Sick of rules!!!

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

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Originally Posted by 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
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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.

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!!!

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Originally Posted by Rob

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!

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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.

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

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Originally Posted by 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!!!

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

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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.

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


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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.

I remember when I first got Allure (my first snake and I'd never touched a snake till the day he arrived). I sat there holding him for several minutes after unboxing because I knew I was supposed to wait to handle him from all the million beginner posts. I remember freaking out thinking I'd messed him up when the incurable urge to hold him got to strong and I cheated a little each day. Oh boy do they get on new people about that. I think all this wait two weeks crap is so stressful on new people. Why not let him settle in over night and then keep your handling sessions small until they get used to you. Stop if they stop eating. That two weeks no handling thing is way too hard when you're a beginner and want to spend all day watching your new obsession.

I've fed all my new arrivals on day one since I got my second snake. Only one that didn't eat on day one was my leopard girl, who took food a few days later (she also had just taken her only prekilled meal before being shipped to me and I was offering her first F/T).

I agree there is too much "you have to do it this way". I don't follow all of that stuff anymore. It was a good starting point and now I've moved on. I adjust for the individual snake and go by what I've gained so far. (still a newb though since I'm only around a year and half in)

I think you are missing the bigger picture here. ;)

Those are not rules, those are guidelines that experienced people know will work with new owners to get them on track as easy and as fast as possible.

Does that mean you should not experiment when you have experience under your belt? NO

Do it mean people who provide those guidelines apply them to themselves? NO

I feed the evening of an arrival, I don't use a hot spot most of the year and I do many other things I would not recommend.
Why don't I recommend them to less experienced people? Because they probably would have issues and my goal here is to help new owners get started until they have sufficient knowledge and understanding of their animals.

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Originally Posted by Deborah

I think you are missing the bigger picture here. ;)

Those are not rules, those are guidelines that experienced people know will work with new owners to get them on track as easy and as fast as possible.

Does that mean you should not experiment when you have experience under your belt? NO

Do it mean people who provide those guidelines apply them to themselves? NO

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I completely get what your saying, and I agree that most people that are experienced are more open to hearing why someone chooses to do something non conventional. My biggest issue is it seems to me that when you come out and say " I do X" that isn't by the book. A lot of people are quick to jump on that person for not following the set rules. The rules are a great starting point,I just hope to bring it to attention that there are more than one ways to skin a cat. And if something is working you they shouldn't feel like they will be barraded if they admit to it. :)

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Double post

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Originally Posted by Deborah

I think you are missing the bigger picture here. ;)

Those are not rules, those are guidelines that experienced people know will work with new owners to get them on track as easy and as fast as possible.

Does that mean you should not experiment when you have experience under your belt? NO

Do it mean people who provide those guidelines apply them to themselves? NO

I feed the evening of an arrival, I don't use a hot spot most of the year and I do many other things I would not recommend.
Why don't I recommend them to less experienced people? Because they probably would have issues and my goal here is to help new owners get started until they have sufficient knowledge and understanding of their animals.

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^^^ Extremely well said. ;)

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Originally Posted by Rob

I completely get what your saying, and I agree that most people that are experienced are more open to hearing why someone chooses to do something non conventional. My biggest issue is it seems to me that when you come out and say " I do X" that isn't by the book. A lot of people are quick to jump on that person for not following the set rules. The rules are a great starting point,I just hope to bring it to attention that there are more than one ways to skin a cat. And if something is working you they shouldn't feel like they will be barraded if they admit to it. :)

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I think what happens here is one of two things:

1) The person stating "I do X" may have already come across as a newbie - either they've asked newbie questions (note: nothing wrong with that!!) or they've made certain comments that make them appear new to the hobby. Therefore, they get hit with more experienced people saying "you need to follow these guidelines..."

2) The people offering the rules or guidelines as advice may be new themselves and a) don't know what else to say because they don't know any differently or b) are trying to sound more experienced than what they are.


"Rules" I don't follow (for boa constrictors as they are mainly what I work with): My temps are a touch cooler than the recommended norm (ambient is usually around 76-77). I do use a hotspot year round, but its not usually set as high as the standard 90. I don't feed on a very regular schedule, I feed when my snakes appear hungry. I don't always wait for them to drop a poo before feeding again. I feed when they are in shed. I tend to feed prey that is smaller than the norm (which is a guideline I WILL recommend to newbies since boas are too often overfed, lol). And I usually offer a new arrival a feeding the next night or within the next day or two.

Just my .02 ;)

I am "two faced" on this.......................

There are the "general guidelines" that I will tell people the how and to dos.

Then there is the other side............ "What works in one house wont work in another"

Example, I nebulized the one RI I had and the couple brought to me BUT I will always recommend a trip to the vet.