|
Can anyone help me out with finding a rescue for a red eared slider in or near Seattle. I've tried google and come up mostly empty handed because no one wants red eared sliders.
|
#
?
Sep 23, 2012 04:59
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 3, 2024 11:46 |
|
|
Reason posted:Can anyone help me out with finding a rescue for a red eared slider in or near Seattle. I've tried google and come up mostly empty handed because no one wants red eared sliders. I know that there's a few herp thread regulars from that area, but I don't know how much help they can be.
|
|
#
?
Sep 23, 2012 07:58
|
|
|
Big Centipede posted:Also got a handful of baby Damon diadema. What are you feeding them? When I had one I fed her crickets but they were always rather problematic, since they didn't want to climb, and if they did they would jump before she could snag them. I pretty much just hate crickets for everything save mantises at this point. gently caress crickets, aaaargh. On an unrelated note, I was casually browsing through pictures of ball python morphs, and I discovered some morphs can fetch over 10,000 dollars?  Now all I can think about is how easy would it be to become a Ball Python breeder. Anyone know how viable that is? It seems like the market would be saturated or you can't really get into the business without already having an amazing set of snakes or getting insanely lucky in the genetic lottery. Rhjamiz fucked around with this message at 08:30 on Sep 23, 2012 |
|
#
?
Sep 23, 2012 08:26
|
|
|
Rhjamiz posted:What are you feeding them? When I had one I fed her crickets but they were always rather problematic, since they didn't want to climb, and if they did they would jump before she could snag them. I pretty much just hate crickets for everything save mantises at this point. gently caress crickets, aaaargh. I'm feeding them baby lateralis roaches and crickets. A couple years back there was a $100k BP morph.
|
|
#
?
Sep 23, 2012 12:54
|
|
|
I can't even imagine spending $100k on a BP, and with the way prices fluctuate in that market, I imagine that snake is now worth significantly less. Just look at how Spiders and Pastels have dropped in recent years, and now you can find piebalds for $500, not $2-3k. I suppose pretty much all markets are unstable, but BPs seem like such a high risk game. Reason posted:Can anyone help me out with finding a rescue for a red eared slider in or near Seattle. I've tried google and come up mostly empty handed because no one wants red eared sliders. Yeah, no one wants RES. There's no legitimate rescue reptile that I know of in the area; you may be seeing Hart's Reptile Rescue, but it is not reputable and are horrible people. Is it your turtle or someone else? Your best options would be to a)put an ad on Fauna or Kingsnake, or an RES-specific forum and ship it to someone (through ShipYourReptiles.com if you don't know how to ship, it's really easy though), or b)set it up yourself with a properly-sized tank, UVB/UVA, heat and filtration (heavy, heavy filtration) and then sell the whole setup + turtle to someone on craigslist who seems like they know what they're doing somewhat. Be sure anyone buying it is from a state where they're legal. They're not legal in Oregon. Captain Foxy fucked around with this message at 18:35 on Sep 23, 2012 |
|
#
?
Sep 23, 2012 18:27
|
|
|
Captain Foxy posted:Is it your turtle or someone else? Your best options would be to a)put an ad on Fauna or Kingsnake, or an RES-specific forum and ship it to someone (through ShipYourReptiles.com if you don't know how to ship, it's really easy though), or b)set it up yourself with a properly-sized tank, UVB/UVA, heat and filtration (heavy, heavy filtration) and then sell the whole setup + turtle to someone on craigslist who seems like they know what they're doing somewhat. Yea its ours so it already has a massive 80+ gallon tank, 120 gallon Rena filter. We might just go the craigslist route.
|
|
#
?
Sep 23, 2012 18:58
|
|
|
Went to Repticon yesterday, now I've got a 2 month old Eastern Hognose. I picked up some canned mackerel and sardines to scent with, but I also realized the smallest mouse I can get from my lps is probably too big for it. Is it fine to cut a pinkie in half and offer it that way? I also swear I remember someone talking about just offering mouse heads to smaller animals...
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2012 03:24
|
|
|
ZarathustraFollower posted:Went to Repticon yesterday, now I've got a 2 month old Eastern Hognose. I picked up some canned mackerel and sardines to scent with, but I also realized the smallest mouse I can get from my lps is probably too big for it. Is it fine to cut a pinkie in half and offer it that way? I also swear I remember someone talking about just offering mouse heads to smaller animals... Hatchling Western hogs can eat pinkies... an Eastern should have no problem. You might need toads to scent with.
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2012 03:56
|
|
|
Genmaicha was looking flashy today so I snapped a few shots.    And here's the Tokay pair guarding their eggs again. They've been taking shifts with egg guard-duty, but sometimes they'll both come out and it's pretty  .   It's neat to see this kind of parental responsibility from a reptile. The female chooses the right temperature in the enclosure to glue her eggs, molds them carefully in place with her feet, and guards them faithfully until they hatch. The male is not only devoted to his female, but will guard his own eggs as well. They won't eat their young either; if the babies hatch out in the enclosure they'll be safe from their parents.
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2012 02:27
|
|
|
Made a connection this weekend that might get me a male C. bakeri. Gal had one, as well as a badass sailfin dragon. Also met the chillest snapping turtle on the planet; guy has had him for 22 years and he let people touch the head and all the body, and even dogs would come up and sniff him and that turtle just didn't give a poo poo.  
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2012 16:37
|
|
|
I'm in the process of buying a pair of Iquitos vents (Ranitomeya ventrimaculata dart frogs), and so I had to make their tank today. I originally wanted to make them a 20 gallon high, but my old tanks are all stacked up in the garage and it was a lot easier to just grab a 30 from the top, so I went with that. I documented the process and thought I'd share the photos. Quality isn't quite what I'd like, so I apologize in advance. I started by laying down a clay background. I use a redart/bentonite/peat mix; I've posted it earlier, and it's really working out for me. My other tanks are around five weeks old and are holding up really well, and I'm really happy with the whole process. I've found that the amount of water you use in mixing the background really changes the texture of the clay. I like going a bit drier with the initial mix, and then just plopping clay into shape. Afterward, I wet my hands and slowly smooth things out, bringing the boundaries for the ledges and the main background together, and then using the wet hands to give the whole thing a slightly wet, smooth texture. It doesn't take much moisture, but looks pretty nice.  While it's still wet, I take some peat moss and dry long-fiber sphagnum moss in a blender, and then pile it on top of the clay. This gives it a nice texture, might help a bit with the drying, and may encourage things to grow out of the background; I used to get little green things sprouting out when I did a kitty litter background a few years back. Redart backgrounds are so much nicer than the kitty litter stuff, though; much smoother, and it seems to stick on a bit better. I prefer working with it a lot, and it holds up better I've heard.  After it's dried for about half an hour outside (if you leave it too long, it dries too quickly and starts to crack), stand it upright and vacuum off the excess peat (save a bit to patch up and places where you brush up against the clay; I didn't think of this until after I vacuumed everything. Oh well). I then added my floor, a piece of egg crate, with some plastic sewing things on top to hold the soil in.  You'll then want a bit of Turface (or as I like to call it, Turdface). This basically takes up space so you don't need so much of the clay soil. Alternately, you can just use cocofiber or ABG mix. It's not bad for the plants, though; it's just a low fire clay they use for sports fields. An inch or so works well.  You'll want to slowly wet the turface. I took half a gallon of water and then took a half cup measuring cup (because it was handy; being exact isn't important) and poured it in short rows, slowly hydrating the mix. The idea here is to get the turface wet, but not so quickly that it all drains to the bottom and sits under the false bottom for years. I went too fast with my second 20 gallon, and there's half an inch sitting in there that I won't be able to remove. Not a big deal, but it could add up over time. This is also when you want to seed your tank with springtails and isopods. Otherwise, it can be ugly when you put it in later.   Don't mind my dog in the second photo; he wanted to lick my spray bottle. Now you can start planting and adding the soil. With the clay soil I use, you don't want to disturb it once it's wet, so I got my plants ready and then buried them partially in the turface, and then piled the clay around them. You want to spray it down with a combination of sugar and baking soda (and mycorrhizae, though I didn't know where to buy this and it looked to be a bit more expensive than I could pay); the idea being that this will form a biofilm to help keep the clay pellets separated. It'll also mold a little bit, which is fine since that will feed the springtails initially. Afterward, you'll want to spray it down and wet the clay pellets a bit more; not too much, but just enough that they change color and aren't dry (so the plants would die).  The last step is to add some leaves. I collected a bunch of small oak leave (live oak?), boiled them, and then placed them on top of the clay. This gives the frogs cover, feeds the springtails and gives them a place to hide, and it looks nice, too. Oak leaves work best, since they last longest, though sea grape and magnolia leaves work, too.  And here's what you end up with (don't mind the yellow, dying leaf; that's a rescue from an old tank I tore down a long time ago, and I'm just hoping the step will recover now that it has good light and moisture; it looks like it has a bud). I'm really hoping the ledges hold out okay; they're a bit thinner and larger than the ones I've done in the past, but they should be okay, I think. They help to add tank space for the frogs to walk around on, and will look really nice once the plants grow in.   Here's the ledges. I tried to get shots from inside the tank so they'd turn out better, but they were mostly too close. Make sure you watch for cracks, especially by the ledges. They will appear over the next few days, but they'll be small and minor as the clay dries. You can just press them back into the back glass, and smooth them together and you don't even notice; this redart mix smooths together really well. Eventually, it gets to a point where it's all dried enough and stays in place decently. Overall, it was pretty cheap to make this tank. I had the spare 29 in my garage, along with the light and lid. The soil took one double batch of the recipe I used, and the background took one batch. I can't remember if I gave the recipe for one or two batches, but one batch was 4 quarts of redart. I finished all my clay and turface today, but one bag of turface, a 50 pound of redart, and 15 pounds of bentonite (around $60 all together) was enough for my friend's huge tank (I want to say 40 gallon breeder, but it's gotta be at least 50 gallons), two 20 highs for me, and this 30. It's not much more expensive than buying cocofiber and is probably cheaper than ABG mix, and it has a lot of advantages for the frogs and bugs. It should also last a lot longer than cocofiber; some setups have run 20 years on similar mixes. So overall, I really like it, and the backgrounds look nicer than most backgrounds I've made before. You can easily add extras, like broms, cork bark, wood, or film canisters to the background, too. I'll post pictures of the frogs when they arrive, but here are a few other pictures.  There's my male Varadero imitator with a tadpole; took that photo today. I'm up to 8 tadpoles, (2 in the tank), and I'm going to let them raise a bunch of tadpoles until the ones I've pulled start getting close to morphing, and then I'll start pulling again.  Here's a crappy shot of the Varadero tank. I like to keep little post-its on the tanks so that I can trace lineage; I get as much information from the buyer, and now I have it on hand to give to future customers.  And here's one of my male intermedius imitators. I removed him from my other tank in the hopes of encouraging the female to lay good eggs, and she laid almost immediately afterward, but they still look bad. I'm wondering if I should move her in with him, and leave the other male alone, but imitators are monogamous and I don't really want to split the couple apart. I wanted to buy him a female, but right now I'm completely broke until someone decides they want to buy some salamanders from me, but people aren't biting on my classifieds, which is weird since axolotls are always popular, and red efts are amazingly cute. But at least I could afford the vents, pretty excited for those guys!
|
|
#
?
Sep 27, 2012 01:45
|
|
|
I got to say, those setups are loving awesome. My mom wanted dart frogs once, but fell in love with a blue tongued skink instead. Now I only wonder what size to upgrade her to; Jackie is in a 40 breeder and needs more floorspace. She's a lazy lizard and my mom keeps worrying that we don't interact with her enough. I say she's fine; she gets lots of chow, gets handled a few times a week, and she isn't aggressive. I figure as long as she isn't going nippy we're fine. Plus she freaks the cats out when she licks the glass and they're watching her. Dart frogs are gorgeous but I fear the cats would view the cages as a test of their intelligence.
|
|
#
?
Sep 27, 2012 02:08
|
|
|
My friend's cat sleeps on top of her dart frog tank. I don't really feel comfortable with it, but it's her tank. You could definitely make a cat-proof tank, though; I've had vertical tanks with latches that you could secure pretty well that I can't think of a cat getting open, especially paired with a spray bottle when the cat was near it. Probably wouldn't even notice the frogs if the tank misted up pretty well, too. Edit: <-- Oh wow, I really posted in the wrong thread, haha. OneTwentySix fucked around with this message at 02:37 on Sep 27, 2012 |
|
#
?
Sep 27, 2012 02:21
|
|
|
Incredible setup, OneTwentySix. I admire the time and dedication you put into giving your dart frogs the best. Dart frog paradise -- I hope they enjoy it!
|
|
#
?
Sep 27, 2012 05:47
|
|
|
There were some little baby turtles (I think? their tank was almost all water) in the pet shop I went into yesterday. They were so cute and little that I almost bought all of them The man said that they grow to be about the size of your hand, and I was just wondering what kind of turtle they are; I forgot to ask him. Also how easy/hard are turtles to care for
|
|
#
?
Sep 27, 2012 16:38
|
|
|
They are most assuredly red eared sliders, and I beg you not to buy them. We get called to rescue them literally every other day, and they're a lot of work and years of care. Males do get about 4 or 5", but females get over 10" and require large expensive tanks. If you really want some, do some research, get a tank ready and then rescue some males.
|
|
#
?
Sep 27, 2012 16:42
|
|
|
I was joking about getting some  I have zero experience with reptiles, and I just thought they were adorable. I was just curious to see how difficult they were to care for properly - obviously, since it's a crappy little pet shop, the guy pretty much downplayed it. I'm surprised that he downplayed how big females get though!
|
|
#
?
Sep 27, 2012 16:49
|
|
|
I have a red-eared slider, and I will agree that yes, he is a lot of work (although I mean, what's a lot? He's less work than a dog would be). Don't buy one without doing your research and fully understanding what kind of a commitment you're making. That said, I am totally enraptured with my turtle and think that if you're willing to care for them properly, turtles make sweet, adorable, lovely pets. My turtle recognizes me and will come to the surface of his tank whenever I'm in the room. He also does really cute (and bratty) stuff like attempt to hide the food he doesn't like (mustard greens). I don't know. I know that people here will warn you off of them, but I'm in love with my red-eared slider.
|
|
#
?
Sep 27, 2012 16:52
|
|
|
Bobbaganoosh posted:Incredible setup, OneTwentySix. I admire the time and dedication you put into giving your dart frogs the best. Dart frog paradise -- I hope they enjoy it! Thanks! It really is kinda fun to make the tanks, with the exception of the clay substrate; that's a HUGE pain in the rear end. But even that pays off in the long run; it's pretty neat to see springtails in between the pieces. With cocofiber or ABG mix, frogs can wipe out the springtail population in a month or two, and then you have to restock it. Here, you can have a larger population of springtails than a culture, since there's so much surface area, and most of it is inaccessible to frogs. But yeah, if I could sell tanks, I'd definitely do it. I'm currently trying to spread the hobby in the area, since as far as I know, I'm the only person in the area keeping darts (there may be one or two I don't know about). I got one friend into them, and I'm working on a second, and hopefully I can get some stranger into things, and then have a customer base to sell frogs to, and also have people I can buy/trade frogs with, as well as possibly sell tanks, etc. So it's a fun work in progress.
|
|
#
?
Sep 27, 2012 18:32
|
|
|
Have you considered making your substrate bulk and selling the extra? I know that I would be interested in trying it for my isopod cultures. I bet you could move a ton of it at reptile shows.
|
|
#
?
Sep 27, 2012 18:56
|
|
|
so my big tank's plants and bugs came in today, so I put everything in place and now to just let everything grow! Just so everybody remembers without having to look back, this is what the background started as.  Then after lots of grout and painting and sealing, it turned into this:  Here it a few days ago with just the branches in place and the new screen I made for it. The tank when I bought it off the dude came with this lovely, scratched plexiglass lid with some holes in it. Soo I bought a window kit and some fiberglass mesh and made a new lid. While out with the dog I found a HUGE branch from a silver maple tree. Already debarked. Dragged that thing home and cut off what I wanted. Did the usual bleach soak and then oven to dry it out. The substrate is my own concoction that is pretty close to ABG mix. I used top soil with sphagnum moss, cococoir, play sand, this nice orchid mix(fir bark,charcoal and something or another I think more moss), pea gravel and a leaf litter mix of Red Oak, White Ash, and Silver Maple.  I might end up getting more plants, but that'll depend on how these grow into the tank. For now I've got a Golden Pothos, an African Violet, Variegated Ivy(close relative of English Ivy,but I think these vines are prettier), a "Black Gold" Sansevieria trifasciata and in that little potter is a clipping of a Wandering Jew. Once it starts rooting and the like, I'll transplant it into the soil itself. Also put in Springtails and Porcellio scaber in there to have some fun.    Also, he/she wants to say hello after walking through its food >.> 
|
|
#
?
Sep 27, 2012 19:18
|
|
|
OneTwentySix posted:
Did you use any eggcrate to support the background? I've been doing that in the 20g Long's I've been making gecko condos from. One guy used that method when the KL backgrounds were popular since it held even that stuff up pretty well. It also gave me a way to separate the background from the back glass, so I could fill it with the crunched up baked clay mix so the bugs had more places to set up their bug cities or whatever they do. Pumilo from Dendroboard thought it would work when I talked with him. As an aside, he has a really nice tank set up. It will be awhile before I know if it works let alone if it is worth it though.
|
|
#
?
Sep 27, 2012 20:16
|
|
|
Quick update on my Hognose issue. I'm now getting advice from some experienced herpers, including one who has done field research on Easterns. 2 of them are asking around for American toads, and if any of you folks reading this can get me some small bufos to sell (check your local laws first) that would be awesome. I'm flat out going to give up even trying mice with it. Honestly, I wish I had picked up more on some of the red flags while buying it at the convention (like that it was an eastern, and not western hognose) and that none of the hatchlings had eaten in captivity, but I can't go back now. It looks like the seller just managed to catch a gravid female (considering he had her for sale too) and was trying to move the young too. Of course I have nothing with his name on it either. I'm also probably going to have to get a permit just to get the toads for the little fucker, because you need a permit in my state to own more than 4 American toads, even if you buy them from out of state. Short term, I'm going to ask a family friend in a different state to keep the toads for me. If I can even get any. It was a mistake to get the hognose without getting better info on it, but at this point all I can do is try and do the best I can for it.
|
|
#
?
Sep 27, 2012 22:10
|
|
|
Pardalis posted:Have you considered making your substrate bulk and selling the extra? I know that I would be interested in trying it for my isopod cultures. I bet you could move a ton of it at reptile shows. I have thought about it, but the problem is that it's such a pain in the rear end to make and that shipping would be expensive. I don't think I'd be able to sell enough at a herp show to make it worth renting a table and staying there all day, especially right now when I don't have many animals for sale that I could sell alongside it. I have thought of trying to see if anyone wanted it on Dendroboard, though. Unfortunately, it'd be kinda expensive; I'd have to sell it at around $10 a gallon, and shipping would probably be around $20 for a 5 gallon bucket. I don't know if people would be willing to pay $70 for a bucket of dirt. I'd have to see how much I get out of 100 pounds; I'm out right now, but I'll need some anyways so I might as well go back up to Asheville this weekend, make a 50 pound bag's worth, and then see how much I get, how long it takes to make it, and what I could potentially price it at. I hadn't thought about it as feeder substrate, though. A gallon would be more reasonable to ship and purchase. It really does seem to work really well for feeder cultures; just don't get it too wet or it'll turn to mush and then you can't root around in it. I've topped off my springtail and isopod cultures with the dry clay, and while my cultures aren't healthy enough for me to make any judgements (rear end in a top hat sold me mite infested cultures), they do seem to be taking advantage of the huge surface area. Mix in some leaves and use a damper soil substrate for the bottom, and that could work really well. I'll let you know if I do end up making a test run on it. Atmus posted:Did you use any eggcrate to support the background? I've been doing that in the 20g Long's I've been making gecko condos from. One guy used that method when the KL backgrounds were popular since it held even that stuff up pretty well. I didn't use any eggcrate or other support. I have a feeling that in six months, I might wish I'd used something to support the ledges, but right now it seems to be holding up well. It's something of a test run, I suppose. This stuff really isn't anything like the kitty litter mix, though; the kitty litter is basically pebbles of clay, while the redart starts as powder. I think this helps it bond together much better, and the redart itself is supposed to bond better than bentonite. That said, I think it couldn't hurt, and would definitely recommend it with pure kitty litter. The idea for leaving space behind for the bugs is kind of interesting, though. If it does turn out, I'd definitely like to hear about it.
|
|
#
?
Sep 28, 2012 00:54
|
|
|
ZarathustraFollower posted:Quick update on my Hognose issue. I'm now getting advice from some experienced herpers, including one who has done field research on Easterns. 2 of them are asking around for American toads, and if any of you folks reading this can get me some small bufos to sell (check your local laws first) that would be awesome. I'm flat out going to give up even trying mice with it. Go on Kingsnake and buy a few dozen toads as feeders (Mark M Lucas usually has some for 2 or 3 bucks each). Immediately start trying to scent mice with them. If it takes to scented right away, you still have a ton left over in your freezer for emergencies. Edit: Mark M Lucas has them for $10 ea which is crazy. I can send you a small southern toad, but I'd still contact Mark Lucas and try to haggle with him. He's a pretty nice guy and might work with you if you tel him they're feeders. http://market.kingsnake.com/detail.php?cat=121&de=928905 Edit edit: where are you from? You probably don't need a permit for Southern toads (B. terrestris), and Eastern hogs will eat them too. Big Centipede fucked around with this message at 02:24 on Sep 28, 2012 |
|
#
?
Sep 28, 2012 02:11
|
|
|
Maryland, Fowlers and American toads are the only controlled bufos. I'll contact Mark next. Tomorrow I should know if one person found any toads, and Monday for the other. It's raining right now, and it's been rainy the past few days so I have some hope. The complication is that this guy is maybe 6" in length, so he can only take newly metamorphosised frogs. Ah, dammit. I should have just gotten a coachwhip. Getting bit non-stop would be preferable to dealing with this. 
|
|
#
?
Sep 28, 2012 02:46
|
|
|
Bummer on the hognose. But if you get it going or switched over, you'll have a gem of an animal and be the envy of many keepers, myself included. I'm sure you've tried everything, but if you haven't tried f/t pinkies dipped in tuna juice yet, give that a shot. Some have taken pinks scented with canned cat food. (Which isn't the weirdest thing I've heard. One herper reported a neonate king eating canned cat food.) Some eastern hog keepers have had success with that to everybody's surprise. Wash the pink first, to get any funky mouse odors off it. Best of luck and keep us posted!
|
|
#
?
Sep 28, 2012 03:02
|
|
|
So far what I've tried was a straight pinky, and then one that was soaked and frozen in with crushed mackerel and sardines (both were packed in water, not oil). Didn't try tuna, catfood, or braining. Figure braining isn't worth the effort, since the snake is just not interested in mouse scent. I've got 1 pinky left, in the same fish juice as the other I tried. Right now the snakes got enough weight from its yolk I'm holding out to see if I can get toads before trying other fish scents. If I don't have a toad by Tuesday, I'm going to buy another 3 pack of frozen pinkys and try tuna, catfood, and egg yolk. My goal right now is to just get food in it, because I'm really worried about it going off feed due to winter without ever eating anything. Should it really, really come down to it, the senior keeper from the zoo (one of the guys giving me advice) may be able to come over and force feed it. I'd only consider this if it hasn't eating by January or so. He's the guy that's done field work with the species, plus keeping reptiles is his job. The snake is in a 5g with a heatpad/slate combo keeping one side at 85-87, and the other in the low 70s with 2 hides and a waterbowl on reptibark. While I know a lot of places online said to keep them in tight spaces, the other zookeeper that is giving me most of the advice said I shouldn't go any smaller, just because right now I'm able to give it a proper heat gradient with hides. She's also advised against trying Rana or Hyla unless I really can't get Bufo. Also, I'm really expecting a letter from the HOA in the housing block I'm in, simply for trying to catch frogs in the pond behind my house. The one nice thing is, if I can get toads, I've got an empty 15gal so I can give them a big setup to keep some alive.
|
|
#
?
Sep 28, 2012 03:44
|
|
|
ZarathustraFollower posted:So far what I've tried was a straight pinky, and then one that was soaked and frozen in with crushed mackerel and sardines (both were packed in water, not oil). Didn't try tuna, catfood, or braining. Figure braining isn't worth the effort, since the snake is just not interested in mouse scent. I've got 1 pinky left, in the same fish juice as the other I tried. Right now the snakes got enough weight from its yolk I'm holding out to see if I can get toads before trying other fish scents. If I don't have a toad by Tuesday, I'm going to buy another 3 pack of frozen pinkys and try tuna, catfood, and egg yolk. In the wild, they eat almost exclusively toads, so chances are slim any of the other commonly used methods of enticing problem feeders will be ineffective. Your best bet is getting a toad and scenting a pinky. If you're lucky, it will take scented right off the bat.
|
|
#
?
Sep 28, 2012 05:10
|
|
|
Depending on your commuter route to and from the zoo, the paths along Rock Creek Park near the zoo might be good for toads after rains. That or the C&O Canal toepath should turn up a few.
|
|
#
?
Sep 28, 2012 07:21
|
|
|
If you don't seem to be having luck, instead of trying to wait it out, you might scent with the toad and then force feed the pinkies. Also, no need to go crazy on toads - brain one and scent with it, then freeze the body and thaw it out when you need to scent. Not pleasant work, but could be worth it. Haven't heard of many easterns making it in captivity. So, I have a group of preschoolers coming in at 10, and Lawan, our 18' tiger retic decided to shed, crap, and not eat her guinea pig, so her enclosure's a mess, and I'm not gonna have enough people here to get it cleaned before the kids come in. WONDERFUL!  
|
|
#
?
Sep 28, 2012 13:41
|
|
|
Hey guys, I was a little bit concerned about my chameleon pooping not as much as he usually does. He's about a year old and has been relatively good this whole time just recently (last month or two) he's only been pooping once a week or so, and usually really really big ones. He used to go every two days or so but lately it's been tougher. He still seems to want to eat and drink, but I'm usually 'forcing' him to drink (spraying in his mouth between chews of crickets) to be sure he's getting enough. His behaviour and colour is just fine so I'm not sure if there's anything to be concerned about but I'd like to know what people here think. I tend to hand feed him a few crickets every day and dump the rest in his cage, and I usually don't find any so I'm assuming they're being eaten. I used to have a dripper system installed but it was splashing a lot and drowning the bottom of the cage (even at a very low setting) so I turned it off. I'm spraying him 2-3 times a day for two minutes and making sure he's happy. Any advice? Here's a pic of his first shed! 
|
|
#
?
Sep 29, 2012 01:29
|
|
|
Cute panther. When he does poop, what color are the urates that are attached? If they are mostly pearly white, he is hydrated enough and I wouldn't worry too much. If they are yellow, he is dehydrated and needs more opportunity to drink. That being said, his eyes look pretty good in your pic so if he is dehydrated, it isn't by much. He should be drinking more than he seems to be and extra hydration will help him pass more often. Keep watering him along with feeding as you have been but spray his cage and plants down more often so that he has lots to drink. Juicier feeders like silkworms, hornworms, and butterworms will help rehydrate him. They can also have a mild laxative effect; I would offer one a day in addition to his regular feeders and see if that improves how often he goes. You can pop him onto a potted plant and into a warm, light shower. Set the spray very low so it just hits part of the plant and he can move in and out of it at will. Let him steam and bathe for half an hour and then switch the water off, wait another 15 so he has more time to drink. The steam will help him rehydrate and he will have lots of time to drink off of the leaves of his plant. I suggest still having a dripper going at least once a day; you can let it drip into a potted plant or a cup that you empty each day. A lot of people build simple drainage, too. It isn't too unusual for him to slow down how often he eats and poops if he is over a year because he is through with his major growth spurts. If they seem unusually large, messy, misshapen, or smelly, get a fecal float and smear done by an experienced herp vet to rule out parasites. I think 2-3 times a week isn't an unusual amount for an adult to defecate.
|
|
#
?
Sep 29, 2012 03:17
|
|
|
Pardalis posted:Cute panther. When he does poop, what color are the urates that are attached? If they are mostly pearly white, he is hydrated enough and I wouldn't worry too much. If they are yellow, he is dehydrated and needs more opportunity to drink. That being said, his eyes look pretty good in your pic so if he is dehydrated, it isn't by much. He should be drinking more than he seems to be and extra hydration will help him pass more often. Keep watering him along with feeding as you have been but spray his cage and plants down more often so that he has lots to drink. Juicier feeders like silkworms, hornworms, and butterworms will help rehydrate him. They can also have a mild laxative effect; I would offer one a day in addition to his regular feeders and see if that improves how often he goes. You can pop him onto a potted plant and into a warm, light shower. Set the spray very low so it just hits part of the plant and he can move in and out of it at will. Let him steam and bathe for half an hour and then switch the water off, wait another 15 so he has more time to drink. The steam will help him rehydrate and he will have lots of time to drink off of the leaves of his plant. I suggest still having a dripper going at least once a day; you can let it drip into a potted plant or a cup that you empty each day. A lot of people build simple drainage, too. Thanks! The urates are white and the poop seems to look okay, except for being quite large the last few times. I really need to figure out how to set up the dripper properly. I tried having it go into a tupperware but as I mentioned where the drops hit was more or less random, making a lot of the substrate (reptibark) quite wet and unpleasant. I currently don't have any real plants in his cage, should that be something I should get? I do give him silkworms every now and then so I'll probably pick some up for him tomorrow. I've heard people mention to put them in a light bath or shower but how on earth do you get him to sit still?! Whenever I take him out all he wants to do is climb as high as humanly possible and isn't going to want to bother sticking around.
|
|
#
?
Sep 29, 2012 04:43
|
|
|
Mine just did his first shed under my care a few days ago, it's hilarious how they go from "normal but kinda dull" to "exploding skin" in a matter of hours. I made sure to mist him down very thoroughly during the few days he was shedding, but it seems like his tail skin is wanting to stick around and slowly, slowly wear off. With other reptiles I have experience with that's not such a good thing, and I'm assuming that is also not so great for my cham; can I do a warm water soak for him like I would a gecko or other lizard, or is that begging for skin infections? He had zero problems with the rest of his body(even the eyebrow area and the top/back of his casque) thankfully. Oh, and here's something I found that could be a great resource for anybody looking to vary their animal's diet: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/3049/2 According to the site the information is gleaned from the USDA so it ought to be fairly reliable as a source. I didn't see any ratings for oxalic acid content but basically all greens contain some degree of it. If it's human-edible the content should be low enough to toss in as a diet enrichment from time to time with no problems.
|
|
#
?
Sep 29, 2012 20:19
|
|
|
KS, Photon just shed too and had a bit of retained skin hanging off his tail for a few days, but it's not a big deal. Keep up with misting as normal, with extra squirts at his tail, and add extra mists if you feel it's needed. It should work off on it's own within a day or so. Anhedonia posted:Thanks! The urates are white and the poop seems to look okay, except for being quite large the last few times. I really need to figure out how to set up the dripper properly. I tried having it go into a tupperware but as I mentioned where the drops hit was more or less random, making a lot of the substrate (reptibark) quite wet and unpleasant. I currently don't have any real plants in his cage, should that be something I should get? I do give him silkworms every now and then so I'll probably pick some up for him tomorrow. I've heard people mention to put them in a light bath or shower but how on earth do you get him to sit still?! Whenever I take him out all he wants to do is climb as high as humanly possible and isn't going to want to bother sticking around. You don't want to be using substrate with chams, especially not repti-bark. Even though it has a chameleon on the bag, it's actually incredibly dangerous for them. Chams are pretty derp when they shoot at prey, and even a tiny bit of substrate ingested is bad news. Other reptiles have less trouble passing substrate, but chams have delicate digestive tracts, in addition to delicate everything else. Get rid of that stuff and just go bare floor, maybe with a sponge to soak up excess moisture. Wipe down every other day or so with paper towel and it's easier to see poop/check urates. Definitely, definitely get live plants! Pothos is incredibly idiot proof and will grow anywhere, and it will increase your humidity levels and keep them constant in between mistings. You can buy plants at Home Depot/Lowe's or other big commercial places, but just be sure to wipe down all the leaves with a solution of vinegar and water before giving it to the cham. They're more inclined to drink from live plants and the leaves retain moisture longer than fake, so they're a huge asset to keeping chameleons and you pretty much can't over water a pothos so that's my constant go-to for high humidity setups. Post more pictures of your dude! We need the chameleon keepers of this thread to stop hiding and looking suspicious under leaves. Captain Foxy fucked around with this message at 21:23 on Sep 29, 2012 |
|
#
?
Sep 29, 2012 21:21
|
|
|
Silly ball python, did you never learn to read a calendar? It is SEPTEMBER. Why are you laying eggs? Note: do not ever attempt to take eggs from a brooding mama ball python. No matter how sweet her usual temperament, until those babies are removed from her care, she will be the Alien Queen and you a paralyzed human worm. Fingers crossed for fertile eggs. I didn't even think the male was old enough, but life finds a way.
|
|
#
?
Sep 30, 2012 01:02
|
|
|
Picks of Flick!          Me and my woman take good care of him, we're gonna need to do some reconfiguring if he's gonna get some live plants. I really don't even know where to begin, I guess they're potted plants so they can drink? How long do they last? Anhedonia fucked around with this message at 06:44 on Sep 30, 2012 |
|
#
?
Sep 30, 2012 06:41
|
|
|
Yeah you can basically just buy a potted plant, clean it and stick it in there if the pot is large enough. Don't buy a rinky dink plant in a tiny plastic pot, or be prepared to transplant it into a larger one at some point, and you should be fine keeping it alive for years and years. Plants like pothos are really not that hard and they make your cham's life easier. I would also add some different sizes of branches in there, and fill that space out a bit. He needs variety in his choice of basking and clinging spots or he could get stressed and stop eating. And this should go without saying, but be sure you're keeping handling to an absolute minimum. He will hate you so much if you bother him. They hate in general, but so much more when bothered.  Standard Cham cage layout should go: potted plant(s) + bare floor + variety of perches and sizes of branches + main basking branch(es) positioned 5-6" below the UVB/UVA and basking light. This way your panther doesn't have to move much to bask and drink, which is what they prefer; panthers are sedentary lazy chams, unlike veileds who need to be more active to find food. The bare floor is best in case they decide to hunt on the ground, otherwise you run the risk of them striking a piece of substrate. ETA: Photon is still handsome, still hateful, still the boss.   Growing much more red spots as he ages, typical for his dad's line. Captain Foxy fucked around with this message at 19:48 on Sep 30, 2012 |
|
#
?
Sep 30, 2012 19:26
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 3, 2024 11:46 |
|
|
I'm not a cham keeper, but like to pretend that I'll get one some day (not actually going to happen unless the animal is literally thrust on me by someone). I understand what you're saying with soil issues, but could someone use something like LECA to bury the plant pots, and then cover it over with leaf litter? That might make for an attractive aquarium.
|
|
#
?
Sep 30, 2012 20:51
|
|