HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: pholland@iastate.edu (Paul J Hollander)
Subject: Re: The Makeup of A Snake's Housing...
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 22:39:10 GMT

In article <1hvk7hINN4uc@shelley.u.washington.edu> tracer@carson.u.washington.edu (David P. Tracer) writes:
>In article <1992Dec31.060143.8108@siemens.com> aad@siemens.com (Anthony Datri) writes:
>>
>>If your gopher is like my Black Pine, she doesn't climb much anyway.  I've
>
>Come to think of it, I don't know if I've ever seen my Gopher Snake climb!
>
>Corns ARE climbers though, so your concern about the unweighted edges are
>well-taken.  I'd just make sure to weight the top all around!  

I've put bullsnakes (_Pituophis melanoleucas sayi_, different subspecies from
gopher and black pine snakes) on the big, old soft maple trees in my front 
yard.  They would hook the body into the rough bark and go right up the trunk.
They aren't great climbers, but they can if they want.

My first home-built cage had a top that just sat on top of the cage and was 
weighed down with a couple of bricks.  (I hadn't learned how to put on hinges 
then.)  A pair of bullsnakes stayed in it for 4 months, until a cold snap.  
Then one pushed the top aside and got out.  That, and a few other escapes, 
taught me to pay considerable attention to keeping the door *securely*
fastened.

For aquariums, I like a wooden bar, 3/4 inch square in cross section, across 
the top.  Insulated doorbell wire is fastened to a staple near one end of 
the bar, runs through a groove at the bar's end, then down the end of the 
aquarium, underneath, and up the other end.  The wire runs through a groove 
in the other end of the bar and terminates in a loop.  A nail goes through 
the loop and into a hole in the bar.  It's not real pretty, but it's cheap 
and keeps the snakes in.  I can hold the bar and lift the whole aquarium 
off the table, so it's adequately strong.

Paul Hollander    pholland@iastate.edu
Behold the tortoise: he makes no progress unless he sticks his neck out.
From: csc@pilot.njin.net (Sean Casey)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
Subject: Re: The Makeup of A Snake's Housing...
Date: 5 Jan 93 16:59:31 GMT
Organization: The Leaning Tower of Patterson Office @ The Univ. of KY

There are these little plastic snap-locks which have adhesive foam on
the back. When you snap them closed it makes a circle that you can put
stuff in, like a toothbrush. 

Anyway I needed a lidlock really quick, and I had these around the
house, so I attached one of these to each side of the lid, and one to
the glass of the tank. Then I knotted both ends of a short section of
cord and used it to connect the fasteners. Voila, quick release lock.
Total cost: about $0.40 worth of fasteners. Time spent: Maybe 5
minutes. And I like the way they work. It's so easy to do and undo I
don't even have to look at it.

In my opinion, anyone that doesn't use a locking lid is irresponsible
and shouldn't own a snake. Sooner or later they're going to be
explaining to their neighbors about their escapee. And the neighbors
aren't likely going to be happy about it.

I had a large tarantula that escaped with 6 pounds of books heaped on
the lid. Have respect for small animals' ability to escape.

Sean
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp,rec.aquaria,alt.aquaria
From: browning@willard.nas.nasa.gov (David S. Browning)
Subject: Lighting: blacklight white??
Followup-To: rec.pets.herp
Organization: NAS Program, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 93 16:58:07 GMT
Reply-To: browning@willard.nas.nasa.gov

I have an iguana lighting question, but I cross-posted to *.aquaria
because there is so much lighting expertise there.

Here's an old post that I dug up from Aug '92.  The author doesn't
seem to exist at that address any more.

>  From: KAREN@UMSLVMA.UMSL.EDU
>  Sender: root@parsifal.umkc.edu (Parsifal Administration)
>  Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
>  Subject: Re: UV light subsistitutes (help)
>  Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 19:39:35 GMT
>  
>  I have a large iguana that needed proper lighting so I contacted the
>  St. Louis Zoo. I was told to use a blacklight white. I was able to
>  purchase the light and fixture at a lighting store for about $25.00.
>  Vitalites are not as good as a blacklight white.

I've never heard of a "blacklight white" before.  Has anyone else?
What is it?

[For *.aquaria readers, Iguanas require UV light to manufacture Vitamin
D so they can metabolize Calcium (or something like that).  In lieu of
direct sunlight, they need something like a Vitalite.  They also need
radiant heat for basking.  This is a difference between iguana &
aquatic lighting needs -- aquarists, esp. marine, typically want
high-intensity light with minimum heat.]

What about other high-tech lighting alternatives that aquarists use,
such as VHO flourescent, Actinic, Metal Halide, etc.?  Are they good
choices for an Iguana?  What about other commercial lighting, such as
Mercury Vapor, high or low pressure sodium, etc.?  I'm especially
interested in lighting that also benefits indoor plants.

-- David

|============================================================================|
| Internet:  browning@willard.nas.nasa.gov          Phone:  (415) 604-4321   |
| UUCP:      uunet!ames!nas.nasa.gov!browning                                |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|"the nice thing about true hopelessness is that you don't have to try again"|
| -- jules shear                                                             |
|============================================================================|
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
From: rptjr@brahms.udel.edu (Richard Terrell)
Subject: Ball Pythons not eating
Organization: University of Delaware
Distribution: usa
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1993 17:41:42 GMT

As I and several people have posted before, it is not unusual for ball
pythons to stop eating over the winter in the U.S.  Drops in the humidity
and temperature are cues for the snakes to hibernate (I really should
learn the proper term for this in herps).  My old roomate's ball python
went 9 months without eating last winter and is still live and well.  In
fact, I just spoke to the old roomie last night and he told me that his
snake quit eating again for this winter in November.   So, I wouldn't
worry about your little guy too much until March or April, or even later
considering the climate in which you live.  If at that time you are
noticing severe weight loss, then your question about a herp vet in your
area would be useful.  But the vets often think that vitamin shots cure
everything, so be careful.
		--Rich
From: tmohler+@cs.cmu.edu (Tim Mohler)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
Subject: Re: What do Anoles eat?
Date: 6 Jan 93 17:46:42 GMT
Article-I.D.: cs.C0G1E4.My1.1
Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon

In article <1993Jan5.183943@IASTATE.EDU> seedman@IASTATE.EDU (Varanus Komodensis) writes:
>In article <C0ECD0.3x3.1@cs.cmu.edu>, tmohler+@cs.cmu.edu (Tim Mohler) writes:
>	of the cage.  If the floor of the cage (the warm spot) is below 90
>	to 115 degrees, its too cold.  In the wild, savannah monitors find

I dunno. I almost fried my savannah at 110. His heater went berserk (it
is supposed to shut off around 95), and when I came home, he was panting
and just looking not at all well. When the temp came down to around 100,
he seemed to get happy and start roaming around his cage chasing my toes
as usual. He seems to like it best anywhere from 90-95.

>	I always dust my crickets with a calcium suppliment.  Crickets don't 

How does it stick? Do you wet them first?


>	Don't feed them too much raw egg.  It is thought that there are some
>	strains of salmonella that humans are immune to that reptiles are not.
>	I used raw egg to get my monitor to take mice the first few times.
>	Ever since, I only give him pieces of hard boiled egg as a treat.

Yes. I only give hard-boiled as well since I heard this. I was also
wondering if maybe anyone knew of any types of eggs sold that were small
enough for a monitor to swallow whole? I figure all that eggshell has to
be great calcium.

>	immediately considered food, including your own bodily appendages.  

Which puzzles me, because I know people who claim their savannahs are
just like lap-dogs. Mine always at least licks my fingers to make sure
I'm not rodent, and he has occasionally latched on.

>	I found the solution.  I use a pair of 2ft barbecue tongs to put
>	food into the cage.  This is how I got my monitor to eat bananna.

HAHAHAHHA. Banana? Jeez... Silly monitor.. bananas are for primates.

Tim
Xref: sparky rec.pets.herp:4439 sci.bio:4832
From: rowe@pender.ee.upenn.edu (Mickey Rowe)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp,sci.bio
Subject: Re: Color vision in snakes?
Date: 8 Jan 93 22:24:09 GMT
Followup-To: sci.bio
Organization: University of Pennsylvania

Note Followup-To, because I'm not yet current in r.p.h.

In article <simonb.726474455@extro.ucc.su.OZ.AU>
     simonb@extro.ucc.su.OZ.AU (Simon Blomberg) writes:

>Well, I've just looked for the relevant section in my PhD supervisor's recent
>book: Shine, R. (1991) Australian snakes. A natural history. Reed Books Pty.
>Ltd. ISBN 0 7301 0349 8. 223 pp.
>
>This is a secondary source, so anyone who has any better references please
>feel free to contribute. The relevant section says:
>
>"The eyes of snakes apparently lack oil droplets, which are used for colour
>vision in other vertebrates. 

I'm not sure about what "used for colour vision" means, but if nothing
else, this could easily be misinterpreted.  The current consensus is
that oil droplets shift the absorption curves of different pigments so
that each samples a different region of the spectrum.  That is, the
droplets affect color vision, but they aren't used to give color
sensitivity.  I'll explain more if there's interest...

In any case, see:

Bossomaier, T.R.J., Wong, R.L., and Snyder, A.W. (1989).
    "Stiles-Crawford Effect in Garter Snake", _Vision Research_,
    29(6):741-746. 

This paper describes the oil droplets of the garter snake, _Thamnophis
sirtalis_, which I alluded to before.  These oil droplets are not the
same in constistency as those of birds and turtles and probably not
the same in function either.  However, they do exist.

>Over all, I get the impression that not much is known, but that colour vision
>is not out of the question for at least some snakes.

That's my impression as well.

>Simon Blomberg                                   simonb@extro.ucc.su.OZ.AU

Mickey Rowe     (rowe@pender.ee.upenn.edu)
From: sonny@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (joseph.j.de rosa)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
Subject: Re: are chameleons (very) difficult?
Date: 7 Jan 93 16:58:45 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: AT&T

In article <1993Jan6.222103.13820@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu> jwg0@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu (JOHN WALTER GEWARTOWSKI) writes:
>>From what I understand from the herpetologists at our zoo, chameleons are so
>shy
>>that the people who work with them make every possible attempt to not even make
>>eye contact with them.
>
>I don't think this should be a valid reason for not getting a chameleon.
>One could always line the tank with one-way mirror, or such similar material,
>so that the lizard in question has no idea you're even peering in on him.

Not a good idea, since the one-way mirror would present the image
of another chameleon to the animal, probably causing even more stress.
Chameleons are pretty solitary animals. You COULD just leave the animal
in a low traffic area of teh house. 

Joe DeRosa
jderosa@attmail.att.com
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp

In rec.pets.herp, at15+@andrew.cmu.edu (Andrew Lewis Tepper) writes:

> ...
> ...  In case fluffy dosen't eat them [anoles], what should I give them
> to eat?

You can start with small, vitamin coated, crickets, or a medium sized 
cricket with it's big hind legs removed (so they are easier to swallow).

> 
> Andy

Dave
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
From: jgraham@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu (the End)
Subject: Re: Free-roaming iguanas
Organization: Indiana University
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 04:31:07 GMT


On finding a cold spot:

I had two 3 ft (snout to vent) iguanas when I was younger and both had the 
run of the house. Occasionally we wouldn't see them for a day or two. One time 
they both turned up next to the sliding glass porch door, frozen quite stiff.

Perhaps age IS a factor here, but I don't think giving them the whole house 
will work.

Jim
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
From: gerard@progress.COM (Gerard Bras)
Subject: Re: Ball Pythons II: eating (or not)
Organization: Progress Software Corp.
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 17:02:37 GMT

tenny@euclid.uucp (Nathan Tenny) writes:

...some very good advice not repeated.

>Adding an aerated water source is probably a good idea.  (I use a Mason jar
>of water, with an aquarium heater and an airstone, the heater at about 94
>degrees; simultaneous heat and humidity.)  Anyway, 85 is a good target
>temperature.

I had a rig like that once.  The snake knocked over the mason jar.  The heater got
hot enough to burn my hand when I removed the mess.  I can not discourage this
strongly enough. 

Undercage heat is the way to go.  There should be *no* electrical devices in
the habitable part of the cage. 

cheers,
gerard
From: mcovingt@aisun3.ai.uga.edu (Michael Covington)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
Subject: Re: Leopard Frog Talks to Television!
Date: 12 Jan 93 01:20:10 GMT
Organization: AI Programs, University of Georgia, Athens

In article <1it1ibINNejh@pith.uoregon.edu> tenny@euclid.uoregon.edu writes:
>
>Believe it or not, the subject line says it all.  One of my leopard frogs
>has taken to calling when the TV is on (an unusual event in this house, so I
>doubt it's just by coincidence).  Now, I presume the fact that he's calling
>means he's male and reasonably contented, but why on earth would the TV
>prompt it???

The TV probably puts out a whine at 15,750 kHz, right at the upper limit of
human hearing; maybe the frog hears it and thinks it's a frog call.

-- 
:-  Michael A. Covington     internet mcovingt@uga.cc.uga.edu :    *****
:-  Artificial Intelligence Programs       phone 706 542-0358 :  *********
:-  The University of Georgia                fax 706 542-0349 :   *  *  *
:-  Athens, Georgia 30602-7415 U.S.A.     amateur radio N4TMI :  ** *** **
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
From: kyle@Csli.Stanford.EDU (Kyle Wohlmut)
Subject: Re: The Makeup of A Snake's Housing...
Followup-To: rec.pets.herp
Summary: My fists have your blood on them.
Organization: Rocking Pig Enterprises
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 18:27:54 GMT

In article <C0725H.MoE.1@cs.cmu.edu> tmohler+@cs.cmu.edu (Tim "Is it
safe" Mohler) writes:

>I don't know about rodent breeders, but since that snake is 7 ft, it will
>eat largish rodents - gerbils at least, surely smaller rats, and 
>probably a decent-sized rat.
[...]
>They get decently large, too. if your burmese is anything like my
>apartment-mate's burmese, it will eat 5 mice at a sitting, which can
>get expensive buying - gerbils will fill it up faster.
>

Gee, my Burmese was eating rabbits at 7 ft.  Now at 10.5 ft, she takes
one or two large (3-4 lb.) rabbits at a sitting, & would hardly notice
anything but the largest rats.  You sure gerbils are suitable food for
a 7+ footer?

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/
                       /               
/'''   Kyle Wohlmut    -  'Heute back ich, morgen brau ich, und       
c-OO                   /   uebermorgen hol ich mir der Koenigin ihr      
   \   Rocking Pig     -   Kind.  Ach, wie gut dass niemand weiss,
  -     Enterprises    /   dass ich kyle@csli.stanford.EDU heiss.'    
                       -                                              
-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
From: kyle@Csli.Stanford.EDU (Kyle Wohlmut)
Subject: Re: The Makeup of A Snake's Housing...
Followup-To: rec.pets.herp
Summary: Merry Christmas, you wonderful old Building and Loan!
Keywords: This article printed on 100% recycled electrons
Organization: Rocking Pig Enterprises
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 22:45:51 GMT

In article <C0E9xD.1n1.1@cs.cmu.edu> tmohler+@cs.cmu.edu (Tim "Lemming
of the BDA" Mohler) writes:

>Yah - and gerbils fight when you bring in a new pair of them. They don't eat
>their babies, though. They do seem to be monogamous, worse luck for me.
>I was hoping to have a stud-gerbil and about 6 females, but no such luck.
>
>On the other hand, they are cuter than hell. Which gives some people some problems.
>
>"How can you raise them to DIE like that? They are SOOOO CUUUUTE."
>

Yes, well, we all face this problem at one time or another.
Ophidiophobia is bad enough as it is, but a lot of people who are
ambivalent about snakes develop instant antipathy for them when they
find out what they eat.  Let's face it, rodents are just much cuter to
the average human eye.  Alas, in my experience there isn't a lot to be
done about this problem...
(P.S. You think gerbils are rough, who are just deluxe rats, you
should try cute fuzzy little white bunny rabbits sometime.  It's still
not easy to toss 'em in there, even for me...)

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/
                       /               
/'''   Kyle Wohlmut    -  'Heute back ich, morgen brau ich, und       
c-OO                   /   uebermorgen hol ich mir der Koenigin ihr      
   \   Rocking Pig     -   Kind.  Ach, wie gut dass niemand weiss,
  -     Enterprises    /   dass ich kyle@csli.stanford.EDU heiss.'    
                       -                                              
-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
From: pholland@iastate.edu (Paul J Hollander)
Subject: Gerbils running wild (was Re: The Makeup of A Snake's Housing...)
Keywords: This article printed on 100% recycled electrons
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 19:09:57 GMT

In article <Jan.6.09.42.58.1993.4220@pilot.njin.net> csc@pilot.njin.net (Sean Casey) writes:
>Gerbils illegal in CA? Why?

California has problems with freed pet _Xenopus_ frogs breeding in the 
waterways and killing off the native amphibians.  I believe that there are 
already a small number of gerbils loose in CA making pests of themselves.

Paul Hollander    pholland@iastate.edu
Behold the tortoise: he makes no progress unless he sticks his neck out.
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
From: walter@optimla.aimla.com (Walter Hunt)
Subject: Free-roaming iguanas
Organization: OptImage Interactive Services Co., L.P.
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 19:06:47 GMT


	Do any of the ig owners out there let there pets run free around the
apartment/house constantly? One out of the two books I have suggests this as the
proper way of raising them (or at least conspicuously ignores any other method).
The other book is the opposite, seeming to assume that all igs should be kept in
cages. I just got an iguana about a month ago, and am trying to find the best
environment for him.

	He seems to hate his (55G) tank, constantly trying to escape, and
looking depressed, so I'd like to let him roam around a bit. Only trouble is, if
I let him roam he inevitably a) finds a difficult to reach spot that's b) one of
the coldest in the apartment. For example, he will often start trying to climb
the screens on the windows, when the glass on the window is probably 40 degrees.
He'll usually make it about a foot before he slows to nothing. I've left him
that way for an hour or so, to see if he would eventually move somewhere warmer,
but he doesn't and I don't want to risk him getting too cold. So I'm afraid if I
just let him roam constantly, he might get himself into a bad spot and never get
out.

	Another concern is whether they are smart enough to figure out where
the food hangs out. Now I put him back in the tank when it's food time, and he
eventually munches (usually while I'm gone).

	The final thing that worries me about letting him roam is that he hates
to be picked up already, and I imagine that letting him roam free will just
increase his independent streak to the point that I won't be able to handle him
at all.

	So if anyone out there is used to letting their igs run free, could you
let me know how you handle these issues? I really want him to be happier, and if
letting him roam free will do it, I'd like to find a way.

-- 
Walter Hunt					walter@optimla.optimage.com
OptImage Interactive Services Company, L.P.	walter@optimla.aimla.com
11040 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite #300		netcom!optimla!walter
Los Angeles, Ca. 90025				(310) 445-5718
From: tenny@euclid.uucp (Nathan Tenny)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
Subject: Re: Snake cohabitation
Date: 8 Jan 1993 02:41:25 GMT
Organization: Department of Mathematics, University of Oregon
NNTP-Posting-Host: euclid.uoregon.edu

In article <21069@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu> nathan@charles.ucdavis.edu (Nathan Rollins) writes:
>  Would there be any problems in keeping a 4-foot-seven Burmese python
>and a 5-foot red-tail boa together in one cage, provided that they

Shouldn't be.  A friend of mine who owns a pet store keeps her Burmese among
the merchandise, and I've seen it cohabitate with a whole bunch of boas (and
a couple of juvenile retics) with no problems at all.

	NT
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
From: rptjr@brahms.udel.edu (Richard Terrell)
Subject: Tailbreak!
Organization: University of Delaware
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 19:56:21 GMT

Afriend just came up to me and said that he had accidentally broken his
son's iguana's tail off trying to catch the little bugger.  Apparently the
break is pretty high up, but it has stopped bleeding.  Is there any
special treatment besides time to help the tail regenerate faster/better. 
The iguana is about 6"STV.  Thanks in advance.
		__Rich

Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
From: dboldt@dsdbqvarsa (David Boldt (x5679))
Subject: Re: snake fear
Keywords: phobia reptile snake fear
Organization: United States Geological Survey
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 18:40:18 GMT

In article <1993Jan11.154452.6523@desire.wright.edu> jknife@desire.wright.edu writes:
>
>
>	I'll be getting married in the upcoming summer, and I have a bit of a
>problem;  My soon-to-be mother in law is VERY scared of snakes.  I'm not
>willing to part with my corn snake and Boa, but I don't want their presence to
>keep her from visiting (I know, laugh it up, but . . .)

My mom can't even look at a picture of a snake.  The compromise that was
worked out was to assure that she did not have to be in the same room as
one, and that the cages wherever they happened to be were covered and
the inhabitants not visible.  She doesn't visit often, but has been willing
to swallow some discomfort in exchange for my keeping them out of her 
environment.

>	Has anyone out there ever tried to "cure" herpetophobia? (sp?)  Any
>suggestions?  

Most people who feel this way don't =want= to be cured... good luck!

-- 
                           -- david boldt   dboldt@qvarsa.er.usgs.gov
                                            US Geological Survey
                                            Reston, VA    (703 648-5679)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp