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Holy crap! Midgets!

Hypancistrus

Hypancistrus

New member
So it's been quite a long time since my two year old corn, Hokie, was a midget. I just got two today from SMR and damn they're small. I am at this point second guessing the caging I set up, which was two of the "ranch" style critter keepers by ExoTerra. (http://www.petsolutions.com/default.aspx?ItemId=15522300&EID=NX15522310&SID=NXTG)

I am looking at the spacing on the sides which yesterday looked positively tiny compared to even my '07 milk snake, who went into his ranch in December of last year. But I guess December is a long three months from September, size wise, because I am not thinking that these corns could squeeze out of the sides of these ranches.

I had a spare 5.5 gallon with a screen lid, and I have a spare 2.5 gallon but no screen lid. So I put the smallest of the corns in the 5 with the screen lid. I need to head to the herp store for mice, so I can get a lid for the 2.5 gallon.

But am I just obsessing and being silly? Or can these guys really slip out the ventilation gaps in these critter keepers?
 
Never trust midgets!! They're very sneaky. If they can squish they're head through it they can squish the rest of them. Better to be safe then sorry. I'd go with complete paranoia and get the screen lid.

Other option could be to glue screening over the lid on the critter keeper and remove it when they got bigger.

Good luck.
 
I don't think they can get through the ventilation slits in a Kritter Keeper, but I vote for total paranoia as well and get the screen lid.
 
My first little corn, i used to feed her in something like in the link from the OP. She managed to pop the top off, and get loose in my bedroom! Fortunately, I lifted the sheet, and she was sitting right next to it, but it scared the pants off of me!
 
Go to "Wally World" and get some small sterilites, binder clips and an appropriate drill bit............done. ;)
 
I use those critter keepers (have a 6.6g hatchling in one now) and they cannot escape through the ventilation holes. With that said, they CAN escape from by pushing the top up (as mentioned above) if you don't put something heavy on top of it.

My amel hatchling is currently learning organic chemistry for just that reason.
 
The Kritter Keeper you linked to looks like one I got that was marketed as a "breeder". It comes with a plastic divisor, but as you have already guessed, it WILL NOT keep snakes separate. And yup, I'm speaking from experience. ;)
 
Oh, and as an addition, before I got my rack I kept a few younger snakes in enclosures like that, and while I never had a problem with the ventilation gaps, the plastic areas can easily be removed by a snake who's figured it out. All if takes is a firm push in one direction, kind of a sliding motion.

I have never lost a corn in an enclosure like that, but I did lose my prized Hypo Honduran Vanishing pattern Milk Snake in one (escapee). :cry:
 
congrats on the babies. go for the screen lids i had two get out on the critter keepers..lids were fully locked down too better to b safe than sorry....good luck
 
Thanks y'all. I actually went to the herp store yesterday and the guy who owns it uses very similar containers for corn hatchlings in the back of the store, so I felt better about it. All three hatchlings are currently cruising actively around their vivs. I am thinking they may be hungry. Was not going to feed them until Friday but I may stop into the herp store tomorrow to get appropriately sized pinks. I have pics but no monitor on the PC that I do my photos on, so all photos will have to wait, sadly.
 
Enjoy your midgets. If you're still concerned about possible escape holes, remember that a hot glue gun and nylon mesh (or even cloth) are handy things to keep around!
 
I am super careful with my lids. Before I go to bed each night I check all ten vivs to make sure the lids are secured properly. And after seeing the housing the herp store uses for their midgets, I feel lots better.

Actually, all three of the babies were out cruising around pretty actively last night, so I think I am going to go to the herp store tomorrow and get some tiny pinks for the corns and a medium-large pink for the rat. I'll let everyone know how it goes. And I'm taking my old monitor from my parents house today, so pics should be forthcoming.
 
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