| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| louise32 |
Posted - 02/01/2011 : 19:14:01
If these have been covered elsewhere then sorry but had a look around and just needing some help with a few questions.
Firstly I am new to snakes. Have a corn snake who is doing really well. Did lots of research before I got him and I think that's why he is doing great. His setup is perfect, his temps are great and he is feeding brilliantly and very tame. I want to be prepared when I do get a Royal so here are a few questions.
1. I'm really confused about heating for royals as I only researched heat mats for my corn, so I don't have a clue how bulbs etc work, if thats what Royals need so any help would be great.
2. If I got a young Royal, what setup should they start off in and again, how do I heat it.
I'm pretty sure I understand most things but keep getting in a muddle about the heating for Royals with them being so plump lol
I really don't want to bring one home until I am 100% sure I understand everything to do with the heating and setup. |
| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| n/a |
Posted - 09/01/2011 : 16:14:54
No, it's normal. It's like learning to ride a bike - at first you wobble and you think you'll fall off, then suddenly it becomes automatic. Though of course with snakes we go on and on learning - that's what I like about them, apart from them being their snakey selves.
Me, I'm an arch-worrier, queen of the worrybuckets, worst-case-scenario merchant lol - but, the way I look at it is, better to worry about getting things right than just to assume everything will be ok, because at least you've thought out what to do if something goes wrong ... (Well, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it ... ) |
| louise32 |
Posted - 09/01/2011 : 16:03:56
No, that's a great help. Thank you.
I think I sort of knew the answer but just wanted to make sure. I'm terrified of doing anything wrong. Nimbus, my corn, has been so easy to look after and I'm pretty sure my king will be the same but Royals just seem so different lol After reading up on them and asking these questions it seems that actually they are not so different and I think I am just worrying too much! |
| n/a |
Posted - 09/01/2011 : 15:53:01
Hi, we had quite a debate on rub/viv sizes recently, but can't remember for the life of me which thread it was. There are a lot of differing opinions - and I don't think it does any harm to keep airing them, personally - it's a learning curve.
It's true that royals are, as Blackecho puts it, 'agoraphobic', and that in the wild they like nothing better than a burrow or similar to squash themselves into. If you give your royal a good choice of hides, it will always choose the smallest ... Surahi once burst a stout cardboard box.
Many people will say, provide a small enclosure, with hides of course, to simulate this security.
Others will say, provide a larger enclosure and pack it out with numerous hides and plants so that the snake can have plenty of cover to move around and still feel secure, and explore if it feels like it. This latter is my choice, and I provide stout climbing branches too, which all of mine seem to appreciate. But this is only my personal opinion!
It's a good idea to move them up gradually, but I don't think there is any hard and fast rule, as they are all different, and grow at different rates, of course. Ultimately, the usual size viv for an adult royal is the 3' (usually x18"x18", I believe.) However if I had an unusually large royal and a larger viv to put it in, I'd try it in there, if the snake was happy with that, I'd be happy, but so many of them do well in smaller enclosures, I must admit ...
Sorry if all this sounds confusing! And sorry if I've overlapped with anyone else.
Hope this helps. |
| louise32 |
Posted - 09/01/2011 : 15:20:44
Im starting to sort things out now for my royal I'm getting in march and have a few more questions.
What age/size do you think a royal needs to be moved from a small setup to a viv? Can they go straight into a 3ft viv from a small rub/faunarium or is it best to move up slowly to a 2ft viv then later a 3ft viv?
Also what is the largest size you would recommend for a royal. I am getting a 4ft viv (later) for my corn but would a royal need one that big?
Thanks again in advance. |
| louise32 |
Posted - 06/01/2011 : 19:22:32
Thanks everyone, you been really helpful. |
| anatess |
Posted - 06/01/2011 : 18:01:22
Here in the US, the more common set-up is using a UTH over a heat lamp. Heat lamps, especially the CHE zap humidity and royals (unlike corns) require humidity somewhere around 50% year-round and higher during a shed cycle.
The ambient temps remain at around 26C with the hot-side substrate temps at around 32C. A lot of people use temp guns to measure the temperature gradient inside the viv. I use an indoor/outdoor thermometer with a probe. I stick the probe under the substrate in the hot-side hide (shows up as outdoor temp) and then put the unit in the middle of the back wall.
In the UK, I believe humidity is not an issue, therefore, heat lamps are more popular.
But either way is okay for a royal as long as the temp gradient is met. |
| Benji54 |
Posted - 06/01/2011 : 16:21:19
im with royal bob, i think ambient temp is very important. i actually find bulbs a bit better to use than mats, for one thing its easy to see exactly what they are doing! Id go rub over faun as well, but only cuz they seem a little more solid. health wise a faun will be fine, just make sure the tops on well! ;)
good luck with whatever you choose! ps choose a royal, they are awesome! |
| sandi |
Posted - 06/01/2011 : 08:58:51
Hiya,
I'm no expert so will leave the advice to the others but best of luck anyway and enjoy! |
| louise32 |
Posted - 05/01/2011 : 13:42:29
Gottcha, thanks for that.
I can't wait to get a Royal but think it's gonna be a couple of months yet.
Should be getting my king snake in a couple of weeks though :o) |
| Royalbob |
Posted - 05/01/2011 : 11:03:45
Personally i would go for a rub over a faun but you set them up the same. Faun's are just very open and a lot easier for snakey to escape from. Air temp in faun will be the same as room temp or a couple degrees more at tops. As long as the temps don't drop below 75F for extended periods of time he'll be fine. Some don't worry about ambient temps as long as there's a hot spot but i think it's important. good luck with the pick up. |
| louise32 |
Posted - 04/01/2011 : 18:32:08
Ok, thanks.
So say a got a baby royal. Put it in a simlar set up to my corn, so thats a large flat faunarium, heat mat and stat, hides, water bowl and a digi thermometer with 2 probes one for cool end one for warm end. How do I measure air temp and how do I lower it at night if I am just using a heat mat.
Reason I ask is I have a faunarium all set up and ready for my new snake. I am going looking for one in a couple of weeks and was looking at a king snake but just wondered if my setup would be ok for a royal?
I'm not going to get one just yet as I still need to learn a bit more but it's good to know if my setup is ok or not a I like to have them up and running in advance.
Thanks again. |
| Royalbob |
Posted - 02/01/2011 : 23:00:57
Don't forget that when keeping them in rub's you still have to provide an ambient air temp of 80F during the day and can drop a few degrees at night. And yes feel free to ask away. |
| reptiledanny |
Posted - 02/01/2011 : 19:52:10
your welcome, feel free to ask any more questions |
| louise32 |
Posted - 02/01/2011 : 19:47:11
Thats great info thanks. Very helpful. |
| reptiledanny |
Posted - 02/01/2011 : 19:27:15
royals when young would b better off going into a small rub, or a faunarium, like a corn, and would be heated by a heat mat like a corn would be
but when royals get older and go into a viv, because they are large bpodied snakes, they need to be heated by a bulb of somekind, so either an ir bulb, which gives off heat and a bit of light, or a ceramic bulb, which just gives off heat and no light. a bulb would need to be statted. a ceramic bulb would need to be statted by either a pulse proportional or a dimming stat, whereas an ir bulb can only be statted by a dimming stat.
hope this has helped |
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