Quote:
Originally posted by Skye
For those of you that keep them, what are your views on housing pairs together, vs. all separate housing? (I have heard both views.)
Which of the AHS, Aurora house snakes, and Namibian house snakes are most prolific?
What are the main differences between these species?
What are the down-sides of these species?
Where is a reputable place to get them in the US?
Finally, and probably most importantly to me - what is the hottest temperature I can safely incubate the eggs?
|
- I'd strongly recommend solitary housing. One concern being that the incessant breeding and egg-laying will ultimately kill the female. The other concern being the strong feeding response of the AHS. To a house snake with feeding on its mind, anything that moves is fair game.
- The AHS is by far the most prolific of the Lamprophis.
- None of the three house snakes that you listed can be easily mistaken for one another. The Aurora is arguably the most attractive, with it's orange dorsal stripe. The Namibians, although colored like a brown AHS, have large yellow eyes. The AHS is extremely variable, but one would be hard pressed to cofuse it with any other
Lamprophis.
-Downside: If you keep AHS, be prepared to clean cages a bit more often due to their fast metabolism. Also, hatchlings often don't start right away on pinkies. When I was selling AHS, I'd' have two prices- one for fresh out of the egg hatchlings, and the other higher price for those that I went through the time and trouble of getting established.
- There's several folks working with them. Keep your eyes on the ads at faunaclassifieds, and they'll be available every now and again.