Archive for the ‘Other Animals’ Category
What to Look for When Buying a Snake
November 5th, 2011 | 
Author: The first and foremost ingredient to choosing the right snake is the health of the animal. Once that is out the way, a number of other elements come into the equation. Species, age, temperament, colour, pattern, sex, feeding habits and price are all points to think about when looking for a snake.
Health
If you are looking at a snake in a pet shop or other premises, do not look only at the snake. Look inside and outside of the cage for signs of dirty, unhygienic surroundings. No matter how good the shop is, inevitably you will find sloughed skins, feces and other dirty materials in the cage. However, look at the consistency of your findings and excessively dirty surroundings. Overcrowding in tanks should be avoided, and if any dead animals are found in nearby enclosures, stay away from purchasing the animal. Make sure you are buying captive bred stock; wild caught snakes can harbour all sorts of problems and should be avoided by beginners.
Look at the shape of the snake in its resting position. Never buy a snake that you see resting sideways, with its head tilted on the floor. If its mouth is slightly agape, stay away. The spine of the snake should be visible, but not to an excessive measure. It the snake looks skinny, do not buy it, regardless of its feeding habits. Most snakes are generally very consistent when sloughing their skin, so if you see one with bits of skin stuck all over it, be cautious. Loose folds in the skin are apparent in dehydrated snakes, advise the shop owner if you see this in their stock but do NOT purchase the animal.
‘Never purchase a snake or any other reptile based on your feelings for that animal. Many pet shops have come and gone, the best have always stayed the longest. Neglectful shops soon realise their problems and either fade away, or amend their problems. Buying a snake which has suffered through neglect of the shop will only make the shop continue with their onslaught. However tough it is, please remember, the death of one snake, could potentially save many more.’
If you purchase an animal knowing of any possible problems, make sure it is vet checked as soon as possible. Keep the latest fecal sample from the snake and store it in the fridge until the vet can examine it. Never introduce newly acquired snakes into the enclosures of other snakes without having it fully examined. Larger breeders should keep quarantine areas separate from the rest of their collection. Newly acquired snakes should be quarantined for at least 3 months if this is feasible for the breeder.
Age
With snakes, age is often an irrelevant factor in deciding what species you would like. Baby corn snakes are good beginners’ snakes, and although they can be a little feisty, they calm down quickly and can evolve into lovely animals. One thing to be careful of when purchasing a baby, is to make sure it feeds. If you are unsure of its feeding habits, buy a slightly grown on juvenile. Adult or grown on snakes which have already been handled and are guaranteed feeders, maybe a better choice for the complete novice. However, baby snakes may be more rewarding for anyone to successfully rear.
Price
Always ask yourself; ‘quality or quantity?’ If something is cheap, there is reasoning behind it. Often, under paying for something you really want may in fact turn out to be something it wasn’t bought to be. If you pay too much, you will lose money at the worst, but you can be sure of acquiring something of quality. Do not look to buy any animal which is excessively cheap. Instead, buy the animal you really want to buy, and pay what the animal is worth.
Where to Purchase?
There are a number of places to look when purchasing a snake. I would urge anyone to seek a reputable breeder who has vast experience and a good reputation in the industry. Honesty is the most important factor for any breeder selling animals; do not buy from anyone who you know has misrepresented animals in the past.
Breeders
It is important to realise that a breeder does not have to breed many hundreds of snakes. In fact, some of the best snakes will come from dedicated hobbyists, often only having a pair of a particular species. If you are buying the more commonly seen species, you might want to look for private individuals and seek their advice. With the more expensive snake species and colour morphs, there are fewer breeders to choose from. Always communicate with the breeder before actually purchasing the animal. Ask questions regarding the age, size, lineage, temperament, health and feeding habits of the animal in question. A good breeder will spend time trying to help you, while many other breeders will shrug you off, giving minimal detail and answering only what needs to be answered. As a breeder myself, please be aware that with hundreds of snakes to care for, plus doing various things in your personal life, time can be a virtue. Do not expect an essay when e-mailing a breeder, rather, a polite response with all the necessary information should be expected.
Most breeders will not offer a refund after the sale; this is commonplace when dealing with animals. Unfortunately with animals, mistakes by the buyer can easily be made. It is therefore too risky for the seller to guarantee an animals life, when it is completely out of their hands. However, try and be confident when dealing with a breeder, that they will help you even after the sale. If you run into any problems, they will be there to give you more advice.
Reptile Shows / Expos
Reptile shows offer a great place to meet new people and see many new things, not only with snakes but other reptiles as well. Look for breeders who have spent the money showing off their animals. Well built, classy looking display stands with clean cages and tubs show that the breeder is making an extra effort to sell his or her animals. It shows that the breeders are dedicated, and their effort stems further than just breeding and selling animals. These people are often the ones that will make the effort to help you further if need be after the sale.
If buying a snake from a show, be careful. You must realise that you do not know the people standing in front of you, nor do you know the background behind any of the snakes. Many good breeders will have photo albums of their adult stock on the tables. This is a great bonus; it enables you to view the parents and the lineage of the particular animals you are looking to buy. It also shows that breeders are again, putting more effort into selling their animals and taking pride in their stock.
Avoid any breeders who are unable to answer your questions. Ask for hatch dates, parental information and feeding records. These are minimal details that any good breeder should be able to offer without a problem. Any vendor at the show who is unable to provide this information should be avoided.
Do not feel in a hurry to purchase from the breeders at the table. Ask as many questions as you feel appropriate and take a look at what they have to offer. Ask for the breeders contact details, e-mail, web site and their phone number. If they are unwilling to offer their phone number, try and stay away from them. Not giving their phone number allows them to choose whether or not to answer your e-mails. It is these people which are unlikely to help you after a sale is made.
Newspaper Adverts / Internet Classifieds
This is a way to pick up some fantastic animals, but at the same time the most common way for buyers to be ripped off and often left with unhealthy animals. Many breeders, good and bad will use the internet classifieds. Remember to ask all the necessary questions before buying, ask for photos where possible and expect a reply which is polite and informative. Be careful when viewing photos, that they look normal coloured and not distorted or strange in appearance. Look for other objects in the photo to get an idea of accurate size and colour of the animal. It is commonplace to see people falsely advertising animals, and enhancing images to fit their descriptions better. Try and build a relationship with the seller before you purchase the animal.
Also remember, ‘you get what you pay for’. Do not expect to get bargains; you get what you pay for and rarely anything else. Look for the people who are less willing to give you a good deal, these are often the people who are confident in their animals, and confident that another buyer will come along if you do not buy.
Be wary of ‘Free’ Snakes. It is commonplace to see adverts for ‘Free to Good Home’. Ask yourself why, and check to see if the snake is really what you want. Pretend the snake is actually quite expensive; would you still buy it? If not, don’t get it.
Pet Rats
Rats make interesting pets. They are intelligent, learning how to solve puzzles based on food and this can be used to train them to show their dexterity and versatility in performing a variety of tasks.
They are very sociable and like to interact with their owners, enjoying being held if used to it from being young and enjoy being played with. Rats are also very sociable with each other and it is common for more than one to be kept in the same cage as pets.
Although white rats are the most popular as pets, as they have gained in popularity a wide variety of colours have become available and so classification systems have been developed to establish quality breeding standards.
Rat food
Rats will eat almost anything but care should be taken to give them a balanced diet to keep them healthy. They love fruit and vegetables (potatoes in any form are a favourite) but this should be balanced with a good amount of rat food. The kibble type of rat food, similar to dry dog food is especially useful as often it is hard which both helps check the continuous growth of the rat’s teeth as well as indulging one of their favourite activities, chewing.
Vitamin supplements are also useful to help maintain your rat’s health. These are often supplied in a liquid form so that they can be added to your pet’s drinking water.
Rat health
Domesticated rats are usually good at keeping clean and if they are provided with a clean environment, good diet and maintained at a reasonably stable temperature, they will thrive.
The rat’s coat provides the best guide to its health. It should be sleek and shiny. As the owner, it is worth keeping a daily watch on your pet’s condition. Excessive scratching or the appearance of bald patches or scabs, listlessness and dull eyes, tilting of the head to one side, mucous or excessive sneezing are some indications of possible illness. If you lack experience with rats, a trip to the vet will be required.
Problems with the rat’s fur are often mites or lice which can be treated. An allergy can also be the cause, which again can be diagnosed and treated. Infections of various types are also fairly easily treated if diagnosed early enough. Hence the need to observe them regularly.
Generally though, rats make a healthy, active and enjoyable pet.
How To Select Nutritious Pet Food
The ingredients in your dog or cat food, be it packed, raw or organic, may shock you. What is even more surprising is that even the premium pet food brands don’t contain the right nutrients that will sustain your beloved pet’s health.
And what are some of these important components? For both cats and dogs, a nutritious pet diet must have vegetables and fruits. These organic foods contain antioxidants, as well as fiber, vitamins, and phytonutrients. Your pet’s food should also have direct-fed microbials which are commonly found in yogurt. Omega-3 fatty acids must be added in your list for they can keep pet’s coat shiny.
Don’t feed your dog with foods like corn, soy, or wheat, especially in large amount. Such foods are not sufficient sources of protein and your pet will get a hard time digesting them, resulting to colitis and urinary tract infections. As much as possible, purchase a nutritious pet food that has grain and uses ingredients like brown rice, oats, barley, or other easy-to-digest components.
Whenever you buy a pet food in the supermarket, make sure that it contains the “complete and balanced” label. These dog foods have met the standards established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).You can visit www.fda.gov to know more tips on selecting nutritious pet food
Snake Care
Small snakes are relatively easy to care for, making them low-maintenance pets. Milk snakes, as an example, are brightly-coloured because they have the same colours as larger, more dangerous snakes to protect themselves in the wild, so the colours are attractive as a pet snake.
Snakes use their tongue to sense what is around them, so that the flicking of the tongue in and out of their mouths is completely normal and not a reason for alarm. Snakes have poor eyesight and poor if any hearing so the tongue-flicking is a vital activity.
If handling the snake, support the snake along the length of its body and not by its neck or tail to avoid breaking bones and causing serious damage. Many snakes, especially the smaller pet varieties, can be conditioned over time to handling by feeding them after handling. Snake handling should only be done rarely as a general practice as it can damage the snake skin.
Snake food varies by type from earthworms for many of the smaller types, through to small rodents and lizards for the larger types. The prey can be live or recently-killed and can be kept frozen, though fresh prey is advisable. Snakes usually only need to be fed once per week, but this should be checked when acquiring a new snake as there are variations.
Snakes are usually best kept in tanks often known as terrariums, with tree bark on the floor and a secure lid, often with lighting though heat is best administered through a heater panel under the floor of the terrarium so that the snake can lie in a warm or cooler area when required. When feeding the snake, it is a good idea to put it on paper so that none of the surrounding material is digested as well, which could cause problems.
Snakes slough, or shed their skin, less frequently as they grow older. Humid surroundings are especially advisable during these periods to help the skin shed.
As a general rule, though there are exceptions, keep snakes separate. They live solitary lives in the wild except for mating; left together for any length of time one may well be eaten by the other!
Common Turtle Species
Turtles are cold-blooded reptiles. They have a shell making them unique from other reptiles. Their upper shell is called the carapace, and a lower shell that protects the belly called the plastron. The carapace and plastron shape and color varies from species to species. One might think it would at least always be a hard shell, which also is untrue. There are softshell turtle species, along with many others.
Some turtle species include Clemmys insculpta which is the wood turtle; Geochelone sulcata which is the African Spurred tortoise; Chelonia mydas which is the green turtle; Emydoidea blandingii which is the Blanding’s turtle; Clemmys guttata which is the spotted turtle; Malaclemys terrapin which is the diamondback terrapin; and Trachemys s. elegans which is the red-eared slider.
The species name for the wood turtle is Clemmys insculpta. This turtle is the largest in its genus. The carapace has raised projections on the back that resemble a small pyramid, making it different from others in the Clemmys genus.
The wood turtle is omnivorous and eats things like algae, moss, blueberries, mollusks, insects, earthworms, and mice. Typically adult males are larger than adult females, but not by a whole lot.
The species name for the African Spurred tortoise is Geochelone sulcata. The African Spurred Tortoise is the only tortoise in the world that has adapted fully for terrestrial life. The turtle is famous for digging burrows to protect itself from predators and the temperature. This turtle can go weeks without food or water. When the turtle does get a chance to drink water though, it can drink up to 15% of its body weight.
The species name for the green turtle is Chelonia mydas. Adult green turtles have a different diet than juvenile green turtles. Adults are herbivores eating plants and juveniles are carnivores eating meat. Adults usually spend their time in patches of sea grass and algae to get their food, while juveniles spend their time among the coral reef. Adults preferred food is young leaves and roots of sea vegetation. Juveniles eat animals such as jellyfish, sponges, snails, bivalves, and others.
This turtle is a medium to large sea turtle that has a broad, low, heart-shaped carapace.
Most of their lives are spent in the water but females return to the land to lay their eggs. The eggs take about two months to incubate, and then hatch. As most turtles are, green turtles possess environmental sex determination. Temperature of the nest determines the sex of the hatchling. Warmer temperatures produce females, and cooler temperatures produce males.
Green turtles are found throughout the oceans of the world. Populations are endangered or threatened everywhere.
The Blanding’s turtle is a northern turtle that has a black carapace with tan to yellow spots on the scutes. Its species name is Emydoidea blandingii. Sometimes this turtle is confused with the box turtle because of similar appearances.
This turtle lives in clean, shallow water habitats. They like abundant aquatic vegetation, and firm aquatic bottoms in ponds, lakes, marshes, and creeks. However, preferences in habitat can change seasonally and by location. In Wisconsin, the Blanding’s turtle prefers marshes over ponds, which is just a location preference. Turtles elsewhere may choose a pond over a marsh.
This turtle nests once a year usually from late-May to early July during the night. However, not every female nests every year.
The common name for Clemmys guttata is the spotted turtle. This is a small, black turtle that has a pattern on its smooth carapace with small yellow spots. Over time the spots may fade, making older turtles appear spotless.
Male spotted turtles tend to have tan chins with brown eyes differing from the females who tend to have yellow chins and orange eyes.
These turtles live in areas that are shallow wetlands. This can consist of swamps, bogs, fens, and marshes, but not confined to just these areas.
Spotted turtles are active during they day for the most part, meaning they are diurnal. However, females are active at night while they are nesting.
Spotted turtles are preyed upon by bald eagles, skunks, and raccoons.
The species name for the Diamondback Terrapin is Malaclemys terrapin. This turtle is a small to medium size turtle which feeds on sponges, bryozoans, gastropods, crabs, carrion, and plant material.
They have a hingeless plastron which can be yellow to green or black, and an oblong carapace is gray, light brown or black. They can be found in estuaries and salt marshes.
Nesting for these turtles is different from a majority of turtles because it is during the day. Most turtles tend to nest during the night. High tide is the most usual time for this particular turtle to nest.
The red-eared slider is native to the United States. It is commonly found in the Southern regions. The species name for it is Trachemys s. elegans.
When the red-eared slider is young it is carnivorous, but as it ages they become more vegetarian. They are a medium size and have a dark green oval shell. Their legs are green with think yellow stripes. The head is also green, but it has a red stripe behind the eye.
These turtles are found in most permanent slow-moving bodies of water. They prefer areas with mud bottoms.