Cryptelytrops albolabris update pictures

[jason_ladouceur]

Beautiful animals, I'm glad you posted this thread as I had not heard before that arboreal venemous tend to need assist/force feeding. We have always played around with the idea of starting up a nature center or small zoo and we would be adding venemous and large constrictors when we do.

Whats the process you go through to force feed? I'd imagine it would be much harder to do because of the fangs. With a python if you break a tooth or two its not a problem but breaking those fangs must be pretty life threatening to the animal. I'd imagine this just adds to the stress your feeling while doing it. Do you tube them to do this or snake hook them behind the head, etc?

Thanks,

As with most problems surrounding Hots there is a bunch of different techniques for tackling force feeding. The most common probably because it’s the simplest and IMO the most dangerous for the keeper is to simply pin the snake take it behind the head with your hand of course using the proper grip for the species your working with and use a pair of small forceps or tongs to hold the prey item in behind the jaw bone and gently push the prey item in far enough to avoid the snake spitting it out. I prefer to use a pair of soft rubber tipped tweezers to hold the animal behind the head. They allow me to get a good but gentle grip on the animal and keep my fingers out of harm’s way if the animal slips or twists on me. You can also use a tube if you’re working with most viper species because they will in most cases open there mouths at the slightest touch, this is not the case with many elapids and they will need to have their mouths forced open in order to successfully perform force feeding.
I don’t think that breaking a fang on a hot is any worse than breaking a tooth on any other snake. Fangs after all are still just teeth and snakes break fangs all the time through normal hunting and feeding activities. I did have a crotalus viridis develop a bad infection in her mouth from a fang she broke by striking the glass on her enclosure years ago. But I don’t think hots are any more prone to that sort of thing than any other snake.

This really is a topic that could have a decent sized book dedicated to it to even begin to cover all of it. At the end of the day force feeding is a dangerous action for any snake, and in the case of hots for the keeper as well. I believe that far too many people are too quick to begin force feeding instead of dedicating enough time and energy to different less intrusive techniques such as tease feeding to try to get animals to feed on their own.

[Crotalids]

Now that's what I call a pain. Just keeping Malayan's on a hook is enough to get your blood pumping. Haveing to actually put your hands on those little finger rotters is not my idea of a good time.

And yes they are still pretty tiny. They just moved up to whole pinks a couple of months ago.

Indeed, they are like mini Bothrops once they get going.

Ah cool, thought so! My Malayans are on whole pinks, but they're slightly heavier built than albolabris.

[jason_ladouceur]

Indeed, they are like mini Bothrops once they get going.

Ah cool, thought so! My Malayans are on whole pinks, but they're slightly heavier built than albolabris.

You realize of course you have to provide pictures or they don't exist.

And stay tuned because I'm going to have some pictures to post by this weekend that I know your going to be interested in.

[Crotalids]

You realize of course you have to provide pictures or they don't exist.

And stay tuned because I'm going to have some pictures to post by this weekend that I know your going to be interested in.

Haha, your wish is my command. Only have 3 nice pics I took of them the day I got them. Really trying to leave them alone in the hope they would both start feeding!! Will put up a thread in a sec.

Ah awesome, I look forward to it