High School Herps

Today I went to Freshmen orientation at my high school, and noticed that in the Biology room there was what appeared to be an Aztec Black and White Kingsnake. The snake was maybe 2-3 feet long and look like it could only swallow a hopper mouse. It was in a glass 10 gallon cracked enclosure with what looked like aspen but was in small squares. There was a water bowl with a diameter of 3 inches maybe, and 3 rocks with NO WIRE coming from the cage, implying that there was NO heat source; no lamp, no mat, etc. The point is, how do I point all this improper husbandry requirements out to my biology teacher??? I have Abuja's old 10 gallon enclosure, a small hide, a water bowl, some cypress mulch, and the heat mat on the bottom on the 10 gallon enclosure. If I were to sanitize this stuff, a) how do I sanitize it? and b) would it suffice for the kingsnake???

There was a bp in my biology class and it wasn't very healthy. I tried to get him to stop feeding live.

If you were to sanitize it spray it all with a 10% bleach solution(not the mulch, or the mat.)
Then rinse it really good.

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Originally Posted by tbowman

There was a bp in my biology class and it wasn't very healthy. I tried to get him to stop feeding live.

If you were to sanitize it spray it all with a 10% bleach solution(not the mulch, or the mat.)
Then rinse it really good.

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Thanks! So cypress would be just fine?

Well I've never used loose substrates but I don't think it would be that easy to get bleach out of. I have heard of people baking substrates but I'm not sure.

No I have some old substrate still in the bag that made the humidity too high in Abuja's tub. So here's what I have:

10 Gallon Tank
Bag of Cypress Mulch
Snug Hide
Plastic Plant
Kidney-Shaped Water Bowl
Log
Heat Mat over 1/3 of the Cage

I know I need a temp control knob, but anything else? I know CoolioTiffany has lots of colubrids, so I'm hoping she'll chime in?

Okay, I'm gonna bump this. I really would appreciate some advice on how to approach my teacher about this!

"Hey Mr. Teacherman, I was researching on the internet and found all this cool stuff out about kingsnakes. Did you know we could......."

And take it from there.

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Originally Posted by wilomn

"Hey Mr. Teacherman, I was researching on the internet and found all this cool stuff out about kingsnakes. Did you know we could......."

And take it from there.

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Thanks! I'm a little worried though, since I don't know her that well; tomorrow's the first day of school. Good news is, though, I sanitized like tbowman said earlier so everything is clean! I'll let y'all know how it goes tomorrow.

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Originally Posted by abuja

Thanks! I'm a little worried though, since I don't know her that well; tomorrow's the first day of school. Good news is, though, I sanitized like tbowman said earlier so everything is clean! I'll let y'all know how it goes tomorrow.

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In that case, unless you've got an interesting twist in your sense of humor and enjoy the unknown, I'd go with Hey TeacherLADY, for the first go round.

You've got decent information, you care, just be confident and present yourself as if you know what you're talking about. That way, whether you do or not, at least you have conviction, which can lead to all sorts of wonderful things, not the least of which is intimate knowledge of the interior decorations of the dean's office.

That's another story entirely though.

(Since I'm in 8th grade) If I had a Science teacher with a Kingsnake that has improper husbandry, this is what I'd most likely say (and this is just me, I normally don't take good approaches I just let out whatever is on my mind):

Hey, I have a Kingsnake at home and I've owned Kingsnakes for quite some time now and it seems like your Kingsnake doesn't really have a proper setup. When a snake/reptile does not have a proper setup, it can become stressed and as well as catch diseases or parasites. When reptiles do not have a heat source, they cannot get the body heat they need since they are cold-blooded animals. They need a heat source to be able to maintain correct body temperature but if they don't and they are cold it can lower their immune system allowing bacteria to enter the body causing a disease like a respiratory infection which is fatal if not treated with proper antibiotics. I suggest that the best thing to do would be to start researching the specific snake you have to learn how to properly care for it.

Ya, I think that would be sort of a rude approach, but maybe from that you could get some ideas on what to tell your teacher.

Well I'm a high school Biology/Chemistry teacher and here is a couple of ways that I think you can approach this. Don't go in the first day all guns ablaze. Start by asking simple questions, play a little bit ignorant if you will. Ask her what kind of snake it is, what it eats, etc. Gauge her expertise in kingsnakes. Just because they have a degree in Biology doesn't make them an expert on snakes. I've seen plenty of fellow science teachers keeping herps in very bad conditions.

Another approach you can take is with enthusiasm. "Oh cool, you've got a kingsnake! I've got one at home whose enclosure I've upgraded. Do you want its old tank/equipment/etc?" Ask her if you can help with the maintenance of the snake. I've got a couple of kids in each class that I trust in helping me maintain my zoo in the classroom, and I love their enthusiasm and appreciate greatly their help.

Teachers can be pretty arrogant and take helpful criticism in a bad way. Get off on the right foot by taking things slow. The first days of school can be pretty stressful on teachers.

Let us know how it goes!

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Originally Posted by CoolioTiffany

(Since I'm in 8th grade) If I had a Science teacher with a Kingsnake that has improper husbandry, this is what I'd most likely say (and this is just me, I normally don't take good approaches I just let out whatever is on my mind):

Hey, I have a Kingsnake at home and I've owned Kingsnakes for quite some time now and it seems like your Kingsnake doesn't really have a proper setup. When a snake/reptile does not have a proper setup, it can become stressed and as well as catch diseases or parasites. When reptiles do not have a heat source, they cannot get the body heat they need since they are cold-blooded animals. They need a heat source to be able to maintain correct body temperature but if they don't and they are cold it can lower their immune system allowing bacteria to enter the body causing a disease like a respiratory infection which is fatal if not treated with proper antibiotics. I suggest that the best thing to do would be to start researching the specific snake you have to learn how to properly care for it.

Ya, I think that would be sort of a rude approach, but maybe from that you could get some ideas on what to tell your teacher.

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Tiff, I'm not going to point out the errors in this but if you really care about sharing knowledge and not just being the center of attention, you'll find them and make sure you stop repeating them.

If you are actually willing to donate some stuff that might work in your favor. Traditionally, school teachers would rather get apples from their students than lessons from them. So as others have said, be enthusiastic about donating your cool reptile stuff, even help set it up. If she's a school teacher who likes snakes, she might be pretty cool, maybe a few new things and an involved student will encourage her to be interested enough to do it right. Best of luck.

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Originally Posted by abuja

No I have some old substrate still in the bag that made the humidity too high in Abuja's tub. So here's what I have:

10 Gallon Tank
Bag of Cypress Mulch
Snug Hide
Plastic Plant
Kidney-Shaped Water Bowl
Log
Heat Mat over 1/3 of the Cage

I know I need a temp control knob, but anything else? I know CoolioTiffany has lots of colubrids, so I'm hoping she'll chime in?

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One thing to consider is a means to control the heat source, I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned that. Depending on the room temperature that the snake is located in, it might be better to have no heat source rather than an uncontrolled heat source covering 1/3 of the floor of the cage.

A rheostat wouldn't be a terribly expensive solution.

Also, Aspen bedding would probably be fine, assuming that is what the teacher currently has, I'm going to bet that Cypress Mulch wouldn't be bad either.

Keep us updated on what's going on :gj:

It turns out that he's just a ratsnake. Do ratsnakes require any specific husbandry requirements or is the current setup as mentioned before alright?

I would approach her, but the thing is, she's a very scary teacher. And a bit of a know-it-all and a veteran teacher at my school.

One last thing, she has what appears to be a red-eared slider who's about 6 inches in diameter in a 20-30 gallon tank being fed mealworms. Is this alright?

Thanks, everyone, I really want to make sure her reptiles and amphibians are being cared for properly.

According to most people that would be way to small for a 6" RES, and not a good daily food source. Besides that little tid bit red eared sliders need full spectrum UVA/UVB lighting.
I think another good thing to do would be tell your parents and have them complain. Administration hates it because they have to listen to parents and cant just play it off like your young and stupid. So that should get something done.
And Im pretty sure that even if it is a rat snake the husbandry needs aren't being met.

Ya the care of a rat snake is basicly the same as a king except on a larger scale becuase rat snakes (I'm guessing its a black rat snake) on adverage get bigger than kings, 5-7ft but they have been known to reach 8. At 3ft that guy is probably a year to year and a half, that is if its being fed properly and everything. Does he look something like this?
http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/k...0/DSC03796.jpg
http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/k...0/DSC03797.jpg

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Originally Posted by I<3Dreamsicles

According to most people that would be way to small for a 6" RES, and not a good daily food source. Besides that little tid bit red eared sliders need full spectrum UVA/UVB lighting.
I think another good thing to do would be tell your parents and have them complain. Administration hates it because they have to listen to parents and cant just play it off like your young and stupid. So that should get something done.
And Im pretty sure that even if it is a rat snake the husbandry needs aren't being met.

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Okay, thanks. I'll ask them. The ratsnake has no heat source in a 70 degree room.

The RES is not a happy turtle..

The ratsnake doesn't look like that. Color-wise, he is black and grey with some yellow near his belly. Otherwise, he looks similar. A 2-3 foot snake in a 10 gallon cage cannot be good for him.

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Originally Posted by abuja

Okay, thanks. I'll ask them. The ratsnake has no heat source in a 70 degree room.

The RES is not a happy turtle..

The ratsnake doesn't look like that. Color-wise, he is black and grey with some yellow near his belly. Otherwise, he looks similar. A 2-3 foot snake in a 10 gallon cage cannot be good for him.

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Ya hes probably a black or grey rat snake. I wasn't expecting mine to look exactly like yours color wise. Hes not pure black rat or grey rat, he has both plus yellow rat and that gives him those orange eyes and all that yellow. I just wanted to see if he had the same body/head shape or not.

Hi, Abuja!

I think MarkieJ's approach is an excellent one - express interest in a friendly and curious manner (in my experience, teachers get pretty excited about kids who want to learn, and whom they can make a connection with!), let her know you've had some experience with snakes / have some equipment you can help her out with (good chance her budget is very small!) and offer to help her out getting the guy on an even keel. (also a good chance that her early-season workload is pretty overwhelming - second only to her workload around finals time, LOL!)

The substrate of "little wood squares" sounds like what's called Sani-Chips - perfectly acceptable substrate for most reptiles, and even if ingested, it passes through most of their systems fairly well. (Still - if you can feed the snake in a separate tub . . . )

HTH!

~Bruce