Some Like It Hot

[Wiggles92]

Here are some quick phone pictures of my new C. atrox pair.

This is the female. She's supposedly WC from Oklahoma. I really like her coloration & pattern; it's a nice departure from the typical C. atrox that I'm used to seeing. We think that she's a bit gravid, but only time will tell. I hope that she pops sooner than later if that's the case. Regardless, she has an attitude issue, but that was expected.


This is the male. He is CBB and was born in 2008. His personality is much better than his mate's by far!


I was kind of freaking out for a little bit as I thought the male was actually a Mojave rattlesnake based on certain scales, but I'm thinking that those were just aberrant as everything else lines up for it being a western diamondback rattlesnake. However, I'm still going to get it double-checked just to be safe.

 

[younggalaxy]

While I certainly lack the expertise to confirm the species for you, I do hope that you aren't in the neurotoxin country, especially seeing how it was unplanned for.

IMO there's nothing more interesting than Crotalus and Naja's in the world of snakes, congrats on your purchase.

 

[Wiggles92]

While I certainly lack the expertise to confirm the species for you, I do hope that you aren't in the neurotoxin country, especially seeing how it was unplanned for.

IMO there's nothing more interesting than Crotalus and Naja's in the world of snakes, congrats on your purchase.

Thanks!

I'm pretty sure that both of them should have the standard C. atrox venom rather than the neurotoxic venom.

 

[Wiggles92]

The female C. atrox just took a big & stinky poo, but she's still plump in all the right places. Hopefully it will turn out that she's definitely gravid & will pop rather than her just being a fatty.

 

[younggalaxy]

Question:

it seems like a lot of rattlesnake enthusiasts almost prefer top opening cages. Is there a specific reason for that? I've always wondered. Are your Crotalus in 'zilla critter cages'?

 

[Wiggles92]

Question:

it seems like a lot of rattlesnake enthusiasts almost prefer top opening cages. Is there a specific reason for that? I've always wondered. Are your Crotalus in 'zilla critter cages'?

Not too sure on that one. I seem them as a risk since pit vipers tend to act like heat-seeking missiles and can & will try to bite through the top.

Personally, I like front-opening cages better, but it's tough to find the right ones at a decent price.

The two little ones are in the Zilla critter cages; I don't plan on keeping them in there for longer than another few months.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[crayfishguy]

Not too sure on that one. I seem them as a risk since pit vipers tend to act like heat-seeking missiles and can & will try to bite through the top.

Personally, I like front-opening cages better, but it's tough to find the right ones at a decent price.

The two little ones are in the Zilla critter cages; I don't plan on keeping them in there for longer than another few months.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

where do you get your cages?

 

[younggalaxy]

Not too sure on that one. I seem them as a risk since pit vipers tend to act like heat-seeking missiles and can & will try to bite through the top.

Personally, I like front-opening cages better, but it's tough to find the right ones at a decent price.

The two little ones are in the Zilla critter cages; I don't plan on keeping them in there for longer than another few months.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

Yeah, I guess you gotta watch out for your thumbs when you're lifting those screen locking devices. Zilla cages aren't that bad and I perceive that it would work for certain hots until those screen tops go, which is entirely possible in my experience. I had to call the headquarters and give them an earful until they sent me proper replacements (they sent me 2, lol). They don't sell sliding tops separately and the ones that they do sell will leave a gap opening on the top lip of the cage.

I like the Neodesha cages. At least according to some reviews that I've read, they seem sterile and sturdy enough to work well, including rattlers. I tried to order a few a while ago but the shipping to Canada would've exceeded the cost of the cages, making the whole thing prohibitive. Their rack system is ridiculously overpriced though IMO.

 

[Wiggles92]

where do you get your cages?

I bought the copperhead's enclosure from SnakeFX Cages, but I will no longer be doing business with them or recommending them due to their very poor business practices regarding an order I placed with them.

Yeah, I guess you gotta watch out for your thumbs when you're lifting those screen locking devices. Zilla cages aren't that bad and I perceive that it would work for certain hots until those screen tops go, which is entirely possible in my experience. I had to call the headquarters and give them an earful until they sent me proper replacements (they sent me 2, lol). They don't sell sliding tops separately and the ones that they do sell will leave a gap opening on the top lip of the cage.

I like the Neodesha cages. At least according to some reviews that I've read, they seem sterile and sturdy enough to work well, including rattlers. I tried to order a few a while ago but the shipping to Canada would've exceeded the cost of the cages, making the whole thing prohibitive. Their rack system is ridiculously overpriced though IMO.

I don't put heat lamps on the screens, so they should hold up pretty well; I use fluorescent strip lights & heat pads instead.

I'm not a fan of the standard Neodesha cages because of their weird shape that makes them impossible to stack not to mention the price.

At this point, I'm going to either get some wood cages and/or plastic cages made by another cage builder or do them myself.

 

[Wiggles92]

Oh, I got another C. mitchellii pyrrhus x C. stephensi today at the show. I might also be getting an adult male C. atrox that matches my female as well if it isn't sold before payday.