# Bothriechis schlegelii....?



## jasper1 (Apr 15, 2007)

Hi, I said I wouldn't get back into venomous, but the more I look at the pics of _Bothriechis schlegelii,_ the more I want one (pair). Can you guys give me further info on these, ease of husbandry, temperament, breeding? Those that do keep these, do you keep in a sterile viv/rub or in a _"natural"_ viv? 

Venomous species I've kept in the past are: _Malpolon monspessulanus, Vipera lebetina;_ and ones I currently keep are: _Chrysopelea ornata, Ahaetulla prasina, Boiga dendrophila, & Boiga cyanea. _I realise, with the exception of _Vipera lebetina,_ none of these are what you guys would class as _truly _venomous.

Thanks in advance.


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## slippery42 (Mar 23, 2008)

They are not easy to keep but are stunning! they bite freeely and are not to be messed with!

They have a habit od falling off the perch with no warning!:censor:


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## jasper1 (Apr 15, 2007)

slippery42 said:


> They are not easy to keep


In what way? I've heard they can be a bit of an handful to get feeding when neonates, but what about when grown on? Are there any other general general husbandry problems I should be aware of?


slippery42 said:


> but are stunning!


This is what is really tempting me...









Thanks for the reply.


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## Tehanu (Nov 12, 2006)

I recognise that beauty! 

We keep ours in two types of setup;
Basic Vision enclosures furnished with visible spotlamps, uv tubes under reflectors, a compost/peat and sand mix for substrate (humidity can be a pain) a small waterdish, plenty of branching and a compromise between enough fake foliage to make them a bit more comfortable while allowing you to locate them easily without opening the enclosure. 

The waterdish is just incase you're lucky enough to have one that learns that water comes from there:mf_dribblene out of the ten I've worked with is known to occaisionally drink from a dish, the rest drink when sprayed (It's a particular technique to encourage them to drink this way but all that I've worked with will do it, otherwise they may drink from droplets on their coils.

The other type of setup is this 


















Although you could certainly fit more than the 3 that are housed here in an enclosure of this size, accessibility and safety become a concern. 

With regards to the enclosure you mentioned via pm, it sounds workable, I'd varnish it to death before going ahead though! The humidity you want to achieve and a wooden viv are not going to go together without help 
The swinging doors are probably preferable to sliding doors anyway, I find them much easier to open with hooks or other tools.

I can't give any advice on keeping this species in a sterile RUB type environment as I have simply never considered it, I don't think it would be conducive to happy schlegs 

I would personally be happy to house a pair together, but accidents can and do happen wherever there is opportunity, so the choice is yours as to whether you feel the reasons outweigh the chances.

When it comes to the snakes themselves, they are all individuals... 
Some of them like to jump (a particular habit for this species as Slippery mentioned) or fall off perches, you should expect that from the start and base the way you will work around them on it.
I find them pretty relaxed in general to be honest, most of them are good as gold when they need to be moved/tubed/weighed etc, obviously you should expect them to suprise you at all times but the ones that like to jump seem to be the ones that like to bite and the ones that won't submit to being hooked and insist on throwing themselves on the floor... 
They give little warning if they're just sat undisturbed in the enclosure (once being handled etc their feelings are obvious!!!) and will strike repeatedly without any clues beforehand.
This is of course, my personal experience with a small sample of individuals 

They seem to need much less food than you might imagine, the adults we have are currently on a fuzzy per month while the juvies get a fuzzy or smaller per fortnight.

Hope this helps 
Lotte***


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## Al Hyde (Jan 6, 2008)

Saedcantas said:


> The waterdish is just incase you're lucky enough to have one that learns that water comes from there:mf_dribblene out of the ten I've worked with is known to occaisionally drink from a dish, the rest drink when sprayed (It's a particular technique to encourage them to drink this way but all that I've worked with will do it, otherwise they may drink from droplets on their coils.
> 
> Lotte***


Hi Lotte 

I found that all my arboreals i've had in the past (schleg's albolabris and vogelli) will drink from a waterdish if it is mounted in the vines.
I always have a flat area and sink the dish down so as the sides are supported by the vines. Keep the water topped up so it's level and all worked out where to get water from.

Don't know if you've tried this yourself but it worked for me 

All the best,
Al


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## Tehanu (Nov 12, 2006)

Al Hyde said:


> Hi Lotte
> 
> I found that all my arboreals i've had in the past (schleg's albolabris and vogelli) will drink from a waterdish if it is mounted in the vines.
> I always have a flat area and sink the dish down so as the sides are supported by the vines. Keep the water topped up so it's level and all worked out where to get water from.
> ...


:lol2: This is why sharing info is good for us all! Nope, can't say I tried it, despite the fact we use the same logic to feed iguanas... :whistling2: Without fresh input or different perspectives it can be hard to re-examine existing methods  Thanks!
I think the only issue would be changing the water and it being easier (safer) to do than giving them a quick drink manually every day? How do you go about it?


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## Al Hyde (Jan 6, 2008)

Hi Lotte 

Ah, I just grab the bowl with tongs or if the vipers are curled together at a safe distance I place a plastic shield between my hand and them. 
I use the lids for RUBs , drill a small hole through the centre and attach a door knob, they make great protection.
I always put the bowl back in empty and then fill them up via a long tube 

Also, if you place the fresh water in the viv just before lights out they tend to go straight across and drink (if they need to). You get to know the different drop in levels, the loss of water due to evaporation and evaporation plus drinking.

Hope it works for you 

All the best,
Al


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## jasper1 (Apr 15, 2007)

Saedcantas said:


> I recognise that beauty!


Ooops! :blush: I hope you don't mind me using that pic, it's one of the nicest I've seen?


Saedcantas said:


> We keep ours in two types of setup;
> .....uv tubes under reflectors.....


Is UV necessary for these? As I said, I have in mine but it's mainly for the plants.


Saedcantas said:


> plenty of branching and a compromise between enough fake foliage to make them a bit more comfortable *while allowing you to locate them easily without opening the enclosure.*


This is one of the reservations I have, as mine is quite heavily planted. Maybe I will thin it out a little. 


Saedcantas said:


> With regards to the enclosure you mentioned via pm, it sounds workable, I'd varnish it to death before going ahead though! The humidity you want to achieve and a wooden viv are not going to go together without help .


Yes, it has been coated with yacht varnish and inside the bottom it has been lined/sealed with glass. As I said, it's a spare viv, not one purpose built to house these. I've been using it for a few years now without any problems. In fact all my vivs are of a similar design.

For anyone that is interested, here's the basic design:

5'6"x3'x2'6"(HxWxD) wooden viv with a glass door; heated with 2xCHE on a pulse pro night/day stat. There are also 2xUV tubes in there connected to a sun switch and a bank of blue LED's connected to a moon switch for night viewing. There is a misting system connected with 4xmisting nozzles. This is on a timer 4xday. At the moment it is live planted and has an eco/bio substrate. There is also a (very) shallow pool with fogger. The door is hinged front opening (like a door, rather than sliding) and is almost full height of the viv.


Saedcantas said:


> I can't give any advice on keeping this species in a sterile RUB type environment as I have simply never considered it, I don't think it would be conducive to happy schlegs .


Good; I didn't want to go that route, I much prefer to have a visual impact with the vivs. If you had recommended this, then I probably would not look to keep them.


Saedcantas said:


> Hope this helps


Immensely, thanks for the input.:2thumb:


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