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F.A.O Alex Strug. (Snake17)...
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by BanffshireBushman on April 25, 2004
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I've been having a read of your last few postings. I must say I find 90% of them rather disturbing. Firstly, you wanted to put a sand lizard in with "another viper" (no species mentioned)My first question was, why the hell would you want to do that, unless it was for food? My second gripe is that there is an apparent lack of reptile medical knowledge where you are, either from the lack of veterinarians, or locals with little herp knowledge. If that was/is the case, then I have to ask why you keep these animals, and how do you plan to go about treating any that fall ill? What would you do if you received a bite?
ALSO - WHY on earth did you aquire a Tokay Gecko BEFORE you knew anything about its needs and requirements. VERY IRRESPONSIBLE, and TOTALLY UNEXCEPTABLE with me. I will say nothing as to the how to sex iguanas. (To a normal RESPONSIBLE reptile owner/keeper, all the husbandry/food requirments/ailments/problems and other information should be sorted out BEFORE any purchases were made.) Would you buy a Cobra, then wonder why it bit or spat at you? Jezus H,
I make no appologies if I offend you, as it really ticks me off when I read stuff like this. OK, everyone has to learn, or start somewhere, and I don't have any problems with that - but at least learn the basics about the species you are going to "aquire" preferably BEFORE you get 'em. On my statistics, near 90% of those who obtain a reptile without knowing the basics, end up getting rid of it because it "falls ill all of a sudden". Either that or it dies. My final piece of advice to you Alex is: Find out BEFORE, NOT AFTER, Order a basic "keeping lizards" book. READ IT. Then READ IT AGAIN. Then, think about what species you want to look after. THIS ALSO APPLIES TO SNAKES. And start small. Don't go straight into the experienced lizards, like monitors/fancy chameleons etc. Regards. David Gerrard (Deveron Reptile Rescue, UK)
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For that matter ... all new keepers ...
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by Buzztail1 on April 25, 2004
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While at first reading this may seem like a flame to anyone reading it, this is a very valid point.
There are way too many people new to keeping herps and venomous in particular who have no idea what they have or what they are getting into because they have not researched their animals before getting them.
In the US there are hundreds (perhaps thousands) of Green Iguanas, sulcata tortoises, copperheads, canebrake/timber rattlesnakes, corn snakes, etc sold every year to "newbies" at shows who take them home and promptly have them die because they have no idea how to take care of them.
Shelters and animal rescues are overwhelmed with the ones that survive and are confiscated or rescued. I know that responsible keepers would love to be able to take in and rehabilitate all the animals that they could but there are just way too many. People need to educate themselves BEFORE they get new animals.
My post is not aimed at any specific individuals but is a general wake-up call to anyone considering a new animal. PLEASE get the info ahead of time.
Anecdotally, I attended a presentation where an experienced zoo-keeper told about keeping Gopher Frogs in a tank with Spadefoots and other small amphibians from similar habitat. And what happened in their carefully set-up community habitat? The Gopher Frogs ate every other living critter in the exhibit! The same thing happened in their exhibit of Glass Lizards and Garter Snakes ... Glass Lizards it seems are voracious! Research ahead of time just can't be overemphasized!
Karl H. Betz
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RE: F.A.O Alex Strug. (Snake17)...
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by Snake17 on April 25, 2004
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Hey, I apreciate your concern. I didn`t feel ofended. I realise that, after I posted those thngs it may have seemed like I have nothing to do with herps. So...up untill now I have had over 100 snakes most of wich I let go. I had 3 Vipera ammodytes die because of intestinal parasites, all of them very young individuals. In the area of my country where I live there isn`t any reptile veteranary help. No vets know anything about herps and that`s a fact. now I know how to treat worms in reptiles. The sand lizard was put with the viper for food, yes. I`m not an idiot. I have read lots of literature and I know a great deal about herpetology if I say so my self. I never got bit but was once invenomated threw a cut by a Euro Adder and stayed in the hospital for 8 days without antivenom. I would never keep cobras or such in this country because in case of an accident the neerest treatment would be in Budapest, Hungary. Some one I know was bitten by a puff adder here and had to go there for help. After a couple days in coma and minus a finger, massive tissue lost he was all right. That was an ironic statement. I know how to sex iguanas but mine are young, the oldest one is 2 years old, so I wanted to know what is the most acurite method. About the tokay, I knew lots of things about tokays before I got it. Here`s the deal: Almost all the literature I read about keeping exotic herps is in englush and, for example I don`t know what orchid bark means. I know what an orchid is, I know what bark is but I don`t know what orchid bark is. I just want to know what is the easiest tipe of substrate to use for the gecko. I know it`s temperature and humidity requirments. Except for the exotic herps I keep, wich are my p[ets, the other ones, the ndigeounos species are research objects. I teach herpetology classes at my school. i have a weekly article in a national paper. I am an expert on my countryes reptiles. I have very few people over here to talk with because even most professional herpetologists here are incompetents. If you would like to know anything about my native herps just ask. i would be more than happy to enlighten you. No ofence taken.
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RE: F.A.O Alex Strug. (Snake17)...
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by Snake17 on April 25, 2004
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I have been studying and keeping reptiles from the yar 2000. It is very difficult to obtain exotic herps here except for iguanas and turtles. When I got the opurtunity to buy something in Athens(where I went a week and a half ago), I took advantage of it and bought 1 geko and 1 iguana. I could have bought a moniter and would have but I did`n have enough money with me and the bus was leaving so...
I realy don`t think that for example you know more about me about cobras. I only handled 1 cobra in my life but that doesn`t know I don`t know my literature. Just go ahead, ask me anything. I have the guts and knoledge to confrunte you. Belive me, I am not a reason of worry. I know people like the ones you despise, the ones that buy a herbp because it`s COOL, than get bored of it, dump it or ignore it till it becomes ill or dies. I don`t know if you ever kept herps but if you did, you would know that even with the best husbandry accdents happen and it`s a shame. I am ancies to get your reply. take care of scotlands reptiles.
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RE: F.A.O Alex Strug. (Snake17)...
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by Snake17 on April 25, 2004
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Please excuse me: I wanted to say Don`t know more then me about cobras. Please excuse any other mistakes. if you are as smart as you think you are you will figure out what I trying to say. Oh...what does F.A.O. mean?
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RE: F.A.O Alex Strug. (Snake17)...
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by cottonmouth on April 25, 2004
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Alex is actually quite knowledgeable in the herp world
and would even go as far to say that at 17 he would give the Scottish fellow a run for his money. I do think coming on so hard was wrong and might deture young herpers away from asking interesting questions.
Stick to the bag pipes!
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RE: F.A.O Alex Strug. (Snake17)...
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by Fabian on April 25, 2004
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Snake 17,
If your iguana is two years old you should have no trouble sexing it. How long is it ? What are you feeding it ? what type of lighting are you using ? .........Fabian
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RE: F.A.O Alex Strug. (Snake17)...
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by Snake17 on April 25, 2004
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It is about 70cm long or 2 ft and 4 inches. I feed it green beens, lettuce,karrots once in a while, dandilion leefs and other greens and fruit. Plus i have a special supliment of multi-vitamins and minerals, calciu and phosphor. I have a normal heating lamp ultraviolet lamp bought from a local pet shop. Don`t know what kind.
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RE: F.A.O Alex Strug. (Snake17)...
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by BanffshireBushman on May 3, 2004
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Dear Alex, In reply to your last posting, I have been extreemly busy with the rescue/education side of things, so my appologies for not answering sooner. RE: Cottonmouths reply that "at 17, you could possibly give me a run for my money" with regards to being quite knowledgeable in the herp world; well, I never said you couldn't...Also, I did not say anything with regards to knowing more about cobras than you. I think you read the posting, and just flew off on a tangent.
THANK YOU BUZZTAIL for reading it, and realising what my intentions were. I'm not in this line of work for a game, or to be in any competition with anyone else. I will never class myself as an expert by any means. Finially, this will sound strange to all those who fail to READ THIS PART PROPERLY, but although I get a great deal of enjoyment and job satisfaction in WHAT I do, I must state, that I DO NOT REALLY LIKE WHY I HAVE TO DO IT. If reptiles (any) were looked after with the care and attention they deserved, then I would not have to go around removing them from the ignorant. I.E. IGUANAS: with cigarette burns/broken bones/MBD/minus toes/tail/feet...PYTHONS: too big/beaten/burns/"stab" wounds... Add to this any herps/arachnids that are forwarded to me; either by accidental "stow-a-ways" with imported shipping containers or supermarkets etc. Kids that buy reptiles, then get fed up with them real quick (the novelty value having worn off). Any DWA discovered illegaly held and needs collection...then there's the education side of things...the list goes on.
As a definate final on the whole matter, despite all what I do, I am not an expert and do not claim to be. If I encounter problems along the way, I will still ask - even if it's a trivial little question that the next door neighbours kid knows the answer to. So Alex, I genuinely wish you the best of luck in doing what you do, Regards to all: David.
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