T. eques cuitzeoensis behaviour

[EasternGirl]

So I was right on the mark about the vampire name huh? That's interesting. You know Chris...I'm back a couple of posts here...but my snakes absolutely do sulk when I change their enclosure around. They actually pout in the corner and refuse to come out. I was just telling my mother last night how incredibly picky and particular garters are...just changing their enclosure around can completely throw them off for some time, I have noticed. I realized that this whole thing Hermes has been going through, hiding all the time and not being as active as he was, began when I switched everything around in his enclosure and tried to put that platform in for him. Now I am wondering what will happen when I put Hermes and Possum in together. Hermes is very particular about his arrangement and Possum seems to be very particular about his as well. I need to figure out a way to combine their enclosures and keep things set up in a way that they both like...keeping certain hides and plants that Hermes must have and certain plants that Possum must have...it's definitely going to be tricky!

[chris-uk]

Lacci has blued up her eyes, so another shed coming...

Lacci shed ahead of schedule on 11 March, so just a day after her eyes cleared. Previously she's taken 2-3 days from her eyes clearing to shedding. So she was 5 and bit weeks between sheds, looks like she's a growing girl.

Vlad looked like his eyes were bluing up yesterday, and sure enough, today they are definitely clear. He shed a few days before Lacci last time, so it looks like he's on target for 6 and half weeks between sheds.
Even with his eyes blue he's been quite active, and he's started spending time on top of the warm hide (closest he can get to the heat light), so I'm wondering if he's feeling a change of season and thinking about topping up the tan before summer.

Soon Vlad and Lacci will each be gaining some company in the form of T. radix, as long as there isn't a significant difference in size.

[EasternGirl]

Thanks for the update, Chris. Everything sounds like it is going nicely!

[chris-uk]

Yep, going nicely. Lacci just ate this evening, normally I only feed her once at the weekend, but she didn't eat last time when she was about to shed. She has a good appetite.

[chris-uk]

I'm missing out...
Last week I'd noticed that both Vlad kept climbing up the plants to get closer to the overhead lamp, I guess he wanted a bit more heat. Meanwhile Lacci was basking a lot on top of the hide directly underneath the lamp as well as trying to get to the light occassionally. So I figured with them sensing Spring they were wanting to warm themselves up a bit more than the 30C of the heatmat. Maybe they prefer overhead heat to belly heat?

Anyway, I built them what I'm calling "The Hammock". The idea being that they were climbing the plant, and hanging off their small platform, and falling down trying to stay up there. So my idea was to build a net hammock, cum cargo net that they could use to support themselves up there. So a couple of metres of string and sisal later and I had rough sort of net two thirds about 30cm above the floor of the viv (and about 15cm from the top of the viv). I'll post photos when I get a chance.

I saw both of them checking it out on Sunday, but as I'm working away this week I've not seen it in use properly. Char tells me that they were both coiled around the new net taking in the heat this afternoon.

I'm assuming that they will thermoregulate themselves and go up there and come back down when they've had enough heat - in the same way as switching from one side of the viv to another.

[guidofatherof5]

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[BUSHSNAKE]

Forget to take your meds this morning?

[EasternGirl]

Ha ha ha! I love it Steve!

[chris-uk]

At $19.95 (plus $7.95 post and packing ) I could probably make a profit. I'll accept orders by PM as well.

[BUSHSNAKE]

Hehe sorry Steve