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Pituophis catenifer sayi (Bullsnake)
Origin: Canada, United States and Mexico (this subspecies in Canada)
Length: They can grow between 150 and 180 cm
Age: between 12 and 15 years old.
The skin color is yellow-gray, with a row of contiguous black spots on the back that resemble a chain, from which the snake derives its name catenifer (chain-bearing). On each flank there is also a row of individual spots.
Care
Experience: Average hose holder
Food: Live or dead prey. The most important prey items are rodents such as mice and rats, but poultry is also welcome.
Feeding adult: once every 7 to 10 days.
Feeding young: Every 5 to 7 days.
Water bowl: Yes
Change water: 3 times a week
Nutrition
There is the choice to offer the prey animals alive or dead. It is advisable to offer dead food. This is more practical and prevents the food animal from injuring your snake. In addition, it is advised to offer the food animal with a feeding tongs and to feed your hose outside the enclosure. This ensures that your hand is not associated with food and prevents you from grabbing your hand when feeding. If you do go for live food, you should supervise during feeding. this is because when two snakes have the same prey suits they can injure each other and sometimes even eat each other. The ideal prey is about as wide as the widest part of the snake.
Water
A spacious water bowl, in which all hoses can lie at the same time, serves as a drinking and bathing place and sometimes also as a toilet. make sure that the water is changed when it is dirty. They also drink that water.
Cleaning
A hygienic living environment is important to keep your hoses healthy. To achieve this, the accommodation will have to be cleaned regularly. Cleaning once a week is enough. In order to prevent the build-up of bacteria, the entire residence must be cleaned and disinfected a few times a year.
Handling
To feed the bull snake and to clean the enclosure, your snake will have to be handled. This should of course be done properly so that you and the hose are safe. Handle the hose with a hose hook or lift it with two hands. Do not hang your hose around your neck, because if the hose falls that will soon clamp around your neck. In addition, there are some important things to look out for when handling a dotted python. First make sure that your hose is aware that you are going to handle it and move gently when you handle it. Also make sure your hands are washed and don't smell like food. Finally, do not handle your hose when it is shedding or handle it in the dark.
Housing
Minimum stay size for 1 couple: 100 x 50 x 50
Lying surface: 50% of the box
Day temperature: On average, 25 degrees is sufficient with a peak under the lamp of about 30 degrees.
Night temperature: 18-20 degrees
Hours of light: In summer, the lighting can be switched on for a maximum of fourteen hours a day, in winter the lighting can be switched off for several weeks. Ensure a gradual transition between these phases.
Humidity: 40 to 60%
Origin: Canada, United States and Mexico (this subspecies in Canada)
Length: They can grow between 150 and 180 cm
Age: between 12 and 15 years old.
The skin color is yellow-gray, with a row of contiguous black spots on the back that resemble a chain, from which the snake derives its name catenifer (chain-bearing). On each flank there is also a row of individual spots.
Care
Experience: Average hose holder
Food: Live or dead prey. The most important prey items are rodents such as mice and rats, but poultry is also welcome.
Feeding adult: once every 7 to 10 days.
Feeding young: Every 5 to 7 days.
Water bowl: Yes
Change water: 3 times a week
Ground cover: Moss or a mixture of peat dust and sand are very suitable as ground cover. Alternatives are newspaper or paper towels, dust-free sawdust, bark chips and coconut fiber. The most important condition for good ground cover is that it is dry. Too wet and / or dirty ground cover can lead to skin problems.
Hunting method: Strangling snake.
Way of life: They are inhabitants of drier, slightly overgrown mountain areas that can also be found in agricultural areas. The habitat consists of moist tropical and subtropical forests, temperate forests, scrubland and deserts.
Character
they are free feed oriented snakes and will also bite quickly. A bite can be very painful and bloody. This snake species is not poisonous. If you let them get used to human contact from a young age and pick up the hose regularly, they can be tamed. But still pay close attention to this strain.
Points of attention
When purchasing, preferably choose young offspring. Wild-caught animals are often infected with (internal and / or external) parasites, they regularly carry diseases and are very sensitive to stress.
Cost and Purchase
Legislation: No CITES legislation. Seven species have been assigned protection status by the international nature conservation organization IUCN. Six species are considered 'safe' (Least Concern or LC) and the species Pituophis ruthveni is considered 'endangered' (EN).
One-off costs: This includes the costs for accommodation, lighting, heating, water bowl and decoration. Together, this can cost a few hundred euros to a few thousand euros. The final amount depends on the quality and size of the products.
Fixed costs: Fixed costs include.
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