This is already became a misperception that pet owners should feed their snakes with live preys. However, snakes, as what you’ve known in the wild are eating anything from live preys to things already in decomposing stage. As a matter of fact, snakes do prefer to eat effortless and want to have just food which wont fight them back. Some snakes like garter snakes, water snakes, and green snakes eat preys which are easy to be swallowed since their preys wont be able to fight back. Fish, earthworms, insects and frogs are just among the defenseless preys which snakes do encounter in the wild. This may be applicable to the said species of snakes, now to think it properly, how about the others? Most snakes which feeds on rodent have to spent more time hunting their preys. As said earlier, snakes are more comfortable with easy to get foods. Take this as consideration, you snake will never hunt hard just to eat since pre-killed preys can be offer. Feeding your snakes with pre-killed food is just as easy as dropping a mouse in their cage. However, if you are feeding frozen mice, then be sure that the mice is thawed thoroughly since if the part of the mice, specially the center part is frozen, then you snake might experience severe intestinal distress. Best way to thaw their food is heating them up in a microwave oven. Keep this secret to your mother or any housemates because by making this, it such a total disgust. There may be an instance also that your snake will refuse to eat. This problem mostly occur with wild caught pets. For them to get use in eating pre-killed foods, you may just feed them with live animal and then afterward give them a pre-killed food while they’re still in the mood of eating. All captive snakes are easy to train with regards to way of being. However, wild-caught may take time to get use to a life in captivity.

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Softshells turtles are natives in many countries all over the world like Canada down to United Sates until Northern parts of Mexico. They are also found in North Africa ranging to Israel , USSR, China, Korea and some countries of Southeast Asia. There are common species found in most pet trade today like smooth softshells, Florida softshells and Spiny softshells.

Smooth softshells, A. mutica, are pale-medium brown in color where males have extra dark spots than females. Florida softshells, A. ferox, have dark brownish carapace with blothcing markings which tend to disappear in adulthood. Spiny softshells, A.spinifera, are color brown with dark blotches spots. The softshell are in deed turtles with really soft shells which is somehow like a thickened skin. With this, they have many threats against injuries from rocks and bites. In the wilds, they usually spend their time underwater where only their nose is visible in the surface. They can also be seen in many water areas such as lake, ponds, streams, rivers, and ditches. They are carnivorous and mainly eat small insects and fishes. They might bite your hand also for instance. Softshells are preferable to house singly or kin pair since aggressive behavior is common to them. When house in pair, monitor them closely to know if they are fighting or biting each other. If they are making such behavior then keeping them away from one another is essential. They are also very shy with humans and interaction with them may cause for them to hide. You must also monitor their food intake so that you can assure that they’re doing well. The air and water temperature of their housing must also maintain. Basking may be provided with the use of incandescent light.

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	Baby Snakes! SnakeBytesTV Baby snakes... By far the collest thing about what we do is hatching baby snakes. Whether it's a common cornsnake are a super high end morph Ball Python or any reptile in between, we get so excited when we start to hatch our eggs. This weeks show will be the very start of the hatch season. We'll hatch 10's of thousands of snakes over the next couple of months and will be sure to keep you guys posted on our progress as well as highlighting some of our coolest hatchling reptiles. SnakeBytesTV is a weekly series featuring all kinds of snakes, reptiles and other extreme or dangerous animals. Sometimes we get attacked or suffer painful snake bites, but mostly we answer your questions and provide you with exciting and interesting information. SnakeBytesTV is produced by BHB Reptiles, one of the worlds largest snake breeding facilities, and is hosted by Brian Barczyk. New episodes every Wednesday! Follow me at: http://www.twitter.com/snakebytestv Facebook me at: http://www.facebook.com/SnakeBytesTV http://www.facebook.com/BrianBarczyk Join the shows community and win prizes! http://www.snakebytestv.ning.com Other awesome shows! http://www.nextnewnetworks.com	From: SnakeBytesTV Views: 9395 145 ratings
	Time: 09:52	More in Pets & Animals

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Red-eared sliders, just like the yellow-eared sliders,are natives in the United States. By seeing them, they might be the most common specie of turtle found in most pet trade in US or even abroad. In the wild, they spend almost of their time basking under the sun  in logs or even water plants or anything which can support their weight. They are omnivorous also which means they eat both plants and small animals such as tiny fishes. Juvenile must have 40% proteins in their diet and may tend to eat only plants when already adult.

The ones being sold in the US are already about 2-4 years old if male while may age of  3 ½ years for female. This is due to a law where selling turtles with size less than 4 inches are illegal.   If you’re going to buy red-eared slider, coming from a pet store may tend them to suffer traumatic stress. They may also bear some protozoan and bacterial infections like salmonella which can cause danger to children. When having stress, box turtles will loose their appetite which is not good for your pet. It is preferable if right after buying the turtle, make some proper precaution such as assuring their health condition and contact a veterinarian.

When having your very own red-eared turtle, it is necessary for you as an owner to provide them an enclosure which can give comfort to your pet. Their housing should be spacious and a 30-50 gallon tank will do. They love to swim as we know so water must be 1.5 to 2 times deep as their size length. It is also essential for your to clean the water since red-eared turtles are very messy when eating. The water temperature must range from 75-86F and a water heater might do to maintain such temperature. If  you want them to absorb natural light, then you can also put them outside during sunny days. It is really great if you allow them to be outside once in awhile. UVB light is not necessary but giving them such light will help their calcium metabolism. As for their foods, just allow them to take enriched vitamin foods. Remember that juveniles must be fed everyday while adults every other day. Supplement is also essential and must be added twice a week.

To keep them alive for much longer time, watch closely for your turtle’s  health condition. You must be aware of any sign of illness with your pet in order to avoid problems and trouble.

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Box turtles are natives from many places ranging from the western countries of North America up to the eastern countries of Asia. As a matter of fact, there are four known species of box turtle invading in the American pet trade, the eastern box turtle, the three-toed box turtle, the Gulf Coast box turtle, and the ornate box turtle. Few species from other countries are imported also such as the Chinese and Malayan box turtle. There are some dissimilarities between the American and foreign box turtle such as the capability of Chinese and Malayan box turtles to stay for long in the water. On the other hand, American box turtles are partially aquatic animals.

When having your very own box turtle, make sure that you inspect them from the very start for any health conflict or infections. Since most box turtle in the pet trade are wild caught, they may be feeling hydrated and may also contain bacterial infection like salmonella which is dangerous for children. So, you must do some safety precautions to avoid trouble regarding about your pet.

On the other hand, proper housing is essential. An indoor enclosure must be spacious enough with perfect size of 40 gallon tank. A wooden enclosure might do also, just ensure that it is tall enough so that your pet can’t escape easily. For substrate, it is best if you use plain sterile potting soil. Box turtles need a hiding box with proper substrate also. They are somehow semi-aquatic animals so it is necessary for you to provide a dish or tank big enough for your pet. Temperature ranges depending upon which specie is your pet. For ornate box turtles, temperature must range from 85-88F during the day while may drop down to 70-75F during the night. For the remaining species of American box turtles, temperature is the same with the ornate box. Chinese and Malayans can have at most same temperature ranging from 75-85F. By giving them heat, there are two ways to provide them. First is by putting a heating pad under their enclosure and second is by using incandescent lighting.  As for their foods, they are best fed after they warm up in the morning. Youngsters must be fed everyday while adults every other day. Supply enriched vitamin foods to them. They can eat both meat and plants. Vegetable greens are good for them while mealworms are given by most pet owners to provide calcium enriched food.

Turtles are prone to many sickness so watch carefully for any sign of sickness.

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There are so many ways to raise your fruit flies including small flies like Drosophilia melanogaster, tend to grow up to 1/10 inches, and large flies like Drosophilia hydei and may grow up to 1/8 inches. Their maturity ranges from 10-12 days for the melanogaster while may take up to 28 days for the hydei.

There are several recipes for you to raised healthy fruit flies. First is the one made by Anthony Hundt. You’re gonna need 8 bananas, ¼ cup of sugar, rolled oatmeal and one packet of baker’s yeast. All you have to do is mix the bananas and sugar in a blender and add the oats when the mixture become firm. Put the mixture in canning jar with the yeast on its surface. Allow 30 fruit flies be in the jar. Substituting of any fruit may also do.

Another recipe for fruit flies is the one made by Nancy Nehring from Reptiles Magazine. All you need is 1 cup of water, 1 tablespoon cornmeal, 1 teaspoon powdered agar, 1 tablespoon molasses, 1/8 teaspoon calcium proportionate and 1 package baker yeast.  As for the steps, heat all the ingredients except for  the  yeast until it boils. Place the mixture in a clean jar and let it cool down. When ready for use, just put the fruit flies to the jar.

And then lastly, we have the recipe from Dr. Floyd Waddle. All you need to have is baker’s yeast, brewer’s yeast, instant potato flake and tegosept. To start of, mix 1 part of brewer’s yeast to 10 parts of potato flakes. Just when ready for mix, you may now add 4 grams of the mold inhibitor, tegosept to one gallon of one gallon of hot water. Allow it to cool down and then add water for for dry culture media. Just that easy, you can already place the fruit flies to the mixture and of course inside a clean jar.

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Few years ago, I visited my woman friend and her seven-year-old son in College Station, Texas. I decided to stay in the garden while my friend is busy in the kitchen. Later on, the silence in the garden was crushed by horrified screams!

I run to the front door of the house as fast as I could with terrible visions inside my head. There, I found my friend and her son scarily standing on separate chairs while pointing to an ugly American cockroach roaming around the floor. I tried to picked it up and put it away from their sight laughing to the extent that I could hardly breath. If you feel the same way for cockroaches like them, then you may now stop reading the article.

Cockroaches, which are mistakenly called waterbugs or roaches did not change their behavior for 320 million years. They are the closest family of termites. I know for sure that this is not new for all of us that cockroach one of the decomposers in our community because they are feed in decaying biodegradable materials. A few of them eat woods only but majority of them are known to be pest for humans.

The hissing cockroach also known Gromphadorhina portentosa as its scientific name is one of the biggest species of cockroaches located in the woody parts of Madagascar. Some of them can grow large, in fact some can grow nearly three inches long. They have the typical insect body which is composed of: the head, thorax, and abdomen.

Hissing cockroaches don’t have wings as adults because they are practicing the so called “secondarily wingless”. It is a process where cockroaches discontinued in having wings because they found it useless.

Male hissing cockroaches have very noticeable frontal horns on the pronotum behind the head. Females have these horns as well but the male are most inclined to use it. In general, males are darker than females in terms of color.

In mating, the male usually encounters a receptive female first and have to fight for dominance. This encourages the male to touch the female lightly with his antennae. This is then the perfect timing for the mating act.

Hiising cockroaches could be a lot of fun and experience, but we should always remember our responsibility for them.

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The achetus domesticus or commonly known as house cricket is a nourishing food for herp species. Unfortunately, having a reliable supply for these insects can be a problem, particularly if you have a customer who needs a regular supply of newly hatched pinhead crickets. To solve this problem, a method for cricket raising which was developed two years ago was made in order to provide frogs collectors with a regular supply of small or large crickets. Before you decide to raise crickets, here are some the things to be considered:

1. You must provide an area where crickets cannot disturb you specially
that they are noisy.

2. Commercial insecticides may be placed in the room where your cricket
colony is to avoid escapes.

3. Crickets have a definite odor which you may find unpleasing that’s why
keeping it clean and well maintain is necessary.

The breading colony is placed in a deep plastic storage boxes where egg flats are inserted perpendicularly throughout except for about 6 inches at one end where water dispenser is placed. Holes are also cut in the conflicting ends of the breading container and covered with metal screen secured with duct tape to avoid suffocation of your colony.

The upkeep and maintenance of the breading container is composed of feeding the crickets, keeping the nesting material moist and refilling of water when the water dispenser is empty.

As long as your colony has the exact food supply, water, and a high temperature then your crickets will breed generously. The nesting materials need special attention and care. It must be checked one at a time and spray if necessary. Be reminded also if the nesting materials are packed with oblate white eggs positioned vertically, then the eggs must be removed and incubated

For incubation of the eggs, it should be placed in a nesting container and place it on the heat pad on top of the breading container. For how many days, if you can notice the eggs with pinheads then you should move it to a rearing container. The nesting container must be moved to a small sweater box once the eggs begin to hatch. Remember also to keep the nesting ground damp and warm while the batch of eggs hatches. The set of hatchling crickets can be raised in the sweater box until they grow for about ½” long.

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Southeast Asian turtles have been so popular in many pet trades around the world including both US and European vivaria. Vietnamese leaf turtle, Geoemyda spengleri, is the most common specie and native in many Asian countries such as Vietnam, China, Philippines and nearby countries. Most turtles found in Asia are leaf turtles. However, subgroup may occur like the leaf turtles inhabiting  in Okinawa, G. spengleri japonica.

The average adult size of Vietnamese leaf turtle is 4 ½ inches, carapace length. Their color ranges from orange yellow to reddish orange to drab olive. It is believed that geographical corellation exist between dark and light colored form. Juveniles and adults share similarities in having soft parts with white or red color, however, juveniles and females have red or yellow or white stripes in their head and neck where not common to adult males.

They are best to house in a spacious enclosure with proper humid and substrate of like sphagnum moss or cypress mulch. The substrate should be semi-damp all the  time so spraying it will be an essential task for you as an owner. Put shallow of water also since they like to swim in awhile. Well, juvenile tend to love water more than the adults. Giving them a spacious enclosure is also one factor that ensure successful breeding. As for their diet, they are best feed with snails like about 80% of their diet. The remaining percentage food intake can in terms of earthworms, pinkie, crickets and waxworms. Adults are best fed every other day while juveniles should fed daily.

Breeding season also takes only if the weather condition is hot. Males sometime court the females and may sometime mount the females without even introducing his self. It is also advisable to keep the males and females from each other if the latter become gravid. When having your leaf turtle in a not so warm country, then usually they mate every autumn where the heater turned-on in high temperature. The eggs must be laid in a hot temperature also and allow it the eggs to be incubated for about two months.

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	Snakes in the Big Apple! SnakeBytesTV Snakes in the big apple. We travel to New York to do an awesome reptile show in the Big Apple. There are cool reptile shows all across the country where you'll find snakes, lizards, turtles and alll kinds of creepy crawlies. We'll try to visit as many of them as possible. SnakeBytesTV is a weekly series featuring all kinds of snakes, reptiles and other extreme or dangerous animals. Sometimes we get attacked or suffer painful snake bites, but mostly we answer your questions and provide you with exciting and interesting information. SnakeBytesTV is produced by BHB Reptiles, one of the worlds largest snake breeding facilities, and is hosted by Brian Barczyk. New episodes every Wednesday! Follow me at: http://www.twitter.com/snakebytestv Facebook me at: http://www.facebook.com/SnakeBytesTV http://www.facebook.com/BrianBarczyk Join the shows community and win prizes! http://www.snakebytestv.ning.com Other awesome shows! http://www.nextnewnetworks.com	From: SnakeBytesTV Views: 15146 137 ratings
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