Look for me and my snakes out in the public next year!

Just a heads up that I plan on taking my snakes to local parks next year and help educate people about the true nature of these amazing creatures. You are going to find me in places like Thompson Park and possibly Beaver Creek State Park. I also want people to have a place to go to find out how to take care of any pet snakes they have, or a place to take them if they can't care for them any more. Going out into the public will help me do that. I will be posting any scheduled outings I have if you are interested, and I don't charge anything.

Red Tail Boa Care Sheet

Size: 10 ft./50lbs

Housing: hatchling-20gal tank. Adults custom built enclosure min. I use is 8'L x 4'W x 5-6'H.

Substrate: paper towels, aspen, astroturf, just never put aspen or wood shavings in a feeding

cage because of possible ingestion.

Temp: ambient day 82-90F Basking 90-95F nighttime 78-82F

Vet Care: take stool sample to herp qualified vet to check for worms & protozoans. yes, they

are two seperate tests and be sure to request for them both or they may not do both. FRESH WATER AT ALL TIMES!

Necessities: Nolvasan ( Chlorhexidine diacetate)-to clean enclosures & disinfect water bowls,

litter boxes, tubs and sinks.

Betadine (povidone/iodine) clean scratches and wounds. Set aside a food storage

bowl (in freezer), extra water bowl soaking bowl or tub, sponges, to be used only for boa.

Columbian Rainbow Boa

Picture on left is a Columbian Rainbow Boa,middle is a Brazilian and right is a Peruvian.

Temp: Ambient day 80-85F Basking 85F never to exceed those temps. Nightime 75-80F
Humidity: 75-90% Another option to increase humidity is to provide a box (plastic rubbermaid) w/a small hole in it filled with damp potting soil & sphagnum moss (not the brown stuff)!
Housing: 29gal. or larger
Substrate: bark,coconut bark or eco earth. This bedding holds moisture well and it duplicates their natural environment.
Food: baby/juvenile 1-2 times per week. Adults once every 7-10 days appropiate sized meal
(no bigger than the girth in the middle of the snake),to maintain proper body weight.
Maintenance: Spot clean cage daily. Change substrate(bedding) at least monthly. FRESH water daily. Disinfect water bowl every other day w/5% bleach solution(2tbs bleach to 1gal water). Always wash hands before and after handling any snake or cage item so as not to transfer bacteria.

Size: 5'-8'

Corn Snake Care Sheet

Very Beginner Friendly Snake (picture of one name is Buddy on bottom)

Size: 5-6ft
Enclosure: from a 6"x12" or 5gal tank (for a few neonates) to 30gal. fish tank for adult
Temp: 78-82F daytime ambient Basking: 85-90F Night: 65-70F
Substrate: newspaper,butcher paper,indoor/outdoor carpeting,aspen shavings. NEVER USE
CEDAR AS IT IS TOXIC TO SNAKES!
Environment: ALWAYS Have fresh water! Warm,dry enclosure. Having a hide box
permits shelter for the animal and a stress -free environment.
Diet: NEVER feed unattended! A live mouse or rat can kill a corn snake! I always watch and if it
doesn't take the prey item then after 30 min. I remove it. It is alright to refreeze a f/t prey item as long as it doesn't smell rotten or too gamey,although I have had one that preferred prey to be frozen twice. NEVER feed captive snakes food from the wild,as they may harbor parasites or mites that will kill a captive snake!
Maintenance: Spot clean cage daily. Substrate changed monthly. Change water daily. Disinfect
water bowl every other day with 5% bleach solution(2tbs. bleach to 1gal. of water).

NOTE: Many adult/subadult snakes refuse food for winter months(wintering period),if it appears healthy(no spine or ribs showing),temp. in the enclosure can be dropped down to mid 60's for 1-3months. I usually keep it at no colder than 71-72 degreesF. Just my personal thing though.

Ball Python Care Sheet

Ball Python Care Sheet

Temps: day ambient 80-85F Basking 90F-93F Night 75-80F

Humidity: they come from africa a very arid area (not in shed cycle) 30-50% In shed cycle 60-65%

Shedding: increase humidity and hydration. After eyes clear, bathe in water 10 min. they should do a complete shed within 24 hrs.

Pinkbelly: getting ready for a 7-14 day shed cycle. (usually 10 days but I have one that has taken up to 14 days)!

R.I. Signs(respiratory infection): Clear fluid coming from nostrils or mouth, wheezing or

popping as it breathes, open mouth breathing. Increase the humidity & get it to a vet!!!!

Interaction: Ball or as in Europe they are commonly called Royal pythons are sensitive so I

recommend a 7 day period before you handle them or feed them so they can get acclimated to their new home. Before the 7 day period, I only handle them @ night because that is when they are naturally awake in the wild. After that week of getting used to it's new enclosure and surroundings, you can handle them anytime after that.

Feed Schedule: up to 2-3 yrs. of age(18-36") 7-10 days appropiate sized meal. ADULTS 2-3

adult mice or appropiate sized rat.(how I tell correct size is look at the middle of the snake and if it isn't bigger than that size, it's ok to feed it. Only use f/t (frozen/thawed) because live mice and/or rats can seriously hurt or even kill your snake.(www.rodentpro.com) They are humanely euthanized.

Housing: min 20 gal(30x12x12) Good is 30 gal(36x12x18) 40 gal breeder is best!

Size: 3-5 ft. Largest was 6 1/2 ft.

Waste Cycle: usually every 4-6 weeks, but it depends on feeding schedule and animals

metabolism.

Important Note: If recently fed, no hotter than 92F or no cooler than 75F! When empty

of food, are generally more tolerant of a wider range of temps. Also may not eat during the breeding season(Nov.- Mar.)

I have been to alot of DVM's web sites and they seem to agree Natural Chemistrys-Healthy Habitat is a top notch cage cleaner. ( Lianne McLeod),DVM

As with all care sheets some variances do well than others,as these are just meant for guidelines... :-)

Jungle Carpet Python Care Sheet

Jungle Carpet Python Care Sheet

Size: 41/2-7ft

Enclosure: adults 40 gal. or larger

Temp: day ambient 80-90F night 75-80F

Substrate: newspaper, indoor/outdoor carpeting, aspen

Environment: cage furniture such as branches should be provided to climb. Elevated hide boxes can also be provided for a greater sense of security.

Humidity: 60-70% can go up to 80% after eyes clear during a shed.

Maintenance: temp gradient (as with all snakes). Fresh water daily. Spot clean daily. Every other day disinfect water bowl /5% blach solution(2tbs. bleach per 1 gal. water). Always wash hands before and after handling snake and any cage items so as not to transfer bacteria.

NOTE: Jungle carpet pythons do not show the adult coloration until they get to about 3-4ft.,

so it is tough to tell as neonates what they will look like as adults, but looking at the parents is a good resource.

Burmese Python Care Sheet

NOT A SNAKE FOR BEGINNERS!


Size: Easily reach 20ft/over 200lbs!
Enclosure: young 20 gal (18-24") sub and adults custom enclosures mandatory! I use a minimum 10'L x 4'W x 6'H. Though larger are always encouraged
Temp: Day ambient-85-90F (ambient means the temp range throughout the entire size of the enclosure). Basking-90-93F ( hot spot) Always use a temp gradient cool spot on one side of cage, (and you want to put the water bowl there) and hot basking spot with a hide box on both sides.
Humidity: 60-70% misting is a must. Don't mist again until the first misting is dry.
Substrate: indoor/outdoor carpet over top linoleum (so as not promote fungal growth ) and ease to clean (just replace carpet), newspaper, all time favorite aspen. But don't feed on aspen because of stomach impaction will result if it gets eaten. (That would be like us eating a bunch of toothpicks all at once).
Hide Box: I use the largest rubbermaid storage bin I can find. Disinfect w/5% bleach(2tbs. per 1 gal water). Rinse so no bleach remains befor you place into cage.
Maintenance: Change water daily. Spot clean enclosure daily for feces,etc.. Disinfect water bowl w/5% bleach solution. Soak for 10 min rinse vigorously so no bleach residue remains.
Wash hands BEFORE and AFTER handling any snake and cage items so as not to transfer bacteria.
Photo Period: I use 12hr. light 12 hr dark. Because I don't breed and until every unwanted snake is put into a life long home, I don't believe in it.

NOTE: Please if you want to leave a comment I would really love to hear from you.

Gopher, Bull, Pine Snake Care Sheet

Enclosure: 20 gal min. the size of these snakes go up to 8 ft.
Temperature: 75-85 F (ambient) meaning the temp to maintain throughout the entire range of the enclosure.
Humidity: 50-60%
HEAT/LIGHT: ut heaters(under the tank heaters) the ones people use for their backs are ok and alot cheaper than the ones you buy at the pet store; red heat bulbs, does not require UV...
Substrate: I personally use aspen shavings, they are non-toxic and relatively cheap (@ wal-mart), potting soil to allow for burrowing. Never use cedar as this is toxic to all snakes!
Maintenance: Fresh water daily! Spot clean as necessary. A 5% bleach solution is an excellent disinfectant. (2 TBS per 1 GAL of water). Always wash hands before and after handling any and every snake and cage item so you do not transfer any bacteria from or to yourself or from and to your snakes.

Snakes are not your enemy.

In the coming months you will find my blog full of information about snakes. How to take care of them, what they eat and how to feed them, how often do they shed their skin. You name it, I hope to cover it. I want people to know that snakes are not the monsters that it is believed they are. We need them in our environment. They help keep the rodent population down. And most importantly they mean YOU no harm.