Strange but important.

What do I do with Monty in the case of an earthquake? I live in California, and with the dry weather we've been having were bound for a big earthquake soon. What do I do with Monty in the case of a large earthquake? If you've never been in an earthquake, they're pretty crazy. Big ones can knock things off shelves and even knock over refrigerators. They are almost always followed by aftershocks, also known as more earthquakes. If we had a big enough one, it could seriously injure her. Do I grab her and put her in a small box? Any answers will help!!

Not really an expert on Earthquakes but here is a precaution I would take. Make sure that rack/tank/whatever its set up on is secured to a wall or you can be reasonably certain of it's safety. Then just make sure anything in cage is properly secure. Not really much else you can do I wouldn't think.

Well personally I would keep an appropriate sized Sterilite or Rubbermaid tube close to the cage and if the earthquake is big enough to make you want to run outside, grab your snake, throw her in the tub and run outside. I don't have earthquakes here but I have a tub for everyone that I've had to use last winter to keep everyone warm in my car from 3am to 7am when the power went out.

A definite Cali prob, the rack I made is so over kill it will probably be the only thing left standing when we get hit by the "big one". But joking aside keep your lids and get appropriate sized tubs with lids. They make them huge enough to accomidate most snakes. I've kept shipping boxes and the styromoam inserts for insulation, remember we are not gonna have heat for them everywhere. Frozen rats aren't gonna last, water contaminated. man it's gonna suck gloom end of days bla bla Id prefer zombies :)

First and foremost, the important thing is to make sure you stay safe. If that means you have to take cover or leave and leave your animals behind, do it. You can't help them afterward if you're badly hurt (or worse).

Rather than trying to take them with me I'd make their setups as earthquake-proof as possible. This means selecting stronger materials for their enclosure walls than the typical pvc and plastic that are popular - melamine is pretty tough and heavy. Cage furniture should be lightweight so that nothing can crush your snake or break the enclosure from the inside if anything bounces around.

Attaching the enclosure (or rack) to a load-bearing wall is a good idea. I would also attach the thermostat to the enclosure or the wall and make sure not just the probe but the wire leading up to it is attached to something as well, you don't want the probe to shift away from the heat source.

Afterward, electricity and fresh water will be at a premium. Make sure you have source(s) for both that are independent of the local utilities.

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Originally Posted by bcr229

First and foremost, the important thing is to make sure you stay safe. If that means you have to take cover or leave and leave your animals behind, do it. You can't help them afterward if you're badly hurt (or worse).

Rather than trying to take them with me I'd make their setups as earthquake-proof as possible. This means selecting stronger materials for their enclosure walls than the typical pvc and plastic that are popular - melamine is pretty tough and heavy. Cage furniture should be lightweight so that nothing can crush your snake or break the enclosure from the inside if anything bounces around.

Attaching the enclosure (or rack) to a load-bearing wall is a good idea. I would also attach the thermostat to the enclosure or the wall and make sure not just the probe but the wire leading up to it is attached to something as well, you don't want the probe to shift away from the heat source.

Afterward, electricity and fresh water will be at a premium. Make sure you have source(s) for both that are independent of the local utilities.

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As far as fresh water and food we have an emergency supply.

One of my biggest concerns is that we have very tall trees outside my house, that a big earthquake could very well knock over. I keep a rubber made tub next to her tank for when I give it a thorough cleaning, so I'm sure that would work.

I'm about two miles away from Northridge, CA (1996 CA earthquake) and I always think about that. Like BCR already said, the most important thing is to get out unhurt and alive and then assess the situation.

I personally would just throw them in their feeding tubs with UniHeat 72 hour heat packs (if it's cold outside) and go from there. A 30 pack is $45 bucks so that's not really breaking the bank. I have only 5 snakes so that should be more than plenty for me.

This might sounds kinda crappy, but I have a girlfriend and two dogs to take care first before I can get to my snakes.

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Originally Posted by Mr. Misha

I'm about two miles away from Northridge, CA (1996 CA earthquake) and I always think about that. Like BCR already said, the most important thing is to get out unhurt and alive and then assess the situation.

I personally would just throw them in their feeding tubs with UniHeat 72 hour heat packs (if it's cold outside) and go from there. A 30 pack is $45 bucks so that's not really breaking the bank. I have only 5 snakes so that should be more than plenty for me.

This might sounds kinda crappy, but I have a girlfriend and two dogs to take care first before I can get to my snakes.

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I have my boyfriend, but no other pets. My reptiles are my babies.

Luckily we don't tend to have many earthquakes in cold weather. But I will order some in case of a power outage due to one. I live in Gilroy, California. We got hit pretty hard by the 1989 earthquake that rocked the bay.

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Originally Posted by bcr229

First and foremost, the important thing is to make sure you stay safe. If that means you have to take cover or leave and leave your animals behind, do it. You can't help them afterward if you're badly hurt (or worse).

Rather than trying to take them with me I'd make their setups as earthquake-proof as possible. This means selecting stronger materials for their enclosure walls than the typical pvc and plastic that are popular - melamine is pretty tough and heavy. Cage furniture should be lightweight so that nothing can crush your snake or break the enclosure from the inside if anything bounces around.

Attaching the enclosure (or rack) to a load-bearing wall is a good idea. I would also attach the thermostat to the enclosure or the wall and make sure not just the probe but the wire leading up to it is attached to something as well, you don't want the probe to shift away from the heat source.

Afterward, electricity and fresh water will be at a premium. Make sure you have source(s) for both that are independent of the local utilities.

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In addition to these suggestions, it may not be a bad idea to install some type of mechanism to keep tubs from sliding forward or out of the rack altogether. An anchored rack won't do much good if you've got free-range snakes. ;)

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Originally Posted by MontyAndMelissa

Luckily we don't tend to have many earthquakes in cold weather. But I will order some in case of a power outage due to one. I live in Gilroy, California. We got hit pretty hard by the 1989 earthquake that rocked the bay.

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Weather has nothing to do with earthquakes.

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Originally Posted by Chkadii

In addition to these suggestions, it may not be a bad idea to install some type of mechanism to keep tubs from sliding forward or out of the rack altogether. An anchored rack won't do much good if you've got free-range snakes. ;)

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I don't have tubs, but tanks. I anchored the dresser to the wall the best I could, but I realized, the studs in this old house are about 6 ft apart.

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Originally Posted by Skiploder

Weather has nothing to do with earthquakes.

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That's not at all true. Earthquakes happen more often during months with more rainfall and warmer weather.

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Originally Posted by Skiploder

Weather has nothing to do with earthquakes.

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http://news.discovery.com/earth/seve...ake-111212.htm

Keep in mind I live right off the coast, so hurricanes are a real threat.

http://www.usclimatedata.com/climate...tates/usca0420

This shows the average rainfall and the temperatures throughout the months in the town I live in. If you consider 60° cold, you should probably move to Texas. It doesn't get cold and we don't get rain. That doesn't mean I shouldn't know what to do if an earthquake were to happen.

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Originally Posted by MontyAndMelissa

That's not at all true. Earthquakes happen more often during months with more rainfall and warmer weather.

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You're misinformed.

http://www.consrv.ca.gov/index/earth...kes_myths.aspx
http://www.scec.org/education/public/allmyths.html
http://www.openhazards.com/faq/commo...hquake-weather

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Originally Posted by Skiploder

You're misinformed.

http://www.consrv.ca.gov/index/earth...kes_myths.aspx
http://www.scec.org/education/public/allmyths.html
http://www.openhazards.com/faq/commo...hquake-weather

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Regardless of what you believe causes or doesn't cause earthquakes, I need to know what to do with my reptiles in the case of an earthquake. You're going off topic. I could care less if I'm right or wrong. All I care about is my pets safety.

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Originally Posted by MontyAndMelissa

What do I do with Monty in the case of an earthquake? I live in California, and with the dry weather we've been having were bound for a big earthquake soon. What do I do with Monty in the case of a large earthquake? If you've never been in an earthquake, they're pretty crazy. Big ones can knock things off shelves and even knock over refrigerators. They are almost always followed by aftershocks, also known as more earthquakes. If we had a big enough one, it could seriously injure her. Do I grab her and put her in a small box? Any answers will help!!

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Originally Posted by MontyAndMelissa

As far as fresh water and food we have an emergency supply.

One of my biggest concerns is that we have very tall trees outside my house, that a big earthquake could very well knock over. I keep a rubber made tub next to her tank for when I give it a thorough cleaning, so I'm sure that would work.

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Originally Posted by MontyAndMelissa

Luckily we don't tend to have many earthquakes in cold weather. But I will order some in case of a power outage due to one. I live in Gilroy, California. We got hit pretty hard by the 1989 earthquake that rocked the bay.

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Originally Posted by MontyAndMelissa

That's not at all true. Earthquakes happen more often during months with more rainfall and warmer weather.

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Ah, my humblest apologies. Apparently my reading comprehension skills are not up to snuff. I'm so gosh darned thick I read your posts and not only thought you made numerous references to weather being a factor but also very quickly defended your assertions. Obviously, I was grossly mistaken. A thousand pardons. Thanks for getting me back on track.

As a way of recompense can I perhaps assuage your fears about trees? Maybe I can provide you some piece of mind?

What a tree experiences in an earthquake is the direct effect of the seismic wave passing through it. This is generally less of a force on a tree than moderate wind conditions.

Liquefaction is, of course, an exception. However the liquefaction potential for most of Gilroy is low.

Also, damage during Loma Prieta was relatively mild in Gilroy. There were more red tagged building in Sunnyvale and Mountain View and Los Gatos was much harder hit than Gilroy. How do I know? I was working in Santa Cruz at the time and we did much of the clean up of red tagged structures and transportation facilities in the South Bay. I was assigned to Watsonville (which was obliterated) and Gilroy (which was not) along with the Highway 152 corridor.

In other words, falling trees are more of a risk in high winds than in an earthquake...and the soils in Gilroy are generally NOT susceptible to liquefaction.

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Originally Posted by Skiploder

Ah, my humblest apologies. Apparently my reading comprehension skills are not up to snuff. I'm so gosh darned thick I read your posts and not only thought you made numerous references to weather being a factor but also very quickly defended your assertions. Obviously, I was grossly mistaken. A thousand pardons. Thanks for getting me back on track.

As a way of recompense can I perhaps assuage your fears about trees? Maybe I can provide you some piece of mind?

What a tree experiences in an earthquake is the direct effect of the seismic wave passing through it. This is generally less of a force on a tree than moderate wind conditions.

Liquefaction is, of course, an exception. However the liquefaction potential for most of Gilroy is low.

Also, damage during Loma Prieta was relatively mild in Gilroy. There were more red tagged building in Sunnyvale and Mountain View and Los Gatos was much harder hit than Gilroy. How do I know? I was working in Santa Cruz at the time and we did much of the clean up of red tagged structures and transportation facilities in the South Bay. I was assigned to Watsonville (which was obliterated) and Gilroy (which was not) along with the Highway 152 corridor.

In other words, falling trees are more of a risk in high winds than in an earthquake...and the soils in Gilroy are generally NOT susceptible to liquefaction.

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I wasn't alive during Loma Prietta, but my mom was living in San Jose at the time with my infant older sister, (hence the "we"). You seem to be one of the people on this forum who tend to comment just to make yourself seem like the smarter person, and that's all fine and dandy. Common sense says that rain = softer ground = tectonic plates releasing built up tension = earthquake. I'm not a scientist, I never claimed to be. I was simply curious as to what I would need to do in the case of an earthquake in order to save my reptiles. I understand that you feel the need to show everyone up. I already admitted to the possibility of being wrong, so I don't understand why you continue to drag it out to make me look like a moron. Thanks for that, though.

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Originally Posted by MontyAndMelissa

I wasn't alive during Loma Prietta, but my mom was living in San Jose at the time with my infant older sister, (hence the "we"). You seem to be one of the people on this forum who tend to comment just to make yourself seem like the smarter person, and that's all fine and dandy. Common sense says that rain = softer ground = tectonic plates releasing built up tension = earthquake. I'm not a scientist, I never claimed to be. I was simply curious as to what I would need to do in the case of an earthquake in order to save my reptiles. I understand that you feel the need to show everyone up. I already admitted to the possibility of being wrong, so I don't understand why you continue to drag it out to make me look like a moron. Thanks for that, though.

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I tried to make you feel better about the tree...and apologized for taking your thread off course. I'm really at a complete loss as to why this tension exists between us....and I again assumed you lived in Gilroy. Again, my bad. I thought you had direct experience with what happened during Loma Prieta. I've got no idea where I came up with that...just ignore my inaccurate, misleading and contradictory comments please.

More confusion on my part. You are now saying the rain causes earthquakes? I thought you said dry hot weather causes earthquakes. Again, my bad. I'm old and easily confused. I guess when I took the seismic portion of my PE I missed the part about rain lubing up the tectonic plates and the whole weather affecting seismic activity thingy. Good thing they didn't ask that on the test! Dodged a bullet on that one.

Tell you what, i won't comment on anymore of your threads. It really bothers me that you think I'm here to show people up and not to help and that you think I comment just to make myself seem like a smarter person...and since the last thing I want to do is to help make you look like a moron, I'll just be quiet while you get your questions answered. It's obvious my help is not needed.

Fun fact. A branch came through my window today and missed montys tank by about 6 inches.

I had this problem, but with tornadoes. I live in Kansas. I just put Severus into his carrier, left the tank and ran for the basement. I made sure to put a hand towel in there to help keep him warm and so he could hide. I can't really suggest anything other than just being prepared with a carrier or some kind and maybe securing your tank to a table or something