# Reptile lovers? Amphibian fanciers? Let's chat!



## purplemuffin

We've had just about every other thread out there about dogs, cats, birds, and of course fish... How about some of the scaly and slimy friends! 

Feel free to post pictures of your herps, ask questions on care, talk about important events going on in our reptile world, or just chat about the ones you adore! Whether you have a reptile or just maybe dream of owning one, this is the place!  










Nagini says..."WELCOME!"  


You know, I actually am likely getting a new reptile friend soon!  I'm not sure which...We have 'store credit' with a reptile store locally...About 500 dollars worth. So I might pick up a new snake! We'll see!


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## kathstew

REPTILES 

Here are mine.
Tank, the bearded dragon. I just got him about a week ago. I love him so much <3









Charlie, the crested gecko:









Monkey, the crested gecko:









Chester the crested gecko:









Skinky, the Blue tongue skink:









Rosie, the leopard gecko:









Nina, the leopard gecko:









Mya, the leopard gecko:









Ritz, the leopard gecko:









Miracle, the leopard gecko:









Murray, the green tree frog:









I am going to be breeding Ritz and Mya after New Years


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## purplemuffin

So cuuuuuute! I'm REALLY wanting a crested gecko, they are just so adorable! 


Nina is gorgeous!! hehe...and I love how angry blue tongue skinks look...


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## EvilVOG

nice lepoards... is that last one a Blizzard? I've been wanting one of those for a long time. It seems the people who discovered it no longer breed them.

Here's Steve.... My Ball python. He's about 12 years old...








the Darker numbers indicate feet, so you get an idea of his size

















And then this little guy is wild, but he tends to keep right around my yard








big for a garter snake


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## purplemuffin

Ohhhh he has some really pretty blushing on his back! And he has a nice reduced pattern, what a cutie!  I love seeing older snakes, it's great when someone really cares for them and keeps them longer than 2-3 years!

I love garters! We are supposed to have them in our area, but people kill them all the time fearing they are venomous  sigh!


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## diablo13

Everybody has such nice Herps  I love Skinky, I like Blue-Tongued Skinks allot. Maybe someday  Is there some lizard that can be fed on vitamin-dusted Mealworms? Mealworms make me laugh  oh, and purple, I've always been curious......what type of snake is your Nagini?


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## EvilVOG

Columbian red-tail boa?


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## purplemuffin

yep, colombian 'red tail' boa 

We have a mealworm colony!


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## kathstew

EvilVOG - Yes, she's a blizzard! She was my first leo, a rescue from some pyscho neighbors. The leopards in order are tremper albino, normal, snowglow, snowglow and blizzard. 

If you look on geckoforums.net you can find some good leo breeders, I'm pretty sure you would find a blizzard there. Urbangeckos.com is also a great place to look. Very good quality leos there!

I love your python! He's gorgeous! I want one so bad, but my mom is against the whole snake thing. She doesn't care about other reptiles, but is very against the snakes. 

Diablo - Leopard geckos can be fed on mealworms with vitamin supplementation. But its always a good idea to have a variety in their diet. I feed mealworms, superworms, waxworms, phoenix worms, horn worms, etc. I believe african fat tails can also be fed on mealworms, but they prefer crickets, and getting them to switch can be a real pain. And thank you! Skinky can be a little stinker! He's quite a devil when he wants to be! He used to be afraid of the camera, and that was the first picture I took of him and I didn't know. He lunged at me after that picture was taken! LOL Poor guy, he's not so afraid of cameras anymore!

Purplemuffin - You should get a crestie! They are so much fun! 

LOL, as I type this, my beardie is sitting on my keyboard watching the screen xD


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## diablo13

I love how their tongues have such vibrant colors  Yout skink doesn't like computers? Neither does my Parrotlet. He likes waging war on my itouch  do you suppose a Leopard would be happy in a 29 gallon? I have a strong aeguement with the worms, they can't exactly escape.....wait, they don't hatch, do they?


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## EvilVOG

that's awesome... i love the look of Blizzards. And is that a zoo-med reptile hammock? i have one of those keeping the duckweed out of my filter discharge on my 20 gallon.


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## redchigh

I'm currently fantasising about a chinese water dragon of my own... fun to see the pics of dif animals.
Here's a pic of one-









Not mine yet, but soon. Enjoying the research of foods and developing the perfect enclosure


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## purplemuffin

Love chinese water dragons! Get ready for a HUGE enclosure though!


And..a lot of feeder options. All my friends who have them tell me they are hugely picky eaters!  They are coooool though!


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## redchigh

Oh, definately a 3' X 5' by 5' tall, maybe for a pair. 

I think the picky eater thing comes into play when they're raised on single types of food.. I plan on getting a hatchling thats easily trained to eat a variety...


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## purplemuffin

I would still maybe just house them alone. I've seen some gnarly bites between pairs, not to mention if you were unlucky enough to get two males! YIKES! But that's just my personal opinion. I'm on a herp forum that specializes in dealing with medical situations and so we see a lot of injuries from animals housed together. But what I would do is make a cage big enough for two and divide it in the middle..but make it kind of look like it's one cage.  Gives them their own 'bedrooms' but still looks really cool! 

I'm trying to see if my boyfriend's dad would like a chinese water dragon. He loves iguanas but..well.. LOL.. Those are about the most difficult reptiles to handle.. Even monitor lizard/crocodilian owners don't want them haha! He likes big green lizards though. Figured a CWD would be a liiittle more suited for him!


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## LionCalie

Nice reptiles! Here is my Crested Gecko, Taji. 










Getting ready to shed...










Eating Crested Gecko Diet, Mmmm...


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## purplemuffin

Soooooooo cute~ :3 I LOVE how much they can change colors!


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## LionCalie

Thank you! I love Cresties. :-D Here is his set-up for those interested.


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## kathstew

diablo13 said:


> I love how their tongues have such vibrant colors  Yout skink doesn't like computers? Neither does my Parrotlet. He likes waging war on my itouch  do you suppose a Leopard would be happy in a 29 gallon? I have a strong aeguement with the worms, they can't exactly escape.....wait, they don't hatch, do they?


Haha, BTS tongues are awesome  
No, he doesn't like cameras. LOL. My beardie loves computers though. He sits on the keyboard and watches the screen change as I type, or watch videos and stuff. 
A leo would be very happy in a 29 gallon! Generally the minimum is 10 gallon, but I always recommend at least 15 - 20 gallons.  If you end up getting a juvie then I would get lots and lots of hiding spots, as juvie leos are more comfortable with hiding spots, and spend a lot of time hiding.  As they get older they come out more. 
I love mealworms as a feeder. They don't smell, they aren't messy, they don't carry parasites or disease easily. They will pupate (turn into beetles) if you leave them long enough, but I'm currently trying to get a few to pupate so I can hatch my own, and its taking weeks to get them to turn. So I wouldn't be worried about them turning into beetles too much. 



EvilVOG said:


> that's awesome... i love the look of Blizzards. And is that a zoo-med reptile hammock? i have one of those keeping the duckweed out of my filter discharge on my 20 gallon.


Thank you! I love the blizzards too, but my fav morphs have to be hybino and RAPTORs. <3 
Yes it is a zoo-med reptile hammock! She loves it (as you can see in the picture lol). 



purplemuffin said:


> I'm on a herp forum that specializes in dealing with medical situations and so we see a lot of injuries from animals housed together.


What forum are you on? I'm on leopardgeckoforum.com I love it there! 



LionCalie said:


> Nice reptiles! Here is my Crested Gecko, Taji.


Taji is adorable!! D'aww so cute!!


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## diablo13

A lizard is my first choice for that 29 gallon( well, a snake, but I my mom would kill me) or a giant community tank. I really like the Albino Leos. Blizzards aee cool, too. The only way I would do a 10 gallon is if it had 2 levels. Out of cutiosity.....what color ate the beetles?


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## purplemuffin

kathstew said:


> I love mealworms as a feeder. They don't smell, they aren't messy, they don't carry parasites or disease easily. They will pupate (turn into beetles) if you leave them long enough, but I'm currently trying to get a few to pupate so I can hatch my own, and its taking weeks to get them to turn. So I wouldn't be worried about them turning into beetles too much.


Warm them up! :-D They will pupate right away with a little more heat. We have a colony in a room that's about 83-85 degrees. They just go crazy for it. And I can tell you--the more moisture (aka fruits and veggies) you give them, the FASTER the babies grow. We were lazy with our first few batches..they took MONTHS..now we feed them more veggies and you just blink and more feeder sized mealies have appeared! 


I'm on a couple forums. herpcenter.com is the one that deals with a lot of medical stuff, and I appreciate their slightly stricter views on certain issues that other forums tend to look over(like putting sand in leopard gecko tanks, or worse, calcium sand), ball-pythons.net is another one, and though sometimes I think they are a bit lazy in certain areas of care and are a bit leaning more towards just focusing on breeders, there are some incredible ball python pictures during breeding season! Cool to see the new morphs. I also lurk on faunaclassifieds in order to see the BOI, a place to check out the good guys and bad guys selling animals, so I don't end up getting scammed by a crook or buying a sick animal! There are a few others, but those are really the main ones.


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## ChelseaK

AHH! I love your Crestie pictures! Mine are all still babies yet... Here are a few pictures.


Meet Frog! She is bigger than this now. Actually I don't even know if shes a girl or not yet, still too young, but for now she's a girl. Her sister, Not-Frog (Nottie for short) is a bit darker than her. Theya re the two oldest ones, born in August I believe.




























One of the babies fired up. She can go from almost white to this color. I bought these babies just a month back or so. 








This is what I call my "Crestie Keeper" Made it myself, obviously haha. It houses my three babies right now. They are probably just about 2 months old. So I have 5 Cresites right now. I love them, definitely my favorite herp! 

I also have two Leos, both girls, Opossum and Houdini. I realized just now that I don't have any recent pictures of them, but I will post when I do!

I also have a colony of Dubia roaches for feeding, but I don't consider them pets, all though my friend that I bought them from LOVES her roaches! Haha


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## nel3

just how expensive can reptile keeping be? i myself dont mind getting a snake or a lizard. id love a blue tounged skink but they're hard to find or a bit pricy. snakes and geckos are a posibility if they're priced right. atm im looking more at small lizard species.

i havent the largest betta collection but 4 betta to take up most of the real estate to put any reptile habitat/cage where i live.


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## kathstew

nel3 said:


> just how expensive can reptile keeping be? i myself dont mind getting a snake or a lizard. id love a blue tounged skink but they're hard to find or a bit pricy. snakes and geckos are a posibility if they're priced right. atm im looking more at small lizard species.
> 
> i havent the largest betta collection but 4 betta to take up most of the real estate to put any reptile habitat/cage where i live.


It depends on the species really, and there are ways you can cut costs on some species.

For example, leopard geckos I've been cutting costs, by starting my own feeder farm. This way I don't have to purchase food, I breed it all myself. I also use heat wire to heat multiple tanks instead of heat pads (Heat pad= $30.00 to heat ONE tank. heat wire= $20.00 to heat multiple tanks).
Crested geckos you can't really cut cost food wise because you NEED to feed them a special crested gecko meal replacement diet. 
Snakes are fairly cheap as you generally feed them once a week. 
Blue tongue skinks are more expensive as you need to feed fresh food (like veggies), along with insects/meat. 
You can make hides instead of buying them. I make hides out of tupperware containers with holes cut in them, instead of buying a bunch of $12.00 each hides.


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## nel3

kathstew said:


> It depends on the species really, and there are ways you can cut costs on some species.
> 
> For example, leopard geckos I've been cutting costs, by starting my own feeder farm. This way I don't have to purchase food, I breed it all myself. I also use heat wire to heat multiple tanks instead of heat pads (Heat pad= $30.00 to heat ONE tank. heat wire= $20.00 to heat multiple tanks).
> Crested geckos you can't really cut cost food wise because you NEED to feed them a special crested gecko meal replacement diet.
> Snakes are fairly cheap as you generally feed them once a week.
> Blue tongue skinks are more expensive as you need to feed fresh food (like veggies), along with insects/meat.
> You can make hides instead of buying them. I make hides out of tupperware containers with holes cut in them, instead of buying a bunch of $12.00 each hides.


thank you very much what are the pros and cons of leopard geckoes and some smaller snakes regarding food stock/breeders, cage sizes/unkeep and general care?

i dont mind snakes. they do have advantages for food requirements but cage sizes as they grow is a concern depending on species. small lizards/geckoes are nice because they dont grow too big but are more active and need more food. both animals are nice but lizards are damn cute at times. lol, if my brother didnt get that VT and my betta sickness id probably have little issue for reptile enclosures.

the place i live in is 750 cubic ft. so far any potential spaces are the top of a dresser, room for a 10g tank on a desk that already has a 2.7KK. maybe a kitchen table, that doesnt leave me much space. i can see a snake go on the dresser but not much space for a breeder cage if i chose lizards or a snake. electric outlets are a bit limited/occupied in those 2 areas. are there ways to make it possible with such limited space?


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## ChelseaK

I feel that the cresties are the way to go when you're in a money pinch and want something small. They don't have any special heating or lighting requirements. They don't eat a whole lot ( 2 of mine eat a quarter sized drop of their food every 36 hours), and the do like crickets every once in awhile as well as fresh fruit. You can make their habitats fairly simply and the just need to be kept a bit moist. 
All in all if youre looking for a starter reptile, go for the crested gecko. And dont buy from a pet store, try to find a private breeder. They WAY over charge at pet stores and they aren't as well handled. The key to keeping them friendly is to handle them almost everyday for at least 15 minutes and they hat doesn't realistically happen at chain pet stores. 
I have 5 cresties, 2 of them I got for $30 each and 3 for $20 each. I bought my bag of food in August and it's not even half gone, one of the cages I bought for $30 and the other container cost $5. The decorations I bought from walmart, each fake plant was $1 and I bought 3. I bought natural moss and eco earth each costing about $5 bucks. Thats just an idea of the kinds of initial costs you could have. 

I'm don't rambling, haha, obviously I'm and advocate for the cresties


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## nel3

ChelseaK said:


> I feel that the cresties are the way to go when you're in a money pinch and want something small. They don't have any special heating or lighting requirements. They don't eat a whole lot ( 2 of mine eat a quarter sized drop of their food every 36 hours), and the do like crickets every once in awhile as well as fresh fruit. You can make their habitats fairly simply and the just need to be kept a bit moist.
> All in all if youre looking for a starter reptile, go for the crested gecko. And dont buy from a pet store, try to find a private breeder. They WAY over charge at pet stores and they aren't as well handled. The key to keeping them friendly is to handle them almost everyday for at least 15 minutes and they hat doesn't realistically happen at chain pet stores.
> I have 5 cresties, 2 of them I got for $30 each and 3 for $20 each. I bought my bag of food in August and it's not even half gone, one of the cages I bought for $30 and the other container cost $5. The decorations I bought from walmart, each fake plant was $1 and I bought 3. I bought natural moss and eco earth each costing about $5 bucks. Thats just an idea of the kinds of initial costs you could have.
> 
> I'm don't rambling, haha, obviously I'm and advocate for the cresties


thank you CheseaK. the shop i saw most of the geckoes had them from $90-$150. leopards were going $50 at the time. money is one of my issues but its mostly the space to house the lizard/snake. i have no idea on cage sizes. i saw large tarantual cages with 2 swing doors minimum $80 at the same shop. i wouldnt know a crestie or reptile breeder nearby atm. im a total stranger to reptile keeping and wouldnt know the specific requirements. i had 2 turtles 15 years ago when i was young but that lasted 4 years and my parents one the ones that did the work for it. i know a shallow water bowl, a heating lamp with a rock, some decor and wood shavings are necessary. would a 2.7g KK be too little for any lizard? its 73-77 in my unit depending on the time of day. just how big can they get?

i dont really mind you rambling on about cresties, they're so darn cute that i cant blame anyone for doing so. it'll be a bit higher starting price for a possible lizard for me here, Canada has higher prices than USA for the same items.


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## ChelseaK

Those prices seem pretty high for a pet store, but then again, I don't know canda prices too well. I would try just a search for some local breeders. I was surprised at how many there are in my area, you may be surprised as well! If you decide on cresties, let me know I can definitely help you find the cheapest solutions possible! Just send me a PM


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## nel3

ChelseaK said:


> Those prices seem pretty high for a pet store, but then again, I don't know canda prices too well. I would try just a search for some local breeders. I was surprised at how many there are in my area, you may be surprised as well! If you decide on cresties, let me know I can definitely help you find the cheapest solutions possible! Just send me a PM


thank you very much Chelseak, ive seen some youtube vids for cresties and an local breeder but not sure on prices. the prices are on par or slightly lower. the pet store prices did include prices for leopards, blizzards and crested. 
http://www.bogecko.ca/available.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jXv18p9TGM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgRuyOWs2SQ
the youtube vid has the gecko in the KK, not sure of the size. the second vid is a gargoyle but the habitat is pretty much DIY which i wouldnt mind much if i given a choice. is a heat lamp needed? whats the situation for lighting setup? cheapest gecko on that site is $60-70. whats a good starter habitat size for the size of a specimen? that'll give me a good idea on what/where i can fit in my unit for a gecko.

i'll have to look around at shops for geckoes and habitat ideas before deciding on getting one first to see if i can fit in anywhere in my unit. gargoyles seem possible for avoiding live food but i cant guarantee an higher room temp if they need to stay 78-80 F. ive done that for my betta .5g unheated in the summer, didnt mind it for the short run but dont fancy it for the long run.


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## purplemuffin

Cresteds won't need a heat lamp unless your house gets FREEZING. They like fairly comfortable room temperatures.  I saw cresties at a convention today for 20 dollars, and some high end ones for over 100! All depends on color, pattern, age, and what most breeders are looking for. 

If you go to a convention you'll find the cheapest prices as well as NO shipping--and getting to meet your guy in person.


I know people who keep their crested geckos in a 20 gallon tank turned on it's side. Other people even keep them in a tall sterilite tub. The size just needs to be appropriate to the gecko. They like to climb, but don't need a ridiculous amount of space. Those front opening cages are great, because it's easy to get to them without reaching over, but they are insanely expensive in pet stores. Sometimes people resell them for cheap(the 80 dollar front opening one in petsmart was 20 dollars at this show!)

Starter habitat size can be fairly small, they start out itty bitty as babies. You can also just buy their regular adult habitat from the start if you want. I might start mine out in a small tub on it's side with some fun decor and hides. Tubs are good for holding in humidity, which is your primary concern. 


In general an adult needs the space of a 20 gallon tall(picture two ten gallons stacked on top of one another), but as babies you can start them out in a tub or ten gallon tank or something like that. They seem to thrive between the temps of 68-78, meaning many homes need no additional heat, other than the gecko maybe being in a warmer area of the house. Don't let them get above 85!

Crested gecko diet is CHEAP..I saw a huge bag of it for about 12 dollars. For a single gecko, that can last forever. Repashy is the best stuff. Best thing is they never NEED crickets, unless you want to give them to them as a treat!

They are cuuuute geckos. Almost bought one today. So close.


I'm actually interested in their much larger cousin, the "Leachie" gecko. EXPENSIVE...we're looking at 300 minimum for one of these guys(but a reptile breeder owes us money and can probably work out a trade with someone!)




















What can we say...We like big, lol!


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## nel3

thank you Purplemuffin, i'll definetely look up some conventions and possible habitats. how would a 20g tank be oriented? i dont think i can find one that cheap here. i can definetely divide the tank in half with crafting mesh for the young stages of life and remove it when the gecko needs the full capacity. i'll certainly look at tubs i can use for a gecko.

ny unit does gets pretty warm in summer and im sure it breaks the 85F limit by a few degrees without AC on. i dont even have full control of my room temp. ive set the heat at 21c and the place stays 23-25C (winter) regardless of my setting. thats probably the biggest logistic problem, the general temp of the building is higher than i chose it. easy on electricity bills butnot so much on a reptile.


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## kathstew

nel3 said:


> thank you very much what are the pros and cons of leopard geckoes and some smaller snakes regarding food stock/breeders, cage sizes/unkeep and general care?
> 
> i dont mind snakes. they do have advantages for food requirements but cage sizes as they grow is a concern depending on species. small lizards/geckoes are nice because they dont grow too big but are more active and need more food. both animals are nice but lizards are damn cute at times. lol, if my brother didnt get that VT and my betta sickness id probably have little issue for reptile enclosures.
> 
> the place i live in is 750 cubic ft. so far any potential spaces are the top of a dresser, room for a 10g tank on a desk that already has a 2.7KK. maybe a kitchen table, that doesnt leave me much space. i can see a snake go on the dresser but not much space for a breeder cage if i chose lizards or a snake. electric outlets are a bit limited/occupied in those 2 areas. are there ways to make it possible with such limited space?


I personally LOVE leopard geckos. I have 5 and am going to be breeding them after New Years. I adore them all. They all have unique personalities, and quirks.

Leopard geckos are crepuscular, so they are most active at dawn and dusk. If you are home a lot during those times, then they are great, cause thats when you can play with them 
Leopard geckos are pretty friendly. It does depend on the leo, but most I've met are pretty friendly. Mine come to the front of the glass when I go in my room, and climb up my arm as soon as I stick my hand in the tank. I think they learn to recognize people as well. Like my leos like me and my mom the best. :3
Cons, are they need live foods. They won't eat dead food. So you gotta keep live food constantly. You have to supplement their food with vitamins, so they get the proper nutrients as well. I can't really think of a lot of cons for leos lol. I guess them needing heat is a con as well. They need under tank heating, not above heating (they get their heat from their bellies). 

I don't know a lot about snakes, but I've read corn snakes can live comfortably in a 10 gallon + size tank. I also THINK western hognoses can be kept in smaller tanks. And Kenyan Sand Boas. Not sure about other snakes. My mom won't let me have a snake lol

I definitely love the lizards! So friendly and fun! And people are more open to them, so if I ever needed a babysitter for them, I'd find one more readily for my lizards than I would for a snake. Just something to keep in mind if you go on vacation or anything. xD

Leos can live in a 10 gallon tank, but you would really need to utilize the space, by using two floors. 10 gallons may seem small for 1 leo once it gets older. But I've seen some people do pretty awesome stuff with a 10 gallon by creating multiple floors. 

For your situation I would probably recommend the cresties, as they need taller tanks rather than long tanks, so a crestie tank would fit well on your dresser.

As said, a lot of people (including me) use storage bins for their cresties. Just make air holes.  Works well, and holds humidity well for them, which is one of the main reasons I use a storage bin. 

You live in Canada too, eh? 
I got a lot of my reptiles at expos. I got Chester, my crestie, for $25.00 at the Ajax expo. And he wasn't even the cheapest one there.  Expos are definitely the place to go for your reptiles. I find canadian pet stores seriously overcharge for their reptiles, and most aren't in good condition. Also check kijiji.ca, I got my two baby cresties off a breeder there for 2 for $30. I love buying stuff off kijiji 
Here is the site to find out about the expos: http://www.reptileexpo.ca/
It will be updated after new years I think. I've been to 3 expos this year. I went to the CRBE, the Ajax expo and the kitchener expo. The CRBE is the biggest expo of the year, its HUGE. And the kitchener expo was pretty awesome as well. The ajax one was eh. LOL.


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## nel3

unfortunately my work schedule has me working from 4am-2pm 4 days a week. i do have days off but the schedule is a 2 week rotation of works days that repeats over again. i dont fancy keeping live food when possible so cresties or maybe a gargoyle work. as long as they can have live food once in a while i dont mind. i dont have much space for a 2nd cage or feeder habitat. had i not purchased a 4th betta that migtve been possible. 

so far ive seen stuff in the $60-80+ range for both crestie and gargoyle. ive missed the expos as i didnt think of a pet lizard. there were 2 this october and november, next is april 2012. pinstripe, tiger, flame and chevron back are the ones i like better than the others i dont mind but as long as the price is right for any given pattern. i do like the oranges, reds and black pinstripes.


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## purplemuffin

The reason you are finding the higher priced geckos is partially because you are looking online. Generally people sell their 'high end' geckos online. Not many people want to pay 50 dollars in shipping for a 20 dollar animal, but are much more likely to for an 80 dollar animal! They sell the cheaper ones in person like expos or just from contacting them personally.


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## nel3

count me hooked onto cresties. i dropped by an LPS to look at options. found a $150 15g glass terrarium and 1 $90 baby gecko 5 inches long. the employee was a previously a crestie breeder but stopped it. i did handle him a bit and now im just looking for a good deal for one + setup. i did decide against a black pin stripe, they are white at times. think i'll go for red/orange, i do prefer a bit more colour for a lizard.

how much would a good baby gecko cost when sold in person? i think i'll chose chevron back, fire, harlequin or a tiger back.


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## purplemuffin

Like I said, I've seen 20 dollar ones in person as well as 90 dollar ones! They all lighten at times, some get brighter than others--you can talk to the breeder about which ones stay the most colorful.  they are pretty awesome! We already had a 20 gallon tall (same floorspace as a ten, but twice as tall) so that's what we plan to use for ours. We're going to get some driftwood and fake plants and use eco earth as the substrate when it gets older(just damp paper towels while it's a baby, easier to clean and check for parasites and all that!)

For our Leachie we plan on an almost all repashy diet, and will hopefully have a few snacks for variety--but these guys seem to be less likely to even try to hunt crickets, so we'll see.  They are funnn~


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## nel3

i just need to find a breeder that has some decent priced lizard. found a 24x 15x18 terrarium for $75 on CG that isnt too far to inquire upon.


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## purplemuffin

Good luck!

Hmmm, check out all the local breeders, not just their websites--if you see one that is near you, like within driving distance, try sending them an email and see if they have anything a little more affordable that they just didn't post online, or if they know anyone near you who does have something. Most breeders don't post their cheaper animals online because they aren't as stunning as the others(hence why they are cheaper)

Faunaclassifieds sometimes has people from canada posting, though it mostly is american. You can post wanted ads though and people will sometimes get in touch with you. Posting around asking for people near by will usually get a few responses. 

It can be a little difficult if you don't know people, but once you at least get to know one person near you who 'does' the reptile thing, that person can help you out and help you figure out who all lives near you!


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## nel3

i'll be contact one today or tommorow given the hours they may answer the phone. i was at work and one of my bosses (i work in a garage) mentioned giving some fish to afellow worker to replace the cocker spaniel he has as a joke. long story shor, a person that also repairs the trucks from time to time for certain problems owned fish. if it turns out in my favor i can get a aquarium thats atleast 15g. from the estimated size its probably a 20gal, didnt get exact dimensions but looks very promising. if he gets back the tank he wants ans his son doesnt plan to use the tank i'll get a chance to get it. its a traditional one with a fish tank hood, no mesh screen but if it goes well its not a problem for me. didnt give me a price, but $30-50 seems a reasonable price that may pop up. thats my best guess, as for proper second hand tank price, not too sure.


----------



## betta lover1507

i miss my baby girl "Hunter"








she was a ball python, not sure what morph


----------



## 4mb3rNich0l3

I currently have one Cockatiel and my bettas . (not to mention my GROWING addiction to bettas by the way! Im getting 2 more boys and 2 more females haha) BUT I use to have Crested geckos and leopard geckos. Also a few pacman frogs too. But not anymore. Id love to get another crested gecko but my apartments only allow fish and birds (hence the reason I had to rehome my reptiles and frogs ....)


----------



## nel3

i only have to wait a few days to get my cresty. ive given up on finding lower priced geckoes, the prices are higher in general for Montreal (breeders included outside of expo dates). i cant do anything habitat-wise atm as i was visiting friends these past 2 days and the rest is store hours closed and boxing day. it'll be sometime around wednesday or thursday. just what do i need to transport a gecko 45 minutes by public transport? i have an empty .5g tank thats 8 3/4 inches long. can i use that with a cardboard tube for transportation? 

i know where to get the supplies for the gecko. atm its between a large KK or a 10 gal. the breeder said a large KK will suit it for the next 3-4 months (its 7mth old and maybe 16 ounces??). not sure if i can jump to a 20gal after 3-4 mths. my place isnt very big so i dont have too much space for keeping spare tanks. not sure if i even have space to keep a 10gal in storage in the unit itself when i go up to 20g. i dont even know if the following KK link -> 20g tank ju,p would stress him out when the time comes. i'll get fine ground cocoa husk.

link to current tank for betta and possible gecko temp home for 3-4 months
http://www.amazon.fr/Terra-Standard-Faunarium-Plastic-Terrarium/dp/B00025YVUI


----------



## LittleBettas

I LOVE TURTLES!

Lmao, I actually got my girl Monty on an accident.... went by a friends house to find out her youngest daughter.... 15 sadly..... had a fully grown female (they thought male) box turtle in a 10 gallon tank tucked in the back of a bookcase.... the tank was lined with newspaper, had two empty dishes, crusted up poop, and a slightly molding cardboard box... poor thing was SO skinny, dehydrated, and of course,... STARVING
I would not have even known about her... except the "owner" came down and told me she had a turtle she hadn't fed for like 4 months... when I asked her why not... she said "he's boring"

So now, Monty is mine, she lives in a 20 long tank (for now) but I have dreams of upgrading her to either a turtle table... or if I ever have my own yard, a special area JUST for her <3
She's gained weight, she now is on a balanced diet with all organic food, she has top of the line substrate (coconut shavings and dried moss), top of the line bulbs (30 for a light that lasts about 4-5 months), and she has a little pool of water she can actually get into (which is mandatory for box turtles as it helps them go to the bathroom AND prevent their skin from getting dry)



Sweet potatoes (boiled and mashed) mixed with a bit of yogurt and meds (calcium)... from when I first got her, she had a slight calcium deficiency, she so no longer on meds 












Monty eating broccoli (boiled) mixed with turtle food (smells AWEFUL, but she LOVES it)













In the bathtub with a worm (soaking in a bath of warm water)













Another worm pic.... taking it into her hiding place 
















Monty


----------



## LionCalie

Monty is adorable. 

My Crested Gecko gets a low watt heat bulb in the winter, otherwise the temp in his tank drops below 70 F and he becomes unhappy. I use a deep dome reptile lamp so there is no risk of him being burnt when he walks upside down on the screen.


----------



## nel3

i picked up all the supplies for the gecko and a bit more. i paid $80 for him but it beat any +$90 without tax at any LRS/LPS. there were some that were $20 cheaper but the travel time itself didnt merit the cost. heres the tank setup. its a 14.5' x 8.5' x 10' large KK its only until the KK gets too small then its a 10 or 20g. i havent been abble to walk him onto my hand yet so i just left his 1/4g kk inside the large kk. he's 7-8 months old, weight unsure, could be 16 ounces. i'll wait for himto be more comfy in there before pulling out the scale. i have 2 such KK, one has the CT and the other has the gecko. funny thing is that when i got the kk for the CT 5 weeks ago the sliding access panel was 7.5' x 6' on the cove. i got the same kk but the access window had shrunk to 4' x 3.5'. think i got an old model cover. i swapped the covers for the ct and gecko. the gecko needs the humitidty more than the ct. he's phasing dark atm but im not surprised. i got home a bit late before when i need to go to sleep. i wrapped the broken ends of the branches with masking tape, later on i'll cut them properly or use AQ sealant to fill in sharp points.


----------



## 4mb3rNich0l3

What are you using for substrate? I personally would use just paper towels just to avoid impaction as best as possible  that's all I uses for my leopard geckos and crested geckos when I owned them



nel3 said:


> i picked up all the supplies for the gecko and a bit more. i paid $80 for him but it beat any +$90 without tax at any LRS/LPS. there were some that were $20 cheaper but the travel time itself didnt merit the cost. heres the tank setup. its a 14.5' x 8.5' x 10' large KK its only until the KK gets too small then its a 10 or 20g. i havent been abble to walk him onto my hand yet so i just left his 1/4g kk inside the large kk. he's 7-8 months old, weight unsure, could be 16 ounces. i'll wait for himto be more comfy in there before pulling out the scale. i have 2 such KK, one has the CT and the other has the gecko. funny thing is that when i got the kk for the CT 5 weeks ago the sliding access panel was 7.5' x 6' on the cove. i got the same kk but the access window had shrunk to 4' x 3.5'. think i got an old model cover. i swapped the covers for the ct and gecko. the gecko needs the humitidty more than the ct. he's phasing dark atm but im not surprised.


----------



## nel3

4mb3rNich0l3 said:


> What are you using for substrate? I personally would use just paper towels just to avoid impaction as best as possible  that's all I uses for my leopard geckos and crested geckos when I owned them


im using exo terra plantation soil, coconut hsuk fiber. does impaction made the ground harder over time enough to harm a gecko?


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## 4mb3rNich0l3

lol I meant the gecko can get impacted . If it consumes too much loose substrate then it can die because of the buildup in the stomaches. Have you joined the crested gecko forum? Pangea is a good forum if you wanna join. They help allot with any info or problems you may run into


----------



## nel3

4mb3rNich0l3 said:


> lol I meant the gecko can get impacted . If it consumes too much loose substrate then it can die because of the buildup in the stomaches. Have you joined the crested gecko forum? Pangea is a good forum if you wanna join. They help allot with any info or problems you may run into


DOH! would keeping the feeding plate clean help? i plan to put it on a small plastic cover. 

i have yet to join a Gecko forum. the breeder did suggest rhacscanada


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## 4mb3rNich0l3

I personally would keep all loose substrate out(I'm paranoid about stuff like that though lol). But some would says its OK as long as you keep any food items away from the substrate so it cant be accidentally ingested while trying to eat

I dont know about canadian forums  but it looks legit haha.
http://www.forums.repashy.com/
http://www.pangeareptile.com/forums/
These 2 are the ones I always used when I was allowed to keep geckos


----------



## Philnominal

my little sudan plated lizard. he has got an attitude. he isnt used to people yet and i had just spent 5 minutes chasing him around my room cause he jumped out og my hand as i was closing his lid


----------



## nel3

4mb3rNich0l3 said:


> I personally would keep all loose substrate out(I'm paranoid about stuff like that though lol). But some would says its OK as long as you keep any food items away from the substrate so it cant be accidentally ingested while trying to eat
> 
> I dont know about canadian forums  but it looks legit haha.
> http://www.forums.repashy.com/
> http://www.pangeareptile.com/forums/
> These 2 are the ones I always used when I was allowed to keep geckos


not sure which forum i'll choose atm. rhacs canada is limieted to 1 subforum for open threads but the breeder is there: Bogecko. Pangea is also very convenient as regarding ease of use. i'll have to check both and get used to them.

i'll see just how much traffic the food dish gets.


----------



## kathstew

I've found for cresties that using paper towel is suggested for young cresties, but once they are older you can switch to eco earth. I use paper towel for my two babies, and I am planning to switch to eco earth for my adult soon. 
Its just your choice. I'm more paranoid about sand and leos than I am about cresties and eco earth. I keep all my leos OFF sand. 
If planning to feed crickets a lot than I wouldn't use the eco earth. But if its mainly a diet of CGD (crested gecko diet) than I wouldn't be too concerned about impaction, as long as your crestie isn't a messy eater. 
I feed my adult crestie out of his tank so I wouldn't be worried about impaction anyway.


----------



## nel3

kathstew said:


> I've found for cresties that using paper towel is suggested for young cresties, but once they are older you can switch to eco earth. I use paper towel for my two babies, and I am planning to switch to eco earth for my adult soon.
> Its just your choice. I'm more paranoid about sand and leos than I am about cresties and eco earth. I keep all my leos OFF sand.
> If planning to feed crickets a lot than I wouldn't use the eco earth. But if its mainly a diet of CGD (crested gecko diet) than I wouldn't be too concerned about impaction, as long as your crestie isn't a messy eater.
> I feed my adult crestie out of his tank so I wouldn't be worried about impaction anyway.


thank you for the ideas kathstew. i could plan on 1 cricket a week but id have to keep the crickets alive for a few weeks. if i get a bunch i'll use them right away for the few days they last. i wont have to keep crickets too long a time this way. i have torpical fish flakes that came with a fish tankthat i doubt i'll feed to my betta.

i have a 5.7L container that i can use as a feeding container especially for crickets. i just put out some rephasy 2 hrs ago and im not surprised to see he;s still in the cardboard tube. i did find a PVC pipe 1 inch interior diameter. atm its soaking in water and vinegar to clean. i;ll air it out a few days to get the scent off it. would it be suitrable for a crested gecko?


----------



## purplemuffin

As long as the gecko isn't fed insects on the coco husk, the crested gecko isn't going to get impacted. They aren't like leopard geckos who naturally stay on the ground, these animals are on the walls 99% of the time and have stronger resistance to impaction than leopard geckos have. I can tell you that I am against loose substrate on most reptiles as well, but certain ones like rhac geckos or sand geckos are fine with it, and if anything, cocohusk is the safest of the substrate. If it was sand which clumps or bark which is hard and sharp or moss which can be ingested and be fatal, I would be against that for sure. 

Since this crested will not be eating bugs, it's fine. They aren't like iguanas where they will randomly take a bite out of the substrate! If you feed bugs, I'd just put the crested gecko in another container. Since the crested will be getting an upgrade, you can use the kritter keeper as the feeding area. 

That's just my opinion. I actually don't know anyone who keeps adult crested geckos on paper towel or other solid substrates, most seem to use coco husk. Now, babies don't generally go on coco husk, but they also have trouble climbing as they will get the substrate in their toes and slide around.


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## nel3

thats the plan, if i give him live food he'll be in a container without loose substrate, probably paper towel. i'll first get him eating CGD and get him used to me whenever he dares to show his face to me lol. i saw him sitting on the fake plants last night and he's just hiding again. not too sure on upgrade tanks yet its either 10g or 20g. i still have 3-4 months to decide upon that.


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## LionCalie

There are plenty of people that keep adult cresties on paper towels. I'm one of them! I just find it easier to keep clean and my guy sometimes gets crickets.


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## purplemuffin

Lol! Well you're the first I've met!  I suppose it's because most of the people I know who keep cresteds keep them in unaltered fish tanks and just find the eco earth keeps in humidity better. It's very VERY dry here!


----------



## nel3

its day 3 with my crested gecko. i put out some rephasy (1/2 TSP) and im not sure if he ate it. think he did his business atleast. as for the food, cant discern if the water evaporated or he ate half of it. i found him outside of the cardboard tube today since i got him. took a picture without moving too much foliage to bother him. 





a friend of mine was asked by a 3rd party person about finding slugs to feed to a snake. he didnt get a snake species specified but apparently they're having a hard time finding some.


----------



## Fieldz

Wow you do have so many reptiles at home! They are amazing! I wish I had a bearded dragon, but here in Brazil a single bearded costs about 700 reais (350 dollars ) or even more and the equipment is like 5x more expensive than in the USA because of the sucky government ( where everyone is rich because everyone steals too much and nothing happens ).


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## nel3

looks like my mix of CGD does get eaten to an extent but it does dry up 90% after 24hrs. is that normal? i doubled up the water 2:1.


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## LionCalie

That is normal. Taji's CGD will dry up within 24 hours. You can add a tiny bit of water and stir it in so it will last longer. I know some cresties like the CGD to sit for a day before they eat it. It can be hard sometimes to tell if they are eating. However, if the gecko is having bowel movements then he is eating.


----------



## ChelseaK

My crestie Frog is staring at me from my shirt as I'm typing this.


----------



## nel3

i got a hygrometer today, misted the tank and its reading 60%. i tried getting the substarate a bit wet but i dont know just how humid is too much. tomorrow i'll got to a dollar store to find a small round container lid to use as a food dish. the current 4" is a bit too big for his KK. i think he's eating some of the CGD but not particularly worried as he did his business 2 days ago.

im also looking for an appropriate guide book for a crested gecko. got some options
1:
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Geckos/9780764128554-item.html?ref=item_page:richrel

http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books...28814-item.html?ikwid=adam+black&ikwsec=Books

or
Rhaccodactylus: the complete guide to their selection and care by authors Philippe De Vosjoli, Frank Fast, Allen Rephasy
http://www.amazon.com/Rhacodactylus-Complete-Guide-their-Selection/dp/0974297100

http://www.amazon.ca/Crested-Geckos...0803/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1325307858&sr=8-4

link #2 has been known to advertise baby food for a crested gecko in early printings (1990s), dont know if its been updated to omit that.


----------



## nel3

sorry for the double post, i finally caught him out in the open after he got out of his usual hiding spot for the past 3 days.


----------



## kfryman

Anybody know of how big of a tank fire belly toads need? I would love to have a few instead of a 3 fish tanks I will go down to 2 and a nice tank for fire bellies. Would I need to feed them crickets also?


----------



## 4mb3rNich0l3

A Fire belly toad would be fine in a 10 gallon


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## purplemuffin

a ten gallon would hold 3!
http://www.herpcenter.com/reptile-caresheets/fire-bellied-toad.html this is a great care sheet!


So, I'm REALLY hooked on pacman frogs and their hybrids, the fantasy frogs. I need more! Picture spam of why I want a bunch more little frogs!


























































Yeah!


----------



## nel3

should i be worried about this? i just came into my unit and the temp was 24c the temp in the KK for the crested was 25c and 70% humidity. i dont really have any control of the temp unless i put the AC on. the building air ducts heat the whole building. its not even summer and i can see that it can still be umpredictable. yesterday it was 1c cooler in the room.

i can switch the KK covers, the access panels on top are 2 diffe sizes for the 2 KK. i caught an old cover when i got the 1st 3.3g KK.


----------



## kfryman

Thank you Purplemuffin! I really want some but I doubt my mom will let me lol. Maybe my mom will when my sister moves out and we have more space. I have either a 15g or 20g long tank. Would that be good enough for 4? And as far for substrate would organic dirt be fine for the land part then get gravel for water as I figured sand wouldn't be very good. Or is sand okay for the water part?

Sorry about all the questions I just want to do it right if I do end up getting some.


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## purplemuffin

Best substrate is eco earth--it's coconut shavings. At least it's the best IMO/E! Just easy and cheap to replace when the time comes.  They sell it at petsmart and petco, or online. 

A 20 gallon could hold 6! So if you only wanted 4-5 it would give them plenty of room. 

As far as the water portion, I don't know about sand. Most people either do bare bottom or gravel. I personally like water sections to be easy, so I just use a big wide tupperware container that I can pick up and dump out when it's dirty!


----------



## willow

kfryman said:


> Anybody know of how big of a tank fire belly toads need? I would love to have a few instead of a 3 fish tanks I will go down to 2 and a nice tank for fire bellies. Would I need to feed them crickets also?


mine eat crickets,and locus,meal worms,wax worms,earth worms,moths.
have a look on youtube for tank inspiration,there are some beautiful setups,from easy,to just
plain awsome.


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## purplemuffin

Yeah, fire belly toads need live insect prey. Can't quite feed them pellets like a fish.


----------



## kfryman

willow said:


> mine eat crickets,and locus,meal worms,wax worms,earth worms,moths.
> have a look on youtube for tank inspiration,there are some beautiful setups,from easy,to just
> plain awsome.


I know I have seen some, amazing! Some are really boring while others are jawdropping. I would probably use organic potting soil then use the eco stuff. I want live plants lol. I just though of an idea. If I use like an actual water section, then I can get floating plants and it will look cool! I would just have to get a filter and find a way to separate the water and dirt. Maybe acrylic or glass then cover it up with gravel. 

Lol, I know they can't be feed pellets, along with live food, can you feed them some veggies and fruit? Just asking cause we always have veggies and fruit. Maybe they can eat my veggies from dinner? <-- JK just had to say that. I would still mainly feed live foods. 

If the water section is big enough can I have some minnows, like the white mountain minnows I think they are called.


----------



## purplemuffin

No veggies and fruit, but the bugs can be(and should be) fed veggies and fruit beforehand in order to make them healthier! 

Firebelly toads release toxins from their skin--You would need to do nearly 3 times as much water changes as normal, but I have seen people keep 3 frogs in a 20 gallon with fish.


----------



## kfryman

purplemuffin said:


> No veggies and fruit, but the bugs can be(and should be) fed veggies and fruit beforehand in order to make them healthier!
> 
> Firebelly toads release toxins from their skin--You would need to do nearly 3 times as much water changes as normal, but I have seen people keep 3 frogs in a 20 gallon with fish.


Nevermind then lol. I just want 4 in a 15g or 20g whatever size it is. I need a job to finance all my pets and future pets lol. Could I just keep the crickets outside? I already went through having them in the house when my mom found a bearded dragon. Nice sounding but annoying when they constantly chirp. 

I should find out how to breed crickets so I don't have to deal with always buying them.


----------



## purplemuffin

Outside, they might freeze. When I feed crickets I usually just get enough for the day. They come inside for one night to eat, then are all fed off! 

DON'T BREED CRICKETS. They are nasty. They jump, they stink, you need to do 4 times as much cleaning as you would dubia roaches, and to be honest, they don't have as high protein as them either. 

I know roaches are nasty, but if you are going to breed an insect, let it be them. Dubia roaches don't climb, jump, stink, or escape. They are also insanely healthy and have almost all meat and no shell, easy to digest and fantastic. And silent!

But people hate roaches hahaha. 

Some people are fine with breeding crickets, but man I don't want my feeders to take up as much effort as my pets. XD I would rather buy them weekly!

Actually I plan on getting a dubia roach colony as soon as I move out. Especially since I just got a new friend! I will talk about it in the next post!


----------



## purplemuffin

Meet Chimichurri!  He is a C. Ornata, which get a little bigger than the C. Cranwalli which I already have. They also have that COOL red and the brighter green! I'm so excited, I love the subtle tones Guacamole has, but his new next door neighbor Chimichurri will be a different kind of color! I love the subtle and extreme varieties these frogs can have!


----------



## nel3

purplemuffin said:


> Outside, they might freeze. When I feed crickets I usually just get enough for the day. They come inside for one night to eat, then are all fed off!
> 
> DON'T BREED CRICKETS. They are nasty. They jump, they stink, you need to do 4 times as much cleaning as you would dubia roaches, and to be honest, they don't have as high protein as them either.
> 
> I know roaches are nasty, but if you are going to breed an insect, let it be them. Dubia roaches don't climb, jump, stink, or escape. They are also insanely healthy and have almost all meat and no shell, easy to digest and fantastic. And silent!
> 
> But people hate roaches hahaha.
> 
> Some people are fine with breeding crickets, but man I don't want my feeders to take up as much effort as my pets. XD I would rather buy them weekly!
> 
> Actually I plan on getting a dubia roach colony as soon as I move out. Especially since I just got a new friend! I will talk about it in the next post!


how hard is it to find dubia roaches and feed them? i dont really look forward to stinky crickets. my crestie is 8mths old, 7grams and 5'' long with tail.

not sure about breeding roaches, my parents to visit from time to time. they went along with 4 betta and a crestie. not sure if that hospitality will include a roach box.


----------



## willow

i am insainly jealous of your frog PPM he's absolutely stunning,
your photos are beautifully clear.:-D


----------



## purplemuffin

No worries! You really wouldn't NEED a roach colony unless you really had a lot of reptiles--like bearded dragons or something. As far as what to use for roach breeding, it's easy as heck. No substrate, just use egg crates/egg sheets for them to hide and breed in. Put in food. Clean once a month, toss in veggies, dump out uneaten ones. The gross part is simply the fact that they are roaches, even though they are actually very clean insects, many of us (myself included) get a bit nervous about them.

Another option is simply long term care for roaches--instead of buying a week's amount of food, buy two months of food, and put them in a container (like those giant blue 10 gallon sterilites) with food and grab what you need. That way you don't need constant roaches (you can feed them all off when you have family coming) and you don't have to shop as much.

Personally since you just have an itty bitty crested, I would do the last one. And a month's worth of roaches for them is like a week for my pacman frog, so you wouldn't need much.

As far as where to find them, most petstores don't have them, but you can find them at reptile shows and people from those shows sell them via craigslist or online! 

Feeding an animal roaches is just like feeding crickets. Toss them in, or grab with a pair of feeding tongs(this is easier since they don't jump!)



Not my photo, but thanks! He is sooo pretty! Actually just shipped today so the frog will be here tomorrow!


----------



## nel3

thank you, i'll gave to go with CG or online. pet stores arent allowed to sell roaches, just another health/safety regulation. if i cant find any i'll just go with 3-4 days worth of crickets. i'll contact the breeder i got sven from about the roaches.


----------



## kfryman

Maybe i will look into dubia roaches then. Breeding crickets doesn't seem very hard though.

Keep soils moist, crickets lays eggs, take soil out put in with babies, keep soil moist and provide food. Just have to keep them warm


----------



## animallover

Oh wow, although I am scared of snakes (and my sister owns a Ball Python) I think all of your babies are sooo cute! I currently have 5 outdoor turtles (my sisters but she shares them with me -she doesn't live here anymore) age range 2 years-17 years old.We had hermit crabs which I had a hard time keeping them alive after a molt-humidity issues I believe. So in the far future when I am down in pet numbers  ,I would love a Bearded Dragon and maybe a gecko! My son wants a gecko as well. When I can I will upload some pictures of the turtles. I always wanted a Chameleon but when I read how hard they were to take care of and that the handling was kept to a minimum, I put that aside.


----------



## LyzzaRyzz

Hello there!

Ive been housing bettas for a little while, and have tanks cycling for catfish, but i picked up an african dwarf frog today, and i cant find a thread or section for them! Maybe you guys can help?
Thanks!

P.s. theres a section for turtles, but not frogs?


----------



## purplemuffin

People just make their own threads, no one has made one for them specifically I guess. You can talk about aquatic frogs here! I did say amphibians!


----------



## purplemuffin

Even prettier in person!!


----------



## kfryman

purplemuffin said:


> Even prettier in person!!


Ah so cute! That is a pacman frog right? What is the difficulty with care for them?
I tried to get my dad to help me build a setup for the toads. He isn't too keen on it lol. I will succeed someway!


----------



## purplemuffin

Pacman frogs are pretty easy. This is a different species of pacman frog, but the care is the same.  

http://www.amphibiancare.com/frogs/caresheets/hornedfrog.html 

Also, some believe that UVB is important for pacman frogs, while others believe supplementing their diet with the D3 will work--and for albino frogs, you cannot put them under UVB anyway, so they have to have their diet supplemented with the D3.


----------



## kfryman

So albino is easier or harder?


----------



## purplemuffin

I'd say the same. The only thing is, if you wanted to use UVB bulbs, you couldn't. It's honestly sort of argued both ways--some people only use UVB on sick frogs anyway, some don't think it's required at all (since they spend 99% of the time underground)

I just felt I'd mention the UVB debate because it's part of the care and all. An albino is perfect and wonderful.  and cute!


----------



## LyzzaRyzz

*My new clawed frog...*

Tank said Dwarf, but what a surprise, it was labeled wrong!

Told her apart by her toes, and My tank plans have changed, seeing how big shell get! Her future tank is pictures, though shes in a QT bowl right now, then moving to a 2.5 while i get the 39gal ready!

Im going to get 2 more froggies and a bristlenose pleco..


----------



## NoahG

I just read straight through this thread from the first post to last -- came across it, actually, when seeing if Chinese Water Dragons had ever been mentioned/discussed on this site.

Currently I have neither reptiles nor amphibians, but when younger my brother and I would catch and keep frogs and toads. Usually the toads would end up being let go after a bit because they were harder to get to eat than frogs; sometimes we'd take them in the yard for them to eat and then bring them back and would let them go if that either didn't work or in time for them to prepare for winter. I think we saw one of them again a year later or something (he had a distinct head). We used to have a Green Frog, however, who was the _coolest_ frog _ever_, and such an easier keeper: he'd eat anything. Had him for a while, but unfortunately while we were on vacation he escaped on the pet sitter...he was later found downstairs, dried out.

I plan to someday have another Green Frog.

We've had a number of reptiles as well. A family Ball Python who sadly escaped when our older brother didn't secure the lid, hid in the attic entrance, and died from hypothermia. I've had Anoles and a Schneider's Skink, and we had Iguanas at one point.

I'm planning to try some African Dwarf Frogs with my fish, but that's the only immediate plans for any herps.

Eventually, however, I would like some lizards and perhaps a snake again. I'd like a Black and White Tegu someday, and after working in pet care this past Friday I've become interested in CWDs as well. The two we got in were really neat. I ended up just carrying them from the quarantine room to their habitat and that made me really miss having lizards...

What I've wanted for years, however, and I guess you could say is my dream reptile is a Savannah Monitor.

I also think I'd like to have another Schneider's Skink. I'll probably just build my own habitats for them all, but given their size and whatnot I'll probably wait until I own my own house. Definitely for the Savannah Monitor, I think. In the meantime I'll research and prepare.


----------



## kfryman

Would I need a UVB bulb for the fire bellies?


----------



## willow

interesting talk about UV lighting for frogs,as i have
just placed a UV on top of the frog tank,and they seem to
be quite at home with it on,they have plenty of places to get away
from it,should they want to......i have one particular frog that used to
sit on top of the thermometer,not the probe but the other bit,which gets 
loads of natural light through the window,however since putting the
Uv on,it's moved and sits between two leaves,
do you think i should not put it on,they would get UV naturally in the wild
and i thought i was giving them a beneficial extra.. ?


----------



## purplemuffin

UVB doesn't hurt--as long as you don't get too strong of a bulb or the animal isn't albino or sensitive. Pay attention to how they react--if they hide more, blink more, etc. No UVB gets through windows, so the frogs wouldn't be recieving any from that anyway. 

Most animals that are nocturnal do not get UVB anyway and do not get any benefits from it (their body just wasn't made to absorb it as much that way) though often vets will suggest 2-4 hours a day of small UVB doses if an animal is sick. My vet suggested that for our leopard gecko to help her heal faster. Whether or not it helped, we don't really know. As long as it wasn't over board(like a huge UVB bulb or on for too long) than it's fine and no different than the wild. 

Firebelly frogs don't appear to get any benefits from UVB lighting from what I've read! I think they just are even less likely to experience a lot of strong sunlight where they are and due to their nocturnal behaviors. 

Some animals look extremely nice under a UVB bulb. For instance, brazilian rainbow boas and pacman frogs show their BEST colors under these lights. Just like a betta with natural light, they just look their best. But if I were to use UVB with a BRB or some other animal like that it wouldn't be an all day thing, nor would it be an extremely powerful bulb--being nocturnal these animals enjoy darkness more anyway, so the bright lights can frighten them.


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## kfryman

Oh okay so just a heat lamp, that is good lless money I will have to spend. I think before I get them I will get a roach colony going. My mom actually will allow me to have the roaches. I told her all the benefits and how they can't survive out of their habitat. I really can't wait, I just have to get my sister moved out. 

The tank is 20g so how many can I have again? I will just get how many I think I can supply with the roaches and not have to worry about not enough food. Is it better to just have a plexiglass piece sloped or straight down going into the water?


----------



## nel3

i dont ever think my brother would make a good pet owner if the animal isnt a cat or a dog. he's a "its just a (insert animal)" person. he thinks im crzy for having 4 betta and he thinks im even crazier for getting a scale to weight my crestie. lol he said that a physical/visual inspection is sufficient to determine a lizard's weight ie gain or loss. he thinks just getting a scale is overboard even when the crested doesnt even need the full 9 yards for traditional reptile equipement others need. 

i dont think i'll talk animals with him (aside from dogs and cats), he's too dense/ignorant to basic equipement for any sort of animal.

im also setting up a DIY cricket box. the tiny KK with cricket channels is priced at $19 at a LPS/LRS. i just got a plastic container, clear plastic tube, electric tape and crafting mesh to build it. i'll drill holes for ventilation and a large one to put the tube in. im also looking for PVC tubing to make a reusable hiding spot for the gecko. got one thats 1' interior but its nearly the width of the crestie's head atm.


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## kfryman

I would love to see it when it is done. I know that feeling too. Thats what my sister and most of my family thinks. They only really have feelings for things that they can play with and interact, like dogs and cats.


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## nel3

ive made progess on my gecko today. its been atleast 2 weeks since i got him and i finally handled him for a good amount of time. got 15 minutes in before deciding to put him back in the KK. i dropped by home depot and got 1 1/2 PVC pipe for a hiding hole. cost me $5 for a 3-5ft length but i dont have to worry about tossing it when it gets too dirty. im running out of paper towel rolls too fast. they only last a week before unglueing, even the current one is done for. sven was surprisingly calm but not hyperactive. he walked a good amount when i was walking but could stay still at times, he only jumped twice. did manage to weight him, not 100% sure it accurate but he may be 9g or 7g. the scale i got is touchy, its slightly smaller than an IPAD and about the same thickness.

the DIY criket box isnt complet yet but 80% is done. the container i got for 69c at canadian tire (general store/hardware store). the tubing i got for free, had that tubing already, it'll be a tight fit if the cricket fits in. i have yet to cricket test it. if it needs to be bigger then its no issue. electric tape is wrapped on the tube to create a dark space. the larger lid is drilled out and sections cut out for better ventilation. the same will be done to the smaller lid (AQ sealant and crafting mesh). i'll seal the hole in the box with 2 layers of crafting mesh. one layer directly on the surface to cover the hole and the second will be doubled out to make a 2nd seal. i cant seal the tube so it'll be removed when the cricket enters. the plastic container was surprisingly brittle, doesnt look 100% esthetic but it should work well.


----------



## SmokeNLark

I'm loving all these guys! I am actually going to a reptile show and getting a bearded dragon this weekend  I'm so excited. I have never had a reptile. I have been reading nonstop and have almost everything I need. I've got a nice 20 long tank for him (as I'm getting a baby) and already got a 55 for in a few months. I want to get a different color, and my biggest issue is deciding what I like. haha. I guess I'll have to see what I fall in love with.


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## nel3

i got some crickets today for my gecko. went to get 6 but the guy just took a pinch of crickets. i ended up with 17 of them and cost me 69c (for 6), looks like i got 11 free. i fed 2 immediately to the gecko after dusting 2 crickets. one medium-large and a small one. how many can i feed to him without getting MBD? i'll go through this lot and get another bunch in a few months with CGD served as the main meal for him.

lol the first criket was eaten butt first and was still alive before going down. the second one was luckier. he was all hyper after the feeding, we were on the floor and the crickets were chirping up on the table 4ft away. i think he wanted some more. i gave the crickets a pinch of betta flakes and tossed in some lettuce. how long will 15 crickets last me? the crickets are pretty helpless in the smallest KK possible (got it with the gecko upon purchase).


----------



## 4mb3rNich0l3

I just adore pacman frogs  I wanna get a ornate.










And I am in love with BOTH of these guys! I would LOVE a pair like this


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## purplemuffin

Those are actually fantasy frogs! A hybrid between two different pacman frog species. I want some of those too!!  Love the red!


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## 4mb3rNich0l3

I know . Pacman or fantasy, I love them both! I plan to get at least 1 red ornate(or fantasy) and a few axolotl's. Maybe get back into firebelly newts as well. We will see  haha


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## kfryman

SmokeNLark said:


> I'm loving all these guys! I am actually going to a reptile show and getting a bearded dragon this weekend  I'm so excited. I have never had a reptile. I have been reading nonstop and have almost everything I need. I've got a nice 20 long tank for him (as I'm getting a baby) and already got a 55 for in a few months. I want to get a different color, and my biggest issue is deciding what I like. haha. I guess I'll have to see what I fall in love with.


I used to have one! My mom found it on the sidewalk and nobody put up fliers lol. We didn't know much about them and couldn't house a proper tank, so we would let him out a lot during the day. Sometimes he would get to go outside.


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## purplemuffin

How AWESOME! Instead of using the skin of a reptile, this new company uses their shed skins and restores their natural colors to make products! 

http://www.jkrgear.com/index.php



















How cool! The best part is you can order a custom cover by sending in your own snake/large lizard sheds! :-O I could have my Maru's pattern or Nagini even as a phone cover, mouse pad, or snake hook. How awesome! And a lot of the money is donated to help promote venom research and reptile awareness!  


I hope in the future purses, shoes, etc. will be made from sheds instead of skin! How cool. Snakes would be more like sheep and their wool rather than cows and their skin. 

<3 I need to order one! If only I had an iphone 4(currently the only phone cover they make)


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## NoahG

That is cool! From all kinds of angles, really. Ah, I wish I could get one for my iPod...with the donation as well I'd be willing to pay more than I normally might be inclined to for a cover.


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## purplemuffin

The ipod touch and mousepads are actually what they are making next! I don't have an iphone 4 so I'm waiting (impatiently) for them to start selling the other products! 


Hmmm and Nagini just shed a perfect shed...


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## nel3

the idea can be seen as a bit creepy but i wouldnt mind such a thing.


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## purplemuffin

I sort of like the idea because it could really change the fashion world if it takes off! Snake skin now as a renewable resource. Now snakes don't have to die to be on a purse or shoes or a belt, and...Well, fashion has more options than before. Unlike leather which can be pretty realistically faked, reptile skin..just looks plastic when people try to fake it! With the sheds looking as incredible as they do(and being as humane as they are!) it gives fashion designers even more freedom than before! Exotic and endangered snakes that were previously against the rules to be killed(with good reasons) can now have their beautiful patterns displayed. Morphs and their patterns(a bumblebee ball python for instance) now can be used as well. New colors, patterns, and the bragging rights to pull the 'green and humane' card? That's kind of cool!  And I imagine with time and practice these will only look better and better. 




Anyway, Chimichurri has eaten soo many crickets for us.  He's such a little demon too! I think this little frog is going to settle in nicely!


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## NoahG

I think I'll have to check out their site a bit. Though, unfortunately, I have an older iPod Touch so there's a chance I still won't be able to get something even once those come out. Still neat to check out, though.

Also, just want to say, it's arguable as to how realistically leather can be faked, haha, but this? No doubt it's a _very_ positive thing.


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## nel3

im not sure if you know about the pied morph crested gecko on pangea forums. it looks like sandshrew from the series pokemon.


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## purplemuffin

It does look cool! I hope it breeds true!


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## nel3

purplemuffin said:


> It does look cool! I hope it breeds true!


sorry for the forum link but its about the pie bald gecko.
http://www.pangeareptile.com/forums/showthread.php?54958-Piebald-crested-(pics)

he's bred the gecko but seems that the offspring is normal as per morph atm.


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## purplemuffin

If it's a true pied, the babies will need to be bred back to the parent. Piebalds always seem to recessive rather than dominant! Guess it'll be a few years before we'll see if the grandbabies end up having the piebald look as well!


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## nel3

he got the gecko off another person, probably a breeder. he didnt say how much he paid for the gecko but the price apparently was quite high.

as per another gecko, mine has gained 2g to get to 9g. i fed him 5 crickets 3 days ago. i have 12 more crickets that'll last 2 week. i'll put 5-6 crickets on his plate for 1-2 days per week and the rest is CGD.


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## LyzzaRyzz

*Link to my video of my baby African Clawed Frogs eating..=]*

IMG_1769.MOV - YouTube

Wish it was better, but they are just so cute!


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## nel3

do crickets require misting? i bought 17 crickets, i fed 5 of them. i cleaned their cage today to see a bunch dried up. only 6 remained, ive fed them betta flakes and some lettuce. i didnt provide any water source. i misted them just now and hope they'll last long enough to get to next tuesday.

they were in the tiniest possible KK and the room temp is 21c. i beleive some ate each other, there were a few spare legs around.


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## NoahG

Watching YouTube videos reminded me: some friends and I had a baby snapper for a little bit that we had dragged up from the edge of the lake. So little at the time (liked to hide under a lily pad and stick his head up from under it), but after looking into them a little bit more we decided to let him go again.

...in their neighbor's pond...in the middle of the night...

Probably not the best decision we ever made.

ETA: I got distracted and forgot that I was going to mention that, from my experience, crickets do seem to need a good deal of moisture in their diets. Whether you offer it by way of the cricket water that some stores sell or a sponge or something. I managed to keep about four alive for several days switching out a carrot and a piece of spinach regularly, but I'm not sure that's quite enough long-term because three died before I could feed them to my bettas and the fourth died before I could get more crickets and feed them all to the bettas.

I'm thinking of trying a sponge next. My concern with misting would be the water pooling and the crickets drowning in that. I know they sell a cricket feed that's orange-colored cubes and is meant to be a complete diet -- it's moist, so you don't have to buy the cricket water as well.


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## nel3

thank you, i think crickets will survive this misting. there are some water spots but they have high ground ie egg carton to sit on. i'll certainly go look for cricket feed. i have 2 cricket containers, one tiny KK and a 1L container. not sure how many i can keep in both of them.

its no big loss for me if they all die off. i only paid for 6 of them and he just put a pinch of crickets in there ie 17.


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## NoahG

Yea, I suppose I just don't have much faith in their intelligence, haha. I've seen a good deal of crickets that...weren't too bright.

I'm not sure how many you could keep either -- I have one of those Keepers designed specifically for crickets (a small one, about the size of a regular small Keeper I believe, but it could be mini-sized) and it says it holds up to 30 medium crickets. If that helps at all.

I forgot you had only paid for six, haha, I had only paid for three when I last bought crickets -- the four I mentioned were the extras. Sounds like he was more generous than my co-worker was to me.


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## nel3

i dont doubt their intelligence. that shop is pretty accurate with their info. putting the usual merchandise pitch for reptiles. those sneaky (censored) wanted me to get a UVB light for my gecko. didnt fall for it. im not too surprised, every business still wants to maximise profit. im glad i got 17 crickets for that price though im unsure of how many will survive to feeding day. i hope the 6 left will survive. atm the crickets are the only thing i'll purchase there, maybe a 10-20g tank, their prices are good for bare tanks and metal screen mesh tank covers.

not sure if i'll got to the shop again for crickets (bit off the beaten path), theres another with 10g tank of crickets and its closer. i wonder how generous they'll be.
i think the small KK + crickets seem to be more like bettas in wine glasses. i dont think i can put more than 10 in there. they still climb on top of others. usually theyre kept in 10g tanks at the store.


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## kfryman

For food if you have cats or dogs, crushed up dog food or cat food is very good for food. Also give them fruit and veggies. You need them to have water, they need access to water 24/7, a sponge works very good, just make sure it is always wet, put it in a bowl or something too so water doesn't get everywhere.


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## nel3

thank you very much. i think we still have some dry cat food from last winter when we took care of a kitten from an abandoned domestic blk cat (*curses the bad owner*). the cat moved on to other pastures ie more generous neighbors. i'll look for some container lid that may fit for the water. i could try a gatorade cap.


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## NoahG

nel3: Haha, I meant the intelligence of the crickets. As for space, I honestly don't know for crickets except that they need to be able to stand on something that's not another cricket (hence the cardboard).

kfryman: I honestly hadn't known before your post that they could be fed dry dog food -- I always have that, and high protein, no-filler dog food at that. I'll have to remember that the next time I buy a few crickets.

Man, I'm really getting an itch for a lizard or a snake lately...


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## PaintingPintos

VERY nice animals here  I'm hoping to get a reptile, amphibian, or more fish for my birthday. Woohoo! It'll be one of these if I will adopt one, but maybe I'll fall in love with something else...
Fire-bellied newt
Pacman frog
Fire-bellied toad
Paddle-tail newt
Guppies (♥w♥)
White's tree frog
Eastern red-spotted newt
Axolotl (not happening, but I still want one)
Fire Salamnder
Spotted Salamander
American Toad
Another Bettta to split a 2.5 gallon tank 
The list could go on...lol My parents at least don't mind having frogs in the house. They seem to like them (thank God). I caught a teeny tiny spring peeper one year and I kept it overnight, and I woke up at midnight to the little guy screeching and calling through the hallway... what a rude awakening. Unfortunately, I couldn't keep him because a.) he was wild (he was relaxed enough to call, but parasites could kill him) and b.) I couldn't find anything tiny enough for him to eat without ordering it!
I've had American Toads I caught from my cousin's house, too. There was a random population explosion a few years back so I caught one and took it home. She was about 1 1/2 inches long and I kept her in a kritter keeper for a few days, feeding her on these little inchworms I found, until they disappeared rfom the yard and I let her go by the anthills by our pool (she feasted). Now I'm done with my pointless stories. You may go back to your life.


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## kfryman

Paintingpintos I wouldn't suggest splitting a 2.5th tank, there isn't very much room in a divided 2.5g. Maybe you could divide a 5g.

Yeah I was watching a lot of videos how to breed crickets and the people would use cat food or dog food, just saying cat food is better because there is way more protein, but yeah I use to keep crickets for a bearded dragon.

Anyone know where to get dubia roaches?


----------



## diablo13

You guys are really making want a reptile.....I saw the cutest Albino Checkered Garter Snake today. Are they easy to care for?


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## nel3

diablo13 said:


> You guys are really making want a reptile.....I saw the cutest Albino Checkered Garter Snake today. Are they easy to care for?


lol, join the club. i never had a reptile pet on the list until i saw some crested geckoes in this thread.


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## willow

bert is in brumation right now,and i've made a couple of changes
whiles he's asleep,the other dragon in the last picture was re-homed,
and bert lives by himself in a 4x2x2 viv.
the first picture is my leopard gecko(spotty,named by my grandson)
this next picture is of both dragons when they were little,before the
seperation.


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## NoahG

Willow, I've heard that Beardies get "lazy" once they reach adulthood: is that true?



kfryman said:


> Yeah I was watching a lot of videos how to breed crickets and the people would use cat food or dog food, just saying cat food is better because there is way more protein, but yeah I use to keep crickets for a bearded dragon.


Typically, yea, cat food has a lot more protein than the average dog food. My dog does best on a high protein diet though and the food she's on at the moment has more protein than a lot of cat foods; the food she does best on has has even more protein (a higher percentage than all but one, maybe two, types of cat food, including kitten food, that I'm aware of). Better yet: high quality ingredients and no fillers.

Not sure how much my dog's going to appreciate having to share her food with crickets though. :lol:


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## willow

i think so,Bert doesn't really get excited about anything,
only one time when i took him out into the garden,and a bird flew over us
high in the sky,but still frightened him enough that he ran off
into the undergrowth. apart from that he;s happy to sit in his bath
or watch TV with me. :-D


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## NoahG

Haha, thanks, I actually used to want a Beardie until I heard they got lazy -- I kind of like my reptiles more active is the thing.

The herp itch is still going strong for me. We got new Chinese Water Dragons in at work and these three are bolder/more sociable than we usually get in: they were hanging out in the open, watching people, and not running to hide when you looked in on them. What's more, there's a guy on my local Craigslist selling a couple of corn snakes and their 30-gallon and everything (I believe) for $150 or best offer.

*Sighs* If only...not sure I can get a reptile though.


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## nel3

ive managed to get a final terrarium for my gecko on kijiji. $60 for a used 1yr old 18 18 18 (25g) exoterra with plastic frame and metal mesh top. it came with a 1ft and change (in 3 directions) wood stump and heat lamp. ive done the primary cleaning and leak testing now. still some work to do prep it for the gecko (9grams). theres probably some resealing to do for the bottom seal (just in case). its in 90% new condition given you consider some minor heat melt on the top screen support in a 1.5inch length.


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## NoahG

Wow...nice find!

Last I knew there wasn't a Kijiji for my area, but I've been seeing a lot of nice finds on there lately...I may just have to look again.


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## nel3

theres a bit of prep work to be done on it but it should turn out just fine when he gets heavy enough to fit the tank. 
atm its leak testing and bleach washing. got to wash the wood stump also. dont mind the patches on the bottom of the tank, 
its old duct tape from previous owner's use on the exterior bottom.
im surprised i also got a good peice of wood to come with the tank.


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## NoahG

Wow, I'm loving that wood piece you got there.

I've been spending the last hour or so looking up information for Corn Snakes...I had looked into them before, and they're a snake I've considered. Which is why I get an itch every time I see the ad from Craigslist (doesn't help I like to torture myself and test my willpower by keep ads that catch my attention open). Doesn't help that I know, if they do come with their habitat and stuff, that $150 is a _steal_ even if I do buy additional things and/or replace some things.

Oi...my itch had been more for something with claws, but I love snakes, too.


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## nel3

my issue with the wood stump is how to dress it up with leaves. might just plop some fake leaves on top of it to create hiding spots below and above the fake plants. i'll probably put it off to the corner of the tank and use the long branch and the 1 1/2 PVC tube as branches. not sure on the foliage arrangement atm.

i wouldnt mind a snake either but the larger setup would have a hard time finding some real estate in my unit.


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## Olympia

Woo! A herp thread  Might be of use.
First: A funny photo of my snake, named Snake (yes, creative). It`s old, but how often do you see a snake do that? (well I've only seen it once)










Second, I was looking into getting a few firebelly toads, and read that they need a a filter. So I thought an undergravel filter? Like, would this suffice? :s
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11147284&lmdn=Fish+Filtration+&amp;+Circulation
From keeping leopard frogs I caught in the past I get how messy amphibians can be, loll. This and some weird screen is the only thing petsmart has listed as an undergravel. Anyone have any clue?


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## NoahG

Hm, I imagine with some creativity you'll be able to figure out how to use the stump: just gotta play around a bit. Maybe you could tie some fake plants to it? Or get some vine ones and wrap them around or something?

As for the real estate, yea, that can be an issue -- sometimes that takes some creativity as well. For example, Hai and Kostya are currently on a table I rigged up from a podium stand and some cinder blocks; Kostya's 10-gallon will probably go on there when I get to setting that up. The 30-gallon cube I plan to build a stand for as well (though not as crudely so I can get the dimensions right).

Olympia: That's a pretty neat photo, haha.

As for the filter, from my understanding under gravel ones don't work all that great. I imagine that's regardless of whether in an aquarium or when used for frogs. I know PetSmart sells filters for use with amphibians and turtles and stuff (I haven't looked at them closely enough to know whether there's any real difference between them and aquarium filters). Depending on how elaborate and/or natural you want to have your set up be, you could also just use something which you can empty and refill regularly as well.

I've never kept Firebelly Toads, however, so perhaps someone with more experience could help you out.


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## nel3

atm the plan is to put 3 fakr plants, one on top, one near the bottom shoot out and a 3rd will find some place. might use some vines for th trunk itself, need to experiment.


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## purplemuffin

Good luck to those who were affected by the new large constrictor ban. It's a sad day for those of us in America. Now that these were banned--who knows how long until this precedent allows states to ban others as well. Many cities already ban the small and safe ball pythons, how many more will join in?


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## NoahG

purplemuffin said:


> Good luck to those who were affected by the new large constrictor ban. It's a sad day for those of us in America. Now that these were banned--who knows how long until this precedent allows states to ban others as well. Many cities already ban the small and safe ball pythons, how many more will join in?


I had just joined Herp Center yesterday and when I saw that I sent my letters and also shared the link on Facebook -- I had no idea it was coming up so soon. Unfortunately, I'm not surprised that a part of it passed and am kind of surprised that they did not include the full list presented to be banned. :-? I participate in such things, but don't have a high level of trust in the government, and this was in the case of snakes which don't have near as high a profile to people as dogs (and look how much BSL there is).

I wish I could have done more, but I came in kind of late in the game I guess.

Small (very small) favors that it's a ban on importation and interstate transport? As opposed to an outright ban?

Of course, only a matter of time before they go for more is the general progression of things...


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## purplemuffin

It's alright. I've seen this bill come and go for many years. It used to include ALL constrictors haha, and before that it was ALL exotic pets are 'banned until proven innocent', including bettas, hamsters, etc. But we've always managed to fight it off until now. Thank you so much for doing anything at all!  I think our voices were heard. Now it's simply time for us to be responsible and prove ourselves over the next five years. And show that a man who wants to move from New York to Ohio with his pet snakes he's had for 13 years in order to take care of his elderly parents has NOTHING to do with the problems Everglades, so preventing him from doing so is ridiculous.

It is good that it's not an outright ban, but it's still a big cut into the reptile community. More bans may follow, and now they have a federal precedence! 

We shall see what happens I suppose.


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## NoahG

purplemuffin said:


> It's alright. I've seen this bill come and go for many years. It used to include ALL constrictors haha, and before that it was ALL exotic pets are 'banned until proven innocent', including bettas, hamsters, etc. But we've always managed to fight it off until now. Thank you so much for doing anything at all!  I think our voices were heard. Now it's simply time for us to be responsible and prove ourselves over the next five years. And show that a man who wants to move from New York to Ohio with his pet snakes he's had for 13 years in order to take care of his elderly parents has NOTHING to do with the problems Everglades, so preventing him from doing so is ridiculous.
> 
> It is good that it's not an outright ban, but it's still a big cut into the reptile community. More bans may follow, and now they have a federal precedence!
> 
> We shall see what happens I suppose.


Of course, especially as there's really no reason _not_ to when it's as simple as filling a couple of things in to shoot off some e-mails.

Things like this are always changing, so hopefully eventually something might be done to correct this. BSL has been overturned before, as well as other pieces of legislation being amended in regard to animals and their ownership. I suppose it doesn't hurt to hope.

I agree completely though: the entire thing is ridiculous passing _anything_ federal when only a portion of one state is affected. And I agree completely that it's still a blow and still poses further threats, but I suppose there's at least a sliver of a silver lining. However small.


----------



## willow

Olympia said:


> Woo! A herp thread  Might be of use.
> First: A funny photo of my snake, named Snake (yes, creative). It`s old, but how often do you see a snake do that? (well I've only seen it once)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Second, I was looking into getting a few firebelly toads, and read that they need a a filter. So I thought an undergravel filter? Like, would this suffice? :s
> http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11147284&lmdn=Fish+Filtration+&amp;+Circulation
> From keeping leopard frogs I caught in the past I get how messy amphibians can be, loll. This and some weird screen is the only thing petsmart has listed as an undergravel. Anyone have any clue?


hi
great pictures.
regarding the fire belly toads,i keep mine with a dish for them to pop in and out of,but thats just for the time being as we are decorating the house,and the tank is easier to move with not much in it,once they are settled into the permanent space,i'm contemplating another half and half tank like i did before,i think the photos are in my profile,i just used an aquarium filter back then,and if i decide to do another half and half,i'll use the same mini filter that i did before.
not everyone uses a filter,some are happy to change out the water more often,
on youtube if you type in fire belly toad set ups,you'll find some interesting ideas,they also eat live food by the way,which puts some people off.
good luck. :-D


----------



## kfryman

Should I get poison dart frogs or fire bellies. My friend breeds poison dart frogs.


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## kfryman

Nevermind, dart frogs are harder to care for. I will get fire bellies for starters then maybe get poison dart frogs later on.


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## kfryman

Sorry for triple posting lol, I get one or two tadpoles for free! I am gonna have to research dart frogs like crazy, oh and my friend is gonna help me as well.


----------



## nel3

out of curiousity, is there any danger of toxins with poison darts upon purchase? i read that domestic diets (toxin free insects) will ensure you could handle them if desired. how long would one need to avoid contact on a newly purchased frog to verify its toxin free?


----------



## NoahG

If you buy a captive bred frog you won't have to worry about poison at all. If, however, you buy a wild caught frog it can take _years_ for their skin to no longer be poisonous -- one zoo website said that it might never be non-poisonous.

Here's one site (not _positive_ how reliable Helium is, but I found it through a Google search so the info can be found that way), which seems to imply that the duration for which a wild caught frog's skin is poisonous may depend on the species: http://www.helium.com/items/708571-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-poison-dart-frog

It explains that you also have to be careful with anything that the frog has touched as well, particularly if you have other animals which may come into contact with that item (i.e. a paper towel in the trash).


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## purplemuffin

Captive bred aren't any danger. HOWEVER, we are very much a danger to them. Frogs absorb through their skin, and absorb all of our toxins. Look at how small a dart is...Very quick to be weakened from dirty hands. Handling should be a minimum with them.


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## kfryman

Yup I knew all this already from just some research and talking to my friend. I need to find out what type they are though, I know they are one of the blue types. The good thing though, sometime soon I get to go to his house and he is gonna teach me how to take care of them. I may ask for an older frog maybe a juvenile because I heard that they are easier to care for than the tadpoles. Oh well what I get is what I get.

Does anyone know what dirt is good in VERY damp conditions? I heard that the coconut husk stuff rots/grows fungus after a few months.


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## fishman12

I want a crested gecko but can't have one. Can't chat here the pain is too great bye!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *cries*


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## purplemuffin

kfryman said:


> Does anyone know what dirt is good in VERY damp conditions? I heard that the coconut husk stuff rots/grows fungus after a few months.


Nothing will stay good for months, sorry. Eco earth, soil, etc. will all need to be changed out regardless. It's cheap though, and a bag or brick goes quite a long way!


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## nel3

thank you very much, im a bit shocked that some species will retain or even alter the toxicity for it entire life. id love to have poison darts but id rather stick to those that are a bit safer toxicity wise.

i do have a question regarding both fish and reptiles. i wasnt able to find any unscented liwuid soap so far. i did find goat milk unscented soap bars. im currently using this one before handling any of my animals. will any dairy products harm such animals, especially fish ie WC procedures?


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## fishman12

Must..... unsubscribe.....


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## nel3

fishman12 said:


> Must..... unsubscribe.....


you can try that. i still get such messages regardless of thread subscription.


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## kfryman

Oh okay purple muffin, that kinda sucks but it is DIRT cheap lol. Do you know if a 20g long will be fine to have plants like bromiliades and orchids? Oh and any nice looking plants to have in a damp tank? I was also thinking about getting a mister, this one when I have more money http://www.amazon.com/Terra-Monsoon...2868/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327023546&sr=8-1


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## purplemuffin

Um, as far as live plants go for darts, most any plant that can survive a warm damp environment works. I don't know specifically as all the species I keep would dig up plants! 

Mister...You might not need it really. Spraying isn't that hard, and with a proper lid(cover up 90% of the screen top) the humidity should stay pretty well with a good amout of water and damp eco earth. If you do want a mister, most people suggest getting the little humidifiers people use for their kids that are only a few bucks. Then just attaching it so it sprays into the cage. But that's more for large enclosures. If you do have trouble with humidity I would get one, but what I'm saying is, if you do it right, you won't need it!


----------



## diablo13

Out of curiosity......are chameleons hard to care for? I saw an epic Jackson's Chameleon at my LFS yesterday, looked like a little triceratops <3


----------



## Olympia

diablo13 said:


> Out of curiosity......are chameleons hard to care for? I saw an epic Jackson's Chameleon at my LFS yesterday, looked like a little triceratops <3


I love those things  They are so awesome! And all I know about chameleons is that most tend to stress easily, but you can tell if they're stressed by their colours


----------



## purplemuffin

Chameleons aren't really beginner reptiles. If you are willing to put in the work and willing to not handle as much as you may want to, they can be very rewarding animals. I still would suggest starting with something else. They generally need a lot of humidity, a lot of ventilation(screen cage, not a tank), UVB, and a lot of alone time. Most of them die from stress--or in female's, being eggbound! 

Each species is different. Veileds are considered one of the easier chameleons to keep. But it's not something you can stick in a fish tank!


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## kfryman

Yeah I kinda thought aboutt that mister and I think if I get a big tank in the future maybe. I found a nice one where you build up pressure and then you spray it, I will probably get that one.

Oh and chameleons aresuper hard to care for.


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## purplemuffin

It's not that their needs are particularly demanding(like a monitor lizard), it's just that they are fragile. If you mess up with a leopard gecko it will be fine. If you mess up--even for a day, it could be fatal! If you can guarantee you can care for it right, they are a fine (if short lived compared to other herps) pet. But if you aren't sure, go for something a little easier.


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## kfryman

Okay I have another question do grow lights give off UVB? Since dart frogs are active during the day some people say they need UVB, others say they don't need anything special. Does anyone know? 

Oh and that's what I meant was fragile, they look so cool though. For a good starting pet I would recommend fire bellies as an amphibian.


----------



## 4mb3rNich0l3

Finally got another leopard gecko  I missed having them so much I had to get him(he reminds me of my very first boy I had)
Here's Bentley


----------



## kfryman

I don't know why, I like the look of the leos but the tail for some reason seems weird to me. I would love to have some, but if you have been following I am getting dart frogs lol. Much different environment.


----------



## 4mb3rNich0l3

Ive always wanted dart frogs but the fact that there hard to care for throws me off(I'm lucky if I can keep a plant alive lol)


----------



## kfryman

I am getting them from a friend so he is gonna help me, he is gonna give me tadpoles but I am a bit worried about that. Maybe I will ask for some froglettes or something or at least tadpoles with legs. 

With plants I find it really easy, try plants that you know about as some Petstores like selling plants that aren't made to be kept in water.


----------



## nel3

im 2 step closer to the full creadte gecko experience. i dont ever plan to breed them so that aspect is not considered atm. i decided to handle my gecko these past 10 minutes. i got him in my hand at the wrong time. i felt some cold liqiud on my palm and saw he just peed on me. i moved my hands in a slight jerky reaction and he decided to add some poop to his gift list. that little bugger got me. i havent had him drop his tail nor do i anticipate or look forward to it. he was relatively calm most of the time i hold him.


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## kfryman

lol, when I had my beardie he would do this weird thing with his tail so I would set him down real fast. The poop stinks so bad though. Quick question do you handle him a lot?


----------



## nel3

kfryman said:


> lol, when I had my beardie he would do this weird thing with his tail so I would set him down real fast. The poop stinks so bad though. Quick question do you handle him a lot?


i handle hime 15 minutes every 3 days or so. i know it should be more often though i do need to go to sleep earlier on the days im working. i tend to handle him more on my days off also. im getting used to removing him from the KK. need to put a finger under his belly for him to climb onto to get him out. he doesnt really come out right away by climbing of the KK.


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## kfryman

Oh okay, my beardie loved to be out and we had to cause his tank was so small but we tried our best with him. We found him in our apartment complex... nobody tried claiming him and we didn't want to put fliers out because they are expensive, well kind of expensive.


----------



## nel3

my crestie is 10-11 grams in his KK. a do try to handle him more often but chores and other tasks get in the way at times. after handling him he's eager at times to get out of the KK after i just put him back. i plan to waith until he's 15g to put him in my 25g terrarium (18 inch cube). still need to make arrangement plans for the terrarium regarding foliage pattern. i got all but the fake plant needed. the wood needs to be cut down to size for branches. same with the 1 1/2' PVC tube, i have one cut up already for him but the 2-3 foot length pipe works well for a few more (28 inches left to use).

does anyone have suggestion for the arrangement of the foliage and branches? i do plan to put fake leaves at the bottom of the stump for some ground cover. the branches have been soaked in bleach solution and left to dry in the sun. the branches will be cut to remove the sharp ends (45'' max branch length atm). i'll try to find some vines for the stump to wrap around and some fake leaves just on top of the stump.


----------



## kfryman

Oh that Exo Terra tank looks nice. I am gonna get a tank for dart frogs that has a front opening door. That tank has a lot of potential, especially with that wood. You should have hanging plants in the back for some climbing and cover. Then have a couple plants on the wood.


----------



## nel3

do you have any ideas on where the wood stump should be? im leaning more towards the first pic atm. it will give him an corner to hide in. the wood stump is great but its confusing me on the best location. i do plan to put it somewhere in jumping distance somehow. once i can get an idea where i can go i'll figure out the branch locations. i'll have the food and water dish near the front for sure, pvc tubing near the exterior walls and maybe one in the middle.


----------



## kfryman

I like the first pic, as well. how long is it gonna take to setup that tank?


----------



## nel3

it depends, i got to find a branch configuration after i trim the sharp edges and suitable foliage. i'll come up with some idea for branch lenght and placement and work around that. i do have the weekend off. its not the biggest rush, i still need to wait for him to grow into the tank but i'll probably set it up and photograph it for when he needs to go in there. 

lol i was a bit overzealous in cleaning my wood stump. left it sitting in a bleach solution for a day. it bleached the bottom 2-3 inches of the stump ie light brown.


----------



## willow

i like the first picture too. :-D


----------



## nel3

thank you Kfyrman and Willow, i'll leave the stump like that. i'll need to add some blocks at the base as it swivels (1 robertson screw holding stump to slate plate).


----------



## willow

what are you going to use as substrate ?


----------



## nel3

not sure atm think i'll go with paper towel until 20g then cocoa substrate


----------



## willow

wise choice.


----------



## nel3

id love to use the cocoa husk all the time though impaction at early stages doesnt sound appealing. i like the fact that i need to change the cocoa husk every 1-2 months, easy to maintain for the most part. i have no real issues with paper towel aside from keeping a constant supply of it for my gecko. i have a good suppply of it given i have only 1 gecko. if i had multiple geckoes then it would go by much faster.


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## willow

better to be safe than sorry,that's all i kept
my gecko on when she was small.


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## nel3

i did most of the work on my terrarium today. didnt have time to deal with foliage. i had to toss the biggest branch out. i had suspected it was crawling with termites or some insect, i was right. the other 2 were fine. i made a platform but it took me some time 1-2 hrs. i took 2 2x4 wood and spilt them into 4 legs and 6 ply wood top board. its around 6 inches tall 7x3 inches wide. the larger one for the full size is 9x4 3/4 inches. i can put food on it for the gecko or leave it as a resting spot. i need to sterilze the platform and seal all metal areas with silicone. i also made to compressed wood stop blocks to make sure the stump wont rotate. i'll need to look for good foliage on the weekend.


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## purplemuffin

It's going to be lovely.  Climbing places other than glass are very good for cresties. And I'm sure he'll appreciate all the cover!


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## nel3

thank you PM, i was a bit worried there woudnt be enough branches. i'll need to find a bunch of fake leaves now for all those branches.

i have a question before i a 3rd time to post
do i need to blunt the broken tips of the stump branches? you can cut the skin by rubbubg it but it may be possible if he jumps onto them. it may not hurt juvies but maybe adult ones are more susptible.


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## willow

can you not just rub them over with some sandpaper ?


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## purplemuffin

Sanding it down would work.


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## nel3

the sharpness is consistent with a ball point pen (round and fine tips). if anything cutting them or fill some is with silicone. i have atleast 20 split ends with 1 inch in length max


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## willow

well i'll key an eye out and see how you get on. :-D


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## nel3

ive went out to get some fake leaves for my gecko's terrarium i might have purchased 2 plants too many but it shouldnt be that bad. i still also have the fake plant currently in my KK to use and i hid away another fake plant somewhere in my place also. i need do put some AQ silicone it make the stump safe and also to hold the vines. the area in the back of the KK will be easy to fill up with the extra plants.




heres something i also picked up at the dollar store just for th heck of it.


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## purplemuffin

Lots of cover is great.  I'm sure your guy will LOVE it!!


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## nel3

thank you PM, im just dissapointed i couldnt find a lizard themed welcome rock lol. i wonder if they'll scare him for very long. the rock was just so damn funny i couldnt resist it. i forgot to put the platform i made for him in the right side of the tank. i'll have 2 food plates for the first few weeks until he gets used to it. once he gets used to it the platform will be for sitting or food depending on which food location he'd prefer.

funny thing i just noticed today about my scale. the reading is different when i place an object on vrious spots of the plate. a difference of 2 inches of placement has 2 different weights.


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## purplemuffin

I'm sure he won't mind! The frogs will be his 'tankmates'


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## purplemuffin

Chimichurri! Look at that fat little tummy!


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## nel3

ive completed the tank for my gecko. i just need to wash the fake leaves and clean tht tank of any fallen debris. my gecko isnt really eating much, thinking of dropping some food with a pippet on his nose a bit. he does eat but its around every 4 days nd he doesnt gorge himself either.

i have a question to you snake lovers. what is your favorite snake that you'd lile to own if legally possible? i saw this snake in a snake book and it got my attention, too bad its not the biggest poplutaion in the wild. not to mention its venomous, dont think id 100% deadly but venom nonetheless. i love the scaling pattern on it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bothriechis_aurifer


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## kfryman

Purplemuffin can you post a pic of your pacman frogs? I know some people's are basic, while others are advanced.


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## nel3

does anyone have an iphone with ant crusher? i found this link on another forum site. theres even a frog going for the ants.
bearded lizard
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTpldq3myV0
african bull frog
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Udcvu6aAJE&feature=fvst


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## kfryman

Lol I have seen that before. So funny.


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## nel3

kfryman said:


> Lol I have seen that before. So funny.


 the lizard did much better in the game but the frog had a better finishing move.


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## purplemuffin

nel3 said:


> i have a question to you snake lovers. what is your favorite snake that you'd lile to own if legally possible? i saw this snake in a snake book and it got my attention, too bad its not the biggest poplutaion in the wild. not to mention its venomous, dont think id 100% deadly but venom nonetheless. i love the scaling pattern on it.
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bothriechis_aurifer


You might like the Mexican tiger rat snake if you love that type of patterning. These guys LOOK venomous, but are very safe and non venomous. Not the best personalities(rat snakes are fiesty) but at least if it bites you it's no worse than a cat scratch.





















As for me, I have..too many favorite snakes.

My favorite Boas:


Amazon Tree Boas..just look at these colors...


























Saint Isabel Solomon Isle Boa









Suriname Red Tail Boas










And that's just boas!!

As far as pythons go...


Olive Pythons are my dream









A King Clown is my favorite ball python morph









Blood pythons..fat as a burmese, but nearly short as a ball python










Though they get too big for me... Caramel Albino Burm









Boelen's python


























Then of course comes rear fanged snakes. These are venomous, but their fangs are in the back of their mouths, they basically have to chew on you to envenomate you, and many of them have very little venom at all.

Western Hognose Snake









Asian Vine Snake

















Rufous Beaked Snake




















And..well, so many more favorites. And these are just what I like to look at. If you want to go into favorites because they make great pets, that's a whole other list of dozens of amazing animals. I have favorites in every size and difficulty category. Snakes are amazing! 

And when buying, try to buy captive bred. Many times there are strong captive bred populations so that the wild never has to be disturbed.


----------



## purplemuffin

kfryman said:


> Purplemuffin can you post a pic of your pacman frogs? I know some people's are basic, while others are advanced.


The frogs themselves or the setups? 

If it's the setup, it's just very simple and basic. A large but shallow water dish. Eco earth substrate. Fake plastic plants to hide under. No real decor other than that, it's just for the frogs to feel comfy and safe in. I'll take a picture soon


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## nel3

thats alot of pic PM. where to start.....
the mexican tiger rat is very nice, Saint Isabel Solomon Isle Boa. the tree boas are amazing but they lose in the appearance to the asian vine snake. it looks a bit evil, like voldemort the morning after a long night of binge drinking lol.

some of my othersi like are milk snakes, amazon rat snake, black cobra, and tiger snakes. im not too much into boas, they do get big and/or heavy. though rosy boas, emerald tree boa, diamond pyton do look very nice. thats the only ones in the pic book i can see so im sure im missing another 500 other nice species. the book is "snakes: illustrated guide byJohna A. Burton."

the burms are interesting though huge. have you seen the python hunters on OLN. the cold snaps in florida kill many larger specimens with respiratory illnesses while smaller ones make it BC its less energy and quicker body temp increase ability. from what they found they said that the burms cant live all year anywhere above the southern tip of Florida


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## purplemuffin

My boyfriend loves the asian vine snake. He calls it his "robot snake" and is determined we one day get one. He likes the silver color phase best. 

Boas do get large other than sand/rosy boas and certain dwarf boa localities. I personally like big snakes, but not giant. That olive is about as big as I'll go.


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## nel3

longest boa id be willing to entertain would be ball python. though before i get there, id probably get some snake smaller and thinner .


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## purplemuffin

A ball python isn't a boa.  You'd probably enjoy a corn snake, they are the number one beginner snake. They never go through a feeding strike, they stay small and are very thin and come in a lot of colors. A 20 long is the enclosure size minimum and perfect for them. 

A cute baby









An adult









But they come in some other colors as well..yellow, red.. n_n


----------



## nel3

very nice corn snake. a few weeks back id have said i didnt have the equipement for it ie heat lamp, 20g long tank. now id say i just dont have the space to put it on any sort of table. i only have room for a floor level tank and i dont think my parent would appreciate that much. i live by myself now but the usual snake paranoia exists. my gecko has taken up residence in the last spot on the desk. as i said before id love a yellow blotched pit viper but thats a bit too advance for me to seriously entertain.

do you know if garter snakes are venomous? wikipedia says they are mildly poisonous but the strength and delivery system (chewing) are far from idea.


----------



## purplemuffin

Garter snakes are rear fanged, but at most your finger will swell if they bite you. And thats if they can even get those rear fangs into you, they are in the BACK of their mouths, and they are small.

Garters are pretty good snakes, but imo a bit of a pain to start out with them as babies. They are too small for even pinky mice when they are born. So when feeding invertebrates and earth worms you have to be sure to add vitamins and calcium and such and provide a lot of variety. Others will argue that it is still pretty simple to feed them, I just never felt like dealing with slicing up food for them, lol! But they are very easy snakes compared to many, and quite a few fun colors to choose from.


----------



## kfryman

Hey purplemuffin I have a question, what is wrong when a ball python always has bad sheds? My sister has one, just saying she shouldn't have pets, but she has two dogs and a ball python from her ex. The problem with her, she doesn't know squat and doesn't like to research how to care for her pets.

I was thinking humidity but I am not very educated on ball pythons.


----------



## purplemuffin

Ball pythons need a fair bit of humidity. Screen lids in aquarium allow almost all the humidity to go out of the tank. Good ways to improve humidity is to color most of the lid and to move the water bowl to the warm end of the tank. The evaporation will help improve humidity.


----------



## nel3

purplemuffin said:


> Garter snakes are rear fanged, but at most your finger will swell if they bite you. And thats if they can even get those rear fangs into you, they are in the BACK of their mouths, and they are small.
> 
> Garters are pretty good snakes, but imo a bit of a pain to start out with them as babies. They are too small for even pinky mice when they are born. So when feeding invertebrates and earth worms you have to be sure to add vitamins and calcium and such and provide a lot of variety. Others will argue that it is still pretty simple to feed them, I just never felt like dealing with slicing up food for them, lol! But they are very easy snakes compared to many, and quite a few fun colors to choose from.


snakes are always amazing me as to what they have adapted to. until yesterday i believed they were venomless. ive held garter once in the park, smelled pretty bad from living in a municipal park. i was always interested in snakes when i was young. theres a stone construction bbq at our campsite which the garters love basking on. i always checked and looked for garters there.


----------



## purplemuffin

Probably was actually the garter 'musking'.. They will release a foul odor to get you to put them down! Also sometimes makes them poop on you, it's gross. All snakes can musk, but wild ones and certain species(colubrids) are more prone!


----------



## nel3

purplemuffin said:


> Probably was actually the garter 'musking'.. They will release a foul odor to get you to put them down! Also sometimes makes them poop on you, it's gross. All snakes can musk, but wild ones and certain species(colubrids) are more prone!


that dirty little snake, he was rather calm either way. i actually liked holding him had he not decided to musk. im not good at catching them but i did catch him like one would for a cobra ie pin the head with a stick them grab behind the head.


----------



## purplemuffin

Heehee, they are little tricksters. He may have seemed calm, but he was probably very scared, imagine you were as small as he and a giant pinned you down! Woah! I'd probably pee myself too! Hahaha! But the amazing thing is with taming and being in captivity they learn a lot of trust and are much calmer. I've never been musked on by any of my pet snakes. But boy those wild ones! Heheheh! 

We have more smooth brown snakes here than garters. We always see tiny babies. They look like earth worms! These are sort of bigger ones.



















SO tiny! And cute.


----------



## nel3

i saw a nice young corn snake at an LPS its an albino but its $100. its was about 1.5 times longer than that baby brown snake.


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## purplemuffin

That's a ridiculous price. Albino corn snakes should be like, 30 dollars. Pet stores way over charge for reptiles!


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## nel3

purplemuffin said:


> That's a ridiculous price. Albino corn snakes should be like, 30 dollars. Pet stores way over charge for reptiles!


so do breeders at times, not every one does thatbut toronto is cheaper than montreal in general. Montreal doesnt have any cresties under $60 advertised on the net.


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## purplemuffin

Geckos seem to be a bit different--online, you won't find cheap ones. They sell so easily and quickly and the price of shipping is so great, it's just not worth putting the effort of posting them online. Not many people will buy a 10 dollar gecko and pay 50 dollars in shipping. But the extremely rare color patterns that are worth hundreds will be posted online! Same can be said of normal ball pythons, breeders usually only post the high end morphs even if they have normals as well. At shows and expos is where all the real deals are!


----------



## nel3

purplemuffin said:


> Geckos seem to be a bit different--online, you won't find cheap ones. They sell so easily and quickly and the price of shipping is so great, it's just not worth putting the effort of posting them online. Not many people will buy a 10 dollar gecko and pay 50 dollars in shipping. But the extremely rare color patterns that are worth hundreds will be posted online! Same can be said of normal ball pythons, breeders usually only post the high end morphs even if they have normals as well. At shows and expos is where all the real deals are!


i was unfortunate enough to get into geckoes 2 months after the latest expo. the breeder i got mine from didnt have any under $70. im sure there are some in montreal that post cheap prices but i havent seen anything like that on kijiji or CL. kijij cheapest were $60.


----------



## NoahG

Can't for the life of me remember if I responded to the earlier question -- I love snakes, but not sure that I have a favorite really. I just like snakes in general and think they all are really neat -- interestingly, though I seem to tend to go for the big guys with lizards, I think I'd be more inclined towards the smaller snakes to actually own myself for handling reasons. I think Corns are pretty neat, actually, even if they are really common -- not to mention as babies they're freakin' adorable with their huge little eyes.

Purplemuffin, nice snake pics, and that rat snake looks really neat!

Also, thought I would mention that I got a response from my Representative on the constrictor ban -- an actual response, opposed to the auto-response saying they got my e-mail; here's the relevant portion:

*As you may know, on April 7, 2011, the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), a government agency responsible for the management of fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats, filed a final rule with the White House Office of Management & Budget (OMB) regarding constrictors. This rule, also known as the constrictor ban, adds nine non-native, non-venomous snakes to the Lacey Act’s “injurious reptiles” list, therefore making it unlawful to import, export, transport, sell, buy or posses any of the listed snakes. The OMB is currently reviewing this rule to determine the costs and benefits of its implementation. Should this issue come before the House of Representatives, I will be sure to keep your views in mind.*

So apparently it's more than just an interstate import/export ban...

In other news: at work there's a couple of Chinese Water Dragons currently (I thought there was only one until I spotted them together today as I was trying to get pictures) -- they're on sale currently ($15 off with the card) and with my discount I could get one for $23, _including_ sales tax. The little guys (well, they're little for now) are _so_ neat. I want one, but I know I can't get one. =/

Curious though...does anyone know any good sources for information on actually building a habitat for herps? I have a basic idea as to how to build one, but I'm curious if they should be insulated and I have a few other questions (that I can't think of at the moment).


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## purplemuffin

The wood does good enough insulating as it is. Reptile forums are the best place to learn how to build an enclosure. Sturdy wood, sealing it should take several layers(more for a more humid enclosure) and a glass front door! A screen top where the lights go(but not all the way screen, you don't want heat and humidity leaving. Just basically enough for the lights. Depending on how humid it needs to be you can also add ventilation(just small screen circle vents basically) near the bottom of the enclosure.

When adding water like you would need for a CWD, many will build onto a fish tank. So let's say you are using a 55 gallon tank as your water source. Build a wood frame around it and add extra floor space for more ground area, and a lot more height for the climbing space. The water all goes in the 55 and that way it's less of a risk to the enclosure.


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## NoahG

purplemuffin said:


> The wood does good enough insulating as it is. Reptile forums are the best place to learn how to build an enclosure. Sturdy wood, sealing it should take several layers(more for a more humid enclosure) and a glass front door! A screen top where the lights go(but not all the way screen, you don't want heat and humidity leaving. Just basically enough for the lights. Depending on how humid it needs to be you can also add ventilation(just small screen circle vents basically) near the bottom of the enclosure.
> 
> When adding water like you would need for a CWD, many will build onto a fish tank. So let's say you are using a 55 gallon tank as your water source. Build a wood frame around it and add extra floor space for more ground area, and a lot more height for the climbing space. The water all goes in the 55 and that way it's less of a risk to the enclosure.


_Awesome_ explanation! And thank you!

I had a thought that the wood would insulate to some extent, but I wasn't sure if it would be enough for most herps I guess was my thinking. Didn't even think to layer it up (and now I'm thinking to myself, "Duh!"). For a while though I've really liked the idea of building my own enclosures when I can get the herps I want because I could do it how I want to, not to mention it would be much cheaper and offer them more space that way as well. I like the idea of the tank sort of built into the enclosure for the water portion as well, especially with an adult CWD.

Oh man I wish I had the space and the funds for such a project... :-( Those little CWDs really are neat.


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## purplemuffin

Building is a lot cheaper. And better than tanks. If you consider most people keep leopard geckos (needing a 90 degree hotspot) in a FISH TANK made of glass...wood does wonders as far is holding in heat. You only would need insulation for say...a monitor lizard needing a 140 degree basking spot! 

Yeah..CWDs need basically a fridge size enclosure. But they are great fun.


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## NoahG

Yea, I always figured it'd be considerably cheaper, and I like to build things so I'd definitely be saving money. I've been seeing that tanks should be insulated anyways so it's really just better to build an entire enclosure and get exactly what you want from what I could see.

Hahaha, well, a dream of mine is to someday own a Savannah, so I guess I still need to figure out insulation at some point, haha. Would just regular home insulation work in that instance?

They seem like they'd be great fun, and that's just from a little bit of interaction with them! I figure a fridge size at least (what can I say, I like to be generous when I can). Theoretically I could find the space, and I could use my tax return for the funds, but I don't think that'd be very responsible of me and I imagine by the time I got my return they'd no longer be on sale anyways. Add to that I might be relocating (if things work out for me for once) in a little more than a year or so and it's just smarter to wait.

A shame though for sure...


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## purplemuffin

http://www.herpcenter.com/general-construction/39397-my-overbuilt-savannah-monitor-enclosure.html 
This is one of the best sav enclosures I've ever seen. Though he admitted later that he did not seal the edges properly, and suggests using tons of glue and anything you can to make sure it is as tight as possible. With Savs, humidity is key, low humidity can lead to death with them! 


 Waiting is good. It's better than getting one without a plan!! I salute you! Just remember how many years they live with proper care, waiting an extra year or two is nothing in the long run!


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## kfryman

Anyone know how to take a regular humidifier into one for reptiles and amphibians? I have seen it done, but I know you need a humidifier that has one small release area.


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## NoahG

Awesome, thanks for the link! :-D I will definitely have to bookmark that -- and that's good to know about the humidity as well. I checked out Infernalis's picture thread for Chomper as well and I have to say: _amazing_ animal -- and the baby pics made me chuckle.

Makes me want one even more...they've been a longtime dream of mine. I think they're so freakin' neat.

Yea, or even a plan that isn't the most ideal of plans in this instance. I've screwed up too many times in the past -- I'm really working hard now to not continue the pattern. It may very well be a while yet before I'm able to get any herps, but no doubt it'll be worth it to do it the right way.


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## nicolaas

Ok so I might get an old run down (what do you call it?) It hase a glass front and a wooden back. 
I might get it for free. It's about 60cm long 30cm high and 40cm wide. 
So how big an animal(reptile) can I keep in it?


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## purplemuffin

Okay, so that's about a 20 gallon tank. You could keep a leopard gecko, a corn snake, a ball python, a few other smaller species of snakes, and maybe a few smaller geckos. Not anything super huge, but it's better than a 10 gal! What are you interested in specifically?


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## nicolaas

Well maybe some geckos but one the sides(were the glass is fitted to the wood) are two 3cm gaps,it is standing outside and it is pretty beet up! But if I can get it for free, why not? 
Maybe a spider or scorpion?


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## purplemuffin

You can totally fix it up and just repaint the seal no problem! 

Spiders or scorpions! Either would work! Have you kept inverts before? I have some suggestions if not. What are you looking for--big? Colorful? Friendly? Give me as much as you can, and I can find a T that fits the bill that is beginner friendly!


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## kfryman

Oh PM thanks for the info, I told her and she is gonna try to get some glass. I just hate to see such a nice snake not have the proper needs. She has never bit anyone and hasn't tried to squeeze anyone besides when they first got her.


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## kfryman

Niccolas you could get some fire belly toads. They are actually frogs, but they look pretty cool also.


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## purplemuffin

They are cool, but I sort of would keep them in a glass enclosure rather than wood--even properly sealed it isn't as strong against all that water as an aquarium would be. It might be fine if he uses a plastic or glass area at the bottom to hold the water they need. But since it's wood and old I think something needing 60% humidity or so is fine, but I wouldn't go for much more!


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## nicolaas

purplemuffin said:


> You can totally fix it up and just repaint the seal no problem!
> 
> Spiders or scorpions! Either would work! Have you kept inverts before? I have some suggestions if not. What are you looking for--big? Colorful? Friendly? Give me as much as you can, and I can find a T that fits the bill that is beginner friendly!


Pleas fire away on those suggestions:-D 
No, I've not kept inverts be fore.(O I've kept crabs):lol:
I like some thing different, like the red kne teransula(I am so sorry fore my spelling,it's my second language) :lol: 
so spiders and scorps:-D


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## purplemuffin

Heck I'll just post my favorite beginner Ts


The classic is the Chilean Rose Hair. Grammostola rosea. It's a hardy spider, readily available, fairly docile, and pretty cute. They like a pretty dry enclosure.

Next is my starter, a similarly hardy spider--The Texas or Oklahoma Brown tarantula. Aphonopelma hentzi. Also hardy and docile, but this spider is a SLOW grower--even males live to 10 years, while females live for 30 years..or MORE. But if you get a baby, it stays small for years and years. Cool guys though, I love my little man. (I say man, but I don't really know the sex)

Both of those spiders are pretty brown, but lovely in their own way. The hentzi has really strong fiery red hairs after a molt which is cool!

Now if you want a BIG spider...

The Brazilian Salmon Pink Bird Eater--Lasiodora parahybana. Cheap, hardy, and big. They have a leg span of up to 10 inches! Their pink in between their segments is REALLY cool in person. 

The Brazilian Giant Black. Grammostola pulchra. These also have a big legspan--but they are a big, solid black spider. How insanely cool! Slow growing..so if you start small..you have quite a wait. But when it gets big, it is awesome! 


Now..Color. A lot of colorful tarantulas are fragile. There is one REALLY colorful tarantula..who is also hardy as anything(you'd basically have to try to kill one of these guys), but they are also SUPER MEAN. DO NOT handle this one. But they are cool if you can manage to keep your hands away from those fangs! The Orange Baboon Tarantula. Pterinochilus murinus! 


Colorful tarantulas that are a bit less..bitey

Mexican Red Rump tarantula-Brachypelma vagans. It's a bit skittish though! 

Mexican Red Knee Tarantula--A true tarantula classic! Brachypelma smithi. Likes it dry and is a pretty easy tarantula to keep. 

Greenbottle Blue Tarantula--Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens. One of the most beautiful tarantulas in general, be you a beginner or an expert. Blue, orange, green...lovely! This one does a lot of beautiful webbing. 


When it comes to terrestrials, you want to give them as much burrowing space as possible. They will need several inches of substrate--especially if you have a tall enclosure. If they can climb and fall, they could easily die. They are very fragile. Arboreal species are okay with a little less substrate and are a little more hardy to falls--but are often a bit more skittish. It really depends.

There are also many more! And if you know how to keep in humidity, there are even more species easy for you to keep. These are mostly the dry species that don't need much work at all. And these are just the first to come into my head!




As far as geckos...

Leopard gecko, crested gecko, and the african fat tail gecko would all be good choices. Only one though, not groups. 

My personal suggestion would be the green bottle blue T or the crested gecko. Green bottle blue is 'partially arboreal', meaning less substrate and you will see it more, and the crested gecko doesn't even need bugs--you can feed them repashy crested gecko diet their whole lives. They also don't need heat, just humidity.


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## kfryman

Oh I didn't see the thing that said mostly wood. Maybe some type of desert animal. I think bearded dragons need a but bigger tanks though.


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## lovehatepassion

this is nagini, my boa








london, one of my corn snakes








Jack the Ripper - Spider ball python








this is Bitey, my coastal carpet python








I have 1 other boa, 5 other corn snakes, and one other ball python. too many pictures to post lol.


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## purplemuffin

Yes a bearded dragon would need something the size of a 40 gallon breeder or more.  They get big. Humid is okay, but something needing a huge water area is the tricky thing. 


Your snakes are lovely!! My boa is named nagini too, but she's much younger than yours.


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## lovehatepassion

thanks :-D my girl is about 4 or 5 years old. not really sure as i got her from a rescue.


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## nicolaas

purplemuffin said:


> Heck I'll just post my favorite beginner Ts
> 
> 
> The classic is the Chilean Rose Hair. Grammostola rosea. It's a hardy spider, readily available, fairly docile, and pretty cute. They like a pretty dry enclosure.
> 
> Next is my starter, a similarly hardy spider--The Texas or Oklahoma Brown tarantula. Aphonopelma hentzi. Also hardy and docile, but this spider is a SLOW grower--even males live to 10 years, while females live for 30 years..or MORE. But if you get a baby, it stays small for years and years. Cool guys though, I love my little man. (I say man, but I don't really know the sex)
> 
> Both of those spiders are pretty brown, but lovely in their own way. The hentzi has really strong fiery red hairs after a molt which is cool!
> 
> Now if you want a BIG spider...
> 
> The Brazilian Salmon Pink Bird Eater--Lasiodora parahybana. Cheap, hardy, and big. They have a leg span of up to 10 inches! Their pink in between their segments is REALLY cool in person.
> 
> The Brazilian Giant Black. Grammostola pulchra. These also have a big legspan--but they are a big, solid black spider. How insanely cool! Slow growing..so if you start small..you have quite a wait. But when it gets big, it is awesome!
> 
> 
> Now..Color. A lot of colorful tarantulas are fragile. There is one REALLY colorful tarantula..who is also hardy as anything(you'd basically have to try to kill one of these guys), but they are also SUPER MEAN. DO NOT handle this one. But they are cool if you can manage to keep your hands away from those fangs! The Orange Baboon Tarantula. Pterinochilus murinus!
> 
> 
> Colorful tarantulas that are a bit less..bitey
> 
> Mexican Red Rump tarantula-Brachypelma vagans. It's a bit skittish though!
> 
> Mexican Red Knee Tarantula--A true tarantula classic! Brachypelma smithi. Likes it dry and is a pretty easy tarantula to keep.
> 
> Greenbottle Blue Tarantula--Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens. One of the most beautiful tarantulas in general, be you a beginner or an expert. Blue, orange, green...lovely! This one does a lot of beautiful webbing.
> 
> 
> When it comes to terrestrials, you want to give them as much burrowing space as possible. They will need several inches of substrate--especially if you have a tall enclosure. If they can climb and fall, they could easily die. They are very fragile. Arboreal species are okay with a little less substrate and are a little more hardy to falls--but are often a bit more skittish. It really depends.
> 
> There are also many more! And if you know how to keep in humidity, there are even more species easy for you to keep. These are mostly the dry species that don't need much work at all. And these are just the first to come into my head!
> 
> 
> 
> Yes I thing I'll go with the red knee, I've seen one and I liked him/her.:-D
> So what can you tel my about it


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## purplemuffin

Okay, they need 'normal' humidity. Basically mix your substrate(eco earth is the best) with some water. Make sure if you squeeze the substrate nothing drips. It's okay if the top layer dries out though, it doesn't need to be 80% humidity in there! Think moist enough that it feels cool to touch, but not really wet. You will want several inches of substrate for him to burrow! When he is big enough you can get a small water dish(like using a water bottle lid!)

They are skittish, so while you could maybe handle him, it's not suggested because they could run, fall, and hurt themselves. Basically you'd be limited to your hands over a pillow while sitting on the ground! 

No real need for heat. Somewhere between 50f and 80f is acceptable.


Now when it's small you will want to keep it in as small of an enclosure as possible. With terrestrial Ts, you never want the cage to be taller than 1.5 the length of their leg span. So babies need little enclosures--those little .5 gallon kritter keepers are great for this type of thing. Some need even smaller depending on their size. 



At some point you will see the spider lay on it's back. This is not a dead spider--this is molting. Do not disturb them during this highly stressful process! They will completely come out of their skin. If you save the skin(put it in a deli cup with a damp paper towel) you can pull apart the abdomen and take a picture of the inside--You could figure out the gender! Not likely able to be seen until it's large. 


Sounds complicated--it's really not. Nice moderate humidity-mostly dry. Thick substrate. Let it burrow.  Grow in tank size with the spider... Feed bugs! Clean out poop weekly(it will be white) and pick out the dead bodies of bugs it doesn't finish eating.


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## kfryman

Ts sound cool but my sister is terrified of spiders so I doubt I would be allowed one lol. I will just have to stick with dart frogs lol.


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## TonyK

Are you saying a Bearded needs humidity? They are a desert lizard and need to be fairly dry and warm






purplemuffin said:


> Yes a bearded dragon would need something the size of a 40 gallon breeder or more.  They get big. Humid is okay, but something needing a huge water area is the tricky thing.
> 
> 
> Your snakes are lovely!! My boa is named nagini too, but she's much younger than yours.


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## purplemuffin

No, I meant the cage would be fine with humidity--so even if he chose a crested gecko it would be fine. I was just worried about TOO much humidity in an older cage--Like frogs needing an area to swim.


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## Shirleythebetta

Hey does anybody have an opinion they can give on Anole's? How would you house them in a 29 gallon tank? My fiance wants either cold water fish or Anole's in his 29 gallon so I am trying to get some ideas to what is possible. I want a bearded dragon but after him letting me get 10 bettas I think I owe him this one.


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## nicolaas

purplemuffin said:


> Okay, they need 'normal' humidity. Basically mix your substrate(eco earth is the best) with some water. Make sure if you squeeze the substrate nothing drips. It's okay if the top layer dries out though, it doesn't need to be 80% humidity in there! Think moist enough that it feels cool to touch, but not really wet. You will want several inches of substrate for him to burrow! When he is big enough you can get a small water dish(like using a water bottle lid!)
> 
> They are skittish, so while you could maybe handle him, it's not suggested because they could run, fall, and hurt themselves. Basically you'd be limited to your hands over a pillow while sitting on the ground!
> 
> No real need for heat. Somewhere between 50f and 80f is acceptable.
> 
> 
> Now when it's small you will want to keep it in as small of an enclosure as possible. With terrestrial Ts, you never want the cage to be taller than 1.5 the length of their leg span. So babies need little enclosures--those little .5 gallon kritter keepers are great for this type of thing. Some need even smaller depending on their size.
> 
> 
> 
> At some point you will see the spider lay on it's back. This is not a dead spider--this is molting. Do not disturb them during this highly stressful process! They will completely come out of their skin. If you save the skin(put it in a deli cup with a damp paper towel) you can pull apart the abdomen and take a picture of the inside--You could figure out the gender! Not likely able to be seen until it's large.
> 
> 
> Sounds complicated--it's really not. Nice moderate humidity-mostly dry. Thick substrate. Let it burrow.  Grow in tank size with the spider... Feed bugs! Clean out poop weekly(it will be white) and pick out the dead bodies of bugs it doesn't finish eating.


Thank you so much :-D
I'll let you know how it works out:-D


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## purplemuffin

Shirleythebetta said:


> Hey does anybody have an opinion they can give on Anole's? How would you house them in a 29 gallon tank? My fiance wants either cold water fish or Anole's in his 29 gallon so I am trying to get some ideas to what is possible. I want a bearded dragon but after him letting me get 10 bettas I think I owe him this one.


http://www.herpcenter.com/reptile-caresheets/green-anole.html check out this care sheet!


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## Bayli98

*Pascal*

I Got A Ball Python About A Month Ago, And Named Him/Her Pascal. I Was Expecting It To Be Really Timid And Layed Back, But He /She Is Not . Pascal Is Very Adventurous Constantly Moving About. When I Get Home He always Comes Up To The Glass To See What Is Going On. But Is There any Way To Tell Whether its A Boy Or Girl With Out Having Things Shoved Inside Of Him?


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## purplemuffin

Afraid not. The ball python will either need to be 'popped', or 'probed', neither are things that a beginner should do. You can ask the vet to do it when you take him/her to the vet for a checkup, or if you know any local breeders in the area they might be able to help. Don't trust a pet store to do this, they could hurt him. An experienced person won't hurt the snake.

Though if you aren't breeding it really doesn't matter. You can pretend the snake is any gender


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## nicolaas

Opss!


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## nicolaas

The tank is 15gals, I wanted to get a T(as you all know) but this morning I got a snake!
It is a red lip snake as we call it, and it is not dangerous.
His/Her name is lippy and he/she had a good meal.

So now I need help with this snake!
Tell me what I need, every thing! 
Some pics.This is only till to morrow that lippy is in this tank.


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## nicolaas

O' I for got they mainly eat frogs.


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## kfryman

How big do they get? If it gets any bigger I would think you would need a bigger tank.


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## nicolaas

kfryman said:


> How big do they get? If it gets any bigger I would think you would need a bigger tank.


About 70cm but I am only keeping him for a short time till he is to big for the tank.(the tank is 57cm long,36 high and 35cm in with.
He/she had a good meal wen I found him/her,so wen can I feed it again?


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## kfryman

Wait so it is wild caught? That is pretty cool, though I have heard they can get depressed when put into captivity. That is just what I have heard PM will know for sure though.


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## nicolaas

kfryman said:


> Wait so it is wild caught? That is pretty cool, though I have heard they can get depressed when put into captivity. That is just what I have heard PM will know for sure though.


Yes, he is.


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## purplemuffin

Okay, I have some heads up. It's a really bad idea to keep the snake if you plan to release it. Although snakes don't have the ability to feel depressed they do get stressed--and wild animals come with lots of parasites that can get far worse with a stressed animal. We had to go through it with our ball python(we didn't realize he was wild caught when we got him) and he was quite the struggle to keep healthy. Now I know I can't stop you, but I have to warn you of the dangers of releasing an animal after keeping it for a long time. 

Things in your home are different than in the specific area where the snake was found. Different pollens...different bacteria...different insects. Your snake will come into contact to things in your home that may or may not affect him. However, those things can really destroy other animals and plantlife. A disease that a snake is immune to can actually live within the snake--until it gets home and the disease spreads out to things it can affect(frogs, plants, mammals?) 

Lots of bad things can happen. It sounds silly, but you'd be amazed at how easy it is for this to really happen.


If you plan to let it go, do so now. Keeping it 'until it gets too big' is just too irresponsible and puts a bad message out there describing herp keepers. If you really still want it(I can't stop you) at least find someone else to take it in months down the road, cause it won't be a good idea to release it then. 


Now I know nothing about this species, but I saw people send you care sheets on herpcenter. Make sure you pay attention to them, cause this doesn't look like a beginner snake.

Snakes generally will eat an appropriate size meal(as wide as the widest part of the snake) a week.


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## bettafish15

+1 to purplemuffin. Taking animals out of their natural habitat and then putting them back isn't as simple and harmless as it seems.


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## nicolaas

He ate his first two frogs, the blood was dripping from his lips and the two feet sticking out of his mouth wen I got there.
I could not get a pic, it was to late.

But this means that he is at home.


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## nel3

i got some wter cubes for my crickets, i got tired of filling it up every single day with water. i got more than enough for all the crickets for several months. would a crestie eat the water cubes? i know they mainly lick the walls and leaves for water but dont know if they go for cubes also.


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## nel3

its moving day for my gecko. he's reached 16g and the 18'' cube terrarium (25g). the hygrometer needed aq silicon to adhere to the terrarium wall as the glue was lost on the 3.4g KK. its been misted and i put down some CGD on the paper towel bedding to scent it. the gecko goes in tomorrow. ive been able to hand feed him to an extent by holding the milk jug cap (feeding plate) in from of him.

on a even better note, now that the kk will be vacated i will be able put the new CT from the 1g tank into the 3.4kk.


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## betta lover1507

here's our snakes and there names:








these our latest snakes.
PLANS:
my brother and dad are planning on mating Weba and Durgo, but right now Weba is Ill. there are actually planning on getting a pinstripe female or a pair of pastels. there also going to try to get scythe to mate this year too.


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## Olympia

My poor ball python has had cracked eye caps for maybe a year. I tried searching it online, I always searched "cracked eyelids" -stupid- its not from a shed, it's always there. Anyways I set up a "humid hide." Is this all I can do for him? He was usually pretty ignored for his first 2 years with us >_< we've had him for 8 years though, and nothing's ever been wrong with him, besides the eye caps.


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## Bettaluver4evr

This thread is fun!  I have 2 leopard geckos, and they are my pride and joy when it comes to my critters. 
Pepper is the first one, a super hypo tangerine carrot tail.  I've had her for almost 11 months, and I got her as a rescue petco leo. She was just SOO small compared to all of the others, only 3" and can't have been more than 2 weeks. She hates being held but she's hysterical. Her favorite foods are crickets and waxworms (but the waxworms are only treats!) and she is my little hunter. She never bites but does fidget a bit when you hold her.  Love her! I think she's gorgeous. Picked her up last may.
My second leo is named Biffles, which is what BFFL (best friends for life) would sound like as a word. Joke from my best guy friend.  I got her at the end of November. She's also from petco. It took alot of begging to my dad for me to get her, but she was more than worth it. She is a tremper albino and she is the SWEETEST thing. She literally crawls right in my hand every time I put it in, she just loves being out and held and she loves exploring on my bed. The mark on her side is a scar from her time at petco.
The last pic is of their tank, with a cool hide, moist hide, warm hide, wooden log, thermometer, hygrometer, electric heat mat thermometer, heat mat, calcium and a water dish. The tank is 36" by 12" by 12" with a lock on lid.


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## betta lover1507

we got two that are ill, the spider passed away :'( we got a het ghost (female) and a albino (male). i never got a picture of the het yet, but i have some of the albino i named "Blaze":
















the first one is Blaze with the Pastel "Durgo"


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## Olympia

Lol I named my snake Blaze in grade 6. But then I changed it to Snake. Much more effective IMO.


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## nel3

my gecko met one of my CT just 30 minutes ago. i took the gecko out of the terrarium for cleaning purposes and walked around with him. i had the scale near the 1g tank for my CT. the ct will get the 3.4g in a few days. my gecko jumped and climbed the 1g tank exterior wall twice. the betta was curiuos but didnt flare at him. shouldve taken a pic but didnt have the camera out atm. the gecko is still 16g though the scale did go to 19g for a second. he hasnt eaten sincethe 7th march upon his tank upgrade but he hasnt lost any weight yet.


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## betta lover1507

haha silly gecko ;p i love Blaze a lot, i've always liked albino animals (i like white things, though albino snakes are yellow, lol) XP


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## nel3

lol its a bit either coincidental or ironic but the night i cleaned his tank he decided to eat. i had held the plastic dish in front of him during the day when handling but no luck. he ate 1.5 dimes worth of food that night. he usually has that same amount every 2 days. he's not too much on pigging out at this stage.

albinos are a bit weird but very cool. albino alligators are even cooler but the food budget would be astronomical.


----------



## Wolfie305

Ugggggh. My friend has a friend who I believe is breeding Chameleons and said friend purchased two from them. She has been posting videos and telling me that they are generally low maintenance and I want one so bad >_> Parents would kill me...


----------



## Olympia

Chameleons really aren't the best beginner reptiles.. They need pretty big enclosures when full grown, and most really aren't good for touching or holding, many don't even like you watching them. 
Get a leopard gecko :3


----------



## Wolfie305

I don't mind not being able to touch or hold them, I just want to help my friend's friend out because I guess he has a bunch that need homes (found out he didn't breed them, he rescued them from terrible conditions. He is a very responsible reptile keeper and owns a little shop/rescue). 

They were telling me about their requirements and everything, which was fascinating to learn (they need screen cages because they don't do good at all in tanks and whatnot). 

Definitely something I would consider for when I move out, assuming they haven't gone to good homes yet (he has 25 of them!!!). I've owned and cared for reptiles before (bearded dragon, turtles, geckos), so I'm not super new to it. Its just been a bit


----------



## Olympia

Oh yea. They like really tall enclosures.. And usually screen is better since they need good ventilation. However I've seen glass done, these were enormous and custom built with good ventilation though.
What species are they?


----------



## Wolfie305

Yeah, I've been researching them and saw they liked the tall enclosures, which is really cool (I think they look nice).

Good question, I want to know that too. I'll ask them right now lawls.


----------



## Wolfie305

They are Jackson's. Unsure of their subspecies.


----------



## Olympia

The ones with the horns? oooo awesome!


----------



## Wolfie305

Yeeesss. I know. Really neat looking!


----------



## NoahG

We have one of those at work (a Jackson's Chameleon). He's _really_ neat. Not fond of being touched much for sure, but he's definitely awesome.


----------



## Olympia

Lucky, love those horns, so unique. I'm focusing on fish now but I want to get more reptiles later in life. 
I thought fish would be a cheaper path to go down than more reptiles... nooooo. xD


----------



## NoahG

Olympia said:


> I thought fish would be a cheaper path to go down than more reptiles... nooooo. xD


Hahaha, they're cheaper than most of the reptiles I'm into!

Or, rather, so far Bettas have been...freshwater I could probably keep cheaper. Saltwater? That's comparable.

The chameleon is really cool and all, but as regards the reptiles at work I'm more tempted by the Chinese Water Dragons. If I worked at Petco though? I'd be _really_ tempted by the Black and White Tegus they occasionally get in -- habitat wise, the two are probably fairly similar as far as dimensions go, I just think the Tegus are neater than the Dragons.


----------



## Olympia

Tegu are amazing. You can even potty train them. I hear they're one of the few reptiles that seem to enjoy their owners company.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## NoahG

Yea, I love the monitors and tegus -- such neat and clever animals. And they stay active even as adults, which is something I like, an active lizard.

They're just cool  Haha


----------



## Olympia

I wouldn't get one from a pet shop. Go to a good breeder. I hear that a lot of pet shop ones are ones that didn't have nice enough skins for the skin trade... Meaning that they were never socialized, which is SO vital for a lizard that can easily over power and damage you.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## NoahG

Odds are, when I am able to get any one of these, it will be through a breeder or a reptile show or something similar. I always like the idea of getting an animal from a source that is passionate about them if I don't get them secondhand.

I'm not sure how accurate the skin trade cast-off idea is generally (I know Petco probably gets theirs from vendors, much like PetSmart), but still, another perk of getting them from a good breeder is that I know they're handled and socialized. Which doesn't/can't always happen at pet stores.

Not to say the little buggers aren't tempting regardless of where they're coming from...haha


----------



## EvilVOG

I have a Ball Python myself. It's hard to beat as a beginner snake. It's been called the most docile of all snakes, can be had for cheap, has the look of the giant pythons and Boas but don't get much over 4 feet. Easy to handle too. Drawback is the feeding thing. they will just decide to not want to eat for months on end. Personally i've been able to combat that by simply getting him smaller mice and feeding him more of them, but less often. Mind you he's 12 years old and over 4 feet. But i feed him 3 or 4 mice between 3-4 inches long once per month or sometimes two based on how active he's being, and haven't had much trouble since i started doing it this way. In the wild, they eat Gerbils, so i figure there's not much reason to feed anything bigger than that.


----------



## willow

don't know if any of you guys would be interested in seeing these little guys
i've managed to help grow up,would you ?
yellow belly toads,and more tadpole that i'm hoping are fire belly.


----------



## blwoodson

Thank you for the post. I currently have a ball python 2 years of age and a one year old savanah monitor. Just adopted a banana gecko from an associate at work who had no idea of care. good luck with your reptiles, and i hope to be able to see nore, and post pics of my own when i am not busy spending money on fish and other animals


----------



## NoahG

VOG: I had a customer tell me once that he thought ball pythons were miserable snakes because of the whole going months without eating deal -- he said he had one go nine months once, eat, and then go eleven months after that.

That's a pretty good idea though you're tweaking the feeding to get yours to eat more regularly. Makes sense, too.

Willow: I love frogs, toads, and tadpoles.  A love I developed young. I love what you have going on with them too (set up wise, I mean). Admittedly I've never seen yellow bellies, but they're pretty neat.


----------



## EvilVOG

@ Willow... is that a pot leaf?


----------



## willow

thanks guys :-D
set ups at the moment if you were to see a full shot are rather
plain an boring for me,however it's easier to see and feed the frogs
and tads if there is as little in the way as possible.
no pot sorry lol plastic look a like,pond weed for the tads.
10 toadletts to report at the moment,the other tadpoles are growing
their legs now,and beginning to absorb their tails.
good interesting times. :-D


----------



## Olympia

Willow, are you selling the babies?
London, England, or London, Ontario? :lol:


----------



## Cattitude

The only herp I have right now is Shaft, my 12 year old Ball python. I've had him since he was an 18 inch hatchling. 

Here is a vid of him striking at a (thawed frozen) rat. Video


----------



## willow

Olympia said:


> Willow, are you selling the babies?
> London, England, or London, Ontario? :lol:


would be London England.:lol:


----------



## Olympia

Well then, that's out of the question for me!
Cute frogs though!


----------



## willow

sorry mate.


----------



## nel3

i have a question regarding both fish and reptiles. for my gecko terrarium im using the floating thermometers that i use for my fish. they work well though the problem is if dropped the glass breaks. ive dropped 2 so far, one a long time ago and just today. both times it was out of the tank/enclosure. i have a reptile hygrometer with felt pads to adhere but it was a problem when switching over to the 3.4kk -> 25g terrarium. the felt got ripped and needed aq silicon to adhere to the terrarium. 

atm ive just put some aq silicon on the broken floating therm and im letting it dry. i wouldnt mind a normal therm for the gecko enclosure but id like something easy to remove. the felt pads are difficult to remove and id rather not get an electric therm as i prefer analogue. would aq silicon seal the floating therm properly and safely?


----------



## Olympia

Considering aq silicon holds hundreds of pounds of water inside glass pretty well, I think it's a safe idea.
It might be difficult to remove the thermometer safely.
How did you break the thermometer? Did the liquid come out?
I broke one once... all the lead beads were everywhere.. luckily the tank wasn't yet filled.


----------



## nel3

Olympia said:


> Considering aq silicon holds hundreds of pounds of water inside glass pretty well, I think it's a safe idea.
> It might be difficult to remove the thermometer safely.
> How did you break the thermometer? Did the liquid come out?
> I broke one once... all the lead beads were everywhere.. luckily the tank wasn't yet filled.


thank you Olympia. i know the exoterra therms work though i dont like the adhesion method for safely removing then quickly. i usually keep the flaoting therm 3 inches above the substrate so its minimal impact incase anything happens. both dropped onto the tiles of my bathroom losing the beads. i though i had adhered it properly to the sink (flat surface) but it wasnt enough. the red sealant held and lost its marbles/beads, neither of my broken floating therms lost the liquid. guess i'll keep the older one and reseal it.


----------



## purplemuffin

Aww, I'm glad this thread has survived while I've been gone!

I picked up a rescue the other day. A crested gecko. He was underfed, dehydrated, and has MBD. Poor guy. Hoping to bring him up to health soon.









You can see his messed up front right arm and how thin he is. Poor dear.

He's nearly two years old and only weighs 16 grams.










The first day I got him he was very unresponsive. If held he would just let his legs dangle to the side, he never lifted his body or head, just would lay there. Always looked dead, it was scary. I got him some repashy crested gecko diet and have been hand feeding him and he's starting to get his strength back. He lifts his head, he moves around the tank, and he responds to things around him now. He hasn't gained any weight yet, so we are taking him to the vet to get him all checked out.


In other news, I'm going into veterinary school soon, going to include a focus on exotics


----------



## Cattitude

Poor little guy! He even *looks* sad! Hopefully his checkup at the vet's goes well and that he gets better fast under your care.


----------



## willow

well done you for taking him on.
hope he'll be ok.


----------



## betta lover1507

wow, i never liked gecko's but he looks so sad and cute X3
hopefully he gets well soon (or if it's she) even barely knowing about gecko's he does look out of shape. where did you find him?


----------



## purplemuffin

He's definitely a boy, I can see that much.

My mom's friend wanted to get into reptiles, but she listened to the wrong people. Much like with betta fish, pet store employees generally give bad advice. This gecko was given pellet food(with no calcium in it) and was kept dry even though he needs 70-80% humidity. 

Want to see sad? This is a sad picture.










Because of how dry he was kept his sticky pads have died(hopefully in a few sheds will come back) so he can't climb the glass or his enclosure decor like he should be able to. So he sits on his rear end at the bottom.


----------



## Olympia

Omg he looks so sad and pathetic.


----------



## willow

oh man that actually is really sad !


----------



## betta lover1507

omg, that is a big sign of like neglection! D: i feel horrible


----------



## NoahG

Oh wow...good on you for rescuing him, purplemuffin! I'm sure in your care he has the best chances, and he already sounds well on his way to being a strong and healthy Crested. Also, congrats on vet school: you'll make a great exotics vet judging from what I've seen.

That's sad that she was so misguided by pet store employees. Unfortunately, I know only the basics for a fair number of the reptiles we sell (particularly the tortoises); PetSmart at least has care guides I can suggest to potentially interested customers, but I don't even know how accurate those are...


----------



## betta lover1507

am not a fan of gecko's but that just terrible


----------



## Olympia

Oh, tortoise = my dream reptile. I realize I want a lot of pets, but if I had to narrow it down to one reptile it'd be a tortie. 
I'd never let someone walk out of the store with one and a glass tank. If a tortoise can't see it, it's not there. They need solid walls like wood or plastic, otherwise they just keep trying to walk through.


----------



## NoahG

I didn't know that about them...I'll have to keep that in mind.

Yea, tortoises are pretty neat herps -- they seem like they could be fairly neat to own, so I wouldn't turn one down really, but I'm more into the more active herps, so I can't say I would actively seek one out, I suppose is the way to put it. They are cool though, no denying that.

The lady I sold the tortie to already had everything but the humidity and temperature gauges and the decor (she was going to let her daughter pick that out), so I'm not sure what kind of enclosure she had. But she planned on doing even more research (though at least specifically about what kind of plants could be put in with them), so I was pretty confident that he was going to good hands.

Don't know as I mentioned it...but our chameleon sold this past week as well, also to very good hands.


----------



## purplemuffin

Tortoises are surprisingly active. The whole 'they never move' thing is a myth for the most part, a healthy tortoise is pretty active, though I never suggest them until someone is an adult and settled into a house where they likely aren't going to move. Not fun moving an 80 pound boulder if it is already big!


----------



## Termato

Wow you all have some seriously beautiful animals.

I just skimmed through this long thread and wow. 

Honestly, I don't know how some of you have time for the amount of snakes you all have. I don't know how I would be able to have time to give them that much attention. I feel bad because I think we neglect our mice now that we got our snake haha.

My girlfriend and I just got our first Corn Snake and we started this journal to keep track of growth and everything on our pets: Termato.Net

We keep the snake section on here: Termato.Net

She is still a little baby and we have been feeding her twice a week on Wednesdays/Thursdays and Sundays/Mondays depending on how the week is going.

This was the first time we fed her, we've since switched to plastic spoons lol:


----------



## NoahG

Whoops, didn't mean to seem to be implying that I thought they never moved...I have seen them be pretty active. Haha, I was trying to avoid a bad pun before but I guess I ended up not wording it properly as a result.

I guess I'm saying, even when they're active they're still relatively slow. I like the sort of activity that comes with monitors and tegus, so a tortoise's activity is a different speed entirely (both literally and figuratively).

ETA: Termato, your Corn Snake is _gorgeous_. I have to say, common as they are, the Corns are some of my favorite snakes.


----------



## Termato

purplemuffin said:


> Tortoises are surprisingly active. The whole 'they never move' thing is a myth for the most part, a healthy tortoise is pretty active, though I never suggest them until someone is an adult and settled into a house where they likely aren't going to move. Not fun moving an 80 pound boulder if it is already big!


I want to have a turtle in a fresh water tank one day. Again like you say, when i settle down and don't have to move. That is a life time investment I think, getting a turtle. Something that would probably be passed down to our children when we have them hahaha.

I think it would be awesome to have a large enough aquarium to house large tropical fish with a turtle...or a few.


----------



## Olympia

Tortoises and turtles are considered among the smartest reptiles. One of the few that seem to truly appreciate their handlers and form bonds with them. They also seem to enjoy playing.. found this in an old NYT:
"a 70-pound Niles soft-shelled turtle named Pigface, had been at the zoo for more than 40 years when he inexplicably began mutilating himself — biting his forelimbs through to the muscle and raking his foreclaws along his neck until he was covered with open sores and infected wounds.

Wondering if the turtle might simply be going crazy with boredom, the researchers started adding toys to his tank: a basketball, floating hoops, sticks, spritzing hoses. Soon the turtle was nosing the ball and pushing it around with his forelimbs, darting through the hoop like a trained seal, grabbing the sticks in his mouth and shaking them back and forth, puppy-style, and playing tug-of-war with the zookeepers over the rubber hose. And the more Pigface played, the less he self-mutilated."

o-O


----------



## NoahG

That's really interesting, Olympia, especially given that we've had birds/parrots for as long as I can remember and I know that self-mutilation isn't uncommon with them, so it's interesting to read about it in a turtle as well.

This prompted me to do a quick search for "do tortoises play with toys" -- admittedly it was on Google, and I only read one thread that popped up, but it seems a few people have tried it with their torts and they inspected or looked behind the toy at best: they concluded they prefer things they can climb over rather than toys. But, again, only one thread (and I should be doing water changes).


----------



## Olympia

Yea, I was really interested in reptile intelligence. It's pretty big, I always thought they were all dummies. I found it goes something like, tortoises, turtles, crocodillians, large lizards like tegu/iguana/moniters, snakes, small lizards like geckos.
Funny that it seems to follow a lifespan sort of order. xD
Not a lot of research has been done on this of course.
I like to think that you can't measure intelligence in animals, because they are all smart in surviving the way they should. But in human terms, I guess that's the intelligence of them.
I wanted to know if my snake was smart. The most I got was "they have a preference for whoever handles them the most" which I noticed is extremely true.. Mine always runs away from my friends and goes to me.


----------



## NoahG

I knew crocodilians and the tegus and monitors were right up there intelligence-wise, but that was admittedly about it...

Actually, the crocodilians are really fascinating reptiles as well. I actually met a local guy who's raising up an Alligator and plans to try and donate it once it's a certain size.

It seems to go that way a lot though, with quite a few kinds of animals it's likely to be that the longer-lived they are, the more intelligent (as we think of it) they tend to be. Not always, but oftentimes.


----------



## Olympia

Imagine the IQ of the 4000 year old giant clams in the Antarctic sea.


----------



## NoahG

Can you have an IQ where there isn't a brain? :hmm:

Haha


----------



## Shiverdam

Here's my corn, Benji. He was sold for $68 because he's a "normal" morph and doesn't contain all them sexy colors that the other ones have. I think he's the purdiest little snakey I ever did see.
This picture is from a few months ago, nearer to when I first got him:









Here he is more recently, tucking himself into a fold in my shirt.


----------



## Olympia

Soo cute! I need a corn!


----------



## betta lover1507

we went to a pond area, found garter snakes. we took two (wasn't my choice) and breeding them?? we probed them and they appear to be male and female. i really not into them, i have my little hognose :3
also pursey is finally eating!!!! :-D we found out he was afraid of mice that are bigger than fuzzies so we gave him a pinkie, and he ate it


----------



## NoahG

I have to say, normal/wild-type Corns have to be a top favorite for me as far as colors/morphs go. I don't understand how people can think they're "boring."


----------



## betta lover1507

we went to a pet store, and saw a corn snake with a stripe going down his/hers spine o.o it was so cool


----------



## Olympia

Do amphibians need UV lighting?
Decided that my next tank, maybe not going to do fish.. Debating between hermies, moon crabs, or maybe a paludarium.


----------



## copperarabian

I was hiking/swimming in Henry cowell state park with my friends and we found a baby garter snake. It was soo tiny and very sweet, most garter snakes I catch musk me.


----------



## Termato

copperarabian said:


> I was hiking/swimming in Henry cowell state park with my friends and we found a baby garter snake. It was soo tiny and very sweet, most garter snakes I catch musk me.


SICK!!!!

That is awesome!


----------



## NoahG

That guy looks like a little worm-snake, haha


----------



## jack26707

*New reptile parent*

Hi, I am thinking about getting my first reptile and i was considering easier geckos in a 18-24 inch tank, a bearded dragon in a 32-36 inch tank, or hermit crabs in a 18-24 inch tank. suggestions or comment are appriciated. Thanks.


----------



## betta lover1507

i had to give away pursey :-( am gonna miss him, but now we have a normal adult female (possibly het) i named her "Sophie" i don't have pics of her yet. now we have a mating snakes to look forward to this year :lol: still upset about pursey...
our mating pair: (possibly) Pastel (male) X normal (female, possibly het)


----------



## Olympia

Why did you give away the hognose?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## betta lover1507

i really don't want to talk about it....


----------



## lvandert

Wow just found this thread. How has it eluded me for this long?! I have one corn snake. Ekans Circuit Breaker Whiskey. I know a mouth full but I wanted to name him Ekans and my BF wanted to name him Whiskey and we go to a techy school so circuit breaker got thrown in. I've had him for about 9 months, give or take a month. We're assuming he's a he for the moment. When I bought him he was barely a foot long so he's still a baby  Here are a few pics of him.


----------



## betta lover1507

he is so cute, i love hatchlings


----------



## lvandert

my friend just got two of them from a breeder. He was kinda her friend and what not so she got them cheap. He's also teaching her how to breed them so when hers grow up she can.


----------



## betta lover1507

we got 3 new snakes, a yellow belly hatchling male (scared, and mean) names "Yogi" (like yogi bear XP), a pastel adult female named "Sissy", and they gave me a normal adult female i named "Sophie".
Sophie is 1300 grams and will be ready to breed this year (with Durgo, our super pastel/pastel) and she has a probably of being a het of something, AND SHE IS SOO FRIENDLY  she loves people and attention, i left on my bed this mourning so i could tend to my plants on my window, and she wanted to be closer to me, and she fell off the bed towards me :shock: she got a bit hurt but she was fine, and she is the heaviest ball python i have ever carried, i held a bigger snake before (red tail boa) but i love her alot, but still feel a empty feeling in me for pursey that will never be replaced  i'll pull up pics later


----------



## Olympia

I bought my boy a new cave today (so much better than an upside down plastic bowl) and a heat lamp, that is a little too hot. I need to find a way to get it further above the tank. Ugh.
My BP LOVES to climb, but he's always falling off the top branches (we gave him a tall tank so he can climb more) xD
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## betta lover1507

here's pics:
















^^ sophie is the big one on top, and melissa is the small one on the bottom








^^ sophie is the black eyed, and Durgo is the green eyed








^^ she is the biggest one, lol


----------



## lvandert

Cute!!! My little one is still jsut a little guy, therefore very energetic. He hasn't reached the lazy stage.


----------



## betta lover1507

thanks  we actually have 3 more ball pythons a albino male, a female pastel, and a lesser male pythons, but there in quarantine because they have illnesses, where not sure about the female but she might have scale rot (we aren't fully sure)


----------



## lvandert

sad day. I guess I've been lucky with my boy, no issues, yet...Well one, he seems to hate water, unless he's thirsty


----------



## betta lover1507

they where bought like that  the pastel girl looks mighty neglected or beaten up :'( it breaks my heart to see a girl that has a chance of rot on her tail and a bruise right under her mouth


----------



## LionCalie

Looks like I'm adopting a tiny juvenile Crested Gecko off Craigslist today. From the pictures he looks to be quite underweight. You can actually see his spine sticking out from his back. I will likely send a fecal test to the vet to rule out parasites, but I'm guessing it is just neglect. Hopefully he is in better shape than I'm anticipating. This will be my 2nd Crested Gecko and 1st Juvie. I am used to my big 6 year old guy, Taji, so this will be a whole new experience. I'm very excited though.


----------



## skelator

i currently have 2 adult corn snakes. ones just a amelanistic (red albino) and the other is a butter motley. they both have never struck at anyone but their very different snakes as far as personality. the butter will fully submerge in the water bowl. the amel will only drink from it. when you hold the amel he almost crushes you its like hes hanging on for dear life haha. the butter is like a wet noodle. they are both very cool snakes. 

in the past ive had a green iguana, he likes 10-11 years then died of old age. you could pet him but as he got older he didnt like to be picked up one bit.

i had a bearded dragon for maybe4-5 years and he just up and died outta nowhere. 

i also had an alligator for 2-3 years. i had 2 different ones in that time span. that was actually a very easy pet to take care of. just when you had to clean the tank you had to made sure you were quicker than him when you were getting him lol. when my first daughter started crawling around my buddy took him. i didnt want it in the house with a baby id never forgive myself if something ever happened.


----------



## nel3

i have a question about the 6'' magnetic gecko mushroom ledge i have. its 2/3 up in the front right corner of the terrarium. i havent seen the gecko use it that much but he has often stuck to the hygrometer in the top left corner. he's using the hygrometer as a perch. i read that geckoes get stressed when their habitat gets rearranged. should i move the gecko ledge to the other side or leave it as is?


----------



## LionCalie

To be honest, I don't think moving the mushroom ledge around is going to cause your gecko to be stressed. Completely rearranging his enclosure would be a different story. So I say go ahead and move it. He may prefer it in a different location. 

Here is the juvie I adopted off Craigslist. He dove right in when I placed a capful of Crested Gecko Diet in front of him. He has half a tail and definitely needs a few good meals. He has the most awesome personality though!


----------



## nel3

thank you Lioncalie. ive moved the ledge and i'll see if he takes to it.


----------



## myfishjayne

*Simon.*

Hehe. Simon is not a human. He is a Blue Tongue skink that is at least 15 years old (I think?). We don't know the age, or the gender, of him. So... Yeah. 


He looks kinda pitiful in that picture.


----------



## betta lover1507

awesome


----------



## myfishjayne

He is hugeeee. 
He tried to bite me the other day ;-; Guess he was hungry.
I was changing his water, and he seemed curious about me...
I put my fingers a few inches away. So, he was like;
*Lick* *lick* Mmm... Yummy....... *CHOMP*
Luckily, I pulled my hand out in time.
That would've been PAINFUL!


----------



## copperarabian

I'm going to be getting a ball python  I had one before, but it ended sadly. While he was still kept in my brothers room(he was originally my brothers) he escaped his cage and went missing for 3 months, I had given up on him and thought he got out of the house and died, then one day he appeared in my brothers room, and we thought he must of been in the wall(there was a little hole for the cable wires.). I had him for a few more years, he became aggressive and unpredictable and I was bitten so many times until I finally stopped handling him. I ended up giving him to a friend mine who wanted to try re-taming him but he didn't change. 

I was a little nervous about getting a new snake, and after talking to my friend who knows a lot about snakes and tried to re-tame Taurus we decided I needed to get a snake that was used to being handled.

I found this girl a few days later on Craigslist, she's a pastel ball python born early 2011. I'm going to pick her up on sunday, I have to drive 2 hours and 103 miles away to get her O.O So far but it will be worth it. I might let my friend breed her once she's bigger to her spider ball python.


----------



## nel3

i like the blue tongued skinks alot, mostly cause their toungue is blue. that aside they're not the nicest looking lizards but the dark scaly look makes them resemble dinosaurs. i do find such type of lizard interesting. id like to have one though the timing and circumstances didnt come along. i started with a KK for my crested due to easy care with no previous equipement for a skink. so far the only thing that i have for a skink is a 6' heat lamp. i got the heat lamp with the exoterra and stump that was inteneded for my crested.


----------



## myfishjayne

Hehehe.
It's amazing, Simon actually responds to you when you walk in! You can handle him to, however I've not done so alot. I want to start though.

Oh! PRetty snake! =) 
Shame he went wild. :--/


----------



## copperarabian

myfishjayne said:


> Hehehe.
> It's amazing, Simon actually responds to you when you walk in! You can handle him to, however I've not done so alot. I want to start though.
> 
> Oh! PRetty snake! =)
> Shame he went wild. :--/


It was a shame, but now that I'm older I'm going to make sure the same mistake won't happen with her


----------



## myfishjayne

Yay!  I've been thinking about a snake... or a turtle...or another betta. I don't know. :/


----------



## betta lover1507

copperarabian said:


> I'm going to be getting a ball python  I had one before, but it ended sadly. While he was still kept in my brothers room(he was originally my brothers) he escaped his cage and went missing for 3 months, I had given up on him and thought he got out of the house and died, then one day he appeared in my brothers room, and we thought he must of been in the wall(there was a little hole for the cable wires.). I had him for a few more years, he became aggressive and unpredictable and I was bitten so many times until I finally stopped handling him. I ended up giving him to a friend mine who wanted to try re-taming him but he didn't change.
> 
> I was a little nervous about getting a new snake, and after talking to my friend who knows a lot about snakes and tried to re-tame Taurus we decided I needed to get a snake that was used to being handled.
> 
> I found this girl a few days later on Craigslist, she's a pastel ball python born early 2011. I'm going to pick her up on sunday, I have to drive 2 hours and 103 miles away to get her O.O So far but it will be worth it. I might let my friend breed her once she's bigger to her spider ball python.


She is beautiful! :-D she has lot's of blush on her


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## nel3

myfishjayne said:


> Hehehe.
> It's amazing, Simon actually responds to you when you walk in! You can handle him to, however I've not done so alot. I want to start though.
> 
> Oh! PRetty snake! =)
> Shame he went wild. :--/


lol, too bad my gecko doesnt show the same enthusiasm as simon. i can handle the gecko pretty well, he's used to it. cant say ive dared to check his calcium sacs, too afraid i might hurt him or stress him out. though i do have 5 betta which gladly greet me anytime of the day.

i wouldnt mind a skink but they need a pretty large cage and they're on the higher side price wise. though that means nothing if you dont have some place to put the tank i the first place. how much pain can come from a skink bite? my cresty has done so 4 times already and its from food confusion thinking i had some crickets for him.


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## betta lover1507

that's what happened to pursey... before he was given away...


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## myfishjayne

I have no idea. Simon has never bitten me. He's tried (*Cough* *Cough* he was hungry *cough* *cough*), but I've managed to pull my hand away in time.

O_O I just realized I forgot to feed him. My poor boyo! ;-; 

We got him for free from a friend of my dad's a long while ago.
We also had gotten a beautiful little gecko, think Geico Gecko. I swear, it's the same one. 
Sadly, he died many years ago, his name was Jimmy.


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## nel3

if im correct he's a green anole, those are very nice ones but skiddish from what i read. i do like the fact that simon could rest on an arm without trying to run or jump off it at any chance unlike a crested. i still like the medium sized one if 10inch max qualifies. easier to house smaller lizards than the larger ones.


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## myfishjayne

Yeahhhh.

Jimmy used to LOVE getting out of his cage. I was young then. Loved chasing him around. "Mommy, he's on the wall!!!"

Ah... good times... 

Yes, it's much easier to have a house for a small lizard.  Simon has this really big tank. It's nice.


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## NoahG

Actually, the Geico Gecko looks more to be a type of Day Gecko -- there's several different kinds though, and most people seem to think he's kind of a combination or stylized version of a Day Gecko. Saw one of these at Petco: _really_ neat little guy.

Anoles are neat as well, but apparently prefer to be in groups. They're also not recommended to be handled from what I've read, though I had several as a kid that I handled all the time...not that I provided what was needed as a kid: I didn't know better than what the pet store said. They actually require a bit more care than they seem they would given how common they are (though not near the extent that a true chameleon would require).

Day Geckos, or at least the ones I've read about, aren't recommended to be handled much either. But, again, really neat geckos.


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## betta lover1507

my brother has a open 40 gallon tank, so he is thinking about a gecko, there nice and all, but am not sure about another animal in the house o.o what we already have like 21 pets here >.>"


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## nel3

NoahG said:


> Actually, the Geico Gecko looks more to be a type of Day Gecko -- there's several different kinds though, and most people seem to think he's kind of a combination or stylized version of a Day Gecko. Saw one of these at Petco: _really_ neat little guy.
> 
> Anoles are neat as well, but apparently prefer to be in groups. They're also not recommended to be handled from what I've read, though I had several as a kid that I handled all the time...not that I provided what was needed as a kid: I didn't know better than what the pet store said. They actually require a bit more care than they seem they would given how common they are (though not near the extent that a true chameleon would require).
> 
> Day Geckos, or at least the ones I've read about, aren't recommended to be handled much either. But, again, really neat geckos.


that makes sense, marketing is usually stylised and misinformative given certain conditions of the company and other affiliates. i dont mind Anloes but they seem to be short lived animals compared to cresties. feel free to correct me if im wrong about their life span. they're still very nice looking though i do prefer the slower lizards. the cresties can be quick but i find its workable if you're prepared for it given they're just running.


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## NoahG

Yea, given proper care they can live to about half of the lifespan of a Crestie -- I'm seeing 7-8 years compared to 15 or more. I may try some day to get some more Anoles and give them the proper care, I guess for the experience.

Yea, I like the faster, or at least more active, lizards myself; the Cresties at work are _fast_ and they also jump _a lot_, but they're pretty young so I imagine that has a good deal to do with that. Anoles pretty much do that their entire lives (though I believe they slow down when they start getting old). Anoles can be hand-tamed (I did it with mine as a kid), but, as said, it seems it's not recommended to handle them very much.


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## LionCalie

I decided to name the boy I adopted off Craigslist Frodo. :lol:

He is doing very good! His eyes are no longer sunken from dehydration and he is steadily putting on weight. He spends a lot of time sleeping on the ground and doesn't jump around a lot because he has very little muscle. My guess is from poor nutrition and a very small tank.

Frodo on day 1 :-(










Frodo today - a few days later :-D




























Here is his enclosure


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## nel3

NoahG said:


> Yea, given proper care they can live to about half of the lifespan of a Crestie -- I'm seeing 7-8 years compared to 15 or more. I may try some day to get some more Anoles and give them the proper care, I guess for the experience.
> 
> Yea, I like the faster, or at least more active, lizards myself; the Cresties at work are _fast_ and they also jump _a lot_, but they're pretty young so I imagine that has a good deal to do with that. Anoles pretty much do that their entire lives (though I believe they slow down when they start getting old). Anoles can be hand-tamed (I did it with mine as a kid), but, as said, it seems it's not recommended to handle them very much.


that makes sense, my brother's GF had Anoles many years ago. they lived 3-5 yrs old. i dont mind small lizards but the slightly larger or atleast medium sized are better. i wouldnt want any large lizard due to space requirements. i also prefer something which doesnt tend to have escaping from larger creatures 80% of the time. i did have a thing for blue tongued but that was when i was living with my parents. since ive been living alone ive had the chance to get the 2 CTs and gecko. id love another crestie but no space to put a proper tank, not even a 20g.

i got some crickets for my gecko 2 days ago, i bought 23, fed 6 right away and another 2 tonight. i got most of the adults fed but one noisy bugger remained. 1 day of full volume scrieching was enough as it was only 1 suspect for the time being. i got 10 left alive atm.


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## bettalover2000

Can Cresties live in a 10 gallon alone with a heat lamp? With decor & stuff of course. 
The 10 gal. measurements are 20"L,x10"W,x12"H and has a screen lid. Thanks!:BIGhmm:


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## LionCalie

Crested Geckos are mostly arboreal, so they like tall enclosures rather than long ones. A 12 x 12 x 18 Exo Terra tank would be the minimum for 1 adult, but a 18 x 18 x 24 is preferred. Or a 20 gallon tall tank would be good.

Also, they fine at room temperatures 68 - 80 F, so for most people a heat lamp is not necessary.


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## bettalover2000

Well the tank is pretty tall, and there would be lots of climbing spots, I could lean it on it's side IF I got a gecko, but I would prefer not to have to. I may or may not get a reptile, I'm just curious.


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## copperarabian

fyi Petmsart is having their reptile sale right now, there ball pythons who are normally $70ish are like $35 now. other reptiles are on sale too but there tags were still being posted when I got off work. Lots of items are 30% off.

I really want my pastel lol, I decided to have her shipped to me instead of getting her on Sunday since I was busy XD it kinda sucks paying for express shipping for something that's only 103 miles away lol I would of spend almost as much money on gas anyway though.


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## Ethan

Lol I'm a little late to pick up on this...but anyhow

I have 2 anery het cornsnakes & 4 Veiled chameleons


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## LionCalie

bettalover2000 said:


> Well the tank is pretty tall, and there would be lots of climbing spots, I could lean it on it's side IF I got a gecko, but I would prefer not to have to. I may or may not get a reptile, I'm just curious.


A 10 gallon is only 12 inches tall. I have little Frodo in one, but he will soon be upgraded to 12 x 12 x 18 Exo Terra at the smallest. My big adult crestie has an enclosure that is 28 inches tall and he spends most of his time at the top. If you do get a crestie, turning the 10 gallon on it's side would be good. They really do appreciate having height in their enclosure being mostly arboreal.


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## bettalover2000

Well if I got one I would keep the tank set up normal, then when the Crestie gets bigger, then maybe turn it on it's side OR maybe get a bigger tank. What tall tank do you (anyone) use? My tank has a screen top so it might be hard to keep substrate at the bottom because when I would open the screen to feed or handle the pet, I'd have the risk of substrate falling or the CG escaping. And I have cats so if it escaped it would most likely be eaten by a cat.:roll:
Does anyone's cat scare their CG? lol.


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## betta lover1507

Durgo got RI :-( my dad got medications from a vet to help them, and Blaze is getting much better :-D soon he could be around the other's ;-) hehe


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## nel3

you could silicon a 90 degree corner strip to a vertical fish tank to keep the substrate in. that was my idea if i went with a tank instead of an exoterra.


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