Reptile Salvation

By: Frank Hardy`

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When it comes to feeding your snake, you need to stick to pre-killed food.

There are a lot of reasons that people prefer to give their snakes live food. One of the most common is they feel that a snake in its natural habitat would eat live food so in captivity they should be given live food as well. I used to agree with them. However, it only took one incident for me to change my mind.

I was feeding my Brazilian rainbow boa like I usually did. I removed the driftwood from her cage but left the plants inside because she preferred to hide in them before she attacked. I put a medium sized rat in the cage as usual. As usual, she attacked quickly. However, she made a fatal error. She managed to get herself bit, and that caused her to puncture her lung. She died a few minutes later.

The main reason you need to stick to pre-killed food is for safety reasons. Yes, 99% of the time your snake will take care of the live food quickly and efficiently. However, it only takes one incident to kill your snake. Feeding your snake live food is simply an unnecessary risk.

There are other benefits to giving your snake pre-killed food. It’s more readily available in pet stores. The pre-killed animals are killed humanely and didn’t suffer. That’s not likely to be the case when putting live prey in with your snake.

If you’re worried about your snake not accepting pre-killed food, you’re likely unnecessarily worrying. Almost every snake will accept pre-killed food. It may take a few tries to get your snake accustomed to pre-killed food if it had been on a live prey diet previously, but almost every snake can be taught to eat pre-killed food.

The process of feeding your snake pre-killed food is really quite simple:


1) Thaw out your rodent in warm water for 30 minutes. Snakes won’t eat it if it’s frozen, so make sure it’s warm.

2) Dry it off.

3) Put the rodent in the cage.

4) If the snake appears uninterested, grab a pair of tongs and move the rodent around to make it appear alive.


Snakes make great pets and can be companions for years. Why risk unnecessary injury or even death by feeding your snake live prey?

By: Gary Ruplinger

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Sarah Munn asked:


Reptiles are fast becoming the most popular pets around, and in the number one spot in the popularity stakes are the bearded dragons. If you don’t know a lot about these reptiles, you may be excused for wondering what all of the fuss is about.

Bearded dragons make great pets for a number of reasons; the most obvious is because they are so cute. To start off with, they are one of the smallest reptiles available, so they can easily be comfortably housed in an enclosure that doesn’t use up the whole of your home. Like all reptiles, they will require some special equipment to simulate their habitat, such as lights, and heating pads.

When you see a bearded dragon, your first impulse will be to want to buy him right on the spot. The bearded dragon wins many hearts because of his stunning looks. There are a number of different bearded dragon colorings available including red, orange, lemon, and white. They have exquisite markings from head to toe, and have prickly looking spikes around their throats, which gives the impression of them having a beard.

Not only does the bearded dragon look good, he is also one of the tamest, friendliest reptiles around. Many bearded dragons that are bred in captivity need no taming down, and can be handled immediately. They are very comfortable with their human companions, and will often hold onto their owner’s hands to avoid being put back in their enclosures. By nature, the bearded dragon is very friendly and inquisitive, which makes for an interesting interaction between pet and owner, as well as ensuring the survival of the bearded dragon after purchase, as he will happily fit right in without a lot of fuss.

The bearded dragon is an ideal pet for those who have children, and as long as younger children understand that the bearded dragon is very fragile, and can be hurt easily, the bearded dragons are safe to be handled by children, and won’t bite, or scratch. They will quite happily lie on their owner’s hands, and show no signs of discomfort, or distress while being handled.

Bearded dragons are easy to care for, as long as you know the equipment that is needed to simulate their environment, and will breed easily in the right conditions. Reptile owners will all agree that if you are new to reptile ownership, the bearded dragon is the best reptile to start off with because of his friendly disposition, hardiness and gentle nature.

If you are new to reptile ownership, and want to get a bearded dragon, make sure that you have all of the necessary equipment and food ready for your bearded dragon before bringing him home. Make sure to ask your supplier, or local pet store what the dragon has been fed previously, and make sure that you simulate his environment to resemble his natural habitat. By doing this, you will ensure the long, healthy, happy life of your reptile companion for many years to come.

Reptiles

Corn snakes are the most popular pet snake there is, and for a very good reason. These are snakes with a very good temper, and they are very easy to keep in an enclosure. Their adult size will usually be between 4 to 6 feet, and they have a very slender body type. The “original” corn snake has a black and white checkered pattern on their bellies that resembles a corn cob. I say original because corn snakes have been bred to get the most amazing colors and patterns; spotted, striped, no pattern, and all kinds of colors. Even pet shops usually have a wide variety of these “morphs”.

Corn snakes live for a long time, around 15 to 20 years, so keep this in mind when buying one. In this care sheet I will try to explain the most important sides of having a pet corn snake.

Setup

When you get your first corn snake, it is important that you have its setup ready.

First they need a tank to live in, a ten gallon tank is a good size for a young one. Then you increase the size of the tank up to 20 or 30 gallon when it reaches adult size.

At the bottom of the tank you need substrate. You could use newspaper or plain paper, but a better choice is aspen wood shavings. The snake might burrow in it, it’s very easy to clean and it even helps the snake shed by allowing it to rub against it. There are also specially designed reptile carpets you can get, but whatever you choose just remember that cedar is poisonous to snakes, and pine can dehydrate their skin. Most stores have aspen, and it’s cheap and easy so I would say go with that.

One of the most important things, especially for a young corn snake is a hide. A lot of people forget just how important this is. The snake needs to feel safe, and a large empty tank will make the snake very stressed. I can guarantee you that the hide will be the one thing that your snake will use the most. For a hide you can use a box with a hole at the side, a flower pot with a hole at the bottom turned upside down, or you can buy a more fancy one at a pet store. Even an empty toilet roll will work! You should have at least two hides, one on each side of the tank; one on the cool end, and one on the warm end.

This leads me to the heat source. Unless you live where it’s very warm you should have some sort of heat in your tank. Snakes need heat to properly digest their food. A good choice is an UTH(under tank heater). This is a mat specifically designed for reptiles, and you put it underneath on one side of the tank. This will give the snake a gradient in its tank, a difference in temperature on the two sides. Alternatively you could use a heat lamp, but this option will not give the snake any belly heat, so an UTH is the best option. It’s important to remember that the UTH can get very hot, if left without a thermostat it can reach up to 120 fahrenheit! This is of course too hot, and will cause severe burns. So make sure you have plenty of substrate to prevent the snake from laying right on the glass. If you buy a thermostat, a meter that will control the temperature you will save yourself a lot of worries as even with enough substrate on the bottom the snake can still burrow down to the bottom. Snakes are “stupid” in the way that they will not notice that they burn their skin until it’s too late. $40 will give you an OK thermostat, and is well worth its price. If you live in hot areas you’ll probably be fine without a heat source, but for most you should definitely get one.

A meter to measure the temperature and humidity is also important. Humidity is vital for a healthy shed, so when you see that your snake is going to shed increase the humidity to around 65-70%. A simple way to do this is to mist the tank with a spray bottle, or to put a wet towel over the lid. The wet towel will quickly increase the humidity, when it reaches the level you want simply replace it with a dry towel covering 3/4 of the top. This will help keep the humidity in, without getting 100%. Extended periods of high humidity can lead to sickness, so keep the humidity high only when its shedding.

Water must always be available, and the size of the water bowl should enable the snake to soak its body in it. You can buy one from a pet store, but a kitchen bowl will work just as well. Just make sure that the snake does not tip it over. This should be placed on the cool end, opposite of the cool hide.

A secure lid is of course a must-have. Petco has clips for $3 that you put on both sides of the lid, and they work perfectly. A runaway snake is VERY hard to find, especially when its young. And even baby snakes can escape through the smallest gap. Our first corn snake managed to escape once, although this was because I forgot to put the lid back on its cage. Needless to say we turned the whole apartment upside down looking for it, seeing as there were three cats trying to get it before we did. Luckily hours later it showed up underneath the vacuum cleaner. So be careful, get the clips and remember to put them on.

A branch to climb on, or fake plants for decor is also something you might add to your setup. Just remember that anything you bring in from outside, or if you buy it used put it in the oven for a couple of hours on 200 degrees (fahrenheit). This will kill any parasites on it. For plastic plants, rinse them out in a weak bleach solution. If you have these things set up, you should be ready for the snake!
Bringing the Corn Snake home

When acquiring a corn snake you have several possibilities. Pet store, breeder or the classifieds.

A breeder will always be the best choice, as you are dealing with people who love the snakes. Corn snake breeding does not take in a lot of money, so you can be sure that the breeder has a passion for these animals. You’ll be able to know it’s history, sex, date of birth, its feeding records etc. Also you are more protected against parasites. Pet stores usually have a lot of different animals, and their main goal is to make $$. Some stores do take good care of their animals, but unfortunately they are in minority. a lot of people do get their snakes from pet stores, but I would strongly advise you to support the community and buy from a breeder. Buying from the classifieds you never know what you’re going to get, you have no guarantee that the seller is telling you the truth. But the choice is yours.

When you bring home the corn snake there will be about a week where you cannot disturb it. The snake needs to get used to its new home, and in the mean time you must leave it alone. By giving the snake a week to settle down, you ensure that you will end up with a healthy, comfortable snake. After a week has passed, take it out on a regular basis, and let it get used to you. At first it might be a little shy and nippy, but don’t worry. With handling and time it will settle down and be a wonderful pet.

To pick up the snake try to scoop it up from underneath. A big hand coming directly towards its head might feel threatening, so go in from the side as opposed to from above it. Be careful though, a young corn is very skittish and might try to jump right out of your hand. A fall might seriously hurt it, so be cautious and don’t let young children hold the baby snake. If there are young children in the family, wait till the snake has calmed down before they hold it.
Feeding

A week after you brought it home, it should have gotten so comfortable that it will eat. If the corn is stressed or the temperatures are wrong it might not want food, but hopefully this is not the case.

For feedings provide a separate box of some sort, it can be cardboard, tupperware or whatever you have handy. Feeding in the tank is not a good idea, as the snake might digest the substrate which can kill it. Also when feeding in a separate container, the snake won’t associate its tank with feeding, so when you go to pick it up you won’t be mistaken for food. Hatchlings, that is baby corn snakes, eat one pinkie mouse every four or five days. These newborn mice can usually be bought frozen at pet stores, or you can go online for better deals. Put the pinkie in some hot water for around ten minutes, and make sure that it’s completely thawed out. When the snake is in the feeding box, slowly dangle the pinkie in front of it. When the snake strikes, let go and let it eat without interruption. When the the pinkie is swallowed and you can see the lump a good way down its tummy slowly pick up the snake and put it back in its tank.

Now it needs 48 hours to digest the food. Heat plays a crucial role in digestion, as well as leaving it alone for two full days. Digestion takes a lot of energy for snakes, so much that if it doesn’t feel safe or is stressed out it might regurgitate the food.(throw up) This is its basic instincts, if it needs to make a safe escape from a dangerous situation (from the snake’s view) it cannot do this while digesting, hence the regurgitation. After a couple of days the food should be digested, and you can continue handling until next feeding.

There are problems that might come up with feeding that I will address. Hopefully you won’t have to worry about this though. If the snake will not eat, wait five days before trying again. Trying sooner will just stress the snake out even more. A snake is not going to be hurt by going a few weeks without food, so just be patient.

There are different techniques you might try if it really won’t eat. First, make sure that the temperatures are good, and that you’re not handling it too much. If so, you can put the pinkie and the snake in a brown paper bag, roll up the end so it won’t be able to get out and leave it overnight in the tank. You can also try cutting a hole in the pinkie’s head hoping that brain matter will lure the snake to eat. Alternatively, soak the pinkie in chicken broth before trying to feed it. If it’s been over a month you should consider taking your snake to the veterinarian to check for parasites.

If you experience regurgitation something is wrong and you must fix it. Check your husbandry, look in water bowl for mites, and leave the snake alone until next feeding. Also, make sure that you are feeding appropriately sized mice. When the snake gets bigger, increase the size of the mouse and days between feeding. You can also feed rats; adult corns can have either two adult mice or a small rat every two weeks. If feeding rats, you need to make sure that the snake does not get fat. Rats are a lot more fattening then mice, so if you see that your snake starts to develop hips you should switch to mice.

Other Facts to Remember

Snakes shed as they grow, and it’s important that they have good sheds. If the snake has not fully shed its skin, try giving it a bath in luke-warm water, or hold a wet towel around it. You can also put wet paper towels inside its hide to help the snake shed.

If your snake soaks in the water a lot, look for mites. Most often you will be able to spot them in the water. They are small and black or red, with legs. Mites are not because of a dirty tank etc, they probably got it from another reptile. Pet stores have mite treatment that work good, and both the snake, the tank and everything in the tank need to be treated. Also if you have other reptiles, they might have it too. Mites are harmless to humans, but can be fatal to snakes so be sure to treat them as soon as possible.

Wash your hands after touching the snake.

Take lots of pictures, have fun and enjoy your new pet!

By: Vincent Madsen

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Kelly Marshall asked:


A few short years ago, feeding your dog was so much easier as compared to today’s nutritional advice. I remember when my father’s dog ate whatever the whole family would eat, including apple cobbler! In addition to table scraps, he also enjoyed eating commercial dog food. My father’s dog had a happy life and lived well into his mid-teens without contracting any serious illness or disease.

Picking a commercial dog food was also easier back in the good old days. There were a limited selection of brands to choose from and these pet foods all had basically the same ingredients, only varying in color and flavor.

Today, however, there are so many varieties to choose from. The following list below are some of the popular commercial foods available for your dog:

Vegetarian Food For Your Dog

Most people don’t realize that vegetarian dog foods allow vegetarian dog owners to exercise their dietary beliefs with their dogs. Vegetarian foods include all of the necessary vitamins and nutrients that your dog needs, just as long as they are properly made. In addition, a vegetarian diet is also great for dogs that are allergic to meat.

Raw Dog Food

Many dog owners believe that a diet of raw food is the healthiest way to feed their pet because this is the way wolves and other wild dog species ate. This belief has no scientific facts to value its accuracy. However, a diet of raw food can expose both you and your pet to dangerous bacteria such as salmonella and E. coli.

Giving Your Dog Therapeutic Food

Therapeutic dog foods have been the growing trend in dog food products in recent years. It is only available through a veterinarian and is prescribed for cases of preventive treatment, as an after-surgery diet, or for health problems, for example, like food allergies.

Try Organic Dog Food for Your Dog

Several dog food products found in the market have pesticides and other bad chemicals. If you want to give your dog food that is free of these horrible chemicals, you’re your dog organic food. Warning, the term “organic” can be very misleading, so make sure that you read the ingredients carefully before making your purchase.

Dog Food That Contains No Preservative or Natural Preservative

There are dog foods that contain preservatives in the form of artificial chemicals such as ethoxyquin, BHT, and BHA. These are added for two reasons in order to prevent the food from spoiling and keep the taste lasting much longer than traditional dog food. Some dog foods have natural preservatives such as vitamin C (often listed as ascorbic acid) and vitamin E (often listed as tocopherols).

The next time you buy a dog food, buy it with natural preservatives and make sure to thoroughly read the ingredients first to make sure that the preservatives are actually derived from nature instead of it being artificially synthesized.

Last but certainly not least, try buying dog foods that are free of any kind of preservatives. These products have be properly sealed in a cool, dry, bug-free place and used immediately to guarantee freshness.

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Jerry Yapkh asked:


Having a dog is not all about fun and play. Proper nutrition is a key element in the health and long life of your dog. A healthy dog is a happy dog. To maintain a healthy, balanced diet for your dog, you will need good dog food, common sense and a veterinarian. Dogs require six types of nutrients: water, protein, fat, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. Those commercial pet foods billed as 100 percent complete and balanced provide all of a dog’s requirements, except water. But all is not what it seems with commercial dog food. Don’t short change your dog’s health. Provide him with clean, fresh drinking water at all times. Water is the key to a dog’s ability to regulate body temperature.

Generally, the more a dog eats the more water it needs. Don’t be surprised if your dog drinks a lot in one day and less in another. If there is more water in the food, the dog needs to drink less. That is why dogs eating canned food usually do not spend as much time at the water bowl. Canned food contains about 75 percent water and dry food has about 8 percent to 10 per cent. However with all the scary dog food recall in 2007 and it is still happening today since there is no regulation that makes it compulsory for commercial dog food manufacturers to recall their pet food. So it is better to be equipped with recent knowledge and dog experts’ advice regarding feeding your dog with usual commercial dog food.

Do you know that…

Table scraps will not provide the balanced diet dogs need. Ideally, table scraps should not be fed. If you do offer them, table scraps should never make up more than 10 percent of the dog’s daily food intake. A point to remember is that it does not mean you must feed your dog food that human eat just because you want to avoid commercial dog food due to the recent pet food recall. You must know what food for human is suitable for your dog. Indiscriminately feeding your pet could be worse off. Feeding a dog raw eggs repeatedly can cause a deficiency of the vitamin biotin. Raw egg whites contain avidin, an enzyme that stops biotin from being absorbed into the body. Symptoms of biotin deficiency include dermatitis (inflammation of the skin), loss of hair and poor growth.

Although dogs enjoy meat, it is not a balanced diet. Raw meats may contain parasites, and cooked meat can be high in fat and do not contain a proper balance of nutrients. Some raw fish can cause a deficiency of the vitamin thiamine. Symptoms of a thiamine deficiency include anorexia (complete loss of appetite), abnormal posture, weakness, seizures, and even death. Raw salmon will also transit deadly parasites. Raw liver, fed daily in large quantities, can cause a vitamin A toxicity in dogs. This is particularly true if it is fed along with a complete and balanced diet already containing ample vitamin A.

Milk is a food and not a substitute for water. As a food, milk is incomplete and does not provide a balanced diet. It can be useful as a treat for some dogs; however, large quantities of milk may not be well tolerated. Milk contains lactose, which requires the enzyme lactose digestion. If the intestinal tract does not contain sufficient lactose, a high level of lactose can cause diarrhea. Small soft bones (such as pork chops or chicken bones) should never be given to dogs, as they may splinter and lodge in the mouth or throat.

Switching Dog Foods

You can’t switch dog foods overnight. Your dog may end up with gastric “distress”. It’s messy. So switch foods slowly. Start out with a ratio of new food to old in the 1:4 range. Monitor its intake and digestion. Choose a good quality food and stock up. If you change brands, do it slowly so that you do not upset the dog’s digestive system.

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Brandon R. Cornett asked:


If you are researching corn snake care and have questions about feeding your snake, feel free to print out this list of feeding tips. These tips come from my many years of keeping and feeding snakes, including corns.

Feed baby corn snakes about every 5 – 7 days. Feed juvenile to adult corn snakes about once ever 10 – 14 days. Overfeeding your snake will make it fat and unhealthy, just as it does in humans. Offer rodents (rats or mice) that are about the size of the snake’s midsection, or slightly larger. Feeding your corn snake rodents that are too small will leave it hungry. Feeding it rodents that are too large could lead to regurgitation. Avoid feeding your corn snake wild-caught rodents, as these can transmit parasites to the snake. The best option is to offer frozen / thawed rodents, as the freezing process kills any potential parasites the rodents might be harboring. You can order frozen rodents from the Internet, just as easily as you’d order steaks! Leave your snake alone for at least 48 hours after feeding it. Handling a snake too soon after a meal may cause regurgitation. Be sure your corn snake has proper cage temperatures to help it digest its meal (and for general health reasons). Stress and improper cage temperatures are two of the most common reasons that corn snakes refuse to eat in captivity. A snake with a proper environment is more likely to eat on a regular basis. It is not necessary to supplement snake meals with vitamin powders or similar products. Snakes get all the vitamins and minerals they need from their meals, without the need to add anything. Most of these “snake supplement” products are nothing more than a money-making scheme. If your corn snake refuses a meal, leave it alone for a week and then offer another meal. Make sure the snake is not shedding because this is a common reason for corns to refuse meals. Also, make sure the snake’s environment is set up properly (check cage temperatures, and make sure the snake has places to hide inside the cage). Generally speaking, corn snakes have a reputation for eating consistently. I’ve never had any feeding problems with a healthy corn snake (unless it was in shed). If your snake refuses meals consistently, and you’ve checked everything listed above, it’s probably time to call a vet for help.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this guide to the corn snake feeding process. If you found this article helpful, you’ll love the book below:

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