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Fluffy Bunnies posted:Ah, good. That's the stuff I've been using. Calv didn't want to eat his crickets last time so I wanted to be sure it was just him being a dick and not something else. That's good  I'm glad they are doing well!
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Mar 30, 2012 16:13
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My geckos are participating in an academic study at a local vet school and they gave me a bunch of the xrays they took of them. I know I found them fascinating, and figured some of you would like to see just what geckos look like on the inside as well!  Gravid Chahoua   Male Chahoua   Female gargoyle   Female Leachie   Male gargoyle with regenerated tail On the gravid chahoua you can see how she is pulling calcium from her bones due to how dark the middle of them are with only a thin bright white wall. She should be laying those eggs very soon. nesbit37 fucked around with this message at 12:49 on Mar 31, 2012 |
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Mar 31, 2012 12:47
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drat nesbit, that's cool as hell! Thanks for sharing those! The picture of the gravid chewie is awesome!
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Mar 31, 2012 15:27
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Yeah, those are some really nice shots, thanks for sharing. I like the difference between the non-regen tail garg and the regenerated tail. Lots of waving going on in that female chewie's tail though, hope she is OK!
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Mar 31, 2012 15:43
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Cultured Snail posted:Yeah, those are some really nice shots, thanks for sharing. I like the difference between the non-regen tail garg and the regenerated tail. Lots of waving going on in that female chewie's tail though, hope she is OK! She'll be OK. They get like that every time they mobilize for eggs. It seems to be harder on them than many other geckos because they put so much calcium into the shells. Next year I am going to see if she will take a season off for me.
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Mar 31, 2012 16:19
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nesbit37 posted:She'll be OK. They get like that every time they mobilize for eggs. It seems to be harder on them than many other geckos because they put so much calcium into the shells. Next year I am going to see if she will take a season off for me. They all seem to have it to some degree, it's interesting..even the short leachie tail. Seems like it's just something that happens to all of them to one degree or another. Love the xrays, very awesome. Thank you for sharing. Amazing how huge the chewies eggs look inside her, incredible they can lay them.
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Apr 1, 2012 17:59
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Whoa. Those eggs take up half her body. At least I know why they only lay 1 or 2.
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Apr 1, 2012 19:10
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After seeing me feeding all the snakes today, my mom said she wouldn't mind parting with her Brazilian Rainbow Boas. There's four of them, one male and three female, and the issue comes from the largest, Azula. See, we got Azula from a neighbor years ago, and she had one eyecap stuck on. He'd done everything he could, and the vet said just to leave it. So she was blind in one eye. Now she is apparently blind in the other. She eats like a drat pig and isn't the most handable snake (mostly because we were trying to breed them and not mess with them during the cooldown and wakeup, etc) but I'm wondering if there's an ethical issue in selling a snake with two eyecaps on. She wasn't born with one covering, so it isn't genetic, and in every other way she's a stunning snake. But my mom is worried about this.
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Apr 2, 2012 00:34
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As long as you are upfront about the eyes and make sure the person knows what they are getting I don't see an ethical conflict.
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Apr 2, 2012 14:23
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nesbit37 posted:As long as you are upfront about the eyes and make sure the person knows what they are getting I don't see an ethical conflict. Yeah, this right here. If you tell them the problem in the ad or whatever, it's not like you're trying to hide it. v  v some people don't mind animals with issues.
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Apr 2, 2012 16:29
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Hey guys! So it was relatively warm out this past weekend so my boyfriend and I tried to go herping in my grandparent's woods. Unfortunately it must have still been a little too cold for any snakes, but I did find a couple things!  I believe it's a Dusky Mountain Salamander (Desmognathus ochrophaeus). I'm really bad at identification, so if anyone has another opinion please chime in! And even though this was the only little salamander I found, I was quite excited, because around 6 years ago there was pretty much NOTHING found in the area due to pollutants in the stream. Yay! We also found quite a few of these things, do you guys have any idea what it was? Some kind of insect obviously, but I've never seen one of these before! It's kind of creepy. 
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Apr 2, 2012 23:23
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It almost looks like some type of mole cricket, except it doesn't really have the little shovel hands that I can see.
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Apr 2, 2012 23:47
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Some kind of nymph/juvenile? There's plenty of overlap between this thread and the Critterquest thread, but they'd certainly be able to help you there too. Nice pictures!
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Apr 2, 2012 23:55
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It's probably an Ephemeroptera (Mayfly) nymph, but it could possibly be a Plecoptera (Stonefly) nymph. If you have a picture of one in water I'd be able to know for sure. Plecoptera have two cerci trailing behind them while Ephemeroptera have three. MrGreenShirt fucked around with this message at 00:16 on Apr 3, 2012 |
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Apr 3, 2012 00:12
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Looks like a stonefly larva to me, though like Mr. Greenshirt said, it could also be a mayfly. As for the salamander, that's a two-lined salamander; probably either Eurycea cirrigera or bislineata, depending on where you are. They're neat little salamanders. Desmogs will be dark brown or black and you'll find them in the same kind of habitat. Your stream must definitely be improving; stoneflies seem to be associated with cleaner streams in my experience, though I could be wrong, and sals tend to disappear from polluted areas entirely.
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Apr 3, 2012 00:21
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I'm personally leaning toward Mayfly since Stonefly cerci rarely bunch together like that, and I've seen some BEEFY Mayfly nymphs. As for the stream quality issue, it really depends on the type of species of Mayfly (or Stonefly) we're looking at. Some can only handle the purest of pure streams, while others can make do with the grubbiest of waterways and have big population explosions when their competitors all die off from poor water quality. These nymphs are great indicator species for water quality but unless we know which particular species it is we won't know if that's a good or bad thing in this case. On the other hand, you're right on the money with the salamander pollution bit.
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Apr 3, 2012 00:30
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Wow, thanks for all the responses guys! Yeah I'm really amazed at how much better the stream has been getting over the last few years, we even saw a bunch of itty-bitty fish in it this time around! Here's to hoping it'll just keep getting better. And thanks OneTwentySix for the fixed ID! I was hoping you'd pop in with your sweet salamander knowledge. I'm in central MD, by the way, if that helps. In a few weeks when it REALLY starts to get warmer, I'll definitely go back out and hopefully find some more cool things.
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Apr 3, 2012 01:33
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If you're in MD, then you've got E. bislineata. Some of the Eurycea form a bit of a complex of related, similar looking species, with bislineata, cirrigera, wilderae, junaluska, one or two other populations that might be elevated to species status, and the dwarf salamanders Eurycea quadridigitata and E. chamberlaini. Fortunately, it's not a huge mess like Plethodon glutinosis and the main problem is telling bislineata and cirrigera apart, but they have distinct ranges. Eurycea are a neat group of animals, though I prefer the larger ones (longicauda, guttolineata, and lucifuga) and some of the crazy cave species.
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Apr 3, 2012 05:54
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It's a damselfly naiad. I guess a lot of people arn't familiar with them, but the prof that got me into insects/biology is one of the top Odonata specialists in the US. Ephemeroptera have gills running the whole length of the abdomen, and dragonflies have internal gills they suck in water across (which also allows them a means of jet propulsion) Plecoptera have 2 cerci, not 3 gills coming from the end of their abdomen. It's probable a member of the family Coengrionidae, because those are the most common, but if you said what type of water (standing/running) you found him in, and if you saw any other adult damselflies I could give you a bit more sure of a family answer. If you have a few other pics, I can ask my prof and he might be able to id it, although it isn't quite up close enough to make out the features. Also: Nymph: Juvi insect who has the same environment as adult w/o pupal stage (aphid young would be nymphs) Naiad: Juvi insect who has a different enviroment from adult w/o going through a pupal stage (Odonata, Ephemeroptera, Neuroptera, Trichoptera, Plecoptera off the top of my head) Larva: Juvi insect who has a pupal state. vvvv: Dr. John Abbott; He wrote Damselflies & Dragonflies of Texas, Damselflies of Texas, and started OdonataCentral And, yeah, looking at it again I do think it's a mayfly naiad. I really wish it was in the water or a fulll top down shot. The body type is almost identical to this mayfly, except for the gills at the end. http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/casefile/insects/mayflies/mayflies.htm ZarathustraFollower fucked around with this message at 08:12 on Apr 3, 2012 |
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Apr 3, 2012 07:05
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Sorry to derail this further, but the naiad (sorry for the lapse in proper nomenclature) in the picture does not look like a damselfly to me at all. No protruding eyes, too short of an abdomen. Of course these are all generalizations mind you, but it still doesn't have that Odonate look to it. As for the apparent lack of gills on the abdomen, they often stick flat to the body when the insect is taken out of water. Needless to say I'm sticking to my original Mayfly hypothesis. If you don't mind me asking, who's your professor? I've studied under one of the top Belostomatidae specialists in the States myself, and a colleague of mine has over 10 years field experience dealing with aquatic insects. Edit: Just sent the picture off to my colleague to see what she makes of it. I'll keep you guys posted! Edit2: Yep, she identified it as a Mayfly from the family Heptageniidae. MrGreenShirt fucked around with this message at 19:14 on Apr 3, 2012 |
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Apr 3, 2012 07:45
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Our company's new animal coordinator thinks we should be carrying live feeder mice for our snake customers. I'm vehemently against it because a) putting fifty mice into even our largest enclosure will still create the most foul smelling den within three hours, and b) live mice are not cost-effective as feeders for our customer base. I've always been taught that feeding live is asking for infections and damage to your snake. Does anyone else have thoughts and opinions on this?
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Apr 4, 2012 05:30
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Its such a pain in the rear end. Male mice are always fkin each other up so half of them get a lot of back wounds that you have to separate and treat. ...or don't have to treat but I can't imagine anyone wanting to buy -those- mice.
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Apr 4, 2012 05:41
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You may have to also present It from A business perspective: There's no way in hell you can maintain live mice cheaper than a stocked freezer. Besides that, Malalol is on point: they will stink like the bowels of a violent murine hell.
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Apr 4, 2012 14:22
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My jeweled lacertas have decided to mate again! Unlike the last clutch of eggs, I will now use a new incubator that hopefully wont desiccate them in 8 hours. I have a reptibator that I bought in a pinch, and it was the worst. Temperature variation of 10 F between top and bottom, and impossible to keep humidity above 70%. Anyone know of some good DIY incubators? I've seen those cooler with a fish tank heater in a bed of water with a suspended substrate. Anyone have any luck with these? DIY Incubator http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T86nPATEckA These lizards have a habit of mating and laying Eggs when I travel. The first mating occured a few weeks before I went on a 2 week cruise, and my sitter let them turn to rocks in the cage, the second time they mated they laid eggs 1 day before I left for my honeymoon and I'm anticipated them laying this clutch when I have to travel for work. In other news, anyone try LED solutions for reptiles? I see plenty of UV solutions above the 280 nm range, but nothing in the UVB spectra. Anyone know if something like this exists? My googling just brings me to a bunch of weed growing websites.
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Apr 4, 2012 15:49
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Malalol posted:...or don't have to treat but I can't imagine anyone wanting to buy -those- mice. Nasty infected mice as feeders?  Yeah that's not gonna fly.Stick with the freezer.
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Apr 4, 2012 16:23
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I saw a Zilla Bearded Dragon cage that came with the lights, thermometers and everything for only 200 dollars at the pet store. It was 40 gallons but I'm pretty sure that will be big enough for an adult. Barely. It also had a sliding screen top and a carpet thing to put on the bottom. I plan on getting it this weekend. I don't know when I'm getting the baby Beardie but is there anything I should do when I bring it home besides not handle it right away so I don't stress it out?
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Apr 5, 2012 02:10
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Goddamn and here I can't loving GIVE away my excess live mice. I bred them mostly for my picky ball trio, who refuse to eat prekilled, and to have live pinkies on hand for my sand boa babies. But it is very very rare for any male to end up with his back ruined, either because I mostly feed out the males, or they're so drat southern-style inbred that they don't loving care. Celery, is this a 40 breeder or standard?
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Apr 5, 2012 02:14
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Don't know the difference but I'm sure that it is a standard. Oh and it is 36x18x16. Celery Face fucked around with this message at 02:41 on Apr 5, 2012 |
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Apr 5, 2012 02:36
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To celebrate one month with my new baby, here are two humble pictures. Here is the little dude taking a bath.  And here he is, savaging a plate of diced apple. If you want a frame of reference for his size, he's a little bit smaller than a grenade, and that plate is a lid from a 32oz Country Crock butter tub. He actually eats best off that thing. I've used a variety of other plates I've got- actual plates. They're either white, or black, or gray, and no matter what food I put on em he tends to go retard and 'miss' his food, making feeding laborious and frankly embarrassing to look at. Some of the white ones, he tries eating the decorative trim instead of his food! Meanwhile, these butter tub lids, he stays on task until he's full. Derpy little fucker. I still haven't named him yet. He's just 'the turtle' right now. Took me 9 months to name my pythons, though. At this rate, if we go by personality traits, he's going to end up being named 'Stupid' or 'Numbnuts.'
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Apr 5, 2012 03:11
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Celery Face posted:Don't know the difference but I'm sure that it is a standard. You're sure you're sure? Because that's a breeder size. Google is very helpful on the difference between the two. The breeder size is better for a BD, but you'll still need to set up a baby in a smaller tank or block off access to most of the tank to be sure it can eat and bask and isn't intimidated by the space.
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Apr 5, 2012 03:27
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Cowslips Warren posted:Goddamn and here I can't loving GIVE away my excess live mice. I bred them mostly for my picky ball trio, who refuse to eat prekilled, and to have live pinkies on hand for my sand boa babies. But it is very very rare for any male to end up with his back ruined, either because I mostly feed out the males, or they're so drat southern-style inbred that they don't loving care. I dunno man. I bred mice briefly for a friend (who was using them as feeders for a stubborn ball). One went missing. Turns out I'd mis-sexed one. I found it's body, minus his head, hidden in a pile of shavings. Mice are crazy.
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Apr 5, 2012 03:36
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Fluffy Bunnies posted:I dunno man. I bred mice briefly for a friend (who was using them as feeders for a stubborn ball). One went missing. Turns out I'd mis-sexed one. I found it's body, minus his head, hidden in a pile of shavings. Mice are crazy. Once in a very very great while I'll find a dead one that's been eaten. Usually this happens when (a) I am not home to feed them twice a day and no one else feeds them, despite me leaving notes reminding to FEED THE ANIMALS THAT TAKE UP AN ENTIRE ROOM IN THE HOUSE or (b) someone decides to be funny and toss a new mouse into an established tank. I have way too many of the drat things though and can't GIVE them away. When pet stores around here sell feeders for almost $4 each, it's loving insane.
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Apr 5, 2012 04:00
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5er posted:Oh my goodness he is just the cutest 
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Apr 5, 2012 05:07
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Celery Face posted:I saw a Zilla Bearded Dragon cage that came with the lights, thermometers and everything for only 200 dollars at the pet store. It was 40 gallons but I'm pretty sure that will be big enough for an adult. Barely. It also had a sliding screen top and a carpet thing to put on the bottom. I plan on getting it this weekend. Don't get the Zilla, it's crap. The lights it come with are poo poo and the thermometers are worthless. You want to spend the money on a tank with front doors. Get the Exo Terra. PetSmart has them for $180. Go to Wal-Mart and get a digital indoor/outdoor thermometer for $5. Spend the money on a Fluker 10" SunDome and a 125w Exo Terra SolarGlo MVB. You might want to grab a wire dome and 100w Ceramic Heat Emitter for the other side of the cage if your house gets cold at night.
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Apr 5, 2012 23:27
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Thanks for letting me know because I was planning on getting it soon. I'm pretty sure the Exo Terra at Petsmart costs more than 180 dollars but it's a really nice tank. I also knew the lights wouldn't be enough when I saw how many watts they had so I was making sure. I'll have to get the heat emitter too. The weather here in BC is mostly somewhat cold and insanely inconsistent. Edit: The Zilla tank and kit is 150 bucks cheaper than the Exo Terra tank. Is it a good idea to buy the kit, keep the cage and throw the crappy stuff away? Celery Face fucked around with this message at 01:40 on Apr 6, 2012 |
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Apr 6, 2012 01:13
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Oh, you're in Canada. Explain the price difference! I can't remember if the Zilla tank is glass or not. If it is it would be alright I guess. If it's acrylic, skip it. The carpet and screen top are okay. Make sure you get a 10" dome, MVB and that heat emitter.
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Apr 6, 2012 12:44
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I've already bought it because the Exo Terra was more than 250 bucks while the Zilla was 190 bucks and came with other stuff I might use. The Zilla cage is quite nice and is made out of glass. My mom thinks the 3 lights the Zilla cage will suffice because we don't need a basking spot and a cool spot blah blah blah but I'm pretty sure she's wrong. I don't have to get the dragon right away, I could get the lights first.
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Apr 6, 2012 17:22
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Does the Zilla kit have a fluorescent bulb? If not you need a 125w Mercury Vapor Bulb minimum. That will keep the hot end of the cage about 105f @ 6" from the top. That's a perfect temperature. You can throw a 75w incandescent house bulb at the other end of the cage to keep the temps there in the mid 80's. If you didn't want to go the heat emitter route, you could get one of the ZooMed Mini Combo fixtures and throw a ZooMed Daylight Blue and Nightlight Red in it. They make a 60w double pack, which should work well. Ideally, that's the setup I'd go with: 10" Fluker SunDome fixture with a 125w Exo Terra SolarGlo Mercury Vapor Bulb and a ZooMed Mini Combo with a Daylight Blue and Nightlight Red. Two fixtures, three bulbs, good to go. (You need a fluorescent UVB 10.0 bulb or a Mercury Vapor Bulb to provide the dragon with UVB. If you don't provide this they will acquire metabolic bone disease and die.)
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Apr 6, 2012 18:10
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I'd probably want the heat emitter. The tank is in my room. And yes, the Zilla has a fluorescent bulb. Celery Face fucked around with this message at 20:05 on Apr 7, 2012 |
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Apr 7, 2012 01:34
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My girlfriend's chameleon has started to eat and drink for me, since I'm around during the day, which allows me to hand feed him and monitor his intake. Chams are very mistrustful and easily stressed into ill health, so I hadn't been trying to mess with him much, aside from the occasional misting, but he's approaching 5 years now and is officially geriatric in chameleon terms so it's become important to keep him hydrated, and my girlfriend is/was the only one he would drink openly for, so my job was just to mist consistently to keep moisture out for him to drink, should he so choose. He started seeing me coming with the sprayer and he gradually began to associate me with it but still get real pissy if I made eye contact too long or sprayed too hard. I would just avoid looking at him like he was an Arabic prince, while I misted him, until one morning I happened to glance back and catch him blissfully drinking with his eyes closed. Gradually, he would do this even if I was looking, and started to happily take food from me, which, even though he'll eat for everyone, was still a big accomplishment for me. Now he demands food whenever I happen to be nearby and is a real grumpy pig in general, but oh god the little girl in me is super excited that I made a chameleon 'friend'.
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Apr 7, 2012 21:55
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