Awesome Animal Companion of the Week

This week's AACK is a bit far from what most people would consider a companion...

DISCLAIMER- HANDLING VENOMOUS REPTILES IS A HIGH RISK ACTIVITY. A MISTAKE IN TECHNIQUE CAN PARALYZE, MAIM, OR KILL YOU. IT SHOULD BE LEFT TO PROFESSIONALS AND VERY SERIOUS PRIVATE COLLECTORS WHO ARE WILLING TO DEVOTE A SIGNIFICANT PERCENTAGE OF TIME, ENERGY, AND MONEY TO THE SAFE MAINTENANCE OF THEIR COLLECTIONS. THIS IS NOT A HOBBY TO DABBLE IN CASUALLY OR LIGHTLY. IF YOU WANT TO KEEP A VENOMOUS ANIMAL, TAKE THE TIME TO LEARN PROPER HANDLING TECHNIQUE FROM AN EXPERIENCED PROFESSIONAL BEFORE BUYING THE ANIMAL AND KNOW WHICH MEDICAL FACILITIES NEAR YOU CAN TREAT A BITE WOUND FROM THAT SPECIFIC ANIMAL, NOT ALL HOSPITALS CARRY EVERY ANTI-VENOM. 

   Meet Emeress!!!

Emeress is an Eyelash Viper (Bothriechis Schlegelii). They are a relatively small species that rarely exceed 30 inches in length, with females being larger than males. They have a wide triangular shaped head. Like all pit vipers, they are solenoglyphous, which means they have large hypodermic needle-like fangs in their upper jaw thet fold back when not in use. They also have heat sensitive organs, or "heat pits", located on each side of their head between the eye and nostril.

The name "Eyelash Viper" comes from the set of modified scales located over the eyes, much like eyelashes. The eyelashes are thought to aid in camouflage, breaking up the snake's outline among the plant life in which it hides. They can be found in a variety of colors, including red, yellow, brown, green, and even pink. They often have black or brown speckling over the base color.

This is what Emeress's owner had to say about caring for him...

"These guys need really high humidity, as they do come from south america. Mine actually is the son of a wild caught specimen that came from Costa rica! :)

They can be maintained in a variety of ways, from keeping them in a lightly ventillated tub, to a full blown Vivarium including dozens of species of live plants.

Currently I am housing my two in a 12x12x18 Zoo med "naturalistic Terrarium"

in a vivarium style set up. I just recently re-set this up so it has not had time to grow in, but I will still include a few pictures of this for you.

They have a fairly slow metabolism, so care should be taken to feed the appropriately sized food items. Temperature shouldnt exceed 75-80 degrees! They get pretty stressed out at higher temps than this. This is an arboreal species so they should be offered plenty of above ground dwelling areas :)  Because of this, a taller rather than Longer setup is usually best."

You can follow Emeress's owner Brandon on instagram "brandonssk" or Facebook

This is an excellent representation of the Eyelash Viper's triangular head

Home Made Reptile Habitats

Many reptile owners opt to build their own enclosures, for some it is because it a cheaper alternative to store bought homes and some just want to give their pets the most tricked out custom living space they can. (NOTE- Make sure all of your building materials are not toxic to reptiles)

Here is an enclosure the Tim Reynolds built for his Veiled Chameleon (chameleo calyptratus) using wood and mesh screening..

Robert Dunn built these space saving wooden units that allow for the stacking of his terrariums.. 

I built this enclosure out of pvc piping corners, mesh wire, and zip ties that i got for about $50 at Home Depot. A large screen enclosure this size from a pet store could easily cost up to $250-$300. It may not be as "pretty" but for the price you can give your pet a much larger home. This is also a great way to give your pet a safe place to play outdoors and without risk of them running away or being eaten by a hawk/cat/dog when you're not looking (though it is always best to supervise all outdoor time and not leave your reptiles unattended)