Escolha de cobra | Boa bibliografia

[JoaoMM]

Thorgath

O Bob Clark já confirmou a ida à Terraristika (mas a Fluffy foi vendida a um Zoo - San Diego ? - aqui há uns meses atrás)

[Thorgarth]

Thorgath

O Bob Clark já confirmou a ida à Terraristika (mas a Fluffy foi vendida a um Zoo - San Diego ? - aqui há uns meses atrás)

Eu já a tinha visto num zoo qualquer mas não com referência a venda... pensava que tinha sido cedida temporariamente.

[hdamasio]

Gostava de saber a vossa opinião.

Thamnophis sirtalis concinnus

Só preciso de me informar melhor.
E parece que existirão a venda na Hamm.

[JoaoMM]

Nunca tive nenhuma, mas penso que não é uma espécie de difícil manutenção, ainda que requeira certos cuidados especiais, quer quanto ao habitat (semi-aquático), quer quanto ao tipo de alimentação (inclui peixes e sapos/rãs).

Mas lê com atenção isto, que seguramente vai ajudar: http://www.gartersnake.co.uk/

[Thorgarth]

A minha Holbrooki iria gostar ....

É uma opção interessante e que te permite criares terrários bem giros (quando ela tiver já uma certa dimensão e idade, até lá como o P_R te diria utiliza um Faunário, ainda que possas brincar com ele um pouco também ).

[hdamasio]

Muito provavelmente será esta a minha escolha..ainda tenho que ler e reler mas para já existe uma questão que me "assusta" um pouco.

Alimentação.

Já li que podem ser alimentadas exclusivamente de ratos, mas que também comem peixes, insectos, ras, ( são omniveras portanto ).

douradas ? bombinas ? gafanhotos ?

tenho que dar especial atenção a esta parte.

[Romba]

está aqui um segmento que encontrei sobre a alimentaçao.

"Garter snakes as a group tend to be good feeders, and many are rather omnivorous. Many keepers favour mice, and most garter snakes either readily take mice of suitable size, or can be persuaded to.

Other common prey items are earthworms (if you use these, it is vital to know that they have come from ground in which no pesticides have been used, and to avoid the red-striped "brandlings" from compost heaps, often sold as fishing bait, which are highly acidic and possibly toxic to snakes), fish, frogs, slugs and even meat.

Keepers should be aware that there is evidence that some garter snakes are predisposed to thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency. This is thought to occur if they are fed an exclusive diet of oily fish, which are rich in an enzyme called thiaminase. This enzyme will destroy thiamine, so even if vitamin supplement is added to the diet or drinking water, it will still be destroyed. The manifestations of this deficiency are of loss of co-ordination, head waving, balance disturbance, anorexia, weakness, and finally convulsions and death. I have known animals showing the early stages of symptoms to make a full recovery with a change of diet.

There are herpetologists who do not believe in the phenomenon of dietary-induced thiamine-deficiency in garter snakes. I do believe in it, and have had snakes die of these exact symptoms in my early days of snake-keeping in the 1970s, when the easiest (and cheapest!) diet was whitebait, a goldfish-sized fish sold for the human market. These are eaten whole (by humans and garter snakes!). They are sold frozen in packet of 1 lb (450g). The thiaminase can be destroyed by heating the fish in hot water at 180 deg F (80 deg C) for 5 mins, but this results in a very messy product.

Other fish of this thiaminase-containing type include mackerel, spratt and herring.

Another useful food is a product called 'Garter Grub' marketed by Dinosaur Nutrition (a branch of T-Rex). This is sold frozen in pre-packaged containers. It is based on whole vertebrate prey items and is nutritionally complete. There are different preparations for adults and juveniles. It is sold in user-friendly plastic packages from which individual portions can be popped out much as ice cubes from an ice-tray. Most garter snakes take to it readily. It is available in Petsmart stores, but in some rural areas or small towns (such as where I live!) it may not be widely available. For a large collection it can work out as an expensive feeding method:- a 95g container retails at about £4 (US$ 6). Two large female garters could eat this in one sitting.

Frequency of feeding depends on the food being offered, and the size of snake. I generally feed adult snakes once or twice a week, as I use a fish-based diet. I allow the snakes to eat as much as they want. Snakes fed on mice will only require feeding once a week. Babies need more frequent feeds, and for the first two months of life I usually feed them on alternate days. This provides a rapid growth.

Over-eating is rarely a problem in garter snakes, but I have had some animals, usually females, with a tendency to become obese. These animals are restricted to four food items once a week.

One word of warning - hungry snakes will often grab at anything moving when they can smell food. This can sometimes result in accidental bites being sustained, but of more concern is the risk of snakes accidentally attacking each other. I have seen this many times, and although the snakes usually realise their mistake and let go of the other snake, occasionally the snake will just keep swallowing. This is particularly common in baby snakes, and especially with worms. If two snakes grab opposite ends of a worm, the faster will sometimes just keep eating, until he has finished the snake attached to the other end. Invariably this results in the death of both snakes. It is generally a good idea to supervise feeding if snakes are housed collectively. "

Se nao entenderem bem usem um tradutora, qualquer coisa pm para um.

[hdamasio]

já tinha lido, é do link que o JoaoMM forneceu.

[Romba]

oops peço desculpa entao vou apagar o post.

[Thorgarth]

Todo o alimento tem que ser proporcional à dimensão da cobra mas em relaçãos peixes não deve ser dificil encontrar e baratinhos. Quanto aos insectos não sei se elas pegam em todos os tipos ou só aqueles mais molinhos, mas sempre tens tenébrio enquanto for pequena (é capaz de dar mas...) e depois tens as lesmas e caracois. Agora encontra-los livres de problemas é que não sei se será fácil já que apanhaar do campo é um rsico bem grande.

[deadman]

sempre podem fazer criaçao dos caracois africanos que existem nas petshop

[hdamasio]

"Snakes fed on mice will only require feeding once a week"

O que posso fazer, é dar-lhe uma alimentação á base de ratos, e vario/completo a dieta de vez em quando com insectos e peixe.

"em relaçãos peixes não deve ser dificil encontrar e baratinhos" a que tipos de peixes te referes ?

Á pouco encontrei um forum ( http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/ ) tenho que ler para ver como fazem lá fora

[Thorgarth]

"Snakes fed on mice will only require feeding once a week"

O que posso fazer, é dar-lhe uma alimentação á base de ratos, e vario/completo a dieta de vez em quando com insectos e peixe.

"em relaçãos peixes não deve ser dificil encontrar e baratinhos" a que tipos de peixes te referes ? Á pouco encontrei um forum ( http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/ ) tenho que ler para ver como fazem lá fora

Guppies e outros do género. Mas dá uma vista de olhos neese fórum que lá encontras muita informção. Nomeadamente parece que eleas até comem bem peixe como truta ou salmão cortatinho em pedaços pequenos, e Earth worms, que encontras em algumas lojas de animais.

[hdamasio]

Bom fica aqui já um pouco de informação, futuramente quando estiver mais dentro do assunto poderei fazer uma pequena care sheet.

A questão é, se me decidir por esta espécie a minha única oportunidade será pedir a alguém que ma traga de Hamm, porque cá ... opiniões são aceites



Housing
At an absolute minimum, the length plus the width of an enclosure's floorspace should equal the length of your snake. This, however, often restricts movement and encourages a sedintary lifestyle, which is fine during brumation, but not appropriate for daily living conditions. Activity levels increase as floor space increases, so garter snakes are generally more active in larger enclosures. A standard ten gallon aquarium here would be the minimum recommended primary habitat for a single, adult male garter snake or 8-10 newborns. Multiple snakes require even more space to avoid stress-related suppression of the immune system.

Substrates
The substrate is generally the floor covering, the main point to consider is that your snake’s substrate must be dry. If your snake is kept in a damp vivarium then it will get blisters. There are many types and all have good and bad points and here are some examples of a few.

Newspaper:

Easy to clean, when it gets soiled, remove it and replace with a clean piece. Newspapers are cheap if not free and readily available, it is also fairly useful if you need a simple setup, (in the case of monitoring a sick snake, or constant substrate changes to clear mites etc. ) It's not the most aesthetically pleasing covering, and also not the most natural for your snake. Take care that it does not get too wet, paper is fairly absorbent, but care must be taken to not let it get moist as this can cause blistering on your snake.

Paper Towels:

Very similar to Newspaper, very easy to clean and an ideal substrate for monitoring a sick snake (looking for mites, colour of faeces etc.) again though not that aesthetically pleasing, great absorption rates, but can get 'mushy' if too wet. Always replace if wet. Again it is easy to get hold of, cheap and easy to use.

Astroturf:

Astroturf looks nicer than paper towels or newspaper. It comes in a variety of colors (red, blue, green, black) and can complement your snake's coloration. It's easy to see when snakes have defecated on astroturf, but thoroughly cleaning it without removing it is practically impossible. It is not absorbant, so liquid and smaller waste products filter down through the astroturf and often lie on the bottom of the enclosure. The obvious presence of feces causes the owner to remove the astroturf and clean the snake's enclosure more often than might occur using more natural substrates. The sheets are easily removed and replaced, so it's more convenient to have at least two pre-cut sheets of astroturf for each cage. One replaces the other when it's being cleaned. After one sheet has been removed, it's easy to clean the remaining waste products from the bottom of the enclosure with a mild bleach solution. If the astroturf isn't precisely cut to fit the enclosure, garter snakes will get underneath it and disappear from view. Astroturf absorbs neither moisture nor odor.

Wood Chips:

These are special chips of wood that have very rounded edges and no dust, a very good substrate giving a more natural look. If it is used in depth, then your snake is likely to burrow in it. For this reason be careful that you do not put too deep a covering over heat mats, as your snake may unintentionally cook itself! Wood chips are easy to ‘spot clean’ in-between thorough cage cleaning. The down side is that as it is specially created, it can be quite expensive; it is usually sold in reptile friendly pet stores. I would recommend this.

Wood bark:

This really does look good in a vivarium, very natural and of odd shapes and sizes. This can be obtained from a number of places; pet stores often stock it, but it can be very expensive to buy it this way. Garden centres sell larger bags much cheaper; however this will not have been treated to remove all mites and flies etc and also maybe too damp. We leave ours hung in old pillow cases in the porch to dry, and then microwave for a few seconds before using, to kill any nasty organisms! Buying it in this way is really cheap, and it really does look good. I would recommend this.

Sawdust:

NO! Don’t use sawdust; the dust can cause breathing problems for your snake and if stuck on food it can cause impaction..

Wood Shavings (Aspen?):

This is a popular bedding, however can have sharp bits, Care should be taken not to get a scented bedding, and also to ensure that it is dust extracted (as the dust can cause breathing problems). Wood shavings have a medium absorbency and can easily be spot cleaned. Wood shavings can give a natural look if used with some complimentary furniture.

Cat Litter:

Cat litter comes in many forms now, and although many would not be suitable, natural cat litter made from compressed wood/sawdust is excellent. It looks much like small pellets of wood, but swells up and crumbles if it gets moist. This can be mixed with the reptile wood chips to give a very natural looking substrate which also has high absorption properties. I have used this mixture for several years with no problems. The cat litter must be 100% natural though! I would recommend this.

Gravel:

Gravel is a nice looking substrate; although maybe not the most natural environment for your snake. Gravel is not easy to clean either and very hard to keep dry. Because it has no absorption properties, any wet mess spreads on the base surface, making spot cleaning impossible. Washing gravel completely, then drying it can still leave it ‘smelly’ especially if you feed primarily on fish. I would not recommend gravel.

Sand:

Again sand can look good, but it is not really a natural substrate for your snake, similar to gravel for cleaning so quite hard work. Sand can also cause major problems for your snake if ingested, so if you decide to use sand, ensure that you feed outside of the tank. I would not recommend sand.

Heating
It's best to provide a temperature gradient within the enclosure, so the snake(s) can choose the temperature that suits them at any given time. The daytime range should be between about 72-88F (22-30C). Nighttime temperatures shouldn't regularly fall below about 65F (18C) for northern species or 75F (21C) for southern species. Though these are somewhat higher than ambient nighttime temperatures throughout much of their range, it keeps their metabolism slightly elevated and enhances growth, digestion, and immunity. Snakes will generally choose warmer temperatures during the day and while digesting and cooler temperatures at night and for sleeping. Different day:night temperature regimes can be created simply by plugging the heat source into an automatic timer that shuts off for approximately 6-8 hours during the night and re-activates in the morning. More sophisticated (and much more expensive) thermostats are also available that precisely lower the temperature to a preset point, but they're not generally necessary.

The most popular heating methods include attaching a heat mat to the bottom of the enclosure on one side or adding a spot or infrared light to the top of the enclosure. These methods naturally make one end of the enclosure warmer than the other, and provide a basking spot. If the heat source is placed over or under the water dish, it will increase the humidity, and if it is placed at the other end of the enclosure, it will decrease the humidity. Thus, the heat source has a dual function.

Since snakes are ectotherms, the heat you provide plays a critical role in regulating their metabolic rate. Feeding rates, digestion and passage rates, growth, immunity, and activity levels are all affected by the temperature gradient that you provide. Not surprisingly, the first line of defense for an ailing snake is to raise the temperature in its enclosure to approximately 90F (32C) day and night to give their immune system a boost. This technique, however, is not a suitable substitute for proper medical attention. It is merely the first step toward recovery and should not be continued beyond a week to 10 days.

Feeding
TYPICAL TYPES OF FOOD:
earthworms (beware not to feed them poisonous one's like "red wigglers")
whole fish (beware of those containing thiaminase, including goldfish)
common types include flathead minnows, guppies, zebrafish
fish fillets/strips (leave bones within strip, but remove sharp edges)
common types include salmon, trout, bass, pike, perch
meat strips - (need occasional calcium supplementation; roughly every two weeks)
mice (pinkies, fuzzies, hoppers, juveniles, adults)
mice parts (particularily for baby garters)
amphibians (salamanders, frogs, toads, tadpoles) are commonly fed, but they're notorious for carrying parasites


Some Notes:
Sometimes brumation (hibernation) is necessary to make snakes breed, also needed around winter some snakes will automatically go off feed because their internal clock says its time to brumate
Make sure they are not skinny and in good health. (there are exceptions such as ones that wont eat)
I would not recommend brumating anything smaller than 16 inches for the purpose of breeding because they are more likely to die
Brumating is a natural part of a snakes life and some people feel that you should do it even if you are not breeding or it does not go off food