goose
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 311
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Post by goose on Oct 6, 2006 11:31:28 GMT
My tigers are definitely most active after midnight - I usually just catching them going to bed as I get up!
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goose
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 311
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Post by goose on Sept 26, 2006 19:37:28 GMT
Sally -I'm really sorry and it must be very distressing for you - could the baby have eaten something bad or come into contact with any chemicals? I hope someone more experienced reads this and can help.
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goose
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 311
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Post by goose on Sept 18, 2006 11:45:20 GMT
Thanks Moracai. Have moved the heat mat to under the tank outside. It seems to work better that way certainly - I keep the capillary mat on the bottom of the tank nice and damp and it has really helped the humidity too - I don't have to cover the top mesh now to keep it humid which is good since as this helped ventilate the tank with it covered I was getting excessive amounts of condensation in there. The snails don't seem to mind a warm floor and their burying pots are on the cool side of the tank so no probs there at the mo. Temperature still only about 24 degrees though - think I might have to get some auxiliary heating or put another mat on the tank side in winter since it gets pretty cold in our house sometimes even with the central heating.
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goose
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 311
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Post by goose on Sept 15, 2006 10:00:56 GMT
OK so my new baby tigers are in their new home. Its a huge exo terra which came with a rainforest heat wave heat mat and a kind of polystyrene 'rock effect background'. I haven't put the mat under the tank as it is on carpet and I am using capillary matting - 2 no nos for under tank placement. Instead I followed the instructions and placed it on the inside of the tank on the wall behind the rock background. I have put some cardboard then a layer of bubble wrap and then tin foil on the outside of the back wall behind the mat to reflect the heat back in. I know Tigers like it warm and wet - 25 to 30 degrees but I am having trouble keeping the tank even up to 25 degrees, more like 20 to 22. :-/Thought it might be because the polystyrene background which is quite thick was insulating the heat from the mat from the tank so have tried putting some holes in that and even taking it out altogether but it still hasn't made much difference. I can get the humidity up to about 90% as I have covered the wire mesh on the lid with bubble wrap.
So really any one got any ideas on additional heating for snail tanks? Exo terra do these kind of heat rocks which emit heat but are not supposed to burn but these are designed for reptile basking. Thoughts would be appreciated.
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goose
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 311
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Post by goose on Aug 25, 2006 9:49:50 GMT
You did so well with him Anjie - baby wild animals are SO hard to rear - when Dad was working for the Nature Conservancy Council he often was given baby animals or birds people in the village had found and often the outcome was the same as with your squirrel, it seems so hard to replicate the care their parents can give in the wild. Like Eric says at least he had a fighting chance with you.
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goose
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 311
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Post by goose on Apr 6, 2007 18:46:15 GMT
I am not sure about the cause of the injury as I have never experienced it - it sounds awful and I do feel for you - it can only be distressing to see. As for the age I have one fulica who is approximately 6 years old although I am not sure if that is unusual. 4 years I would say was at least average - certainly not ancient.
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goose
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 311
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Post by goose on Apr 24, 2007 8:52:54 GMT
Stunning pictures, beautiful clarity - it really is true then!
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goose
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 311
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Post by goose on Jan 18, 2007 8:59:24 GMT
If you mean your tank is at 15 degrees c then that is a little cold for your snails. My fulica are happiest and active at around 24 degrees celcius - you probably need to heat the tank.
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goose
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 311
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Post by goose on Jul 10, 2007 8:58:13 GMT
Hmmm my jades are all very bold and not shy at all - different snails have different characters I think.
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goose
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 311
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Post by goose on Mar 11, 2007 15:30:08 GMT
Hi - you may find your snail is responding to the vibrations from the bass sounds in your pop or rock music which is causing it to come out of its shell to see whats up so to speak.
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goose
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 311
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Post by goose on Feb 27, 2007 10:42:54 GMT
Very interesting - thanks for that post.
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goose
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 311
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Post by goose on Feb 25, 2007 13:52:34 GMT
Not sure of the reasons but snails in the UK also often congregate in huge masses to hibernate or aestivate, they are often sealed in their shells piled on top of one another in crevices or other sheltered spots. Have never seen them high up trees like in your pictures - very unusual and impressive - hope someone with more knowledge has an answer for you.
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goose
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 311
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Post by goose on Nov 20, 2006 10:30:00 GMT
OK I'll try leaving them to it , the capillary mat is damp but not sopping wet - same with the coir. They are both very nocturnal and Ivan does come out at night on his own will see what happens with lazy Igor! Thanks
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goose
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 311
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Post by goose on Nov 20, 2006 9:14:32 GMT
Thanks guys - they are never sealed up and I think Anjie who I got them from (they are captive bred) didn't heat them at all. My house is a bit colder though - the tank is about 24 degrees with Arno's pot heater and if I put the the red lamp on it boosts the heat a couple more degrees. Maybe I will leave them completely for a couple of days to see what happens though I suspect Igor won't move at all....! Perhaps he is just exceptionally lazy.
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goose
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 311
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Post by goose on Nov 19, 2006 19:54:06 GMT
OK - so I'm not worried because Ivan and Igor are growing fine and seem a healthy weight, and I know Tigers are pretty lazy . But anyone else who keeps Tigers, do yours wake themselves up or do you get them up to eat etc? Their tank is 26-27 degrees and about 90% humidity, they are on capillary mat with a big bowl of coir for burying, they did have a half coconut shell hide but have now grown to big for the entrance hole so I have taken it out in case they get stuck. They spend a lot of their time buried in the coir (which they eat an amount of judging by their poo ;D). Ivan unburies and trundles about occasionally but Igor I think would just stay buried if I didn't wake him up. I am feeding them every other day and otherwise leaving them buried. It this good or should I just leave them to it - ie not unbury them myself at all? Just curious as to other members' experiences with tigers really. Compared to my fulicas which are complete monsters and always searching for the next meal their appetites are completely sparrow like!
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goose
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 311
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Post by goose on Oct 15, 2006 17:10:25 GMT
Well certainly for fish rearranging the decor in their tank can make it more interesting for them - I would't worry too much - in such a small space as a tank they won't have too many problems finding things - but once you have found the ideal set up for the interior I would just leave it as it is - after all if someone continually rearranged your house every time you were out you would be a little disorientated on coming through the front door. I think that as Paul said as above they aren't amazingly intelligent so I don't think you will give them a nervous breakdown or anything by rearranging things.
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goose
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 311
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Post by goose on Sept 29, 2006 8:14:05 GMT
I was wondering if anyone has any ideas as to whether snails are spatially aware ie if they can 'map' the position of their home range and objects within it and remember it. I know some gastropods for example limpets return to the same specially ground out niche in a rock between tides, one that is unique to them. I have noticed Ivan and Igor trundle round their house purposefully but it would be interesting to know whether they just come across things or whether they get to know the specific locations of objects for example their food bowl or burying pot and will seek them out knowing their location. Also this would link to the point as to whether by moving items in the snails' houses ie their home range it confuses them or if they simply 'remap'.
Also do snails get used to a routine - for example my goldfish are fed at the same time morning and evening and will what I call 'shark' (swim up and down the front of the tank) when they know this time is approaching. I feed my snails at the same time every day also - the rescue fulicas seem to be more awake around the time they get fed - is this just coincidence or are they anticipating the event. More difficult to tell with the baby tigers since they are largely nocturnal and I usually have to wake them up if they have buried themselves or they stay buried!
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goose
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 311
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Post by goose on Sept 27, 2006 14:00:40 GMT
hmmm the rescue fulicas I have at the moment do a good line in 'follow my leader' nose to tail to the food bowl!!
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goose
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 311
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Post by goose on Sept 26, 2006 9:15:19 GMT
I have notice my baby tigers do that when they are 'testing' whether to crawl on something or not - they stretch their neck out and put their head on it if they like it they stick on and if not they draw back - sometimes several times - tried them with pear and don't think they were keen - they did it on that and moved on to the courgette instead. Think she is just being inquisitive they use their bottom eyes to test things out so she is probably just doing that I would think.
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goose
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 311
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Post by goose on Jun 1, 2007 11:21:45 GMT
Wow - thats a special event! Looks gorgeous. I guess either the parent of your albino has stored sperm from a previous mating before you got them or the margies you have are albino carriers and you came up trumps in the genetic matching to get your baby! I don't know much about albino margies and whether he might get darker as he gets older though. From what I have read sounds good the eyes aren't dark though. Well done!
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goose
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 311
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Post by goose on Jan 30, 2007 9:47:02 GMT
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goose
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 311
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Post by goose on Feb 1, 2007 12:28:04 GMT
Hmmm - thats what I thought Sounds like a project for when I have more time, more money, more space oooo and a Rodatzi!!
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goose
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 311
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Post by goose on Feb 1, 2007 11:03:20 GMT
My parents have 6 traditional breed girls (chickens!) Light Sussex, Speckled Sussex, Buff Sussex and Buff Orpington. Did have a Dorking but sadly she died recently. They are great - constantly crooning and talking to each other. Their eggs are delicious also - much better than shop bought. Back to Rodatzis wonder if anyone has any ideas on the likely outcome of breeding these with the albino fulicas? The fulicas seem to have yellow eye dots but I suspect it would be difficult to get the right genetic mix in the offspring for albino body and the yellow shell form?
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goose
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 311
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Post by goose on Jan 5, 2007 9:47:22 GMT
Ouch!!! Congrats Gabi, that will be one BIG baby!
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goose
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 311
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Post by goose on Oct 24, 2006 15:30:23 GMT
Copigeon that system seems ideal as it resolves some of the problems with space and how snails are practically kept also. It keeps the system simple enough for everyone not directly involved in the breeding program to understand but also gives the scope for extra information held by an individual breeder (as the notes) to be provided for those who would want it - particularly if they are looking to establish their own breeding program and need to know the provenance of the breeding stock they acquire. Maybe with the notes it would be good to agree a sort of basic observations everyone could keep (those conditions etc people feel to be important breeding parameters) so they are standardised to a certain point? I agree with the point about the fulicas - maybe it would be good to start a new 'strain' with WC? I don't know.
It would be good to start trialling the system with a species people on this forum keep which aren't in huge numbers and we know where they come from - the megas?
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