Reptiles Magazine Community / Reptile Forums / Off-Topic Discussion

First Tattoo, Getting excited!

BigD47 — Thu, 10 May 2012 18:44:27 GMT

So...

My uncle and I went into town today. I had to get a couple things from town. Anyway, He has been telling me about a tattoo artist that he really likes and that has done a couple of really good peices of art for him recently. Anyway, I dropped off a bearded dragon shirt for him to sketch, and he will have the sketch drawn up by next week. So, With any luck. I should be going in to get my first tattoo sometime after next weekend.

This post is probably pretty pointless... But I had to share how excited I was!

It may look like a giant wrinkly blob of color 50 years from now and I'll probably regret it. But im getting excited none the less.

Chat

herpsrule13 — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 16:28:27 GMT

i have been chatting about herps and small things with Lord of the Frogs and Opal, so i thought that we could "chat" in here and everybody else feel free to drop in and make a topic in here!

Anyone watching Whale Wars this season?

Ratsnake — Sun, 13 May 2012 19:14:25 GMT

Paul Watson is getting some serious pushback from the people of the Faroe Islands. It's pretty entertaining.

I'm Down

BigD47 — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 22:11:03 GMT

Hey Everyone...

I've made topics like this before but I was more angry then anything and used alot of foul language and ignored the warnings I got from everybody... But now, I just need to talk... I need to get the sadness out and get everything off my chest.

So here goes... A few years ago, My parents started having alot of problems and my mom talked about leaving my dad. Which upset me, Because I was young at the time and didnt really understand what was going on. As the past few years have gone by and I've gotten older, I realized why my mom was thinking about leaving my dad.. As I continue to get older, they tend to fight alot more and then my dad comes crawling back begging for another chance.. Which I can understand the first time or 2.. But when its a constant thing that happens every few months.. It gets real old real fast. I've tried telling my mom how unhappy I am and I always get the same response... Which is: "I love you and if I could change it I would." Then that response turned to: "I love you but I've been with your dad for more then 20 years and I just cant leave him..." Im constantly told that everyones trying to figure everything out, I just dont believe it anymore... I have suffered an irreversible amount of emotional damage and its really changed my mental state.. Im not a danger or anything, But I've become a much darker person then I used to be... Im unhappy with how i've changed. I have to drag myself out of bed just to usually end up back in bed a short while after getting up and Im either steaming angry althroughout the day or I break down and cry constantly.. Why is it that kids or teenagers have to obey adults and listen to what they have to say, but the minute a kid has an issue or has something bothering them that they need to get off there chest, that adults dont care what they have to say??

Anyways, Thank you to whoever took the time to read this. I know its kind of long and it's not a very happy post... But if I didnt talk this stuff out once in awhile, I'd feel 100x worse then I already do.

Happy kitties

Sinkarnate — Sun, 13 May 2012 17:26:17 GMT

I took in a foster cat a while back with the intention of adopting her but only if she got along well with my current cat. i was a little worried at first as they didn't seem to thrilled with each other but now that they have had some time to adjust they are doing great together and playing nicely with each other I couldn't be happier with em they are SOOO cute chasing each other around the house... so.... to spoil them even further.. I got them a nice HUGE new cat tree.... and they LOVE it!

and my super fat retic just sits and watches them after a particularly large meal for him...

Mother's Day 2012

BigD47 — Sat, 05 May 2012 21:25:47 GMT

I realized the other day that Mother's Day is right around the corner again. I was just wondering if anybody here had any special plans for their mom? Maybe theres a Mother's Day tradition you and your mom enjoy doing? Im a huge momma's boy, and no.. I'm not ashamed to admit that at 18 I still spend all kinds of time with my mom and thoroughly enjoy it as much as she does. Anyway, I just wanted to see what everybody else does to celebrate Mother's Day, If anybody celebrates it at all. If your a mom yourself, Do your kids do anything special, or do you have any special traditions you like to do?

FAVORITE TV SERIES OF ALL TIME?!?!

lexiluvsleos — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:16:56 GMT

haha wht kinda shows u guys like to watch???

Deadmau5

FutureHerper — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:40:34 GMT

Any one like deadmau5 or skrillex.

Announcement:

UROFAN — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:06:10 GMT

I am a peer moderator for the Small Animal Channel Forum. I talked on the phone with Marylou Zarbock, and I brought up that some of the people want a chat room for the Reptile Channel Forum. I can't make any promises, but Marylou Zarbock said that she would look into it for you.

I hope that you all have a great afternoon.

Awesome Reptile Breeding Simulation Game!

jdog3131 — Thu, 03 May 2012 16:14:21 GMT

Ok so almost a full year ago I found a reptile breeding game that is as close to real life as possible. It is called simply, 'Reptile Breeder Game'. It has a few herps to chose from-
Royal (Ball) Pythons
Boa's
Corn Snakes
Red Eyed Tree Frogs
Dart Frogs
Crested Geckos
Bearded Dragons
and Leopard Geckos

They are also nearing the end stages of a second version!
Now this second version will be much better in many ways, with more animals, better code, etc.
Links-

P.S. IS this the right section?

Hate to brag...

amberlini95 — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:05:32 GMT

...but I am way too excited right now. Two months from today, I'll be seeing two of my all time favorite bands, live in concert. Alice Cooper and Iron Maiden. I just found out tonight, and I am beyond excited.

Iirc, Steve, ratsnake, and leo are the only few who like hard rock/metal, but I don't give a crap right now because words can not describe how ecstatic I am.

Anyhow...any of you guys catching this? This is the first time in a long time Maiden has toured the US properly.

Shipping herps

the gecko geek — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 09:07:48 GMT

ok, so i'm gonna start shipping some geckos soon, an i wanted to make sure i got everythin right... i dont need any kinds of permits, right? and, is there any charge other than what the box costs? i'm using shipyourreptiles.com, if it helps any.

thanks!
-Nathan

The Hunger Games!

herperchic — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:18:31 GMT

I love this books! i am counting down the days till the midnight premire that i am going to tickets go on sale the 22 of febuary AHHHH so close! and the movie comes out the 23 so whos going to the movies on the 23? who's read the books?

My favorite things in the world:

1. reptiles

2. THE HUNGER GAMES!

Please...

amberlini95 — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 03:35:06 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTrhQd9GHlE

These lawyers need your help.

Minecraft

FutureHerper — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:56:55 GMT

Anyone play minecraft, you know, the game that had that hit song Diggy Diggy Hole by BlueXephos, ANYONE!

Chimps have the brain capacity to learn to read?

amberlini95 — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:31:29 GMT

http://www.sci-tech-today.com/story.xhtml?story_id=031001R3OXRU

A couple of days old, but still very interesting. I've always wondered whether or not we're giving animals enough credit as far as intelligence goes.

Discus.

Steve 95

Lord of the Frogs — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 21:13:39 GMT

So, yeah because of the Chat issue, I'll reply here:

HI personally do believe in evolution... Though the whole humans from apes is a little weird. However, it is a fact that we have never witnessed a species turn into another. It's also true that we should have tons of crystal clear examples in the fossil beds, which we don't. And it reallyis a lot like religion in the way that it is taken as faith. Of course... Most things that are taught are taken by faith. Nobody really questions science all that often. The Cambrain Explosion also has now been narrowed down to 5 or 10 million years. Yet, tons of random species with no ancestors just randomly showed up. Kind of weird.

Here's a little something about the CE:

It’s been likened to the Big Bang. Liberal creationists claim it supports Genesis 1. Researchers at the California Institute of Technology claim it was precipitated by a 90-degree continental flop. Have you guessed what outstanding mystery of the biosphere it is?

It’s the Cambrian explosion.

Half a billion years ago, during this "evolutionary big bang," life evolved at rates of over twenty times the Precambrian rate. From approximately 535 million years ago to 520 million years ago, nearly all the animal phyla in existence today (and many that are no longer with us), save the Bryozoa, first appeared in the fossil record. While this does not necessarily entail that all animal phyla came into existence during the Cambrian explosion – some scientists believe that the "explosion" was a change in climate that produced conditions favorable for the fossilization of preexisting phyla – the evidence for a period of astounding diversification of life is overwhelming. The animals that made their abrupt appearance during the Cambrian explosion are ancestors of virtually all the creatures that swim, fly, and crawl today.

Until recently, scientists believed that phyla evolved over a ridiculously short period of 75 million years. In 1993, a group of researchers from M.I.T. and Harvard did some zircon dating in Siberia, then took the Cambrian period, chopped it in half, and stomped down the evolutionary boom to the first 5 to 10 million years. "We now know how fast fast is," grinned Samuel Bowring of M.I.T. in an interview with Time magazine. "And what I like to ask my biologist friends is, How fast can evolution get before they start feeling uncomfortable?"

The possible causes of the Cambrian explosion are as numerous and whimsical as the animals it created. Predation is a popular explanation. The appearance of multicellular grazers prompted the appearance of multicellular predators. Initial signs of predation appear just before the Cambrian period. The appearance of hard, protective shells in the late Precambrian may indicate the incipience of a biological arms race.3 Another popular explanation is the "empty barrel" hypothesis, which compares Cambrian creatures to settlers and the biosphere of the time to the American West.

Paleobotanist Douglas Erwin of the Smithsonian Institution points to homeotic homeobox genes as the Precambrian triggers of the Cambrian explosion. These genes, also called Hox genes, control embryonic development. Primitive multicellular organisms such as jellyfish have 3 Hox genes. Now scientists believe that around 550 million years ago, some worm-like creature expanded its Hox cluster to six genes. "Boom!" shouted Jablonski in his interview with Time. "Life crossed some sort of critical threshold."4

Researchers at Caltech and the University of Puerto Rico revealed a literally earth-shattering possibility in 1997. The Cambrian explosion might have been detonated by a rollover performed by the crust and mantle of the Earth. Such acrobatics, prompted by a phenomenon known as true polar wander, involved continental drift ten times the normal rate (i.e. 30 centimeters per year, a blatant violation of the "plate tectonic speed limit"5). The dramatic shift, which took place over a mere 15 million years, coincided with the Cambrian explosion.

Continental flip-flop began with the breakup of the supercontinent Rodinia at the North Pole at a time when Gondwanaland stretched from the South Pole to the equator. Because a spinning sphere is most stable when most of its mass lies at the equator, the Earth was thrown off balance by its extensive polar mass. The entire crust and mantle slid over the core, 90 degrees, to return the continents to the equator.

Such a tumultuous change in climate and ocean circulation swiftly fragmented large-scale ecosystems to create smaller, more isolated populations. These populations branched in an eruption of riotous divergent evolution. Groups of species, isolated from each other, evolved rapidly into different species in a process known as speciation and adaptive radiation. Radiation allowed organisms to inhabit new niches and increase diversity, a process that mysteriously left little evidence of transitional forms in its wake. No new phyla, besides the Bryozoans, have emerged since the Cambrian explosion. Scientists speculate that extensive adaptive radiation filled all available niches, leaving no room for additional phyla. Neither has such gargantuan genetic variation occurred since that period. Possibly, once life became as complex as it did in the Cambrian explosion, organisms could no longer risk major changes in physiology. Even miniscule variations in the genetic code could prove fatal, just as one erroneous gene coding for an enzyme might render a creature unable to survive.

The Cambrian Explosion leaves us humans, 500 million years later, with the most puzzling of questions. The Cambrian rocks of the geologic column contain a proliferation of complex life; however, no trace of predecessors to such complex and sometimes offbeat organisms is to be found in Precambrian rocks. For example, the evolution of vertebrate fish from invertebrate animals, which wore exoskeletons and left no traces of turning their exoskeletons inside out to produce vertebrae, remains a gaping hole in the evolutionary timeline. Thus the Cambrian explosion raises questions about Darwin’s grand theory of evolution.

Creationists exploit the Cambrian explosion as evidence that the Biblical record of creation is true. ‘Then God said, "Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures."’6 So appeared the abundant fish and marine life that appeared during the Cambrian explosion. These "stationary or slow-moving" creatures were the first to be overwhelmed by the mud and silt of the Deluge, and they were fossilized to be discovered half a billion years later.7

The existence of such a plethora of conflicting hypotheses, all of which are viable, some of which seem fantastic, may instill a sense of doubt in the reader as to whether any of them correctly explain the mystery of the Cambrian explosion. In my opinion, a propitious combination of true polar wander, predation, and an increase in the number of Hox genes provides the most satisfactory and comprehensive explanation. I tend to doubt the creationism hypothesis not because of a prodigious lack of faith, but rather because the creationists seem to embrace it too heartily and ignore the conspicuous incongruities between Genesis and current "scientific" beliefs. However, the true polar wander hypothesis is relatively new and has been challenged in Science, where it was first published. The unstoppable advance of science may eventually reach a firm conclusion as to what triggered the Cambrian explosion. For now we must continue to wonder about and wonder at this remarkable and baffling proliferation of life.

Homeschooled Or PS'ed

Lord of the Frogs — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 07:31:29 GMT

Just wonderin' who here was/is Public Schooled and who here was/is Homeschooled.

A video...

amberlini95 — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:25:43 GMT

I thought some of you guys might appreciate this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJHt-m3VX6o&context=C4697e38ADvjVQa1PpcFNCpEhUQE01gQxhgdtKTyGsE2AtZi3m1i8=

Enjoy.

Lizard hairdos anyone?

snakelover1995 — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 15:43:31 GMT

Just thought you guys might like it.

Knives

leolizard — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 17:20:34 GMT

Anyone else collect knives? I have a fairly large amount of both show and EDC.

1st. Cold steel Spartan

Check this out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kymcirr0VKM

2nd. Cold steel Rajah 3

3rd. Spyderco Delica 4

I'll post the rest if anyone else is interested.

A stupid question...

reptilelover123 — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 15:29:11 GMT

what does it mean if someone is emo?

The River

BigD47 — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 16:31:45 GMT

I watched the 2 premiere episodes of The River a couple of weeks ago. I didnt think I would like it. But it has really kept my interest. It's only scheduled for 8 episodes before it's taken off. This week was it's 4th episode and it keeps getting better and more interesting with every episode. Im hoping they continue on with it. It is alot like lost and if you dont pay attention or you miss a week, your going to be really confused. It's pretty much about a group of tv show makers out in the wild (foreget exactly where it takes place.) filming a tv show and the main character of the show goes missing, So his son takes over the show and begins a search for his missing father.

Has anybody else seen it? What do you think about it?

Beardie Playing game on iPhone

amphibian keeper — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:33:43 GMT

http://gma.yahoo.com/video/news-26797925/bearded-dragon-plays-ant-crusher-on-smart-phone-27599952.html

That poor Beardie is probably so confused about why it can't eat those ants.

Face Off

BigD47 — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 17:10:32 GMT

I have been watching face off since the first episode of the first season. I really like it. I think its now on the second season, maybe even third. I think its a pretty neat show and am absolutely amazed at some of the things that these make up effects artists create. I really like the horror movie villian challenges and I liked the alien challenge they just did. Tonight theyre creating something for director Tim Burton.

Does anybody else watch Face-Off? What do you think of it? What's your favorite challenge so far?

What Needs to be Known

Turtle Boy — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 20:03:34 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc

Watch the entire video. This thing needs to be known.

RIP Davy

snakeguy4 — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 18:53:13 GMT

Wednesday singer/actor David Jones died of a heart attack, he was 66.

His last song was "Written In My Heart" here is a link to it http://new.monkees.net/davy-jones-written-in-my-heart-last-song/

Doomsday Preppers

Ratsnake — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 10:53:41 GMT

Anybody catch this show? It's about people who spend their lives preparing for "the big one", the apocalypse, a global oil crisis, a shifting of the Earth poles and other doom and gloom scenarios. It was sad watching people spending the majority of their time focused on practicing survival skills, storing food, planning bug out strategies, and giving in to paranoia.

My favorite was the guy who built his house out of steel shipping containers. What a waste of a life.

It's on National Geographic, by the way.

New Turtle Web Site- http://bandhturtlesite.weebly.com

I B Dazzlin — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 23:44:25 GMT

http://bandhturtlesite.weebly.com/index.html

New web site about aquatic turtles and their care. The site has some good info and some great pictures on it.

piranaha

beardeddragonluvr1 — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 08:24:12 GMT

how big do piranahas get? and how big of a tank should i put one in?

New cover

Karma — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:04:31 GMT

Quality sucks tho
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-mnXgPEImg

Is it Wisdom Teeth?

BigD47 — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 01:11:36 GMT

Hey Everybody,

So in the past couple weeks my teeth have started really bothering me. It feels like a headache in my mouth and its a long, slow, constant ache. It started to really flare up in the last week/week and a half. I havent been to a dentist in more than 6 years. I had a really bad experience with my last dentist and it has deterred me from going to a new one for fear of him/her being a jerk too. So my teeth havent seen a dentists care in 6 years. I never really took the best care of my teeth and in the past 3 - 4 years I finally started to care about them. I have a tooth that has been pushed inward and im not sure if its from to many teeth trying to come in. I dont really know what caused it to push in. The tooth that has started pushing in really doesnt cause me any pain or discomfort. I have started clenching my teeth alot in the past few days. I started clenching my teeth right after they started to ache. I know clenching my teeth isnt going to make the pain any better and its only going to agitate it even worse. But for some reason, At least for me. when I clench my teeth and feel the pain flare up, I feel better for a few minutes afterwards. Im not in excruciating pain. It's just a long constant ache. It isnt getting better and feels like its starting to slowly progress. Could it be the start of wisdom teeth impaction? Or do I need to go and have my teeth looked over and maybe have some fillings redone?

My band

snakelover1995 — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:23:23 GMT

It's a punk/hardcore band called Kill the State, and our first album is going to be called Mental Deficiency is the New Black. I have two songs on youtube that are my most intense (don't listen to them if you don't like loud music) and also aren't exactly all age appropriate, which is why I will not post the links here. Anyways... I thought you guys might like to know that any concerts, gigs, or whatever that I do in the future... 100% of the proceeds (that don't go to paying for transport and equipment) will go to USARK.

Lizard Cage Furniture Poll

BeardedDragonLover — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:03:35 GMT

Could anyone with lizards on here do me a favor and take this survey? https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dF9xaERkMXZndy10TFBYXy1oajBxVXc6MQ I need it for a high school project, it's 8 questions and shouldn't take very long to do. Thanks!

Snakes in colombia

sk8forlife — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:18:00 GMT

Well my dad wants to take the fam to colombia for a month long vacation, ive never been and dont really know what town we are staying in. what Hot snakes and constrictors are native there?

Bunnies....

turtlelover202 — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 16:22:09 GMT

Hey guys, I know I am usually on the Turtles and Tortoises forum, but I have a question about bunnies. I am thinking about getting a bunny. I don't think my turtles or leopard gecko will harm him, but my Jack Russell Terrier or 2 cats might.... I really want a bunny and have the time and space but I am worried the barking or the cats might find a way to get to him. Is there anyone that can give suggestions on how I should house him or where put the cage? Also, what kind of bunny do you recommend? Thanks a bunch!

-turtlelover202

Spina Bifida Occulta & lower back issues

jaguara — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:01:20 GMT

In March of 2011 I collapsed and couldn't walk and it had felt like someone hit me in the spine with a cattle prod. The doctor took xrays and diagnosed with spina bifida occulta which is the extra piece of bone on the L5. Then the neurologist did an mri and saw I had arthritis in my SI joints. I did physical therapy for 3 weeks only making it worse. Last Friday I had faceted joint injections in my lower back. I felt better Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, but today my entire back hurts and I feel like I'm going to strangle someone. I'm a graphic designer and I work full time. My chair is upright and I only get up to go to the printer, scanner, bathroom, and on my break. Anyone have any ideas as to what else I can do to make this stop? It's a shot in the dark asking on here but I'm at the end of my rope.

Cool Fish Tank

FireBelliedToadFreak — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 13:57:31 GMT

Look at this fish tank I found online. It's not mine, but it's pretty cool. Here's the link to the pics since I cant post them.

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?442108-Monster-822-gallon-(ext)-aquarium-build-thread/page19

Say Hello To Scamper

Leora22 — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 07:23:31 GMT

Okay ya'll know I was reading up on parrots and doing a whole bunch of research for little over a year now. well guess what my family got me for my birthday last week They surprised me with a lil 7 month old Caique that I fell in love with the week before when I went to vist the breeders place

He is sooooooo AWWWWWDORABLE & messy lol do not put your face within 1 foot of him eating an apple ....he slings apple EVERYWHERE!!! lol

Caique's are not real good talkers And I wanted a parrot that could talk but I just fell in love with this lil guy as soon as I met him and I figured with how much my family talks the bird will pick up on it well after just 7 days with us he has learned how to say Baby, Pretty Bird, Whatcha Doing Baby, Peek-a-boo, And hes almost got hello, & Tickle, Tickle, Tickle, down Its so amazing

Oh and I'm teaching him tricks hes almost got it down where I ask him "how does batman sleep" and he'll flip over and hang upside down lol hahaha its sweet well anyway here he is

Meet Scamper ...The reason I named him scamper is because he makes lil noises like a penguin (So Cute) And when I was growing up The Adventures Of Scamper The Penguin was my Favorite movie(which I made my poor parents watch waaaaay to much now that I look back lol)

Thanks for looking He was and is the best bird-day present evar!!! lol

Finding Bigfoot..Season 2

Ratsnake — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:58:55 GMT

I started watching season 2 of Finding Bigfoot. I guess I'm a glutton for punishment. It occurred to me that there are two titles that would be better.

1) Playing Bigfoot

2) The Great Snipe Hunt.

My face hurts from face palming. In case you don't know what a snipe hunt is.....

A snipe hunt, a form of wild-goose chase that is also known as a fool's errand, is a type of practical joke that involves experienced people making fun of credulous newcomers by giving them an impossible or imaginary task. The origin of the term is a practical joke where inexperienced campers are told about a bird or animal called the snipe as well as a usually preposterous method of catching it, such as running around the woods carrying a bag or making strange noises such as banging rocks together. Incidentally, the snipe (a family of shorebirds) is difficult to catch for experienced hunters, so much so that the word "sniper" is derived from it to refer to anyone skilled enough to shoot one.^[1]

The snipe hunt may be assigned to a target as either part of a process of hazing, in which the object is to initiate the snipe hunter into the group, or as part of a process of ostracism intended to encourage (or force) a person, perceived to be an unwanted interloper, to withdraw from the group's presence.