Feeding milksnake waxworms full#

White treefrogs, horned frogs, and the beloved red-eye treefrog are always on hand.Ĭaptive bred animals are much hardier, but they still require proper husbandry. The most rewarding experience in arachnoculture is to rear one of these baby spiderlings to an adult with a 6 to 8 inch legspan and outrageous coloration.Īmphibian lovers shouldn’t feel left out. We’ve just gotten some new exotic species like the Trinidad Chevron, Goliath Birdeaters, Mexican Firelegs, and South American Suntigers. Tarantula buffs, affectionately known as arachnophiles, will actually save money on most species by buying captive bred babies. There will never be a need to feed a live mouse or rat. All snakes we sell are feeding regularly on pre-killed, frozen and then thawed rodents. Captive bred specimens are preferable because they accept pre-killed rodents readily.

They sometimes do not adjust to captivity for many months, and are not recommended as pets. Wild caught ball pythons are heavily parasitized and extremely prey specific. Corn snakes, king snakes, red tail boas, and Burmese pythons are just a few.īall pythons, available as captive babies, are a good example of the benefits of captive breeding. Almost all of the snakes we carry are captive bred. Leopard geckos, bearded dragons, veiled chameleons, and water dragons are captive bred and born lizards are readily available. Captive breeding bypasses all of the stress and parasites, making them much more suitable for pet purposes. The stress, combined with even a minimal parasite load, produces a heavy mortality rate. Wild caught reptiles have to endure large amounts of stress before they reach the customer.

Captive produced reptiles are not only disease free, but are also almost always easier to handle and keep. We carry a large number of species, but always choose the captive bred specimens over wild caught ones when possible. The strip light can be placed inside the reptile enclosure, allowing it to be moved closer to the reptile providing 100% of the UV light.Ĭaptive bred animals, while not always the least expensive choice for the initial reptile purchase, are almost always better than wild caught or 'farm raised' animals. * Oceanic fluorescent light strips have an in-line ballast, thus eliminating the generation of excess heat within the enclosure and, thus, possible burns. The desert terrarium with sand or gravel are good choices. Under-the-tank heating pads work best when the substrate used conducts heat well. Other methods that can be used to achieve the required temperature are under-the-tank heating pads, heated caves, and electric limbs. This allows the reptile to climb closer to, or further from, the heat source. This can be accomplished by placing the heat source at one end of the enclosure and/or adding climbing branches. This means that a variety of different temperatures are available to the reptile. Also, a thermal gradient must be provided. The use of a red or black light bulb will eliminate this problem since colored light cannot be detected by the reptilian eye. When using an incandescent light bulb as a heat source, you must be careful not to upset the reptile’s photo period. When in doubt if a reptile needs UV light or not, go the little extra and provide it. Many fluorescent bulbs will burn for years, but should be replaced at a minimum of once a year since the UV part of the spectrum burns out long before the visible light.

Feeding milksnake waxworms full#

When using full spectrum lights, make sure the light is not placed on a glass or plastic canopy, as these tend to filter out most of the UV light.* Screen covers reflect as much as 50% of the UV light, greatly reducing its benefit. With the use of a full spectrum light, this problem need not occur with any species. Metabolic bone disease is probably the number one killer of pet iguanas. The use of unnatural colors of light can cause unanticipated physiological problems. Many reptiles respond to things like food because of its color. Studies show that a light as close to the color of sunlight as possible should be used. Once the amount of daylight required has been determined, a simple household timer, connected to the light source, will provide consistency which is equally as important as duration. The amount of daylight can play a critical role in how well a reptile eats, how long it lives, and its ability to breed and produce young. Both a night and a day, of natural duration, MUST be provided. The duration of light provided is called the photo period. Most living creatures need light to survive.