Home
 FAQ
 About Us
 Contact Us
 Articles
 Resources
 Newsletters

 

WAIT!

Sign up today for our fortnightly FREE "Keeping Reptiles" Newsletter.

 
 
  • Jam-packed with ideas and tips
  • Stories and information on keeping reptiles.
  • Ideas for cages
  • Keep informed and learn about reptile keeping.
  • Web-sites and places of interest.

Sign up now and I'll send you a bonus FREE gift of "15 Top Snake Keeping Tips"
(Value of $16.95).

First Name:


Last Name:


E-mail Address:



 

 

I am ... very happy with your plans, the organization that you have put into it and I am extremely happy with the response I have gotten from you when I have encountered a problem.
It sure does save money. At the same time it allows me and others like me to experience making the cage for our animal (animals) that we care so much about. I think that when someone takes the time to sit down and make something like this for their animal it really shows how much they care for them and respect them.

With your plans you can also alter the cage to each and everyone's specifications, or needs. I think what you are doing is wonderful and I want to thank you again.

Sincerely
Robert Hansford

 


"This is going to make an 11 year old and his lizard Rex very happy".

 

Spent $108.00 at Lowes, another $65.00 at Home Depot buying things that Lowes didn't have..... Spending time with my son in a hardware store.... PRICELESS!"

 


"Overall, the best thing I have found from the cage designs... is that:
They work!!!!

They allow you to view and touch your Iguana from all sides, This is a must!

Once you have the material list you don't go back to the hardware store.

Just follow the instructions and it comes out perfect.

Your maintenance will be much easier.

Your iguana will thank you

Once again, you will have built something cool. "

Regards and best to all our Green Iguana friends, Lance and Joey Portwood Glidden, Texas ".

 


"Very well thought-out designs"

 

 

Breeding Rats and Crickets

Question

I have a question for you. I'm wanting to start breeding my own feeding rats, but I know that they get over populated very quickly. So how can I breed them without them getting to over populated?? Can you send me some papers on how to breed feeding rats, please?? I'd really appreciate it. The rats at the place that I get my rats at are now like 6 dollars for a medium rat. So they're getting expensive. Oh and if you can, as much as I hate to say this, can you send some papers on how to breed crickets?? I'm scared to death of them, but I'm wanting to get some so we won't have to go 30 minutes just to go get crickets. lol But I guess I'll let you go. I'm still planning for college. lol Just letting you know that I'm not giving up on it like some people that I know.

Answer

Hi Shawna,

Good couple of questions. If you are going to breed rats you need a few cages. One to house the male/s and one to house the females and young. The males will sometimes eat the young but more importantly they will breed almost immediately the young have hatched.

If you separate them then you control when they breed. You only have to put the male in for a short time with a female and they will copulate and hopefully you will end up with young.

You will also need to remove any males from the cages when they reach sexual maturity. I don't know at what age that is but you could find out easily enough.

Sometimes the males will fight so you need to be aware of that and may need to remove and aggressive one or euthanase it and freeze it.

Killing them is a pain but you can do that with carbon dioxide and effectively gassing them through lack of oxygen. I believe it is painless. You basically put them in a plastic bag and add CO2 (carbon dioxide). Alternatively you can live feed them but be sure to remove them if they have not been eaten within a short time as they have been known to kill snakes by gnawing behind their head.

The crickets are a different matter. There are a couple of articles on thm on Melissa Kaplan's website www.anapsid.com but I would be more inclined to breed roaches as they breed more easily and are not so much fussed by temperature. The lizards like them just as much. They will breed in a large plastic container with egg carton bases stacked. You can stop them escaping with vaseline around the top or flourescent paint They will feed on carrots and other vegetable matter and you can gut load them like crickets. Just make sure the container is reasonably well ventilated with holes in the lid or flywire. I was going to write an article on this but I haven't got around to it yet. Once you have enough in the container they continue to breed themselves. They do need to be a bit warm but sitting on top of a snake cage should be warm enough.

 

 

Mark Chapple is the Author of "How to build enclosures for reptiles"
Find out how to build these terrestrial and arboreal cages for snakes and lizards. Full color pictures, detailed diagrams and easy to follow, step-by-step instructions.
http://www.reptile-cage-plans.com

 

Back to Questions and Answers Index