Where do these myths come from?

[CosmicOwl]

I feel like most people who are in the hobby have at one point probably believed a reptile/snake. I don't mean ridiculous myths, such as snakes only growing as larges as their enclosure. I'm talking about the myths that get passed around forums and betweeb experienced keepers as if they were the truth. For instance, a lot of people still believe that feeding snakes in a separate enclosure will make them tame. There is also the belief that reptiles shouldn't be kept on sand because it causes impaction and can get under scales.

Where do you guys think these idea originate from? Sometimes I think a lot of them could probably be traced back to a misquoted scientific study or the opinion of a breeder. Is it possible that anybody might know original source for some of the most common and pervasive myths that have taken root in the community?

[LadyWraith]

I feel like a lot of the myths probably stem from poorly understood husbandry back in the day. Also, some of the products sold at pet stores can be/are harmful and could have led to some of them. Dunno where the separate enclosure for feeding thing came from. Talked with my hair stylist today, who owns a male Retic, and she feeds in a separate tub. He's a juvie but I can't imagine pulling a hungry 6 foot retic out for feeding time O.o. She was also under the impression it would lead to aggression and impaction from consuming substrate.

[wrecker45]

I had a couple tell me. They watched a milk snake suck milk from a cow. A woman told me today she had a 10 ft. eastern fox snake on her property.

[drumcrush]

Bad experiences?

[robertjnovak59]

They all came from me!

[wareagleA5]

Probably from old books that were written by people who just wanted to sell books, before the internet it was the only way to learn things.

[wrecker45]

How about the hoop snake. Can put its tail in its mouth and roll down a hill like a hoop.

[red ink]

Sand does/can cause impaction in captivity, place a carpet python on sand in it's enclosure and then have a close looks at labial scales and cloacal scales after a few weeks.

[poison123]

Originally Posted by red ink

Sand does/can cause impaction in captivity, place a carpet python on sand in it's enclosure and then have a close looks at labial scales and cloacal scales after a few weeks.

Not a carpet but I have my hognose on sand and he does not get sand stuck in between his scales.

Impaction can still happen in good conditions but its just not as high of a risk with a healthy animal.

[CosmicOwl]

Originally Posted by red ink

Sand does/can cause impaction in captivity, place a carpet python on sand in it's enclosure and then have a close looks at labial scales and cloacal scales after a few weeks.

I doubt that the sand itself is causing the impaction. Rather, not providing the snake with appropriate husbandry would make it so the snake is unable to pass the sand. Either way, I think a snake would be far more likely to become impacted from eating aspen, fir bark or cypress mulch than sand.

And like poison, I have a snake(not a carpet) on sand/soil and after something like 8 weeks, I haven't noticed anything wrong with his scales. He's a heavy burrower who digs his own tunnels and underground chambers.

[red ink]

Originally Posted by CosmicOwl

I doubt that the sand itself is causing the impaction. Rather, not providing the snake with appropriate husbandry would make it so the snake is unable to pass the sand. Either way, I think a snake would be far more likely to become impacted from eating aspen, fir bark or cypress mulch than sand.

And like poison, I have a snake(not a carpet) on sand/soil and after something like 8 weeks, I haven't noticed anything wrong with his scales. He's a heavy burrower who digs his own tunnels and underground chambers.

You made a sweeping statement about "reptiles/snakes" myths and sand... I gave you a specific scenario where its not a myth in regards to scales. Neither you or poison own a carpet, but you do own reptiles yet still believe otherwise. Sand in captivity can cause impaction in bearded dragons... again a reptile. Not really a myth, poor husbandry does play a factor in it and sand is not the only cause. It is'nt entirely a myth either in the same respect.

I have kept a bearded dragon in a sanded enclosure for over a decade... I also hear stories of BDs being kept in sand and being impacted within a month. The details in husbandry practices is the difference. Regardless of the difference in the details.. it was sand that was in the stomach.

[infernalis]

Originally Posted by red ink

You made a sweeping statement about "reptiles/snakes" myths and sand... I gave you a specific scenario where its not a myth in regards to scales. Neither you or poison own a carpet, but you do own reptiles yet still believe otherwise. Sand in captivity can cause impaction in bearded dragons... again a reptile. Not really a myth, poor husbandry does play a factor in it and sand is not the only cause. It is'nt entirely a myth either in the same respect.

I have kept a bearded dragon in a sanded enclosure for over a decade... I also hear stories of BDs being kept in sand and being impacted within a month. The details in husbandry practices is the difference. Regardless of the difference in the details.. it was sand that was in the stomach.

Spot on mate....

Incorrect temperatures, insufficient humidity, improper gradients, insufficient cage size..... all play roles.

Some people are bent that materials must be sterilized or sanitized because captive animals will get cootie bugs / parasites and become ill if everything is not washed down...

The core of that problem stems from weakened immunities in captive animals from other aspects of care.

Most reptiles are iron clad machines when it comes to immunities, in the wild there has been documented cases of snakes and lizards covered in so many ticks that they could barely see.. yet the other aspects of said animals health were just fine.

Give that same animal sub-optimal care and it's white blood cell count drops to unacceptable levels and suddenly the whole organism shuts down from sickness.

Impactions/constipation is NOT the substrate's fault (like sand/dirt).. An otherwise properly cared for reptile can ingest some pretty amazing things and pass them right out the other end.

[CosmicOwl]

Originally Posted by red ink

You made a sweeping statement about "reptiles/snakes" myths and sand... I gave you a specific scenario where its not a myth in regards to scales. Neither you or poison own a carpet, but you do own reptiles yet still believe otherwise. Sand in captivity can cause impaction in bearded dragons... again a reptile. Not really a myth, poor husbandry does play a factor in it and sand is not the only cause. It is'nt entirely a myth either in the same respect.

I have kept a bearded dragon in a sanded enclosure for over a decade... I also hear stories of BDs being kept in sand and being impacted within a month. The details in husbandry practices is the difference. Regardless of the difference in the details.. it was sand that was in the stomach.

It was a sweeping generalization because people often say that sand is bad for reptiles in general. I didn't say that sand can't cause an impaction or would never get under the scales of a reptile, just that it doesn't always do so. The myth is that sand causes impactions, not that occasionally sand can cause an impaction if other factors, such as incorrect husbandry are also present. There is a wealth of evidence that at least suggests that sand itself isn't a problem for many reptiles. Obviously, reptiles that wouldn't natural encounter sand might have some problems with it. That is a completely different issue.

[red ink]

Originally Posted by CosmicOwl

It was a sweeping generalization because people often say that sand is bad for reptiles in general.

There's a reason for that... it would be due to the fact that very few reptile species are actually endemic to a "pure" sand environment.

In "general", new or even long term pet keepers know sweet FA about the natural environment of the animals they keep. They see a picture of an animal on sand on the internet... not bother to do the further research and find out that that sand is actually just an inch deep of top soil and fill the tank with six inches of the stuff with no other medium in it - mostly fine desert sand, the red stuff that looks real nice but harms so many reptiles. Unless of course they happen to keep sand swimmers (but hey how popular are they right? that's why the pet industry caters sand specifically for them with the fine desert sand).

The animal tries to burrow and continually hit nothing but sand... all over it, no respite, no ceasing.... no ill effects right?

That's the reason why in "general" sand is bad for reptiles because "generally" most people are either lazy or inept to do actual research that the species they keep don't live on sand... despite what it looks like in the pretty pics on the interweb.

[LarryS]

Not really a "myth", but I find it interesting that certain practices are condoned/condemned on one forum and then looked at entirely different on another.