Sick of rules!!!

[Rob]

What im tired of hearing is all these "by the book" rules people follow just because thats what is constantly crammed down everyone's throats. God forgbid you say you dont follow one of these commandments or you will be labeled misinformed and a horrible keeper. How about trying things out for yourself and gaining knowledge through experience.
My biggest rule I believe to be completely false is " let the animal settle in" before offering food. Every animal I get in I offer food day one and 99% of the time they take right away. My theory being most breeders dont feed an animal that they know is sold so by the time its at your door, its ready to chow down! Yesterday I was told I must be new to not know to let the animal settle in. Guess what, just got a new girl in and shes currently chowing down. So my question to all you. What are some well known "rules" you have found to be untrue through your own experience?
Day one


Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[Ridinandreptiles]

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ke-Maintenance

Exactly! Skip's post puts it perfectly i feel.

[Morris Reese]

What im tired of hearing is all these "by the book" rules people follow just because thats what is constantly crammed down everyone's throats. God forgbid you say you dont follow one of these commandments or you will be labeled misinformed and a horrible keeper. How about trying things out for yourself and gaining knowledge through experience.
My biggest rule I believe to be completely false is " let the animal settle in" before offering food. Every animal I get in I offer food day one and 99% of the time they take right away. My theory being most breeders dont feed an animal that they know is sold so by the time its at your door, its ready to chow down! Yesterday I was told I must be new to not know to let the animal settle in. Guess what, just got a new girl in and shes currently chowing down. So my question to all you. What are some well known "rules" you have found to be untrue through your own experience?
Day one


Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

I'm with you.
I kept the schedule that the breeder had and fed my snake on day 2 at her new home. She ate like a champ, even being she was at the beginning of a shed cycle.
Don't handle your snake for 2 weeks??? Give it time to settle in??? I handled mine for the first 2 days for about 15-20 minutes each day and she seemed fine. I did wait until she came out of her hide in the evenings before I picked her up. She did not ball up or get all tense. She seemed to be quit curious. I was not able to hold her for about a week after feeding because her eyes turned blue and she was well into her shed cycle, so I did follow that rule.
Clutter the cage. Really? If she is out at night and seems to be surveying the territory don't you think she is ok? I do have 2 hides, fake plants, and some mopani wood, but the front is pretty open so that I can watch as she crawls by. She seems to sit and watch me at times as well. Not with her neck in the familiar "S" shape, but actually stretched out as if she is being nosy!
I just try to read my snake and make changes only if she seems disturbed! If you pay attention they will let you know if something is wrong.

[Morris Reese]

Rob, I noticed in another thread that it looked like you had your new addition out today. That one seemed to be enjoying sitting on your head just looking around! LOL NICE SNAKE BY THE WAY!!!

[bcr229]

My theory being most breeders dont feed an animal that they know is sold so by the time its at your door, its ready to chow down!

That would explain why the snakes I've had shipped in all act hungry a day or so after arrival. Except the boas, they are always hungry.

Also I don't think "wait to feed" is really a rule, more of a best practice, since as you pointed out, many snakes will eat immediately.

OTOH "regulate your UTH with a thermostat" is a rule.

[KING JAMES]

Snakes need a hotspot...Hmm my snakes are healthy breeding laying eggs etc and they have never had a hotspot.

[Rob]

Rob, I noticed in another thread that it looked like you had your new addition out today. That one seemed to be enjoying sitting on your head just looking around! LOL NICE SNAKE BY THE WAY!!!

Thanks, yeah got my first retic today. Im absolutely in love!

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[Raven01]

After getting a new animal home and into an enclosure the first thing I do is offer food.
For shipping and expos many breeders seem to fast snakes a week before hand. I've only ever had one 1st day refusal and, that one ate 3 days later on feeding day with the rest of my animals.
That said other than a quick check on the animal I do have a week settle in period where I pretty much leave the critter alone and let it get used to the new environment.

To my mind many of the "by the book rules" are great for beginning herp enthusiasts. Things that give even a dummy like me a great chance at success with early acquisitions. But, then a passion for the animals will get some of us and we start studying them, reading scientific papers, following successful breeders, looking more closely at flora, fauna and climate of the areas the animals are from and then we can start making educated guesses as to different things we might try.

So, while I do support the by the book care-sheet idea I also understand that there can be other ideas that are equally successful in practice (I just wish more people would clearly and concisely document them) or that some people may have unusual experiences that may or may not be successful due to the individual temperament of the animals or a factor the keeper was unaware of and didn't control for.

[creatism]

In general I always recommend the "give the snake a settling in period" but I rarely follow it. My tanibars ate the second day I had them, same with my Bredlis, and all my coastals I've gotten in have eaten within a day or 2!
The thermostat thing I've also noticed isn't exactly needed, tho highly recommended and makes life easier!
The one rule I really do like to abide is quarantine


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[wilomn]

I'm not much given to concern over what others think of what I do. I'm by no means perfect, but I get by and the folks who get my animals seem pretty happy and I've been doing it, well, longer than most who read this have been alive so, either I'm the luckiest SOB to ever draw breath, or what I'm doing works, despite or in spite of what anyone else says, which is why I don't much listen to those who 'know' more than I do because I don't do it the way they were told they had to.