Aspidites Food Warning

Mite Treatment

Callington Haven Top Of Descent effectively and safely kills and controls mites.  The aerosol spray leaves an invisible residue that works against mites as well.

Active Constituents: 20g/kg d-penothrin 20:80

Advantages
- Complies with WHO specifications for insecticides
- Has Aircraft Approvals
- Approved by Australian Quarantine & Inspection Services
- Approved by the NZ Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries
- The propellants have been tested and approved by the PAFT Committee
- Scientifically evaluated by University of Western Sydney
- Low toxicity, safe for humans and reptiles
- Effectively kills and controls mites
- Non-flammable
- No need to rinse off after application
- Aerosol spray easy for application
Directions For Use
- Remove water bowl/tub from the enclosure before spray, clean it and leave it out for 24 hours
- Remove the reptile from the enclosure
- Spray the interior of the enclosure to form enough fume in the enclosure
- Suggest spray 2-3 seconds for a standard 2 x 3 foot size enclosure
- Leave the enclosure closed for 10-15 minutes, then return the reptile
- After 24 hours, return the water bowl/tub to the enclosure
- After another 48 hours, clean out enclosure and destroy any substrate (it helps remove mite eggs)
- Spray the enclosure surrounding area as well
- Do not rinse the enclosure and the reptile after spray
- Re-spray the enclosure about seven days later after first application, a third application might be necessary depending on the infestation
Other Tips
- After treating the reptile and the enclosure, spray a line around the enclosure to create a barrier
- Frequently (every day or two) spray around the enclosure to keep the barrier working during treatment
- Suggest use paper as bedding during treatment so that changing bedding is easier
- Do not wait to treat mites as they are No. 1 killers of reptiles
Safety Precautions
- Keep the can away from direct heat as the can is pressurized
- Avoid contact with skin and eyes
- Wash hands after application
Packaging
- Available in 100gm aerosol can. 12 cans each carton.

Breeding Stimson's Pythons

Breeding Stimson’s Pythons

Excerpt from Keeping Children’s Pythons by Greg Fyfe & Darren Green

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Breeding –

Breeding Children’s Pythons is certainly an achievable goal for many keepers, as they will readily breed in captivity.  Some keepers house their pythons in small communal enclosures without separating sexes with good breeding results.  However, the given data suggests that better results are obtained through separate maintenance of individuals prior to introducing pairs over the breeding season.  Healthy Children’s Pythons should breed every year providing the temperature, time of introduction, laying, incubation and hatching are all monitored and applied correctly.

In this section we will deal with some general aspects of successfully breeding members of the Children’s Python species group, keeping in mind that there may be variations in these factors between each species.  A brief review of the group, or complex, (see Australian Children’s Pythons pages 3 & 4) may determine the correct time to introduce relevant pairs.  The authors also suggest that males and females should come from the same geographic locality, even if this means conducting a little research into the parents’ family history.  The authors do not encourage “cross breeding” or creating “mongrel breeds” out of different members of the Children’s Python group, or for that matter producing albinos’ and other such freaks of nature as this may have adverse effects on the health and genetics of future generation snakes.  For these reasons also, it is frowned upon to breed from siblings like brother/sister, father/daughter, etc.

The energy which a female reptile puts into breeding and producing eggs may be as much as 1/3 (33%) than when not breeding.  After egg deposition, a female may have depleted body condition, which if left this way, may ultimately be harmful to her health.  It is therefore important to ensure the female feeds soon after egg deposition, but equally as important, ensure it has good body condition prior to the breeding season.  This means slightly increasing your feeding regime prior to brumation, the season when feeding is generally reduced or ceased, and mating begins (see Winter Care).  Care should be taken to avoid obesity (see Feeding).

The most obvious factor that governs breeding is having a receptive male and female.  Often keepers incorrectly sex their snakes and for obvious reasons have no luck in breeding.  Children’s Pythons may be sexed using a technique called “probing”.  This usually involves inserting a specially designed “sexing probe” into the cloaca of the snake so that the probe enters the “reproductive tube” and travels back into the tail.  Depending on how far the probe is inserted determines the sex of the snake.  This practice must only be attempted by, or under the watchful eye of an experienced keeper or veterinarian experienced with reptiles, as irreparable damage may result.  Females generally probe around 2 to 5 sub-caudal scales deep, while males may probe to 7 or 13 sub-caudal scales.  The term “sub-caudal” refers to the scales on the underside of the snake’s tail.  It is interesting to note that males have two hemi-penes (hemi-penes is the correct name for the snake’s penis), which are inverted inside the snake towards the tail.

Children’s Pythons require a cooling period prior to breeding and the “Winter Care” section of this book should be consulted for method and temperatures.  However in summary, the fall in temperature starts in May, reaching a low in June, and begins to rise again in August.  Winter cooling is beneficial in the production of viable sperm in male snakes.  During this period a separation of sexes may be beneficial.  Introduction of the pair (eg female to the male) usually starts around late May and continues into August.  As a general rule the geographic origin of the snakes may determine introductory dates, for example, the further south a python originates, the later the introduction.  Males may be aroused by females after a slough and this also presents a good opportunity for introducing the pair together.  If no mating occurs within a few days after the introduction, separate the sexes for a week or two before reintroducing the pair.  The novice may find it necessary to attempt several introductions to get the “right timing” for a successful mating.  If a diary is kept, next year’s introductions should be much easier, using the recorded date as a guide.

Keeping the sloughed skin may also be beneficial for stimulating males.  For example, the males slough (even its own) skin may be placed into the enclosure.  The male thinks another male has sloughed in its territory and becomes defensive and seeks out the imaginary male. When a female is introduced, the male takes the opportunity to mate before the imaginary male.  Likewise placing the sloughed skin of a female into the male’s enclosure may also spur on a breeding response.  It should also be stated that rival males are known to wrestle and bite other males.

Males often follow the female around the enclosure soon after the introduction.  His tongue flickering, tasting her presence, following her and rubbing his body against hers.  Males use their cloacal spurs to rub or tickle the female in an attempt to arouse her.   Soon after, they align cloacas where the male everts both hemi-penes and copulates with the female with his closest hemi-pene.  Copulation may last up to several hours, the pair coiled together with cloacas aligned and intertwined.  Never assume copulation has occurred on the basis that the two snakes are coiled together, unless copulation can be seen.  Breeding is unlikely to occur if there is mite in the enclosure.

Ken’s Tips

Ensure pythons are well fed, in good condition and housed separately.

The maximum temperature in the enclosure at the warm end should be 33°C. 

At the beginning of Footy Season (end Feb, early March) reduce the temperature by 1° each week for 6 weeks until the max temperature is 27°C.

Only heat the enclosure during the day.  Turn off all heat at night.

Maintain maximum temperature of 27°C during the day and no heat at night for 8-10 weeks.

Do not offer any food during this time.

At the end of the 8-10 week cooling off period start turning the heat up 1° each week for 6 weeks until the temperature is back to 33°C. 

Introduce the male to the female when you first start to increase the temperature.

Good Luck!

Bobtail Sloughing

Having a pet reptile gives Keepers the opportunity to witness some truly amazing things that we miss out on when watching them in their natural habitat.  One of those is ecdysis commonly known as shedding or sloughing.

The authors of Blue-Tongued Skinks advise that Juvenile Bobtails shed their skins one to three times a year and adult Bobtails usually shed just once a year.  Ideally the old skin begins to come away from the head, often under the chin and the Bobtail should be able to get most of it off in once piece.  Quite often it comes off in big patches. 

Bobtail keepers understand the importance of low humidity levels in maintaining healthy animals.  These lizards suffer and die from respiratory disease caused by humidity when housed in captivity.  However a certain amount of humidity or moisture is required to allow the animal a healthy shed.

Darren Green, author of Keeping Shingleback Lizards says:  Occasionally sloughing problems may occur and may require help.   This is easily accomplished by firstly soaking the lizard in warm water or around twenty to thirty minutes or until the skin has gone soft.  The old skin can then be gently rubbed or peeled off the lizard by starting at the head and working towards the tail.  Alternatively place the Shingleback into a warm, damp bag and allow I to move around and rub the skin off itself.  The toes should always be examined for incomplete sloughs, and any loose, dry, incomplete sloughs should be removed with the aid of tweezers if required.  Some keepers place a warm, damp towel at one end of the enclosure during sloughing to prevent incomplete sloughs. 

As spectators, Keepers don’t get to see the physiological changes occurring in the animal’s body to enable them to shed in the first place.  Lowell Ackerman, author of The Biology, Husbandry and Health Care of Reptiles Vol III writes: A lizard’s skin cells grow and are organized in such a way that they can shed their outer skin periodically.  Thyroid hormones stimulate shed in lizards.  Most lizards shed their scales individually or in patches of multiple scales periodically, avoiding the vulnerability and physiological cost of complete ecdysis (shedding).  It is important to recognize that shedding can cause physiological stress for reptiles.  Some even lose protein and changes in their sensory systems can occur.  Water should be available for drinking and soaking during this period.  As a rule, handling should be avoided during ecdysis (sloughing). Water also represents potential harbourage for reptilian pathogens such as Pseudomonas and must be kept scrupulously clean.

Why the blue-tongue lizard has a blue tongue (Aboriginal tale)

An old man was very sick and asked his friend, the lizard, to run to the ocean and urgently bring back ink from the squid which would cure his illness.  When the lizard arrived at the ocean, he called the squid and asked him for some of his ink to help his sick friend.  The squid was in a charitable mood and let the lizard help himself to the ink.  But in his hurry to save his friend, the lizard had forgotten to bring something to put the ink in, so the only way to carry it was in his mouth.  He ran back so fast that he nearly ground his legs off!  But he arrived in time to save his friend from certain death.  Since then, these lizards have had blue tongues and very, very short legs!

MBD aka Metabolic Bone Disease

One of the most common nutritional ailments among lizards in captivity is Metabolic Bone Disease aka MBD.

When a lizard has MBD it does not have enough calcium in its blood.  This is due to a calcium-poor diet and a lack of UVB.  UVB exposure creates the photochemical production of Vitamin D3 from the diet.

When the lizard’s blood can’t get enough calcium from the food it eats, it starts to take calcium from the bones.  This results in the bones becoming soft. If a lizard starts breaking its bone easily it could have MBD.  Other signs include a crooked back (see photos of Frill Neck Lizard), lack of weight gain, deformities, difficulty in raising its body, muscle tremors, lethargy and the lack of ability to climb, lack of toe use and toe twitching.  The most common symptoms are the swelling of the limbs and the jaw. 

Note the crooked spine in the first photo and the missing toes in the second. This frilly kept breaking its tail at the base of its spine resulting in the animal contantly falling over on its back.  It eventually died.

IMPORTANT – MBD can occur in any lizard that is fed a poor diet and is commonly seen in insectivorous lizards that are fed nothing but unsupplemented crickets.  Juveniles and gravid females are the most susceptible.

Even though it is reversible (when caught early, sick reptiles can be nursed back to good health with veterinary treatment), it is important to remember that MBD is a PREVENTABLE disease! 

To avoid MBD in your pet reptile always apply correct husbandry practices.  These include:
- UVA/UVB Fluorescent lighting which must be replaced every 6 to 12 months
- Calcium and multivitamin powder supplements
- As varied a diet as possible according to the species

These products are all available from Reptile Trader in-store and online.

Information for this article was taken from The Biology, Husbandry and Health Care of Reptiles by Lowell Ackerman available at Reptile Trader and Murdoch University’s Reptiles; Take A Walk On the Wild Side (a veterinary handbook).