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Aphelion Necrology
Jul 17, 2005

Take care of the dead and the dead will take care of you
~Welcome to the jungle, we got frogs and snakes~


Big Centipede posted:

This is going to be a general thread for everyone from beginners to advanced keepers, so don't be afraid to ask questions. Advanced keepers, be nice to newbies, everyone has to start somewhere. I don't give a gently caress if you have a colony of luecy Boelens pythons in a house sized vivarium, I don't want to see anyone giving people poo poo for liking beginner-level animals. You're not better than anyone just because you breed Amazon tree boas instead of cornsnakes. Shut up and leave the elitism at the door.

The most important thing for a beginner to do is do their own research on what they're getting. Nothing's worse than having your cute little leopard gecko or ball python die because the 17 year old Petsmart employee told you the wrong way to keep them.

God, why?

A lot of people are drawn to herps because they’re unusual and unique, and some people have just always been fascinated with scaly, slimy things (me included). Most beginner species are pretty low-maintenance compared to other pets, and some of them can be set up and kept very simply and inexpensively. They don’t require human interaction or have the social needs of a cat or a dog. My snakes couldn’t give less of a gently caress if I bothered them at all, as long as I fed them occasionally. They can also be pretty addictive. I started with one snake in 2005 and have worked with a cornucopia of species all the way from Corns to Woma. I was also one of the first breeders of Boiga cyanea (Green Blue-eyed Catsnakes) in the USA. I'm actually getting out of the herp game due to lifestyle shifts, but they are still a passion of mine.



Goon Gurus:

Shoot these guys a line if you need some advice or have questions~

    Big Centipede - Snakes, Inverts
    OneTwentySix - Salamanders, Newts, Dart frogs
    Sweet CupnCakes - Burmese pythons and other large snakes
    Pardalis - Chameleons
    Bobbaganoosh - Snakes, field herping, southwest US reptile species
    Hood Ornament - Snakes, basic veterinary care, and basic genetics

Where to get a scaly, slimy thing:

Pet stores are best to be avoided for buying animals. Many pet store animals are wild-caught, bought from large-scale importers, or are being kept improperly. Pet store employees are also really good at giving bad advice. I suggest buying from a private breeder at a reptile show or online. You will have to pay shipping if you buy online, but it’s nice knowing that you’re getting a captive-bred animal from a reputable breeder. (I know that breeders can also mislead and outright lie to people, which is another reason why it’s so important to do your own research!) You can usually find a local show via Google, or look to see if Repticon is anywhere near you.

There are actually quite a few reptile rescues around, as well.

Tell me your secrets, turtle.

Most herps have the same basic needs: Food, heat/humidity, light, and enrichment.

Food is obviously pretty important, as trying to feed your ball python some veggies will not go over too well. Make sure you do research on the best food/prey for your animal, and always try to avoid feeding live prey. Live mice and crickets can seriously injure or kill a herp. Go ahead and google “live feeding snakes” if you want to see some hosed up poo poo. If you’re feeding live insects, make sure you don’t dump in more than your critter can eat in one sitting to avoid them getting cricket-nibbled. Many turtles, lizards, and geckos need a varied diet of veggies and insects, or special gecko diet. Your critter might also need nutrient or mineral supplements.

Big Centipede posted:

“True story, I once dumped 40 crickets and a weaned rat in a cage with a cane toad (believe me, it could eat that much), well apparently it wasn't hungry enough that night to come out of the substrate and I was greeted with a now eyeless weaned rat with all the flesh eaten from it's arms, tail, and weenie. Crickets are surprisingly hardcore and will gang up to gently caress poo poo up.”

Since herps are cold-blooded, they will need a heat source in order to digest their food. NEVER USE HEAT ROCKS. They are unreliable and can burn your pets. Undertank heat pads are a good choice because they help create a heat gradient without drying out a tank as much as a lamp would. However, high-temp animals and desert-dwellers will do better with a lamp. Many critters will also need a special UVA/UVB bulb or they can develop metabolic bone disease, which is disfiguring and can be fatal. We will cover UVA/UVB in greater detail further down. Make sure that you have thermometers and that all your heat sources are placed on a rheostat/thermostat to regulate your temps! There are a lot of options out there, from lamp-dimmers to very fancy multi-zone controls with night drops and alarms.

Enrichment usually covers things like hides, burrowing substrate, things to climb, and other things that stimulate your animal or make them feel secure. Again, this is usually species-specific. A pacman frog will not utilize climbing vines, and a GTP will give no fucks about a 3” deep substrate bed.

Beginner species

If you're thinking about getting a reptile or amphibian, consider these species a good starting point. Lots of good caresheets can be found via Google, but make sure to check over several different sources for the best information.



SNAKES:
    - Corn Snakes (P. guttatus)
    - Most Kings:
    Mexican/San Luis Potosi/Thayeri/Nuevo Leon (L. mexicana)
    Florida/Desert/California/Black (L. getula )
    NOTE: Not the Mountain Kings (L. pyromelana and L. zonata) , Gray-Banded Kings not already well-started on rodents (L. alterna) , or Scarlet King (L. elapsoides) .
    - Milk Snakes: Honduran/Nelson’s/Eastern (L. triangulum )
    - Rosy/Rubber/Sand Boas (Charina and Gongylophis species)
    - Captive-bred African House Snakes (Several species, mostly Boaedon capensis)
    - New World Rat Snakes (Pantherophis and Bogertophis) NOTE: Some can be ornery and defensive, especially as babies!
    - Gopher/Pine/Bull Snakes (Pituophis species) NOTE: Some of these get larger than most beginner snakes
    - Western/Mexican Hognose Snakes (Heterodon nasicus) NOTE: Rear-fanged and slightly venomous
    - Ball/Royal Pythons (Python regius) NOTE: Can be problem feeders
    - Children's/Spotted Pythons (Antaresia species)

LIZARDS:
    -crested geckos (Correlophus ciliatus)
    -gargoyle geckos (Rhacodactylus auriculatus)
    -leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius)
    -fat tailed geckos (Hemitheconyx caudicinctus)
    -blue tongued skinks (Tiliqua species)
    -fire skinks (Riopa fernandi)
    -bearded and Rankin's dragons (Pogona species)



TARANTULAS:
    -Grammostola pulchripes
    -most Grammostola species
    -most Brachypelma species
    -most Captive Bred Aphonopelma species
    -most Avicularia species (though they are arboreal, can jump, and throw poop at your face)
    -Chromatopelma cyaneopubscens (greenbottle blue)
    -Acanthoscurria geniculata (Brazilian black and white)
    -Lasiodora parahybana (salmon birdeater, these get large and their urticating bristles can be rough for some people)

SCORPIONS:
    -Emperor scorpions
    -flat rock scorpion

FROGS:
    -White's tree frog
    -green/gray tree frog
    -red eyed tree frog
    -tomato frog
    -chubby frog
    -Pacman frogs (Ceratophrys sp)
    -African clawed frog
    -most American toad species
    - fire-bellied toads (bombina sp.) most are WC but they are very hardy
    -Most of the larger Dendrobates spp. are good beginner frogs; D. auratus, D. leucomelas, and D. tinctorius especially, along with the Phyllobates.

(DendroBoard is a good dart frog resource)

SALAMANDERS:
    Axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum)
    Spanish ribbed newts (Pleurodeles waltl)
    Common crested newt species (Triturus spp.)
    Firebelly newts (Cynops spp.) choose healthy captive bred/non-pet store ones!
    Smaller sirens (Siren i. intermedia, Pseudobranchus spp.)

(Caudata is a good salamander site.)

Non-beginner species/annoying crap species that will drive you insane:
By Big Centipede

Before buying any animal, make sure you research the poo poo out of it. Ask yourself "will I be able to properly care for this cute little lavender retic when it's 18 ft long and leaving 7 pound shits in its 50 gallon water dish?" or "will my grandkids really want to inherit this huge rear end sulcata digging up their sprinkler systems 60 years from now?".

Big snakes, monitors, tegus, and tortoises aren't for everyone, and I'd hazard to guess that probably 90% of the people out there that own them probably shouldn't. Same goes for hots, but that should go without saying. Here are some reptiles that are not for beginners, but are commonly sold in pet stores:

Anoles: These are like $6 at most petstores, and I'd wager these little guys were many of you advanced keepers first unfortunate pets. Anoles require very specific temperature and humidity levels, lots and lots of room, high ventilation, UVB light, and are highly prone to stress. Honestly, unless you're an advanced keeper with a soft spot for anoles, these make better feeders than pets.

Iguanas: These can get over 5ft and require HUGE cages to live properly. Also, out of the countless adult iguanas I've been around in my life, I've only seen ONE tame one. They have very specific environmental and dietary requirements that can be challenging to meet. Basically, to care for one properly would be very expensive and demanding, and there's no promise it won't remain mean as poo poo.

WC Ball Pythons: CB Ball Pythons are among the best beginner snakes, but wild caught ones are a different story. Luckily, these are becoming less common in petsores due to the huge number of people breeding them, but some stores still carry them. WC balls are great if you want a heavily parasitized snake that will never eat for you and eventually die though.

Chameleons (especially WC ones): CB Chameleons are demanding captives that require very specific temperature, humidity, and ventilation levels to thrive. They are also very prone to stress. WC are everything above with parasites and the stress of being captured and imported thrown on top.

Big Snakes (burms, retics, anacondas, African rocks, scrubs, etc): Most of these snakes aren't particularly hard to care for in terms of temps and humidity, the problem comes with their size. These snakes require huge cages 8'x4' is MINIMUM for most adults and many will require significantly more. There's also feeding... these snakes are going to need 1 or more large rabbits per feeding, which is not very cheap. They're also nasty (especially anacondas) and their cages will require serious cleaning every week. Not to mention that an adult could easily loving kill you.

Tokay Geckos: Super cheap and beautiful, lots of people make the mistake of buying one of these on impulse, completely unaware that a gecko can be psychotic. Personally, I love tokays, but they're definitely not for beginners. There are few herps out there more pissed off and aggressive than the tokay gecko, and at 10 inches, they can really loving hurt if you get bit. I had one literally tear a dime-sized chuck of skin off my knuckle one because I had the audacity to reach in it's cage to change its water dish. They're also nearly all imported and full of parasites.

Monitors: Many grow very large, can be aggressive, require very high heat, and will eat you out of house and home. Also, I personally know a guy who saw a croc monitor (V. salvadorii) bite a guy and peel the skin of his arm down like a banana peel.

Crocodilians: Do I really need to explain this one?

Terminology
By Big Centipede

You'll sometimes see people put numbers in front of animals (ex: 1.1 ball pythons), what these are are ways of conveying the number and sexes of the animals, like this:
1.0 means 1 male
0.1 means 1 female
0.0.1 means one animal of unknown sex
0.0.0.1 isn't used very often, but it denotes incubating eggs.
so, 1.2.3.4 ball pythons would mean 1 male, 2 females, 3 unsexed, and 4 eggs incubating.

Morph: Basically a generic term for a genetic mutation, like amelanism or axanthic.
Amelanistic: means it lacks black pigment. Think albino.
Anerythristic: lacking red pigment. A normally red and black animal would look white and black.
Axanthic: no yellow pigment.
There's lots of designer morphs that are combinations of these and other mutations. For example, the "snow" morph is generally a combination of the Amelanistic and Anerythristic mutations.
Het: short for "heterozygous". means the animal carries, but does not exhibit the gene for whichever morph.
Homozygous: means the animal exhibits a particular mutation. An albino ball python is homozygous for albinism.
A whole thread could be devoted to explaining genetics, and maybe we'll go more into that later.

WC: Wild Caught, means just like it sounds.
Farm Raised or Captive Hatched: [/b]Fancy way of saying wild caught or eggs salvaged from a skinning operation.
CB: Captive Bred by a hobbyist of breeder... if given the choice, always choose a captive bred animal over a wild caught one, even though it will be more expensive.

"Rear-Fanged": The proper word is "Opisthoglyphic". Many snakes have enlarged rear teeth coupled with primitive venom glands. Many snakes you wouldn't think are technically venomous, like garter snakes. Most "rear-fanged" snakes are harmless to humans, there's only a handful of rear-fanged snakes that have cause human fatalities like boomslangs, African twig snake, and I believe some species of African sand snake also has caused deaths.



UVA/UVB for Diurnal Herps (Thanks Pardalis)

Animals that are awake and active during the day require specialty lighting to provide the UVA and UVB rays that allow them to produce vitamin D3 and utilize the calcium in their diets. Without these lights or with the wrong ones, animals will suffer a number of permanent ailments including calcium deficiency, metabolic bone disease (advanced calcium deficiency affecting bone growth and density), organ shut down, and death. Some reptiles may also go on hunger strikes and have their eyesight rapidly degrade with the wrong type of lighting. It is critically important to provide the proper type of lighting to diurunal herps and to pay attention to what they do with it.

Hopefully I can make this simple because there are a lot of products on the market that are downright dangerous. Always practice common sense; check your temps before adding animals, recheck again after they are added, and observe their habits. Requirements vary for different species so always recheck your parameters before purchasing your bulbs. I have found that species specific forums are great places to research your pets and find which lights work best for them.

UVA rays comes from pretty much any type of "white" or "yellow" light. You can use a regular incandescent bulb as a source of heat as well as UVA. UVA stimulates appetite among other things. UVB is more of our concern when discussing herp husbandry.

The cheapest place to purchase UVB lighting that I have found is lllreptile.com. I bulk order bulbs, get a discount, and test them all when they arrive before storing them. They also price match so if you find a better price, let them know!

Here are the basics to UVB:

All UVB bulbs are not created equal!
Okay, look. I am too lazy to type out all the exact findings and reasons I have for saying this (source material starting but not ending here ), but basically there is currently only one specific bulb on the market worth buying:

Zoomed Reptisun Linear Fluorescent (2.0, 5.0, or 10.0)
This bulb is the standard fluoro tube that comes in a variety of lengths from 12" to 4 feet. The 2.0 is for rain forest species that need low levels of UVB such as dart frogs, pygmy chameleons, and some snakes. The 5.0 is ideal for most chameleons, iguanas, anoles, and anything warmly tropical. The 10.0 is for desert species such as tortoises, bearded dragons, and uromastyx. This is your best bet for rack systems because you can use one 4 foot UVB bulb with one 4 foot regular fluorescent bulb in a $10 double bulb fixture from any home improvement store. Depending on the species you keep, you will most likely need to pair this bulb next to a regular heat lamp (any incandescent bulb will be fine) to encourage basking and to provide a temperature gradient.

Keep your lights on a timer to conserve their life and to keep your pets on a schedule
I have found that animals stress without a regular light cycle. It will also allow you to control breeding seasons reliably as you can increase or decrease the photoperiod season to season to match wild conditions. Timers are super cheap at IKEA.

You need to provide a usable, inviting basking spot
Observe your animal and figure out where best to place the basking area. You want to make sure that your pet is drawn to the spot and has a good place to sit and soak up the rays. The easiest way to draw an animal to bask under a linear fluorescent UVB tube is to have your heat lamp as close to the UVB strip as possible. Test your temps with a heat gun or probe thermometer to make sure the spot is at your ideal high temperature (and no more!) and position a perch under both bulbs. Your pet should be drawn to bask under both lights by the heat from the incandescent bulb as well as the rays from the UVB. If your animal doesn't actively bask, you should watch them and figure out how to make their environment more comfortable so that they will. If you are using a mercury vapor bulb, it will provide both heat and UVB.

UVB emitting bulbs have a limited lifespan and need to be replaced regularly
The general rule is that the Zoomed linear fluorescent Reptisun tubes last around 6 months. If you have a UVB meter, you can test the output and replace the bulb when needed, otherwise just change it at the end of month 6. The mercury vapor bulbs typically last a year and a half or possibly longer but I have seen it debated if these are even safe to use. Used bulbs that no longer emit enough UVB for herps make great lights for aquariums and used as normal house fluoros. I know some keepers who start with a 10.0 and let it degrade until they use it on a 5.0 tank, and then finally a 2.0 tank. Very economical.

UVB rays only penetrate a few inches into an enclosure and are blocked by glass and plastic
For the fluorescent bulbs, you need to position them ideally within 6-10 inches above where the animal will be basking. The UVB rays don't penetrate further. UVB will not go through glass or acrylic so lights should be placed over screen. The bulb will do your pet no use if they can't get close enough to it to soak up UVB rays.

We cannot replicate nature
Even the best bulbs don't put out as much usable UVB as the sun does on an overcast day. Bulbs degrade, they only go so deep, and the sun is the best thing that you can give to your reptiles. You have to be very careful about how you do this, but taking the animals out to bask in real sun on nice days is one of the greatest things you can do for their health. You absolutely have to monitor temperatures like crazy during this and don't ever put an animal or enclosure in direct sun. They will still get a ton of UVB in the shade. Be very sure that your caging is secure if you put your animals outside and don't put glass tanks out because they are basically ovens. Always provide a source of cool drinking water or mist while the animals are out. Drippers work especially well for this.

Compact fluorescent UVB bulbs are dangerous and should never be used!
These bulbs are sold under a few brands but all of them should be avoided. They are the "compact" coiled fluorescent bulbs that screw into a regular clamp lamp. You may be tempted to use them for this reason, but they emit a dangerous amount of UVC radiation. UVC breaks down eyesight and can blind reptiles over surprisingly short periods of exposure. It also can leave nasty radiation burns if an animal gets too close.

More info can be added as needed - but for now, let's see those critters!

Aphelion Necrology fucked around with this message at 21:03 on Jan 18, 2015

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Aphelion Necrology
Jul 17, 2005

Take care of the dead and the dead will take care of you
I'm on some dumb poo poo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VxV717PRBU

Aphelion Necrology fucked around with this message at 23:37 on Jan 19, 2015

Leperflesh
May 17, 2007

Suggest adding fire-bellied toads (bombina spp., especially orientalis) to the beginner frogs list; they're cheap, hardy, easy to set up, active, somewhat charismatic (compared to other frogs, anyway), and they have a nice call.

I have two who are at least 10 years old, they just eat crickets and hang out and occasionally go 'arp arp arp.'

Big Centipede
Mar 20, 2009

it tingles

Leperflesh posted:

Suggest adding fire-bellied toads (bombina spp., especially orientalis) to the beginner frogs list; they're cheap, hardy, easy to set up, active, somewhat charismatic (compared to other frogs, anyway), and they have a nice call.

I have two who are at least 10 years old, they just eat crickets and hang out and occasionally go 'arp arp arp.'

Even though they're nearly all wc I agree. Bombinas are very hardy and charming little turds

Big Centipede
Mar 20, 2009

it tingles
some pics

Both Whitewater albino and Mexican rosy boas





Cave dwelling ratsnake. he's v friendly.



my favorite bugs. Archispirostreptus gigas





Narceus americanus





Damon diadema



Mastigoproctus giganteus



Gromphadorhina portentosa



Elliptorhina javanica

Fitzy Fitz
May 14, 2005




I think this is a good time for me to thank Leperflesh and Cthulhuite for their advice on building a bearded dragon house. It took me a while, and it still needs some work, but I no longer have a 2ft lizard in a 20gal tank (the way he was given to me). The new setup is 4x2x2 with a melamine frame, sliding front doors, and proper UVB lighting. He's a lot more energetic now and can run around and hide, which he had never been able to do before.

Next I want to put in some tile flooring and a wider variety of more attractive things for him to climb on.

Here he is chilling on his scrap disc:

Fluffy Bunnies
Jan 10, 2009

Enjoying easy reptiles is a good thing.

*irc explodeydies*

*it is 2007*

Silver Nitrate
Oct 17, 2005

WHAT
New thread! Yay!

My non-feeder finally ate! After 5 months of not eating, loosing a ton of weight, two vet visits, tube feeding, adopted feeder animals (anoles and a frog), and dealing with the clusterfuck that is Ben Siegel to try to get a refund, HE ATE THREE BABY QUAIL!! I just booped him on the nose with him and he bit them and he ate them. Weight wise it's a full meal for him. I am so loving happy :D :D :D

This is him, Solomon Island Ground Boa, Candoia carinata paulsoni.


In other news, I got a table for the next reptile show and I'm going to sell a bunch of my colubrids so I can focus on weird boas. Hopefully cut down on my feeding bill some because these drat kingsnakes eat too much.

Aphelion Necrology
Jul 17, 2005

Take care of the dead and the dead will take care of you

Leperflesh posted:

Suggest adding fire-bellied toads (bombina spp., especially orientalis) to the beginner frogs list; they're cheap, hardy, easy to set up, active, somewhat charismatic (compared to other frogs, anyway), and they have a nice call.

I have two who are at least 10 years old, they just eat crickets and hang out and occasionally go 'arp arp arp.'

I could have sworn I had them listed up there already - but I guess not! Added, and thanks!

Silver Nitrate
Oct 17, 2005

WHAT

Hood Ornament posted:

I could have sworn I had them listed up there already - but I guess not! Added, and thanks!

Frogs are cool. You should add in the pacman type of frogs too. I have one frog, she is a dwarf pixie. Pixies are also pretty easy to take care of but the giant ones get very big so maybe not a beginner animal.


Also, here is one of my Taiwan Beauties enjoying her new cage.

Aphelion Necrology
Jul 17, 2005

Take care of the dead and the dead will take care of you

Silver Nitrate posted:

Frogs are cool. You should add in the pacman type of frogs too. I have one frog, she is a dwarf pixie. Pixies are also pretty easy to take care of but the giant ones get very big so maybe not a beginner animal.


Also, here is one of my Taiwan Beauties enjoying her new cage.


I've always loved the giant pixies, personally, and all giant frogs/toads. Added to OP



I mean come on. How can you not want like 12 of these?

Aphelion Necrology fucked around with this message at 23:41 on Jan 18, 2015

thumbtax
Oct 17, 2007
I have always fed my snakes in feed boxes or on newspaper outside of the enclosure, but I've recently learned that this is totally old school and out of fashion. Is everybody really feeding inside the enclosure? Using frozen/thawed mice & rats, I am afraid of them making a nasty mess everywhere, and I like hand feeding my guys anyway (not with my actual hands though). But I went half-way the other day, put the snake in a plastic open-top container with the food while inside the tank, it actually worked out pretty well and kept mouse guts from getting all over the place.


And are most uromastyx really WC?

Aphelion Necrology
Jul 17, 2005

Take care of the dead and the dead will take care of you

thumbtax posted:

I have always fed my snakes in feed boxes or on newspaper outside of the enclosure, but I've recently learned that this is totally old school and out of fashion. Is everybody really feeding inside the enclosure? Using frozen/thawed mice & rats, I am afraid of them making a nasty mess everywhere, and I like hand feeding my guys anyway (not with my actual hands though). But I went half-way the other day, put the snake in a plastic open-top container with the food while inside the tank, it actually worked out pretty well and kept mouse guts from getting all over the place.

I've always fed in-cage but like what you tried - putting the food in a second container inside the enclosure. I always felt it was less stressful and I've had more successful feeds this way.

Silver Nitrate
Oct 17, 2005

WHAT
I feed everyone in the enclosure. It's not exactly safe to move my big ones when they are in feeding mode.

Chido
Dec 7, 2003

Butterflies fluttering on my face!

I kinda feel this should be in the OP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VxV717PRBU

Professor Beetus
Apr 12, 2007

They can fight us
But they'll never Beetus

thumbtax posted:

I have always fed my snakes in feed boxes or on newspaper outside of the enclosure, but I've recently learned that this is totally old school and out of fashion. Is everybody really feeding inside the enclosure? Using frozen/thawed mice & rats, I am afraid of them making a nasty mess everywhere, and I like hand feeding my guys anyway (not with my actual hands though). But I went half-way the other day, put the snake in a plastic open-top container with the food while inside the tank, it actually worked out pretty well and kept mouse guts from getting all over the place.


And are most uromastyx really WC?

I like feeding in a separate bin because my snake will usually poop while he's in there and make spot cleaning his cage a lot easier. But I just have one corn snake so it probably gets a bit difficult with larger and more cantankerous snakes.

Silver Nitrate
Oct 17, 2005

WHAT

Chido posted:

I kinda feel this should be in the OP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VxV717PRBU


Bruce seconds that motion. gently caress THE LITTLE SNAKES

Also yes most uros are WC, but you can find CB babies if you are will to pay a little more and wait until they are available.

Silver Nitrate fucked around with this message at 02:30 on Jan 20, 2015

Aphelion Necrology
Jul 17, 2005

Take care of the dead and the dead will take care of you

Chido posted:

I kinda feel this should be in the OP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VxV717PRBU

I'll put it in the dumb 2nd post

Aphelion Necrology
Jul 17, 2005

Take care of the dead and the dead will take care of you
Hey I have a herp tattoo. Done by resident goon Toast Face Killa

Cat Pilot
Jan 29, 2003


oh hay dats my Bicolor

Aphelion Necrology
Jul 17, 2005

Take care of the dead and the dead will take care of you

Karjia posted:

oh hay dats my Bicolor

Yeah, what are you going to do with her anyway

edit: i suggest flushing her down the toilet

Aphelion Necrology fucked around with this message at 03:32 on Jan 20, 2015

Cat Pilot
Jan 29, 2003

I have no idea. They're so rare, that I think I found only one other breeder and he was that weirdo racist dude in Louisiana. I'll probably just keep her around as a gorgeous but reclusive lawn ornament.

the yeti
Mar 29, 2008

memento disco



*feeds in enclosure*


*murdered by carpet python*

Aphelion Necrology
Jul 17, 2005

Take care of the dead and the dead will take care of you

the yeti posted:

*feeds in enclosure*


*murdered by carpet python*

That's a true story, I sawed it with my eyes. So much blood in the carpet.

Silver Nitrate
Oct 17, 2005

WHAT
Look at what the cat dragged in!



Where do you all get your feeders from? I finally got a freezer so I got to make my first big order. This should last me like... three months? I used RodentPro because I needed both chicks and quail, but I have enough of those for like six months, so I can try a different place for my next order. There's nothing wrong with what I got fwiw. Which place is it that has those nice vacuum sealed rats on the meat trays?

Cat Pilot
Jan 29, 2003

That's Big Cheese, and they're local to me so I have actually been inside their facility and it's really nice.

Aphelion Necrology
Jul 17, 2005

Take care of the dead and the dead will take care of you

Karjia posted:

That's Big Cheese, and they're local to me so I have actually been inside their facility and it's really nice.

I buy from them too - cheaper and nicer than RodentPro, in my experience.

the yeti
Mar 29, 2008

memento disco



Big Cheese is great; after getting feeders packed in neat compact packages going back to random bag o stuff sucks.

Pragmatica
Apr 1, 2003
You got the herps in this thread. Oh poo poo!

Aphelion Necrology
Jul 17, 2005

Take care of the dead and the dead will take care of you

Pragmatica posted:

You got the herps in this thread. Oh poo poo!

I tried using the cream the doc gave me, but it seems to have spread.

Fluffy Bunnies
Jan 10, 2009

I get my rodents from a local guy. He doesn't ship. This post is very helpful. Good job ms. bunnies.

Professor Beetus
Apr 12, 2007

They can fight us
But they'll never Beetus

Silver Nitrate posted:

Look at what the cat dragged in!



Where do you all get your feeders from? I finally got a freezer so I got to make my first big order. This should last me like... three months? I used RodentPro because I needed both chicks and quail, but I have enough of those for like six months, so I can try a different place for my next order. There's nothing wrong with what I got fwiw. Which place is it that has those nice vacuum sealed rats on the meat trays?

That cat is pissed as hell and wants to know why you broke all of his toys.

Aphelion Necrology
Jul 17, 2005

Take care of the dead and the dead will take care of you

Fluffy Bunnies posted:

I get my rodents from a local guy. He doesn't ship. This post is very helpful. Good job ms. bunnies.

Does he catch them himself? Support local farms and you can ensure that they are organic and gluten-free.

Fluffy Bunnies
Jan 10, 2009

Hood Ornament posted:

Does he catch them himself? Support local farms and you can ensure that they are organic and gluten-free.

He breeds them himself. They're half human.

Silver Nitrate
Oct 17, 2005

WHAT
Does anyone have experience with difficult respiratory infections? I got this albino ratsnake from a rescue and he has an RI that two series of shots with different antibiotics haven't helped any. He's going back to the vet on Thursday, is there some sort of test that they can do to figure out what is going on with him?

Here is a picture of him because pictures are fun. His name is Eggs.

Eifert Posting
Apr 1, 2007

Most of the time he catches it every time.
Grimey Drawer
Why are there spiders and poo poo in this thread? Those ain't chordata y'all, let alone herps.

OneTwentySix
Nov 5, 2007

fun
FUN
FUN


Overlap in interest. People that keep herps tend to keep inverts and vice versa, and lots of people keep inverts as feeders.

Aphelion Necrology
Jul 17, 2005

Take care of the dead and the dead will take care of you
It's a general umbrella of gross pets that only creepy weirdos have. I should include bats since they are also bugs.

OneTwentySix
Nov 5, 2007

fun
FUN
FUN


BATS AREN'T BUGS!

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Bobbaganoosh
Jun 23, 2004

...kinda catchy...

Silver Nitrate posted:

Does anyone have experience with difficult respiratory infections? I got this albino ratsnake from a rescue and he has an RI that two series of shots with different antibiotics haven't helped any. He's going back to the vet on Thursday, is there some sort of test that they can do to figure out what is going on with him?

Here is a picture of him because pictures are fun. His name is Eggs.


Pretty animal, Eggs!

Sounds like quite a case of RI. For RI, I treat with a repti-fogger with 4ml F10 SCXD Veterinary Cleansing-Sanitizer and fill the rest with water. Pipe the fogger into a decent-sized rubbermaid with holes in it. Place the snake in. Run for 20 minutes. Turn it off and let the animal sit for another 20 and repeat daily for 2 weeks. Not sure how effective this would be for advanced RI, but it was effective against a moderate case. Unlike antibiotics, F10 is a disinfectant and mighty potent, so keep the dosage low if you go that route. The method has worked a half dozen times for me with no casualties. Use at your own risk, as some species may be more sensitive than others. But it has worked successfully for me with north american rat snakes, a python, and a rattlesnake.

Apparently there are cheaper foggers out there than the ZooMed one, which I use. It's handy to humidify a few of my animals' cages a couple times a week (green rats, rubber and rainbow boas, coxi) in addition to their humid hides. They seem to enjoy the interruption to the dry desert air here.

Edit: typos.

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