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falconboy

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Hey all,

I did a wires reptile foster care course the other day and one of the instructors had a rescue red naped snake (not sure why it was a rescue, it looked fine to me).

Anyway, this thing was adorable, and my kind of snake, I'd love one. I realise finding one, let alone a pair would be like finding a needle in a haystack, however my question is in regards to feeding - now if these snakes eat predominantly skinks yet we aren't allowed technically to take garden skinks from our yard to feed to something, yet they are on Class 1 in NSW (which would generally indicate not difficult to care for), how do NPWS expect we would be feeding them?

Thanks
 
You are allowed to feed skinks, just as long as they're not collected from National Parks or reserves.
 
I'm not sure how it works in NSW, but in QLD I believe it was legal to take some 'feeder skinks' from the wild, but only certain species. Then again, this might have changed with the introduction of the new laws a couple of years ago.

But then you've got potential parasite issues etc, so yes, not the ideal solution.

I seriously doubt you'll find many (if any) in captivity though. I did see a site recently selling furina ornata, but not diadema and "only in exceptional circumstances." I'll see if I can figure out who it was...
 
It was Reedy's Reptiles http://www.reedysreptiles.com/ and it looks like they only sell WC specimens, which suggests to me that there is issues with keeping specimens alive in captivity.
 
I've got little whip snakes onto pinkies, but they still need to be scented at the moment. Other people with similar snakes use pinky pumps or force feed rat tails but its a lot of work.
 
It was Reedy's Reptiles http://www.reedysreptiles.com/ and it looks like they only sell WC specimens, which suggests to me that there is issues with keeping specimens alive in captivity.

Thanks for that. I've emailed them for some info. Not that it will turn into anything, but I would like to know availability etc however they way I read their site they don't often sell them as they are sold as 'non feeding' due to feeding difficulty. However I'm not sure why it would be a problem if NPWS allow us to feed garden skinks - I could have caught a dozen earlier today when I was outside having a smoke - they were running all over the place!

So if its allowed and they eat these in the wild - why the problems keeping them? I assume they probably only eat the amount of skinks that larger snakes would eat of mice, and I'm assuming on average over a year to be 1 feed a week??? (I have no idea on snake feeding habits) which would only mean 52 small skinks a year....that would be easy! :shock:
 
You would really have to question the ethics of rescuing a reptile that requires far more wild reptiles to be killed to feed it, surely it would conflict with bleeding heart principles :lol:

Anyway im hoping to get some wild caught F.oranata and have been on the list for a while and heard nothing :(
Not too sure how much they need to eat but they are elapids not pythons, so they would most likely feed more often than pythons.

Mr.B are you sure you can feed them any skinks in NSW? that sounds unlikely to me :? sure i guess you can, but is it legal? We are right in Qld though as mentioned above and we also have AHG's running all over the place, not sure if Furina eat geckos though?

Would lizard eating species live a normal lifespan on an unatural diet of rodents?
 
No worries, falconboy :)

Keep in mind there may be more than feeding issues; there could be serious stress issues or any number of other things.

I think that skink feeding would become a pain in the backside quickly though, especially if you ran out. We used to get tonnes of the little things around here, but now it's a rare day when you see one... what would you do if you could no longer find them with ease? Pinky pump? That might keep it alive for a while, but surely that can't be good for the animal long term.

In the past I wanted some of these also, they're beautiful little elapids, but in my opinion there's some species that are best left in the wild, and I think this is one of them. That's my two cents worth, and if anyone has successfully maintained them in captivity, I'll happily retract it (and ask for some, because I'd like them too :).

Best of luck with it, anyway. Let me know how you go :)
 
Would lizard eating species live a normal lifespan on an unatural diet of rodents?
I guess so... Reptile eating pythons live fine lives eating mammals. (BHPs and womas)

Or is this different..?
 
No worries, falconboy :)

Keep in mind there may be more than feeding issues; there could be serious stress issues or any number of other things.

I would imagine you wouldnt see them too much and they would be fairly "boring"(not meant in a bad way just couldnt think of a better word) like say a python. As a kid i kept a white crowned snake for a few weeks(just joking i wouldnt keep wild herps as a kid) and i found it very easy to look after and feed, i would imagine Furina would be fairly similar as far as husbandry requirements go.
 
You could very well be right, cris :)

I would imagine you wouldnt see them too much and they would be fairly "boring"(not meant in a bad way just couldnt think of a better word) like say a python. As a kid i kept a white crowned snake for a few weeks(just joking i wouldnt keep wild herps as a kid) and i found it very easy to look after and feed, i would imagine Furina would be fairly similar as far as husbandry requirements go.
 
I guess so... Reptile eating pythons live fine lives eating mammals. (BHPs and womas)

Or is this different..?

To my limited knowledge BHP's are prone to complications due to the much higher fat diet of rodents. Although fat content in rodents can also vary alot as would the amount fed etc. Womas arnt exclusively reptile eaters. Perhaps someone will keep a BHP for its maximum life span(which would be unknown) on a diet of rodents, it is possible but it probably wont be known for a long time. To be honest its one of the reasons i havnt got around to buying a BHP, simply because i cant provide what i would consider a proper diet.
 
Thanks guys.

A lot to think about. Shame there are so few people who have a fair bit of experience keeping these snakes in captivity. I don't expect I will ever own one - we can only wish I guess.
 
Personally I'd never want to own a snake I couldn't readily feed properly. There are a few snakes out there that if you wanna keep them you have to force feed them etc.. doesn't seem like a great life for the snake to live through just 'cause I wanted it in my house to look at.

This isn't a personal feeling about this thread, just a general thought of mine on the harder to keep snakes.
 
Rodent limbs dipped in skink paste every two to three weeks.
 
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