Puzzles and Scents

Saturday February 18 is Enrichment Day. I need to make enrichment items for all my critters. Cardboard boxes and paper towel rolls are always good standbys, but I need to get more creative. I am going to make a maze for the rhino ratsnake, buy clear plastic hamster tubes for the Arizona kingsnake and the tentacled snakes, and build a jungle gym for the skinks. Others will get puzzle feeders or scent boxes. The puzzle feeders are boxes or tubes with small holes. The animal knocks it around until the food falls out of the holes. Puzzle feeders are great for any animal including domestic pets. The feeders I make will contain crickets for the frogs and monitors. Scent boxes are pure stimulation. A box with some old mouse bedding is great. And easy. The snakes will sense what smells like food and then search for it. The pond turtles will get a floating puzzle feeder made from a plastic bottle. The skinks will get new items to climb. I can make and/or buy bird toy ladders and small cargo nets. I still need something for the pancake tortoises. Oh well, back to work. Got to get started on painting some boxes!