I’m glad that it was helpful. I’ve noticed the same thing…a lack of information. One thing you might need to do in the future is to separate the genders, though. When they get a little older, their minds are apt to turn toward breeding and their behavior could become unruly if they aren’t separated.

I’m sorry for taking so long to answer you. Ground squirrels love digging in the dirt. If there is a way to do so, I’d recommend putting a couple of feet of dirt in the bottom of the cage. One way you might do it is to put an old 20-gallon aquarium filled with dirt in the bottom of the cage.

As for bedding, pine shavings usually works well,…[Read more]

There is a lot of truth in that. Quite a few of the wild animals that I’ve seen would have been missed entirely if I hadn’t been paying attention.

It is quite interesting that you saw a ringtailed cat in Ohio, though they’ve been seen there before. It just isn’t a common occurrence. I think it is great that you got to see one. It is even better…[Read more]

It sounds like the snake is nice and healthy. That is great!

If you raise feeder mice, just feed the mice regular hamster or mouse food (the seed type). Gopher snakes have also been taught to take pieces of beef as food. If you teach it to eat beef (lean beef), just be careful not to handle the snake after feeding until you’ve washed t…[Read more]

It sounds like the snake is nice and healthy. That is great!

If you raise feeder mice, just feed the mice regular hamster or mouse food (the seed type). Gopher snakes have also been taught to take pieces of beef as food. If you teach it to eat beef (lean beef), just be careful not to handle the snake after feeding until you’ve washed…[Read more]

You make an excellent point. Here in Montana, we have no cottonmouths, but a similar thing occurs with gopher snakes. There are few snakes that are as docile as a gopher snake, yet the coloration is similar to that of a diamondback rattlesnake, so many people kill them when they see them. It is a pity. They are not only calm snakes, to the point…[Read more]

It sounds like you are giving a good deal of consideration and care for your snake. The minimum these snakes can survive is about 40 F. If the tank is kept at room temperature, it should be fine. Here in Montana, it isn’t unusual for the air temperatures to reach 40 below zero, which would kill a gopher snake. But when the temperatures drop, the…[Read more]

You are very welcome. Thank you for trying to save it! It is really difficult to do when they are that young, but you are giving it at least a fighting chance.

I hope you got my response okay.

Nicole, as soon as the eyes are open and the teeth start to grow, you can expose it to green vegetation and seeds (like hamster mix). It will still be a week or two after it actually starts eating the greens and seeds before it can be weaned.

I’d wait until the eyes are open before bathing it. It can be too much stress if it can’t see what is…[Read more]

That is great to hear! are they old enough to have teeth yet?

Thank you for that information! Most people in the US either try to poison it or at least pull it. Pigweed is treated as an invasive weed here.

I’m not aware of pigweed helping or hindering fertility, except that it is high in vitamins and minerals and if a person is low in some of those vitamins and minerals, that could lead to fertility problems. I guess that the best way to answer would be to say that it doesn’t directly help with fertility issues but certainly could help indirectly.

It is a good idea to have sand or other loose material on the bottom of its cage, preferably deep enough that it can burrow in if it wants to. Gopher snakes do love heat and having a heat lamp is a great idea, though not an absolute necessity. If you use a heat lamp, though, make sure that the snake can also get somewhere in the cage that is…[Read more]

Thank you, but the main reason the information doesn’t rank high in Google is that the blog isn’t often active. Duplicate material that I didn’t write is minimal, except for information that I’ve quoted. Thank you, though, for taking the time to write.

The answer would be the same as with biting humans. The larger specimens are capable of it, but it would be exceptionally rare.

They should be set vertically upright. This increases the difficulty for the grasshoppers to get out.

It is uncertain what you are disagreeing with here, but the truth has been presented. Coyotes are extremely adept at killing rodents and will also eat berries, fruits, etc. Most have few problems finding enough to eat unless they are overpopulated in a specific area. They will, however, scavenge if they have an opportunity. Although hunting isn’t…[Read more]

You are quite right. Thank you for catching that.

They can get that way. The ones we grew last year were about 5-10 pounds each. We got to have creamed ham and cabbage several times. 🙂