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Bobbaganoosh posted:Agreed. And blind snakes are much more wormlike than even worms. Most I can't even pick up. It usually requires slipping a piece of paper under them. It's silly how tiny they are. And how fast and wiggly. AZ herp vets are unsurprised by their potential presence, but none have seen one in-state yet, and so they're all excited to get a photo op. Current field guides don't note Brahiminy's as AZ invasives yet. So, Squarely Circle, thanks much for the heads-up! Should you (or other Phx folks) find another, hold onto it and let me know. Lots of folks from the AZ Herp Association in Phoenix would be happy to swing by to pick it up, as a voucher specimen and credit you on the find. I'll be at the reptile show in Mesa in November. Stop by the AHA booth if you attend. It would be great to say hello. Your photo got lots of high level attention from a dozen-plus of the most experienced herpers in the state of at least 2 herp organizations. These anomalies are the stuff we AZ reptile geeks dream of. So nicely done! I've heard of Brahminys in AZ but no one I know personally has found one. My friend Zack is supposed to send me some Brahminys soon. Going to attempt to actually keep them. Feed them isopods.
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Oct 21, 2013 05:59
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Big Centipede posted:I've heard of Brahminys in AZ but no one I know personally has found one. If you get 'em going and ever have surplus, let me know. I'd love to have a steady supply of feeders for an AZ coral and would be happy to work something out -- if a fool can dream. AZ corals are almost impossibly seductive. It killed me the one I tried briefly wouldn't take the f/t blind snake I offered. Odds are, they'll want it live. My baby tiger rattlesnake's feeding response to live vs dancing on hemostats is like night and day. I find a decent amount of blinds and DOR small snakes. But a steady supply would certainly be reassuring. Really though, I should just look into raising an anthill and adding a few blind snakes. Except in AZ, anthills commonly go 7-8 feet deep with tens of thousands of ants. It's easy to think of an anthill as a house. But really, in flawed anthropomorphic terms, each one is a goddamn nation. Anthills are enormous ecosystems in and of themselves mostly governed by ant overlords.
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Oct 21, 2013 06:08
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I let the little dude(ette) go shortly after I took the photo, but if I find another one I'll be sure to hang onto it! I found it in a backyard near some rosebushes and other garden plants, and I'll be going there again on Thursday or Friday.
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Oct 21, 2013 06:15
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Bobbaganoosh posted:If you get 'em going and ever have surplus, let me know. I'd love to have a steady supply of feeders for an AZ coral and would be happy to work something out -- if a fool can dream. AZ corals are almost impossibly seductive. It killed me the one I tried briefly wouldn't take the f/t blind snake I offered. Odds are, they'll want it live. My baby tiger rattlesnake's feeding response to live vs dancing on hemostats is like night and day. I find a decent amount of blinds and DOR small snakes. But a steady supply would certainly be reassuring. Really though, I should just look into raising an anthill and adding a few blind snakes. Except in AZ, anthills commonly go 7-8 feet deep with tens of thousands of ants. It's easy to think of an anthill as a house. But really, in flawed anthropomorphic terms, each one is a goddamn nation. Anthills are enormous ecosystems in and of themselves mostly governed by ant overlords. Try a BIG isopod colony... they're easy to set up and I've heard they will actually feed on them.
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Oct 21, 2013 06:16
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Bobbaganoosh posted:Here's "Hannibella" munching on a fresh sparrow. She's quite pregnant in this photo. So the extra protein helps.  This is terrifying. I'm going to have nightmares about the ground squirrels outside (they need to die) doing this to my feeders now.I thought Brahminy blind snakes being parthogenetic was really unusual (because it gets to be disadvantageous once a species' genetic code gets too long), but apparently there are a handful of other reptiles (and one bird, some turkeys?!) that are parthogenetic:  (baby)Like these mourning geckos (only females exist, unlike Komodo dragons, which can reproduce both ways - essential for genetic, er, sturdiness basically). How are these not the most popular geckos out there or at least very easy to find? Have any of you seen/owned mourning geckos?
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Oct 21, 2013 06:34
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Noricae posted:
Parthenogenesis is interesting. Theres a lot of unique cases in the hobby. Off hand I know of it happening with Nerodia, Varanus, Leachianus geckos, Chahoua geckos, and Crested geckos. I think it's more common than previously believed.
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Oct 21, 2013 06:43
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Yeah, it's precisely why the question of "black blind snakes" was so interesting. No records of them in AZ thus far. But it's clear that may be changing soon. Maybe we can get some AZ folks on the front end of their studies and impact. I didn't doubt the initial IDs. I would have posted the exact same question had I found the animals. They don't compute with known ID sets. Melanistic animals would truly be exceptional. But the fact that two folks chimed in on the same subject in such a short span was fascinating. For anyone finding one, a specimen live or dead will suffice. As would even a partial specimen, for tissue sample studies. Live is preferable. Don't worry about bites. They can't bite. It would be a miracle and a scientific first if one of these tiny things could bite you. Their jaws are specifically constructed to slurp ants, termites, and their larvae. The easiest form of capture is to slip a piece of paper under them and slide them into a container. I know numerous folks with 2 herp organizations (the AHA and the AZ chapter of the NAFHA) that would be happy to pick them up in a NY minute. And we'd credit you for the find. We're not out for our egos, but just for documenting what's out there, and of course, giving folks their just due for their finds. Brahiminys setting up shop in AZ is scientifically noteworthy. So bravo! SA Goons strike again!
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Oct 21, 2013 07:08
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Noricae posted:
That's actually and adult mourning gecko, not a baby. I know quite a few people with colonies of them, they're constantly trying to sell some off because their setups can get pretty crowded! I always think about setting up a mourning tank because I am in love with itty-bitty geckos, but something else always becomes a priority instead. Speaking of which, I love my gonis. Like seriously. I am SO excited to be breeding them next year. 
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Oct 21, 2013 21:31
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hypnotoad posted:That's actually and adult mourning gecko, not a baby. I know quite a few people with colonies of them, they're constantly trying to sell some off because their setups can get pretty crowded! I always think about setting up a mourning tank because I am in love with itty-bitty geckos, but something else always becomes a priority instead. Definitely let me know when you have some babies. I've been interested in some Gonis for a while. Also wouldn't mind some mourning geckos if you have some.
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Oct 21, 2013 22:10
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You could just get some regular geckos and make them really sad.
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Oct 21, 2013 22:13
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OneTwentySix posted:You could just get some regular geckos and make them really sad. I insult my animals constantly with little effect.
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Oct 21, 2013 22:22
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I want some sad geckos! Never seen them near AZ before though.
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Oct 21, 2013 23:10
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OneTwentySix posted:You could just get some regular geckos and make them really sad. Off to insult my geckos' spots. Even though I really like Richie's little red spots everywhere. 
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Oct 21, 2013 23:56
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hypnotoad posted:That's actually and adult mourning gecko, not a baby.  They look incredibly easy to take care of. Probably too easy. Breeding every 8-10months? Living for 12+ yrs. Exponential growth! And escape artists? Oh boy.Fluffy Bunnies posted:Off to insult my geckos' spots. Even though I really like Richie's little red spots everywhere.  Seriously beautiful gecko!edit: Oh no, just realized that these geckos have fat tails (fat tails creep me out, but I'm not sure why... maybe they look like they're about to fall off?). Also, I forget who recommended Miner-All vitamin supplements but I got some about four or five months back and my girl's the most active and inquisitive she's ever been (and healed an eye re-injury really fast a few months back). She also licks my finger if I have any powder on it, which is odd... it's berry flavored, not cricket flavored. Noricae fucked around with this message at 06:19 on Oct 22, 2013 |
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Oct 22, 2013 01:28
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Finally got off my rear end and got the pic I took of the hognose two weeks ago from my phone. Out of 3 grad students the only non-herpetologist was the one who spotted it. Kinda embarrassing that the other student and I missed it. Also saw my first timber in the wild recently, but I was in a sensitive area so no pics.
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Oct 22, 2013 06:20
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Big Centipede posted:Parthenogenesis is interesting. Theres a lot of unique cases in the hobby. Off hand I know of it happening with Nerodia, Varanus, Leachianus geckos, Chahoua geckos, and Crested geckos. I think it's more common than previously believed. The Sonoran Spotted Whiptail is our (AZ's) native champ of parthenogenesis. http://reptilesofaz.org/Lizards-Subpages/h-a-sonorae.html It may make sexing whiptails easier. But it doesn't make IDing them from other whiptails any easier though.
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Oct 22, 2013 08:42
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Squarely Circle posted:I let the little dude(ette) go shortly after I took the photo, but if I find another one I'll be sure to hang onto it! I found it in a backyard near some rosebushes and other garden plants, and I'll be going there again on Thursday or Friday. Thanks for the follow-up data! Odds are the high surface temps of the day vs the fast cooling off of nights are throwing the non-natives for a heck of a loop. It does that to snowbirds too.  Zarathustra -- that's a mighty handsome eastern hog. Congrats on the find. Understood on the timber's secrecy. They're under seige on the east coast. A shame. As far as handsome crotes go, they're like the eastern counterparts to AZ's blacktail. Gorgeous, velvety animal, opposite part of the continent.
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Oct 22, 2013 09:03
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So, funny story... My roommate's girlfriend works at a restaurant that I guess deals in seasonal shellfish, and she comes home with a little turtle that had apparently hitched a ride with a shipment of crawdads from Louisiana. Luckily, we had a tank lying around with some gravel and a couple of stones, so not knowing what else to do, we plopped the little guy in there with some water until we knew better what to do with him. I did a bit of research and it turns out the little guy is a juvenile musk turtle of some kind. My wife works at a vet, so we asked if there were any reptile rescues in the area, but sadly nobody knew of any. So, after a brief discussion we decided to keep the little guy! Luckily we had just received a load of wedding money, and already had the tank. So far we have the tank, filter (rated for twice the amount of water in the tank), water heater, UVB florescent lamp, and a UVA heat lamp.  Anything else I'm missing? My only concern is that I got a 40w bulb for the heat lamp, but it isn't raising the air temperature beyond just over 70F. I here that musks don't bask like sliders do, but is 40w just a bit too small? The air in my house runs on the cool side as well.
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Oct 22, 2013 18:29
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I just noticed my Diablo Blanco leo, Nyx, has a dark spot above one of her eyes. It's almost like a freckle. I've never seen this before, as she has always been 100% pure white all over. It wasn't there yesterday. Is this something to be concerned about?
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Oct 24, 2013 02:39
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Late to the party, but I have some mourning geckos. That is most definitely an adult, here is one of my babies earlier this year: This is the egg it came out of, with a pen tip pointing at it:  They usually lay two at a time, but there are occasionally single ones also. Not the easiest species to breed because they are egg gluers, and the adults will eat the babies, and the babies are very tiny and fast.. I had one hatchling drown in a small cup of water the size of a snapple bottle cap last year.
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Oct 24, 2013 17:41
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So I bought a baby bearded dragon yesterday from the pet store. He's really alert and seems very healthy. Has been eating his crickets and roaming around his cage. Managed to get an awesome pic of him.
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Oct 24, 2013 21:36
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And may he grow up to be the adorable scaly cat he is destined to become. "Does the 
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Oct 25, 2013 05:12
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Well, I searched all over and didn't find any more blind snakes this week.  I'll keep looking!For the time being, here is a tortoise friend! He lives at another house on my work route and I bring little bits of veggies to share with him. Dude knows me by now and comes up to the gate to greet me, follows me around, and even lets me pat him on the head 
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Oct 26, 2013 02:10
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Update on my Argentine B+W tegu, G'Mork. he was born mid August, so he's 2.5 months old now. He eats like a horse. I ordered 2,000 super worms, 200 dubia, and 2 pounds of whole frozen smelt. These are his staples. He also eats eggs, liver, fuzzy mice, etc, on occasion. He mostly refuses turkey balls and fruit/veggies, but he'll nibble now and then. He looks dull as hell in this pic because he is about to shed. He seriously sheds about every five days. I am almost ready to move him out of his 55 gallon tank and put him in his 6'x3' cage. My son looks terrified in this pic not because he is afraid of being bit-G'Mork is a big sweetheart. But, you'll notice his belly is quite big from his last meal. It is getting real close to poopin' time. Tegu poop is disgusting and will clear out a room. It is really the only downside to owning one so far. I think when his skin sloughs off the last vestiges of green on his head may be gone. 
The Dregs fucked around with this message at 20:03 on Oct 27, 2013 |
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Oct 27, 2013 19:46
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I managed to get two pictures of Bacon relaxing outside while I cleaned his tank. Ants started rushing at him though so I had to go put him in the sink while I finished.  Ants seem to be a big issue here in Florida. I would love to let my beardies sunbathe outside, but if they sit in any place too long the bugs come out and crawl all over them. Also I know tile is the goon preference, but any opinions on paper towels? I like them because I can just throw them away and put a fresh one down and If theres a specific reason for not using paper towels I would like to know.
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Oct 29, 2013 17:02
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Herp herp herp herp huntin' I went with my boss and coworkers on the yearly fall amphibian hunt, which was loads of fun and involved a lot of turning rocks over at 10pm and scrabbling up the mossy side of massive boulders, poking your hand into spider holes. I am being serious about the fun part, even if I did tear a hole in my highly-impractical boots and have to ride home with terribly smelly wet socks. We were in the Columbia Gorge, which is normally much more wet this time of year. and found maybe 10 specimens in all, all released shortly after pics were taken. I also did not take any of the pics, since I was much too excited to focus and actually use flash for most of the trip. I mostly just jumped around in the creek and got wet like a small child.  This is a juvenile form of the Pacific Giant salamander. These babies were all over the streams. I've seen an 8 inch adult in the same area before, but we didn't see any of the big bad grownups this trip.  Larch Mountain salamander. Getting sadly rare in its range, which is limited; as you might imagine.  Ensatina! These guys are neat; they're lungless. They also secrete a toxic substance, which could be a bad time if swallowed.  Dunn's salamander. These guys are by far the most common this time of year and they're just beautiful with a green or deep bronze back pattern. I found this one.   A rarer find! Clouded salamander, trying its best to blend in with the moss.  And the intrepid group of herp hunters, including me with the very-impractical bright blue boots and the derp face. I found a red-bellied salamander too (but failed to get any pics that are at all well-lit) and was  excited about it.
Captain Foxy fucked around with this message at 17:35 on Oct 29, 2013 |
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Oct 29, 2013 17:33
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So my beardie decided to make a break for freedom today... so now i get to spend the next week tearing my house apart trying to find him!
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Oct 31, 2013 10:32
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What's the consensus on the Columbia, SC Repticon? I seem to recall reading that wthere was a goon down this way that diddart frogs and such. Anyway, we're down Charleston way and saw the sign and I'm trying to decide if it's worth it to stop on Sunday and have a poke around on our way back home.
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Oct 31, 2013 17:32
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Dr. Clockwork posted:I just noticed my Diablo Blanco leo, Nyx, has a dark spot above one of her eyes. It's almost like a freckle. I've never seen this before, as she has always been 100% pure white all over. It wasn't there yesterday. Is this something to be concerned about? Looks like a paradox spot, but it could be a skin problem. Check with your vet.
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Oct 31, 2013 18:36
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Captain Foxy posted:Awesomeness! That's so cool! Glad you had fun, those kinds of trips are the best! That drat Satyr posted:What's the consensus on the Columbia, SC Repticon? I seem to recall reading that wthere was a goon down this way that diddart frogs and such. Anyway, we're down Charleston way and saw the sign and I'm trying to decide if it's worth it to stop on Sunday and have a poke around on our way back home. It's okay, but depends on what you're going there for. It's usually pretty terrible for darts and worse for other amphibians; Under the Canopy Farms and another seller that I'm forgetting tend to be the only dedicated dart frog sellers. I've purchased from both, they're decent people. When I was there last, there was also a guy selling some imitators and azureus but he wasn't really an amphibian vendor. You'll also get things like pacman frogs, etc., but amphibians are a tiny minority. Tons of snakes, lizards, and turtles, though. I'm the guy with the dart frogs (and salamanders). I wanted to vend at this show but tables were all sold out when I went to register. If you're looking for D. leucomelas, R. amazonica, or a variety of salamanders I'd be willing to meet you there and could even take you dipnetting for sirens and waterdogs and such if you'd like. Offer's open to anyone in the thread, too; I've been wanting to collect a small group of dwarf waterdogs to try breeding and wasn't able to find any last time I went, so I could use an excuse to head down there (I'm in Spartanburg, SC).
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Oct 31, 2013 19:08
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Alright I feel like I'm in here every other day with stupid problems, but this time I'm really worried. Freya, my other Leo, hasn't left her moist hide in about two weeks, since her last shed. She hasn't come out to poop, to eat, or drink as far as I can tell. I guess it's possible that she roams around all night while I'm asleep, but in the past she'd still be out and about when I get up in the morning so I don't think she's getting out. She's still moving inside her hide, changing positions, but she's not as alert. Always sleepy eyes and she doesn't stand up real tall when I open the tank like she usually does. I know I should probably just call the vet, but I'd like to hear any advice from the experts here. You folks are so knowledgable.
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Oct 31, 2013 19:28
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OneTwentySix posted:I'm the guy with the dart frogs (and salamanders). I wanted to vend at this show but tables were all sold out when I went to register. If you're looking for D. leucomelas, R. amazonica, or a variety of salamanders I'd be willing to meet you there and could even take you dipnetting for sirens and waterdogs and such if you'd like. Offer's open to anyone in the thread, too; I've been wanting to collect a small group of dwarf waterdogs to try breeding and wasn't able to find any last time I went, so I could use an excuse to head down there (I'm in Spartanburg, SC). Man that is a seriously cool offer, but unfonately I think my husband would murder me if I started in with another (no pun intended) pet project. We've been looking for some hognose breeders, but lately it seems that everyone thats selling has super rare $500 morphs. I just want a goofy plain one.  At any rate, we're just outside Asheville so if you planned to do some live catching and just wanted an assist I'd totaly be down for an adventure. Bonus: I'm a photographer so awesome critter pictures will happen.
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Oct 31, 2013 20:28
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Dr. Clockwork posted:Alright I feel like I'm in here every other day with stupid problems, but this time I'm really worried. Freya, my other Leo, hasn't left her moist hide in about two weeks, since her last shed. She hasn't come out to poop, to eat, or drink as far as I can tell. I guess it's possible that she roams around all night while I'm asleep, but in the past she'd still be out and about when I get up in the morning so I don't think she's getting out. Call the vet. Get her a checkup. It could be nothing and then you're out some cash for a stupid, dopey gecko. It could also be some stupidly complicated neurological problem because she smashed her head against the side of her tank a few too many times. I'd guess something like brumation, but unless you've actively lowered the temperatures/changed the light cycles to stimulate it, I highly doubt that's what this is. Call the vet, get a happy gecko.
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Nov 1, 2013 14:40
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I found one of my female sand boas dead just a little bit ago. She had a miscarriage a few days back and wasn't doing that great after; I have no idea how many babies there were, the mess was...not good. I only had her about 10 years, but she was an adult when I got her. I wonder if she hadn't bred this last time, she'd be alive still. Hard to realize when your reptiles get old. They're not all gonna outlive you. Speaking of tortoises, a Facebook friend of mine (who has since, it seems, deleted me) posted up that he was selling 'no maintenance' sulcata tortoises. Why, they don't even need water, all you have to do is water the grass! When I pointed out that yes, they do need water, and hey, might want to mention the no-maintenance clause includes an animal that digs up tunnels like a loving badger and can knock down cinderblock walls. Oh, and they get big. Big. When I worked at the zoo we got tons of people calling daily to try and leave us their sulcata. He got pissed, deleted every comment from me and others who voiced concerns, and sent me a message saying that he has a full acre of land and the animals do great and I crossed a line. I wanted to inform him that yes, I do know what I loving speak of, we've been breeding leopard tortoises for about twenty years now. Guess what? No animal is maintenance free. Even loving stuffed ones need to be dusted.
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Nov 2, 2013 01:16
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Cowslips Warren posted:Oh, and they get big. Big. When I worked at the zoo we got tons of people calling daily to try and leave us their sulcata. Sorry about your sand boa, man. And yeah, seriously. Those, rattlesnakes they "found in the back yard" and for some reason shitloads of leopard geckos. We already had 8 for education purposes. Or the ones that would come in and be like "well Petsmart told me that tortoises eat these little pellets!" when we're doing our educational demonstration with the galapagoses (who are awesome and will beg for snacks at the door when you're getting ready to clean). quote:He got pissed, deleted every comment from me and others who voiced concerns, and sent me a message saying that he has a full acre of land and the animals do great and I crossed a line. I wanted to inform him that yes, I do know what I loving speak of, we've been breeding leopard tortoises for about twenty years now. Guess what? No animal is maintenance free. Even loving stuffed ones need to be dusted. Uh... maybe they're okay if he's only got a couple of sulcatas on an acre, but shouldn't they have more room anyway? And yeah he sounds like a idiot.
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Nov 2, 2013 01:35
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What set him off wasn't the space issue, it was that I called him out on saying that sulcatas are no-maintenance animals that don't even need water, just water your grass and they are fine!
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Nov 2, 2013 01:44
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I want a TORTOISE.
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Nov 2, 2013 18:10
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I hope your grandkids want it, too  I feel you though, torts (especially the big ones, I've been lucky enough to get to play around with Aldabs and Galapagos tortoises in the past) are about the closest you'll get to a scaly dog. Especially once they figure out how much they like neck rubs, squash vine treats, and bananas, and that all 3 come from humans.
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Nov 2, 2013 18:25
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That drat Satyr posted:Man that is a seriously cool offer, but unfonately I think my husband would murder me if I started in with another (no pun intended) pet project. We've been looking for some hognose breeders, but lately it seems that everyone thats selling has super rare $500 morphs. I just want a goofy plain one. I was hoping to be able to get down to Repticon tomorrow and would have been glad to take you out regardless, but something just came up at the last minute (which makes me really glad I'm not vending!) If you wanted to go out for herps sometime, though, I'd be glad to take you (and husband or any members of the thread that might find themselves out in the area) out to a preserve near Caesar's Head in the spring time. I didn't get out there in time to see the four-toed salamanders this year so I'd really like to do that next year.
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Nov 3, 2013 00:58
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OneTwentySix posted:I was hoping to be able to get down to Repticon tomorrow and would have been glad to take you out regardless, but something just came up at the last minute (which makes me really glad I'm not vending!) If you wanted to go out for herps sometime, though, I'd be glad to take you (and husband or any members of the thread that might find themselves out in the area) out to a preserve near Caesar's Head in the spring time. I didn't get out there in time to see the four-toed salamanders this year so I'd really like to do that next year. It's ok! We stopped in and browsed, and I ended up finding a sweet little 2 month old Western Hognose hatchling for a decent price, so I consider it a good day. I was really surprised at the amount of venomous critters there, I was always under the impression you had to have special licenses in the Carolinas to keep them but I guess not. Wish I had taken my camera in to get some snaps of some of the amazing color morphs of corns that were there, too. I'll post a few pictures of my new little guy tonight.
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Nov 5, 2013 19:27
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