I need some help...

I need some help...

Postby Hendre » Fri May 07, 2010 9:10 pm

SO today i had the privilege to save these two cuties from certain death... I received a sort of a tip-off and went to investigate, these 2 were found in a cage WAY to small for the big one and they are swimming in their own poo with rotten budgie eggs and other broken eggs lying in the cage for who knows how long now... I took the snakes without even arguing about it, although the owner didnt argue he knew it was best...

Im looking to get permits for these guys, no he didnt have, the problem is I have no experience with egg-eaters but im sure with the help of this community i'll be fine as usual :)
im posting all of these pics as it is pretty much the most info i have about them, i tried to keep them still for the pics and i tried to picture them relative to something or at least each other, the big one looks healthy and is the nice brownish color, the small one is more reddish but very thin, this concerns me as i have no experience in tube-feeding and dont know where to find small enough eggs, the eggs that i have found are the quill eggs in the pictures. they aren't eating at the moment...

Here is the pictures:
(The questions will follow)

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My questions are as follows:

1) will the big one be able to eat one of those two eggs? he is pictured with them

2) can anybody give me an age estimate on these two?

3) is there an easy way to tell male from female

4) i'm guessing its common egg-eaters, am I correct?

5) im in Stellenbosch does anybody know a source or eggs nearby? or more urgently where i can find smaller eggs?

They are beautiful snakes and extremely calm when handled id really hate to lose them and would love to care for them please help me to do so by helping me :)

Thanks
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Re: I need some help...

Postby Fooble » Fri May 07, 2010 9:24 pm

Hendre wrote:(The questions will follow)

My questions are as follows:

1) will the big one be able to eat one of those two eggs? he is pictured with them

2) can anybody give me an age estimate on these two?

3) is there an easy way to tell male from female

4) i'm guessing its common egg-eaters, am I correct?

5) im in Stellenbosch does anybody know a source or eggs nearby? or more urgently where i can find smaller eggs?

They are beautiful snakes and extremely calm when handled id really hate to lose them and would love to care for them please help me to do so by helping me :)

Thanks


Good on you Hendre

Firstly don't worry egg eaters are one of the easiest snakes to keep and they can do very well if you can provide the eggs,

One thing for certain the big one looks in GREAT shape so Don't worry about that one and it will be able to eat those eggs easily infact im certain that bigger one will take bantam eggs. It will in one sitting eat 3 of those eggs easily if its hungry(looks like a she) Have a look at my post a little while back all those snakes are feeding on bantum chicken eggs.

it is difficult with these snakes as of course they will grow according to how much they get fed if not allot will not grow as large/quick ect. one thing is for sure hatchling egg eaters are tiny +-20 cm and thinner then a straw.

If you post a picture of the underside and tail im sure i would give you an idea. That large one should be a female though female soften grow much larger.

That is D.scabra yes

Those snakes will eat those eggs no problem

look on gumtree.co.za for guys selling birds in your area and simply message them or pet shops often have eggs, also float those eggs you have there in water to see if they are indeed fresh usually the fresh/good eggs will sink rotten will float.

Also that smaller egg eater is from the North West it seems like Limpopo locality so do not know how easy to will be to get permits.

Hope that answers your questions?
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Re: I need some help...

Postby Fooble » Fri May 07, 2010 9:26 pm

This is my female

Image
AS you can see they both have those lovely orange markings.
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Re: I need some help...

Postby Hendre » Fri May 07, 2010 9:35 pm

Thanks a lot Fooble,

Geez your female is beautiful!

im glad about the bigger one im just more concerned with the smaller one, it seems REALLY tiny to me although i might just be used to dealing with bigger snakes, should i try and find small eggs for the small one? if so what kind of eggs?

sorry that is the first time ever i've had a chance to take pictures of snakes with a digital camera up until now i always just used my cellphones so that is the best i could manage picture-wise and i was in a bit of a hurry...

Thanks again :D
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Re: I need some help...

Postby Fooble » Fri May 07, 2010 9:49 pm

Henre that smaller snake will be able to take small dove eggs, chinese painted quail eggs im sure even those eggs you have there the one on the left ( japanese quial eggs). It doesn't look too bad of shape dont stress too much.

Eggs usually at pet shops like budgies eggs are quite smalll , chinese painted sometimes love birds too.
Try get what ever eggs you can man and see fresh is the key.
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Re: I need some help...

Postby nvlooi » Fri May 07, 2010 10:28 pm

Hi Hendre.

Nice job on rescueing them.
Both specimens are from the Western Cape, just different areas. Possible the brownish one from Boland-Swartland area, the grey and black is the common colour we find.

As Fooble said they are easy to keep.

Regarding permits; Contact Cape NatCon ASAP and explaine to them the situation. They will hopefully understand and grant you a permit. There is a link somewhere for permit application on the forum.

@ Fooble - we don't have eggs as readily available as you guys have it up there.

Regards

Henco
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Re: I need some help...

Postby shamroth » Fri May 07, 2010 10:50 pm

I have a number somewhere for a woman just outside stellenbosch who I buy eggs from. Will pm it to you in the morning once I've found it.
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Re: I need some help...

Postby Fooble » Fri May 07, 2010 10:52 pm

Nvlooi not as regularly?
Those eggs he has there are from the Japanese or rain Quail they lay something stupid like 250+ eggs a year, used ro commercial quail egg production worth a try to link up with a breeder.
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Re: I need some help...

Postby nvlooi » Sat May 08, 2010 9:31 am

Fooble wrote:Nvlooi not as regularly?
Those eggs he has there are from the Japanese or rain Quail they lay something stupid like 250+ eggs a year, used ro commercial quail egg production worth a try to link up with a breeder.


Sorry for my bad English ( Im afrikaans), what I mean; because we work on the permit system, not every second petshop keeps eggs for resale for egg eaters. Remember to get egg eaters the legal way you have to import them from another province and there is only a handfull of people that has done that.
I'll be honest to say I've never seen an egg eater for sale in a petshop in the western cape, but there just might be out there.

But thanks Shamroth for the info on where to get eggs.

Henco
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Re: I need some help...

Postby Hendre » Sat May 08, 2010 10:06 am

now that you mention it nvlooi ive also never seen egg-eaters for sale in wcape, i think the only person ive ever seen here with egg-eaters is Bjorn if im not mistaken?

Shamroth thanks a lot that would be much appreciated! :D

As soon as i get my car today im going to visit a few petshops in the area to ask them about the egg story wish me luck :)
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Re: I need some help...

Postby shamroth » Sat May 08, 2010 6:18 pm

My phone isn't letting me pm. pm me your number or email and il send you the details
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Re: I need some help...

Postby jka » Sat May 08, 2010 6:45 pm

No eggeaters in the Western Cape? You dont need to import them they are readily available.

Some of the petshops should have eggs, the female quails lay eggs before they are sold to the public then the petshop owner toss the eggs.

I breed my own quails and finches its much easier.
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Re: I need some help...

Postby Hendre » Sat May 08, 2010 9:32 pm

HAHA you see jka living in a cramped flat in Stellenbosch kinda rules the breeding of birds out haha but if i could've i would've, i just really hope i can find some small eggs for the smaller one tomorrow... what eggs should i ask for, i seriously doubt he going to eat those quail eggs even the smallest ones...
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Re: I need some help...

Postby nvlooi » Sun May 09, 2010 2:32 am

That small guy will be able to eat quail eggs.

Sorry for the wrong info on egg eaters being available...

Henco
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Re: I need some help...

Postby Hendre » Sun May 09, 2010 10:06 am

Sorry i keep asking because ive never seen them feed, i just cant see how the small one will be able to eat that quail egg, just to clarify the 4th picture from the bottom is the big snake with the eggs not the small one and in some of the other pictures you can compare the sizes of the two snakes...
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