Animal of the Week - "Allsorts of Fun"

Every week we run a School partnership taster session. I like to introduce these students to a variety of the different animals we have here at MKC. So I always make sure we have a reptile week and a mammal week.

Last week we had a reptile week and I introduced the students to Jenson (Uromastyx) and Eddie and Spike (Leopard Geckos). Students are also keen to meet the snakes.

Meet Allsorts our Corn/Rat Heinz 57 snake and is a constrictor - who seems to be everyone's favourite snake as he is so laid back and seems to enjoy being handled.


"Not sure your checks go with mine"


 Allsorts has been with us for around 10 years or more and came to us as a Corn Snake, however he is quite a bit longer than most Corn Snakes and quite  a bit thicker. Allsorts is the 2nd largest snake we have , the biggest being our Boa Constrictor "Ava".


He eats rodents like rats and mice and is fed around every 2-4 weeks. Snakes must not be handled for 2-4 days after they have been fed and usually you should wait for them to go to the toilet first. Feeding for snakes can be a stressful experience and if they are handled they can regurgitate their food.

In the UK we are not allowed to feed live food to snakes (unless signed off by a vet for health reasons). All our food is frozen and defrosted then fed to a snake with tweezers.



"I'm not thick I'm quite clever!" 

 

Snakes also shed their skin around every 4 weeks, you can see that a snake is due to shed when you see their eyes glaze over. Again snakes should not be handled during shedding as it can affect the process and cause the snake to become ill. Some of the Bradfields students had a go at handling Allsorts and realised how strong snakes are but could see he has a very mild manner.

Due to Health and Safety laws we are not able to keep Venomous snakes at "MKC"  so only house constrictors.

New Frogs On The Block - Mossy Frogs (Theloderma Corticale)

As part of the "NKOTB" series I have a more unusual new arrival to introduce you to. As usual the first pictures are rubbish but I hope to get some better ones soon.

It's easy to mistake these as a glump of moss or even a wet leaf but they are actually "Mossy Frogs". If they feel threatened they have been known to curl up in to balls and play dead to protect themselves from predators.

"Great Frogs - Shame about the Picture!"

 As you can guess they have this name as they resemble clumps of moss and use this to camouflage in to the background. These frogs are from Vietnam and parts of China and officially known as "Vietnamese Mossy Frogs".  They are a semi-aquatic frog so must have a water supply available at all times.   

El one of the technicians was given these frogs by a friend who was moving. Mossy frogs can be quite expensive at around £65 or more. They also require specialist housing and care so research any exotic species carefully before buying them. They would usually live in temperatures of 18-24 degrees Celsius and in the wild live at high altitudes and are keen tree climbers.

Our new residents are currently settling in and will be moved to our Aquatics rooms shortly. Lifespan in captivity is around 15 years so they are quite a long term commitment.

I will endeavour to get a better photo and let you know if we name them. I'm thinking Moss and Tree :)


 

 

 



NKOTB - Part 3 Continued - A first time for everything

Following on from Friday re. our new temporary "VIB" I thought it would be good for Albie to have some attention today and see how he coped with handling and grooming.

Here are some lovely photos of Albie - while he was  bit nervous at first he soon relaxed when I gave him a carrot. He then became quite curious.

"Is it safe yet?"



"I suppose the tickles are quite nice"

"BTW - I'm not an albino as my eyes are a green colour"  

This was also a good experience for the students to see how a new rabbit settles in to their surroundings and observing their behaviour.  Photo by permission of students.

"Now everyone one wants a photo with me!"

So you know that some of the permanent residents also gained from carrot time - here are some other photos. Care must be taken not to overfeed veg. to Rabbits and Guinea Pigs as this can give them upset stomachs.

"I thought I was your Favourite" - Willow Senior

"Snacks!"

  

"New Kids On The Block" - Part 3 a "VIB has arrived"

I am sure you are wondering what "VIB" is well it is a "Very Important Bunny" of course.

Meet Albie Grubb - while he is only a temporary visitor - he is a bunny so deserves a mention.

Albie was rescued and named by one of our technicians Sophie back in the summer - Sophie has been looking for a good home for him. While we are not a rehoming centre it turns out I have found a potential female match for him - no it's not me :). So for the moment he is temporarily lodging with us. He was only supposed to be here today but may now be with us until next week.

He is an albino lionhead - albinos have no colour pigmentation so have red eyes and white fur. Lionheads can require a lot of grooming so they are not always the first choice but make great pets.

He seemed completely un-phased today and has met our resident staff room bunny Willow Senior.

I only managed to get a quick photo but will try again next week so you can see his cuteness in its fullness before he goes to be somebunny's Husbun.



"How well the name Albie Grubb suits this bunny - but a rubbish picture"