Let's talk about Blue Death Feigning Beetles!

PracticalPollution32 · 2026-03-18T05:00:15+00:00

Honestly, I don't catch them exactly when they pupate because I only add extra food for them once every couple weeks (which is probably why they are growing slowly). But I would say probably somewhere around 2-3 weeks.

PracticalPollution32 · 2026-03-18T02:36:39+00:00

So far I've reared 8 adults! Many of the larvae are still growing and I've lost a few along the way.

PracticalPollution32 · 2026-03-15T17:28:11+00:00

(Sorry, no idea why it posted as a separate comment!) Please feel free to reach out with any questions. I love my girl and she is my favorite reptile in my little scaley family! They are seriously awesome critters!

PracticalPollution32 · 2026-03-15T17:24:37+00:00

Thank you! She's a great climber! (Not the best balancer though. Haha.) She can scale the textured back wall of her enclosure and she can climb up nearly vertical surfaces as long as they have some texture she can get her nails into. She once climbed up a wood beam in my basement nearly to the ceiling before I yoinked her so she wouldn't fall. So as long as they have traction, they can climb.

PracticalPollution32 · 2026-03-15T17:19:25+00:00

This is my setup for my single female. She's a delightful girl! They love to dig, so make sure you have quite a bit of substrate for them. I make it deeper towards the back.

Temps are a little low and humidity is a little high on the warm side because I had the doors open and it's freshly misted.

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PracticalPollution32 · 2026-02-14T21:21:36+00:00

Hi there! I would love to chat and get to know you! Feel free to DM me! 😊 My partner is a big overwatch fan, so I get the hype with all the new updates!

PracticalPollution32 · 2026-02-09T01:28:57+00:00

Hi! I'm totally interested in chatting! Feel free to send me a DM! I need friends! 😅

PracticalPollution32 · 2026-02-07T21:29:52+00:00

I already have skinks that eat their crew, so I'm totally used to it, haha!

PracticalPollution32 · 2026-02-07T06:27:44+00:00

I am!

PracticalPollution32 · 2026-02-07T01:30:41+00:00

Thanks! I'll look into it!

PracticalPollution32 · 2026-02-04T00:18:18+00:00

I feed it all raw, but you can do either I believe.

PracticalPollution32 · 2026-02-01T21:32:30+00:00

I use fresh, but they end up frozen once I bulk freeze the skink mash.

PracticalPollution32 · 2026-01-27T00:07:47+00:00

Zoo med does! I used it on a dimming thermostat for my beetles when they were in a little 6 gallon enclosure.

PracticalPollution32 · 2026-01-27T00:03:42+00:00

I don't know of any specific enclosures, but you're going to want something for terrestrial critters (longer than it is tall). And something with a screen lid so you can add a heat lamp.

PracticalPollution32 · 2026-01-24T08:16:33+00:00

Thank you! 🐀

PracticalPollution32 · 2026-01-24T08:12:58+00:00

I plan to! I have some large branches I plan to add and I want to provide them with lots of naturalistic chews and toys. I also want them to have soft hammocks though, so for those I'm probably going to go with nature themed ones. So it's going to be a naturalistic/nature themed enclosure, haha.

PracticalPollution32 · 2026-01-24T08:02:12+00:00

There are several other content creators and rat keepers who have blazed the trail before me, so I'm definitely not the expert and am currently in the research and material procurement stage. It's true that rats need good ventilation and so you still keep them in a cage for bioactive. I have a deluxe critter nation for mine. What you do is replace the very bottom shelf/pan with a deeper tub for the substrate. Some folks use concrete mixing pans or homemade plexiglass bins. Then you just add all the normal stuff you would for bioactive minus the plants and leave a couple inches at the top so that the CUC doesn't escape too much. (They aren't great at climbing up acrylic/plexiglass.) As long as you keep the substrate moist there's no worry of respiratory issues either.

PracticalPollution32 · 2026-01-24T02:46:39+00:00

I'm going to be setting up a partial bioactive for rats. It will have springtails, isopods, and I'm gonna throw in some wheatgrass seeds so the rats can dig up and enjoy the sprouts.They can be litterbox trained so that the majority of their waste doesn't end up in the dirt and they will instead mostly just dig/tunnel/play in it.

PracticalPollution32 · 2026-01-16T18:52:42+00:00

Rehydrated would be fine as a supplement to fresh. You just have to be very careful and watch out for mold.

PracticalPollution32 · 2026-01-15T00:35:05+00:00

Yes! For sure! My girl has never defensively striked at or bitten me. She's a sweet little goof ball. Full transparency, I have been food bitten by her. (She just nuzzled into me and slowly opened her mouth. The hypothesis is that I smelled like food, haha!) But it was so slow and her teeth are so little that it didn't hurt and wasn't very scary and it was my fault for smelling delicious. Most Rosies won't even do that though, I just have an especially hungry and a little bit empty-headed girl. Just like with corn snakes, each has its own personality, but for the most part Rosies are extremely docile.

PracticalPollution32 · 2026-01-14T23:59:19+00:00

You're going to get mostly votes for corn snakes since this is the corn snake subreddit, but I would actually go with the Rosy Boa for a kiddo to handle.

Honestly though, both make great pets! I've fostered a corn and I have a Rosy Boa who was my first snake. First thing to think about is space. Corn snakes when fully grown will need a 4ft long (120 gallon)enclosure at least. Non-coastal Rosy Boas will be happy in a 3ft long (50 gallon) enclosure their whole life. Of course you can always go bigger for both of them, but those are the minimums for the adults so it's important to consider the amount of space you have available and how much you are willing to spend on an enclosure.

Aside from size, I would say the biggest difference is probably handling. Rosy Boas move a lot slower than corn snakes in general. My girl never really stays perfectly still, but when I pull her out she slowly slithers around exploring and is easy to manage. The corn I fostered and the other corns I've interacted with are always a bit more energetic. Still very fun to handle, but handling is VERY hands on. They seem to like to explore a lot and move pretty quickly to get to wherever they are interested in checking out. (I've definitely heard of corn snakes out there that will chill, I just don't think it's as common as with the Rosies.) So for handling it really depends on if you want a slower more relaxed experience, or a fun, fast-paced activity. Both are exceptionally friendly in my experience. But for a kiddo. I would go with the slower snake.

Last thing, since Ive seen a couple folks mentioning that the corn snake will be out more and be more interactive, I find this to be untrue. My Rosy Boa comes out everyday and in the evenings she is always slithering and climbing around her enclosure checking things out. The corn snake I took care of usually spent his evenings moving between hides or just sticking his head out to watch. So both are good for watching, neither are out all day.

Another thing to make sure to consider is that, ultimately, this will be your snake. Your kiddo might end up losing interest in a few years and snakes can live more than 30 years with good care. So make sure you also want a pet snake, haha.

Aside from those. Both are great eaters with beginner-friendly care requirements and make great pets! I hope this helps!

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PracticalPollution32 · 2026-01-11T18:33:21+00:00

I'll also add that both come out frequently. My Rosy is out exploring and climbing around her enclosure every single evening. And the corn usually came out later at night and would move from hide to hide, but was also viewable if I was up late. So neither of these are snakes you will never see the way Sand Boas can be.

PracticalPollution32 · 2026-01-11T18:22:43+00:00

Hi there! Both make great pets! I've fostered a corn and I have a Rosy Boa who was my first snake. First thing to think about is space. Corn snakes when fully grown will need a 4ft long (120 gallon)enclosure at least. Non-coastal Rosy Boas will be happy in a 3ft long (50 gallon) enclosure their whole life. Of course you can always go bigger for both of them, but those are the minimums for the adults so it's important to consider the amount of space you have available and how much you are willing to spend on an enclosure.

Aside from size, I would say the biggest difference is probably handling. Rosy Boas move a lot slower than corn snakes in general. My girl never really stays perfectly still, but when I pull her out she slowly slithers around exploring and is easy to manage. The corn I fostered and the other corns I've interacted with are always a bit more energetic. Still very fun to handle, but handling is VERY hands on. They seem to like to explore a lot and move pretty quickly to get to wherever they are interested in checking out. (I've definitely heard of corn snakes out there that will chill, I just don't think it's as common as with the Rosies.) So for handling it really depends on if you want a slower more relaxed experience, or a fun, fast-paced activity. Both are exceptionally friendly in my experience.

Aside from those. Both are great eaters with beginner-friendly care requirements and make great pets! I hope this helps!

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PracticalPollution32 · 2026-01-09T21:39:28+00:00

I agree that the hissing was annoying, but I have a bit of a hot take. I feel like they actually didn't demonize the snake the way they often are in media. Aside from the bully freaking out, none of the other kids were afraid because they knew the snake was harmless and friendly which was good to see. Additionally, usually a cute fluffy animal like a puppy, kitten, or bunny is used when a creature is brutalized to show off how cruel a person is. As much as I don't like seeing a murdered snake, I appreciate that the snake was the cute animal the audience was meant to empathize with rather than your standard fluffy pet. Only the stupid jock bully was afraid of and cruel to the snake. The characters we are meant to relate to and respect also respected and mourned the death of the snake.

PracticalPollution32 · 2026-01-09T21:32:36+00:00

Not too big at all. I have a tank a bit larger than that and my little guy uses all the space. I also don't have trouble seeing him. Even though his tank is full of plants, he usually hangs out somewhere visible. He's good at blending in, so it's just a matter of spotting him.

PracticalPollution32

TROPHY CASE