on her to make sure shes safe,9/10 times when i do have to check she going into shed.

Lankyrob · 05-12-10, 04:19 PM

Cheers for all the answers - we are tending to visual check about twenty times a day (i can see all the snakes unless they are hiding from my recliner!!!)

The babies i tend to properly check daily/every other day when i change the water as i feel, rightly or wrongly, that they are more at risk. The adult snake i would "find" if i hadnt seen it for 2 or 3 days so guess am on track with you guys with that.

Feebo · 05-13-10, 02:46 AM

Yeeeeah you can`t really check too much if it`s only a visual anyway... Where babies are concerned though, it is easy to think they`re fragile or more at risk isn`t it? Obviously I see what you mean and it`s not wrong to think that or anything but they really are hardy little buggers! It takes proper neglect to kill them. The most important things to get right with babies are temperatures, just make sure the heating system is working on each cheack and water. Keeping the babies properly hydrated is key. You can forget a feed and it`s not a problem, let thier water evaporate away and don`t replace it often enough and that`s what`ll get you, or more importantly the baby snake in trouble..... They`re tuff little things though! lol

infernalis · 05-13-10, 02:56 AM

Great point! I have seen baby snakes go six weeks without food (I had a litter of stubborn snakes, they all eat great now) but if the water bowl goes dry for a day, they will perish quickly.

Lankyrob · 05-13-10, 05:36 AM

Well after the worry about not seeing her she reappeared today so got her out for cuddles - am thinking that the guy who had her before didnt handle much (even tho he said he did) as she if pretty skittish and once out gives a pretty good squeeze but after about 5 mins she seems to relax and be "happy" to be held.

infernalis · 05-13-10, 07:39 AM

I see a wee tot in the background Rob... Yours?

Bree · 05-13-10, 08:10 AM

I do a quick visual on everyone every day and refill water bowls as needed. However if they don't 'need' anything I don't disturb them.

If this is a pet snake, then pulling it out for holding once its acclimated is fine daily or a few times a week for short periods.

Since I have some that are pets and some that are breeders and different varieties....their handling really depends on that too

PS I knew what a fortnight was. Ha!

infernalis · 05-13-10, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bree

PS I knew what a fortnight was. Ha!

I did too.

but I spent enough time in the UK before that I almost drove home from the airport in the left lane!