...just saw an ad in the latest Reptiles magazine for NPI Cages (Neodesha Plastics), and they now offer ones that DO stack! And they're in a great color...black! I don't know any more about them, as I have not seen them in person, but if they're the quality of their other cages, you can't do any better! And no, I do NOT get a kickback for my praise...
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Herps are everywhere...
Escapes...
Was going through some old photos recently, and found this one. We keep our tortoises outside during the summer months, in wire pens that we've fashioned out of "hog panels" (available at farm stores). They work really well. This guy did NOT make it out, but he sure tried! Rather disconcerting to find him like this, but he couldn't get any higher. When it gets warm anough this year, I'll put in pics of how the pens look today, with their inhabitants.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Whoops...
...the Bronx Zoo had an Egyptian cobra get loose in the reptile house.
Possibly a keeper's position is now available there??? Experience preferred!!!!
But without more information, all I can say is "You never leave a cage of a venomous (NOT poisonous as the media keeps referring to it) unattended. You make sure the snake is in the cage, and the cage is secure."
That being said, we've had a few escapes around here...NONE venomous! But we have seen that the majority of the animals never go very far. They always seem to go to warm spaces, and are usually easy to find/catch if you go in late at night. And they're usually on the ground, few seem to go "up." Another ploy is to look for things that appear to have been "moved" by the animal. Far easier when a big boa gets loose, than a small kingsnake, but there are usually telltale signs.
I've seen the "back rooms" of several zoos, and there are plenty of places to hide. But I feel sure they will find the snake. Fortunately, it's too cold in New York right now, for the animal to live outside. It is a shame for the people who paid to get into the zoo, with the specific purpose of going to the reptile house. I'm sure the media will keep us updated.
Possibly a keeper's position is now available there??? Experience preferred!!!!
But without more information, all I can say is "You never leave a cage of a venomous (NOT poisonous as the media keeps referring to it) unattended. You make sure the snake is in the cage, and the cage is secure."
That being said, we've had a few escapes around here...NONE venomous! But we have seen that the majority of the animals never go very far. They always seem to go to warm spaces, and are usually easy to find/catch if you go in late at night. And they're usually on the ground, few seem to go "up." Another ploy is to look for things that appear to have been "moved" by the animal. Far easier when a big boa gets loose, than a small kingsnake, but there are usually telltale signs.
I've seen the "back rooms" of several zoos, and there are plenty of places to hide. But I feel sure they will find the snake. Fortunately, it's too cold in New York right now, for the animal to live outside. It is a shame for the people who paid to get into the zoo, with the specific purpose of going to the reptile house. I'm sure the media will keep us updated.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
St. Patrick's Day and where were the snakes...?
We did go snake hunting this morning at a little known cottonmouth den site. Since the weather has been in the 60s the last few days, and was supposed to be in the 70s today, we thought we'd give it a try.
We found one Cottonmouth, and one Black Ratsnake. Not a great day, but we did see what we set out to see. Someone else, who followed us by about an hour, found at least 12! So we know to start a bit later in the day.
No pictures, but the picture on the blog is a juvenile we found last year.
We don't collect there as it's a site where there's some research going on, and we already have a cottonmouth (from another area) and we don't want any more. It's just fun to see, and photograph, but of course we left the camera at home.
Saw a Five-lined skink at home, so the herps are coming above ground. Of course the water turtles have been out for weeks... Ahhhhhh, summer must be close at hand...
We found one Cottonmouth, and one Black Ratsnake. Not a great day, but we did see what we set out to see. Someone else, who followed us by about an hour, found at least 12! So we know to start a bit later in the day.
No pictures, but the picture on the blog is a juvenile we found last year.
We don't collect there as it's a site where there's some research going on, and we already have a cottonmouth (from another area) and we don't want any more. It's just fun to see, and photograph, but of course we left the camera at home.
Saw a Five-lined skink at home, so the herps are coming above ground. Of course the water turtles have been out for weeks... Ahhhhhh, summer must be close at hand...
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Great venomous cages...
....are made by NPI, aka Neodesha Plastics, Inc., in Neodesha, Kansas.
We DO NOT sell them, but we sure use the heck out of them! Have for as long as they've been available, over 20 years easily! If you want to buy them, go to: NPICages.com.
The subject of venomous snakes can be a heated one, depending on who you talk to. There are people who have kept them successfull for years, with no adverse publicity. Then there are the newbies in reptiles, who want to start with something "hot" without even knowing basic husbandry. And lastly the drug dealers, and meth makers who keep them for whatever reason (supposed protection???)
Regardless of what category you may or may not fall in, you owe it to those around you that they feel safe as possible from incidents, such as escape, and Neodesha cages will do just that. When used correctly, they are escape-proof. I say "used correctly" because leaving the cage open, is NOT using it correctly. But as far as pushing open the lid, or crawling out a small opening, there are none!
And they are so light weight! Even the biggest, well, maybe not the 96 inch custom (if they make that one any more), is easily picked up by one person. We take ours outside, hose them down, and disinfect, before returning the cage to our snake room, and put the animal back.
One of the presumed drawbacks are that they do not stack. But seriously, do you really stack your cages? We never have, even with flat cages. We also got away from cage complexes, as we feel that individual cages are more sanitary, and there's less likelihood of diseases passing through a common wall.
Another drawback might be the cost, as they are a petroleum-based product, and so are tied in with the cost of oil. But they last for a very, very long time! We have some that are over 20 years old, and although they may have discolored, they work just fine! And I think the snakes are color blind anyway!
We DO NOT sell them, but we sure use the heck out of them! Have for as long as they've been available, over 20 years easily! If you want to buy them, go to: NPICages.com.
The subject of venomous snakes can be a heated one, depending on who you talk to. There are people who have kept them successfull for years, with no adverse publicity. Then there are the newbies in reptiles, who want to start with something "hot" without even knowing basic husbandry. And lastly the drug dealers, and meth makers who keep them for whatever reason (supposed protection???)
Regardless of what category you may or may not fall in, you owe it to those around you that they feel safe as possible from incidents, such as escape, and Neodesha cages will do just that. When used correctly, they are escape-proof. I say "used correctly" because leaving the cage open, is NOT using it correctly. But as far as pushing open the lid, or crawling out a small opening, there are none!
And they are so light weight! Even the biggest, well, maybe not the 96 inch custom (if they make that one any more), is easily picked up by one person. We take ours outside, hose them down, and disinfect, before returning the cage to our snake room, and put the animal back.
One of the presumed drawbacks are that they do not stack. But seriously, do you really stack your cages? We never have, even with flat cages. We also got away from cage complexes, as we feel that individual cages are more sanitary, and there's less likelihood of diseases passing through a common wall.
Another drawback might be the cost, as they are a petroleum-based product, and so are tied in with the cost of oil. But they last for a very, very long time! We have some that are over 20 years old, and although they may have discolored, they work just fine! And I think the snakes are color blind anyway!
Got venomous, get Neodesha! End of story!
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