Is Your Snake Working Out?

[Ax01]

if not, an Australian zoo is opening a gym for it's reptiles - rattlesnakes is particular. the gym looks looks to be a simple "endless" swimming pool where the water is pumped/cycled to create resistance and a river effect where the snake is made to swim upstream for exercise. but is this ok for the snake? is it stressful? the link to the story below has a vid of it and the Rattler seemed to do fine. but what happens when it decides to do swim and just float downstream in the pool? do handlers use snake hooks to correct it's direction for upstream swimming?

i think all snakes have an inherent amount of strength and muscles that allow them to move, climb and constrict (even non-constrictors), etc. in captivity, it's bad husbandry and dieting that leads to their obesity. is a "gym" required? no, i don't think so. enclosure enrichment, regular time outside their enclosures and handling and a good diet can go a long way to keep your snake healthy and into old age.

story here: http://www.wbtv.com/2019/01/25/gym-r...tive-reptiles/

Gym for rattlesnakes opens to fight high obesity rate among captive reptiles

CHARLOTTE, NC (Mark Price/Charlotte Observer) - A gym devoted to keeping venomous snakes and other reptiles from getting fat was unveiled this week to widespread disbelief on social media.

The Melbourne Zoo in Australia is calling it a “world-first water gym for reptiles,” and celebrated the opening Tuesday with video of a diamondback rattlesnake splashing around in a filtered spa with inline heating and hydro pumps to add a sauna-like current.

IFL Science covered the opening this week, writing that the facility is surely the first in the world created “to fight snake obesity.”

“A lot of reptiles are ambush predators,” Reptile Keeper Alex Mitchell was quoted telling IFL Science. “If they don’t have to chase their prey they become sedentary and quite prone to obesity.”

The Melbourne Zoo says on its website that the gym is “revolutionary” in its ability to keep reptiles “fit and healthy,” while improving muscle tone and endurance.

Prior to opening it, the zoo staff encouraged “snakes to swim and exercise in a bucket of water,” said a zoo release.

The new gym is closed to the public, but it does allow lizards and turtles, officials said.

Media coverage of the opening has been largely bemused, with headlines like: “Snakes at Melbourne Zoo Are Doing Aqua-Aerobics So They Don’t Get Fat.”

Social media response has been more dumbfounded.

“Exactly what we need: A quicker, stronger, more agile snake, said no one ever,” wrote David Dlma Martin on Facebook.

“Why would you try to make snakes stronger and faster,” asked David Situ on Facebook.

“Out of interest, how do you know if they don’t want to swim?” posted Becca Ann on the zoo’s Facebook page.

Zoo staff actually responded to her question, explaining keepers look for behavior that indicates a rattlesnake or lizard is actually “enjoying” itself in the water.

What a happy rattlesnake looks like was not explained.

[Bogertophis]

That's really a cool idea! In my experience (20 years keeping quite a few rattlebrats) they do like water. I took in some unwanted captives that had been kept in
filthy cages by people who lost interest (<I'm being charitable) & they stunk, so I did bathe them in my bathtub. They seemed to like it, especially to get clean.
The water was not deep though. While I agree that (supervised) swimming is great exercise for captive snakes (-most kinds), I didn't have a problem with my
rattlesnakes becoming obese either, maybe because their cages were fairly large.

BTW, I personally swim laps for fitness, and it's hard to find a better exercise to stay trim that's both aerobic & not too hard on the body.

[Bogertophis]

And if you ever have (or suspect you have) a constipated snake, a luke-warm water swim in the tub is very helpful- it helps them rehydrate & usually
"generates results". This can really help some snakes that just sit around too much, especially older ones. It's also how I saved the life of a blocked-up
bearded dragon.