VBB caresheet?

[Clownfishie]

Ok, I'm hoping you guys can help me out here... I'm searching for a VBB caresheet, and I'm just not having any luck via the usual avenues (google etc). There has to be one out there SOMEWHERE... lol. Even if it's just one on beauty snakes in general, that's fine too...

Thanks for any help you can give

Jen

[Invictus]

Care sheets for VBBs don't really exist. However, their care is almost exactly like corn snakes except that they need more space, and VBBs seem to prefer higher humidity than Taiwan beauties. Don't know if this is much help, but beauty snakes are actually very easy to keep.

[Katt]

No no no!! Blue beauties, which are not even found in vietnam(Thailand actually) are NOT like corn snakes. You don't keep them as hot and you don't even incubate their eggs as hot!

Blues are a cooler species, similar to cave dwelling ratsnakes, and russian rats. I keep my guys are room temp, no supplemental heating whatsoever. 75-82. They need big spaces. My adults which are around 6-7ft are kept in a 6x2x2. No racking rubbermaid for these guys! I give them a big water dish as they are big drinkers and be wary they like to poo in their water, which makes for an easy clean up! They also utilize branches.

They don't like to eat meals bigger than their girth either.

Online info is very scarce with these guys, but honestly, they are so easy. Just keep them cooler than you would a corn. Corns can tolerate very hot temperatures, but blues are more cave/cool forest floor species and can not tolerate those hot temps without weight loss and stress.

[Invictus]

What you described is exactly how I keep corns, Katt... 82 is the highest I've ever seen a corn comfortable at. My room gets to 85 sometimes, but only on really hot days. If I give them a gradient, they never use the hot spot.

Anyway, I disagree on the prey size / girth thing too. My VBBs took prey easily double their girth, and wouldn't even hesitate for a second. Same with every Taiwan beauty I've ever had (and currently have.)

[Joe]

ha ha... I agree with both of you on this one... my female will take anything I throw in at her... she's a little garbage disposal... but I did notice early on my male would regurge if the meals were to big... so now he just eats smaller meals and I have had no problems... and for heating them I keep my vbb's on the floor where my corns are higher up in a racking system... no suplemental heating in the warmer months but as it cool in the fall I crank the heat on for them...

[Katt]

Ken are you talking babies or adults? My babies will can take larger meals, but when they start to get bigger, they will sometimes refuse large prey. My adults ate beautifully as juvie's, but as they hit 6 - 7 ft, the male especially started to refuse large meals.

Corns can and will tolerate much higher temps than 82 - 85. South Florida where corns are found gets extremely hot during the summer months. A blue beauty on the other hand will suffer heat stress and you will see a difference in personality as well.

Also I made a mistake in my previous post. My temps are 70 - 82, however, most of the time it is between 70 - 74.

In any case, I want to reiterate. Blue beauties are NOT found in vietnam thus VBB is a misnomer. Pet peeve of mine.

Taiwans are a lot different from blues. Temperament, body shape, care. Our taiwans aren't kept like our blues. Actually the taiwans are kept like the corns.

[Invictus]

The reason I said this is, the few sites I've seen on the net say to keep VBBs the same as Taiwans, but with higher humidity. Taiwans are kept the same as corns... that's why I put the connection there. As for the prey size, yes. I was talking about babies. I've never had adults, so I'll certainly take your word on that one. Here's where I have trouble though - if they are from Thailand, the same place many other species are from (burms and bloods for example) which are kept at high temps - how can VBBs be intolerant of heat? Are you telling me Thailand never goes above 82? I can guarantee you it does.

[gonesnakee]

I'm not going to retype it all, but I sent an email to Jen with a whack of info based on my experiences & can forward it to anyone who emails me about it. I will state lots of room, cooler temps & with the adults smaller prey. Little ones & subadults are machines, but I wouldn't feed an adult prey larger than its girth, but rather multiple smaller prey items (they ain't Boids LOL). Mark
P.S. so Katt are you going to go on a vendetta to change thier names to TBBs : ) LOL

[Katt]

Thailand itself certainly does and can reach 82, but the habitats blues utilize caves/forest floor, are not as hot as you think.

Snakes utilize micro-habitats.

Take for instance. Leo's. No one keeps them HOT, but the area they come from Pakistan is darn hot. Why don't we keep leo's really hot then? B/c leo's burrow, hide in rock crevices and only come out at night.

Rosy boas come from some of the driest hottest areas in the US, but we don't keep them in ovens, that is b/c in the wild, they utilize micro-habitats like rock crevices in canyons.

ETB's/ATB's are found in the tropics, and yet, they are not kept expecially hot either, b/c in the trees where they are found, the shade and wind keeps the temperatures more reasonable.

As far as I know, bloods aren't kept *really* hot either, are they not found in boggy swampy areas? I bet the reason why they are found in muddy areas is to keep cool!

[Katt]

TBB's DARN IT!! WOO!

Vendetta time!!!

[Invictus]

HAHAHA... well Mark & Katt, maybe you should write a caresheet on VBBs, and I'll prominently display it on my website. I'll also make sure that google, lycos, and all the major search engines index it so that it can be easily found. There really should be more caresheets about the less common species.

[gonesnakee]

Actually I think Jen is going to compose one based on my email & the other info provided here by others also & I'm sure she will share with everyone. Mark

[Joe]

she's actually gathering all the info for me because Im too lazy too..lol, anyways there will be a care sheet for sure... as soon as my site is up there will be a link for it there... thanks guys.lol