Feeding Live Prey

Many snake owners know that sometimes, getting a snake to eat frozen/thawed (hereafter known as f/t) can be a time-consuming effort, and is sometimes just plain impossible.  Many people outside the hobby don't realize this.  Maybe they just don't care.  I don't know their motives for acting the way they do, but I am fed up with it.

There are three types of people that complain about feeding snakes live prey.  They are:

1. People that have genuine concern for the welfare of the prey item and are simply expressing their displeasure at potential suffering of a living creature
2. People that dislike snakes and other 'creepy crawly' creatures and seek to make the lives of their owners miserable
3. People that don't understand the above mentioned fact, that sometimes it is difficult to get a snake to eat f/t.

1 and 3 I can handle, provided that these types of people eventually understand the situation many snake owners find themselves in.  Sometimes it makes more sense to feed and breed live prey than it does to spend an outrageous (for some) amount of money on a limited supply of frozen prey items.

People of type 2 just piss me off, and if they refuse to see reason, the most I can do is mentally scream at them in frustration and walk away from the discussion, because it will only serve to anger me more.

I understand why people get upset when the subject is brought up, but I also feel that I deserve some understanding as well.  John Doe down the street has this annoying little football-type dog that yaps and yaps, and I enjoy imagining drop-kicking it into the next county. However, Mr. Doe loves his dog dearly.  Yappy is a member of his family, and he would be devastated were anything to happen to him, or if he were unable to provide proper care.

Everyone, that is how I feel about my scaly friends.  You may not like or understand them, and you may be confused at how I can be so attached to them.  Rest assured, though, that I love them as much as I love my dog or my cat.  They do have to eat, you know.  If I could feed them all f/t I would.  It isn't very expensive (right now it is, for me), and it's a lot safer than feeding live (a pre-killed freshly thawed mouse isn't going to bite my snake, unless it's a zombie), but sometimes it isn't an option.

If that is the case, like it is now, I will do my very best to make sure that the mice are comfortable and happy for as long as they live, however long or short that may be.  Do not judge me for keeping snakes, because I don't judge the fact that you think having a dozen yipping and nipping pocket dogs is adorable.  

It's simple, folks.  Snakes need to eat too.  If you don't like that, okay.  You are welcome to your opinion.  However, next time you come to my door with pitchforks, think about the last time you went out to eat.  Think about the last juicy T-bone you grilled.  Do you honestly think the animals slaughtered so we can eat are treated better than the mice I feed my snake?  I doubt it.

Thanks for reading, comment below.

Snake Awareness Day

The reptile world was shaken last week with a massive blow to the industry. Congress added four species of snakes to the Lacey Act - Northern and Southern African Rock Pythons, Yellow Anacondas, and the infamous (and often misunderstood) Burmese Python.  This happened because the Humane Society of the United States and other special interest groups that don't want us to have snakes as pets.  This was a devastating blow to the industry and more snakes, boa constrictors, are in danger of being listed.

To that end, reptile lovers all over are putting their heads together for Snake Awareness Day, a day that will focus on demonstrations, lectures, and basically introducing people to the wonder of snakes.  We are doing this in an attempt to get the public to help us prevent the passing of unfair legislation concerning these wondrous creatures.

Since being introduced to snakes, I have discovered that they are wonderful pets.  They are easy to care for if the proper research is done beforehand, they make great conversation pieces, and they have a habit of helping me let the stress slip through my fingers just like their scales do as they slither across my hands or shoulders.  I am terrified that fear and misunderstanding will prevent me from breeding them or even owning them.  Would I pay for a permit to keep them or breed them?  Absolutely, as long as the rules and regulations associated with that permit were fair, I would not hesitate.

Snakes are some of the most misunderstood creatures on the planet.  Television and movies portray them as malevolent, blood-thirsty creatures that want nothing more than to dine on the flesh of the young and innocent.  This is not the case.  They are simply alien to many people, and people fear what they do not understand.  All I want, all the rest of the snake and reptile lovers out there want, is for our passion to be understood, for those who fear these beautiful creatures to leave them, and us, alone rather than try to force us to believe and behave as they do.  Please help us realize this goal by at least trying to understand why we love snakes, even if you don't like or even fear them.  Don't judge the entire snake population by the actions of a few mistreated, starving animals either.  It isn't fair to the snakes, and it isn't fair to those of us that have them as pets.

Breeder Q&A #2!

Today's Q&A is brought to you by our friends Tailor Made Reptiles!  Enjoy!


1. I always liked reptiles and amphibians growing up. Of course, my parents, did not share the same enthusiasm. It wasn't until 18-19, that I started keeping reptiles. First it was Bearded Dragon named Jack. Than Crested Geckos, Leopard Geckos, and the list goes on.

Ball Python's didn't come along till I was 23. Ever since than, they've been my favorite animal to keep.

2. The first time, was....an accident really. I bought a female and didn't know she was gravid at the time. About a month and a half later, I was cleaning her tank, and bam. Snake eggs! Well, I thought they were eggs, but she slugged out on all 3.

3. Seeing the babies pip from the egg's for the first time. Seeing the babies not make it. Like this year, we lost 15 snakes.

4. The wait! It kill's me every time waiting for the females to lay eggs. Than waiting for the incubation to finish.

5. We keep Ball Python's mainly, we currently have 30+. We also have a corn snake and a western hog-nose snake.

6. The biggest regret I have is....I don't really have any regrets so far.

7. Anytime I see a healthy snake poke its head from the egg.

8. Like the above, health is the biggest goal I have. As long as I breed healthy, living snakes, I'm good. Short-term goal, is for this year, hoping to produce a pastel red axanthic ghost. Long-term, well...I gotta keep some secrets.

9. I can't really think of any misconceptions when it comes to breeding. When it comes to snakes themselves, there are too many I can think of.

10. People. Specifically the anti-snake types. The one's trying to push all these bills in the US and Canada, to ban the keeping of certain types, if not all. I understand the fears that some people can have in regards to the larger breeds, (Retics, burm's, etc), but a lot of those fears are unfounded. I've seen 15+ foot reticulated pythons with better temperament than a 6lb toy poodle.

11. If you're getting into it thinking you;ll be making tons of money, just...take your savings now, put it on the ground, and light it on fire. Breeding animals, are not for the get-rich-quick types. Most of that's due to the demand for the animals. Reptile's and such, are still in the dark when it comes to keeping as pets.

If you're going to breed your snakes, do it because of the love for the animals.

Thanks, Tailor Made, for an awesome Q&A!  Hopefully your words will inspire and educate others.

Breeder Q&A!

I decided a few days ago to try and do a Question and Answer session with as many breeders as I could get to agree, from big breeders to small time guys and girls breeding in their spare bedrooms.  My goal was to get several different perspectives on the breeding industry to give others like me, who are interested in breeding reptiles someday, a big of a heads up as to what to expect and what the life is like.  

The response has been overwhelming, and I have several interviews to post.  I would like to start off with a bang and post an interview with Garrick DeMeyer of Captive Reptile Specialties Inc.  I've admired Garrick's work since I discovered snakes, and getting a chance to pick his brain was amazing.  The questions are below, as well as links to his websites.


Breeder Q&A with Garrick DeMeyer

1. What sparked your interest in snakes and caused you to start collecting?

I've been interested in reptiles and amphibians since I was only a few years old.  I was always the kid digging in ponds and swamps, flipping over logs, etc.  Back in the 70s, that was just about the only place to find herps.  I do remember seeing a nice selection of reptiles in a chain of stores in the Chicago-area called Noah's Ark.  I used to love going to those stores and seeing all of the exotic chameleons, frogs, geckos, and snakes.  I also used to buy every reptile book I could find, or check them out at the library.  There just wasn't much good info about reptiles back then- especially about their captive care and breeding.  I still have all of those books (other than the ones I checked out from the library!).  I always kept a few lizards in display tanks in my bedroom.  I wasn't allowed to keep snakes in the house and I almost always obeyed that rule.  When I was in college in the early '90s, I started breeding Giant Day Geckos- mostly just to see if I could do it.  I could.  One thing led to another and soon I had Leopard Geckos, Leaf-tail Geckos, Chameleons, Bearded Dragons, and finally snakes!

2. Why did you start breeding snakes?

Breeding snakes was a natural progression from breeding lizards for me.  I still love to breed lizards, mostly geckos, but I became fascinated with ball python morphs- back in the mid-90s when there were only a few available- albinos, piebalds, clowns, caramels, and axanthics.  Many of those weren't even proven to be inheritable at that time.  I planned to focus my business on my lizards and just keep a little collection of ball pythons and other snakes.  The ball python addiction hit me hard and within a few years, I started amassing a pretty impressive collection of them. 

3. What is your favorite part of the breeding process? What part do you like the least?

I think my favorite part of breeding ball pythons is producing new morphs.  Very few snakes that I produce are new morphs to the industry, but if I haven't produced them yet, they are still new for me.  I love looking in the incubator every day during the hatching season to see all of the new babies poking their heads out of their eggs.  There are so many different morphs out there.  I consider myself a bit of a ball python hoarder.  I would like to have a pair of every combo if I could.  I think there are too many morphs out there for any one person to have them all, so I try to focus mostly on the morphs I like the most.

The least favorite part of breeding ball pythons is when I lose one.  My survival rate is extremely high- probably around 99%, but losses do happen from time to time.  Out of 2000 babies, you can't expect every single one to come out perfect and healthy.  Still, these are living things and I never like to see anything suffer or die.

4. What is the most difficult part of the breeding process?

The most difficult part for me has nothing to do with breeding.  They are incredibly easy to breed if you have quality snakes and a proper environment.  Having clutches of slugs (infertile eggs) is probably the most frustrating- especially when it is a "big" clutch you are really looking forward to.  Overall, I think the most difficult part of doing this is getting a consistent supply of rodents.  With 700 adults and around 800-1000  babies here at any given time, that is a lot of mice and rats to come up with.  Many of my ball pythons eat frozen/thawed, but there are quite a few that will only consistently feed on live.  It is very difficult to come up with enough live rodents every week- even though we produce several thousand mice and rats per month here.  We still never have enough.

5. What species of snake do you breed? Have you bred others? If so, which is the most difficult?

The main species I work with now is the Ball Python.  I've breed many other species including boas, retics, rainbows, womas, green trees, carpets, corns, kings, hognose, milks and probably a few more that I'm not remembering right now.  I've had some success with other species, but I think my talent definitely is with ball pythons.  I've actually cut back my collection of "non-ball python" snakes so I can focus more attention on the balls.  That is the only way I can devote as much time and effort as possible to produce the largest variety of morphs possible.

I think boas have been the most difficult for me.  I've never been able to have a high success rate with my litters.  Lots of litters of slugs.  I'm not sure why that is, but it may be something about the environment in my facility that they don't like.  My employee, Kyle, can breed boas at his house all day long with excellent results and yet I can't do it here.  Very strange.

6. What is your biggest regret in regards to your breeding venture?

Oh, if I only knew 20 years ago what I knew now.  I could write a book on what I would do differently.  I used to keep all kinds of rare, stranger species in the hopes to become successful breeding stuff that nobody else was.  I had a lot of different geckos like Helmeted, Knob-tail, Leaf-tail, Velvet, rare Day Geckos etc,  and different lizards like Water Dragons, Frilled Lizards, Basilisks, Dwarf Monitors, and dozens of other species.  I spent thousands of dollars on some of this stuff, only to never have any real success with many of them.  It wasn't until I decided to focus on the species I knew I could breed, and also knew there was a good market for, that I started having success.  Bearded Dragons, Veiled Chameleons, Leopard Geckos, and Crested Geckos were all key to me digging myself out of my debt.  Sure, most of those didn't command a huge price tag, but I made up for it in volume, because of consistent, reliable production. 

Another regret was not getting into ball pythons much sooner.  Back in '96, I bought an albino boa and several hets for around $10k.  Had I just put that money into an albino ball python and a het or two back then, I'd be much more advanced in that industry at this point.  I also used to amass a group of normal female hatchlings every year, maybe 20-30 of them.  I'd keep them for  a few months, thinking I'd start breeding ball pythons at some point, then I'd end up selling them.  If I had kept those back in the mid-90s, I can't imagine how far along I'd be now.

My other big regret is being too trusting of too many people.  Unfortunately, there are a lot of dishonest people in this industry, as well as in any other industry.  I've shipped animals out to people I thought I could trust to pay me for them.  I've received counterfeit cashier's checks and didn't find out until after the animals shipped out.  I've also been burned by buying "hets" that prove out to be normals.  You live and learn, but unfortunately, some people will still find new ways to take advantage of you.  That's why it is so important to buy from reputable breeders with a good track record.  Great deals aren't that great if you don't get what you think you are buying.

7. What is your greatest accomplishment in breeding?

I don't know if I have a single greatest accomplishment.  I've produced the first of several leopard gecko and ball python morphs.  Those were pretty proud moments.  I really think the greatest accomplishment for me is to turn a little hobby into a successful career.  To be able to do this for a living for over 11 years now is still amazing for me.  I wish it was more about "playing with lizards and snakes" all day, but the cumulative result of what I'm doing is extremely rewarding on a personal level.

8. What are your primary goals for your breeding project? Short-term and long-term?

My goal has always been to produce as many beautiful, healthy, top-quality reptiles as possible.  I want to continue to add new genes and combos into my gecko and python projects.  Every year, I make up a "wish list" of a few things that I want (need!) to add to my collection.  I don't end up acquiring all of them, but I put a big dent in my list each year.

9. Are there any misconceptions regarding snake breeding you'd like to dispel?

I think the biggest misconception about snake breeding is how easy it is to make a lot of money.  This business is very hard work.  Not like working for a construction company physically hard, but still very challenging.  Reptiles are not a "get rich quick" scheme.  Once I started breeding reptiles, it took me about 7 years before I wasn't losing money every year, and still a couple years after that before I could do it full time.  I went to college and worked part-time jobs while I was growing my business.  After I graduated, I worked a full-time job and worked on my business in my spare time.  It was a long, hard, struggle figuring this all out.  Most people that I knew thought I was crazy for trying to do this.  They couldn't understand how much I loved it and what kind of sacrifices I was willing to make to see it through.  I did it because I love reptiles and couldn't see myself doing anything else.  I've never been one to settle for a job that I don't find rewarding, just for the paycheck.  I want to spend my life doing what makes me happy.  For me, that was REPTILES!  I see a lot of people getting into breeding reptiles just to make money.  Unless you really enjoy them, it is hard to spend all of the money and time required to become successful.  If I won the lottery and never needed to make another dime, I would still breed reptiles. 

10. What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the reptile breeding industry today?

Definitely anti-reptile legislation.  Reptiles are becoming more popular every year, but if the wrong laws get passed, it could all be for nothing.  A ban from interstate transport and sales would cripple the industry to the point it would probably never recover.  It would affect breeders, wholesalers, retail pet stores, pet supplier manufacturers, shipping companies, insect and rodent breeders, and dozens of other industries.  The worst part about it is most of what the proponents of these bills are using to plead their case just isn't true.  In the case of pythons, some of these people claim that they will eventually spread through the bottom 1/3 of the US, possibly as far North as Ohio.  Really?  These snakes can get an upper respiratory infection in a breeder's facility that is temperature controlled similar to a rainforest.  Now they are supposed to survive sub-freezing temperatures and snowfall?  Most of their arguments just aren't accurate.  I encourage everyone to become members of USARK so they can become better-informed on what is going on.  You can't rely on someone else to take care of these pesky laws for you, even if it doesn't affect a species you work with.  The organizations that want these animals banned believe in dividing and conquering.  Take out the big pythons first, then the little ones, then colubrids, then geckos, etc., etc.  The reptile industry has shown they can rise up and defend their hobby when needed.  We all need to keep doing it and increase in numbers if we are going to keep our hobby alive and well.

11. Do you have any advice for would-be breeders?

I think I answered this question pretty well in #9 as far as being properly-motivated.  I would also like to add that most new breeders should work with species that are proven to be fairly easy to keep and breed- even if they aren't very valuable.  Producing "cheap" reptiles is better than not producing any at all, and it goes a long way to give you the experience needed to one day tackle the more challenging species.  Make sure to buy quality animals from reputable breeders.  Buy the best equipment you can afford.  A quality cage/rack, thermostat, and a temp-gun are probably the most important things you can add to your collection.  Always go for quality!

Garrick's websites:

http://www.crestedgecko.com/

http://www.royalconstrictordesigns.com/

Thank you for a great Q&A, Garrick!

Stay tuned for more Q&A's from breeders of all shapes and sizes, and don't hesitate to comment or contact me if you have questions or suggestions.

Pet Stores and Snakes

Many people will tell you to avoid buying a snake from a pet store.  I am one of them.  This is due to several reasons.

Reasons to Avoid Pet Stores

• Pet stores charge way more than breeders.  A "normal" ball python at Petsmart runs $80-$100.  A ball python hatchling from your local breeder will cost $20-$30.  This is quite a difference.
• Pet stores often do not take proper care of the snakes in their stores.  They are often malnourished and sometimes ill.
• Pet stores will tell you anything necessary to make a sale.  They don't just want you to buy a snake, they want you to buy the snake, a tank, a heat pad, a heat rock, hides, and anything else they can pile in your arms.  Snakes are money makers.  This is why people often see two or more hatchling ball pythons in the same small enclosure.

Reasons to Support Breeders

• Breeders put the snake's health and well-being before the money they make.  This means that, most of the time, your new snake will be healthy and will have eaten 3-4 times successfully.
• Breeders know where their snakes come from.  Reputable breeders know the genetic history and family trees of their hatchlings.  They know that Clutch A came from Adult Female A and Adult Male B.  A pet store won't be able to give you this information.  Breeders will also usually provide photographs of the parent snakes.
• Breeders will offer advice and support, including refunding purchase price and even shipping charges sometimes if something goes wrong with the snake that is not the fault of the new owner.
• Breeders will ensure that new owners know everything they need to know about properly caring for their snake, ensuring that the snake lives a long, healthy life.

These are just a few of the reasons why both people with dozens of snakes and the person looking for their first snake should look into finding a reputable breeder rather than buying from a pet store.  Please don't hesitate to post your thoughts, either agreeing with or disagreeing with this post, in the comments.  Debate is welcome!

The Cons of Snake Ownership

I said back in June that I would write a post about the cons of owning a snake in an attempt to be more objective and give views from both sides of the fence.  Some of the cons are obvious.

That snake doesn't love you!

            Simply put, your snake doesn’t love you.  That cute little flicking tongue, the way your snake ‘bumps’ your nose with his are not signs of affection.  Your snake is simply examining his or her environment in the best way he/she knows how.  The way they wrap around your arm or neck is not to cuddle with you, but rather an attempt to feel safe and secure.  This is especially true with ball pythons, which are used to small, tight dark spaces.

Husbandry can be complicated.

            Caring for your dog or cat is easy.  Feed and walk, bathe and brush, play and love.  These are basic components of caring for a furry four-legged friend.  Snakes are different.  Snakes require precise temperature and humidity levels and very specific habitats.  Ball pythons require hides (hide-boxes, caves, etc) that are almost too small, to the point where they touch the snake on all sides.  Their enclosures should have a hot side and a cool side, with temperatures ranging from roughly 90 degrees on the hot side to 80 degrees on the cool side.

Feeding can be messy!

            Snakes eat live prey.  For popular snakes like ball pythons, boas, corn snakes, and the like, this means rats and mice.  There are three options for feeding your snakes.  Live prey, frozen/thawed prey (prey that has been frozen, and then thawed and warmed to a temperature the snake can sense), or pre-killed (prey that has recently been killed specifically for the purpose of feeding a snake).  This is generally not for the faint of heart, regardless of the method.  Live prey can be uncomfortable for keeper and snake, as well as the rodent.  Rodents will sometimes make quite a bit of noise when being killed by a snake, and they will do anything they can to escape, including injuring the snake.  If a snake is injured, it is up to the snake’s keeper to provide proper care of any wounds or if severe enough, arrange a visit with a qualified veterinarian.  Frozen/thawed prey has been known to ‘pop’ or explode upon constriction if heated unevenly or too much prior to feeding.   

Snakes don’t want to be held.

            Your snake might curl around your neck while you watch T.V and poke his head down your shirt as if he’s checking out your incredible physique, but he’s not cuddling with you, and he really doesn’t care that you are holding him.  Generally, snakes enjoy being left alone in their enclosure.  Ball pythons for example are content to hide and sleep all day, while roaming their enclosure at night.  They tolerate us holding them, but it doesn’t matter to them if you are holding them or not.

They live in their bathrooms.

            Some people are lucky and have snakes that seem to be relatively considerate when disposing of bodily wastes.  They’ll find a corner somewhere and leave a stinky present far away from where they sleep.  Other people are not so lucky.  Horror stories abound of people discovering that their snake has decided to ‘body paint’ their enclosure with a foul-smelling substance.  Other owners have discovered that their snakes prefer to defecate while being held, leaving a mess down the front, back, or inside of one’s shirt.  This is something you will generally not see with your furry dog or cat.

This is all the cons I can think of right now, but feel free to leave more in the comments and I’ll address them in a later post!

Snakes vs The United States

Do you hate snakes?  The United States does.  Several attempts have been made by the U.S government, some successfully, to restrict or outlaw ownership, trade, sale, or interstate transport of snakes.  The earlier post about the current legal contest in the state of Ohio is one example of this.  Part of the problem stems from the fact that Florida is in the midst of a Burmese Python epidemic.  There are an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 Burmese Pythons in the 1.5 million acres of land that comprises the Florida Everglades, many of which are thought to be descendants of a flood of baby snakes released from a research facility that was destroyed when Hurricane Andrew ripped through the state in 1992.

With the death of the Florida toddler in 2009, (see previous post, The Snakey Story Returns!) officials have been eager to crack down on reptile ownership in the state and across the country.  Snakes are commonly misconstrued as wanting nothing more than to suffocate and swallow small children, other pets, and even adult humans.  However, incidents like the one in Florida are rare and usually occur because the owner was negligent in caring for the animal, or mistreated the poor thing, causing it to act in an unnatural manner.  One thing you should realize as a snake enthusiast or someone that is just learning about them and is possibly intrigued by the controversy is that if the United States government gets its way, it will be a felony to own or sell any type of constrictor, be it the small Children’s Python, the notoriously large Burmese or Reticulated Pythons, the Colombian Red Tailed Boa or your relaxed little Ball Python.  

The government believes that snakes are dangerous to their owners and small children, and generally bad pets because of a few isolated incidents and widespread misconceptions. It is a shame that the livelihood of so many is being threatened.  Everybody from the guy with one snake to the woman down the street that runs a small breeding operation out of her spare bedroom would be considered a criminal if the anti-snake movement got its way.

Next time you visit a pet store, take a peek at the reptile section.  Pay close attention to those beautiful little snakes you see.  Millions of snakes like them could be in danger of being euthanized if these laws are passed and hundreds of people will be without jobs.  Hopefully, the reptile industry can fight back and squash yet another attempt by others to destroy something they fear and do not understand.