Study on how garters bask properly and under what parameters.

[Rushthezeppelin]

Ya I need to go digging through google scholar for sure. I'll also check out the recommended book for sure. While we are kinda on the subject what are yalls views on actually giving a basking spot over the recommended tops of 90? As long as you have gradient going down to 75-80 I'm guessing there is no danger as long as I'm not reaching temps that will actually burn them before they realize it. I know people always say they will burn themselves on say a heat rock or something as their dermis gets really hot before they feel the heat in their core. What is the temp that's generally considered where they burn themselves? I just want to give my girls the ability to thermoregulate on their terms. I have read a paper a while back mentioning with other herps that providing higher than POTZ was possibly beneficial (increased activity levels) at least in a zoo exhibit setting. Not sure how the dynamics of that work in a viv though. Any thoughts?

[BUSHSNAKE]

Your snake would dehydrate and turn into a piece of beef jerky. Mmmm yum...thats my thought

[BUSHSNAKE]

I have an idea for you...look up retes racks. Its a multied layered unit developed by frank retes that you can build yourself. Its kinda like a shelving unit that goes as high and close to your basking light and has different levels all the way down to the bottom cage allowing your animal to chose how close it wants to get to the heat of the basking lite

[joeysgreen]

I agree with the use of Retes' racks, or a concept along those lines anyhow. It should be noted that the very essence of those racks is to allow for basking temperatures that are unheard of in general herpetoculture. The goal is to fit in as huge of a thermal gradient as possible into the confines of a limited enclosure.

Nonetheless, the basking spot should always be higher than the POTZ. Otherwise, they will never get comfortably to their POTZ, or at the very least, they won't be able to leave the basking spot. In a 10 or 20 gallon tank, limit your garter basking temp to 85-90F, but in a 40 gallon or larger (what I like to think of as minimum standards for such active snakes) you can easily offer basking spots that they will encounter in the wild. Spend 15 minutes at 100F (like a Floridan sirtalis for example) and you're good to go fishing for the rest of the morning. So long as you have a full gradient, and a well set up enclosure so that your snake can utilize the entire gradient should it desire, you can't go wrong.

Ian

[Rushthezeppelin]

Thanks man. I figured that was the case. I have also noticed that if I give RIGHT at 85 for basking temp then they stay there most of the damn day but if I go up to 90 they at least become more active. I will definitely incorporate this into my husbandry, active snakes = happy keeper