Reptiles Magazine Community / General Discussion / Reptile Forums

Wednesday is Herp Day at Field Museum!

Muddog — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:31:59 GMT

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Best cleaning agent

Lord of the Frogs — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:18:50 GMT

I am going to purchase a cleaning agent today or tomorrow and want to know what the most effective one is in your opinions. Wipe Out? Chlorhexidine?

Now Illinois

Kernel — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:00:17 GMT

Illinois now joining in...

http://www.kingsnake.com/blog/archives/803-Illinois-proposes-Dangerous-Animals-Act-SB3264.html

New video up

Karma — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:48:32 GMT

Sorry bout the shakey camera. I have to use my iphone.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdIzyJwAeN4

Snapping turtle documentary

Zalen — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:06:54 GMT

Well I plan to make a documentary video on the common snapping turtle. Like one of those videos on crocodiles on Animal Planet. I was going to talk about some of the myths and life style of them. Just a thing i want to do.

I wondering though, if you guys have anything you think i should talk about. You can also write some things on the Alligator snapping turtle to since i will be talking about them for a little bit too. Hopefully, the video will come out great.

Just got back from the vet

arti — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:21:56 GMT

Found out that my two Ball's are girls.
Sadly they have worms, so they had to be given some antibiotics.

Reptile News: New reptile found in Peru

jasonw — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:57:56 GMT

Reptile News: New reptile found in Peru
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vX1NrVdMcz8[\url]

True

zooherper — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:53:19 GMT

Take it to heart, and speak up!

Looking for Reptile Bloggers

RC Community Moderator — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 13:18:49 GMT

Hello RC Community!

Do any of you have a blog about your herp keeping experiences or about the reptile hobby in general? If so, please post the link to your blog here! We'd like to see who our reptile community bloggers are and link to you from our blog.

Also, if you know of any fabulous reptile blogs please post them here to.

Thanks!

Bearded Dragon appetite issue

Stephen G. Noble — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:07:50 GMT

Hi all,
I am forwarding the below question for a friend who contacted me on FishChannel.com. The forum member has been trying to post this question but for some reason there is a problem with the account. Please feel free to respond and I will forward any help you render. Many thanks! SGN

Ever since I have introduced my bearded dragon to butternut squash, he has stopped eating his pellets and is now only eating the occasional piece of squash and happily snapping up any feeder crickets I put in there. I fear that this is causing him to have an unbalanced diet.

In the spring I'll easily be able to find organic green veggies for him to eat but right now the only organic vegetable suitable for beardies I have access to is some roasted butternut squash that has been frozen since December. He only wants to eat crickets and a little butternut squash now.

I was wondering how other herp owners find organic vegetables for their reptiles in the winter and how I can get him to eat pellets again.

Thanks.

Blog Help

Papoom01 — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 15:36:59 GMT

I want to start a blog about herps that live in zoos.I need to learn how to make a blog.

Cypress Substrate

MegH — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 07:07:30 GMT

I've read and seen conflicting responses to this type of substrate and would like some opinions.

On the one had many folks I've spoken with recommend cypress as a substrate because it can be purchased cheaply in bulk and because it has all of the properties one looks for in a good substrate. Many herp supply companies sell it as substrate to boot.

However, I've also read that cypress contains many of the nasty toxins one should stay away from when used in very close proximity to animals. This includes warm blooded animals, not just herps.

Cheers, Meg

Snake Activist wants snake ban in Canada.

Kernel — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 09:54:42 GMT

I tell you, this is really getting old.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo-ezT4q-6E

"Extinct" tortoise species alive

amphibian keeper — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:36:42 GMT

http://news.yahoo.com/extinct-galapagos-tortoise-reappears-173106567.html Makes you wonder what else is out there that we thought was extinct.

Did something I NEVER thought I would do

Reptileherps — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 14:35:06 GMT

I was at the pet store getting my usual stuff and the guy who pretty much runs the place was holding a good looking 4.5' Desert King Snake. He handed to me while he went and did something then came back and asked if I wanted to buy him. Now, this guy is always trying to get me to buy stuff, even though he knows I am not making any additions any time soon. So I gave him the usual answer and then he hits me with a "You can have him for free"...now immediately I want to say yes. But I just don't think it would be fair to the snake. I'm already pressed for time with college and all of that as it is. He always offers me discounts, and sometimes it's like a hundred bucks or so. I just can't get anything else right now. Nothing is wrong with the snake either.

Reptile Shop

mas0ud — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 22:23:26 GMT

Hi

Recently I've met a VET who interest in breeding and importing reptiles and accessories for sell. He ask me for help and I accepted. I have some idea about what we need for that but wanna ask you to help me if you have ideas can help.

I think we'll need feeder insects, live and prekilled rodents, some accessories (UVB bulbs, mercury vapor bulbs, heat bulbs, heat pads, calcium and vitamin D3 supplement, ...), glass tanks, etc.

Do you know anything else that we need? We want just important things for start and consider that there's few reptile keepers in my country

which kinds of feeder insects are better and easy to breed? (Already we have mealworms, superworms and crickets)

Any advice would be appreciated

Repticon!!!

Pawnfull — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 08:49:11 GMT

So, who's going?! I am!! I'm more excited for this then Christmas!!

Custom Tank Sizes

herpman5257 — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 13:24:36 GMT

im thinking about building a custom sized plexi-glass cage for 2 leopard geckos to fit on my dresser. the top of it measures 28 inches long and 15 inches wide. the tank will be a foot high. how many gallons would this be? the measurements would be 28x15x12 inches. thanks!

How do you upload pics?

GingerInTheSubstrate — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 07:44:43 GMT

I need to upload pics for people to look at leo and turtle to tell if theres anything wrong or to worry about.

Sunset monocle cobra Loose in Brownood texas!

Kernel — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 12:57:44 GMT

Just what we need.... more bad press.

http://www.brownwoodnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7397:brownwood-police-warn-public-of-missing-cobra&catid=35:news&Itemid=58

Watch This Video

Lord of the Frogs — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:46:20 GMT

In my opinion, this is the best video ever made on this topic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=oss_2ToN6_0

Petition

Lord of the Frogs — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:22:37 GMT

Hey, its on the whitehouse website, so thats gotta count for something.

EDIT: Here is the correct link:

https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions/!/petition/overturn-python-ban/4wGFbc4Y#thank-you=p

Ohio residents who want to speak against ban on TV

Reptileherps — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:06:17 GMT

Hey guys, a news reporter from Ohio came across my blog and sent me an email. She would like to know if there is anyone in Ohio who would like to speak on TV against the reptile ban. She said she wants to get our side of the story. If you're interested let me know

The Python Ban, Explained

zooherper — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:05:26 GMT

Ok, so I have noticed that there is a tremendous amount of misunderstanding/misinterpretation of the recently passed "python ban". In an effort to get everyone on the same page, I will do my best to explain exactly what has happened over the last 24 hours. To do that, though, I will need to go back a bit farther and basically start from the beginning.

In 1900, a law was added to the United States code (specifically 16 U.S.C. §§ 3371-3378) to regulate (more specifically provide penalty for illegally) transporting wildlife/wild plants into and out of the country and between the states. Called the Lacey Act for the congressmen who introduced it (John Lacey of Iowa); it is one of the oldest wildlife laws in the country. The Lacey Act provides civil and criminal penalty for persons who illegally sell, trade, or transport flora and fauna protected by the Act.

There are several subsections to this law, the one we are most concerned with is the one that lists what are known as "injurious species". These are species of animals/plants, as determined by USFWS to be detrimental to the environment, economy, public health of persons, or agricultural activity in the United States. What being listed as injurious means for a species, is that the trade/transport between the states, into (and out of) the United States, is prohibited by the Act unless special permission is granted by the Service and appropriate paperwork accompanies the specimen(s) and a very specific transport protocal is followed. In other words--if you are in possession of a banned species, you cannot take/send it across state lines for any reason.

Now, this is pertinent to our current situation as an industry in that four species of snake have been added to the injurious species list (bringing the total number of reptiles on this list to 5 with the brown tree snake). These species are as follows (this includes eggs of these species as well):

Burmese pythons (Python bivitattus or P. molorus bivitattus depending on who you ask)--all morphs, sizes.

North and South African Rock Pythons (Python sebae sp.)

Yellow Anacondas (Eunectes notaeus)

Also, it is important to mention that 5 other species are still under consideration to being added to the list as well, and are as follows:

Green Anacondas (Eunectes murinus)

Beni Anaconda (Eunectes beniensis)

Dark-spotted anaconda (Eunectes deschauenseei)

Reticulated Pythons (Broghammerus reticulatus) All morphs

Boa Constrictors (Boa constrictor sp) All sub-species/morphs/localities.

What does this mean for us? Well, in the immediate time being--nothing. The rule change does not go into effect until 60 days after the rule is added to the Federal Register, which it has yet to be placed on the register. Further--the Lacey Act does not, in any way, affect intrastate trade. In other words, a breeder in California can still sell their listed animals in California (provided all pertinent state/county/city laws are followed). Also, USFWS agents will not be descending on peoples' homes like the GESTAPO, rounding up any and all specimens and arresting people for the possession of listed species. After the rule change goes into effect, though--all bets are off. No interstate sales, no transport across state lines--not for vet visits, sale, nothing. The trade in those species will be effectively dead.

What can we do? At this point...not much. We had plenty of time and oppurtunity to prevent this from happening. Hundreds of messages were sent out instructing you to contact your representatives, sign petitions, make comments during the public comment period, etc etc. If you didn't bother to do any of this...shame on you. I hate to sound rude, but that is how I feel about it. I wouldn't be shocked if PIJAC or USARK put together a class-action lawsuit against USFWS for the economic impact. This is about our only recourse at this point...sue the service until it repeals the rule change. Also, in the time being..bombard your representatives with letters/calls asking they pressure the service to NOT add the remaining 5 species to the list.

Hope this helps, guys. This is the darkest day in the history of the industry and we all need to be able to understand exactly what is going down.

allergic to aspen

herperchic — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 15:47:14 GMT

Soo uh yea I could not figure out why i was having trouble cleaning the cages without hives and a few test later I have found out im allergic.Whats the nexts best thing? I was told to stay away from anything with dust so i must do somthing else. so what should I do?Cage carpet? I wanted somthing natural so i need to do somthing about my torts bedding and my snakes bedding i dont want to do any papertowels or news paper.

Can you feed a turtle shrimp?

blutegu22 — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 11:32:35 GMT

My dad insist that it is safe for turtles to eat shrimp...I know they can eat krill because they sell it freeze-dried and ready to eat and they can also eat gamma shrimp

but is store-bought shrimp okay?

I haven't fed them any...but I'm just really curious

and if it is okay for them to eat then maybe I'll try it...

I have decided

Lord of the Frogs — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 08:44:29 GMT

I have decided that I am going to make my Taiwan Beauty Snake's cage, 4x4x4 and out of plywood. I'm gonna use a Radiant Heat Panel to provide the heat, and some sort of light fixture to provide UVB. For substrate, I'm probably going to go half coco fiber, half cypress mulch. So what grade plywood should I use? Are there any good brands for RHPs or light fixtures. I'll probably use the Helix (DBS-1000?) thermostat. Does anybody have any tips, ideas, or recommendations for me?

why do you keep herps?

pythonman14 — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:36:19 GMT

i got my first snake on December 12th 7 years ago, so this time of year i often think back at what i have done and where i am going in the hobby and how snakes have changed my life.

so the point of this thread is to sorta share and discuss what you have done, where you are at right now, and where you want to be in the future as far as herps are concerned and finally why do you keep herps?. i find that sharing and discussing things can often spark new ideas.

i'm gonna try to keep it brief lol.
i have kept a variety of snakes having often swapped this and that for something different and alot of the times not keeping any one species in particular. this has pretty much stopped in the last couple years, i am currently focusing on pythons and have actually mailed in my application for a holding license that would allow me to keep various hots and restricted species, i have also began to back off of lizards a little bit deciding to wait until i have some more infrastructure built up to more easily care for them but still enjoy them. i am on track to get either a gila monster or a mexican beaded lizard sometime this spring which would be fantastic since i have been invited to a couple classrooms to talk to the kids and show them some animals (a kindergarten class and a 2nd grade class) and am working with a teacher to put together a general and flexible lesson plan for when i do this and adding something like a gila or MBL would be fantastic for the kids and i am hoping to also get a couple rattlers for educational purposes but those are a bit farther off but if im lucky thats a this fall or next spring addition

one of the main reasons i keep my reptiles is because i was homeschooled growing up because of a speech impediment and when i was young it was pretty bad i actually had a electronic thingy to talk for me but as i got older and went through years of speech therapy i gradually got better and reptiles helped me with this because they fascinated me and i was just obsessed with them and still am and being able to talk to others about reptiles and learn more about them was a huge motivational factor for me and they also helped me make friends which can be hard when people can barely understand you or your talking with a machine thingy. i love herps they have helped me through life even before i got my first snake and because of this i keep herps.

this is something that i often don't share with people because they will often treat me differently. i can pull off being foreign rather easily which is what i tend to do to avoid this (most people think i'm foreign and a speech impediment never crosses their mind).

and as a side note im thinking about writing a letter similar to this to the list of people that USARK has that have decision making power to try to show that these animals can and do have long term positive affects on peoples lives.

Check out my blog

Reptileherps — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:07:46 GMT

Hey guys, as some of you know I just started a reptile-oriented blog recently. Basically it's just about my experiences with herps and reptile-related events going on. I just figured it would be something to do to kick off the new year and I could write about something I love. Since I just started it up it is sort of bland and it is still under construction. So any ideas and/or advice would be much appreciated. If you have a blog or website I would be more than willing to link up. So go check it out and let me know what you think, and if you could spread the word that would be awesome. Thanks guys

http://reptile-nation.blogspot.com/

searching for some argintine tegus

ctdcb18b — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:19:37 GMT

Like the title says I'm looking to purchase both a male an female argintine b&w tegus if anyone can locate them please let me know thank you

Who is going to the Clev ReptileShow Sunday 1/15

arzerkle — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:26:49 GMT

Who else will be at the Cleveland show sunday 1/15?

I love seeing all the herp and herper friends!

Amy

Animal Plastics Racks

Lord of the Frogs — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:03:33 GMT

I am looking at Animal Plastics racks, and am wondering if the economy racks are any good. The normal racks are obviously going to have more insulation and will give your a better sense of security. Are the economy racks any good at all? They are so much cheaper than the normal racks, but I'm not sure if they're any good.

Heating a room

Lord of the Frogs — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:19:49 GMT

I no longer sleep in my room (the couch is where its at) because it was too hot. Now that I'm not in it, I would like to get a small heater so that I can boost the air temperature for my snakes. I'll probably keep my room insulated so that none of the heat escapes and its more energy effecient. Those mini-heater have INSANE wattages, and will easily bump my house up to tier 5 energy usage, which would be...very, very bad.

Has anybody else on this site done this? Are there any good, energy efficient heaters that you know of?

Things to remember when "rescuing" animals.

Sinkarnate — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:51:37 GMT

Let me start out by saying that this is not meant for anyone specifically. I am not trying to target anyone or make anyone feel bad with this post, I just feel it is important information that everyone should read, especially because there seems to be quite a few people here always wanting to take in rescues....

For those of you who feel the need to “rescue” other people’s pets because they are being treated badly here a couple things to keep in mind.
1. First and foremost… KNOW WHAT YOU ARE RESCUING! I have seen WAY too many people who take in an animal they know absolutely nothing about because they believed the previous owner was abusing it. Well you are not doing any better if you don’t even know what it is to know its care requirements! You cannot rescue an animal if you are putting it into a home that is just as bad if not worse.

2. Realize that rescues need vet care! You are rescuing an animal because it is in a bad situation right? Obviously. You need to expect it to have problems far beyond what is seen on the surface and any “rescue” you take in should immediately be taken to the vet for a detailed checkup. Often this will include needing to administer medications either by mouth or injection and you need to be able to do this and keep to a strict schedule. Keep all of this in mind and maintain a sterile, hygenic environment for the sick animal. Always remember to keep it strictly quarantined from the rest of your animals! It is not unheard of for a well meaning keeper to take in a mistreated animal only to have their entire collection die off from an unknown illness that most likely originated with that rescue.

3. Rescues are EXPENSIVE! Many people rescue for VERY wrong reasons and one of the main wrong reasons is that they think they are getting an animal for free. Very, VERY false. Rescues are often much more expensive than regular healthy animals because they require vet care, meds, specialized attention etc. none of that is cheap and if you do not have the money put away to provide such care then you have no place “rescuing” things.

The point I am trying to make is that if you are not exactly prepared to face all the challenges that come with rescued animals then you really have no business rescuing them. They are difficult, costly and often have sad endings. It may hurt to have to leave an animal in a bad situation but if you are not ready to take it on yourself then it is usually better for that animal. In extreme cases where you simply cannot leave the animal in such a horrible situation but you know you can’t care for it yourself then you should contact an established shelter or rescue and get it to them. Do not put yourself and your animals at risk by taking in an animal that you don’t know how to deal with.

Repticon

herperchic — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 14:40:47 GMT

The orlando 21 and 22 repticon is coming up Im soo happy i love the expos! So whos going?

new medium sized lizard

geckoboy1100 — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 12:50:22 GMT

Hey everyone on reptile channel I am thinking of getting a medium sized lizard within a year so i want to start researching the care now. I live in ontario so it has to be something that I can get. I can't have a bearded dragon because I am at school all day till 3 so I wouldn't have time to play with it or anything so here are my guidelines

-has to be nocturnal
-has to be able to be handled
-has to be bigger then 10 inches but smaller then 2 feet(tail included)
-has to be good with kids(i have a younger sister)
-and with other pets(i have 2 leos, a crestie, a dog and a budgie)
-and has to be able to go in nothing bigger then a 50 gallon tank
-has to be cool

Thanks so much,
geckoboy1100

Indian Herps

mas0ud — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 06:57:56 GMT

One of my friends is going to india next month and he can buy 4 animal legally, He just want 2 herps and asked me to say 2 herps for myself. obviously there isn't all kinds of herps there and I should choose a herp that he could take

Last time he went to india he has seen some exotic species and we know that india has great wildlife. what kind of herp do you suggest me to keep? I'm experienced with some lizards, snake and turtles and interested in large or exotic herps, but I want a herp that I can keep and care for

Petco dollar a gallon sale is on.

EvaSSSS — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:34:57 GMT

I just bought a nice 40 gallon breeder for my black milksnake or honduran, not sure which...My son got a bigger tank for his turtle too. which means I get my 30 gallon back so I can upgrade my Bredlis who is in a 20 tall.She is still quite small but growing fast.

My only pet peeve is they charge you full price 109.00 then tax that, then they remove your discount to make it 40 bucks so you have to pay tax for the 109 dollars.What a rip especially when the tax is 9 percent...

Cheap alternative to a thermostat

Lord of the Frogs — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 02:51:46 GMT

I remember some people told me how to maintain the correct temperatures in a cage without using a thermostat. I, unfortunately, do not remember and was wondering if anybody could remind me. I need to get my JCP in his adult cage and I don't have the Money for any crazy expensive thermostats. I usually prefer lamps, because they are easy to adjust so that temps are accurate without a thermostat. One thing I hate about UTHs is that (in my experience) they don't heat for... Feces... Without a thermostat. I need a way to control the temps without having to pay several hundred dollars. I may choose to go with RHPs, but will still need a way to control the temps. Any suggestions?

And I can almost guarantee that I made a ton of typos and grammar mistakes in this, but it's late. So I'm sorry.

screen cage

herperchic — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 12:00:12 GMT

I have a zilla screen cage that I want to put something in. I want something that does not need a UVB light. I have two cresties so no more of those And somthing easy that would live his life out in that same cage. I also can not do frogs.( They really enjoy peeing on me )