hi....

[Deadlyvenom]

...and sorry, my first appearance was not very good. I posted one message which got censored and then I disappeared. Quite embarrasing.

Anyway, I am a beginner, never had any reptiles because of my family. But now I am moving away from home and I have planned to get a snake in the autumn. I would like to have a T.s. concinnus, flame garter or a melanistic one, but they are not available from Finland and I think importing an animal from a foreign country is a bit too risky for a total beginner. I do not want a normal eastern or plains garter, and they (+ some hybrids) are practically the only species available in Finland. Lately I have been thinking of a baird's rat snake, they are not so common either but I can propably get one from a reptile dealer whom I know to be reliable.

Snakes are my biggest interest but I also like all other herps and some invertebrates (scorpions are not my thing, definitely). I'd like to have a panther toad (Bufo regularis), poison dart frogs, many geckos and a black iguana (Ctenosaura similis). I also like beetles and maybe I'm going to get few sun beetles (Pachnoda marginata peregrina) and later some other species. Many beetles have unbelievably beautiful colours. And a lot of snakes, boas, pythons and colubrids. The white-lipped python (Leiopython albertisii) is one of my favourites.

And apart from reptiles... I am little bit under 17 years old, have 2 dogs (+4 more dogs and a cat in the same house, but they are not officially mine) and an aquarium, though I'm going to sell it because of my change of residence. My only "real" hobby is horse riding and it is turning to one of my study subjects in the autumn. I also write and draw sometimes and music is a big part of my life, too. I don't play anything by myself, but I listen to music almost constantly and it (mostly Black Metal) has also been a big influence in finding my life philosophy.

[adamanteus]

Hi Pauliina, and welcome to the forum. I have kept Ctenosaura similis in the past too, excellent lizards! Good luck finding your first Garter, there is a wide range available elsewhere in Europe. You're only our second Finnish member, so Stefan will be pleased!

By the way, the censorship your first post received was automatic, the software this forum uses filters out most swear words. Don't worry about it!

[garterchick]

welcome from austin texas, you'll like this forum for the amount of information that's available and for the nice, like-minded people you'll meet here.
tina

[drache]

hi Paulina
good to meet you
hope you enjoy it here

[Stefan-A]

Terveisiä Suomesta!

[Snaky]

Welcome to the forum. There are quite some garters available in Europe. I also get mine in the Netherlands/Germany. So good luck with the search

[chris87]

Welcome to the forum

[Odie]

Hi, from Orgeon, Paulina

[Thamnophis]

Welcome here from Holland, Paulina.

[arborealboids]

Welcome Paulina from Oregon, USA. I'm not too far from you as far as age goes, about 6 months over 18yrs.
sincerely,
mark