Freezing Mossies?

[crestedtimm]

I am wondering how I could manufacture a cage, furnishings and all, that would allow me to keep my Mossys outside 365 here in Fla. We have had a few good cold snaps this season, during which the temp dropped into the high teens-low 20s. I brought my animals in during that stint. I just wonder whether I could build a big enough cage, with deep enough hides and furnishings that a Mossy could seek refuge when the temps drop that low at night.


This just occurred to me, and all opinions and thoughts on the subject are welcome, ESPECIALLY those who have actual factual examples of low values and all that.

This is going to be interesting information when in the future it is coupled with that information being gathered by way of the UVA-UVB project in the works.

Thanks!

Timm

 

[crestedtimm]

ANY low temperature values for any Uroplatus species are also higly valued, so if you have any information that you feel may be pertinent, please add to this thread.

 

[Salzy]

That is an interesting thought. I've heard of people keeping their Uroplatus at very low temperatures to help induce breeding, but that is all. I can't imagine they would do so hot with a real brutal cold snap though, but something gradual should be fine.

Do you house them outside now? Do you move the enclosures at all based on temperature or weather? I'd be most concerned about them not being able to escape the sun or wind or something if needed.

 

[crestedtimm]

3.0 lineatus, 1.1 sikorae sikorae, 0.1 pietchmanni, 2.2 Henkeli, 1.1 R.ciliatus (just for the sake of it) are the animals that I refer to when I say I keep "them" outside.


I do keep them outdoors everyday and night that it is not going to get below 40s that night. Their enclosures are all the same, with slight furniture differences. They are all in plastic mesh screen cages, PVC pipe frame, cypress mulch substrata, and a few branches of varying diameter.

I too have heard of people keeping their Uros "cool" to "stimulate breeding" but have yet to read the report anywhere, or get any actual values. I heard someone referencing Mossies at that.

Obliviously, I cant be too critical as I dont do so well on keeping records. I do want to hear any info.

I don't move the cage out of a ten foot area that I have placed them in initially, other than to put then inside a heated shed on the freezing nights.

The way I have the cage set up, The animals can always seek shade,thus the sun didn't present issues, and I left then out in the rain whenever possible. I want to have then as natural as possible, thus my quest to not have to pull the cages inside(where the temps are in the 70-80s) instead of allowing them to stay brumating outdoors. I feel like the abrupt temperature changes is one of the only detrimental factors in play with my geckos here.

What occurs to me are a few things: First, it is not in a Mossys nature to hide IN anything, so even if I offered vertically oriented hollow logs with insulating detritus, I don't think they would use them. I imagine that as an animals that is not used to temps dropping below freezing, they will not seek cover, opting to stay put and wait for the weather to improve.

The ventilation that outdoor screen enclosures allow coupled with the full spectrum lighting has been very beneficial to my husbandry thus far.

Timm

 

[aquapimp]

Hi Timm,

You could possibly, if electricity is in close proximity, hook a thermostat so that it would turn on a low wattage heating element (ie: radiant heat panel, heat cable etc.) at a low temp. set point. The heat cable would work well, considering the multiple screen cages. Run it down the back panel of each enclosure, perhaps with a halved bamboo section covering the cable. Kind of a heated "perch", or "resting log".

Just an idea.

 

[crestedtimm]

Yeah, electric is not out of the question at all Tom. I will entertain the idea of employing one of the heating devices available today. I am familiar with the heat wire and have used it for other applications.

That does not solve the problem of potential power outages, which is an actual occurrence in my life. I'm thinking that an enclosure in and of its self, could not be self sufficient. I will likely come to a compromise of sorts in which I fabricate a greenhouse type enclosure for all of my animals, expose them to as low a temp as I feel comfortable, and have an emergency heating system such as a generator or propane heaters in case of the inconvenient power outtage that comes with freezing temps.

I really want to hear some interesting and ingenious manners of keeping them warm, so I encourage everyone to add to this thread.

Thanks,

Timm

 

[jadrig]

Im sure there is some sort of documentation of temperature lows in Madagascar...

If we can find out the temperature 10,000 years ago at certain latitudes we should be able to find the low temps in Mad. at the specific latituedes where Uroplatus come from...

 

[miguel camacho!]

I wouldn't push it. When you're talking about primarily arboreal species, especially a loooong way from home, I wouldn't have faith in them turning to any available subterranean hibernacula, I would expect them to just freeze and drop.

I have, however, had phantasticus in temps in the mid-50s with no ill effects. Still, nowhere near freezing.

 

[jadrig]

I got a shipment of geckos last january when it was pretty cold...

Two adult Henkeli were fine, two P.quad.quads developed respritory infections and died...

The larger geckos should be better off, but it would be a whole lot easier to just bring them in.

 

[luevelvet]

I did set up a page with graphs on the climate changes throughout the year. I can do more if I can find more in depth data.

Climate Graphs - Madacasgar

Luis