Reptiles Leopard Geckos

Determining the sex of your snake is a good thing to do or have done.

There are a couple of reasons for wanting to know the sex of your snake.

First: If you're a breeder, you need to know the sex to help you determine who you are going to be breeding your snake to. Most breeders look for females that are normal, and males that are a morph.

Normal/Morph: what are you talking about. A normal Ball Pythons typically has light brown splotches all over it's body with black outlining them, the belly is typically off white with splotches of black. A morph can be extremely different, their whole body can be pearl white, or white with orangish yellow splotches, an Albino. Or black with really bright yellow splotches, a Lemon Pastel. There are too many to even consider listing here.

OK, back to our original subject, determining the sex. There are two ways you can go about this, the first way is probing, used the most by pet stores and owners of older snakes. The second is the popping method. This method is used by experienced breeders and owners of young snakes.

Probing: To do this you would hold the snakes tail bottom up. You will then lubricate a sexing probe, which can be purchased in most reptile shops or online. You take the rounded tip and insert it into the cloaca towards to snakes tail. You DO NOT need to force it in, this can cause damage. Slowly inserting it into the genitalia. When you feel a slight resistance you stop and and place your finger at the point the probe and body meet. Slowly pull the probe out while holding that spot. This will enable you to count the sub scales on the underside of the snakes belly. Place the probe right next to the body towards the tail and count the amount of scales form cloaca entrance to the tip of the probe, males can range from eight to ten sub scales. There are known cases where the male only measured five to six. Females typically measure from two to four sub scales. Do to the variance this method of sexing is not always accurate.

Popping: This has to be done by someone with experience. When popping you are forcing the hemipenis out of the male and the hemilogs out of the female. This method is best done on newly hatched to young snakes. As they age they can control their body parts better. This is the most accurate method when done correctly. To do this method you should place the snakes head and upper half of the body into a snake bag. You will then grab the tail and flip it upside down, slowly apply pressure from the end of the tail toward the cloaca, please DO NOT APPLY TOO MUCH PRESSURE. This action with force the hemipenis and hemilog out to see. A female has small nubs, while a male has a long narrow tube resembling a penis. Again this method is best practiced by someone with experience.

I hope you have learned a little something today. There are several great books like Ball Pythons, by the Barker's with photo's and technique. Visit our site and become a member of the ball python forum. You can post question there and get additional answers.

Eric Rovegno
http://www.ballpythonplanet.com

How snakes became what they are now

Snakes have been on this planet for millions of years, and might be the most adapted of the reptiles. We don't really know that much about how they developed throughout the years (their skeletons are very fragile, so fossil records are limited), but they probably appeared around the time of dinosaurs, and descent from lizard ancestors alike the monitor lizard. One of the oldest snake skeleton was found in the Saharan Desert, and dates back to 130 million years ago.

The snake's ancestors was presumably aquatic at first, but then they got the advantage that their eggs could be laid on the ground thus making it possible for them to survive on land. A process over millions of years caused them to become burrowers, and this is probably when they lost their legs and external ear, making them well adapted for burrowing. Their eyelids were replaced with a clear scale, to protect them while digging. However, some biologists believe that this happened while they were still aquatic, so there is some controversy about this.

Millions of years later some of these creatures emerged to the surface, and the snake as we know it today was born. These snakes were in the boidae group, today's pythons and boas, making these snakes the most primitive snake alive today. In fact, pythons still have remains of their hind legs, called spurs that stick out at the base of their tail. The boidaes have no venom, but use constriction to kill their prey.

Around 40 million years ago, smaller snakes appeared who had developed further, adapted to new areas and created new characteristics, and these snakes became members of the colubrid group, which is the biggest snake group today. Colubrids are some of the snakes that are referred to as "New World" snakes. One member of this family is the corn snake!

At first the snake world was greatly dominated by the boidae, the colubrids were not able to take over the areas of the much bigger python and boa. Then the world went through a dramatic change, the temperatures got cooler, greatly reducing the number of boidaes. They could not survive in the cooler temperatures, which enabled the colubrids to spread over large areas, as they got to be more temperature and climate tolerant then the boidaes.

The boidaes(python and boa) were now limited only to the parts of the world with high temperatures, while the colubrids could survive almost everywhere. Not surprisingly the number of colubrids greatly increased, and they spread all over the world.

Over time some of the colubrids developed rear fangs. In rear fanged snakes, their fangs are at the back of their mouths making the venom not intended as the only weapon against prey, but rather as an aid in addition to constriction. Many people keep rear fanged snakes as pets(for example the hognose and gardener snake), as it is rarely you get venom injection from them; you would have to get your hand all the way inside their mouths for the snake to inject it.

Just to make one thing clear in case of misunderstanding, the corn snake (as well as the milk snake and the king snake) are NOT rear fanged. They have no venom whatsoever.

This site is about corn snakes and ball pythons, however I'll include a little information about how the snakes evolved further, that you can use for reference.

After some of the colubrids developed rear fangs, another group emerged which has been called Elapids. I only have to say mamba to make it obvious that this group of snakes uses their venom as their main defense and attack. The elapids have short fangs in their upper jaw that can inject poison, and the fangs are hollow and get its poison from the venom gland in the snake's cheek. The elapids injects venom much more efficiently than the rear fanged snakes. Other members of this group are cobras, sea snakes, taipans and adders. Their fangs is basically what distinguishes this group from the colubrids, as they are otherwise very much alike.

The snakes evolved even further, a few million years ago the group vipers began developing. Their fangs are a lot longer then the elapids. The group get its name because most of the vipers are ovoviviparous, they give birth to live babies(not eggs). In latin "vivo" = "I live", and "pario" = "I give birth". The rattle snake, probably the most "advanced" snake alive today, evolved from the vipers to get un-shed skin at the end of its tail that it can use to warn predators.

To conclude the snake's history; they developed from a monitor lizard, went through a phase of burrowing, came up to the surface leg- and earless, then developed into different groups, each with their own characteristics. Seeing as the snakes have been here since the dinosaurs, and are still thriving all over the world (except the arctic region), snakes are one of the most adaptable and successful creature there is.

One of the most fascinating properties of the parabola is its reflective property, which is as follows: If a light source is placed at the focus of a parabola, after reflecting off the parabola, the rays of light will emerge as a correlated beam with all rays parallel to the symmetry axis of the parabola. Similarly, a parallel beam of light rays incident on a parabola will converge onto the focus after being reflected.

The three-dimensional analog of the reflective property of a parabola is realized for a paraboloid, the surface formed by rotating a parabola about its axis of symmetry. It is this property that is used in flashlights, headlights, and searchlights. In all of these devices, a point light source is placed at the focus of a parabolic mirror, resulting in a correlated beam of light emerging along the symmetry axis of the device. The opposite property is utilized in satellite dishes and reflecting telescopes, each of which involves a signal converging on the focus after being reflected.

Other conic sections enjoy reflective properties similar to the parabola. For instance, if a light source is placed at one focus of an ellipse, the rays will converge onto the other focus after being reflected. Any wave, including sound waves, may be substituted for light. Thus, a whispering gallery is an elliptic room in which sound waves converge onto a focus after emerging from a source at the other focus. A hyperbola also satisfies an interesting reflective property in which a point source at one focus, after being reflected, behaves as if it were at the other focus.

http://www.mathamazement.com

http://www.mathamazement.com/Lessons/Pre-Calculus/09_Conic-Sections-and-Analytic-Geometry/parabola.html

http://www.mathamazement.com/Lessons/Pre-Calculus/09_Conic-Sections-and-Analytic-Geometry/ellipse.html

Nakuru, Baringo, Bogoria and the Kerio Valley in the Central Rift are packed with rich natural and cultural attractions to thrill any holidaymaker. Nakuru is arguably the cheapest town among the six leading urban centers in Kenya in terms of food and accommodation. The most prominent feature there is the Lake Nakuru National Park, 5km from the town centre to the south. Water birds, especially the flamingo, congregate along the shores in their thousands. Nakuru was described as the most fabulous ornithological site on earth in the early 60s and it must still be holding on to this prestigious title notwithstanding a few conservation challenges that have seen a reduction in flamingo population. The park also has an array of large mammals, including large herds of buffalo, impala, zebra, and the rare white rhino and Baringo giraffe, which are easily seen during a game drive. The park also has lions and leopards but you require a lot of patience to see these.

There are two lodges within the park Lake Nakuru Lodge and Sarovas Lion Hill Lodge. Advance booking to theses lodges is advisable, especially during the holiday season, not to mention that they are slightly pricey. There are also public and special campsites. For special campsites, advance booking is necessary. Other interests in Nakuru include the Meneganai Crater, which is accessible by a murram track, 5km north of the town. Menengai is billed as the second biggest crater in the world and it offers a vintage point to view of Nakuru town and the lake as well as Laikipia highlands and the agricultural settlements of Subukia and Dundori. The crater is a perfect place for a picnic, photography and outdoor meals and drinks.

There is the Hyrax prehistoric site just near the town and the Lord Egerton Castle at Ngata, managed by the National Museums and Egerton University. Accommodation outside Nakuru Park is abundant and varied to suit everyones desire and budget. There are hotels, guesthouses and private campsite all with unique ambience and individual features to suit diverse tastes and interests.

Travelers with little more time would find visting Baringo a worthy experience. It is just about 100km from Nakuru and traffic is minimal although goats and potholes on the road become increasingly unpredictable, especially after the Equator. Important landmarks include the Lake Bogoria entrance to the right and the Kabarnet junction on the left, a few kilometres ahead. Drive towards Marigat and after passing the town look out for a road diversion after which you enter Kampi Ya Samaki shopping centre, the commercial base of Lake Baringo. It is rather hot and humid, but it is a beautiful place to be. There is something for everyone here again, from bird watching, water sport, and cultural and historical sites. Over 450 species of birds have been viewed around Lake Baringo, which is also famous for reptiles like crocodiles, tortoises and snakes.

A story is told of how at the end of the 18th century, the Maasai and Samburu who had lost their cattle in raids arrived to settle in this once-fertile land. The Maasai named the residents II Chamus for their strange ability to anticipate raids. Towards the end of the 19th century, they stole and began to fish. The European then gave them the name Njemsi and todays Njemps still keep livestock, fish and cultivate crops. The Njemps are a key attraction and a visit to them is made more luxuriant by the boat ride through the lake. Hippos and crocodiles are numerous in this lake and swimming is therefore not advisable. The first European to see Lake Baringo was Joseph Thomson in1883. He had to stand on a table to shoot an elephant because the grass was very tall! Permanent streams from the surrounding hills fed the lake and the area was rich in wildlife. Today, rivers have dried, and human population grown with its corresponding agricultural activities and settlements. The place retains an aura of a wilderness, though.

In the 1950s, David Roberts, a crocodile hunter for the Dragon Tanning Company, set up home on the lakeshore with his wife Betty and started a fish factory before building Fish Eagle Camp for tourists. In 1963, the lake rose 20 feet, submerging their house and destroying the fish factory. In 1966, the newly widowed Betty stayed on with six children but sold the Fish Eagle Camp to Mike Skinner who built the family lodge that is now part of the Block Hotels Lake Baringo Club. Betty still lives above the defunct fish factory beside the popular Roberts Camp. Lake Barinog Club is still one of the leading tourist hotels in the region offering full board accommodation, self-catering in attractive cottages and cheaper bandas or camping tent. The Thirsty Goat Restaurant has fully stocked bar and reasonably priced mouth-watering dishes.

It is convenient to walk along the lake shore and watch the birds. Hippos graze on the lawns at night, while crocodiles can also be spotted basking along the lake shore. Guests can swim at Baringo Clubs pool for a small fee. For a slightly lower budget, the Soy Safari Lodge within Kampi ya Samaki is a safe alternative. It beautifully sits next to the lake. One can get a view of the lake ad its island in the distant. The lodge has a swimming pool and offers boat rides in the lake and the Njemps islands at a fee.

For those with time and heavy pockets, the Island Camp is worth the price. Advance booking is always recommended, as it is a popular site and transport has to be arranged from the lake shore. The visitor leaves the car on the mainland and boards a hotel boat. The Island Camp is an exclusive luxurious spot, which has won several national awards. From Baringo, one can visit the neighboring Lake Bogoria, which is equally popular. It is 15km from the main road and about 20km from Baringo. Lake Bogoria is famous for rich bird life. It is Kenyas second home of flamingos, sometimes recording up to a million birds. This is besides numerous other water birds.

Another geographical feature to marvel at here are the hot springs. The hot springs have continued to fascinate visitors for generations. The Tugen myths surrounding the feature make it the visit worthwhile. It is fun to see how fast the hot water streaming from the ground can boil eggs. There are camping sites where families on picnics can spend the day basking in this well sheltered national park. If you are lucky, you might see the rare antelope known as the Greater Kudu.

The Lake Bogoria Lodge, a three-star hotel in a nice setting just outside the park, provides accommodation. The hotel is a haven for bid lovers and one can swim in the natural hot water tapped from the underground springs. At the gate of the park is the Papyrus Hotel, a slightly low budget outfit suitable for visitors who are just keen on a drink or nyama choma. Baringo has one of the most successful irrigation projects supported by Pekera River, one of the rivers that feed Lake Baringo. The Pekera Irrigation Scheme produces watermelons, onions and tomatoes. Stop at Marigat, a township between lakes Baringo and Bogoria, to buy these fruits and vegetables.However, a visit to Baringo is incomplete without a circuit through the Kabarnet-Sacho loop. You branch off after Marigat from Baringo on the right. While you are at it, you find the tastiest goat meat popularly known as koriema, after a village Marigat and Kabarnet where the goats come from local wisdom has it that the area has special medicinal plants that constitute the diet of the local goat. Koriema meat is available at Koriema shopping centre along the road or in Kabarnet town.

Kabarnet is set on the slopes of Tugen Hills overlooking the highly scenic Kerio Valley to the west and lakes Baringo and Bogoria to the East. The Kabarner Hotel is just 2km from the town to the north and is a nice stopover with beautiful lawns that are perfect for relaxation and a bite or drink. To see the Kerio Valley properly, you drive a few kilometres on the west towards Iten. There are convenient viewpoints from where you can take pictures. If time allows, a drive to Kerio River at the bottom of the Valley may enrich the experience. After Kabarnet, you follow the Sacho route along Tugen Hills towards Eldama Ravine.This is one of the most scenic roads I have ever driven along. It is highly panoramic and is made even more picturesque by the beautiful natural vegetation. At Kiptangich, there is another viewpoint and a campsite where a group can stop to take pictures or eat. Not far from here is Sacho, the home of retired President Daniel Moi. The road leads you to Eldama Ravine, which brings you back to the Nakuru Baringo highway near Kabarak.

Joe Maina is a Tour consultant based in Nairobi Kenya with http://landmarksafaris.com We are able to organise every aspect of planning your Kenya safari, Kenya business travel, complete with hotel bookings, car rentals, air/rail bookings, activities transfers plus provide you with an itinerary that suits your personal requirements. landmarksafaris.com takes the hassles out of planning and booking your Kenya vacation.For More info Contact landmark safaris http://landmarksafaris.com or email info@landmarksafaris.com

Unfortunately our ratty friends are rather prone to respiratory diseases and Mycoplasma Pulmonis (MP) is the most prevalent one.

Symptoms of MP

Laboured breathing, chattering, weight loss, sneezing, sniffling, squinting, rough hair, Porphyrin staining (red staining) around nose and eyes.

In more severe cases your rat may have pneumonia, infertility, miscarriage and death.

MP can also cause an inner ear infection, so watch out for head tilting in your rat.

Prevention of MP

Your rat will be more susceptible to MP if he is stressed. Try to keep his life as stress free as possible by keeping him stimulated (see toys and games page) and keeping his home clean.

Pollutants and exposure to ammonia and faecal material (pooh) will also make your rat more susceptible to MP. Keep you rat in a clean, uncrowded and well-ventilated cage with clean and safe bedding. Do not use shavings, as these will aggravate MP and may cause other diseases too.

If you get a new rat keep them in a separate cage, in a separate room from your other rats for two weeks. This is a quarantine period. As MP can spread to other rats easily.

What is Mycoplasma Pulmonis?

Are you ready for the science bit?

Mycoplasma is a PPLO (pleuropneumonia-like organism). It is different from other forms of bacteria, as it doesn't have a cell wall (this is important to remember when treating it). There are 95 types of Mycoplasma, but rats get the kind called Mycoplasma pulmonis (MP). Mycoplasma is the organism genus and pulmonis is the organism species.

MP is carried in the upper respiratory system. It causes a blistering effect on the surface of the lungs and can cause secondary infection. However genital mycoplasmosis is common in female rats and although they do not always have an infection they will have reduced fertility.

MP is very fragile outside of the host (your rat) and it is very susceptible to heat, detergents and disinfectants. This means that washing your hands with hot water will kill MP.

People can't catch MP, but we can carry it on our clothes and skin for short periods of time. Mycoplasmas live in respiratory passages and lungs, so if we sneeze we could transmit it to our rats. MP can infect an entire rat colony as they transmit it by sneezing, grooming and sexual contact.

Although MP is very delicate and has a slow rate of growth, once it takes root in a rats system it can be difficult to get rid of. MP mimics your rats antigens fooling your rat's system into ignoring the invading organism.

Rats can be more susceptible to other respiratory diseases once they have MP, as it compromises the integrity of the lung wall.

Treating MP

Not all antibiotics work on MP. This is because some antibiotics attack the invading organisms cell wall and remember MP does not have a cell wall, so these antibiotics will be useless.

You must use the correct antibiotics as soon as possible. Remember there are other pathogens that effect rats, so make sure it is MP before you begin treatment.

Good antibiotics to use are:

Doxycycline combined with Baytril. This should be given in an oral form using a syringe, or dropped in your rat's favourite liquid food (Ginger loves soy milk). Give your rat 2.5mg/pound (make sure you get an accurate weight of your rat using electronic scales). Give this twice a day for 14-30 days.

Aminophylline can be used if your rat has pneumonia to help it breathe more easily. Give 2.5-5mg/pound two times a day.

Prednisone can reduce inflammation, and can be used with other antibiotics. In the advanced stages of MP this will allow your rat to live more comfortably. Give 0.25-1mg/pound once a day. Only ever use this for a few days at a time, unless your rat is dying, in which case keep it up until he passes.

Make sure your rat is getting enough fluids. You may wish to use a syringe, or eyedropper to give water to your rat by hand. If your rat is not eating properly use a vitamin and calorie supplement, such as Nutrigel. This tastes nice, so your rat should take it easily.

http://www.RatsRatsRats.com
Catherine Smith 2007
Check out my website for everything you've ever wanted to know about pet rats. From training to toys, housing to health. You can even go shopping for your ratty friend.