caterpillars and BPs?

ok, so it's almost impossible for me to not take care of little creatures. at work yesterday i found a caterpillar in a tire. i assumed it was dead and picked it up, then saw the slightest bit of movement. i put him on my toolbox with a washer full of water and he drank it all, then started moving around a bit. i brought him home (of course!) and gave him food and water in some tupperware last night. my question is can i put him in Pandora's tank with her? would that be really bad for her? obviously caterpillars need warmth, i don't know how he's still alive, but i would like to see him turn into a butterfly or at least die of old age. he's all black (furry) with a brown ring around his neck, if that matters. does anyone know if it'll be ok for Pandora?

[BallPythonBabe448]

Ummm....no.

[chong_python]

I would deffinilty stay away from it. First being that its a different speices and you dont know how its going to react. Second you dont no if the catapillar has any parasites/mites that he could easily pass on to your snake. And finally is there a chance he could leach on to the snake and begin to eat? Like crikets do to Lizards for an example

I would say its a definite no - no


Chris

[gen]

If I were you, I'd just put the caterpillar back where you found it. (Not on the tire of course, but in that area.) Caterpillars need to eat A LOT as they're growing and getting reading to make their crysalis, and I'm not sure how you'd know what that species of caterpilar usually eats. It might just die, and then you'd probably be disapointed.

If you REALLY want a caterpilar, you can actually buy a butterfly kit. They usually have them at nature/discovery stores or you can order them online. It comes with eggs, and the eggs hatch caterpilars, and it comes with food for them to eat. They grow, make crysalises, and come out as butterflies. Then you can set them free! It's awesome.

But if you do keep it, don't keep it with your ball python.

[Ginevive]

Alot of caterpillars are piosonous. I would not put it in with the BP.
Though, winter is pretty uch upon us now, and if the little guy hasn't spun a cocoon yet, I'd assume he will die off outdoors. If you really want to, put him in a jar or other container, and he might spin one. I kept some when I was a kid and it was pretty neat watching them morph into butterflies. But why would you wanna put it in with the snake!

[DrEwTiMe]

hehe waht they all said! i would me most concerned with what germs its carrying. out side on the road there are a lot of dirty things. If you found him on a tire i would be careful putting it wth the snake