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canebrake care
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by casabela28 on November 6, 2002
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Does any one know any sites on canebrake care?
I just brought home an neonate canebrake rattlesnake
from lakeland ga. last night.
Andy
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RE: canebrake care
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by Charper on November 6, 2002
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Start with the basics. Set up a tank with substrate of either aspen or newspaper. Cypress is a bit large a coarse for neonate canebrakes. You also need hide box on one end and a low water bowl on the other. If the snake constantly has to climb into a high water bowl to get water, it may end up dying of dehydration.
When I get snakes in, the first thing that I usually do is soak them in clean water for about 2 hours. This ensures that AT LEAST I know they are hydrated. Place a basking light on the one end of the tank, wattage depending on the size of the tank. Right now, keep it in the mid 70'sF. Small snakes overheat easily. Allow it a day or two of hiding in its hide box to let it feel secure. Then, quietly offer it a thawed, warm pinky. Leave the room and don't let your curiosity get the best of you.
Come back in about 4 or 5 hours, and if it hasn't taken the pinky, toss it out. Try again for the next 3 or 4 days. If it doesn't eat, you should consider a couple of things. #1, if it doesn't look healthy enough to make it through brumation, you may have to force feed it for a while. But at least cool it down for the last 6 weeks of winter. When it comes out of brumation, it will probably start eating on its own. One of the main things you have to do is to keep it hydrated from now on. At the minimum, soak it in a half inch of water for 2 hours every 7 to 10 days.
Option #2. is to go ahead and start brumating it now. But that is a personal call that requires some experience. It just depends on how healthy the snake looks right now. I just can't decide that for you from where I am sitting.
If you have never force fed a neonate before, let me know and I'll give you some tips that will keep you from getting bitten.
CH
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RE: canebrake care
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by casabela28 on November 7, 2002
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Hi,
Thank you for the reply. The info will be very helpful. I must be one of the luckiest hot keeper I know. I just bought a med. rat for my EDB and two med mice for the canebrake,the little bugger struck the mouse before I could pull my hand out of the cage.
Oh yes thier is a god he came out right away and ate.
The cage he's in is 3'long 2'wide and 2'top to bottom the temp was 84 now it's 80 would that be alright for him.
Andy
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RE: Hand Feeding Hots?
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by wls967 on November 7, 2002
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"the little bugger struck the mouse before I could pull my hand out of the cage"
Please tell me you are not hand feeding and that I misinterpreted this phrase. I hope you dropped the mouse from well above and out of it's strike range. Don't underestimate these things, especially the little ones. Juvi's can make a fool out of you in a split second, maybe even a dead fool. I have had many Caney's that would appear to not even acknowledge my presence, never rattle or assume a defensive posture, but rest assured, they will bite you as soon as you're in range. I have never had a problem getting my charges to feed, therefore I could simply toss the prey item in, but from well above the top of the enclosure. Given my participation in this hobby, I deal exclusively with w/c animals yet I have had great success getting many of them to feed on f/t prey in as little as two weeks. To answer your original post, I have never in 21 years had a problem with a neonate cane feeding. I have always offered live pinks first because a pink can't really do any harm. Since yours is already feeding, I would try to switch him to f/t as soon as possible. I talk to much, but hope this helps.
be safe,
wls
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RE: Hand Feeding Hots?
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by casabela28 on November 7, 2002
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Yes of course very well out of range.I have over 15 years of experience with herps and hot herps.
I feed my EDB and new canebrake live .I want
things to be as natural as possible for them in captivety. Both snakes are wild caught. I do have the proper handling tools .
Andy
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RE: Hand Feeding Hots?
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by casabela28 on November 7, 2002
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I'm sorry I forgot to tell you I did drop the mouse inthe cage. My hand was at the very top where the lid shuts down at. He bit it before I could pull my hand away fom the cage. I droped the mouse right in front of him.
Andy
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RE: Hand Feeding Hots?
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by wls967 on November 7, 2002
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Glad I mis-understood. Sounds like you've got it figured out. When you start to feed f/t, you may have to tease feed at first. Make sure you have forceps or tongs long enough. I hear people all the time say that NA pitvipers can strike 1/3 or 1/2 their length.....Be safe, and give them a distance of their full length. I've seen juvis come off the ground during a strike. Glad the feeding is going well....
wls
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Natural as possible.
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by wls967 on November 7, 2002
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Pinks are one thing, but tossing a live rat in an enclosure with a snake that may or may not be in the mood to feed can be a disaster. In the wild, space is unlimited, but things can turn violent in an enclosure. I highly reccomend that you try to get your reps on frozen/thawed, or at least pre-killed prey as soon as possible. I don't think that anyone here will disagree that this is the preffered method. I'm not saying it's the only method, some snakes can't be converted, but for caney's and edb's, most people I know stay away from live prey if possible.
wls
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