CARE OF ANIMALS COMPLETE GUIDE

If you're looking for an unusual, eye-catching pet, it's hard to go wrong with a snake. They're exotic enough to catch people's interest, yet hardy enough to require minimal care. Nevertheless, uninformed first-time owners tend to make some basic mistakes, some of which can be quite costly. Here are some simple tips that can help ensure the health of the snake and prevent a lot of aggravation as well.

1. First, take note of how large your snake can grow to be. Most North American varieties only grown to be about four feet long, which is a reasonable size. Don't let a pet store employee talk you into buying a Burmese python, since these critters can grow to be over thirty feet long, and will require huge cages and tremendous amounts of food. (And before you ask... No, most zoos will not accept these as donations.)

2. Don't scrimp on cage size. A cage that is too small can be very stressful and unhealthy to your pet. Pet store clerks will sometimes try to sell you caging that is inadequate in size, so don't fall into this trap. For adequate comfort, the combined length and width of the cage should at least match the snake's length. Snakes can grow fairly quickly, so don't forget to take that into account as well!

3. Do find out how docile that particular specimen is. Most non-venomous North American snakes are fairly docile, but if you're a first-time keeper, you should probably make sure that your prospective pet can be handled easily.

4. Make sure that you select a pet with a hearty appetite. Ball pythons, for example, make great pets--but they are notoriously finicky eaters. Corn snakes make great starter pets because they are exceedingly docile and aren't picky about what they eat.

5. Snakes--indeed, any reptile--can potentially spread salmonella. The risk involved is very small, but one should still play safe. This is especially true when young children or people with compromised immune systems are involved. Do read up on reptile hygiene and salmonella before purchasing your pet.

Obviously, these tips only constitute some basic advice. I recommend that all prospective owners should read up on snake care in general, as well as the specific needs of the species that they plan to purchase. A little bit of basic research can prevent a great deal of aggravation in the future.

About the Author:

V. Berba Velasco Jr., Ph.D. is a senior electrical and software engineer at Cellular Technology Ltd (http://www.immunospot.com, http://www.elispot-analyzers.de, [http://www.elispot.cn]). The neighborhood children have referred to him as the “Crocodile Hunter” though, due to his impressive menagerie of snakes, lizards and tarantulas.

More and more stores have started to sell food for insects. But this food is often very expensive making the savings of breeding at home nil. So I've put together a list of low price food for most feeder insects. I'll break them down into the individual insect species.

Crickets

While some breeders feed crickets exclusively grain foods, I've found this provides the crickets with none of the protein that your pets require. Here's an inexpensive recipe I've been using for a while. The main ingredient is dry cat food, followed by bran or oats, as well as vegetable scraps.
Start by blending the cat food dry, making a fine powder (you could use a food processor as well).
Mix about 3 parts cat food to 1 part bran or oats. If you like you can add fish flakes or other dry grains, but these could get expensive. And for moisture I've Found that carrots or potatoes work good. You could also use a simple sponge placed in a jar lid. Just make sure the sponge is clean and doesn't contain any soap. I purchase all these items at my local dollar store. There is no need for premium ingredients.

Mealworms

For meal worms I use a simple mix of bran and oats. I purchase these from my local feed store in big bags that last months. I also like to add some of the cat food as well. I've found the protein and brewers yeast that is in the cat food helps the mealworms grow faster and larger. I use to use carrots or potatoes for moisture, but have just discovered cactus pads are the best moisture source. When they are finished there is only a thin cactus skin left. The cut pieces also don't mold either.

Roaches

Feeder roaches are even easier. I provide a slice of inexpensive bread or just left-over bread scraps from the kitchen. I also provide a small dish of the cat food as well. For moisture I like the sponge in the shallow dish.

I hope this has been informative, and remember that most of these insects can eat simple vegetable or fruit scraps. So before you try the expensive commercial food try some cheap home made recipes first.

For more pet reptile info and picutes visit healthy reptile .com

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