Two Ideas

[colemaj]

So, I've been thinking of some ideas for feeding and husbandry, let me know what you think.

Alltime Visibility: Snakes don't see red light, would it be possible to use a red transparent material for cage and hides to keep the snake visible to humans but not the other way around. Would this work?

Secondly, I worked in a Neuroscience lab where we used genetically modified rats/mice that exhibited different characteristics. One of which that might make a great feeder was a breed that was made to study depression. They reminded me a lot of eeyore from pooh. They would put up with a lot. If you dropped them, they wouldn't run, they would almost never bite. I was wondering if anyone has bred lab rats with a similar disposition for safer feeding.

[lord jackel]

So, I've been thinking of some ideas for feeding and husbandry, let me know what you think.

Alltime Visibility: Snakes don't see red light, would it be possible to use a red transparent material for cage and hides to keep the snake visible to humans but not the other way around. Would this work?

I can answer this one...snakes can see red light they cannot see infrared light. The bulbs you buy in a pet store (specifically designed for reptiles) are coated on the inside with a chemical that removes all but the infrared spectrum of light (whats left is red in color)...

If you were to simply using a red party bulb or red plastic the snake could see the light just fine. Not to mention they can still see through any material regardless of color or coating just like you can (provided it is transparent...so they could still see you).

Hope this helps.

[Thor26]

mmk just wondering being BP's are nocturnal shouldn't they be able to see in the dark????? it makes sense to mee do u guys no?

[Stewart_Reptiles]

I was wondering if anyone has bred lab rats with a similar disposition for safer feeding.

Never bred lab animals however I can tell you that when you breed your own feeders and if you do it right they have a pretty good disposition, they are not skittish or aggressive like the ones found in pet stores (that’s for rats and mice based on what I observed with my colony).

[Mindibun]

Were the lab rats chemically altered so that they exhibited these symptoms, or were they selectively bred? In other words, did the neurologists select the most mellow rats and breed them together to produce the (for lack of a better word) lethargic rats?

I think this is absolutely horrible, regardless. I am curious to know what they found out since its already been done, but at the same time I am crazy about animal rights and I can't stand to hear about animal testing in labs. I won't go into that, though.

[colemaj]

The rats were selectively bred to exhibit traits, though occasionally they're genetically modified. It seems terrible but the research we did learned a lot about depression, alzheimers, etc. They're treated extremely well also...

[Crazydude]

I think the best option as far as a snake not seeing through the glass is use one of those one way glass materials. Would work great, just be very expensive, Just haveing a enclosed enclosure, with the front just open in a not very bright room i think is not that bad for them.

For rats, would be interesting, but expensive to do, and would never catch on. I would be shocked if the general population could get GMO feeder rats. But nevertheless it would be nice.
Ben