Keeping snakes in small containers

[firedream]

Geez its just too complicated.

 

[xxMelissaxx]

Could you give me a site address for this i would love to read about it.

To start with, all you need to do is just google an image of the brain of a snake and have a read up on the individual brain structures - most of the stuff isn't too complicated. Once you see what is present and what is noticeably absent, it will become apparent that a lot of people are simply anthropomorphistic.

You'll have to have a look through some databases for the journal articles that go into specific cognitive abilities. You'll also need to have some knowledge on the brain and its functions to understand these papers. When I finish work tonight I'll have a dig around though my material at home and PM you if I find some stuff that is relevant.

 

[Waterrat]

Could you give me a site address for this i would love to read about it.

You're asking for a site address. Melissa is suggesting you read primary literature, i.e. scientific papers. Internet sites rarely deal with such issues and if they do, you can't trust their integrity.

 

[firedream]

Yes I'm just to confused now too many big words. sorry.

 

[xxMelissaxx]

Well my home library would not have literature papers in it so i figure any reading is better than none. But i will ask my boss if she has any idea where i can get some info. She is a vet and her library alone at the clinic is amazing. Otherwise i'll ask the honour student i was volunteering for capturing carpet pythons in leschenault peninsula, she should have something being that she was studying them. The conversation about the intelligence of snakes was not among the conversations we had while working together. Hopefully I haven't fried my brain so much while studying conservation and wildlife biology at uni and its not too complicated for me.

Maybe you should start a thread in the introduction section for this sort of stuff as it is kind of irrelevant to the topic..

 

[cement]

This is so true... I notice my snakes using their branches to help push their meals down. Once they have eaten they like to do a bit of climbing and moving until they have pushed that food right down. I wonder how this would affect an animal that could barely move.

I am referring to the actual digestion, swallowing can be accomplished quite easily in a confined space.

 

[jamesn48]

As long as the tub isn't too small and meets all the animals needs i don't have a problem with tubs, there very useful for housing hatchies. However i keep my reptiles in 'natural' enclosures simply because it looks good.

 

[firedream]

Maybe you should start a thread in the introduction section for this sort of stuff as it is kind of irrelevant to the topic..

Yes, yes it is. Your completely correct.

 

[aussie-albino]

Just my personal preference, but I like to see my pythons exploring there enclosures at night, stretching out full length, I like to see my carpets wrapped around a branch scanning the floor below watching for food and I like the healthy glow they get to there skin when they get to see a bit of good old fashoined sunlight for 15-20 minutes a couple of times a week.

cheers
Scott

 

[pyrodarknessanny]

wow this is still going!

not sure if this has been said yet (probably has by now)

but, lets look at this from the snake/lizards POV.
reptiles DON'T enjoy beeing out in the open and in full view of the world (glass frount enclosure lets say in the lounge room)
they feel safer if they think no one is watching them, and would be more inclined to move about get a drink and sit on the hot spot when they feel safe. (in an opaque colored tub/container)
where as in a glass frount enclosuer all thou it migh look pritter to you and me, is a lot more open and therforth exposed and so the reptiles are going to spend more time hiding and be under more stress than the ones in the rack,

with the rack depending on the types of containers used, the reptiels would not notice foot traffic half the time, but in the glass enclosuer, there going to notice every time some one or some thing (other pets, dogs cats etc) walk past and disturb them.

 

[Ships]

I haven't read the whole thread, but I do have some of my animals in tubs and some in larger enclosures. Others reside in enclosures through the summer and tubs in winter to ease the heating load. The vast majority of pythons are ambush predators, hence they don't move a lot. Generally I see my animals in the larger enclosures when they are hungry, when they have fed they stay in their hide box unless they need to thermoregulate or drink. For this reason providing the tubs are of an adequate size to allow some thermoregulation and space to move around with hidebox and water dish I cant see a problem. If a python is well fed, not stressed and has a proper heat cradient they dont move around too much unless they got mites or hungry

 

[Darlyn]

wow this is still going!

not sure if this has been said yet (probably has by now)

but, lets look at this from the snake/lizards POV.
reptiles DON'T enjoy beeing out in the open and in full view of the world (glass frount enclosure lets say in the lounge room)
they feel safer if they think no one is watching them, and would be more inclined to move about get a drink and sit on the hot spot when they feel safe. (in an opaque colored tub/container)
where as in a glass frount enclosuer all thou it migh look pritter to you and me, is a lot more open and therforth exposed and so the reptiles are going to spend more time hiding and be under more stress than the ones in the rack,

with the rack depending on the types of containers used, the reptiels would not notice foot traffic half the time, but in the glass enclosuer, there going to notice every time some one or some thing (other pets, dogs cats etc) walk past and disturb them.

Your comparisons don't add up. If a glass front enlosure is not in a high traffic area and a rack is, the argument is reversed.
A snake in a plastic box still senses the vibrations, so they will notice foot trafiic.

 

[pistachio117]

Agree very much with Waterrat-they care for their animals but when it comes down to it many people are keeping reptiles to breed them and then make plenty of cash from it, it's of course better for the reptile and the keeper when the keeper's main goal is make sure they are healthy and happy, and to enjoy and learn from these amazing creatures for what they are. Keeping large snakes, well any snakes, in small tubs for their entire lives is quite cruel in my opinion.

 

[Waterrat]

reptiles DON'T enjoy beeing out in the open and in full view of the world (glass frount enclosure lets say in the lounge room)
they feel safer if they think no one is watching them, and would be more inclined to move about get a drink and sit on the hot spot when they feel safe. (in an opaque colored tub/container)

How do you know that? Any real evidence? How can you tell what reptiles are "enjoying" and what not?
Reptiles in Zoo exhibits are exposed to full view of the world and they're doing very well.

 

[longqi]

When ever I put on a bit of music such as Mettallica one of my retics slips his head out of the roof cavity and sways to the music. So to say that most snakes dont enjoy human contact and being incorporated into everyday life is rubbish
As soon as people begin to understand that snakes are very similar in many ways to other pets they will start treating them the same way
Reptiles have had 30,000 years of being treated pretty badly
Only been treated as pets very recently
Look at the huge retics and burmese that sleep with kids etc etc
That is only possible because they have been incorporated into general family life
They know and understand a lot more than most people give them credit for
..

 

[Jungletrans]

l am going to move all mine into 100mm plastic water pipes , just cut a bit longer than the snake . l can keep hundreds of them in a hall closet . The 4ft+ enclosures l can use to house the Great Danes l plan to breed . As for the obvious throw off about the mice breeders , that is why l breed my own .

 

[user 23122]

just like bettsy the boa that bit her owners face. It only takes one bite to throw that theory of yours out the window!

When ever I put on a bit of music such as Mettallica one of my retics slips his head out of the roof cavity and sways to the music. So to say that most snakes dont enjoy human contact and being incorporated into everyday life is rubbish
As soon as people begin to understand that snakes are very similar in many ways to other pets they will start treating them the same way
Reptiles have had 30,000 years of being treated pretty badly
Only been treated as pets very recently
Look at the huge retics and burmese that sleep with kids etc etc
That is only possible because they have been incorporated into general family life
They know and understand a lot more than most people give them credit for
..

 

[Wookie]

just like bettsy the boa that bit her owners face. It only takes one bite to throw that theory of yours out the window!

Not exactly. Behaviour and intelligence is more complex than that! I'm sure you've snapped at somebody before, I sure have. And I still think I'm Einstein ;P

 

[whyme]

Agree very much with Waterrat-they care for their animals but when it comes down to it many people are keeping reptiles to breed them and then make plenty of cash from it, it's of course better for the reptile and the keeper when the keeper's main goal is make sure they are healthy and happy, and to enjoy and learn from these amazing creatures for what they are. Keeping large snakes, well any snakes, in small tubs for their entire lives is quite cruel in my opinion.

Who says they're in small tubs. I think some of you people need to see a rack setup before you make a stupid comment!

 

[longqi]

I have a fairly large number of breeding GTPs and Burmese so I know exactly what a rack setup is like
For COMMERCIAL BREEDERS there is nothing better
But for the other 99% of reptile owners keeping such a beautiful animal in a plastic box just helps expand the myths about snakes
For anyone to keep large snakes in a box where it cannot stretch out borders on animal cruelty in my opinion
Throughout Asia there are hundreds of large retics etc kept in small enclosures
They are Always sluggish and have poor muscle definition
Most comments I get at my displays is "WOW these are so strong and active"

So I know both points of view on this subject being both a breeder and a demonstrator

This is at the breeding site
You can see the HATCHLING RACKS
But ONLY Hatchlings are kept like that

Yes that is a lavender retic.....