#five freedoms

Hey there!

One, yes a snake can totally and easily get dehydrated. It’s critical that your snake have access to clean, fresh water at all times and that you maintain a humidity gradient appropriate for their species. It’s also a good idea to keep a humid hide available in your enclosure if your snake is from a more humid climate than that in which you are keeping them.

Two, uuuhhh it sorta depends on what you mean by “exactly every week.” If you have a juvenile or subadult corn snake and you’re feeding them every week-ish, meaning like 7-10 days but not always on the same weekday, that’s totally fine. As long as it’s within that range they’re happy. Hatchlings and yearling corn snakes should be eating every 5-7 days. Adult corns can go 14 days between meals. You didn’t specify a species so I’m assuming corn snake? Please note that other commonly kept pet snake species will have different suggested feeding schedules!

If you mean that you’re skipping your snake’s meals entirely on a regular basis, you may want to do some careful thinking as to why, and how it affects your snake’s quality of life. Are you having financial difficulties, are you experiencing health issues that cause you to be unable to provide necessary care for your pet, is your schedule overloaded with other responsibilities, etc. 

Can you change the circumstances causing your pet to go hungry? If not, is having this pet really the best thing for either of you right now? Remember that a pet is a privilege, not a right, and that your pet relies exclusively on your proper care for their survival and wellbeing. If you’re facing hardship and unable to provide them with the Five Freedoms of animal welfare, ask for help or consider rehoming them. 

Farmed Salmon Are Deaf – and Now We Know Why

The odds are that every second farmed salmon we eat has lost much of its ability to hear.

Although fish senses aren’t usually a consideration when they’re on a plate, researchers now know that deafness in farmed salmon is due to a deformity in the ear, caused by accelerated growth in aquaculture.

Faster growing salmon in farms are three times more likely to have the deformity. Picture: Wikimedia