[Zoodulcis]

Perhaps they provide increased ventilation.  Ventilation is important, as I’m sure you know.

[Zoodulcis]

What state is that?  Just in case other forum readers need a heads up.

[Zoodulcis]

Yeah really, I wonder why the last one died?  Some people.  Mango is lucky to have you. I take it you have provided her with a UVB lamp? Do you give her calcium with D3 or without?

[Zoodulcis]

Toothless, did you shred those jeans?

[Zoodulcis]

The hammock over the dashboard is hilarious enough.  She must be a hoot when chasing crickets.  How old is she?

[Zoodulcis]

I am surprised you need a permit for a corn snake that is captive bred.  Must be a state thing and I bet your permit would take about 30 days, but of course, who knows 😉

[Zoodulcis]

In my world, 60 days is not a big deal.  A migratory bird permit takes a minimum of 90 days.  This is a life path that can require a great deal of patience, tenacity and humor.  Bureaucracy and red tape, all the live long day.  That is the reality and it is not always a bad thing.  What species is it that your friend has for adoption?

[Zoodulcis]

Will this arrangement result in little geckos, do you think?

[Zoodulcis]

Thorn looks like he has a pretty sweet set-up in his habitat.  How old is he?

[Zoodulcis]

Most reputable animal rescues do require an application for foster parents or even new owners.  I think that speaks well for them.  If they have snakes for fostering, do you think you would take one?

[Zoodulcis]

She is a beauty, and what a great way to indulge your crisis!  Buying crickets in small quantities and indeed take a bite out of one’s wallet.  Buying in bulk is what many keepers resort to, which means keeping them alive until you need them.  But not only is that better on your wallet, but it’s also better for your girl, because that way you can provide a custom gut loading diet that you are confident has the required nutrition, and not just depend on the petstore doing it for you.  If you need advice on cricket keeping, let me know and I will provide you with some tips.

[Zoodulcis]

Hello again Todd,

I have consulted with some journals to make sure that my answer to you is supported by other experts.  As I suspected, it is best to err on the side of smaller, rather than larger.  Hognose snakes in the wild will eat a wide variety of prey, true, but their absolute favorite is toads.  Toads will puff up to prevent ingestion by a snake, a defense mechanism that the hognose has evolved to overcome.  They have an unusually large mouth and jaws that can disarticulate more than many snake species, and in fact resemble species such as the egg-eating snake more than most colubrids in this regard.  They can seize and overcome prey that is really too large for their digestive system, thanks to the rear fang action and a mild neurotoxin produced.  Prey that can be accommodated by the big mouth, may not be able to accommodated by the mid-section, and regurgitation will occur.  This is hard on the snake, although certainly not fatal, but frequent regurgitation can set the animal’s growth back and damage the digestive tract.  So for the keeper, smaller is better.  To get a feel for when it is time to go up from pinkies to fuzzies (who are less fattening and have more protein and calcium), take a string and measure the snake’s mid-section.  If the circumference of the widest part of the snake will accommodate the girth of a fuzzie, then the time has come to offer them.  If the snake seems to be struggling with digestion, go back to pinkies for a few weeks, and then try again.  Hognose snakes are not a large species, and depending upon which subspecies you possess, may never be able to handle an adult mouse safely, but should be fine with a hopper.  I hope this advice helps you in your feeding decision-making.

[Zoodulcis]

Hi Todd,

I am Critter Depot’s resident zoologist and I want to give you a comprehensive answer.  Please check back in 48 hours for my response.

[Zoodulcis]

Does Medusa have daily access to natural sun or combo heat lamps?  If not, a cheap supplement with no whiz-bang vitamins or probiotics or any of that expensive stuff  but that does have D3 should be offered to her 3 times per week in order to prevent metabolic bone disease.

[Zoodulcis]

My guess is that the relaxation response is the key.  It lowers cortico-adrenal stress from being handled and puts him a better head space for several hours afterward.  I assume as an adult, he would just become so habituated to handling that he would be super chill, whether a bath was involved or not.  Is he your first beardie?

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