Posted May 23, 2013 I get to pick up my fox kit in two weeks, I'm about crazy with excitement. Filling out all the permit paper work today, along with my Critical Incident Disaster Plan, and temporary transport permit. A note for anyone looking into owning captive wildlife, it usually involves a lot of paper work. Share this post Link to post
Posted June 8, 2013 I get to pick up my fox kit in two weeks, I'm about crazy with excitement. Filling out all the permit paper work today, along with my Critical Incident Disaster Plan, and temporary transport permit. A note for anyone looking into owning captive wildlife, it usually involves a lot of paper work. Well, after getting quite the run around at the airport, she's home. I went to baggage claim to pick her up, but needed to be at Delta's cargo facility about 7 miles from the airport terminals. Walked up and down the baggage area twice before figuring that one out. I talked to the people t there to make sure "I'm trying to find my pet, i want to make sure she's there before leaving the airport." "Okay... long pause what is it?" "Sorry, she's a gray fox-" "Oh!!! The fox!!! She's here!" After getting home she ate and immediately buried herself in her towel in her carrier. Share this post Link to post
Posted June 8, 2013 Pictures? She sounds like a cutie! She kind of looks like a puppy-kitten. Sorry, this is the only picture I've been able to get. A cruddy cell phone snap. She finished eating and hid herself in the towel in her travel carrier. She's still scared and defensive, and won't let anyone near. Share this post Link to post
Posted June 8, 2013 One friend of mine had a tiger in her house(!) A circus passed by near her place and when they left, they had dumped a puppy. My friend accidentally found it and took a phone at animal welfare. They told her if she could keep it for a while and she loved it too much that she putted out a license and kept it. She gave it to a zoo when it became to big and it needed a lot of space, money and food. Share this post Link to post
Posted June 8, 2013 Here's a much better picture still not the best, but my camera wasn't set for indoor lighting and i had to be quick. Share this post Link to post
Posted June 9, 2013 I'm well aware that some reptiles are active, I do have a leopard gecko that I adore. However, they won't be MORE active than a rabbit. That is definitely true. It's hard to beat rabbits when it comes to activity level. Share this post Link to post
Posted June 9, 2013 Have 8 Australian Land Hermit Crabs - only can be found and brought in aus Here is a link there setup: Some pics are out of date, all hermies are in natural shells Share this post Link to post
Posted June 9, 2013 Have 8 Australian Land Hermit Crabs - only can be found and brought in aus Here is a link there setup: Some pics are out of date, all hermies are in natural shells That's a really nice set up you have for them! Share this post Link to post
Posted June 9, 2013 (edited) That's a really nice set up you have for them! it is??? To me, it is horrible Oh, and for some info if any of you guys ever want a colony of hermies, visit HCA for more info, I am aussieJJDude over there too Edited June 9, 2013 by aussieJJDude Share this post Link to post
Posted June 10, 2013 Do fire ants count? Lol they were never my pets but they seemed to like me, or maybe i liked them, because when i was in north carolina I seemed to keep standing on their nests and I wouldn't even notice it until I felt a bunch of little stings. I wonder if anyone has ever kept an ant farm full of fire ants... that might be kind of dangerous, especially if you make someone mad who is immature and knows you have fire ants, lol. Share this post Link to post
Posted June 10, 2013 Oh, and for some info if any of you guys ever want a colony of hermies, visit HCA for more info, I am aussieJJDude over there too Thanks for the link, I'm actually saving up to buy some of my own hermit crabs. I've done a bit of research and I think that they'd make wonderful pets (I have a 20gal tank on standby for my future hermies... so exited! ). I'm taking my oldest rat Naomi to her first pet show (Just one at our trailer park, nothing extravagant). I think we have a good chance for first place, she's such a little goofball and so friendly. Everybody I know loves to see her! Here are a few pictures of my little Naomi: With her little sister Eating a Blueberry Just waking up from a nap Share this post Link to post
Posted June 10, 2013 My newest ferret(Foster) is 10 years old. Is that odd? I love her My Princess Leia, AKA Kitten http://i1135.photobucket.com/albums/m627/S...zps006b203d.jpg She looks like a kit.. But has Insulinoma and Adrenal disease. She has nekked back legs but furry feet! LIKE MITTENS oh god..she's so cute. Share this post Link to post
Posted June 10, 2013 Thanks for the link, I'm actually saving up to buy some of my own hermit crabs. I've done a bit of research and I think that they'd make wonderful pets (I have a 20gal tank on standby for my future hermies... so exited! ). Happy to help Hope you like hermies, they great pets Share this post Link to post
Posted June 10, 2013 I don't have any rare pets but I'd love having chameleon :'D And awww that fox i mad cute! Share this post Link to post
Posted June 10, 2013 D'awww IcarusTheDragon, Princess Leia is very cute. Sad that she's older and sick, but it's really nice she has someone to love her so much. Tribble the fox has begun to warm up to me, we played for awhile from the safety of her 'den' which is really just a sheet and my platform bed's overhang(it forms a long little tunnel thing). I had a fox last year, but she tragically died very young from a sudden illness. Tribble is actually the little sister to my late fox, same parents different year. Share this post Link to post
Posted June 10, 2013 Draco Knight, Tribble is gorgeous! Sad to hear about the elder sister of your new little girl, I hope Tribble stays healthy. Good to hear she is warming up to you, they seem like such curious creatures. --- aussieJJDude, wow, that set up is mad! I've always considered Hermit Crabs a dull pet, but dang, I think my opinion has been changed. I had a browse around that forum and needless to say my interest has been piqued. I'll have to research these guys thoroughly before deciding, I assume they require heating in cooler climates and the ambient humidity to be at a certain range? --- Caine shed four days ago! It was his first shed in my care, this picture was taken a day after his shed. He's starting to colour up nicely, at five months old! You can see the C shape on his side, about a third of the way down. The mark helped me decide on a name for him: Linked due to size. He's a Jungle Python, or Morelia spilota cheynei for anyone interested in species names. Gizmo, exploring on my bed: Linked due to size. Gizmo is an Eastern Blue Tongued Skink, or Tiliqua scincoides scincoides. I've been informed that his/her locale is South East Queensland, which is awesome because that's where I live. Posing, perhaps? Or maybe just interested in the camera?: Linked due to size. This enclosure is tempory, until I build a melamine enclosure, as glass doesn't keep heat well. I also had to cover three sides, which is unsightly, but it allows Gizmo to feel a little bit more secure. The middle rock looking thing is actually a hide, which Gizmo has pretty much grown out of in the two month time frame that I've had him/her. The basking rock is a flat rock taken from a dried out river bed (thoroughly cleaned!), heavy enough to not be moved, good sized too. Picture of Gizmo's enclosure: Linked due to size. Share this post Link to post
Posted June 11, 2013 aussieJJDude, wow, that set up is mad! I've always considered Hermit Crabs a dull pet, but dang, I think my opinion has been changed. I had a browse around that forum and needless to say my interest has been piqued. I'll have to research these guys thoroughly before deciding, I assume they require heating in cooler climates and the ambient humidity to be at a certain range? Thanks, really it isn't the best I think - well I think it looks horrible.. Yes, many people look at me funny when I say i have crabs ( ) but if you keep them in ideal conditions they quite active - and living over 10 years isn't uncommon! Yes in cooler climates they will need a heater and the humidity in a certain range... Most of us 'crabbers" notice that keeping the tank at 80% relative humidity and 80.F makes the crabs more active.. Up the humidty and/or temp, they really become active during the day... As they are nocturnal creatures, it is a plus... IF you do get hermies I tell you one thing, you won't be disappointed.. Share this post Link to post
Posted June 11, 2013 VampiricOmen, Thank you. I can't wait until Tribble is a little older and her colors actually start to show up. Yeah, losing Fizzgig was(still is) really hard. It means a lot to me that Tribble is her sibling. Caine is beautiful. I don't think I've ever seen a Jungle python before, what is he like? Are they docile or more active(well, active for pythons, I guess)? Gizmo is just so interesting looking! Are Blue tongues active and interactive? I've seen a few at my local pet stores, and they are so pretty. Share this post Link to post
Posted June 12, 2013 aussieJJDude, It's looks exceptionally better than any hermit crab set up I've seen! Ten years!? Wow! 80F - 26c, where we're moving to the average daily temps in summer are around that, awesome. Though they'll need heating for winter/overnight. I'll probably only get a few, two or three, as the enclosure will have to be light enough for me to lift. Draco Knight, Fizzgig is a beautiful name, Tribble is too. What type of fox is Tribble? Caine was a mini chainsaw during the first week of handling (he was given one week to settle prior to handling), he bit me ten times during the second handling session, I was expecting it though, as the description of the temperament given by the breeder was 'Typical Jungle temperament'. Now though? My sister who was initially too scared to remove her extremely docile snake from his enclosure confidently handles him. I don't place full trust in him, however he is a really good handler, and loves to explore when outside of his enclosure. In regards to temperament, most snake hatchlings are likely to be snappy, as he was, however the behaviour is almost always defensive, not aggressive. With frequent handling, even the snappiest hatchlings will become accustomed to human interaction and become less likely to bite defensively. Some biting is to be expected as they age, be it a feed response or defensive response, especially if the snake is in shed (their eyes go cloudy, reducing their eyesight, so to a python all they could see would be a mass of heat coming towards them, and if it smells different, they might be scared enough to bite). I was actually headbutted (closed mouth strike) by Caine recently when he was coming up to a shed, I startled the little guy when I was changing the water and paper towel substrate. Jungle pythons are notorious for having terrible temperaments, but neither of the Jungle pythons in this house have bitten in weeks. I'm not sure if it's just because they're now used to being handled, or if they simply don't have the 'typical Jungle' attitudes. Although Link, our other Jungle python (who is Caine's brother), scares much easier than what Caine does, handling him requires us to be in a room with less people. However, unlike Caine, Link is content to stay in the one spot when being handled, while Caine prefers to always be on the move. On the other hand, our Northwestern python, Jancsi-Lee is about as laid back as I would imagine a python could be. He's only ever bitten twice at our fault, and had never bitten the breeder prior. Though he does freak out if his tail isn't wrapped around something when being handled, it's a quirk only he seems to have (the Jungles don't seem to care if their tails aren't wrapped around something). In regards to their activity, our Jungle pythons tend to hide away all day and explore their enclosures at night, only coming out during the day to defecate (which gets cleaned as soon as possible, it smells bad!). Only one of our pythons, Jancsi-Lee explores during the day at the moment, whether it be to sit on top of his hide or to move to his other hide. However, given their age (six months), most creatures are big enough to eat them, so hiding away is what they think is the safest thing to do. As adults, they'll probably spend time basking, exploring, curled up under a hide, or stretched along a perch. --- Blue tongues aren't known to be super active, being a species that burrows, however if startled they move quite fast, faster than one would think, given their size and build. Gizmo often comes out to bask during the day, but usually hides whenever someone enters the room. I can get away with entering the room without disturbing him/her most times, though any sudden noise or movement and s/he's off into the nearest hide, and anyone else entering the room gets the immediate "run and hide" response. Juveniles tend to be shy though, so Gizmo will eventually become more active as s/he ages. I'm not sure what you mean by interactive, but I'll answer as best I can. If given the chance to explore, Gizmo is rather inquisitive and will slowly amble towards interesting spots. S/he is starting to show a personality, and seems to be quite wary at times when unfamiliar noises are heard. I'm able to watch Gizmo eat, and even put my fingers near the food when s/he is eating, mostly to pile the food up in such a way that it's easier for Gizmo to eat, without scaring Gizmo. The skink can be hand fed, though it comes with the risk of being bitten. I don't feed live as often as I used to though, as Gizmo is a bit of a terrible shot and I've lost more wood roaches and crickets than I'd like to tell my mother, luckily they were given outside. There is an obvious intelligence in the way Gizmo acts and moves, and it doesn't seem to be just a fight or flight behaviour. Without trying to sound biased, because I know I am, Blue tongued skinks are absolutely one of the best reptiles I would recommend to own for anyone interested in skinks, or lizards. However being an Australian and Indonesian native, obtaining them in other countries can be difficult or expensive. Australia has banned the exporting of live reptiles, so no new blood is being introduced to captive stock elsewhere, though obviously they do get smuggled in. Sadly most Indonesian subspecies of the Blue Tongues (Irain Jaya, Merauke, Tanimbar) are wild caught, so they are much more likely to be flightly, scared or simply wary of surroundings. In saying that, building trust with the skink usually results in a fairly easy to handle animal. Blue tongues come in a wide array of appearances, and in some subspecies, different sizes. For example, breeders have been able to produce albino (white with red eyes) and hypermelanistic (black) Eastern Blue Tongued Skinks over the years, which adds a whole new aspect to the hobby. Aside from different subspecies looking different, even the locale of the animal has an effect on the appearance. Goldfields Shinglebacks (tiliqua rugosa rugosa) often have orange scales, whether it only be some here or there, or solid bands of bright orange. They look stunning, that's for sure. There's also the Kimberly Northern (tiliqua scincoides intermedia), which has a much lighter appearence in comparison to other locality Northern's and little to no banding along the sides and tails, or at least a reduced pattern. I've gone off on a tangent here, sorry. Basically they're fascinating creatures. Here are some more pictures, I love taking photos of these guys, although some are not the best models. *Cough* Caine *Cough* Jancsi-Lee: Linked due to size - Linked due to size - Linked due to size. Link: Linked due to size - Linked due to size Caine: Linked due to size - Linked due to size Gizmo: Linked due to size - Linked due to size - Linked due to size - Linked due to size I haven't photographed Link half as much as the others, due to his more timid nature. Extra long post, didn't mean to write so much, sorry. Share this post Link to post
Posted June 12, 2013 Your pets are lovely. I don't have anything exotic. Share this post Link to post
Posted June 12, 2013 (edited) Tribble is a gray fox. A little smaller than reds and more reclusive in the wild. - Warning, I say a naughty word somewhere in the middle of the video. She picked up something plastic and was trying to eat it. That was a dizzying amount of info. Jungles look so cool, and snakes have always interested me. Don't think i could handle something like a Jungle though. I impulsively bought a leopard gecko from the Daytona reptile expo a few years ago. He is what i would term interactive, i guess. Constantly watching from his tank, pressing to the side if i approach, investigating new things. Edited June 12, 2013 by Draco Knight Share this post Link to post
Posted June 12, 2013 I have two hermit crabs, Mush and Snape. I've had Mush for 8yrs!!! Share this post Link to post
Posted June 13, 2013 I've had garden snakes and lizards I caught, but I've never kept them longer than three days. I would never deprive them of their liberty. I've wanted geckos, though (still do!) I've had freshwater shrimp and fully aquatic African Dwarf Frogs. I've kept garden snails and mystery snails, as well as pond snails. You should have seen the look on my mom's face when I suggested we get an ADF. She was like "OH NO WAY IT'S GONNA ESCAPE AND IF IT DOES I'LL KILL IT!!! EEEEEUUUWWW!!!!" Our neighbor had to step in to convince her (heard us talking and mentioned she'd had one and they couldn't escape). So my mom (grudgingly and amid threats) said yes. My dad took me to buy the frog. When I plopped it in with my fish, my mom was smitten. She was the saddest (well, besides me) when that frog died, and made my dad go back to the pet store for THREE more. Luckily I had a huge (28-gallon) tank, so the number wasn't an issue. <3 Share this post Link to post
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