Ten Things You Should Know About Pet Snakes

If you are one of the legions of people who have acquired, or are about to obtain a new pet snake, then you are also about to have a rewarding experience. Snakes have a lot to teach us. A properly maintained terrarium can be a work of art - many are prominently displayed in homes - so long as the snake keeper keeps some essential information in mind:

Be sure you give your snake enough heat - that means enough for the snake, not you. A snake is best kept at warmer, summer temperatures of 85 100 degrees F, unless being cooled for hibernation. Temperate zone species may tolerate a 30 degree drop in temperature at night, but tropical species rarely do well with such fluctuations.

Never, ever use your snake to scare somebody! Many people are afraid of snakes, some pathologically so. Using a snake to scare a person is irresponsible of you, may cause injury to another person, and is traumatic for the snake.

Be sure to feed your snake an adequate diet at appropriate intervals. Snakes under 3 feet in length should generally be fed prey about the size of an adult mouse once or twice a week. Larger snakes take more or larger prey at less frequent intervals. Truly large snakes may eat only once per year, but these are not snakes for novices.

Do not handle snakes after feeding, or until they have digested their meals. If a snake is handled too soon after eating, it is often likely to regurgitate the meal, and may refuse to feed for many days afterward.

Snakes must shed their skins, but they do much better if you do not help them. If the snake has been fed and watered well, it will grow, and the old skin is carefully broken by the snake and shed in one piece. If a snake sheds in patches, it may be dehydrated or have a nutritional disorder.

Do your homework! Buying a snake is not the same as knowing how to care for it properly. It is your responsibility to learn about your snake and any special needs it will have in captivity. For example, unless you carefully teach your snake otherwise, many have specialized diets: garter snakes eat fish and frogs, hognose snakes eat toads, and corn snakes eat small rodents and eggs.

Get a snake veterinarian lined up now. Snakes have a slower metabolism than us mammals, so they may manifest symptoms long after contracting an illness. Waiting to find a qualified vet until the snake is ill may be too late.

Clean the snake's cage as it becomes dirty - don't merely wait for Saturday morning. Only use appropriate disinfectants for a snake cage. You may use rubbing alcohol, soap, and specialty products available at your pet shop. Do not use chlorine bleaches or industrial cleansers such as Ajax or Comet, because their residues are often toxic to snakes. Lysol is particularly dangerous.

Always wash your hands well with soap and water after handling your snake or the cage accessories. Snakes, like most animals, may harbor dangerous bacteria such as Salmonella.

Okay, now go watch your snake and have some fun!

Dr. Sprackland started keeping snakes in 1960. There are still snakes in his life!

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Dolphin Quick Facts

Dolphins are marine mammals found in all the world's oceans, relatives to whales and porpoises. River dolphins live in freshwater rivers and lakes. They are intelligent and playful creatures and friendly to humans.

Dolphins have a sleek body shape, which helps them to be good swimmers. They have long snouts, a row of sharp teeth, and a blowhole for breathing on top of the head. They feed on fish, squid, and other small marine life.

Feeding dolphins at SeaWorld, OrlandoDolphins are social animals, and usually live and hunt in groups. They communicate with each other with sounds such as whistles, screeches, and clicks. Dolphins are often friendly to humans, riding on waves produced by boats, aiding lost swimmers, and adapting to life in captivity performing tricks and jumps.

There are at least 40 different species of dolphins. The one most commonly used in amusement parks and performances is bottlenose dolphin, which has a 'built-in' smile formed by the curvature of its mouth. The killer whale, or orca, is the largest member of dolphin family.
Physical features

Dolphins have a sleek body shape, so as to offer the least resistance for swimming. The two flippers located underside help the dolphin steer its course. The bones in these flippers resemble human hand! The tail with flukes provides the main swimming force.

As mammals, dolphins have to breathe air. They do so through a single blowhole on the top of the head. It has a muscular plug to keep water out of the lungs while diving. The head has a long snout. Dolphins have a long row of conical teeth that are used for catching and tearing prey - not for chewing.

Different dolphin species vary a lot in size. The smallest one, tucuxi dolphin, is about 4 feet (1.2m) long and weighs about 110 pounds (50kg), whereas the enormous killer whales is over 30 feet (9-10m) long and weighs 12,000 pounds (5 500 kg).

You've seen the gray ones, but dolphins can also be black or brown, and can have patterns of white or light colors.

In the middle of their back, many dolphins have what is called a dorsal fin. It helps them to keep their balance. Furthermore, each dolphin's dorsal fin is shaped differently from the others. It's like an identification mark. In some ocean dolphins, the dorsal fin is hooked-shape instead of like a triangle. The male killer whales have very tall dorsal fins whereas in river dolphins it scarcely forms a ridge on the back.

Besides using eyes, dolphins can find their way by making clicking sounds, and listening to the sounds that echo or bounce back to them from their surroundings. This is called echolocation.

Under their skin, dolphins have a layer of fat called blubber. It insulates the dolphin so it can keep warm even in cold water. The colder the water is where the dolphin lives, the thicker the layer of blubber.

Behavior

Dolphins are social animals that live in schools of varying size; some only have 2-5 dolphins while enormous schools of 1,000 or more have been found as well. A typical school of bottlenose dolphins might be 10-20 individuals.

For food, dolphins hunt fish, squid and other invertebrates; killer whales also feed on other marine mammals, sea turtles, and birds. Dolphins often hunt together, trying to catch schools of fish. They can use echolocation to find prey in deep, dark waters.

Dolphins make whistles, clicks, and screeching sounds to communicate with each other, and for echolocation. In many species each individual dolphin makes a unique 'signature whistle'. Human-made underwater sounds, such as used with sonar images, can interfere with dolphins' communication, and even injure tissues used for hearing and air intake.

Dolphins also help each other in various ways. If a dolphin is sick and can't raise to the surface to get air, another one supports it at the surface so it can breathe. Or, a dolphin may stay near an injured or sick one as a companion. Dolphins also defend an injured one against a threat such as a boat.

Male and female dolphin take part in courtship, which involves playing, caressing, and 'songs'. Gestation lasts about a year, and then a single calf is born. Calving usually occurs once every two years. Dolphin mother produces very high-fat milk for her young. The calf is weaned aroud 6 months to two years.

Certain dolphin species live quite long, 50 years or more, while the bottlenose dolphin and common dolphin typically live around 20-25 years.

Dolphin Classification:
Class Mammalia
Order Cetacea
Suborder Odontoceti

Names:
male: bull
female: cow
young: calf
group: pod

Sources:

Microsoft Encarta Reference Library 2005
Encyclopedia Britannica

SeaWorldAdventurePark.info is a website filled with photos from SeaWorld, Orlando, Florida, plus information, reviews, and a poll.

Ten Must-See Places in Yemen

Yemen is a country located in the Arabian Peninsula. It is a country rich in history and culture as well as wonderful places to visit. Although it is highly discouraged to visit the country right now because of civil unrest and terrorist attacks, it is still worth knowing the ten must-see places in Yemen.

1.) The Rock Art of Sa'da

You can see here ancient drawings and texts that were written by nomadic tribes. They date back to about 4,500 years ago. The drawings you will see in the canyon walls are animals that were predominant during that period (rams, snakes, cattle, people, etc.) as well as plants.

2.) Socotra Island

This is an island that has a very diverse flora and fauna that can only be found in the island. Only here will you see a centipede that eats flesh as well as a myriad of reptiles and birds. There are also the Dragon's Blood trees, which is always a sight to behold.

3.) The Incense Road

In Socotra also, you can follow the ancient Incense Road. You will get to see many cities, towns and villages along the way if you are up for the 62-day journey. The Incense Road is legendary because it was calculated that more than 3,000 tons of incense was transported through this way during the ancient times.

4.) Wadi Dhahr

This is a valley where vegetables and fruits are bountiful. You can also see here the Imam Yahya's palace, which was erected during the 1930s on top of a high rock. This high rock is called the Rock Palace or the Dar Al Hajar.

5.) Shibam

Anybody who sees this majestic group of clay and stone as well as wood buildings is sure to be struck with awe. Shibam is also fondly called as the Dessert Manhattan and is said to be the first city of skyscraper buildings in the whole world with some buildings having a height of eight stories. This is not an archeological site though, but it is a living city.

6.) The Shihara Suspended Bridge

Truly a sight to behold, this beautiful suspended bridge was built during the 17th century. But now, it is still a vital part of the two villages that it serves to connect - the Shihara Al-Qaish as well as the Shihara Al-Amir. There is also a Sunday Market here which is a popular tourist destination.

7.) Souk of Beit Al-Faqih

This is a great place for you to buy your souvenirs. This is a very lively and vibrant market that will give anyone a sensory overload. From pottery to animals to clothes to vegetables, you can find anything here.

8.) Old City of Sana'a

This has been listed also in the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Islamic mosques as well as traditional houses can be seen in this ancient city. You can also see here beautiful tower houses made from rammed earth, and this adds more to the beauty and significance of the Old City of Sana'a.

9.) Aden City

This is a wonderful city in Yemen that is home to the Aden Museum. It is also a popular tourist destination where you can always enjoy a day at the water park or the lagoons, which are perfect places to go bird watching. There are also resorts here if you want to relax.

10.) Kawbakan City

This is a great place to go to if you are souvenir hunting. You can also here find many beautiful semiprecious stones set in beautiful gold or silver jewelries. But if you have to shop here though, you have to have a good haggling technique as the prices tend to be set higher for the tourists.

Jonathan Williams is the travel writer for Destination Guide TV - the place to share travel videos. Visit http://www.destinationguide.tv/yemen to view or share Yemen travel videos.