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Mocking Bird posted:This is an awesome post, thank you so much. What did John Hodgman have to say about the vivarium? Do check your local animal shelters. You might be surprised but herps wind up at them all the time, including (maybe especially) tortoises and turtles that people realize they can't or don't want to care for, or that escape. For example: https://www.petfinder.com/search/scales-fins-others-for-adoption/us/ca/alamo/ (change Alamo to your local town or zip code and you'll see what's near you on Petfinder) And yeah make your outdoor tortoise-keeping area extremely escape proof. Those little mini-tanks are adept at forcing their way under or through fences and stuff. And, be sure to read up on hibernation. I know some species hibernate over the winter and even here in California they need to do it and you need to have a setup that will allow them to do it. Leperflesh fucked around with this message at 01:23 on Sep 24, 2019 |
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Sep 24, 2019 01:19
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I remember one year my aunt and uncle couldn't find their torts anymore in autumn when they wanted to take them inside. They where thinking a fox or some other predator got to them. Turns out they dug down to hibernate for the winter, come spring and they were back. They survived a Swiss winter at 800m above sea level.
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Sep 24, 2019 06:01
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I went fishing and made a friend! I promise I released them unharmed. I'm new to herping, any chance I can get help on IDing this critter? They are a toad of some sort, I figured out that much.  Due to location I suspect it's a juvenile female yosemite toad, but once again I've never really done this before.  Found last weekend on the northern shore of Lake Crowley in the Eastern Sierras, CA. It was about 70 degrees outside, late morning (10am?) with a little bit of wind, if any of that helps. Is there a better thread for me to post these sorts of questions? I know this is normally the pet reptiles thread. Edit: Hooray! Thank you! I'll leave this here just in case someone wants to look at the cute toad anyway. Chaosfeather fucked around with this message at 20:22 on Oct 3, 2019 |
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Oct 3, 2019 20:12
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Come to Critterquesting!!  https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3807356 The title is out of date but the critter identification power remains strong.
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Oct 3, 2019 20:19
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can a leopard gecko live with a central banded gecko. i assume the answer is probably no but i am curious.
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Oct 12, 2019 04:37
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There are reference guides, but most of the really good ones tend to be aimed at zoology students and academia. With textbook prices being what they are, you might want to check out a library first.
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Oct 12, 2019 12:52
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Dapper_Swindler posted:can a leopard gecko live with a central banded gecko. i assume the answer is probably no but i am curious. I wouldn't if only because the latter will be smaller and might become a meal.
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Oct 12, 2019 22:10
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Even if it doesn’t, I’ve heard enough stories of leops biting off the toes of their weaker tank mates that I would always default to housing them individually.
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Oct 12, 2019 23:10
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Ah wonder if that's how my leopard ended up without toes. Told it long ago how I rescued her years ago from a large tank I got off Craigslist. Figured her toes were missing from the awful sheds, but she did have 2 tank mates that like fought to death. Anyway Tinley was ridiculously crowded today. Also brought someone who got all huffy and bitchy quick over the crowds and I had to leave earlier than I wanted. But honestly with it being 95% Ball Pythons I didnt miss much. No hognoses at all that I could find. Shame since I got my permit set up with the state. Was also tempted to get day gecko, but either I missed most of them due to the crowd or there were only a couple tables. Was also hoping to stock up on rodents and maybe some dubia, but deals were no better than online on those. Sister ended up with a couple gorgeous crested geckos and I did get my carpet. Ended with a yearling Granite Irian Jaya from StarPythons. Turns out the dude lives like 25 minutes from me so saves on shipping if I get another from him at some point. Zee 2 geckos   Carpet  
Cless Alvein fucked around with this message at 05:06 on Oct 13, 2019 |
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Oct 13, 2019 04:26
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Congrats on the carpet. I wish I never sold my pair of IJs but it is what it is. The granites are so cool! It will be fun to watch it color up.
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Oct 14, 2019 04:37
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Yeah. I spent a good hour or so fighting the crowds to dip back between Star and Psychotic to find one I really felt. Came down to pure albino Darwin from Psychotic or a caramel zebra or this granite from Star. I forgot to ask if it was pure IJ, but I'm sure it's probably mixed with one of the other subspecies to introduce some morph or another into granite.
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Oct 14, 2019 06:46
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Question for UK spider goons. I've seen a small spiders chilling of their webs outdoors. 12-15mm, relatively massive abdomen and its colored from light beige to medium brown. Any idea on species? Also another eight legged critter that I've seen indoors lately. Dark brown and grey, small body compared to leg span just a touch under a centimeter, about 30mm or a bit more overall. Very fast runner too. Cheers Edit: fixed a brainfart beyonder fucked around with this message at 14:50 on Oct 16, 2019 |
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Oct 16, 2019 13:08
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Arachnids are not herps, even though tarantulas are usually found at herp conventions. That said, there's bajillions of spiders, so if nobody here has an easy answer for you, maybe take a few pictures and try the critterquest thread?
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Oct 16, 2019 19:40
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Hello, thread. I've been a long time lurker and now I hope you can help me with my first snake purchase! So in here in Norway there's been a ban since forever on herptiles, until a couple of years ago when the ban was lifted for a dozen or so species, including ball pythons which I've dreamed of owning since childhood. I'm a veterinary nurse too so animal welfare is a bit of an obsession of mine (and, uh, breaking the law with illegally kept animals would have had bad consequences for me). Usually my instinct would be to buy from a reputable breeder but 1) The market hasn't existed long enough over here for anyone to really be regarded as a reputable breeder, and 2) my dream snake is literally normal ball pythons (I think they're just as pretty as cool morphs!), which none of the breeders I've found are offering anyway. I came across this handsome guy in a pretty well-regarded pet store:  The pet store guy (who also reared the clutch at home) told me he's a little over a year old, he eats like a champ, and he just finished a shed. He seems like a healthy snake to my untrained eye (bright eyes, no nasal discharge, etc.). Only thing I've really noticed are those small white specks. Is it stuck shed? Missing scales? Anything that should give me second thoughts on buying this lad?
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Oct 18, 2019 20:50
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Cowslips Warren posted:I wouldn't if only because the latter will be smaller and might become a meal. yeah, that was my assumption. i bought a leopard and they are doing pretty well. thinking of buying one of its old tank mates tomorrow at work(i work at a petco) only issue is i am unsure of the gender of my gecko and its too young to tell.
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Oct 19, 2019 03:05
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Kleptocracy posted:Hello, thread. I've been a long time lurker and now I hope you can help me with my first snake purchase! On my ball python she had a few just random speckles - single white scales seemingly out of nowhere. She always had them, it's partly why I named her "Sparky" as a child - because she had Sparkles, you see. I always figured it was just her genetics. That by itself I wouldn't consider a red flag, unless someone who knows more in this thread says otherwise?
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Oct 19, 2019 06:31
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Forgive me ahead of time for not reading through the zillion posts hear in advance. I am looking at building my bearded dragon a new enclosure since he is growing fast. I am looking a building some thing like 2ftx2ftx4ft with glass on the front. he is not in a 20 gal terrarium and I want something a bit bigger than the 40br so he has space to run about and the like. front access would be nice as well. and something the cats can't harass him in as much. I have an idea on what to use but here is where I am running into troubles... Lighting... have read that T5 is best. but getting T5 local seems to be a impossible thing these days.. Of course you ask the pet stores and they take me to the compact florescents which I have read are not the best for beardies (if not, why sell the drat things imo) I have also read that some mercury bulbs are a better choice for heat and UVB I want the best for the critter as he is fun to watch.
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Oct 24, 2019 00:42
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It's really up to you. They both work. The T5 tubes are nice, I've got one for my bts, but you're right they're a pain to find. Zoomed also does T8 bulbs, bit nearly as good. They have the advantage of not really needing specialized fixtures and providing uvb over a larger area. The MVB are obviously more concetrated to basking spot and output heat. Maybe enough. Maybe not. Need special fixture and super high wattage. You could also try to newer metal halide bulbs. They're kinda an all in one with lower wattage that the MVB. Do awesome for plants too. Apparently last like 2 years as well, but way more upfront cost between bulb and fixture. Honestly if I could fit a halide in my skink's enclosure I would. Probably make a mistake when I bought it years ago. Should have gotten 4x2x2 instead of 4x2x1. What material? Ill probably try my hand soon at making enclosure for my carpet. Gonna see how hard it'd be to do pvc myself since personally I think doing plywood or melamine ends up with something way too heavy. Edit:Ranted way more than I meant to~ Cless Alvein fucked around with this message at 09:35 on Oct 24, 2019 |
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Oct 24, 2019 01:53
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I finally took the plunge and got myself a 4 month old Corn Snake. Meet Plissken: 
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Oct 25, 2019 10:21
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That is a beautiful corn. Okeetee?
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Oct 26, 2019 21:25
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HungryMedusa posted:That is a beautiful corn. Okeetee? Aye, Abbott's Okeetee. He's incredibly shy so far. Other than poking his head out of his log twice yesterday we've not seen him. He took a mouse yesterday though so he's probably just digesting it in peace. Lungboy fucked around with this message at 23:49 on Oct 26, 2019 |
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Oct 26, 2019 23:47
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So I couldn't resist that juvie ball python I posted about (he's named Nero now  ). I think I'm handling New Owner Anxiety well, checking temps and humidity a few times daily, and he's snug in his hide by day and slithering around every night.I have the dumbest snake newb question though: So python droppings... Do they smell? Like am I gonna open the tub lid one day and KNOW he did some business or should I just root around among the clutter once in a while to see if he left me a present? 
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Oct 30, 2019 23:14
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If it's in a tub you're gonna smell it since no real air circulation. Just don't ever feed baby chicken/quail unless you want to smell really fowl turds. Plus once it gets older and bigger, it'll get very hard to miss the pile of funk.
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Oct 31, 2019 01:48
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Kleptocracy posted:So I couldn't resist that juvie ball python I posted about (he's named Nero now Sorry for the super late reply. I actually thought I had replied, but apparently I never finished it. I meant to tell you that a few scattered white scales aren't anything to worry about, and to buy the snake if you really want it. Looks like you did.  Ball python poop 101: They pass two kinds of waste, either separately or at the same time, usually once or twice a week but sometimes longer (especially when they're in shed). You should be able to smell either one. One kind of waste is actual poop, and it looks/smells about how you'd expect. It's pretty much like cat poo. But they also pass urates, which is a mostly solid form of urine. Urates are weird chalky solids, that can be white, yellow, grey, or green. They have a distinctive odor that's hard to describe but sort of like musky pee.
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Nov 2, 2019 14:03
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 This is Nyla, my young female cane toad. She's about 5 inches SVL and is eating well. I don't know if anyone else here cares about cane toads or wants to own cane toads. There aren't many amphibian keepers here in general, and of those, they're mostly dart frog keepers. Just in case anyone is interested in cane toads, I found a study that shows how to reliably tell the sex of a cane toad bigger than about 2 inches just by looking at it. I live in NJ, where it gets too cold for cane toads to be invasive. She was wild caught in FL, where they are invasive. Ordinarily I wouldn't want to buy wild-caught animals in general, but taking an invasive species out of the population makes me happy; she's never going to breed and never going to contribute to ecological destruction if she's sitting in a terrarium being waited on hand and foot. Gotta be honest, I've had her about a month and a half now and it's been a joy. She's just as easy to keep as an American toad, just on a larger scale. Cane toads have always been a dream species for me. She's already the biggest toad I've ever seen, and if she's on the larger side she's going to grow to around the size of a dinner plate. She's also a lot darker colored than most cane toads I've seen-- I vaguely wonder if that would breed true, but there's no way in hell I would ever artificially put more cane toads on this planet. She's grown about an inch since I've had her and is basically a bottomless pit for bugs. I can see why people absolutely hate them, but I have not had a single regret about getting her. She's helped a lot with my sadbrains. My other frogs were CBB so they grew up around people, but there's something intensely rewarding about slowly building trust with a WC animal. She tolerates handling a lot better now, and will sometimes hang out outside her toad house when there are people in the room. She also doesn't try to pee on me any more!  It's not a problem if she's scared of people while she's still little, but when she gets to be 10 inches long with the strength to match, I want her to be comfortable enough with handling that I can put her in a cat carrier and take her to the vet if she needs medical care.Sorry for rambling. I just love her lots and lots and she's helped me so much with my mental illness stuff.
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Nov 11, 2019 20:44
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Axqu posted:
What a good little friend, and I hope she stays your friend for many years to come!
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Nov 12, 2019 07:19
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Anybody got suggestions for shelving? I'm trying to rearrange my small reptile space and the plastic shelves I use are fineish. They just make it difficult and slightly dangerous to put things on lower shelves since it's not adjustable so tanks have to dangle like halfway off to access it. I've looked at a few options, but reviews are all over the place. Some saying they massive amounts of weight np and others saying they put 20lbs and they collapsed. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Edsal-72-in-H-x-36-in-W-x-18-in-D-5-Shelf-Steel-Commercial-Shelving-Unit-in-Black-UR185L-BLK/202995256 I've read and seen photos/videos of using them with 40br with fish np, but again others saying it sucks and basically fell apart looking at it. I'm thinking a bit bigger one that will be a tad hard to fit, but will give me more space and in theory should actually fit the 4x2x1 my skink is in. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-48-in-W-x-78-in-H-x-24-in-D-Red-Black-Steel-5-Shelf-Garage-Shelving-Unit-MR482478W5-R/308458506 My other option is to figure out how to build my own pvc enclosures. I probably could, but would have to wait till spring and probably gently caress it up~ But again same mixed reviews. Anybody actually use these or something similar? Or have other suggestions Cless Alvein fucked around with this message at 01:58 on Nov 14, 2019 |
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Nov 14, 2019 00:32
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I would look at Craigslist for used furniture for shelves. See if there is anything wood you could use like an old TV stand you could remove bottom shelves from and use the space for the bottom tank. How big an enclosure do adult cane toads need? That would be awesome to have one. I saw one that was as big as like a cantaloupe at a reptile show and it was awesome.
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Nov 14, 2019 01:48
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My bastard son has awoken! Smug herpmas is now, fed him some orange slices and he's quite happy. drat good scaledoggo
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Dec 23, 2019 19:42
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We have decided to migrate to the cool side of the enclosure to get as high as possible.
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Dec 30, 2019 15:29
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HungryMedusa posted:I would look at Craigslist for used furniture for shelves. See if there is anything wood you could use like an old TV stand you could remove bottom shelves from and use the space for the bottom tank. Sorry for the late reply (Cross country move with 3 amphibians; all 3 are doing great!!) but from everything I read the bare minimum for an adult cane toad is a 40 breeder. Bigger is always better. I have Nyla in a 40 breeder now, with plans to upgrade her when she's bigger. Have you considered building your own tankstands? My fiancé built all mine and they're super strong. Plenty of blueprints online, and way cheaper than prefab options. The King of DIY has plenty of fish tank stand schematics online; his are for aquariums but they'd be overkill for terrariums which I tend to like. Nyla's about 6.5in StV now!! She took almost a week off food after the move. She spent 1300 miles/ 4 days in a cat carrier with water and damp sphagnum moss; she was really unhappy about the car ride and has gone back to distrusting me completely. Can't say I blame her. I left her a food bowl full of Dubia roaches right after, and a few days later she polished off 25 medium (1in) Dubias in one evening. I think she's in the middle of another growth spurt. We're staying with my grandparents for a while while our rental home gets cleaned up, so no roaches for a while. Luckily, Nyla likes crickets, nightcrawlers, and the occasional supplementary feeding of mealworms from my tiny mealworm colony. We already found a bait shop that sources high quality pesticide free nightcrawlers!! So glad Nyla isn't fussy. I absolutely adore this toad. Easily my favorite of all the cold blooded animals I've ever had. Even if she didn't get any bigger she'd be an impressive animal, but she keeps getting bigger and I am thrilled. Such personality! Such gravitas! Toads are incredibly charming. Dumpling, my Budgett's frog, was stressed during the move but he seems to be recovering well. He got a little chilly and started moving sluggishly when I first arrived here, but he's doing well now. He's always been a high strung little guy. He was the second to start eating again after the move. He's normally too lazy to eat the swordtails I keep in his tank with him (Ornamental, plus a low- thiaminase calcium-rich fast-breeding snack if he gets hungry) but he ate 2 of them within a couple days of his tank being set up. He even went after and devoured a couple rosy red minnows I'd previously kept with my ACF but got too big for the ACF to eat. Those fish were as long as Dumpling himself and about 1/3in in diameter. He's stopped hiding from me and has returned to his normal behavior of Being Round and Staring. He's just barely longer than he is wide-- an adorable little near-circle. Lastly, but not least, my ACF Paul is being a good boy as always. He was so happy to be out of his little travel container that as soon as I moved him into his tank he started singing!! So cute!! He took pellets almost immediately and went into his little clay pot to hang out. He swims up to the front of the tank to greet me and beg for food whenever I enter the room. I've recently learned that ACFs like to be social like ADFs, so since he's in a 20 long, I'd like to get him a male roomie soon. Paul is a sweet boy and easily the most responsive of all my frogs. He hated the move and the travel container, but as soon as he had room to swim again he settled right back into his old routine. ACFs are hardy little dudes. Everyone wants axies but ACFs are easier, cheaper (no chiller), smarter, more personable, and much hardier. Fantastic beginner amphibs, but with a lot of charm to keep experts interested. I love frogs a lot and I'm glad my herp journey has led me to focus on frogs exclusively. (Toads are frogs) Next on the list is another ACF so Paul stops being lonely. After that... maybe a pacman, maybe some Whites Tree Frogs, maybe some mossy frogs or Amazon milk frogs? I don't want to take on more than I can handle. I'm probably going to limit myself to 5 species/tanks total. Frogs are the best and I love them. Axqu fucked around with this message at 01:55 on Jan 5, 2020 |
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Jan 5, 2020 01:52
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Sunny has been excitedly chasing his food the last two weeks, he's grown a bunch! Finally pulled the trigger on getting a Kenyan sand boa, I'm finishing the enclosure tomorrow! Yay two herps! I haven't had a snake in years, and my wife is super excited about another herp! Won't be here til Tuesday, so plenty of time to stabilize the environment. Little longdoggo 
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Jan 18, 2020 09:16
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That's a lovely pattern, especially against that orange background. It looks almost pixelated.
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Jan 18, 2020 16:38
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Alright guys. I might've hosed up. I thought that a glass top by itself would be enough to keep my ACF from escaping his tank. That wasn't the case. So now as far as tank security goes I will be adding a large landscaping brick wrapped in a towel (resting on the plastic tank rim, not on the glass itself) to keep the little bastard in. He was almost dried out by the time I got to him. Almost. He's alive. He's moving. I've got him in a tiny hospital tank with shallow water so he can easily breathe, and he's looking better and better, but he's not out of the woods yet. Those of you who've had experience with rescuing critters on the brink of dessication, what are some things I can do to help him recover better? His little hands are uncurling finally, and his little feet seem to be less stiff, but I want to give him the best chance possible. This frog helped me through some pretty significant sadbrains and I'm terrified of losing him. (X-posted aquarium/herp threads because aquatic frog) Edit: I got to him too late. Even rehydrating him wasn't enough. He's gone. Axqu fucked around with this message at 20:31 on Jan 18, 2020 |
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Jan 18, 2020 19:48
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Poor lil' froggo. I've rescued various wild frogs that have gotten stuck in garages, porches, etc. that were super dry when I found them. I gave them a soak and then put them in a small, warm, humid container with damp sphagnum/paper towels and a water dish until they looked well enough to release. Hope he pulls through!
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Jan 18, 2020 20:05
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I'm sorry dude, I feel that.
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Jan 18, 2020 23:34
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I just adopted a Leopard Gecko, and this is my first reptile. (technically he arrives tomorrow) He comes with everything, but the sanctuary is throwing in a UVB bulb as well for some added care. Because of that, I have a husbandry question: Do I dust his food with calcium without D3, or is it safe to do a multivitamin dusting on his food? I have seen conflicting info on the internet about this.
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Jan 24, 2020 21:48
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Vitaminosis is a legitimate concern - excess vitamins can and will kill your pet, if you overdo it by too much. How much is too much varies heavily by species, though, and I cannot give more concrete advice than this. It's something you can calculate based on species, I suppose?
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Jan 24, 2020 21:53
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Leopard geckos are nocturnal. They don't need UVB lights.
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Jan 24, 2020 23:05
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Cowslips Warren posted:Leopard geckos are nocturnal. They don't need UVB lights. It was provided by the reptile rescue sanctuary themselves.
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Jan 25, 2020 06:45
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