Transfer fledgling to cage when it becomes active. Use commercial canary cage for young jay; large bird cage for crow and magpie (see Part IV). Cover cage bottom with thick layer of bird gravel. Place limb with sturdy branches in cage as perch. Train pet to use cage for headquarters by keeping food and water there.
Racers need large cage plenty of room and must be housed alone. Use large reptile cage (see Part IV). Cover cage bottom with a thick layer of pea gravel. Place large section of sod with growth of fairly tall weeds or wild grass across one end of cage as grass cover. Place branching limb across one corner of cage, preferably over grass, for crawling. Limb must be strong enough to hold weight of snake. Place cage where it receives some sunlight each day, but protect it from overheating.
Use large reptile cage (see Part IV); be sure larger specimens have enough room. Cover cage bottom with thick layer of pea gravel topped by 2-3 inches of humus or good sandy soil. Place grassy sod and large sections of moss over soil at one end of cage. As retreat, pile small, rather flat rocks close to green area; add sections of old, rotted logs and pieces of stumps. For climbing species, provide branching limb across one end of cage. Place cage where it receives some direct sunlight each day but is out of drafts. Protect cage from overheating; snakes maintained outside their range must also be protected from chilling.
Transfer fledgling to cage when it becomes active. Use commercial canary cage for young jay; large bird cage for crow and magpie (see Part IV). Cover cage bottom with thick layer of bird gravel. Place limb with sturdy branches in cage as perch. Train pet to use cage for headquarters by keeping food and water there.