These 5 RIDICULOUS Outdated Reptile Keeping Practices Must End NOW!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ต.ค. 2024
- Everything evolves, even reptile keeping. Let's go over the most ridiculous reptile keeping practices that are long outdated and must be stopped now!
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I feel it is important to be in a constant state of learning.
if you stop learning, your meaningful life is over. Life is all about learning.
@@WickensWickedReptiles I feel like I am brain burnt out at the end of every work day there is nothing left to absorb 🤣
@@WickensWickedReptiles learning will drive you crazy but it’s good to keep updated
Amen!!!
Why does my phone say this video was posted 3 hours ago but this comment was posted 2 days ago
The 'large cages stress them out' comment never rang true for me because in the wild they have an entire world- thats a damn big cage.
yep!
Agree!
I understand from two perspectives.
A giant glass box with nowhere to hide would even stress me out.
More space in the wild means more food options available. More space in captivity doesn't come with the same increase.
Given proper enrichment and making sure your animal eats, the rest makes no sense to me either.
Lmao
@@WickensWickedReptiles Also good to point out when you first move your animal to a larger enclosure it is going to be stressed! But it would be just as stressed if you moved it to the exact same size enclosure or to a smaller enclosure. Reptiles just generally get a bit stressed when you move them.
I had to move my boa's tank (not even put her in a new tank, just relocate the one she was in) and she went on a 2 month hunger strike. She was definitely stressed over it, but it had nothing to do with tank size, it was 100% due to snakes needing time to adapt to a move.
This is why you shouldn’t feel bad about unintentionally bad husbandry in the past if you did your best at the time with what you knew.
it's all about doing your best!
I needed this. Thank you
@@anniec6211 all you can do is your best.
I cringe at my childhood self
@@herpthings i find that life is a series of moments where you cringe at stuff you did in the past. Just means you're growing.
"Some things that are better take more effort, that's just how life works." Put that quote on the freaking wall, man. Well said!
100% the way life is man!
@@WickensWickedReptiles Not always, though. Fish tanks, for example, are actually much easier to manage when they are bigger.
The most dangerous sentence in the English language is "We've always done it this way."
100% agree with ya on all of this.
Most of the time my snakes know I'm not feeding them. Probably because they don't smell any rodents. Every now and then 1 will bite before it thinks. But it's literally only happened like 3 times in my whole time of snake keeping. No need to move them for feeding day.
I’ve always hated that phrase because it’s almost exclusively used by people that don’t want to take responsibility and make necessary changes. It’s used to excuse actions that are known to be harmful.
I hate feeding containers so much
It's so important to keep learning. The 'snakes are dumb and don't need enrichment' argument kills me. Yes, technically, many can live a long, healthy, maybe even contented life with minimal enrichment. But is that the best life you could reasonable give them? I find such a difference in behaviour/temperament when a snake is in an enclosure they find stimulating vs one that just has the basics ...and snakes look better in cool enclosures. Why wouldn't anyone want that?!
when I talk about elaborate enclosures, I always think of your enclosures.
@@WickensWickedReptiles Thanks Adam 😊
This is not a rant against you or Adam, it is my observation in general terms. I am happy to see animal welfare taken more seriously now. What I am not seeing is an understanding of the species being kept. Again, in general terms, not this video. We are getting farther away from what was common knowledge by the early field herpers.
Sometimes the "enriched cage" is kind of off the mark for the intended species. Take Cal kings for example. I live near Cal king habitat, and I have seen the micro-habitats where they thrive vs where they do not. It is not at all about looking good, about fake plants, about branches. The things live in the ground. Flat-ish ground mostly, or gentle hillsides, but in the ground in a network of tunnels. We can't really do that in captivity, so we try to simulate with low-height hides and moist hides, which is all good and approximates it to some extent. Branches not necessary, potted plants not necessary.
Not every cage needs to look like a lot of cages are now looking - in many cases all the same decor, as if all of the species are the same. Which is the exact argument against racks. Ever been to western hognose habitat? I have seen one cage that approximated that. A plywood box with loamy soil and dry grass. Heated from above. The owner's hognose made burrows, and the female laid eggs in there. Just awesome. Now that is a naturalistic cage and yet not elaborate at all. Not even difficult. Simple was best in this case.
@@AllCanadianReptileGirl Something I say in my jumping spiders groups is that we *have* to give our animals advantages to captivity vs. life in the wild. Food security and lack of predators make a big difference to these animals but enrichment alongside those gives our babies the chance to live their best lives with us.
This is the same issue with parrots.
Yo yo I just wanted to say, you have some of the best educational reptile content on TH-cam up there with Clint's reptiles and snake discovery. All the best from the uk dude.
thank you so much!
I'd watch this channel over those any day! (Not saying Clints or sd are bad, still an awesome 2nd best)
Learning is why my betta now has a 10 gallon planted mansion. I don’t have any reptiles but I love learning about them. Life must be so boring for those who are not curious enough to want to learn new things.
I appreciate the honesty of not always being right and owning up to it. I enjoy and feel more educated by your content. Thanks.
I appreciate that!
I prefer to learn from those who can admit when they're wrong. Means I can trust in being right or wrong together.
A tip I learned from snake discovery if you’re having trouble with decalcified eggs for hognose snakes is to put some calcium powder on the mouse before you feed it to give them an extra boost of calcium!
I took my leopard gecko to the vet in a container that had some loose coconut fiber and she got mad and told me it was bad for the animal. Then she gave me this PetSmart looking care guide. I was dumbfounded that a person who studied this was perpetuating ideas like that.
I’ve heard of vets being like this a lot, and tbh I think a lot of this comes from them seeing lots of reptiles basically at death’s door in their line of work. They’ll see a lot of reptiles with impacted substrate in their gut that had generally poor husbandry, but not the ones that are healthy and also kept on substrate. So then the substrate gets blamed more so than the overall husbrandry etc.
Write a letter, explain politely. Maybe they will consider further education.
xZepherx is completely correct in my opinion. I'm a third year veterinary student so that's where I'm forming my opinion. Its very important to keep in mind that most reptile keepers do not take their animals in for annual exams as one would for a dog or cat or even horse. Mostly, because there are no annual vaccines for reptiles. I would argue, you should still take even reptiles in for an annual physical if you can though. Just the same as we go in for annual exams, we can catch problems sooner and develop a baseline level of health for that particular animal. That is all very important in the long run. However, for the most part, we don't see healthy reptiles. We see ill reptiles. For example, I have a leopard gecko in a bioactive terrarium with loose substrate. I take my leo in for annual physicals to our teaching hospital. We have a wonderful post-doc student in our exotics department that keeps his animals bioactive and he still won't often recommend loose substrate to clients because the top reasons they see leopard geckos are 1) Vitamin A deficiency, 2) stuck shed, and 3) impaction. They rarely see a healthy leopard gecko at all, much less a healthy leopard gecko on loose substrate. Mine is likely one of the few healthy leopard geckos they see all year. Lastly, another reason is we do not receive a lot of exotics training unless we go out of our way to learn it. Its not often apart of our core curriculum. This makes sense though when you think about it. We're licensed to treat All animal species when the equivalent degree for human medical specialists only allows them to treat a single species- humans. We focus on 5 core categories- dogs, cat, horses, cattle, and small ruminants (sheep and goats). Frankly, its hard enough to learn 5 species in as much detail as we are expected to within the core curriculum much less additional species. We also tend to talk about "reptiles" as we would dogs or cats. But in reality, the reptile category is extremely diverse. Its not just like learning about a dog vs a cat. Its more like trying to memorize everything about All mammalian species everywhere- and we all know how very different a cow is from a dog despite them both being mammals. This is why most vets won't see exotic animals- they chose to focus elsewhere (like on dogs or cats or horses). Those of us that want to treat exotics (or anything other than our core species), take electives and volunteer to work with exotics over our breaks. Some of us even go on to do internships and residencies to learn enough to care for them properly. Even then, we tend to have to focus on a select few species that we decide to specialize in simply because the numbers and information are overwhelming. This is why I would always recommend finding board certified exotics specialists for your animals if you can. I realize that's not always possible though, so simply speak with your vet more often about possibly them collaborating with an exotics specialist. 99% of the time, they'll want to send things off to a specialist if you are willing to have that added expense because they also want the best for your pet.
@@ZepherArt lmao I had a small animal and bird vet tell me not to worry about my discolored beardie's tail because if it dropped it would grow back. Needless to say I scrambled to find a reptile specialist asap.
@@pinecreekranch9075 I also agree and kudos to you for sticking with Vet school because it's definitely harder than trying to become a primary care Dr for people! I tried studying about 20 different species of animals at one point but had to give it up because it was too overwhelming for me. I do wish more promising vets would focus on reptiles a bit more as I don't have any in my area. I can say I've been lucky tho the past couple years with keeping all my reptiles on loose substrate. I learned it's best to tong feed or bowl feed crickets and other insects to my geckos, beardie etc. as they have never had impaction issues. I think the reptiles with impaction issues may be free roam feeding 🤔
I bet in twenty years a lot of the things we’re doing right now will be considered outdated. Can’t wait for that 2041 part 2!
Some of the principles from 30 years ago will come back I believe. The good stuff. When herpers applied field knowledge to husbandry. I hope anyway. What they did not have back then was the better temperature control equipment, heaters and lights that we have now, and that part of the hobby will continue to improve in the future.
People are going to nit pick I'm happy with what I got
Just because you are happy doesn't mean you're animal's are.
@@ipodhty my animals are dying 😢😭💔 and they never get held 😢😞😔😪💔😭 they don't shed probably ether 😭 they never eat ether. I'm kidding crucify me for keeping them in tubs and adventualy rack system. 🤷♂️ worry about your self not what others are doing. Unless they are starving a reptile stomping it ot cooking it and neglecting it. Or making it bleed. You can have lot of space for them to move around in but they are going to hide a lot aspecually when they are older. I had many people tell me to do this and that. So I stop listening to people and watched what people do for a long time and I'm glad I talk to breeders not Facebook people or comment people because breeders help me out a lot. Aspecually this breeder I go to he's against tubs but that's just him and he has some in tubs but mostly all are in nice set ups. Which are really cool but I'm not into nice set ups. I care about getting the Temps right and making sure my snakes are healthy
@@Hardhatreptiles95 I don't even understand what you are trying to say. He states throughout the video that it is his opinion on many things and he also says he doesn't have anything against a tub setup. I'm sorry that you took offense to a video that is 100% reasonable and does nothing to take away from your tub keeping practice.
The one point that I always keep in mind and agree with is; He may not need it, but I want him to have the choice whether or not he wants to use it. This includes UVB and climbing opportunities. I know he likes climbing a LOT, and people just keep telling me that BP's are terrestrial. They're really not and my boy will absolutely explore every way he can to climb on things... like my headset when I have a customer on the phone. It's time the BP community really acknowledges the studies from the 90's that suggest semi-arboreal behaviour and birds in their diet.
That said; I'm so curious about the new reptile room! :)
I love seeing other people with BPs who climb! Mine loves it :)
Think about nature outside. The ground isn't just a nice flat space. It's bumpy af
@AlyFrederi I agree with you. The body shape of a ball python - the heavy base with the smaller neck and head - that is a snake that can strike from a burrow, can climb on/around ground-based obstacles, I suppose even up into low trees by concerntina method if they actually do indeed hunt birds.
Similar to Woma pythons - largely considered terrestrial and even fossorial but they’ve now been recorded climbing in trees, just no one ever really looked for them there.
My ball python loves to climb. We don't have UVB but regularly take him outside to let him roam. Last time he was outside, he climbed straight up the wall of my house. 😆
The "Ew that's a piece of poop" got me lmao.
As someone who just came into the hobby a year ago, I feel like at least half of people are really starting to see these things. Maybe I'm just watching the right channels, but I can honestly say that I've heard more people breaking these practices than not. Because, science. XD
science baby!
You'd be surprised. Most of the Facebook groups are full of outdated info and breeders normalizing substandard care.
He said the most woke thing I’ve heard this year. They’ll be an adult most of their lives, 😬dosent everyone miss being a kid
hahahah right
All the time.
I feel really bad for kids growing up today .. my childhood was awesome ! If we could go back to no internet... discovering things meant so much more .. even if you didn't discover as much as kids do today . It was just different.. I remember the first huge Burmese python I ever saw .... was a guy that used to travel the country in a tractor trailer with his huge snake in the trailer . You paid 50 cents to walk in and see this big ass snake and walk out the other side of the trailer ... and he made alot of money that way .. but , it probably was just enough to put gas in the semi , and feed himself and the snake !! Not much more .. but again , this was early 1980s. And it was great .
@@robg7970
H
@@claraog thanks for the reply
Tiny sunglasses for Thunder COULD look awesome though, just saying.. 😂😎
True!!
I feel like people shouldn't feel bad for having incorrect husbandry in the past. As long as they improved, or trying too you shouldn't be ashamed.
agreed
True that and depending how far in time you go back we didn't know any better and without that learning we wouldn't have what we have now. I first started keeping in 1986 with a red sided garter snake. The set up was a basic vivarium with a unguarded household light bulb. The stats you had to attach the plugs yourself. It was kept on woodchip wall paper with a single hide box and a water bowl. The reptile shops were also an interesting experience. Looking back on it even in my life time its crazy to see how far things have come on.
@@alexp3519 yeah. I mean if we don't know better, what is there to be ashamed off. As long as you improve, and learn,imo everything is fine
On the feeding aspect, I do put my hognose in a smaller tub to feed her. It’s the only thing that has ever worked with her. She can’t stand when I leave her mouse in her tank with her and she refuses to eat off of tongs. For whatever reason she will only eat if I put her in a small tub and place her in a dark room. 🤷♀️ whatever it takes to avoid a six month hunger strike haha
Hogs in particular are the outlier most of the time. They are just weirdos in almost every aspect lol
I'm adopting my first reptile tomorrow, a buttermilk corn snake! Your channel (and Clint's & Snake Discovery etc.) has helped me so much - the seller felt comfortable giving her to me. I don't think this comment is super relevant to this video, but... I'm excited, and... I think more comments helps you out, anyways? lol
Good luck, corn snakes are rad!
That is awesome! thanks so much for watching and commenting
Please do more amphibian content!!!! It would be so awesome, also congrats for 100k!!! Your the person who got me into owning reptiles and really pushed me to try to get into a reptile related job
100%
@@WickensWickedReptiles Maybe top 5 best tree frogs, top 5 amphibians for cohabing, or top 5 underrated amphibians? I would love to watch that
@@aidanlauzier326 all of the above! 😄
Can’t wait for the new reptile room!
same!
I gave my male BP a branch after hearing that from a different vid of yours. He immediately used it and sat on it for hours lol. He doesn't use it as much any more, just once in a blue moon, but it made me realize that they do really appreciate a change of environment. I'll definitely be moving their decor around more.
About the whole ‘separate bin feeding’ thing, I don’t think it really matters for most animals. But like you said, every animal is different and has there own personality. So it’s situational. I personally own turtles and I feed them mostly in a separate bin just because they are such messy eaters.
100%
Agreed, I feed my garters in a separate bin since I house then communally and I don't want food fights.
Yeah, it really depends on the insect you are providing and what pet it is. For my Leopard Geckos, if I am feeding them any type of worm, I either just throw them in a food dish or i give it to them in their enclosures. But fast insects like crickets, i usually feed in a separate bin because crickets are a pain in the ass.
My Gecko happily eats whenever i put her in a seperate feeding bin but stops and kind of freaks out once she notices she is trapped lol, so i stopped doing it.
When feeding my beardie I put a deep plastic pan inside his cage when he is getting crickets or roaches. It lets him chase them around and I can line it with calcium powder without having to somehow catch, dust and decant an angry roach army.
I just found a really weird creature that I've never seen before, I'm talking about Sirens (the amphibians), I thought you might want to take a look if you make more rare/unheard pets list
wow eh
I agree on putting branches and climbing stuff in enclosures! I caught my snakes that “don’t climb” using it all the time with a camera set up on them even though I didn’t see it in person much
Never stop learning in life! I give my royals a load of enrichment, climbing opportunities and uvb. Am surprised to say they do bask in the uvb esp after eating. Am also sorting skyhides for them too. Great vid again.
Well said!
I love that Adam isn't afraid to tell us the truth!!!
I do my best
Tried feeding our fat tail in a separate enclosure once as we had heard that that was a good idea to minimize the risk of impaction. She was so stressed about her new environment she refused to eat anything until we put her back in her regular enclosure. It also means she can hunt on her own terms and timeline.
I just want to share my experience with adding UVB to reptiles that never really required it. I added an old UVB T5 tube that was previously used for a bearded dragon to my leopard gecko's enclosure as an ordinary light for a proper day/night cycle. Its been almost a year, and I've definitely noticed that his coloration has been much brighter and he also seems to enjoy taking a nap under the light (yes he is provided with three different hides because he is spoiled).
What do you use in the geckos cage, do u do substrate or a reptile carpet? I'm new to this. We have a leopard gecko and now I'm questioning EVERYTHING the pet store told us lol
@@kristimorrison6501 the pet store was probably wrong. This is Adam’s care guide on leopard geckos: th-cam.com/video/eraphJhNwd0/w-d-xo.html
I know this is an old video but you should talk about how care guides still recommend 40%-50% humidity for ball pythons but recent studies have shown that ball pythons actually need 60% humidity MINIMUM and even as high as 85% to prevent RIs and other issues such as dehydration etc.
great point!
I think this is one of the most important videos you've done, it's so vital for people to continue learning about the animals they keep!
I'm much more familiar with the horse world than the reptile world, and I hear all the time "well this is the way my grandpa kept horses" or "I've had horses my whole life so I know everything". It's infuriating and their horses suffer because of their unwillingness to learn or change.
Thank you for all you do!!! 💜
Agreed! Having done something for a long time - and even having it work out okay - doesn't mean it's optimal or even right! People who are open to learning and trying new ways that have science or logic behind them tend to make the best keepers (and the best people, frankly). What kind of horses do you work with? What are some of their names? 😊
@@Trynedge I own and show miniature horses! 😊 My horses names are Aries, Sampson, and Gianna 💜💜 A friend's Shetland pony is staying at my house too, his name is Balenciaga
And we have miniature donkeys too! Arthur and Gus 💜
One of the barns I work at has Warmbloods (like in between normal sized horses and draft horses) Tigger, Rex, Evie, Santiago, and Maui 😊
Totally agree with these.
Even in my ball python bioactive setup video I was trying to encourage people to give them bigger tanks with more to climb on. There was a study on ball pythons that showed many of them were found in trees and had eaten birds. Even though he spends most of his time watching the world from his cave, my boy Azi really enjoys exploring, though part of that is because I made sure he had a wrap-around background to make him feel really secure.
And my garter snake, Gertie, is getting a bigger tank than my ball python because she is so active and is always checking things out when she isn't sitting under the lights she supposedly doesn't need. I'm always having to deal with people upset that I have loose substrate, but it's not calcium sand, no one has pica, and they're fed in bowls or on flagstones. They aren't sitting there eating dirt for no reason and if they were it would be because I failed somewhere in caring for them.
A lot of the issues seem to be because people like to think animals are completely dumb toys, and yeah, some over-bred ones almost are, but many are intelligent and curious but just have minds that work differently than ours. Reptiles especially.
~ A vampire with light blue eyes who somehow manages to go outside in the desert sun (sometimes) without catching on fire.
My BI did get to a point where she thought that everytime I opened her enclosure, she thought it was feeding time. BUT I did not start moving her to feed her. I gave her cues when it was not time to eat and she was fine after that. I just had to start handling her more. (Work and a move took time away from handling.)
That's very smart. I was going to suggest teaching them how to target. When the target is there no food. When you don't have it then it's feeding time. Or, something similar
@@kiki29073 I have seen a lot of people that have retics use a hook. They tap the snake with the back of it to see what mode they are in and to let them knows its time for handling and not feeding. Takes time, but it works well!!
Finally!!!!!! 500k here we come #WWR I don't have and reptiles but I love watching all of you guys. It looks like there's a major difference bt breeders husbandry and pet keeping husbandry. Kind of like industrial keeping vs individual keeping? Different needs, but shows the animals all experience a wide range of care.
yo congrats on 100k! ur the reason why I'm into reptiles (have a bearded dragon, soon getting a snake!) this video was very helpful, keep up the good work.
thanks so much for watching
My beardie is only 7 months old and 14 inches and I’m already looking for a 100-120 gallon
that is awesome
Yeah, my beardie right now is 4 months and 12 inches and I’ve got him in a 120 gallon and he loves it
This is so informative! I love the explanations of why things are different now and how we can solve the problems the old ways were trying to address.
Also your little hype man beardie is wonderful as always :D
Glad you enjoyed it! Diamond is the man!
Thank you!! I can't count how many times I've gotten in debates especially with the "experts" at petsmart about you can't put them in a big enclosure right away my rebuttal is always ok if they weren't pets they be you know out in the world...how ever would they cope🤣
Wow I never heard the “albinos must be kept in darkness” one😂
crazy right
Right ! I did notice my eclipse gecko not liking her bright light above her tank. So I took it down and she has light coming from the snake tank next to her. She comes out more during the day now.
Specifically basking reptiles can go blind because of UV explosure (in Clint's "Top 5 Iguanas" video, you can see some Iguanas that have gone mostly blind). Human albinos tend lose vision as they age too. I would never get an albino in a species that needs lots of basking.
It's worth remembering that most artificial light is *much* weaker than natural sunlight. Like, less than 1% the strength of the sun.
I'm in the hospital with a collapsed lung love all your videos my wife is taking care of my bearded dragon but I'm missing him so much but I was like call me back to my wife my reptile video is on lol
I hope you get better very soon!
@@WickensWickedReptiles thank you im improving so I'm hoping to be home Saturday maybe I appreciate it man keep up the great work on your videos by far my favorite reptile youtuber
You miss your beardie… but don’t miss your wife? 🤣 JK, man. Feel better soon!
I had a snake once, a rainbow boa, who was particularly aggressive to anything coming into or opening her tank, and how I remedied this was by having a big plastic tub for feeding her in. After I switched to the tub she stopped striking whenever the door opened, but for my other snakes they were docile no matter where I fed them. I believe #2 is very dependent on the temperament of your particular animal and is a very "case by case" thing
“Cage aggression” can be prevented by tap training/target training. Moving to feed is completely unnecessary and risks regurgitation.
honestly, I feel like most enclosures for animals are probably too small. upgraded my leopard gecko to a 40 gallon equivalent, and can't imagine putting her back in a 20 long
amazing
I added uvb to my hognose Dune's enclosure and he loves it! His appetite is better then it ever has been and he basks multiple times a day!
I believe in general they have minimum size recommendations, never maximum, for that very reason. I imagine the reason to keep an enclosure on the smaller side would be beneficial for a blind reptile though. Although special needs reptiles will be inherently different than the average reptile.
Number 2 I whole heartily agree with, my baby California Kingsnake (a snake notorious for biting your hand as a food response) already knows the difference between food and my hand on a non-food day. On food day I shake the pinkie in front of his head and make a clicking sound to let him know it's food time and when I'm doing a handling session, I just stick my hand flat on the bottom and just use my regular voice to let him know it's not food time and he'll just slither on or around my hand when he figures it out.
Just when I thought I couldn't stan this channel any more, here you come with the advanced husbandry ❤
Thank you for the video. Very helpful! 💕
Glad it was helpful!
I have a hognose that will not eat unless she's in a covered deli cup. I tried drop feeding. Tong feeding and this is the only thing that works for her. The rest of my snakes take it from the tongs
wow really?
@@WickensWickedReptiles ya she just hisses at the mouse. The only tried and true way to get her to eat is a deli cup. Nothing else. Not Tupperware either. Just a deli cup 🤣
I just want to second the notion of giving climbing opportunities, even to species who aren't normally considered climbers. My sand boa LOVES climbing and stretching out on the low branches I gave her (in spite of having many people tell me it would just be a waste of space and money). Yes, they're a fossorial species and yes, they're rather clumsy climbers, but that doesn't mean they won't give it a try if given the opportunity. Though I will add the caveat of making sure that a) you don't let them climb high enough that they could injure themselves in a fall, and b) ensure that any branches or other climbing surfaces are still safe to burrow under (nothing excessively heavy or with anything sharp sticking into the substrate). Just be thoughtful about what climbing structures you use.
But yeah, even many burrowing and/or terrestrial species will still often enjoy some climbing opportunities. Plus it serves the dual purpose of adding some extra cover and clutter to help them feel secure.
Stellar video Adam👍🏾. Sometimes the truth hurts. Keep up the excellent work 🇺🇸🇨🇦.
Thank you, I will
Very helpful video for this future reptile keeper
thank you!
I've had reptiles since I was 10, and now I'm 41. So many things change over the years! Always keep learning! I think space is always a positive. My iguana was free roaming and had access to the outdoors. He lived to be 21. Most don't live that long. I used to rehab animals, and you'd be shocked at what some pet stores tell people to do.
Great video adam. Congratulations on 100k I have been here since 50k. Ever time I fell like I loose interest in reptiles I just watch your video and bam. I love all the point you made.
Hey,Adam, can you please talk about green Ameivas. I really want one and there aren't alot or care guides on them.
for sure
I agree, really awesome and underrated lizard
So true!!!!! I have an albino bp and I've never noticed him being sensitive to light. I try to respect him and just keep him dimly lit though because I don't want to upset him ❤😉 he is a shy little sweetie, but as you can see in my profile picture, I have him outside in the sun. SUPER informative and helpful video!! All of these things apply to me so it was rlly helpful 🤗
You forgot that Bearded Dragons need to eat earlobes once in a while. I've had bearded dragons for 15 years and I routinely feed them earlobes and they develop striking blues and purple along their spines.
(I do not keep Bearded Dragons, I am being a troll, but also being nice by leaving a comment to help with YT engagement algorithm. )
geez I needed to google earlobes to know what it was (not english native) and got super confused. Thank god you added the last sentence
In my personal opinion, if someone doesn't have enough money to give the proper habitat to an animal they wanna keep then they really shouldn't have that animal until they have the funds, resources, and research all in order (In reference to snakes in 10 gallons or smaller tubs) I understand it's super harsh but you're just giving that reptile/animal a cruddier life if you put it in a tub or something too small. Why would someone put their pride/desire to own this animal over its true wellbeing? That being said, there are also so many people online selling nice enclosures for cheap prices on Craigslist and Facebook marketplace and the equivalent to those places most likely, sometimes even great deals with bundles from people who are getting out of the hobby all together!
My favorite is a fish one... "inch of fish per gallon of water"
*puts 3 1/2 foot Catfish in a 40 breeder* 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤦♂️
hahahhaaha wild eh
Don't forget that people justify Betta Splenden tanks by saying they 'live in puddles."
Never knew you could call a gigantic miles long rice paddy a puddle.
I had thought everyone knew that rule was for fish between 1-3 inches only (like 10 1 inch ember tetras will be fine in a 10 gallon, but a 10 inch oscar definitely can't fit.)
People who keep their pets on paper towels forever just kinda baffle me. You buy an expensive snake with a cool looking morph and then put it in the ugliest setup possible, for what? They're fun to handle but most of the time they are just there to look at, so why wouldn't you at least stick some fake aquarium plants in there?
I got chewed out in a reptile group for putting my ball python in a 40 gallon when he was a baby. "IT'S TOO BIG!!" But he has like 5 places to hide and lots of foliage? and.. he was fine... :D
The reptile community generally just sucks like that, there is a great part but usually there is always a ton of unlikable rotten apples in these groups.
You animal...😂
(Sorry left my comment before i finished the vid so heres pt 2) But on the feeding in dif tubs thing. What the ppl who do that are doing is basically pavlovian conditioning, which is a common way to train pets.
Its actually very well recorded that animals will very quickly become conditioned in things relating to food, and while you're right about moving the snake not being necessary, I feel like the way you give like 15 examples of snakes always thinkin you're food kinda takes away from it.
While its not as important for a pet snake, similar techniques are often used in zoos for much bigger animals, such as gators or big cats, where the food is put in very specific places or hidden around for enrichment, so if a keeper needs to enter the enclosure with an animal (very very rare in a good zoo) the animal doesn't think you are food.
This is the type of content people need to see. Your putting straight facts AND your opinion! People are super dumb, and your here putting them right. So thank you!
hey thanks so much for watching
Dude! Your words are so spot on, being open to learning and changing care and husbandry to better care for our animals is the goal right? I give my beardies and ball pythons “loose” substrate as well, same mix as you and they seem to love being able to dig down a little at times. Love your channel and congratulations on the 100K 🥳
once i finished school i came right to this video and it was worth it
thank you so much!
So true! Your so knowledgeable. ALSO ROCKING THE BEARD MAN!!! 🤘💙
Still watching every second of vids 😊😊
thank you so much!
My beardie is 7 years old and she has a 4 x 3 x 3 ft enclosure, I take her out everyday so while she doesn’t use her entire cage space, I feel that bigger cages are always better.
I’m 16 and glad I knew all of these. I have a leopard gecko with loose substrate, lots of cork to climb on, and UVB. My cornsnake also lives in a naturalistic 120 gallon enclosure! I wouldn’t have it any other way.
amazing!
I think a really outdated practice is people advocating for GLASS TANKS for savannah monitors! It just doesn't hold the heat they need, and often times are too small. Also the fact that some people still say a 6x4x4 is the minimum for them, and not using enough heat.
100%
Boomer bois!!! I love these titles!!!
hahahhaa
I have found so much conflicting information on husbandry before so I just base it now on my snakes behavior. I had my baby hognose in a 1m to 0,5m enclosure - she won't eat and be stressed they said. She was ravenous and explored all over, no sign of stress. I had everything prepared to size down if needed. 1,5 years later I am now upgrading her to a 1,50 to 0,6 enclosure because she constantly wants out and explore outside her enclosure. And yes, I have checked temperature and humidity, her health. She is fine - just feels restricted. (She also has a faviorte hide I tried to replace. She protestet the two! replacement for weeks before I put her old hide that I thought was too small back in and suddenly she is using the hiding spot again.) My girl has opinions about her home.
You need to make a update video on how to properly care for animals 2021 because it’s confusing on what to believe
for sure
i have never understood the whole smaller enclosure is better bs. as soon as the lights come off my ball is exploring every inch of her enclosure and using all her climbing opportunities. sounds to me like an excuse
bingo!
Well this sure is nice video on some outdated reptile caring things,that must be STOPED.
Also I wish you a good day,you awesome dude.
Thanks, you too!
Your welcome
UVB for snakes can be beneficial according to some studies, especially if young. It also helps prevent illness, sanitize, and keeps fungus away. I had a mold out real in my boas cage, anywhere the UV touched had zero, it was only under a hide. He also basks all the time.
It's hard to say that snakes need it because we can't provide any evidence to back up our claim. We know that they benefit but not why yet. I give all my reptiles uvb and encourage others to
Looks to me like your snake was having a great time in the sun.
sure seems like it!
Diamond has been staring down your ear ready to attack haha
I’m so glad that someone finally talked about the substrate! I have kept my bearded dragon on all natural dessert sand for his whole life. He is 7 and he has never been impacted once. I listened to the breeder and didn’t change it. He likes to dig and put sand into his cave. He wasn’t having the problems that everyone told me he would have. I continually talked with the breeder, the expert. My lizard is given the best care I possibly can.
You are my favorite snarky Canadian. You sound like Hyde from "That 70s Show". Good stuff.
UVB is like condoms, better to have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it.
like handling hots, no glove no love
By the logic of the people who feed their snakes in a separate tub, wouldn't taking them out every time you feed them eventually increase the odds of being bit, since you are conditioning them to associate being grabbed out of the cage with food
Great list
thanks!
When I started keeping snakes I moved my ball python to feed her I stopped after being tagged twice.
Leave it to Adam to call for racial equality between reptiles! Love your content!
I legit agree with u about everything u said I have been giving my diurnal baby's UVb when I can but when I got a shit ton of eggs I took the extra fixtures I had from the Leo's for the little bit until I get more and seeing as my baby's all have the best of care I can possibly give I don't worry
We have a Boa that likes to hide above their prey and eat hanging upside down like a tree python. He is a weird boy.
crazy!!!
First of all, after watching some of your videos, I went out to the dollar store and got my hognose a bunch of fake plants and flowers - I'm not sure if he likes it or not yet, but I wanted to give it a shot! I also appreciate most of what you're saying here and am in particular considering the points about increasing the size of cages in general and feeding inside the tank. All of these "outdated practices" are what we tell our vet clients and so that's what I've done with my own snakes. But I am open to having my mind changed.
I do have two questions about this video. First, you showed that loose substrate doesn't ball up by running it through your hands, but isn't it very different dry vs. if an animal were to eat it (and then it were to mix with saliva, digestive enzymes, other bodily fluids, etc.)? Not necessarily saying I disagree that loose substrate isn't dangerous, but just a bit confused by the example. My other question is regarding albino animals - I don't have a lot of experience with albinism so am genuinely curious. You say that in the wild they would be leaving their protective cover and be exposed to the sun. But isn't albinism relatively rare in the wild due to low survivability (i.e. the effect of natural selection)? I'm just not sure I'm understanding this example.
Would love to hear back from you on these points. Thanks for the videos and making me reconsider some of (so far!) my preconceptions about reptile husbandry.
Regarding loose substrate: impaction is caused by improper husbandry, not loose substrate. As long as their husbandry is correct (temps, hydration, etc.) they’ll be able to pass it no problem. If you think about it their prey isn’t cleaned off for them in the wild, they likely ingest dirt all the time.
Regarding albinism: I haven’t watched the video so I’m not sure what the context is. But yes, albinism is rare in the wild due to low survivability (they can’t camouflage and are therefore vulnerable to predators).
Also, good on you for being open to new information! The hobby is constantly evolving and improving as more information becomes available, and it’s important to keep learning.
What about the loose substrate for Diamond and other beardies causing clogs in their gendarme pores? My beardie was born in captivity on loose substrate and I'm lead to believe that was the issue. Would you do a video on cleaning gendarme pores?
I could make a short for sure
Um, the balled up hand thing........the substrate isnt wet there?
But coconut core is a breeding ground for bacteria and it holds urates, feces and adds ammonia which can lead to burn, especially in amphibians. You are also correct about the bigger the animal's enclosure, the better.
I found your videos while researching the needs of a bearded dragon I still really want one but I’m not a fan of the idea of keeping roachs or feeder bugs as pets also to breed and feed my lizard without it being super costly to get food.
you can always just got to the store every few days
When people try to "gotcha!" me with their "you're torturing your poor stressed snakes!" because I feed them outside the tank, I offer them to watch a couple of videos I recorded while feeding them and to give me the timestamps where they see a stressed snake. Funny how I never hear back from the tank feeding fundamentalists after that.
Personally, I think both methods are good as long as the snake is relaxed, eats, keeps it down, and poops it out later. I researched both ways before I got my first snake (just one of two of those uncool corn snakes *g*) and after reading a book or two, several articles, blog posts, forum threads, and watching videos, I could sum up the results like that: If you feed inside the tank you're the devil. If you feed outside the tank you're the devil. But if your snake refuses to eat and you usually feed inside the tank, try feeding in a separate container and if your snake doesn't eat and you usually feed in a separate container, try feeding inside the tank.
And as apparently people who use either method get their snakes successfully to eat, maybe it doesn't really matter actually, as long as the individual snake is okay with it and, thus, the whole debate is more of a religious nature than scientific.
The "they'll be aggressive if fed inside the tank!" myth is just that but when all was said and done, I had to pick one method at some point. The only reason why I started with feeding in a separate container was that I already decided to keep track of my snake's weight and since I got him out for that anyway, I might as well try and offer him a mouse, while we're at it. If it worked, it worked, if not, not. Well, it worked perfectly, with the first guy and a couple of months later with the second guy, too. It still works, they know it's feeding time the second they see the set-up, they follow the tongs, they chase after them, they eat, and climb back on me once they made certain there isn't a second mouse hiding somewhere. It might not work for others and that's fair, if other snakes are more confident and relaxed when they eat in their enclosure, that's the way to go. But it works for us, I definitely don't see it as a chore, and you know how they say - don't fix what's not broken.
I had bought two books prior to purchasing a baby African spurred tortoise.. both books kind of ill advised me on proper diet. After two vet visits I donated it to the vet. I was so embarrassed but I heard it is doing well last I heard. I never bought another one, but I did learn what should have been it’s proper diet. I just keep snakes now but always try to keep learning, some in thanks to your channel :-)
I don’t understand how you can think that doing what is the normality for the animal in the wild be bad for them. Even nocturnal species have sun, they just hide from it usually. In the wild they don’t really have a limited space so why would a big cage stress him? And in the wild there would be branches and live plants and things, why not copy that in our enclosure? Anyway haha (I just hate seeing those bearded dragon on tile flooring it’s so weird and not natural for them it hurts my heart) I loved this video and your channel in general!
Also why are you scared to come out against these ridiculous snake breeders still using rack systems. That's no way to treat snakes or rodents. And if it's necessary to make breeders profitable, then animal prices need to go way up
So many people told me my ball would just be a happy ball. But I wanted to offer several enrichment choices, hide choices ect. I got told I was wasting my money giving him so much space and things to do. But he was so comfortable with me one day he laid like a tree python on his big branch and he loves to climb and use all of the height and caves I offered. We also offered a large enough area that if he wished to fully submerse he could. We joke now that we have a tree/water/ball thon because he cant make up his mind. He uses every inch of his space and has favorites hides on each of the sides for temps. So much so we are looking to upgrade to an even larger size for him so he was more room to explore.Because we can and he is a spoiled brat and I love him.
Plz talk about the new zealand tauratara at some point🦎
I just did in an endangered reptiles list :)
With natural substrate, big enclosures, and enrichment, common sense should tell one that there isn't anything wrong with any of those. After all, these are wild animals who have natural substrate, things to climb on, and a huge outdoor space in their natural environment.
I dont move my gopher snake whem feeding her tho I gotta say I did remove our giant berm from her enclosure to feed her cuz she was food aggressive an opening her cage she would come out super fast til she realised there no food and then she calmed down she was 16ft almost 200lbs an was albino