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Post by mark68 on May 20, 2007 20:01:26 GMT
Hi Terry welcome to the forum. I cannot agree enough that Salamandra salamandra commonly called the fire salamander would be ideal. Terrestris are the subspecies found closest to the Uk with populations just across the water in France, so adapt well to our climate. They have two broad yellow stripes down the back on a black background. They are very beautiful !! I don't know why they are called terrestris. Most of the subspecies live similiar lives and I don't think terrestris spend anymore time on or near the surface than the others. Maybe somebody else knows how they got there name !!
Good to see you are building such nice large vivs. You can mix lots of species in these if you create different microhabitats.
Be careful with the Pool frogs they are great to keep, but are good at jumping out !!
Regards
Mark
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Post by mark68 on Apr 25, 2007 8:02:29 GMT
Hi Phil
We have ladder snakes here, my wife found one a couple of days ago climbing in her garden shed. I should have mentioned in the question where I lived you could not have guessed ! I will definately give it a go. I have some work to do on my other lizard enclosures first then I will try the snake enclosure. I already have a plan in my head and I will post some pics once it is done. I am more of a Lizard man than snake man and find the idea of keeping a large collection of snakes in plastic racks tedious for me and unfair on the snakes. I have started to keep corns in large home made melamine vivs and still its dull dull !!
There are a couple of books that get close to suggesting keeping snakes outside but don't. Firstly "The art of keeping snakes" De vosjoli. He suggests much larger than the norm planted tanks with "bioactive soil" which breaks down the fecal matter. He also suggests spot bulbs rather than heat mats to provide a basking place like the sun. In "corn snakes the complete owners guide" by Kathy & Bill Love they talk about all the problems a corn snake has in a cage and suggest a wild snake has more choice of temperatures/humidities and the benefits this has to fighting off infections and parasites. They talk about whether UV light might be beneficial and state the sterilizing effect of UV light. But both books made me think the same thing that they hadn't taken the final logical leap to keep them outside !!
AS I said I will let you all know how it goes.
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Post by mark68 on Apr 24, 2007 16:49:31 GMT
Hi Phil
Thanks for your comments I'm actually in Portugal not the Uk. Having researched the climate in the natural range of the corn snake, the climate here should be suitable for them. The aesculapian snake is a lovely species and I would like to try them too at a later date.
Have you or anybody else you know kept rodent eaters outdoors ? I am wondering how a captive bred corn snake would adapt to being kept in much more spacious accomodation ? Would it still find its food? I'm sure they would probably find live mice ok, but they are used to dead mice and I would not use live mice !!
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Post by mark68 on Apr 1, 2007 17:30:08 GMT
Thanks for the ideas.
Snakes can get through small spaces and will push open a small gap if possible. But I think if some sort of lock/bolt is used on the door, then they shouldn't get out unless I forget to close it properly, or design it wrong. Snakes do not chew to get out like mammals and do not dig holes in soil (unless it is very loose).
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Post by mark68 on Apr 1, 2007 8:11:49 GMT
As well as a large collection of Lizards and tortoises I also keep snakes. I have mostly corn snakes which provide a small income. Has anybody out there have any experience with keeping corns or any other rodent eating snakes outdoors ? My main concern is whether in an enviroment much bigger than that than they are in at present they will find the (dead) mice. My thoughts are that in fact, there may be inside an indoor cage (which has much less ventilation) a concentration of confusing scents. Even if fecal matter is removed promptly they are likely to be residual aromas, that I sure a snake could pick up.
The other obvious concern is the risk of them escaping. If man can get into outer space, splice genes and invent a myriad of ice cream flavours, then can he not design a cage a snake cannot escape from ? I think I can. its just human error that screws things up (not closing it properly after changing the water etc..)
Can I have your thoughts/experiences please !!
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Post by mark68 on Oct 23, 2006 6:41:37 GMT
Hi Killian finally got it to work!! above is a pic of wild Montpellier snake
thanks for your advice Mark
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Post by mark68 on Oct 23, 2006 6:39:46 GMT
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Post by mark68 on Oct 23, 2006 6:30:47 GMT
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Post by mark68 on Oct 23, 2006 6:23:11 GMT
[/img] Montpellier snake
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Post by mark68 on Oct 21, 2006 5:51:11 GMT
I will happily do so, if somebody can explain how? I'm not very computer geeky. Mark
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Post by mark68 on Oct 18, 2006 18:42:52 GMT
Alex, I normally find snakes here tucking into my mice that I breed in our barn, for the captive snakes. Its a real problem !!
we have 5 species Ladder, false smooth, horseshoe whip, montpellier and viperine. The temps here are much hotter in the summer than the algarve and much colder in the winter. We had an average maximum day temp of 36.7 in July and last winter my first here, it often fell to around -3c at night. So I think the ladders are really tough. My Wife found a ladder snake in the summer in one of the mouse cages and because of the shock she dropped the lid of the cage. This trapped its head between the lid and the cage bottom This seemed to stun it and cause the mouth to be misshapen. I really felt sorry for the poor thing.
I kept it in a cage for a few days to see how it was. A week later it looked fine and happily ate a DEAD mouse I offered it. It was nice to then release it knowing it was ok !!
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Post by mark68 on Oct 18, 2006 18:41:59 GMT
Alex, I normally find snakes here tucking into my mice that I breed in our barn, for the captive snakes. Its a real problem !!
we have 5 species Ladder, false smooth, horseshoe whip, montpellier and viperine. The temps here are much hotter in the summer than the algarve and much colder in the winter. We had an average maximum day temp of 36.7 in July and last winter my first here, it often fell to around -3c at night. So I think the ladders are really tough. My Wife found a ladder snake in the summer in one of the mouse cages and because of the shock she dropped the lid of the cage. This trapped its head between the lid and the cage bottom This seemed to stun it and cause the mouth to be misshapen. I really felt sorry for the poor thing.
I kept it in a cage for a few days to see how it was. A week later it looked fine and happily ate a DEAD mouse I offered it. It was nice to then release it knowing it was ok !!
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Post by mark68 on Oct 14, 2006 15:21:09 GMT
Hi Alex where I am in central Portugal they are common. I'm sure they need heat in summer but with an outside viv thats easy to give. Here we had regular night frosts last winter so I think if the conditions are ok for lepida they should be ok for scalaris. I would just add extra insulation fallen leaves etc in the winter.
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Post by mark68 on Jan 1, 2008 17:00:07 GMT
That is what I was thinking. The Lacerta strigata pair that are outside I got from germany this sept just gone. From the size of them it is possible they were kept warm last winter, I think they were CB06. But interestingly only the female appears, while the male is not. She looks ok though There is also one female Lacerta agilis exigua that is doing the same, but she is now in her third winter outside. The L. trilineata were bred by Rob P in 2006 so I will have to ask him. I know he believes the theory you mentioned Killian. During sunny spells this week I have also seen Laudakia stellio picea, Bearded dragons and Aussie Water Dragons out too (the later, some adults and a couple of the young bred this year). However the native Psammodromus vanish in Sept and will not reappear probably till late March/April !
Also this week have heard midwifes calling after rain despite it being only 5c at the time ! Also western spadefoots, fire salamanders, sharp ribs (the first one I have seen) and natterjacks have been out and about, again after rain.
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Post by mark68 on Dec 22, 2007 15:08:30 GMT
I went out a few days ago to inspect my outdoor vivs during the afternoon while it was nice and sunny. For a week day temps had been only 8-12c day time, and frosts had occured every night for a week. Despite it being only 8.6c max that day, Lacerta strigata and lacerta trilineata could be seen basking. The viv's are only covered with chicken wire !
I am worried about the L. strigata, one female in particular seems to be out everyday when I am sure she should be hibernating.
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