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gila care
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photographymatt
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Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 80
Location: telford

PostPosted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 10:22 am    Post subject: gila care Reply with quote

This is mainly to scott, but if anyone else has experience with gila..speak up:-)

Just really wanting to know their care, as I cant seem to find a decent care sheet(like usual really....lots of rubbish online but nothing that good)Smile

Without taking into consideration(sp?) what the council would expect for their enclosure, what will a gila be happy with and thrive in?

peace
matt H
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Scott W
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Joined: 15 Apr 2004
Posts: 13355
Location: London, England.

PostPosted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 10:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

hi Matt,

like most reptiles, what they would be happy and thrive in often bears no resembalance to what we would imagine.

Gila's are a desert animal, so you would think HOT & DRY........but it's not quite that simple as they spend long periods of time in animal burrows which are cooler and humid...lol

Mine are very active at night but that doesn't make them nocturnal either as they will bask in the sun too. They tend to do what they need to do, when they need to do it. So if the burrow entrance provides enough heat they might stay there, or if gravid my go out and bask or on a real hot day only bask at night on the hot desert rocks.

I tend to keep my enclosures simple, and then provide choices for the animal. I would recommend heating via heat pads, a large water dish that allows them to soak, then a secure hide at both the hot and cool end of the viv / draw. As for which type of cage, they are fine in draws or vivs or vivs with draws under that allow them to hide all day but space to explore at night etc.

I do not provide UV. Basking temps are up to 90f, cooler temps down to the low 80's.

Food, rodents by the bucket full! they are eating machines! just don't let them get fat!

Substrate, I use corn cob, I might change to aspen bedding soon but for no real reason. You can use sand if you wish or just plain newspaper.
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photographymatt
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Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 80
Location: telford

PostPosted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 10:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

silly question but why no UV? If I dont mind using uv...is that a problem(for the animal).

Do you have any photos of their setup? how come you use heatmats? why not heatlamps? do you keep them in pairs or on their own?

Im sorry for all the question, but im serious about getting a gila and want to know more than is needed:-) I will only get one gila at first...but would like another in the future (possibly breed, not for money purposes just seems interesting species to breed) I have wanted a gila for years , longer than I have wanted a mangrove snake

regards
matt H
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Scott W
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Location: London, England.

PostPosted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 11:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

why no UV? because I don't think they actually need it. they may well bask in the sun but that doesn't mean that it's the UV they do it for. I don't believe a gila would choose to sit out in full view during the day unless it had to for heat or food.

They get all what they need from a rodent diet, same as snakes.

Also, as for heat lamps, again that would seem logical as the animal would bask underneath the lamp but is that what they would prefer? would they not prefer going out in the dark and getting the heat they need from the hot radiating ground? (less predators at night). Heat pads act like the rocks that have absorbed the heat.

I have kept mine in groups of 5 and also singular, kept singlely they are easier to feed etc.

If you have the space, I would recommend keeping seperate and just introducing when you plan to breed them.
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photographymatt
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Joined: 21 Dec 2004
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Location: telford

PostPosted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 4:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

dont get me wrong scott, Im not saying what you do is wrong, im just asking questions:-)

What you say makes sense, do you feed eggs to your gila at all? if so, which type(duck,chicken,lizard etc)

price wise I will only be able to afford one(plus its set up/dwa/insurance) at first but would prob like another:-)

do you provide man made burrows for them? or use a good hard substrate that allows them to burrow?
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photographymatt
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Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 80
Location: telford

PostPosted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 4:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

clicked post too soon there:-)

personality wise, are they more tokay/monitor or beardie? I know this prob depends on the individual gila.

peace
matt H
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Dan
Captivebred Communist


Joined: 08 Sep 2005
Posts: 1306

PostPosted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 5:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Scott W wrote:
Also, as for heat lamps, again that would seem logical as the animal would bask underneath the lamp but is that what they would prefer? would they not prefer going out in the dark and getting the heat they need from the hot radiating ground? (less predators at night). Heat pads act like the rocks that have absorbed the heat.


I hope you guys don't mind me jumping in here. The above quote interests me as i am curious about something.

If i am right you are providing a basking area 24/7, that area is a rock formation heated by a mat, right so far? Would it not be better to imitate mother nature and heat the rocks via a bulb of some form that switches off at night so the rocks cool over the night as they would normally. If you need supplemental heat your heatmat could still kick in when temps drop to the min levels. I think you would then get an almost natural movement behaviour pattern from your animals as they move around dependant on the time of day.

Wink It's at this point you tell me your basking area isnt on permanently and they live in racks leaving me to shut up and carry on lurking!! Laughing
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The future is bright, the future is a net like pattern.................

I'm NOT an expert, so if you don't want to know my opinion don't ask!!
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Scott W
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 5:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

no worries Matt...lol......I know your only asking questions, I tend to write as I'm thinking so don't think I'm being defensive or rude Laughing


Nope, no eggs for them, just mice or small rats, these they eat whole normally head first. An adult gila can eat 4 -8 mice per feed!

I use just an inch of corncob, so they can not burrow. They would only need to burrow to if they didn't have the right conditions above ground, i.e. humid hide (water dish), correct temp (either too hot or too cool) or suitable hide (or privacy).

As for personality wise, you kinda answered it yourself but I would say one thing, adults are a lot calmer than babies. I can free handle my adults but NO chance with the younger ones. Either way you have to remember that although they look slugish, they can whip round as quick as lightening and bite you. If I had to compare, I would say they are similar to wild caught bosc monitors as babies and bearded dragons (with loaded guns) as adults! (if you get my drift...lol)
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Scott W
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Joined: 15 Apr 2004
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Location: London, England.

PostPosted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 6:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dan wrote:
Scott W wrote:
Also, as for heat lamps, again that would seem logical as the animal would bask underneath the lamp but is that what they would prefer? would they not prefer going out in the dark and getting the heat they need from the hot radiating ground? (less predators at night). Heat pads act like the rocks that have absorbed the heat.


I hope you guys don't mind me jumping in here. The above quote interests me as i am curious about something.

If i am right you are providing a basking area 24/7, that area is a rock formation heated by a mat, right so far? Would it not be better to imitate mother nature and heat the rocks via a bulb of some form that switches off at night so the rocks cool over the night as they would normally. If you need supplemental heat your heatmat could still kick in when temps drop to the min levels. I think you would then get an almost natural movement behaviour pattern from your animals as they move around dependant on the time of day.

Wink It's at this point you tell me your basking area isnt on permanently and they live in racks leaving me to shut up and carry on lurking!! Laughing


Kinda right Dan, the heat pads ARE the hot rocks, in other words I don't need the rocks as the heat pads do the job.
Also, yes, i could let the temps slowly drop away at night (which they do a little as the room temp drops) but I am trying to provide optimum conditions for them, so that's why they ALWAYS have that hot 'rock' to bask on if they feel like it (all back to giving the animal the choice, not me forcing MY choices on it).
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photographymatt
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Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 80
Location: telford

PostPosted: Wed Sep 21, 2005 9:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just another question scott, liab insurance. How much. Who is the best place to go with?
peace
matt J
ps
does it mean im allowed to kill people that break into my house? ;-)will it cover my bail/lawyer costs?'Wink
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