Other pets (pics and discussions)

[slipknot711]

It will be some time before you can sex him/her.

How does one sex their snapper? or any turtle for that matter. Also since he didnt seem stressed about me holding him. do you think i should do this a few times a week as long as he doesnt seem stressed? so he can learn to trust me?

[guidofatherof5]

How does one sex their snapper? or any turtle for that matter. Also since he didnt seem stressed about me holding him. do you think i should do this a few times a week as long as he doesnt seem stressed? so he can learn to trust me?

Sexing them is simple if they have matured. For awhile I thought Tank was female.
It all has to do with cloaca/vent location in relationship to the rear edge of the shell. The cloaca/vent on a female snapper is usually close to the edge of the shell where on males it sits well back from the edge. You will also know it's a male if it starts flashing its *****(male part)
If your turtle is comfortable with being held I'd hold him. Allowing him to climb on you and be around you will teach him you are not a threat and not food.

[slipknot711]

great idea then. ill def. take him out more often.

[Floof]

Now that I'm a full-fledged member, I wanted to share some of my other pets. Not that that's stopped me at all before... But eh, any excuse to show off the scalebabies, right?? It'll mostly be skinks tonight. I need to just take a day to do photoshoots with all the snakes...

This is my adult pair of Fire Skinks. Not the greatest picture, but they can be tough to catch on camera... Even rarer for them both to be topside at the same time! Still not 100% sure on which is which, but I believe the one on the left (solid gold back) is the male, and the other (red/gold back) is the female. Just going on tail width beyond the cloaca and size of jowls. Either way, they are a 1.1 pair... The 12 healthy hatchlings are a testament to that!
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Some of the Fire Skink hatchlings... These are from the first successful clutch. I believe they're about 2 months old in this photo? It is such a thrilling thing to have produced CBB babies of a species that's almost exclusively wildcaught!
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Female Schneider's Skink... DEEP in shed. One of the few situations where either of the Schneiders will tolerate handling. Skinks aren't an easy thing to sex... Only reason I know hers is because she laid 3 big, fat eggs a month or 2 after I got her this spring.
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Golden skink! Or more accurately, since they have about 6 common names... Eutropis multifasciata. These are another that's only really available as wildcaught. Pictured is the adult male... He and the adult female were a recent pick up, in November. Couldn't resist when I saw the adult pair at Repticon! Especially considering the female is gravid (either that or she's the fattest little lizard I've ever seen!) I also have a subadult female, whom I've had for around 4-5 months now.
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And, of course! I believe I've posted pics of this guy before, when he was a bit younger. My Leopard tortoise, protesting the cramped size of his winter enclosure by making a break for it. He's only maybe 6" SCL, you'd think a 4x2 ft space would be adequate... But no. He yearns for those hot summer days in his 16x4 ft outdoor pen!
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[Floof]

A few more, then off to bed...

"The Runt." This one came out of the second successful clutch of Fire Skinks. I suspect he was the weaker half of a set of twins--though there were 6 babies in this clutch, I only ever found 5 eggs. He didn't thrive and grow like the rest (bullying, I suspect). It appears someone "bullied" him out of his tail and a chunk of his back left leg. He's been isolated from the rest and has been healing and thriving very well since. Not sure whether I'll adopt him out down the road or if he'll just stay and be my special baby. Time will tell!
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Next is one of the Southern Alligator Lizards. I took in 3 of these along with the subadult Golden skink and a fence lizard as rescues late this summer. They were all housed together on cedar with no heat or uvb. The fence lizard was recently adopted out... The skink is thriving... The Alligator lizards have been a tougher challenge, though. Still working on them... I am happy to have the opportunity to keep them, even if they are jerks (the smallest regularly bolts from the cage, and promptly sprays fecal matter everywhere when I grab him!). I've loved Alligator lizards ever since I got into reptiles--after all, it was a puny Northern Alligator lizard trying to brumate in the bathroom 6 years ago that introduced me to reptiles in the first place!
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Taiwan Beauty Snake... Again, may have posted a pic of her in the past. She's a couple years old now, and still has a lot of growing to do. Can't wait til she's BIG. She's already as docile as my adult corn snake--as long as there's no rodent smell in the room!
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Aaand the Everglade's Rat Snake. Picked her up at Petco's "Reptile Rally" (50% off sale) in June, just in time for my birthday. She was already 35% off due to having been there over 3 months (and having an unfavorable attitude). So 85% off all together... I think she was $8 with tax? Even better, she's healthy as a horse and has been growing like a weed. She's gorgeous, and I'm thrilled to have her! Even if she does musk every time I pick her up...
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[slipknot711]

She's gorgeous, and I'm thrilled to have her! Even if she does musk every time I pick her up...

haha gotta love the stinky musking. hows your albino checkered? thats what i currently have (as far as snakes/garters go) mine is a doll and growing soooo fast! shes my little piggy hehe

[Floof]

She's doing very well. She'll be getting fed tonight. I finally got winter heat under the colubrid babies (garter, corn snake, everglade's), and I haven't seen the garter since, lol! Apparently she's pleased with the heat...

Uggh... Seems like whenever I introduce an ailing critter (rescues, normally), they immediately go downhill. Sure enough, I came home last night to find Runt severely dehydrated and unresponsive.

It seems I failed to notice he was going into shed... The sterile paper environment I had him in while he healed worked well with plenty of misting the last couple weeks, but it wasn't enough to support him through the shedding process and that loss of hydration. I immediately got him into a warm sauna, but it was already too late. He passed overnight. :'( I feel like such a crappy person letting it happen... Rest in peace, tiny baby...

[slipknot711]

im so sorry for your loss. dont feel crappy. things happen. you tried your best.

[guidofatherof5]

Sorry to hear about Runts passing.

[guidofatherof5]

As Tank was rising from his day slumber I needed to head out to pickup my son from his job. An hour later I returned to find Tank out in the kitchen looking at the bathroom door. My daughter Molly was just coming out so I went in to run the king his bath. He followed me in and climbed up on my lap to watch the tub fill. Seconds after I put him in the water he went to the bathroom. According to the kids Tank was up roaming the moment I left the house. I was gone for approximately an hour. The big man held it in until I put him in his water. Good turtle.
Now, fast forward an hour later. I went in to check on him and as I sat down on the floor he stretched one of his back legs out. Once we made eye contact he shifted his gaze to his stretched out back leg then back to me, then back to his leg. It was then I realized what he wanted. The spoiled punk wanted a leg rug. Being the good pet I am I reached in and gave him a leg and foot massage. The moment I touched his leg he stretched his neck out and closed his eyes. This is one spoiled turtle.
Once again he's shown how comfortable he is with us.