Archives for: May 2007

05/28/07

Permalink 07:43:10 pm, by Ron Crawford Email , 58 words, 240 views   English (US)
Categories: General


Ball Python Wallpaper and Backgrounds Added!

We're proud to announce a variety of ball python morph wallpaper and background pictures that you can use to dress up your desktop. Wallpapers come in a variety of screen resolution sizes so you can now enjoy your favorite morph on you desktop! You can find the ball python wallpaper and background pictures here Ball Python Wallpaper.

Enjoy!

05/27/07

Permalink 02:02:01 am, by Ron Crawford Email , 157 words, 1235 views   English (US)
Categories: General

RCReptiles.com Ball Python Website Goes Wireless!

We always push the envelope in everything we do here at RCReptiles.com and the Internet is no exception. We've recently launched the very first of its kind ball python website designed specifically for cell phones and mobile devices! If you can browse websites with your cell phone you can access our mobile phone website by visiting http://www.RCReptiles.com from your cell phone.

Dress up and personalize your cell phone by downloading FREE ball python morph wallpaper from our mobile website as well! You can access our forum on the road, view care sheets, etc.

Here's a ball python morph wallpaper that was downloaded directly from our mobile website to a cell phone.

Ball python morph wallpaper downloaded from the RCReptiles.com mobile phone website!
Ball python morph wallpaper downloaded from the RCReptiles.com mobile phone website!

Why are you still here reading this blog? Point your cell phone to http://www.RCReptiles.com and start downloading some free ball python wallpaper for your cell phone now!

05/21/07

Permalink 02:38:30 pm, by Ron Crawford Email , 577 words, 325 views   English (US)
Categories: General

Should I Purchase a Heat Rock for my Ball Python?

I receive quite a bit of emails and phone calls from people asking questions about should they buy this or that for their ball python. I’ve recently experienced an unusually high number of inquiries about which type of heat rock I recommend.

The long answer is NONE and the short answer is NONE as well. You should avoid heat rocks as if your life depended on it and I say this because your ball pythons’ life in fact does depend on it not having one. Heat rocks are best suited for lizards and other reptilian creatures but it’s fatal for ball pythons despite the savvy marketing attempts of companies that place images of snakes on their heat rock products. In a nutshell, heat rocks do exactly as their name implies, they heat a rock. The problem with heat rocks (unless they’ve updated the technology) is that heat rocks oftentimes have hot spot areas that can get extremely hot, oftentimes exceeding 130F.

Ball pythons are unable to tell if their belly heat has exceeded the “safe zone” and will lie contently on the heat rock while it’s literally cooking their underside. You would imagine that a ball python would know that it’s too hot and run (or should I say crawl) for cover. Not so is the case with ball pythons because they physically lack the ability to know how hot their belly (ventral scales) is and this is the reason why heat rocks are dangerous for ball pythons.

heat rocks are not good for ball pythons
Heat rock that plugs into an AC outlet

A safer and better approach to providing belly heat is to use a UTH (under tank heater). They affix to the underside of your ball pythons’ cage and provide a uniform heating area. You must be careful and aware of the heat emitting from the UTH because it too can be very dangerous to your ball python because some UTH brands can exceed 130F and will cause similar harmful results as heat rocks. You should purchase a rheostat or thermostat (see How to Wire a Ranco ETC-111000 Thermostat for more info) so you can control how hot the hot spot area gets in your ball pythons' tank without leaving it up to guesswork. Another thing you can do is add more substrate to the hot spot area, thus creating a larger barrier between your ball python and the UTH but that’s really a pointless exercise because ball pythons burrow and can still get burned. I actually heard about a ball python owner who used a UTH without a thermostat and the intense heat caused the substrate to catch on fire, thus killing the ball python and causing a major fire that totally consumed his home.

Zoo Med and several other companies offer very good and reliable UTH heating pads in a variety of sizes but you still want to control how hot the area should be and not leave it to “chance”.

Zoo Med under the tank heater for ball pythons
Zoo Med under the tank heater

If you already have a heat rock for your ball python, unplug it, remove it from your ball pythons’ cage and toss it in the trash. If you don’t own one, don’t consider buying one. Just stick with a UTH or top-down heating such as a ceramic heat emitter or nocturnal heat bulb and make sure you get a rheostat or thermostat to ensure the hot spot doesn’t get any hotter than you specify.

05/14/07

Permalink 04:17:46 pm, by Ron Crawford Email , 3770 words, 1271 views   English (US)
Categories: General

Meet the African Soft Furred Rat

You may have heard discussions here and there or perhaps seen African Soft Furred Rats at a reptile show. These rare animals are sought after by many people who own "wild caught" ball pythons because most wild caught ball pythons are known to be picky feeders, oftentimes refusing domestic mice and rats. The thought process is that these adult wild caught (herein referred to as WC) animals have been imprinted with food in Africa so they should accept African Soft Furred Rats more easily than their foreign rodent counterparts.

African Soft Furred Rats are quite expensive in comparison to domestic rats that you buy from your local pet store with average prices ranging in the neighborhood of $5 for males and $7 for females. I've heard of reports where some breeders are selling them for $10 or more, depending on the sex. Because they're so expensive, it really makes a lot of sense to breed them as opposed to buying them and feeding them off to your ball python. The expense can be very large, especially if you're trying to feed more than one ball python.

I recently acquired a few breeding colonies of African Soft Furred Rats not for WC animals but for captive bred (herein referred to as CB) animals. I have quite a few CB ball pythons that will only eat mice and can't be tricked into taking mice through scenting them (See 11 Secret Herbs and Spices Revealed! for more info on this subject). I'm hoping that through the many years of evolution, the natural desire to feed on African Soft Furred Rat is somehow embedded in each ball pythons DNA. I won't know if this will work or not until I have established a large enough breeding colony and I have excess African Soft Furred Rats to offer as food items.

You may be asking yourself, "If they're feeding on mice, why switch them to African Soft Furred Rats?" That's a very good question indeed and a popular question that's asked of me when I discuss this subject matter with others. The reason why I'm going to try to switch my mouse feeders to Soft Furred Rats is due to the size of the Soft Furred Rat compared to a mouse. I have some adult females that will easily feed on eight or better mice in one feeding. Raising eight mice requires a large amount of time and energy because it takes some time for baby mice to grow into adulthood. Soft African Rats on the other hand are much larger so one or two should be sufficient per feeding. My ultimate goal is to switch the mouse feeders to African Soft Furred Rats and then switch them to domestic rats. The same logic applies here as well, domestic rats are much larger than Soft African Rats so one rat is quite sufficient for the same ball python per feeding.

This blog will help you understand the African Soft Furred Rat species as well as provide the necessary background information for breeding them. I'll blog again on this topic at a later date once I've offered them to my strict mouse feeders to see if they'll switch over. Now lets get on to meeting the Soft Furred Rat.

Meet the African Soft Furred Rat (Praomys (Mastomys) natalensis)

Soft Furred Rat
African Soft Furred Rat

* Occasionally one may find it listed in older reference sources by the archaic scientific name of Rattus natalensis or sometimes even Mus natalensis, both of which are outdated.

Other Names
Natal Multimammate Rat, Common African Rat, Soft-furred or African Soft-furred Rat.

Introduction
One of the commonest African rodents, this is an ideal species for the tyro breeder, being undemanding, easy to keep and (a definite plus for those keeping it in a bedroom) odour-free. Multimammate Rats are so-called because the females possess a superfluity of teats, more than any other rodent. (Multimammate = Latin, meaning literally "many-breasted".) It possesses long, soft, silky fur, hence its alternative name of Soft-furred Rat. There are about seven species (authorities disagree on the exact number), but Praomys coucha and Praomys natalensis are almost identical and, where the two ranges overlap in southern Africa, are impossible to tell apart, and usually the only way to be certain is to count the chromosomes.

The Multimammate Rat appears to be a connecting link between the true mice and rats, though it shows slightly more affinity to the rats than it does to the mice. Since no one can be quite sure about its relationship to other members of the Muridae, it has been alternatively classified at various times within the genus Mus (the true mice), Rattus (the true rats) – although it shares features of both genera, latest research shows that it is not directly related to either – and Mastomys. Indeed some sources, including the venerable Walker's Mammals of the World, still discuss the species under Mastomys, which is why this is included in parenthesis within the scientific name given at the top of this page, since the two names are currently interchangeable. It is a popular laboratory animal but only in recent years has it started to emerge on the pet market. It lacks a gall bladder and females – yes, females – possess a well-developed prostate gland. American readers should be aware that in some western states the import, transport and possession of all species of Praomys is strictly prohibited. The semi-dry terrain of certain states such as Nevada is very similar to Southern Africa and the authorities are paranoid that, in the event of their escape, there is a danger of their becoming naturalised. This would be disastrous, as not only is the Multimammate Rat a serious crop pest, but there is a possibility of feral animals forming a link between wild reservoirs of plague and man.

Size
Head/body length 15 cm; tail length 11 cm; adult weight 60g.

History in Captivity
The original animals were captured in Natal province, South Africa, and introduced into the laboratory by one Dr Davis in 1939. Only recently has it become established as a pet animal. Given its accommodating nature, ease of maintenance and readiness to breed, it is mystifying that this species is not seen more often in pet shops.

Colours, Patterns & Varieties
My personal favourite is the normal agouti coloration because of its various colour mutations. The names given to some of these reflect the locale in which the foundation parent stock was captured; thus we have mutations with colourful names like Bargawanath Dilute (discovered in the original laboratory capture of 1939 in Bergawanath, near Johannesburg), and Iscor Dilution (obtained from animals trapped at Iscor, near Pretoria). This latter coloration is interesting. It is very similar to the Bargawanath and any differences that do exist are so subtle that the two varieties may, in fact, be the same! In addition to these two there is also an Albino strain, a Golden Yellow (sometimes erroneously called Lutino), and a variety called the Umbrous.

Soft Furred Rat
African Soft Furred Rat

Distribution
Widespread and locally very common throughout Africa south of the Sahara, excluding West Africa. It is believed the species was once confined to southern Africa but spread northwards as a human commensal. In some other areas it is declining because of competition with the larger, more aggressive Black or Ship Rat Rattus rattus, which was inadvertently introduced into Africa by the early explorers. Its apparent absence from West Africa is perplexing. Most probably the prevailing habitat of dense rain forest is not to its liking, although the forest is now very fragmented and only in parts of Central Africa is it still continuous. Or maybe it could not compete with the indigenous fauna already found there. But possibly its absence from this area is misleading. Few field studies have been conducted on the smaller mammals of West Africa and it is conceivable that further research might ultimately show that the species does have a toehold there.

Natural Habitat
The Multimammate Rat occupies a wide range of habitat, absent only from desert, semi-desert and mountains, but most often seen in and around human habitation. Originally restricted mostly to open savannah and, to a lesser extent, marshes but, like the House Mouse, Brown and Black Rats, it has now moved into villages and is found in barns, outbuildings and lofts, as well as in both cultivated and abandoned fields. In the main it avoids large metropolises because it cannot compete with the Black Rat which is usually very numerous in towns and cities.

Natural Predators
Being so numerous and relatively conspicuous in its natural haunts, the species finds itself prey to a wide variety of carnivores, especially owls, but also civets, genets, eagles and snakes.

Temperament
Whilst this animal is not what I would call aggressive, males in particular are inclined to bite, even when unprovoked. Sometimes I have been bitten simply when replacing the food or water bowls. The bite is never sufficient to break the skin but it is quite painful. Consequently I desist from handling the species except when necessary, although it could be argued that only by regular handling do animals become tame. But it is not my intention here to dissuade anyone from keeping this species; I might just have been unlucky with my present animals, and other individuals from different strains might be less ready to nip.

Social Structure
Gregarious. A lone Multimammate Rat is bored and depressed. Once, when I was forced to keep a single specimen on its own as it was sick and needed time to convalesce, it remained in one corner of the isolation cage, eating very little, and was obviously unhappy with its lot. Although Multimammate Rats prefer to live in colonies, rather than as pairs – and in the wild several females will live harmoniously together in one burrow – they do form monogamous pairs. But in a colony situation they breed, if anything, a little too freely and, unless you can find sufficient homes for the youngsters, the enclosure will soon become overcrowded. Both males and females will live in single sex groups, although female only groups appear slightly more stable.

It's noted that occasionally individuals will destroy entire litters of babies, as well as cannibalising dead cage companions. He stresses that attacks on cage mates are rare, as is the nibbling of ears and tails, but, when slight damage such as this is inflicted, the victim often seems to make no attempt to escape its persecutor.

Let us deal with these observations systematically. I have found that, in a group situation, pups born in the open are invariably killed but, once nesting boxes are provided, the rearing rate is very good, even when the cage is slightly overcrowded. It seems that neonatal mortality can be attributed to inexperienced mothers, as this phenomenon seems to be commonest with a doe's first litter, or to a lack of privacy. As for the dead bodies of cage companions being eaten, there is nothing unusual about this. Most rodents are opportunist omnivores and not averse to eating meat when the chance arises. This makes good practical sense since many species hail from arid regions where food of any kind is in short supply and the corpse of another rodent is a welcome addition to an otherwise spartan diet. The general consensus agrees with me that aggression towards fellow cage mates is abnormal and probably a result of in-breeding, possibly combined with stress. Only once did I experience a bout of aggressive activity within my group. I did not witness any attacks, but several animals were found with terrible injuries. Most of them, despite treatment, died of their injuries or from secondary infection; those I believed were beyond help were euthanased immediately. The period of aggression was brief and I suspect that only one rogue animal was the culprit. I never did discover which one was responsible, and the attacks ceased as suddenly as they had started (perhaps he had died) and at present the colony is harmonious once more.

Multimammate Rats are surprisingly tolerant of other species and, being less territorial than the Domestic or Fancy Rat Rattus norvegicus, will usually accept strangers into their midst, something which is almost impossible with some rodents.

African Soft Furred Rats
African Soft Furred Rats

Behaviour
Nocturnal. Although terrestrial, it is adept at climbing and can even ascend dangling strings. It also swims well but is less competent at digging, although it will gouge its own burrow in soft or cracked ground if it is unable to find a rock crevice or abandoned burrow of some other animal. In captivity it can be induced to excavate its own burrow by sprinkling water onto a tray of sand to simulate rainfall. Burrows which it digs itself are usually a network of galleries without a central chamber. Those used for nesting are generally more extensive than those used at other times or for other purposes.

Handling
To quickly transfer an animal from one cage to another (whilst its permanent home is being cleaned, for example) I find the easiest method is to pick the animal up by the base of the tail (at the point where it joins the body). Never grasp the tail at any other point or you risk damaging it, and never keep the animal suspended in mid-air for any longer than is necessary. Quickly transfer it to its new cage or else set it down on a flat surface or the back of your hand. Failure to do so and the animal will panic. It will then either 'spin' (in which extreme case the tail may break off completely) or it will attempt to climb up its own tail to bite the handler.

If it needs to be examined for any length of time or has to undergo veterinary treatment, it is best to gently 'scruff' the animal in such a way that it cannot turn and bite. This is done by grasping the loose skin at the back of the neck. If this is performed correctly, the animal will lie quite still and accept what is happening to it. Clear signs that it is suffering some discomfort is when it kicks or struggles. The correct procedure for scruffing an animal is quite difficult to get right and initially you may need to be shown how to do it by somebody more experienced.

Sexing
Sexing presents few problems as mature males have a large scrotal sac. Bucks are also larger.

Accommodation
Multimammate Rats can be kept in a large glass tank or hamster cage. I prefer the former as it allows me to provide a deep substrate, which would not be possible in a barred cage, and less mess finds its way into the room. Wooden cages are unsuitable as these animals are quite destructive and they will soon engineer their escape from any cage made of wood. Tanks should have a well-fitting, well-ventilated lid.

Multimammate Rats are substantial animals that require a lot of space. The cage or tank should be at least 60 cm (24") long, but preferably even larger. The size of the cage seems to have a direct bearing on breeding success, as the male needs to be able to pursue and catch the female before mating with her, and a small cage obviously would not provide sufficient space for this important ritual. Without this essential "foreplay" the female does not always conceive. If your goal is to breed the species, it is worth remembering that the space between the bars of a typical hamster cage, whilst being adequate to retain the adults, might be too wide and would allow the juveniles to escape.

Litter & Bedding
Provide as deep a litter base as possible. Traditional wood flakes are still very popular as a floor-covering, but can be dusty and there is evidence the sawdust irritates the eyes and mucus membranes. For this reason very fine sawdust (which, ridiculously, is still sold in some pet shops) should be avoided altogether. Pine wood, especially red cedar, is especially bad due to the aromatic nature of the wood. Constant inhalation of the phenol oils present in this type of wood can cause long-term liver damage and ultimately damage to the animals' immune system. The relatively high incidence of cancerous tumours in some rodents may be partially due to these oils.

Some rodent-keepers remain staunch advocates of wood-based cat litters (in the form of compressed sawdust pellets). Personally I don’t like this material. I find that most rodents will chew it into a very fine and unpleasant dust. In doing so, they inevitably ingest a fair quantity of it and, being so desiccated, it expands when it encounters the moist environment of the gut and can cause impaction.

A new type of floor covering which I have yet to try since I am unable to buy it in the large quantities I would need, is a relatively new type of cat litter made from recycled newspapers and sold under brand names such as Biocatlet™. This is clean, easy to use, and does not seem to be detrimental to the animals' health like some of the more traditional substrates.

Suitable bedding materials include strips of tissue paper, straw or soft meadow hay.

Accessories
Multimammate Rats are active animals and cages or tanks should be well furnished to reflect this. Provide an array of plastic pipes, as well as a latticework of branches and twigs to climb. Nest boxes, as mentioned above, are very important. I use wooden boxes, replacing them periodically when they become too dirty or gnawed. I am aware that many keepers have something of a "downer" on anything made of wood, citing the fact that wood absorbs smells and urine and can never be cleaned really thoroughly. Houses made of plastic, we are told, are much more hygienic. I prefer wood for precisely the same reason that the new vanguard dislikes it, because it does absorb the animals' natural smells. Rodents are olfactory beasts. Sight is not so important as the sense of smell, and a nest box has to smell of its own previous presence within it or the animal can get quite distressed.

I no longer use wheels for long-tailed rodents, even though some do undoubtedly enjoy the experience. The tail of a Multimammate Rat is very delicate and easily damaged and there is a risk that the animal will get its tail trapped in the spokes with disastrous consequences. The old-fashioned, metal wheels are the worst culprits, but the new designs in plastic are not much better. If you do provide a wheel, choose a solid rather than an open-spoked one, or weave a long strip of card between the spokes to render it safer.

Cleaning Out
How often one should clean out the animals depends on the size of the cage and the number of occupants. Once or twice a week is normally sufficient.

Feeding
Omnivorous. In the wild, seeds and fruits comprise the bulk of its diet, but insects are also taken, as are human leftovers. Multimammate Rats are partial to vegetables and grain crops and can become a serious pest in agricultural areas. In East Africa, for example, it gorges itself on maize from April to May, and then transfers its attention to sorghum in mid-summer before moving onto cotton crops in early autumn. In captivity a good rodent mixture forms the basis of its diet, to which can be added slices of apple, banana, carrot, pear, etc. Cabbage and broccoli leaves are especially relished.

Health
All illnesses are potentially serious, so at the first sign of trouble you should consult your veterinary surgeon without delay. Any sign of diarrhoea must be investigated immediately as dehydration occurs rapidly. These animals are very susceptible to various cancers. Some, such as squamous cell carcinomas, are associated with the papilloma virus; others are almost certainly hereditary in origin. Stomach cancer in particular is very common. Pet animals, being descended from those unfortunates bred for biomedical research, are genetically predisposed to tumours. Usually cancers affect older animals but it is not uncommon for younger animals to be affected too. They are prone to carcinoid tumours and are the most susceptible rodent to osteoarthritis.

Reproduction
One of the most fecund of African mammals, the Multimammate Rat breeds prolifically when conditions are favourable in its natural habitat, occasionally reaching plague proportions when hundreds or even thousands of individuals may be seen at a time. It breeds throughout the year, but breeding peaks towards the end of the rainy season and the beginning of the dry season when vegetation is at its most luxuriant and food most easily attainable. With a species that is this prolific, captive populations can soon rise to an unmanageable level if homes cannot be found promptly for the offspring.

Females have 8-12 pairs of teats, rather than the usual 5 or 6 pairs possessed by other small rodents, but as many as 16-18 pairs are not unknown. This is, at first, surprising because litters are hardly ever that big. The average litter consists of about 8 babies. The explanation is possibly because females practise the 'aunty' system, in which species the nursing instinct is so strong that they will temporarily 'adopt' babies which are not their own. Spiny Mice also indulge in this curious, altruistic behaviour. However, unlike Multimammate Rats, Spiny Mice are not equipped with extra teats, but then there is no need because Spiny Mice produce fewer babies.

The oestrus cycle is 7-8 days. Female Multimammate Rats produce two or more litters per season. In common with many other rodents, they experience a postpartum oestrus and males remain with the females after the babies are born, often standing guard at the entrance to the burrow.

Gestation
Usually 23 days, but it can be as little as 21 or as long as 26 days.

Young
6-12 (usually about 8). Singletons are rare and, in these cases, it is not always certain whether just a single baby was born or whether the others had been destroyed at an early age. Litters can be much larger, although this is comparatively rare. The record is for 22 foetuses found in a single female. Birth weight is about 1.8g. At birth the young are blind and covered with sparse hairs. Eyes open at 14-16 days. They are weaned at 21-24 days, but remain in the nest for several more days even though the female may have another litter within 25 days of the first birth. Sexual maturity is attained at 3½ months.

Life Span
Males live up to 3 years; females to about 2 years old, but occasionally older animals have been recorded. The wide age discrepancy between the sexes is probably the result of stress imposed on the female during breeding activities.

Source: Russell Tofts

05/11/07

Permalink 12:54:46 am, by Ron Crawford Email , 1438 words, 2157 views   English (US)
Categories: General

How to Wire a Ranco ETC-111000 Thermostat

I must preface this blog with a disclaimer that the following "How To" article is solely for your electrician. You should not attempt to wire anything yourself if you’re not a competent electrician because a faulty wiring job can lead to a fire or worse, death!

What is a Thermostat Exactly?
If you keep multiple ball pythons in a rack system, you’re going to need some method of controlling how hot the tank gets where the UTH (under tank heater) is located. We achieve this goal through the use of a thermostat. A thermostat allows you to enter how hot you’d like the area to be at the “hot spot” in the ball pythons’ cage and its job is to regulate the temperature so the hot spot will not exceed the temperature you set it at. A thermostat comes attached with a long probe that you adhere to the UTH in an effort to measure the heat generated by the UTH. If the heat reaches the maximum degree you’ve entered in either Fahrenheit or Celsius, the thermostat will turn off the power to the UTH. When the heat has dissipated some (usually by one degree or so), the thermostat turns the power back on to the UTH and continues this process over and over to achieve a constant temperature for the hot spot in each ball pythons’ cage.

There are several thermostats available on the market with different features and pricing but they pretty much all achieve the same goal, to make sure the hot spot in your ball pythons’ cage does not exceed the temperature that you specify. Some thermostats have a digital readout/configuration whereas others have a non-digital configuration wheel or knob. Some have “night time drop” modules that you can purchase to help control the environment for breeding ball pythons during the breeding season. I use the Ranco brand personally because it’s inexpensive, very reliable and does the job for me.

Wiring the Ranco ETC-111000 Thermostat
The Ranco ETC-111000 thermostat comes unassembled so your electrician will have to do the wiring to make it functional. The wiring is pretty simple actually but like I mentioned at the onset, “You should not attempt to wire anything yourself if you’re not a competent electrician because a faulty wiring job can lead to a fire or worse, death!

Ranco ETC-111000 Thermostat
Ranco ETC-111000 Thermostat

The Ranco ETC-111000 thermostat does not come pre-assembled so I’m going to walk you through, or should I say your electrician through, the steps needed to take the Ranco from something you can’t use to something that you can and will use to control the hot spot in your ball pythons’ cage.

You will need some basic tools and additional components before you begin. You need the following inexpensive items:

1. Phillips screwdriver
2. Wire cutter
3. Wire stripper
4. Small flat-head screwdriver
5. Power strip
6. 8ft or better two-prong extension cord

Wire stripper, wire cutter, Phillips screwdriver (only one needed)
Wire stripper, wire cutter, Phillips screwdriver (only one needed)

Small flat-head screwdriver
Small flat-head screwdriver

Power strip and two-prong extension cord
Power strip and two-prong extension cord

Using your Phillips screwdriver, unscrew the four screws at each corner on top of the Ranco thermostat. They will unscrew from the Ranco but cannot be pulled out completely so you don’t have to worry about losing or misplacing them. Once you take the top off the Ranco, you’ll notice a lot of circuitry but don’t be alarmed because you’ll see how simple it will be to wire it up and if you can turn a flat-head screwdriver, you can wire a Ranco thermostat.

Inside the Ranco thermostat
Inside the Ranco thermostat

The only areas in the thermostat that we need to concern ourselves with are outlined in the photo below:

Work area inside the Ranco thermostat
Work area inside the Ranco thermostat

Before we start wiring the Ranco, we need to prepare the power strip and extension cord. Cut off the female end (not the male end that plugs into the wall) of the two-prong extension cord using your wire cutter. Next, cut off a four-inch piece of the extension cord because we’ll need this piece a bit later. Using your wire stripper, strip about an inch or so of the plastic to expose the wire, separate the two adhered halves about seven or so inches and twist the tips of the exposed wires. Your extension cord should look like this:

Extension cord ready for the Ranco
Extension cord ready for the Ranco

Separate the four-inch piece of extension cord you cut, strip and twist the ends. Your four-inch piece of extension cord should look like this:

Four-inch piece of extension cord ready for the Ranco
Four-inch piece of extension cord ready for the Ranco

Cut the male end off the power strip and remove the top three inches of the plastic surrounding the three inner wires. Strip off an inch or so from the white and black wires and twist them when you’re done. We’re not going to use the green wire so cut that back flush as far as you can. Your power strip should now look like this:

Power strip ready for the Ranco
Power strip ready for the Ranco

Connect and twist any one of the two wires on the extension cord with the white colored wire on your power strip. The two attached wires should look like this:

Power strip and extension cord connected
Power strip and extension cord connected

Before you begin wiring the Ranco thermostat, make sure you place the wires through the open end of the Ranco.

Ranco opening for wires
Ranco opening for wires

Using your flat-head screwdriver, loosen the screw at the top right by turning it counter-clockwise. Like the screws on top of the Ranco, these screws will not come out but you will meet resistance. Stop unscrewing when you meet resistance and can’t unscrew any further.

First screw to unscrew in the Ranco
First screw to unscrew in the Ranco

Next, using the extension cord and power strip wires that you combined by twisting them together, push the combined twisted wires into the hole at the very bottom of the screw you just unscrewed. Continuously push the wire into the hole as you tighten up the screw by turning the screw clockwise. Once you’ve met resistance and can’t screw any further, pull on the wire gently to make sure it’s secured in the hole by the screw.

First wire connection in the Ranco
First wire connection in the Ranco

Next, connect and twist the four-inch piece of wire with the remaining exposed wire on your extension cord. Unscrew the screw to the left of the screw you just tightened, push the connected wire from the four-inch piece and your extension cord into the hole, tighten by turning clockwise and check it like you did with the first hole to make sure it's secured in place. Your Ranco should look like this now:

Second wire connection in the Ranco
Second wire connection in the Ranco

We’re almost at the finish line now but we do have two more wires that we have to install before we can celebrate victory. The hole on the very left is not needed so we can consider victory for this area of the Ranco and now focus our attention to the bottom area or the area closest to you.

Take the exposed end of the four-inch piece of wire and plug it into the hole at the very right of the bottom section and tighten it like you did with the other wires. Your Ranco should look like this now:

Third wire connection in the Ranco
Third wire connection in the Ranco

Take the very last black wire from the power strip and push it into the hole to the left of the one you just installed the four-inch piece of wire in and tighten it securely. Your finished Ranco wiring should look like this:

Fourth and final wire connection in the Ranco
Fourth and final wire connection in the Ranco

Congratulations, you’ve just wired your Ranco thermostat! Before placing the top back on, check the wires again to make sure they’re secured tightly by the screws and that no exposed wires are touching each other (unless they were wires that we twisted together). If that checks out okay, put the top back on and tighten the screws back to secure the top in place.

Plug the Ranco thermostat into the wall using the male end of your extension cord and it should show you the current room temperature after it completes its power-on diagnostics after a few seconds. Set the desired heat you’d like your hot area to be, place and secure the probe to the heat tape or UTH, plug the heat tape or UTH into the power strip and Walla, you’re done!

Fully functional Ranco ETC-111000 thermostat
Fully functional Ranco ETC-111000 thermostat

Care to discuss this topic in greater depth? Post your questions or comments in our ball python forum. Hope to see you there soon! :)

05/01/07

Permalink 02:02:25 pm, by Ron Crawford Email , 605 words, 197 views   English (US)
Categories: General

You’ve got Ball Python Eggs but are they any Good?

You are now the proud parent of ball python eggs but are they any good? Ball python eggs are good or they’re not, there’s no in between. Some of the eggs in a clutch can be good and others bad. There are three major classifications for ball python eggs:

1. Fertile
2. Infertile
3. Slugs

Fertile eggs are usually nice looking white, healthy eggs that have been fertilized by sperm and will provide the environment for the growing ball python embryo. Infertile eggs are imposters because they tend to look like fertile eggs (white, healthy eggs) but are anything but fertile. The male ball pythons’ sperm never fertilized them yet they have the appearance of looking fertile. Can you tell which of the following eggs are fertile or infertile?

Ball python eggs
Ball python eggs

There’s no way to simply look at a ball python egg to tell if it’s fertile or not. Slugs on the other hand are easy to spot. They are oftentimes much smaller than normal eggs and they have a yellow color to them with a texture and feel like a hard rubber object. Like infertile eggs, slugs are just that, slugs, and do not have a ball python embryo inside.

Ball python slug with unknown attachment
Ball python slug with unknown attachment

Are my Ball Python Eggs Fertile or Infertile?
We can’t look at the outside of a ball python egg to know whether it’s fertile or infertile but we can look at the inside of a ball python egg for the answer. Before you start whacking any ball python eggs on your table to crack them open for inspection, I must tell you that there’s an easier (and less fatal) way to inspect the inside of the egg without doing any harm to the egg or developing embryo.

The method used to visually inspect the inside of a ball python egg is called Candling. Fertile ball python eggs have veins running along the walls of the egg whereas infertile eggs do not. If you turn off or darken the lights in the room, you can shine light through an egg and will be able to see the bright red veins running along the walls of the egg.

Chicken eggs candled for the presence of veins
Chicken eggs candled for the presence of veins

Although a strong penlight type flashlight can be used to candle ball python eggs, it should be avoided like the plague because the intense heat buildup in front of the bulb can kill the developing embryo. There are several egg candlers on the market for you to choose from. The least expensive egg candlers on the market ($15-20 price range) have a cool surface bulb that will not damage the embryo. You simply plug it into your AC outlet, place the light emitting end against your ball python egg and look for veins. It’s really that simple.

Egg tester used for candling ball python eggs
Egg tester used for candling ball python eggs

Now you’ll know for sure how to test your ball python eggs to see if they’re good or not. One word of caution, be extremely careful if you candle eggs because you don’t want to drop or damage them. Another important thing to note is that you should not rotate ball python eggs while inspecting them. It’s best to simply place the candler directly on each egg without moving them to avoid causing harm to the eggs.

I hope you see nothing but deep red veins in each egg that you inspect. Feel free to visit our ball python forum if you have any questions or would like to discuss this topic in greater depth. Good luck and happy candling! :)

Ron's Ball Python Blog

Enter the wonderful world of Ron Crawford, Ball Python breeder extraordinaire!

It should read, "Enter the hectic world of a ball python janitor who cleans up snake and rat feces for a living!" Welcome to my world. Feel free to post your comments here or in our Ball Python Forum. Return often for my latest blog entries and don't forget to check out our Ball Pythons for Sale.

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