"reptile zoo Nockalm", an exhibiton in austria UPDATE 2017

Captive care and husbandry.

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Kelly Mc
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Re: "reptile zoo Nockalm", an exhibiton in austria UPDATE 20

Post by Kelly Mc »

I really like the enclosures - not just the incredible biome replicae but the design of the containers themselves. I like the interior paneling of the base, easy to replace if needed per scarring or for a biological hygiene purpose. No curing etc.

Hey if you ever want to show some behind the scenes stuff that would be so cool too
Markus Oulehla
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Re: "reptile zoo Nockalm", an exhibiton in austria UPDATE 20

Post by Markus Oulehla »

Hi,
thank you again for your kind words, it's so nice when people appreciate the efford he puts into the presentation of the snakes :)
Hey if you ever want to show some behind the scenes stuff that would be so cool too
Actually there isn't much behind the scenes and I don't have many pictures beside the batanes pitviper enclosure I've already shared here...
A few enclosures for quarantine or specimens that don't fit into the exhibition (very old individuals for example).
Although I have to say that the setups look as good as in the exhibition, just some of the youngsters (colubrids and cobras) are kept not naturalistic, to make it easy to check them...
arboreal pit viper babies on the other hand have branches to climb/hang on and moss on the ground to keep the humidity high (so no wet box needed :lol: )



But I remember that some of you really liked the european vipers, so here are some new pictures of some extra nice individuals for you...

one female of the south italian viper breeding group...
Image
Vipera aspis hugyi by Markus Oulehla, auf Flickr


another asp viper, a cb youngster from a French locality
Image
Vipera aspis aspis by Markus Oulehla, auf Flickr


lake skutari locality is probably one of the most wanted ammodytes variation, quite understandable...
Image
Vipera ammodytes ammodytes by Markus Oulehla, auf Flickr



but IMHO nothing can beat this amazing specimens from a carinthian locality
here is one of last years offspring, we call him "der Dicke" which means "chubby" cause he was the best feeding and most greedy of the whole clutch
Image
Vipera ammodytes by Markus Oulehla, auf Flickr


and the last one for today, a close up of a non european viper...
the saw-scales of Echis carinatus sochureki
Image
saw-scales by Markus Oulehla, auf Flickr



cheers
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Kelly Mc
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Re: "reptile zoo Nockalm", an exhibiton in austria UPDATE 20

Post by Kelly Mc »

Exquisite animals, and I am also enjoying the colubrids presented on this thread, and their environments.

I am reminded of an often repeated comment about naturalistic provision I have read that goes something to the effect of : "If you are that worried about what your animals need you might as well [not keep, only enjoy them in the wild etc]"

But it's not about worry but interest. The beautiful aspect is inadvertent. I see a normalizing grid of variatal input, cues, gradients, and the opportunities to use a fully innervated, well musculatured body.

I sometimes wonder if a projection of unconscious narcissism could be part of the reflexive critique, as the "Beauty of Nature" being ascribed to human enjoyment, and that to apply natural features is conceding anthropomorphically to the idea that reptiles "enjoy" it similiarly. But that isnt the point of the strategy, and such off target anthropomorphic critique isnt applied to other naturalistic environmental design in say, serious aquatic culture where such microcosms are encouraged by specialists that keep locality river species or marine forms, etc.
Markus Oulehla
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Re: "reptile zoo Nockalm", an exhibiton in austria UPDATE 20

Post by Markus Oulehla »

Kelly Mc wrote:I am reminded of an often repeated comment about naturalistic provision I have read that goes something to the effect of : "If you are that worried about what your animals need you might as well [not keep, only enjoy them in the wild etc]"

But it's not about worry but interest. The beautiful aspect is inadvertent. I see a normalizing grid of variatal input, cues, gradients, and the opportunities to use a fully innervated, well musculatured body.
I don't want to judge these people but often it's just an "excuse" for simple, sometimes bad husbandry, especialy from the buisnessmen in this hobby (same in aquarists i guess). As I mentioned in another topic I'm not a great supporter of racks, especially as longtime enclosure and the fact that some of these snake-"producers" (I really hate that word for captive breeding) defend their way of keeping with statemants like this, makes a lot of people believe this sh**....

I just can repeat what I want to show with this topic that it is not just a benefit to the human eye and for educational reasons (might be just for the keeper himself), but also gives you laid-back inhabitants, which is good especially when it comes to the venomous snakes....

I also shared this in another topic, but to show how easy you can build up a nice setup I want to post it here too
Image
setup for Vipera ammodytes by Markus Oulehla, auf Flickr


and it's inhabitant about one hour after moving in...
Image
Vipera ammodytes ammodytes by Markus Oulehla, auf Flickr



but as you like the colubrids so much, I'll share a little bit more of them ;)

Image
Zamenis longissimus by Markus Oulehla, auf Flickr


Image
Zaminis situla by Markus Oulehla, auf Flickr



and one more elapid picture, also quite interesting the single female was very shy in the enclosure (just showed up when there were living fish in her pool), but after the male moved in both of them showed up almost every day, basking and diving...
Image
Naja annulata by Markus Oulehla, auf Flickr



cheers
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Kelly Mc
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Re: "reptile zoo Nockalm", an exhibiton in austria UPDATE 20

Post by Kelly Mc »

Thank you for some more colubrids. Very nice.

Markus I get the photo of the little viper and the notation you included about how fast snakes settle into the surroundings. They can be very mechanical that way. Acclimation is a whole different keeping game. Hard to explain it to those who havent kept that way and done it right.
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Kelly Mc
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Re: "reptile zoo Nockalm", an exhibiton in austria UPDATE 20

Post by Kelly Mc »

Interesting about the dam annulata coming out more. It kind of reminds me of bird follow-you behavior.

Ive been going through all of the photos and your text again tonight and its just so rich. Any more observations you would share would be deeply appreciated, and we truly fortunate to enjoy, ponder and be inspired by.
Markus Oulehla
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Re: "reptile zoo Nockalm", an exhibiton in austria UPDATE 20

Post by Markus Oulehla »

Thank you (again) :)

another advantage of a natural setup is you can observe things you won't see otherwise, as an example I want to show you some more pictures of the banded water cobras.
If you give them more than a little water dish they'll surely appreciate it. Both adults feed on (dead) mice and smaller rats, what is a good thing as they are really tricky to feed as youngsters.
But if you put some fish in their pool they become really greedy, snapping around to catch the living fishes, but also seem to like dead fish more than mice and rats...

check out some of the images I took while feeding them
Image
Naja annulata by Markus Oulehla, auf Flickr


this fish was already dead, as most water snakes they won't let a fish go after the bite...
Image
Naja annulata feeding by Markus Oulehla, auf Flickr


Image
Naja annulata feeding by Markus Oulehla, auf Flickr


Image
Naja annulata feeding by Markus Oulehla, auf Flickr



and again something different for the last picture, one of my favorit rattlers
Image
Crotalus polystictus by Markus Oulehla, auf Flickr





enjoy :)
Markus Oulehla
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Re: "reptile zoo Nockalm", an exhibiton in austria UPDATE 20

Post by Markus Oulehla »

Kelly Mc wrote: Hey if you ever want to show some behind the scenes stuff that would be so cool too

I've been there over the last weekend I took the chance to take some pictures of some enclosures behind the scenes.
As I mentioned there are mostly some holdbacks or species that need special temperatures or a more relaxed environment than in the public exhibition downstairs...

Image
Naja nigricollis by Markus Oulehla, auf Flickr


Image
Naja nigricincta by Markus Oulehla, auf Flickr


Image
Naja melanoleuca by Markus Oulehla, auf Flickr


Image
Naja philippinensis by Markus Oulehla, auf Flickr



So you can see these enclosures also look quite natural, although they are behind the scenes, but for the same reasons. Beside the fact he doesn't like reading newspapers when looking into his enclosures, the animals also enjoy digging, switching between various hiding spots in different areas of their tank or climbing around on some roots/branches...

another new enclosure for the philippine pitvipers
Image
Parias flavomaculatus by Markus Oulehla, auf Flickr


and one more picture of this stunning species
Image
Parias flavomaculatus by Markus Oulehla, auf Flickr



I'll share some more of these awesome snakes, and a few more enclosures the next days ;)

regards
Markus
Jimi
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Re: "reptile zoo Nockalm", an exhibiton in austria UPDATE 20

Post by Jimi »

I'll share some more of these awesome snakes, and a few more enclosures the next days ;)
Ready and frothing for it! Love those Parias...also any more Viridovipera or Protobothrops....images or narrative, whatever.

Thanks Markus!
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Kelly Mc
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Re: "reptile zoo Nockalm", an exhibiton in austria UPDATE 20

Post by Kelly Mc »

Right?!

Really like the use of the fountain grass - really nice for that snake.

And the stands in arboreal spaces. I am convinced of its merit in all ways.
Markus Oulehla
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Re: "reptile zoo Nockalm", an exhibiton in austria UPDATE 20

Post by Markus Oulehla »

Kelly Mc wrote: Really like the use of the fountain grass - really nice for that snake.

These work well for many kinds of snakes and setups, a great, moist (hinding) place for sub-/tropical snakes and the dry ones look perfekt for savannah setups for example.
Some sorts (with the finer stems) even stay green when dried, as the one on the Vipera aspis hugyii picture....



As I promised here are some more pictures of the breathtakingly beautiful Parias flavomaculatus....

another scale-shot, of the male this time
not as bright as the female, but more red....
Image
Parias flavomaculatus scales by Markus Oulehla, auf Flickr


and the wonderful pair together
Image
Parias flavomaculatus by Markus Oulehla, auf Flickr



one more Parias picture
Image
Parias mcgregori by Markus Oulehla, auf Flickr


let us stay with the arboreal pitvipers, here is a probably undescribed Trimeresurus from Indonesia...
Image
Trimeresurus cf. albolabris by Markus Oulehla, auf Flickr


Image
Trimeresurus cf. albolabris by Markus Oulehla, auf Flickr




and a last one for today, hard to get a nice picture of these, but I like reallly like this one :D
Image
Protobothrops jerdonii bourreti by Markus Oulehla, auf Flickr



enjoy :)
Jimi
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Re: "reptile zoo Nockalm", an exhibiton in austria UPDATE 20

Post by Jimi »

thanks Markus, nice eye candy!
and the wonderful pair together
it's interesting how commonly the M/F base-color pattern crops up in the mostly-green Asian arboreal vipers, of grassy-green females and more emerald-green males - you see it in several of the Viridovipera, and of course in "TrimTrigs", and - I was unaware of this until now - at least in one Parias

any insights or info on husbandry (e.g., brumation? wet/dry cycling?) would be welcomed - no pressure though

cheers
Markus Oulehla
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Re: "reptile zoo Nockalm", an exhibiton in austria UPDATE 20

Post by Markus Oulehla »

Jimi wrote: it's interesting how commonly the M/F base-color pattern crops up in the mostly-green Asian arboreal vipers

Not only in arboreal vipers, we also have that here with lots of european vipers, ammodytes, berus etc.

During my last visit at the zoo I got the chance to take pictures of another great example from the Crotalus genus....
(but I can't remember which one is male and female)
Image
Crotalus lepidus morulus by Markus Oulehla, auf Flickr



wonderful little snakes
Image
Crotalus lepidus morulus by Markus Oulehla, auf Flickr


Image
Crotalus lepidus morulus by Markus Oulehla, auf Flickr



also beautiful, but these look all the same :lol:
Image
Crotalus lepidus klauberi by Markus Oulehla, auf Flickr



and some more pictures of the new pitvipers
Image
Trimeresurus cf. albolabris by Markus Oulehla, auf Flickr


Image
Trimeresurus cf. albolabris by Markus Oulehla, auf Flickr


scale shot
Image
Trimeresurus cf. albolabris scales by Markus Oulehla, auf Flickr



and their amazing enclousre
Image
Trimeresurus enclosure by Markus Oulehla, auf Flickr




cheers,
Markus
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