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Post by Killian on Jun 12, 2005 3:15:43 GMT
I hear there is a population of non native snakes around the Welsh mountain zoo. does anybody have any info on these?
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Post by Adam on Jun 12, 2005 8:36:29 GMT
These snakes are Aesculapian Snakes, Elaphe longissima, The colony was allegedly started when one gravid female escaped in the 70's i think. It seems as though this female was capable of producing enough young to enable a colony to survive. ( i don't know how inbred they must be though.) I think it is quite likely that other deliberate introductions have been made.
Adam
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Post by Killian on Jun 13, 2005 1:30:14 GMT
Are they commonly available? how would you go about feeding them in an outdoor enclosure?
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Post by adamanuran on Jun 13, 2005 11:34:22 GMT
A chap called Marcus Langford used to be a renowned breeder of this species, whether he still is i don't know. I have never kept snakes before, but have a decent little article by him which i could send to you. Please email me privately with your address again so i can post you a copy.
It is based on keeping them in vivaria, but i think the principles would be the same outdoors.
Adam
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Post by Andrew on Jun 14, 2005 22:14:07 GMT
Wow, great reading this thread! i'm gonna be moving a mile or two from there in the near future!
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Post by AndyS on Aug 21, 2005 21:54:01 GMT
I went to the Welsh Mountain Zoo recently, although i did not see any snakes outside their enclosure; but i did see a pine marten in a tree. It used to be in an enclosure but it escaped when a storm blew a tree onto the cage and demolished it.
I was appalled at the state of the reptile house though. There were Bearded dragons with no UVB light, unclean cages and Day geckos with White's tree frogs!
I would say the zoo needs more funding if they are going to improve the state of their animals.
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