xDEADFAMOUSx
New member
Why are wc tokays not as brightly coloured as cb? Surely it cant be 100% down to stress....?
cb v wc tokays
- Thread starter xDEADFAMOUSx
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thehotchik1000
New member
Kita has hit the nail on the head. Also keep in mind that even wc toks have the same coloration as most cb. It's just more of the happiness and health factor. Ill and stressed tokays are often dark and drab. CBb doesnt usually have these issues so they're usually always brightly colored. Although I work with my CBS on a daily basis it seems like they still get irritated at me for wanting to take their pictures and they always darken up. Wcs just need a little bit more work before they brighten up.
Check out what's new on my website... www.Homegrownscales.com
Check out what's new on my website... www.Homegrownscales.com
Tokayy
New member
I have a WC Tokay that appears as bright as some of the members on this board who have CB Tokays at times. Sometimes mine is darker and other times she looks just as bright as other CB. So it cannot be stress, and it cannot be simply because they are WC. It depends on how they are taken care of and all that jazz. Ive had mine for about a year now and for the first few months she was dark, and as she warmed up to me and her surroundings she got a lot more brighter.
Kita
New member
Your experience with your one Tokay fits into what we are explaining from our experience with multiple WC animals. I cannot speak for Morgan, but over the years I have owned around 20 WC animals and, having worked at 3 pet stores before, I have been around many more. Your Tokay is one of the examples of an animal that has been willing to take to captivity and being forced into constant close proximity with something it would have considered a predator in the wild. Most likely, yours was young when imported because the older an animal is the harder it tends to adapt to such a drastic change.
If you did not have to treat your animal for parasites or fatten it up from being dangerously skinny in the beginning, then you were fortunate enough to have somehow skipped the normal first step of acquiring WCs. Aside from the fact that import animals are often poorly cared for to begin with, Tokays (WC and CB actually) are known to go on hunger strikes when stressed. During the poor import process, the parasites (internal and external) build up to dangerous levels and add to the health problems. Generally new animals require about a six month time period of treatments and fattening up just to get them healthy enough to give them a chance to acclimate to captivity plus having to force medicate and treat for mites (often meaning a very bland environment so as to control parasite spreading) does not help them except the transition from complete freedom to confinement with often frequent interaction which is against their nature.
If you did not have to treat your animal for parasites or fatten it up from being dangerously skinny in the beginning, then you were fortunate enough to have somehow skipped the normal first step of acquiring WCs. Aside from the fact that import animals are often poorly cared for to begin with, Tokays (WC and CB actually) are known to go on hunger strikes when stressed. During the poor import process, the parasites (internal and external) build up to dangerous levels and add to the health problems. Generally new animals require about a six month time period of treatments and fattening up just to get them healthy enough to give them a chance to acclimate to captivity plus having to force medicate and treat for mites (often meaning a very bland environment so as to control parasite spreading) does not help them except the transition from complete freedom to confinement with often frequent interaction which is against their nature.
billewicz
New member
Agreed one and all. Stress, the riggers of capture, holding and import are frightful. This alone will allow the parasite load to get ahead of the animals' normal ability to hold these from 'blooming' in their GI track. And, in most cases, if not treated fast, the animal will parish.
One of the biggest contributors to a healthy, vibrant skin and color is good nutrition. As our WC start to acclimate and enjoy highly fortified, gut loaded insects, their bodies will respond.
We import about 50 morphs at a time from Indonesia. They are collected and held for up to 2 months in between shipments. While being held, they are feed local insects, typically roaches. Not gut loaded, just run of the mill insects.
When they arrive here, they are photographed, treated for parasites, hydrated, given oral vitamins and then they are fed Repashy gut loaded roaches, crickets and Goliath horn worms.
Somewhere after their second or third shed, a transformation seems to occur. I am always incredibly surprised how often I cannot recognize the awesome colored animals that have replaced the drab, dull Tokay I put in those enclosures 3 mouths ago.
Just take a peak at our collection. Most of these were not very pretty when they arrived. Actually, I thought I'd made a dreadful mistake when I saw the first ones that had come in as they were almost black and so skinny. These all are the same imports from Indo after they have been with us a while. You can go to: www.billewicz.com if have not seen them before.
And yes, time of day, temps and mating season will all play into how they look. Even a WC will put on their best display when there's a mate in the vicinity.
Enjoy!
One of the biggest contributors to a healthy, vibrant skin and color is good nutrition. As our WC start to acclimate and enjoy highly fortified, gut loaded insects, their bodies will respond.
We import about 50 morphs at a time from Indonesia. They are collected and held for up to 2 months in between shipments. While being held, they are feed local insects, typically roaches. Not gut loaded, just run of the mill insects.
When they arrive here, they are photographed, treated for parasites, hydrated, given oral vitamins and then they are fed Repashy gut loaded roaches, crickets and Goliath horn worms.
Somewhere after their second or third shed, a transformation seems to occur. I am always incredibly surprised how often I cannot recognize the awesome colored animals that have replaced the drab, dull Tokay I put in those enclosures 3 mouths ago.
Just take a peak at our collection. Most of these were not very pretty when they arrived. Actually, I thought I'd made a dreadful mistake when I saw the first ones that had come in as they were almost black and so skinny. These all are the same imports from Indo after they have been with us a while. You can go to: www.billewicz.com if have not seen them before.
And yes, time of day, temps and mating season will all play into how they look. Even a WC will put on their best display when there's a mate in the vicinity.
Enjoy!
daggekko
New member
I'll throw out another stress vote. My bigger Tokay goes from bright to drab sometimes. Most of the time when she is really dark it is because I have had to try to get her out of her tube or misted her directly. When she is out running around her enclosure on her own terms she is typically bright and beautiful. My other Tokay always seems to be in a decent mood. Both are CB also!
thehotchik1000
New member
Agreeing with kita,
Getting a wc is a gamble, some do very well some don't. 99.9% should be treated with a dewormer and have a fecal done. Sometimes you get lucky and get a very easily acclimating none horribly emaciated animal. Sometimes you don't get so lucky.
This is the reason that I suggest cb for all but well knowledged and versed tok owners. I personally think its easier on the new owner to not have to worry about all that jazz.
Check out what's new on my website... www.Homegrownscales.com
Getting a wc is a gamble, some do very well some don't. 99.9% should be treated with a dewormer and have a fecal done. Sometimes you get lucky and get a very easily acclimating none horribly emaciated animal. Sometimes you don't get so lucky.
This is the reason that I suggest cb for all but well knowledged and versed tok owners. I personally think its easier on the new owner to not have to worry about all that jazz.
Check out what's new on my website... www.Homegrownscales.com