The humid hide is great for species like corn snakes, kings and milks. But isn’t so good for species such as Green Tree Pythons which are a more delicate species that require higher humidity all the time.
Click here to view our selection of hides
Wednesday, 30 September 2009
Snake having problems shedding its skin?
Every now and again I hear of a snake that has had a problem shedding its skin. This is surprising as it is something very easy to solve with the use of a humid hide, which is basically a hide with damp moss inside. The snake will seek the humidity of the hide when it needs it. This is a safer option than making the whole vivarium humid, as this can cause respiratory problems if you get it wrong. 
The humid hide is great for species like corn snakes, kings and milks. But isn’t so good for species such as Green Tree Pythons which are a more delicate species that require higher humidity all the time.
Click here to view our selection of hides
The humid hide is great for species like corn snakes, kings and milks. But isn’t so good for species such as Green Tree Pythons which are a more delicate species that require higher humidity all the time.
Click here to view our selection of hides
Thursday, 17 September 2009
Why Reptiles?
The truth is I don’t know!
I have always just found reptiles fascinating, dragging my mother round the reptile house at the Zoo from a very you age. I can’t put my finger on why I just love them. I don’t know if it is because they are misunderstood and often hated by people and I felt drawn to them because of that.
I have always loved Crocodiles, snakes and Lizards but it wasn’t until more recently that I became interested in turtles and tortoises. I started reading up more on tortoise because it was my weak subject when I was working in a reptile centre and have found that the more I learn the more I want to learn. I have only kept one species of turtle, Razorback Musk Turtle, which I managed to breed on the first attempt. They have great characters and are very entertaining, running on the floor of the tank rather than swimming.
The young are about the size of my thumbnail but quickly and get more confident the bigger they get.
Turtles and tortoise can be very rewarding to keep, but make sure you look into which species is best for you before buying one.They all have different requirements, some are easier than others.
I have always just found reptiles fascinating, dragging my mother round the reptile house at the Zoo from a very you age. I can’t put my finger on why I just love them. I don’t know if it is because they are misunderstood and often hated by people and I felt drawn to them because of that.
I have always loved Crocodiles, snakes and Lizards but it wasn’t until more recently that I became interested in turtles and tortoises. I started reading up more on tortoise because it was my weak subject when I was working in a reptile centre and have found that the more I learn the more I want to learn. I have only kept one species of turtle, Razorback Musk Turtle, which I managed to breed on the first attempt. They have great characters and are very entertaining, running on the floor of the tank rather than swimming.
The young are about the size of my thumbnail but quickly and get more confident the bigger they get.
Turtles and tortoise can be very rewarding to keep, but make sure you look into which species is best for you before buying one.They all have different requirements, some are easier than others.
Wednesday, 9 September 2009
Tuatara
The Tuatara is a reptiles from New Zealand, it looks like a lizard but isn’t one. This link will tell you more about that. They are incredibly long lived and have slow a metabolism, taking 15 years to reach maturity and breeding every 2-5 years. Some experts think that 200 year lifespan is possible.
I have just read this article, and it states that the Tuatara is evolving 10 times faster than the average animal. This is very strange as the Tuatara has remained almost unchanged for 220 million years.
I imagine this is due to what has happened in more recent history. Polynesian rats have been introduced onto many of the island which the tuataras inhabit. The rats would not only compete with the tuataras for food by eating insects but will actually eat their eggs and young.
On many of the islands the rats have been removed, to help the Tuataras and this seems to be working very well.
I wonder if it is all this disruption that has made them evolve at such a rate.
I first saw Tuataras at Chester Zoo when I did some work experience many years ago, I found them interesting but I didn’t appreciate them until I went to New Zealand. Unfortunately I never got to see them in the wild but I did see many captive ones. Including Henry in Invercargill, who has recently become a father at the age of 111. Now that’s good going.
I have just read this article, and it states that the Tuatara is evolving 10 times faster than the average animal. This is very strange as the Tuatara has remained almost unchanged for 220 million years.
I imagine this is due to what has happened in more recent history. Polynesian rats have been introduced onto many of the island which the tuataras inhabit. The rats would not only compete with the tuataras for food by eating insects but will actually eat their eggs and young.
On many of the islands the rats have been removed, to help the Tuataras and this seems to be working very well.
I wonder if it is all this disruption that has made them evolve at such a rate.
I first saw Tuataras at Chester Zoo when I did some work experience many years ago, I found them interesting but I didn’t appreciate them until I went to New Zealand. Unfortunately I never got to see them in the wild but I did see many captive ones. Including Henry in Invercargill, who has recently become a father at the age of 111. Now that’s good going.
Tuesday, 25 August 2009
Favorite place to see wild reptiles
I am often asked where the best place I have been to see reptiles in the wild;
This is easy to answer Australia, more precisely Darwin and the Northern Territories.
In Darwin town centre you can see Striped Water Dragons (Lophognathus temporalis) dancing around the trees and at night look out for geckos hunting insects around lights.
If you take a trip out to one of town and into the bush you may see a Frilled Dragon (Frilled Necked Lizard as they are called in Oz) hanging of the side of a tree!
Take a boat trip to see Salt Water Crocodiles in their natural habitat, these are huge and don’t be tempted to take a swim with them! Also check out the rivers at night with a torch to look for the crocs glowing eyes, it is a very impressive sight, one I will never forget.
The best place for snakes is Fogg Dam; I know what you are thinking.
Why go to a reservoir to look for snakes?
Drive along the dam at night and you will see what I mean, I spent maybe an hour there and saw over 50 Water Pythons!
Some were over 2.5m long!
That is not all Fogg Dam has to offer, there are loads of crocs. Shine your torch around and you will see what I mean!
This is just a snap shot of the reptiles that are there, I would love to go back to Darwin and have another look and maybe spend a bit less time in the bars, I am too old for that now!
This is easy to answer Australia, more precisely Darwin and the Northern Territories.
In Darwin town centre you can see Striped Water Dragons (Lophognathus temporalis) dancing around the trees and at night look out for geckos hunting insects around lights.
If you take a trip out to one of town and into the bush you may see a Frilled Dragon (Frilled Necked Lizard as they are called in Oz) hanging of the side of a tree!
Take a boat trip to see Salt Water Crocodiles in their natural habitat, these are huge and don’t be tempted to take a swim with them! Also check out the rivers at night with a torch to look for the crocs glowing eyes, it is a very impressive sight, one I will never forget.
The best place for snakes is Fogg Dam; I know what you are thinking.
Why go to a reservoir to look for snakes?
Drive along the dam at night and you will see what I mean, I spent maybe an hour there and saw over 50 Water Pythons!
Some were over 2.5m long!
That is not all Fogg Dam has to offer, there are loads of crocs. Shine your torch around and you will see what I mean!
This is just a snap shot of the reptiles that are there, I would love to go back to Darwin and have another look and maybe spend a bit less time in the bars, I am too old for that now!
Monday, 24 August 2009
How I got started with snakes
The keeping of reptiles as pets has increased massively since I first started keeping snakes back in 1992. The choice of species available now is incredible and most of these are bred here in the UK.
I was 12 when I got my first 2 snakes, Sid and Sussie which were Plains Garter Snakes. These are beautiful small snakes but not the best snakes for a beginner because they are a fast as lightning! But there were very few snakes available back then and finding someone selling them was hard.
I kept them as in an aquarium which they kept escaping from always to be found, sometimes within an hour but once it took about 6 weeks before being found. Now we know that aquariums aren’t suitable and vivariums are much more available escaping snakes is a much rarer occurrence.
The Garter Snakes were fed on fish and earth worms with added dog vitamins! They seemed to do well on this diet, but the vitamins will not compare with the reptile vitamins available now.
I was always very interested in reptiles but keeping the Garter Snakes encouraged my interest.
It was only a couple of years later that I persuaded my parents that I needed another snake, this time a beautiful Yellow Rat Snake which I named Ned after a famous mountain biker! He was a totally different kettle of fish! He was much more intelligent and inquisitive, so when I would go to pick him up he would come over to see what I was doing. I found this behaviour a bit intimidating. The more nervous I got, the longer it took to pick him up which in turn made him nervous and he would rattle his tail to scare me off, which worked many times! I soon realised that if I was confident it made him easier to pick up, some believe snake sense your nerves but I think you behave different when you are nervous.
I got my first pair of Corn Snakes when I was 16 and working in a Reptile Centre near Oxford. I was amazed how calm and easy going they were, altogether a much easier snake to care for. With the advice from my colleagues I managed to breed these very successfully.
Now if someone asks me which species of snakes they should start with, I don’t recommend Yellow rat snakes or Garter Snakes I always recommend a Corn Snake. They are the most popular species of pet snake and with good reason, they are easy to handle, feed well and grow to a manageable size (1.2m). They are also available in many different colour morphs.
I was 12 when I got my first 2 snakes, Sid and Sussie which were Plains Garter Snakes. These are beautiful small snakes but not the best snakes for a beginner because they are a fast as lightning! But there were very few snakes available back then and finding someone selling them was hard.
I kept them as in an aquarium which they kept escaping from always to be found, sometimes within an hour but once it took about 6 weeks before being found. Now we know that aquariums aren’t suitable and vivariums are much more available escaping snakes is a much rarer occurrence.
The Garter Snakes were fed on fish and earth worms with added dog vitamins! They seemed to do well on this diet, but the vitamins will not compare with the reptile vitamins available now.
I was always very interested in reptiles but keeping the Garter Snakes encouraged my interest.
It was only a couple of years later that I persuaded my parents that I needed another snake, this time a beautiful Yellow Rat Snake which I named Ned after a famous mountain biker! He was a totally different kettle of fish! He was much more intelligent and inquisitive, so when I would go to pick him up he would come over to see what I was doing. I found this behaviour a bit intimidating. The more nervous I got, the longer it took to pick him up which in turn made him nervous and he would rattle his tail to scare me off, which worked many times! I soon realised that if I was confident it made him easier to pick up, some believe snake sense your nerves but I think you behave different when you are nervous.
I got my first pair of Corn Snakes when I was 16 and working in a Reptile Centre near Oxford. I was amazed how calm and easy going they were, altogether a much easier snake to care for. With the advice from my colleagues I managed to breed these very successfully.
Now if someone asks me which species of snakes they should start with, I don’t recommend Yellow rat snakes or Garter Snakes I always recommend a Corn Snake. They are the most popular species of pet snake and with good reason, they are easy to handle, feed well and grow to a manageable size (1.2m). They are also available in many different colour morphs.
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