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ToxicFrog posted:Actual human baby. Well, toddler. We're not actually letting him play with the snake, or vice versa, but he'll come into the room while the snake is out, and the snake will get interested and peek down at him from whoever is holding her. He'll see the snake and reach up, she pulls back. When I show really little kids reptiles I only let them stroke with two fingers. It seems to keep them from grabbing them. If he's not old enough to understand that instruction I would just let him look but not touch because little kids love accidentally poking stuff in the eye. And their fingers look like baby mice. : P
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Dec 6, 2015 22:52
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Silver Nitrate posted:The Herp Society rescue was surprisingly thin this month. Good job, city? Your problems with Spot is why I am glad I looked for a breeder and got myself a babby NBTS. Yeah, he was a huffy rear end in a top hat at the start but he quickly mellowed out. Now he occasionally huffs at me when I annoy him too much like waking him up when he is sleeping under my pillow. Enjoys head scratches and biting the poo poo out of my fingers when I decide to feed him some GCD and hold onto the cup so he doesn't try to eat the cup. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8BchFmhOOA nsfw cuz I swear like a sailor and I left tv on and I do not have expressed written consent from the NFL.
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Dec 7, 2015 04:03
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^^^ so precious  We decorated for Christmas today. 
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Dec 7, 2015 04:24
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I discovered my new favourite activity yesterday. We bathed our beardie as usual and instead of just standing in the water looking pissed off she gave few tentative pushes with her front limbs then inflated her body and was off paddling round like a good 'un. Every time we tried to pick her up she was like 'screw you' and waddled off back into the water to boat around. I could have honestly watched her all day, the drat thing is adorable. She used to hate baths, so it was awesome until she decided to poo poo in the water and we had an argument over who had to scoop her out.
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Dec 7, 2015 12:57
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happyflurple posted:I discovered my new favourite activity yesterday. We bathed our beardie as usual and instead of just standing in the water looking pissed off she gave few tentative pushes with her front limbs then inflated her body and was off paddling round like a good 'un. Every time we tried to pick her up she was like 'screw you' and waddled off back into the water to boat around. I could have honestly watched her all day, the drat thing is adorable. She used to hate baths, so it was awesome until she decided to poo poo in the water and we had an argument over who had to scoop her out. Warm water actually helps them poop and they'll often go in the bath.
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Dec 7, 2015 16:04
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Took my new skink to the vet because he has an eye issue. Vet couldn't tell if it was stuck shed or a torn eyelid so he's got eye goop and a saline eye wash. We'll recheck in three weeks or so. Hope it gets better quickly.
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Dec 7, 2015 21:43
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Gammatron 64 posted:Warm water actually helps them poop and they'll often go in the bath. That's pretty useful to know, might give her slightly longer baths as we clean her tank while we're bathing her and she will tend to just go right in and then poo poo in it ten minutes later so we have to get the cleaning stuff out again. She's a wee character, I got her box of locusts out and she was out of her tank and launching herself at it before I'd even got the lid off. Need to get some photos up in here. We've got her booked in at our local reptile place for a week over Xmas and I am going to miss her so drat much, found myself genuinely worrying she'd think we'd abandoned her and realised I need to get out more.
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Dec 9, 2015 16:58
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Look who just arrived in the mail! He's none too happy about it either. A billion thanks to Hungry Medusa... He's gorgeous!
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Dec 9, 2015 19:51
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Guava posted:Look who just arrived in the mail! You're welcome. At this age they aren't happy about anything. I predict he will be quite yellow in a few months. 
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Dec 9, 2015 23:28
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By the way, can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong with heat pads? Technically undertank heaters, although I mount mine on the side of the tank because that's supposedly safer. I have NEVER been able to get the warm sides of my tanks to a proper temperature using just a UTH, yet everyone says they're better to use than lamps, so I assume it works for some people. I'd much rather just use the pads because lamps are easier to knock over and dry everything out. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
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Dec 11, 2015 17:27
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Guava posted:By the way, can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong with heat pads? Technically undertank heaters, although I mount mine on the side of the tank because that's supposedly safer. I have NEVER been able to get the warm sides of my tanks to a proper temperature using just a UTH, yet everyone says they're better to use than lamps, so I assume it works for some people. I'd much rather just use the pads because lamps are easier to knock over and dry everything out. Any thoughts would be appreciated. I've never used a UTH on the side of the tank, since you're relying on the heat rising upward that's probably why it doesn't work properly.
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Dec 11, 2015 18:01
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Hood Ornament posted:I've never used a UTH on the side of the tank, since you're relying on the heat rising upward that's probably why it doesn't work properly. Yeah? Everything I've ever heard/read recommended using it that way so there wasn't a chance of the bottom of the tank getting too hot. That does make sense though. I guess i can try it on the bottom, if there's no risk involved. My king and hognose both burrow a LOT though, so i just want to confirm that this is definitely safe even if the snake lies against the glass for extended periods?
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Dec 11, 2015 18:39
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How are you measuring temp? The undertank pad heats the glass, it does not (appreciably) heat the air in the tank. You need to directly measure the temperature of the glass on the inside. There is a risk involved, and that risk is overheating and burning your animal. So the best thing to do is get your setup put together, get the heater on there, and let it run for a while and then check temps. Ideally on a hot day. Actually even better is to make sure the temperature is controlled with a thermostat, so you can let the temp rise to exactly what you want and then have it turn on and off to maintain that temp.
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Dec 11, 2015 20:03
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http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NZZG3S?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00 This is the thermostat I use to make sure I don't cook Spaghetti. 
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Dec 11, 2015 20:27
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Soonmot posted:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NZZG3S?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00 I use this one. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010GFADNM?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00 I bought both at first and they're exactly the same besides labels/box. So cheaper it is.
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Dec 11, 2015 20:30
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Hey guys! I've never had an elderly reptile before so hopefully you can give me some pointers. Sparky's 16 and recently got a mass removed from her skin - it's a fibrosarcoma, so I need to keep an eye out. My vet instructed me to let him know if any more masses pop up and if she starts acting different, but I am not confident I will know when she starts acting lethargic? She's a ball python that already doesn't eat super often ( a handful of times a year, jumbo rats) and sheds about once per feeding. He said the number one thing to look out for is severe weight loss, but is there anything else I can use as an indicator for 'my snake isn't feeling great"? She's super chill and doesn't mind being handled at all, but is also known to spend a lot of time in her warm hide. How will I know she's in pain/lethargic if she's already a chill, lazy bum? I don't want her to be literally starving to death by the time I figure it out. She's healing from the surgery alright so far, but I'm also trying not to obsessively check it. TLDR: Ball python has cancer, how do I know when cancer is causing the snake discomfort/pain?
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Dec 11, 2015 20:31
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Leperflesh posted:How are you measuring temp? The undertank pad heats the glass, it does not (appreciably) heat the air in the tank. You need to directly measure the temperature of the glass on the inside. Whoa awesome, I didn't even realize I could hook the pad up to a thermostat! I'm measuring heat right now with digital probe thermometers... The usual fare. I'm confused though... If the UTH doesn't affect the air temp in the cage, how does it keep the warm side warm enough for the snake? Or is it taking in the warmth only from being against the glass/bedding that is being heated?
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Dec 11, 2015 21:41
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Heat can be transmitted in three ways: radiation, convection, and conduction. A heat lamp mostly transmits heat through radiation. It also heats the air, which then transfers heat to the animal via conduction (warm air against the skin). Hot air convects within the enclosure, moving heat to places that the lamp isn't shining. Deep in the substrate, however, only conduction from the surface is providing warmth. With a heat lamp you will often see higher air and surface temperatures with lower substrate temperatures. An undertank mat mostly transmits heat via conduction. The hot mat heats the glass or floor material, and that material directly heats anything in contact with it, such as a snake or some bedding. Gradually the warm substrate will heat the air. However, assuming you have good ventilation, the warm air rises and leaves the enclosure to be replaced by cooler air - convection is working against you, so you will often see lower air temperatures vs. warmer substrate temperatures. So, if you directly measure the temperature of the substrate or floor, you'll probably find it's a lot warmer than the air in the tank. With a lamp, you'll tend to find that the surfaces exposed to the lamp get quite hot (which stimulates basking behavior), while the bottom of the substrate will tend to be cooler... and since the lamp is directly heating the air, cool air entering the tank to replace hot air is getting heated more efficiently. With different animals and different setups, each approach has its merits and drawbacks. Some animals respond to the sunlike lamp to trigger a basking response. Others naturally burrow and do well with a warm burrow heated via substrate. Some animals do not as easily "recognize" that one or the other is too hot for them. So the specifics matter. In all cases, though, appropriate use of a good quality thermostat with the probe placed at the point of maximum potential heat contact with the animal gives you the ability to prevent a dangerous potential burn site.
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Dec 11, 2015 22:23
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Guava posted:By the way, can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong with heat pads? Technically undertank heaters, although I mount mine on the side of the tank because that's supposedly safer. I have NEVER been able to get the warm sides of my tanks to a proper temperature using just a UTH, yet everyone says they're better to use than lamps, so I assume it works for some people. I'd much rather just use the pads because lamps are easier to knock over and dry everything out. Any thoughts would be appreciated. It's an undertank heater, it should be under the tank. As has been stated it only heats the surface it is contacting. And requires a thermostat. This is the one I use:  Snake such as ball python needs belly warmth so putting the heat on the side of the tank isn't going to do much. 92 is the temp the thermostat is set to; it loses a couple of degrees when transferring heat through glass. The surface of the glass floor inside the terrarium is checked with heat gun and is mostly constant 90 during the day. Binary Logic fucked around with this message at 14:52 on Dec 12, 2015 |
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Dec 12, 2015 14:42
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For further clarification: UTH (black) is set against the bottom of terrarium. Thermostat probe is held in place on the UTH with aluminum (heat proof) tape, directly under the area of the warm hide since that's where the snake spends most of its time. 
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Dec 12, 2015 15:02
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Please make sure your therm is working because UTH's can be really dangerous. Our ball had severe burns all over her belly and tail when we got her because her previous owner ran the UTH at full blast all the time 
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Dec 14, 2015 18:03
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bonewitch posted:Please make sure your therm is working because UTH's can be really dangerous. Our ball had severe burns all over her belly and tail when we got her because her previous owner ran the UTH at full blast all the time Yeah, stuff like that is why people have always told me to put it on the side, but if that doesn't work I guess i'll just try it with a thermostat... But I'm really nervous tbh 
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Dec 16, 2015 17:18
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Guava posted:Yeah, stuff like that is why people have always told me to put it on the side, but if that doesn't work I guess i'll just try it with a thermostat... But I'm really nervous tbh I'll say that in 10 years of keeping wayyy too many reptiles, I've never had a UTH failure. But make sure you buy a nice thermo.
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Dec 16, 2015 18:15
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Here is a review of some different reptile thermostats in common use.
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Dec 16, 2015 19:02
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Yeah I never actually used therms with the uths, but since I switched to using heat tape I kinda have to. If you don't want to spend $200+ on a thermostat, the seed ones that Soonmot or myself posted are perfectly adequate. Since my stuff is kinda spread out, I have 4 separate seed thermostats and they work great. They even have a cut off feature that I found out about due to the sensor not sitting right. If the target temp isn't actually reached after a certain period of time (5 hours maybe?), it'll cut power to your heating element just in case something went wrong because if your heat tape/uth isn't hitting that 95 or whatever something is clearly wrong somewhere.
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Dec 16, 2015 21:52
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I'm in the mood for some adorable reptiles. Does anyone have recent pics to show off? I'm especially into the idea of snakes wearing tiny Santa hats, so if you make that happen, I will be your fan forever. Edit: I'll contribute to the snakes wearing Santa hats thing tomorrow.
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Dec 17, 2015 17:14
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OKAY this has no tiny Santa hats but here is Ginger!
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Dec 18, 2015 01:43
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my cat is norris posted:OKAY this has no tiny Santa hats but here is Ginger! I see you too have gone to the fish section to get cool stuff for your tank :3
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Dec 18, 2015 02:41
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Ginger is a tiny dragon who deserves a castle to conquer.
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Dec 18, 2015 02:47
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Soonmot posted:I see you too have gone to the fish section to get cool stuff for your tank :3 Honestly for little reptiles it's the section with the most fun decorations.  
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Dec 18, 2015 13:06
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Oh, I totally agree. I'm entirely disappointed in the selection of reptile decor.
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Dec 18, 2015 20:55
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Hey, a customer of mine is having trouble keeping crickets alive. She keeps about four dozen in a tank 8x6 inches with cardboard, water and food pellets and right next to her beardie so temperature is pay, but almost half die by the morning. Any tips for next time I see her?
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Dec 20, 2015 01:31
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How are they dying? Crickets die by the shitload regardless, but for me I had to figure out two key things: -Keep humidity down -Don't give them liquid water to drown in because they will If they're kept in a glass tank it needs a screen lid, or it'll get way too humid.
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Dec 20, 2015 07:01
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They've got water pellets and cricket cubes, it's one of the plastic reptikeepers she has them in. That's all the information I was able to get.
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Dec 20, 2015 07:30
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Sounds like overcrowding to me, if they are adults.
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Dec 20, 2015 15:04
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Soonmot posted:Hey, a customer of mine is having trouble keeping crickets alive. She keeps about four dozen in a tank 8x6 inches with cardboard, water and food pellets and right next to her beardie so temperature is pay, but almost half die by the morning. Any tips for next time I see her? Add substrate. Mine started living twice as long when I added an inch of wood chips. Also if it's plastic, you have to wash off the mold release with hot soapy water or that will kill them too.
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Dec 20, 2015 20:24
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Thanks everyone!! I'll let her know next time I see her.
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Dec 21, 2015 04:58
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New, uninformed idiot here asking about turtles for a friend who wants a turtle. She's never owned a reptile before, but she really likes turtles a lot, so I thought I'd try to get her a beginner turtle for her birthday/Christmas (I asked her about this- it isn't a surprise). She's vegan, though, and doesn't want a pet that's not herbivorous. After some searching I found that adult Central American Wood Turtles are pretty much herbivorous (although they will on rare occasions eat insects in the wild, they're not necessary for their diet and plenty of owners keep them on an all-vegetable diet) and they're supposed to be easy to care for. However, our local PetSmart does not stock them (though they are on the PetSmart website) and I'm not really sure how to go about finding them. Quick Google searches don't give me any results on breeders for these types of turtles in Alabama and although I've found a couple of websites (namely BackWaterReptiles and ReptileCity) that say they'll ship them I can't imagine that getting a turtle sent to you via USPS is a good idea. Any advice on how to go about obtaining a turtle like that, or does anyone have an alternative that might be easier to obtain? General advice would also be appreciated. I have some experience with fish and cats, but I've never kept a turtle (or any reptile for that matter) before and since she hasn't either, we'd both love to hear any tips anyone has. She thought about getting a tortoise since it's easier to find an accessible, herbivorous tortoise than it is a turtle, but we've both heard those require more space and more experienced hands than turtles do, plus she likes turtles more. We know they need a pool, a dry area, and a heat lamp in a tank that's at least 30 gallons and that they shouldn't be handled unless necessary, but not a whole lot else. Also, as a note she has a cat (I know that would seem to go against the whole vegan thing, but the cat was sort of shoved on her by a friend who couldn't keep it and she made an exception for the cat so it wouldn't end up in a shelter) and lives in a relatively small apartment with no balcony or anything, so this would be a 100% indoor turtle/tortoise. So, is there a place where we can find Central American Wood Turtles that isn't incredibly sketchy? Should we just give up and get a tortoise, and if we do will she be able to keep it alive? Is there another herbivorous breed of beginner turtle we could look into? Thanks for any help or advice you can give!
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Dec 28, 2015 07:36
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Zandorv posted:New, uninformed idiot here asking about turtles for a friend who wants a turtle. She's never owned a reptile before, but she really likes turtles a lot, so I thought I'd try to get her a beginner turtle for her birthday/Christmas (I asked her about this- it isn't a surprise). She's vegan, though, and doesn't want a pet that's not herbivorous. After some searching I found that adult Central American Wood Turtles are pretty much herbivorous (although they will on rare occasions eat insects in the wild, they're not necessary for their diet and plenty of owners keep them on an all-vegetable diet) and they're supposed to be easy to care for. However, our local PetSmart does not stock them (though they are on the PetSmart website) and I'm not really sure how to go about finding them. Quick Google searches don't give me any results on breeders for these types of turtles in Alabama and although I've found a couple of websites (namely BackWaterReptiles and ReptileCity) that say they'll ship them I can't imagine that getting a turtle sent to you via USPS is a good idea. Any advice on how to go about obtaining a turtle like that, or does anyone have an alternative that might be easier to obtain? As far as keeping a turtle being easier than a tortoise, I would disagree. A turtle should get 10 gallons of tank per inch of shell - Meaning ideally a red ear slider for example should at least get a 90 gallon tank. They're also incredibly filthy animals and will require a filter rated for 3 times the amount of water they're in. They require a good basking spot, kept at the appropriate heat, and a UVB bulb. The species you're looking at should be kept ideally in a 75 gallon tank. Finally, and this is veering strongly into personal opinion territory, I don't think it's totally appropriate to put any species of turtle on a strictly vegetarian diet. People do it, but I don't think it's what's best for any species. Some species as they grow older do slowly switch to a more herbivorous diet, but young turtles benefit greatly from a bit of meat in their diet while they're growing. They don't eat the occasional worm/insect in the wild for fun, they do it because it's a part of their natural diet. We should always strive to reproduce that diet in captivity, regardless of our personal morals. Certainly not trying to be a stick in the mud, but the idea of turtles being easy to care for is misguided. It's easy to keep a turtle alive, because they're hardy animals, but it's not easy to take proper care of them. A tortoise may be the way to go, especially with her preferences regarding feeding.
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Dec 28, 2015 17:14
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Slugworth posted:Shipping turtles, at least from a reputable source that knows what they're doing, isn't a big deal. That being said, depending on where the turtle is being shipped from/to, a reputable dealer likely will not send one in December/January. Thanks for the advice! I'll ask her about what you've said. A couple of questions, though- the turtle I'm looking at is only semi-aquatic, and most sources I looked at said they just needed a tub on one side of their tank filled with water about 2" deeper than their shell height. Was that incorrect? If so, is there anywhere you'd recommend looking for guides on turtle or tortoise care? I know with fish at least there's a lot of misinformation out there about how to properly care for them, and I know she wants to make sure she provides the optimal environment for her pet. Also, you said young turtles need meat in their diet- if she got a fully matured adult turtle instead would feeding it a vegetable-only diet alright, or would you still suggest supplementing meat on occasion? We picked that particular type of turtle because several sources said it was pretty much herbivorous as an adult (whereas most others we looked at were still omnivorous) and she planned to get an adult because of that, but if that's untrue then I am going to guess she will probably go for the tortoise. Edit: As a shipping note, I live in Alabama and we're experiencing an unseasonably warm winter. It's been 70+ degrees outside all winter so far, so based on your comment I'd think it wouldn't be a terrible idea to ship here, right? Zandorv fucked around with this message at 18:39 on Dec 28, 2015 |
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Dec 28, 2015 18:37
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