How to Feed Your Pet Snake

January 11, 2016January 10, 2016 ~ BackwaterReptiles

At Backwater Reptiles, we sell snakes of all sizes ranging from tiny Ringneck Snakes to giant Green Anacondas, so we have lots of experience feeding and maintaining the health of these animals.

In this blog article, we’ll answer these three commonly asked questions regarding snake feeding habits:

-What do I feed my pet snake?
-How do I feed my pet snake?
-Should I feed my snake live rodents or use frozen/thawed ones?

What do I feed my pet snake?

First off, we should mention that nearly all snakes eat mice, rats, or other small vertebrates in captivity. The smaller the snake, the smaller the prey item.

Most hatchlings will start off with pinkie mice and eventually grow into being able to eat fuzzies. Only the larger species of snakes such as anacondas, pythons, and boas to name a few, will get large enough to the point that they require full-grown mice as meals. We recommend doing your research if you don’t want to have to handle full-grown feeder animals.

Snake Food — We feed our snakes using tongs because not all snakes have great aim. Using tongs is a great way to avoid an accidental biting.

Some smaller species of snakes will not need to eat rodents. For instance, the Ringneck Snake is so small that it eats night crawlers in captivity. Garter and Ribbon Snakes can eat mice, but will actually do quite well on a diet of minnows or other small feeder fish, and even nightcrawlers.

Feeder rodents of all sizes can be purchased at most pet stores. Backwater Reptiles also offers feeder mice that are conveniently delivered to your door step, as well as nightcrawlers.

How do I feed my pet snake?

If you feed your snake frozen mice, then the first step is to thaw the frozen rodent. After removing the feeder animal from your freezer, place the animal in warm water for a few minutes. Allow it to de-frost and thaw like you would a cut of meat. Because most feeder rodents are very small (especially the pinkie mice), it shouldn’t take more than five to ten minutes to thaw the food.

Thawing Feeder Pinkie Mice — These pinkie mice are floating in warm water to thaw out.

NOTE: Do not EVER put the frozen rodents in the microwave. Not only will you have a mess to clean up, but you will have wasted perfectly good snake food.

Once you are sure your feeder rodent is sufficiently warmed, remove your snake from its enclosure and feed it in a separate, temporary enclosure. This need not be a large or elaborate container – just something tall enough so that the snake won’t climb out during the feeding process.

The reason we advise moving your snake to a separate feeding tub is to prevent your snake from becoming aggressive. If you feed the snake inside its own cage, it will assume that every time the cage is opened, food is coming, which could lead it to “train” itself to strike whenever the cage is opened. In other words, it will associate the cage opening with food instead of bath time, cage cleaning time, or even play time. Moving the snake to a separate feeding area will help counteract this type of behavior.

Once your snake is in its feeding enclosure, simply hold the rodent out for the snake to strike at or drop the rodent into the enclosure in front of the snake. You can also use tongs to hold the prey item in front of the snake’s line of vision.

If you feed your snake live prey, we highly recommend stunning the animal before putting it in the snake’s enclosure. This is because feeder animals can actually scratch and bite the snake before the snake has time to consume it. This can lead to infections or even unsightly scars on the snake’s body.

Should I feed my snake live rodents or use frozen/thawed ones?

We highly recommend using frozen/thawed feeder rodents when it comes to snakes for two main reasons – safety and convenience.

It might not seem like a big deal, but as we previously mentioned, living feeder animals can actually harm snakes. Rodents are sneaky and will do everything they can to outsmart a snake. They will bite and claw the snake if it hesitates at all. This can be a problem is your pet snake is a slow eater or if it is not hungry when you feed it. Again, you don’t want your snake to be injured by its food.

We also think that it’s safer for you, the snake’s owner, to feed it frozen food. It has been said that snakes becomes more aggressive when fed live food and we agree. While there’s not really any definitive proof that this is true, it does seem to be the case in our experience.

Snakes that are given live food have to strike to kill and usually will have to strike more than once to catch the animal they’re eating. It just makes sense that the snake will be more likely to strike if it is practicing this behavior on a regular basis.

We also feel that feeding frozen animals to your snake is more convenient. If you opt for feeding frozen/thawed, you can simply keep the food in your freezer until your snake’s meal time. On the other hand, if you feed your snake live food, you either have to keep living feeder rodents at your home or go to the pet store once per week to obtain them.

Hungry Savu Python — This Savu Python is prepared to strike. It is his mealtime and he is aiming at a pinkie mouse.

Conclusion

Feeding your pet snake is a fairly simple process, whether you opt for frozen meals or live prey. It’s honestly as simple as thawing your feeder mice or stunning your live prey and offering it to your snake. Nature does the rest.

Freddy Krueger Frog Care

January 8, 2016January 8, 2016 ~ BackwaterReptiles

Have you heard of the “Freddy Krueger” frog? If you haven’t, we bet you’ll always remember them after reading this blog article. These frogs are bizarre and entertaining which makes them not only memorable, but delightful pets. We’re going to focus on how to care for Freddy Krueger frogs.

Freddy krueger frog care — The Budgett’s frog (aka Freddy Krueger frog) is flat and “blob-like,” which makes them fun aquarium subjects. They are easy to care for when setup correctly.

Also known as Budgett’s Frogs (Lepidobatrachus laevis), the Freddy Krueger frog’s physical appearance is reminiscent of a blob of green, olive, or yellow-colored Jello. They are flat, fat, and sort of jiggly when at rest. They have tiny but protuberant eyes that sit atop their head as well as pretty long fingers…at least as far as frog fingers are concerned. We imagine that’s partially where they get their Krueger moniker.

When stressed, threatened, or upset, a Budgett’s Frog will puff itself up, rear up on its hind legs, open its big mouth as wide as possible, and emit what can best be described as a scream. The frog’s mouth is toothless with the exception of two tiny sharp protrusions on their lower jaw that make them look like they have tiny fangs. What an interesting and strange defense mechanism.

Screaming Budgetts Frog — This is an angry Freddy Krueger Frog. He is puffed up, screaming, and showing off his two little “fangs.”

We actually sell quite a few of these unique blob-frogs at Backwater Reptiles. We think this is not only due to their comical appearance and screaming capabilities, but because they are great pet frogs overall.

Although their body shape might suggest otherwise, Budgett’s Frogs are mainly aquatic and prefer to stay in the water rather than to be on land. Their arms are quite strong making them adept swimmers. Because their eyes sit directly on top of their head, they can easily submerge themselves completely in the water and just leave their eyes poking out of the surface to see.

When kept in captivity, the Freddy Krueger Frog’s type of watery environment should be replicated as closely as possible. For a single, solitary, full-grown frog, we recommend a tank that is at least 12 inches wide and 24 inches long. Make sure the water you put in the tank is dechlorinated and in the range of six to nine inches deep. Although your Budgett’s Frog might not actually leave the water of its own accord, it is always recommended that a platform or place where the frog can escape the water completely and be on dry land is provided.

The water temperature for a Budgett’s Frog is also important. In order for the frog to thrive, the water should stay in the temperature range of 77 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit. This can be acheived by using a thermometer or thermostat and a small tank water heater. Because Budgetts frogs are hefty and can dislodge water heaters, we recommend a mounted heater that has a safety cut out, just in case.

It also should be noted that Budgett’s Frogs create a lot of waste for a frog. Their tank should have a filtration system in place, unless you want to change the water every few days. A good rule of thumb when it comes to water filtration systems is that you do get what you pay for. Depending on the frequency you want to change the frog’s water, it might make sense to purchase a pricier unit that filters better so you don’t have to change the water too often.

Because Budgett’s Frogs are such hearty eaters and therefore produce a lot of waste, we don’t usually line their tank bottoms with any kind of substrate. It makes it easier to handle the frequent water changes and also ensures that the frog doesn’t accidentally ingest anything it shouldn’t.

We recommend aquarium decor that is minimal as well as functional. Items that provide good hiding spaces and are aesthetically pleasing such as decorative caves purchased from a pet store, terra cotta pots, or similar items are all good options. Just make sure that whatever decor you do choose is too large for the frog to eat because they really are voraciously hungry and will try to ingest items you wouldn’t imagine they would.

No Budgett’s frog care sheet would be complete without mentioning their feeding habits. Due to their hefty appetites, you should feed your young Budgett’s frog as much as it will consume in a single sitting on a daily basis. Adults don’t require feeding quite as often – every other day is fine for a mature frog.

Lepidobatrachus laevis — Although its legs make it appear stumpy, the Budgets Frog is actually a really good swimmer.

Budgett’s Frogs will eat invertebrates like nightcrawlers, crickets, roaches, and wax worms. They will also happily eat small feeder fish and de-shelled land snails. You can feed them in the water or place the food on their land platform. Because these frogs are not picky eaters, they will usually take whatever you offer them and feeding time is quite an entertaining event.

Budgett’s frogs grow quite large and will reach lengths of up to six inches, although three and a half to five inches is more common. They can live 15 to 20 years.

Freddy Krueger frog care – conclusion

We very highly recommend Budgett’s Frogs as pets. Not only are they visually interesting and appealing, they are also quite interactive and great eaters, sometimes even jumping out of the water to attack prey. If you’re ready to spring for a Freddy Krueger frog of your own, Backwater Reptiles has Budgetts Frogs for sale.

How to Dust Feeder Insects for Chameleons

January 4, 2016September 22, 2018 ~ BackwaterReptiles

Keeping chameleons in captivity can be a challenge. These delicate lizards have very specific care requirements and need their wild habitats to be replicated as closely as possible in order to thrive as pets. Dusting their feeder insects properly is a key to keeping chameleons successfully.

How to dust feeder insects — Pictured is one of our extremely healthy female Oustalets chameleon, fed a diet of properly dusted insects.

Besides requiring a mesh enclosure or cage, a dripping and misting system to meet humidity requirements, and UV lights and heat, chameleons also require their invertebrate meals to be extremely nutritious. This means that you can’t just feed your pet chameleon any old feeder insects. You will need to make sure your chameleon’s insects are gut-loaded and vitamin dusted regularly.

So what is vitamin dusting? What vitamin dusts do you give a chameleon and how often do you need to do so? How do you go about dusting the insects? These are all questions we will address in this blog article, so read on if you want to make sure your chameleon stays healthy and strong.

What is vitamin dusting?

The answer to this question is actually very simple.

Vitamin dusting is where you coat your feeder insects in a film of powdered vitamin supplements before feeding time.

Do you take a multivitamin pill daily? How about a vitamin C tablet every now and then? Well, dusting your chameleon’s feeder insects is basically the same concept. The only difference is that because it would stress the animal to try to get it to ingest a vitamin pill, reptile hobbyists have invented a clever way to get the animals their vitamins. By coating the insects, the chameleons don’t even notice they’re eating the vitamins they need.

What types of vitamin dusts are good for chameleons? How often do you need to dust your feeder insects for your pet chameleon?

These are questions we get a lot at Backwater Reptiles. This is because there’s no manual on how frequently dusting needs to be done and the frequency as well as type of vitamin dusts required can vary from species to species.

At Backwater Reptiles, we use five main vitamin dusts for our chameleons – bee pollen, spirulina, a calcium + D3 supplement, a calcium supplement, and Herptivite/Supervite supplement.

The general rule of thumb with baby chameleons is to dust pinhead crickets (or whatever food source you give them) fairly frequently with calcium. Babies are growing fast and their little bodies need lots of nutrients to make sure their growth process happens smoothly.

Listed below are the vitamins used at Backwater Reptiles and the schedule we subscribe to when it comes to dusting feeder insects for our chameleons.

Bee pollen

In the wild, chameleons eat insects that could have recently pollinated a flower. Supplementing with bee pollen is said to help avoid chameleon “hunger strikes.”

Frequency:
Babies: once monthly
Sub-adults: twice monthly
Adults: twice monthly

LoD (calcium + D3)

Calcium and Vitamin Supplement — This Repashy vitamin and calcium supplement is what we use at Backwater Reptiles.

At Backwater Reptiles, the type of LoD vitamin supplement we use is called “Repashy Superfoods Calcium plus LoD.”

Frequency:
Babies: once monthly
Sub-adults: twice monthly
Adults: twice monthly

NoD (calcium)

Powdered Calcium Supplement — This powdered calcium supplement is used frequently when feeding baby chameleons.

The kind of calcium supplement used at Backwater Reptiles is called “Repashy Superfoods Supercal NoD.”

Frequency:
Babies: 10-15 times monthly
Sub-adults: 5-7 times monthly
Adults: 2-3 times monthly

Spirulina

Spirulina is an algae that commonly grows in freshwater ponds and lakes. The kind fed to our chameleons is dried and powdered. Any powdered spirulina will be fine for your chameleons, but we use an organic, non-irradiated, and non-GMO spirulina from www.nuts.com.

Frequency:
Babies: once monthly
Sub-adults: twice monthly
Adults: twice monthly

Herptivite/Supervite

Multivitamin Supplement for Chameleons — This is the multivitamin supplement used at Backwater Reptiles.

These are general vitamin supplements or multivitamins. The kind we use at Backwater Reptiles is “RepCal Hertivite with Beta Carotene Multivitamins.”

Frequency:
Babies: twice monthly
Sub-adults: twice monthly
Adults: once monthly

How do you dust your feeder insects?

The good news is that the physical process of dusting your feeder insects with vitamins is not as tedious as it sounds.

All you will need to complete the process is a small plastic bag, your vitamin of choice, and your feeder insects.

Reptile Feeder Crickets — At Backwater Reptiles, we opt to dust our crickets in a bucket instead of a plastic bag simply because we have so many animals to feed. It makes sense for us to do it on a larger scale. But a plastic bag works just fine in most cases.

Just put your insects in the plastic bag along with your vitamins and seal the bag shut. Then shake the insects around in the bag with the dust for a few seconds until you can see that they are visibly coated with the dust.

Now your feeder insects are ready to be eaten!

A quick tip – if you are feeding your chameleon dusted crickets, be sure to feed them to the animal quickly after the dusting process has been completed. Crickets have good hygiene and will clean themselves of the dust as quickly as they can, so the sooner they are eaten, the more vitamins the chameleon will ingest.

Vitamin Dusted Crickets — When your feeder insects are coated like these crickets, they are ready to be served to your chameleon.

How to dust chameleon feeder insects – Conclusion

A healthy, happy chameleon will require supplemental vitamins in its diet. This can be achieved by dusting your pet chameleon’s feeder insects with a number of multivitamins.

The Best Small Pet Snake

January 1, 2016December 31, 2015 ~ BackwaterReptiles

Are you considering a new snake, but would like to know what species would make the best small pet snake? Probably the smallest pet snake sold by Backwater Reptiles is the Ringneck Snake (Diadphis sp.), with the Worm snake another contender.

This snake is perfect for someone who definitely wants a small pet snake and doesn’t want to deal with having a large tank or enclosure in their home. They’re great compact little pets and can be kept in a home as small as a shoe box quite happily.

Maybe you’re someone who is attracted to the cuteness of small animals or baby animals. Although the Ringneck Snake won’t be a baby forever, it can certainly pass for a baby snake!

Ringnecks won’t get longer than 15 inches and usually won’t surpass the diameter of a pencil in thickness of body. This means that a full-grown Ringneck Snake is the size most “normal-sized” pet snakes start off as when they’re hatchlings. Now that’s a small snake!

Best small pet snake — This photo shows the scale of the Ringneck Snake. They’re definitely little animals and are considered the best “small” pet snakes.

Ringnecks are a dark brown, black, or grey base color with a bright orange or yellow ring around their neck, which explains the origin of their common name. It’s almost like these little snakes wear orange necklaces. The bellies of Ringnecks are yellow or orange to match their neck band. Depending on the specific region the snake is from, the belly might also have black speckles or bars.

The Ringneck Snake has a very widespread distribution in the wild. They can be found throughout most of the United States and even into Southern Canada. They can acclimate to many types of habitats but seem to prefer wooded areas with plenty of hiding places like rocks, logs, and leaf litter. Due to their small size, a good hiding place is an essential survival tool for these little snakes.

Believe it or not, Ringnecks actually have a small amount of venom in their saliva that they utilize when hunting prey. This venom is harmless to people however, so don’t let that frighten you off. Their teeth are also so small that even if you were bitten by your pet Ringneck snake, you probably wouldn’t even feel it! We’ve never even had one attempt to bite, though.

In captivity, Ringnecks are pretty easy to maintain. They like to hide a lot, so they’re not the most entertaining or energetic pet, but they can still be rewarding to care for.

Although we always recommend replicating natural environments through substrate, hiding spaces, and other cage accessories and methods, Ringnecks can actually thrive with a very minimal cage set up. As previously mentioned, they need not have a large living space – a plastic shoe box will do just fine. This is great news for people who live in small spaces and have minimal room to store a tank or vivarium.

You can use paper towels as a substrate or go with something more traditional like peat moss and soil. Just be aware that no matter what you line the enclosure with, your pet Ringneck will more than likely burrow underneath it.

This is why we don’t advise that lots of heavy accessories be kept inside the enclosure with the snake. You don’t want the snake to accidentally dislodge a heavy fake plant or unnecessarily large water dish and injure itself.

Obviously these snakes are too small to consume the standard snake fare of frozen/thawed pinkies, fuzzies, and other rodents. This is good news for the squeamish who don’t want to have to feed their pet snake rodents! Well then, you might be wondering – what do you feed such a tiny carnivore?

At Backwater Reptiles, we have had success feeding our Ringneck Snakes nightcrawlers. In the wild, they eat lots of small invertebrates and sometimes even vertebrates that will fit in their mouth, so you can also try to feed your Ringneck crickets and other appropriately-sized insects, although earthworms are the tried and true food that we recommend.

Diadphis sp. — Even fully stretched out, Ringneck Snakes rarely get longer than 15 inches.

The best small pet snake – Conclusion

Ringnecks are fairly secretive snakes and can be a bit squirmy when held, but this behavior can be mitigated with frequent handling. Like any snake, your pet Ringneck will never be domesticated, but you can usually safely get it acclimated and used to being taken out of its cage.

While boas and pythons can make wonderful pet snakes, some people prefer a species much more manageable in size, which is why we endeavored to write an article about the best small pet snake, which in our opinion is the Ringneck.

If you think you’re ready to spring for a small pet snake of your own, Backwater Reptiles has Ringneck Snakes for sale.

Backwater Reptiles Blog

Over 250 Articles for Herp Enthusiasts

Month: January 2016

How to Feed Your Pet Snake

Freddy Krueger Frog Care

How to Dust Feeder Insects for Chameleons

The Best Small Pet Snake

The best small pet snake – Conclusion