Unconventional Pets for Unconventional People

Insane ! Guy in a kayak gets a suprise !!! Truely incredible ! ATTENTION !

2006-11-08T16:28:00.000Z


Abslutely mindboggling! (I know I said this blog was dead... consider this rigor mortis) A killer wale jumps out of the water and lands on him. !!! -> www.be-dumb.com

2006-10-28T09:14:00.000Z

As you can probably guess by the date of the last time I added anything to this blog, it is dead and buried. I now spend what little free time I have working on VetStudies.com. If you're interested in animals or VetMed you might be interested in VetStduies... otherwise thanks for reading and cheers!

VetStudies.com

2006-08-22T11:57:00.000Z

VetStudies.com is up and running!

Brown Tree Snakes

2006-07-25T08:01:00.000Z

Here's a picture of a dead brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis) in Guam. These snakes often fry themselves on electrical wires, sometimes causing brownouts.

(Photo taken by Bobbie)

Those of you familiar with this blog will probably be asking, "So what's the connection to unconventional pets?" Good question... I'll admit it is a tentative one. However, I am often shocked by how poorly educated many people are about the effects of invasive species on native ecosystems. This tree snake, accidentally introduced into Guam on a ship shortly after world war two, has decimated the islands' aviofauna. Exotic pets can have equally devastating effects if they manage to escape or are released into countries to which they are not native.

A prime example of this is the established populations of Burmese pythons (from South-East Asia) in Florida (US), and of red-eared slider terrapins (from the US) in the Philippines (South-East Asia).

Therefore, it is important to remember that as responsible pet owners one must never release an exotic pet into the wild for any reason. It is impossible to predict how it will interact with native ecosystems.

Rotifers

2006-06-18T13:45:00.000Z

No, I don't consider microorganism "pets" in the conventional, or even the Unconventional sense. Still they are fun to observe as long as you have a microscope.

My microscope is ancient and my slide is the glass of an old frame.... Still here are a couple of interesting videos of rotifers (Rotaria).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amuAeCOZNjE
A rotifer making its way off stage...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXn1cTCzOP8
Try to observe the particles around the rotifer's head moving as it creates a stream

Philippine Animal Welfare Sciety - Animals for adoption

2006-06-04T02:51:00.000Z

I simply had to place a link to this blog because first of all it's content is related to mine, secondly it is a very well done blog, and finally becuase it supports the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS).

In it you will find pictures and stories about diferent shelter cats and dogs up for adoption from PAWS. The blog itself is very neat and has ome wonderful photos.

http://mefindhome.blogspot.com

2006-05-13T11:07:00.000Z

Not all scorpions make good pets, and not all humans make good scorpion owners. However, merging a good scorpion species with a good scorpion owner can have enchanting results. Scorps, including the species I am best acquainted with – the Asian Forest Scorpion (Heterometrus spinifer) – are bound to induce ever-increasing enthusiasm in the pet world.

Pros:
Scorps require minimal attention and can thrive in captivity.

Cons:
What attention they do require cannot be ignored. For example, maintaining humidity during molting is essential. Also, all true scorpions have a venomous stinger. Some can even shoot a jet of venom out of this. Keeping a venomous scorp required the same amount of responsibility and equal consideration for safety as keeping a venomous snake. Note that it would quite probably be easier for a scorp to escape than a snake and harder to find once it does. H. spinifer’s sting has been likened to a hornet’s stin

Housing:

A single H. spinifer can be kept in a 20 gallon aquarium. This should have several hiding places are should be kept at a reasonably high temperature (remember that this species comes from the forests of Asia). Humidity should also be kept relatively high. This can often be achieved simply by leaving a shallow dish filled with water in the aquarium. The scorp will also drink from this, and is therefore necessary anyways. Make sure the water is not deep enough for the scorp to be able to drown in it. If need be use cotton wool soaked in water (ideal for babies).

Different substrates can be used. Personally, I prefer simple garden soil with all debris removed. This allows small grasses to grow naturally and, after all, is what the scorp would live on in the wild. Before molting the scorp will dig itself into the soil, which must be at deep enough for it to do this and must be kept moist (while avoiding any molds).

Feeding:
Feeding is relatively easy. Once every few days just provide your adult scorp with a superworm, large cricket, or feeder roach. I’ve even heard of them eating guppies and pinky mice. Scorps can go for very long periods of time without eating. It is actually probably easier to overfeed rather than starve a scorp. I’d say one feeder roach (cockroach nymph) every week or so should be fine for an adult. H. spinifer will probably just grab the roach in it’s powerful pincers, crush it and start eating. It is unlikely to even use it stinger at all.
Feeder insects should be gut loaded… technically speaking… I’ve never come across feeder food made specifically for scorps (or arachnids for that matter). I probably exists, but I just use fresh veggies, slices of apples, calcium powder (i.e. scrapings form cuttlefish bones) and oatmeal. Appears to work fine.

Handling:

First of all, ask yourself, “Why do I want to handle my scorp?” If the answer is, “’Cause it’s cool!” you probably shouldn’t handle your scorp at all. However, should my scorp ever escape I would want to be comfortable holding it, moving it, and able to analyze its behavior. Should I ever have to take it to the vet (presuming I find one who knows something about scorps) I would want to be able to point out my concerns with ease. Of course, here I am talking specifically about H. sinifer and other non-dangerous scorps. For these reasons I handle my scorp briefly (5 mins max) every week. When I started doing this I found it very difficult to trust the scorp – always keeping my tweezers at the ready just in case it does something I don’t like. However, one gradually gets used to the way they move and, possibly more importantly, the way they carry their stinger. Remember that the pincers can draw blood. The basic idea is to make your hand become the substrate. I’ve never seen a scorp attack its substrate.

There are several possible methods for handling non-lethal scorps. The first is using soft-tipped tweezers to grab the scorp by the tail. This is the only way with venomous scorps. Next, more experienced hobbyists may grad the scorp by the tail and lift. I am personally not too keen on either of these methods. I prefer guiding the scorp onto a piece of plastic or cardboard, lifting it, and then sliding the scorp onto my palm. Arguably, once the scorp is on the cardboard you’re already handling it sufficiently to move it around or show a vet, but you have much more control over the scorp if it is actually on your hand.

Breeding (see previous posts for photos of babies):
Most scorps will cannibalize their young. Therefore, even after a breeding pair has been obtained, and even though the mother will protect her first instars (before first shed) babies, actually raising the young can be demanding. While still first instar the scorplings will stay on their mother’s back. At this stage they are essentially still embryos. The will continue to develop here until they undergo their first shed. Then they will gradually start leaving their mother at this point you have two options.
Some suggest that you should wait until all the scorplings have left their parent and then transfer the mother. This has the considerable advantage of not requiring that you move the fragile second instars.
Still, people who use this technique tend to complain about cannibalism. Once the second instars leave their mother I personally prefer to carefully move them (by allowing them to crawl onto a piece of wood and then lifting the wood using my tweezers (to be ultra careful). I keep them in separate plastic containers that have a hiding place, several centimeters of soil (kept moist) and soaked cotton wool form which they can drink.
Feeding babies is actually fairly easy. They will readily accept pinhead crickets and termite drones. If these are unavailable chopped mealworms – including any killed but left uneaten by their parent (unless they start to rot) – will readily be accepted.

Final Notes:
Different scorps have different requirements. H. spinifer is a rainforest species. Many other scorps are desert dwellers and thus require totally different housing. Research on the species being kept is essential.
H. spinifer will look pitch black indoors, but turn a lovely green in sunlight! All scorps will glow under UV light.

Post invitation

2006-05-11T10:03:00.000Z

Hello to all of you who have been following my blog!

For the past few weeks, and for a couple of weeks longer, I have been too busy to post as frequently as I would like. Thus I thought I'd invite anybody who would like to share with the rest of us the joys of keeping unconvnetional pets as beloved family members, please do so by leaving your posts as comments at the end of this post. I will receive them as an e-mail, format them, and publish them as posts (cited as you wish).

I have tried to keep a fairly constant layout - quick intro, pros/cons, feeding, housing, breeding if possible, final remarks. I've also tried to keep the tone relatively formal and insist on including pictures whenever possible.

I would greatly appreciate it if other pet owners would join me in trying to promote responsible ownership of unconventional pets!

Thanks!!

More baby scorp photos

2006-05-09T11:33:00.000Z

Just putting up some photos on my baby scorps. They are now all second instar and I think they should become third instar quite soon. All eating pinhead crickets.

Second Instar on moist cotton wool (for water)

Generally you should keep baby scorpions separate. If this is not possible make sure there are ample hiding places and several different sources of moisture. Separate them if one starts hogging the food.

Mummy... Contemplating ways to kill the camera.

Asian Black Scorpions

2006-04-22T10:35:00.000Z

I will eventually post something about the care of this most fascinating of species, but for now I'm just going to post this photo. Absolutely brilliant, isn't it! I counted 12 babies.

Chinese Fire Bellied Newts

2006-03-31T11:45:00.000Z

Newts are wonderful. Easy to keep, fun to watch and with a brain somewhat bigger than a scorpion’s, they make very interesting pets. Personally, I have two and you’d be surprised how different their characters are.

Housing: Water quality is very important for news, salamanders, and just about any other amphibian. Ideally, you’d keep them in a large aquarium with several liters of water and a strong but safe pump. That’s the ideal situation. Strong pumps I’ve got, safe ones I haven’t. Therefore, instead of a pump, I use guppies and a small freshwater shrimp. Between them they seem to keep the water at a decent level. Besides, I think the aquarium plants absorb some of the Nitrogenous waste.

I keep my (fully aquatic) newts in a 15gallon aquarium that is about 2/3 filled with water. Their aquarium must… and that’s worth repeating… must have a lid that stops your pets climbing up the sides and escaping. My aquarium is basically divided in two parts. One part has a mound or (large) gravel that is almost as high as the water is deep. The rest is pretty much empty swimming space, except for a few aquarium plants in one corner to provide entertainment and hiding spaces. I also keep a semi-submerged branch for the newts to ‘bask’ on. These newts seem to prefer cooler conditions, so don’t heat their aquariums to tropical levels. Change their water regularly – about once every week, more often if possible (obviously don’t give them a temperature shock – only change a small amount of water at a time).

Feeding: I feed my newts a staple of live bloodworms. I occasionally give them a small mealworm and I’m sure they nab the occasional baby guppy. I just hold the mealworms close to the newts using a thin pair of tweezers (make sure the newt can hurt itself if it accidentally grabs the tweezers instead of the worms). Once the newts see the blood worms wriggling they will lunge at them and such them into their mouths. A word of warning: guppies can make it insanely difficult to do this. Adding guppies helps with water quality and provides an occasional snack, but will force you to spend a considerably longer time feeding your newts (which actually adds to the fun..).

Final words of advice: Make sure you remember that all amphibians have very sensitive skins. Whenever, if ever, you have to handle them make sure your hands are perfectly clean (no chemicals) and moist. However, also remember that these animals’ main defense, as advertised by their vibrant underbellies, is poison. I don’t recommend you rub your eye or stick your finger in your mouth after handling them…

Philippine Hanging Parrot

2006-03-24T12:17:00.000Z

This is certainly not a beginner’s parrot. Generally shy, hard to tame and with pretty significant special requirements, think twice before getting (or, as in my case, adopting one). Having said that, they are lovely little animals and their quirky habit of hanging upside down when they sleep (sorry… no photo) and their constant antics will entertain you for hours.

Feeding: Philippine hanging parrots feed primarily on fruit. I feed mine pawpaw (papaya) as a staple and occasionally give it a piece of mango or a banana. With both pawpaw and banana they make an unholy mess – mashing the pulp in their curiously designed beak to remove all the juices before flinging their heads to get rid of it, chucking it in all directions. Its previous owners couldn’t handle this. I occasionally also hang a piece of spray millet in its cage, which it enjoys playing with and I think eats a bit of as well. As I keep a Java Rice Finch with it I always have seeds in the cage as well. These are not necessary, but I often see it investigating them (I don’t know if it actually eats any – other observations would be welcomed). With bananas it doesn’t make as much of a mess, but I don’t think it likes them much.
Water is important, especially as hanging parrots love to take baths on hot days. Otherwise I think it gets much of its fluids from the fruit it eats.

Housing: A regular bird cage will do. Anything you would keep a cockatiel in, but ideally with a flat roof so that the parrot can sleep hanging from it. Mine loves to display on a long, horizontal perch – running along it while uttering high-pitched chirps. Try to simulate the forest canopy, without completely removing flying space. These birds are made for running along branches and climbing through foliage so I keep several perches (mostly horizontal but with one at an angle) of different diameters positioned so that he can jump form one to the next. Adding a palm frond every week or so (you’ll need to change it) will provide it with hours of fun.

Taming: I’ve tamed several small parrots before, namely two lovebirds and two budgies. However, I found this little parrot immensely hard to tame – in fact I’ve failed. If you want a bird that will sit on your shoulder either A) get a captive bred one or B) get a budgie. In any case, if you intend to try I suggest you go with the perch method. They aren’t the smartest parrots, so the perch method (getting it used to stepping onto a perch you’re holding then making the perch progressively shorter) is the most likely to give results. As you can hopefully see in the rather poor quality photo, mine is tame to the point that I can take it out one a week or so to give it some exercise in my ‘bird run.’ Getting him back into the cage is usually far harder than getting him out – he’s far more agile than more conventional pet birds. A lesson I very nearly learnt the hard way - - never let your hanger out of its cage with lovebirds around. Lovebirds are the pit-bulls of the parrot world. Actually, never let any bird out while your lovebirds are out of their cage. Mine would even gang up on 1month old ducklings (considerably bigger than them)!

Final note: When I got mine I decided he desperately needed to have his nails clipped, so I did. However, it seems that this species naturally has very long nails which it uses to grip branches and foliage when hanging upside-down. Therefore, if your bird’s nails are so long that it is getting stuck on the cage bars, have them clipped (only clip them yourself if you know how and have something to stop any bleeding – flour never works for me). Otherwise give it perches or different diameters and textures and it should wear them down to an appropriate size. Mine has black nails, so it is really hard to see the veins. Never let these birds out in a room that has insect screening. There is nothing worse than trying to free a small, frightened bird that has it’s nails stuck in an insect screen – I know. If you have an accident provide it with a perch right under its belly and with a long, thin stick try to carefully jiggle each nail out of the screen. Do not grad your bird and pull! Even if you manage not to harm it, it would probably never forgive you.

Little File Snakes

2006-03-04T13:32:00.000Z

I've had a little file snake (Achrochordus granulatus) for a number of months now. I won't say it's a great pet... It could be, but mine isn't yet. Being wild caught it still needs to get used to captivity. Although they don't seem at all inclined to bite and can be handled readily, they are still 'observer pets' (unlike corn snakes, ball pythons, etc). Being entirely aquatic, they don't seem to have muscles designed to support them out of the water so I am strongly against handling them out of their aquarium. Wild caught ones shouldn't be handled at all... it would simply be too stressful.

I am not an expert on this species, but here is a website that has absolutely brilliant information on it, both in captivity and in the wild. It has certainly helped me get my snake to calm down and start to eat more regularly. Enjoy!

Personally my setup is a 35 gallon aquarium with a light and temperature gradient, shrimp as cleaners, fish as cleaners and food, a section with gravel (large), a section with plants and soil, a hiding place on each side of the aquarium, and a few decorative rocks. I keep the temperature at around 32 degrees Celsius at it's max (down to about 28 degrees) and add a teaspoon of aquarium salt every couple of weeks or so (not too much as I am afraid it would kill the shrimp and fish).

Advice and suggestions from other little file snake owners would be welcome as a comment.

Snake wine in Vietnam

2006-02-19T10:01:00.000Z

I took this photo in Hanoi, Vietnam. It shows two dead snakes: a cobra and a vine snake, in a wine bottle. Rows upon rows of these bottles can be seen for sale throughout Vietnam.

While I couldn't judge Vietnamese culture (if that is what this is) I can't help thinking that this is not a sustainable practice. As a snake aficionado I can't help be horrified by it and would very much like to know whether it serves any purpose.

Any other views, comments or points of information would be welcome.

{I got a comment - which I did not post - from somebody saying that Snake wine is good for one's health and that they can sell them over the internet. I'm not too keen on promoting this as I know that several species of cobras are threatened, and as I do not know how these snakes are killed. Sorry to whoever posted the anonymous comment.}

Spectacled Caiman

2006-02-16T11:02:00.000Z

Here's the ultimate unconventional pet: a spectacled caiman. I've heard of people keeping American alligators which they'd 'hand raised,' but a spectacled caiman goes somewhat beyond that. What's more, this caiman was being kept in the Philippines - half the way around the world from its native South America. This one is currently in a poorly funded and thus ill-maintained wildlife rescue center in Manila. Personally, I cannot see how it is possible to responsibly keep any crocodilian (the 'safer' ones are all threatened or endangered). Other views are obviously welcome, as long as they are logical...

Freshwater Shrimp

2006-02-05T12:04:00.000Z

Freshwater shrimp are more of a “utility pet” then an anything else. Having said that, observing their rather complex social interactions tend to be quite fascinating so, even if you keep them as one might a janitor fish, you may still find yourself spending time observing them.

Pros:
Immensely easy to keep and can be fairly interesting to observe.

Cons:
Small and will not interact with their keeper in any way (with the occasional exception of catapulting themselves to cover).

Housing:
All shrimp need is well-oxygenated, de-chlorinated water at room temperature. You can easily keep 20 shrimp in a 15 gallon aquarium, as long as they are all provided with hiding places and ‘perches’ to call their own. By perches I mean anything they can stand on, hand under, cling to, etc. In my aquarium I keep several freshwater plants (in a plastic container so the shrimp don’t make a mess with the soil) as well as rocks, a piece of a terracotta pot, and a floating stick which the shrimp like to hang from.

Utility:
Shrimp are awesome at eliminating detritus and algae, thus keeping the water clean. My little file snake doesn’t appreciate a filter in its aquarium so I keep shrimp in it to make sure I don’t get build-ups of faeces, etc.

Breeding:
Shrimp will breed themselves. All you have to do is keep an eye of them. You will be able to tell when one has eggs (in the species I have they form a green mass under their body). Remove these shrimp from the main group until you see small shrimp swimming around in the separate aquarium. Remove the parent shrimp and keep the baby’s fed on sinking fish-pellet crumbs, bread crumbs, etc. It’s a bit tricky to keep the water oxygenated as you cannot use a pump (it would kill the babies) so I suggest you use aquatic plants to provide oxygen and keep them in an open-top, wide aquarium.

Feeding:
As I said, shrimp will happily feed on algae, etc. However, as I have quite a few in the same aquarium, I supplement their diet with sinking fish food. Spread this out so that all the shrimp get to eat, not just the strongest ones.

Final Notes:

Like other crustaceans, shrimp shed their exoskeleton as they grow. I generally just leave it in the aquarium and either they or the feeder fish I keep with them eventually eat it. I guess it serves as a form of calcium.

Crayfish

2006-02-03T13:01:00.000Z

I will eventually get around to posting something about my freshwater shrimp, but I thought I’d start off with the real kings of crustacean pets – crayfish. Shrimp are useful… but crayfish are just captivating.

Pros:
Industrious and very active, crayfish provide the observer with thrilling and captivating behaviours to watch.

Cons:
Not the easiest pet to keep, water quality is essential with crayfish. If your oxygen level drops or if pollutants build up you will loose your crayfish – I’ve lost one myself.

Housing:
The species I’ve got is completely aquatic, so my aquarium setup is for a purely aquatic species. However, certain species may temporarily venture out on land. As I mentioned above, water quality is essential, but mine do not take kindly to a pump being placed in their 15 gallon aquarium (fine for 1 crayfish – I suggest you always keep them separate as they may fight). Therefore, I use feeder fish to ensure that the water is suitable. They can be used like a miner’s canary – if they start swimming close to the surface, trying to gulp in oxygen-rich water at the top, it’s about time you changed two thirds of the water. I don’t usually wait for my fish to start ringing the alarm bells, I usually just change half the water three times a week (the crayfish don’t enjoy this much, but I don’t like to take risks. Avoid strong water currents, especially if you decide to use a pump).

In their aquarium crayfish must be given the opportunity to dig. My aquaria are set up in three sections. The first is just plastic (see photo), but the crayfish actually seem to enjoy this. The second is a flat slab of decorative rock. The third is about an inch of gravel. They seem to love to climb up sticks and plants towards the surface. I guess it given them a better vantage point from which to catch feeder fish… However freshwater plants + crayfish = mess. Use very well washed plastic plants (unless you want the crayfish to eat them, in which case most live plants will do).

I keep the water at Philippine room temperature – about 20^oC usually. Make sure to remove the shed shell immediately when they shed to preserve water quality (I usually just change the water immediately after they shed).

Feeding:
My crayfish will eat very nearly anything they can get their pincers on (that would probably include my finger). Their absolute favourite if bloodworms, but I’m not too keen on feeding them the same food all the time. They occasionally get their pincers on a feeder fish (which probably illustrates why they are called ‘feeder fish’). I give them a small piece of lettuce to toy with each week. Otherwise their stapes are two types of fish food – floating pellets they compete for with the fish and sinking pellets they have to look for among the gravel. They seem to do fine on that.

Final Words of Advice:
Avoid the pincers! Those things are painfully powerful, believe you me. Especially if you’ve got a relatively large crayfish. However, you can still pick them up relatively safely. If you grab them with your thumb and index finger on the main exoskeleton plate – right above and behind the pincers – they cannot reach you. They will try, and they will get unnervingly close to succeeding, but they cannot reach you. When a sinking pellet happens to land on them they get so angry at not being able to reach it that they start blowing bubbles to try and bump it of…

Freshwater snails: New Observation

2006-02-03T12:41:00.000Z

This is interesting… I’ve discovered that my freshwater snail will very gladly eat floating fish pellets! They even seem to actively reach for them from the sides of the aquarium! If any of you share my peculiar affinity for strangely unconventional pets, have similar snails, and happen to come across this post, please try it and let me know if your will eat them as well.

Freshwater Snails

2006-01-21T09:26:00.000Z

While people around the world have apparently been hooked by land snails and hermit crabs, I have so far never found a mention of people keeping freshwater snails. I cannot figure out why not. While I won't apply my usual "awesome" label to them, they can be tons of fun as well.

Rewards:
These snails move faster than land snails, which is always positive with snails. They also have a far cuter face then GALS (see Giant African Land Snails post) do.

Difficulties:
I don't know anything about these snails skin chemistry so I never handle them. As they live all their life in water all their life their skin is probably more permeable than other snails'.

Feeding:
Mine will very happily dine on lettuce, cucumber peals, aquarium plants, etc. If you do not want them to eat your aquarium plants keep a couple of small guppies in with them. The guppies seem to irritate the snails and make them stick to the side of the aquarium instead. Obviously, take snails being kept in this way out of the display aquarium into a feeding aquarium every day and give them a chance to eat.

Housing:
I keep mine in a small, plastic aquarium with about 15cm of water. They do fine in this. Remember that they cannot swim so make sure that they can get to the lettuce or other greens you put in their aquarium when feeding them. Their water needs to be cleaned every week at least. They can be housed with shrimp and minnows, just make sure they are feeding well.

Final words of advice:
These pets are remarkably easy to care for and large ones can make a nice addition to a decorative aquarium. Just don't expect them to learn "Sit" or "Roll over."

Slender digit chorus frog

2006-01-20T12:44:00.000Z

This post is about my absolute favorite of all my current herps (the birds and cat are obviously in a different category all together). In fact, it is the only one of my herps that has a name - Kaloula. Very well, so that's its genus name and I occasionally refer to my Gray's water skink as T. grayii as well, but the fact remains. My portly Kaloula is my favorite herp.

Rewards:
Kaloula is the opposite of a 'fair-weather friend.' He spends most of his time a few centimeters underground, digging himself up when it rains (or when I increase the humidity in his vivarium to simulate rain). Why portly? Just look at the photos... I guess I enjoy his antics as he hunts down mealworms too much.

Difficulties:
For much of the time I cannot actually see him. Sometimes, after not having seen him for a few weeks, I get worried and increase the humidity in his vivarium to make him dig himself out of his burrow. I must learn to stop worrying...

Housing:
I house my Kaloula with my water skink (see earlier post). Kaloula is nocturnal and the skink is diurnal, so they don't clash. I guess the threat of parasites crossing from one to the other is there - especially as both are wild caught - but as they would share habitat in the wild I guess it isn't as risky as it would be if they were from different countries.
For housing information just take a look at my water skink post... I'm not going to retype the whole thing. The one difference is that Kaloula needs soil - moist soil that he can dig into. Do not let the soil dry up and crack.

Feeding:
I feed Kaloula mealworms (gut loaded) but he eats insects that enter his vivarium as well, such as mosquitoes. Watching "chubby frogs" eat can be hilarious. First of all, Kaloula was eating from day one. He did not need an adjustment period. I threw in a mealworm and he was on it the moment it twitched. Oh, yeah, they need to see movement in order to trigger their hunting response. Once they have locked on to their prey they will lift themselves as high as they can on their pudgy legs until they look like a pebble on stilts. Then they will stretch themselves in the direction of the mealworm before lunging towards it. They usually miss the first time, well, Kaloula does at least...

Final Words of Advice:
When Kaloula feels threatened he bloats himself, making himself look bigger. I know he gets along with the skink because he doesn't do that, even when they meet. Kaloula does not seen particularly troubled when handled, but I am always careful not to stress him out. In the six months or so that I've had him I've only handled him three times, and that was only when moving him from an improper 'quarantine' setup to a better one, and then into the skink's vivarium.
As with any amphibian, it is essential that you only touch a narrow mouthed toad after having thoroughly washed your hands of any traces of chemicals. I personally like to cover my hand in mud before touching Kaloula - I wouldn't want to damage his beautiful skin... You should wash your hands again after your touch any of your pets, but especially toads (especially if you covered your hand in mud...).

Virtual 'Unconventional' Pets

2006-01-15T13:01:00.000Z

Here's an awesome website... You get to create your own pet and stick it on your website/blog. Like my Tiggy?

adopt your own virtual pet!

Exotic Maladies

2006-01-15T12:42:00.000Z

I'm just putting up this brief post to remind everybody interested in exotics that exotic pets can have very exotic maladies. Your average vet might not be able to take care of your exotics if they get sick. The black lump of fur in the photo is a Celebes Macaque. It's sick... don't ask me what it's got. I know it's in very capable hands because I know the vets taking care of it (here in Manila). However, I'm sure you can see it isn't happy at all.

Again, if you're going to invest in exotic pets, find a good vet first.

Buying Bugs Online

2006-01-14T11:36:00.000Z

I do not intend this to be a cash-generating advertisement, but I am personally impressed by the bugs available for sale on this site. Most are really awesome! I am generally very skeptical about buying animals before seeing them but these ones are not very expensive (in the UK, as larvae or pupae) and none appear to be endangered species. Also, I don't think any can become invasive species in cooler climates such as the UK (where the site is based). If anybody has any information contrary to this please post a comment and I will remove this post.

Giant African Land Snails

2006-01-10T13:23:00.000Z

It is probably illegal to keep Giant African Land Snail (GALS) were you live. Check! It isn’t worth breaking the law to get a pair, especially with so many other snail species around. Here in the Philippines they have been accidentally introduced and are now an invasive species. If you can get GALS, they make stupendous pets (like all the pets I’ve listed so far). Otherwise, most of the advice I’m about give can be applied generally to many other snails.

Rewards: Nothing beats the feeling of wet snail in the morning ...

Difficulties: Speaking about “responsible” pet ownership, it is essential to note that this species can devastate native ecosystems and agriculture, as it has done here in the Philippines. Please do not import/keep snails illegally. Also, there is ample info on the web about breeding snails, but snails produce so many young that it is immensely difficult to cater for the needs of each and every one in a responsible, long-term manner. Therefore I will not include a breeding section in this discussion. Although GALS are hermaphrodites, you can make it unsuitable for them to breed by not providing leaf litter (worked for me…) if you intend to keep more than one at a time.

Housing: Snails have remarkably simple housing requirements – making them ideal, low budget and low maintenance pets. However, GALS faeces are not a pleasant sight and food in their enclosure rots quickly because they must be kept warm and moist. For my GALS I spray their aquarium a couple of times a day with a hand mister. As GALS like to dig through soil I recommend it as substrate. They will very often also defecate in this, which keeps the sides of the aquarium cleaner. I usually also keep earthworms in the soil, as they keep it aerated, and blind snakes to eat any small organisms (blind snakes, in my experience, do not make good pets. Even as pest controllers, I usually only kept each blind snake for about two weeks before releasing it back into my garden.). Just like with tree frogs, if your GALS are spending a long time on the side of the aquarium, the things inside it aren’t suitable. My setup is a ten gallon aquarium with two snails with about three inches of soil substrate with the remains of plants on either end (I’d suggest plastic plants, but makes sure you wash them thoroughly before using them) and a piece of plastic on which I place their food. I’ve scattered a few pebbles around so that the snails can spend time exploring around them (and, yes, GALS do ‘explore’).

Feeding: I generally feed gals kitchen scraps – not that I’m sexist or anything of the sort... Any fruits or vegetables you’ve got left over: wash them thoroughly and give them to your GALS. However, do note the “Wash them Thoroughly” part. Remember that your GALS are molluscs. Also, snails produce their own shell, which requires calcium. It is essential that you provide your GALS with cuttlefish bone. However, do not just leave a piece in their aquarium as they are likely to spread slime all over it and then not eat it after all. I give them small, 3X3cm pieces every four or five days (I always have cuttlefish bone around for my lovebirds). If you happen to not have any cuttlefish bone try a piece of egg shell. Apparently they will eat that as well (I’ve never had to try).

Final suggestions: As I’ve said, remember that snails are molluscs. This has several implications. First of all, their skin must be kept moist. Therefore, if you need to handle them, make sure your hand is wet. Secondly, they can readily absorb any chemicals through their skin. If you wash your hands with soap before touching your snails make sure you rinse all the soap off with ample water. I’d suggest you don’t use soap if at all possible. Never use bleach in their aquarium. These snails can become rather accustomed to being handled, but keep in mind that you must, I repeat, wash you hand before touching them, and then wash your hands again after you handle them. Also, be immensely careful if pulling your snail of any surface. They can adhere to the sides of an aquarium as if stuck with glue, and yanking them off could harm, even kill your snail. Let them crawl onto your fingers (even if they do this quite literally at a snail’s pace) rather than pulling them by the shell. If they don’t teach you anything else, GALS will definitely teach you patience…

Pet expenses

2006-01-09T04:26:00.000Z

Apparently, 'unconventional pets' can also make 'inexpensive pets.' According to an article on Free Money Finance posted on June 08, 2005 the "Cost of a pet is $48,000!!!"

This highlights the fact that buying a pet always requires commitment. Although the article refers to conventional pets, some large exotics probably cost even more. Buying a Macaw can cost between $800 to $12,000 and certain species can live to be 50 years old! That makes even the most long-lived dog seem an ephemeral burden.

However, if you're looking for a pet that won't cost more than going to college, this is the blog for you... A number of the pets I've kept have, quite literally, not cost me anything. They could survive very happily on left-over food (either from the kitchen of from other pets) in recycled aquaria. Besides, you can't take a Giant African Land Snail for acupuncture (nor a wild-caught reticulated python, unless you intend to have it perform the acupuncture).

I can't really calculate how much any of my pets cost because many of them share 'resources.' For example, the blood worms I buy are shared between my crayfish and my newts, but I occasionally give them to my narrow-mouthed toad, my fresh-water shrimps and my feeder fish as an occasional threat. Given the current values of the Philippine peso and the US dollar, I spend less than $2 every six months to feed all of these pets (taking into account rises and falls in prices). Apart from that, the only other costs for both the newts and the crayfish is the light cost for the newts' aquarium (the crayfish do fine with natural lighting as they don't have real plants in their aquarium and I don't intend to breed them) and the cost of changing the water in both aquaria (a third of the water twice a week).

Therefore, while a skink gives very different rewards from a dog, the skink probably won't cost as much as a car. On the other hand, if you really want a dog, adopt an adult cross-breed. Especially if you're living in areas where a 'responsible breeder' is somebody who actually feeds his dogs. I constantly hear nightmarish reports of horrible puppy mills here in the Philippines. Personally I would never buy a pure-breed. With an adult cross-breed (I could never call them 'mongrels') you know exactly what you're getting and hybrid vigor means you'll probably have to spend less on veterinary care...

Probably my most expensive, single pet is my Philippine Hanging Parrot.

Rhino beetles

2006-01-08T09:44:00.000Z

Rhino beetles aren’t easy to find (in the Philippines at least), but certainly worth the search. First of all, did you know they can hiss? I only found out the first time I picked up my male. I got both my beetles from my biology teacher, who is actually an entomologist. They were already fully grown so I had no way of knowing how old they were. However, the female survived for five months in my care and the male a couple of weeks longer. They might not live very long, but rhino beetles make worth-while pets.

Difficulties: While you can handle these pets without much danger to the handler (although, be warned, if they clasp their vice-like legs around your finger they can be rather hard to remove… and they do have spikes on their legs). However, persistent handling can stress them.

Rewards: Low maintenance, fascinating pets that make “unconventional” an understatement. Plus, just look at those awesome photos!

Housing: Doesn’t really matter. OK, if you have females you will need something that can be covered and has soil for her to dig in, especially if you want to breed them. Otherwise, I used to keep mine in a small aquarium with about four inches of soil, a small pot plant, two pebbles, a tap with water (for humidity more than anything else), a small piece of wood for them to ‘explore’ and a food container. The pebbles are extra, but they made the aquarium look a bit nicer. Be aware that they make a mess when they eat – they mush their food into a pulp and the female tended to bury it – so I’d suggest you place it on a piece of plastic. Otherwise waste food might rot, which can kill most small pets (probably including beetles). Oh, only house one male per aquarium and don’t place them in direct sunlight.

Breeding: Sexing rhino beetles is dead easy. The male has horn-like projections, i.e. the long thing protruding from their forehead (look at the photo and understand what I am trying to say). Breeding these guys requires lots of patience… I didn’t actually do it myself, but there is a significant amount of info on the web. The instructions at http://www.harink.com/~benjamin/dhhbreeding.htm are a decent guide.

Feeding: I fed mine purely fresh fruits, mostly papaya and Mango. Generally I’d just let them devour whatever my Philippine Hanging Parrot didn’t eat. As I mentioned in the Housing section, food should be placed in a plastic container that can be removed and washed. How much your beetles eat may vary. If they mush everything you give them, just give them a bit more… If the female is burrowing I suggest you remove the male, unless you’re keen on breeding. Otherwise try your best to makes sure the female gets a chance to eat (even though she won’t necessarily eat anything), but do not dig her out, even if you can see her through the side of the aquarium. You could very easily damage her (even though their exoskeleton is remarkably hard).

Final words of advice: After a month or so I ended up separating my male and my female. I left the female in a separate container I hoped she would lay eggs in and kept the male in a nicely-decorated setup. He became rather tame – or simply too old to complain when handled, but I still recommend you only handle them when necessary (or when showing them to guests).

Exotic pets, exotic problems

2006-01-04T13:32:00.000Z

Keeping exotic, unconventional pets can be challenging. Sometimes people realize that the cute, cuddly pet they have bought becomes more than they can handle. The pets I have and will list in this blog can be kept as pets as long as one has suitable facilities and is acquainted with the species’ needs. Still, a key component of this blog is responsible pet care. Therefore I feel obligated to post a warning.

The pets I have are not endangered. However, many species have been pushed to extinction by the illegal pet trade. Gibbons are a prime example, as are orangutans. Nowadays it is possible to buy captive-born macaws, but many macaw species are severely endangered. Here are the general rules I follow when buying a pet, which I suggest you follow. Whenever buying a pet from a different country I insist on buying captive born animals. Not only does this make it less likely that I will buy an animal that is sick or will refuse to eat, but it ensures that I am not directly harming ecosystems. Also, it usually helps if you see your new pet’s parents, especially is you intend to breed it. Living in the Philippines, many of the pets I find for sale are wild-caught in the country itself. In this case I would never buy a species that is being sold as a prized “endangered species,” and I always make sure I know ass much as possible about it before I buy it. It is always worth checking that the species you intend to buy is not on any C.I.T.E.S. ‘threatened’ lists.

Another major problem with exotics is that sometimes they escape. Releasing a pet can never be responsible. However, even with tremendous care, at some point one of your exotics probably will escape. For example, there appears to be an established population of Burmese pythons in Florida! Alien, invasive species devastate native ecosystems. Most people know how the brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis) has devastated Guam’s avifauna. If not, please do research it.

Finally, the macaque in the photo above is currently living in a miniscule cage in a Wildlife Rescue Centre in Quezon, Philippines. What makes matters worse is that it was used to human affection until its natural behavior was misunderstood as aggression: it used to be somebody’s pet. I must admit I know of cases in which people have successfully kept non-human primates as pets. Personally, I would never try it. For every success there must be hundreds of failures, so I’d say it is unethical to try. The same is true of raptors, mammals that aren’t tame, and large, wild-caught parrots. Please don’t buy any of these animals.

It is possible to keep exotic, unconventional pets responsibly. Please read up on the species you intend to buy well before you do so. Don’t just buy a whale on a whim, if you see what I mean.

Pet Care Circle (blog)

2005-12-27T03:29:00.000Z

I just came across this blog while surfing the web and thought I'd create a link to it. It deals with conventional pets more than it does with exotics, but it's got some useful information. I particularly like the section on terrariums: general but accurate. The section on setting up a freshwater aquarium will come in handy when I get around to discussing keeping File snakes and freshwater shrimps. Also, the bird keeping post is broad, but a suitable intro for newcomers to the bird world.

I particularly like this blog's formal layout and language. Congratulations to whoever made it!

Gray's water skink

2005-12-26T13:44:00.000Z

To my knowledge, Gray’s water skinks are only found in the Philippines. However, the basic necessities of keeping these skinks is the same for all semi-aquatic skinks. Besides, I know that some people actually do have Gray’s skinks… Here’s what I’ve gathered from keeping one of these skinks for a full year, and from the experiences of my friend who had two but now only has one.

Difficulties:
May refuse food until they settle down. Whenever choosing an exotic I always insist on seeing it eat before I buy it, which helps me pick animals that are likely to start eating quickly. Also, these skinks need a setup with both water and land… so the “Housing” section for more details. Like tree frogs, you cannot hope to cuddle your water skink.

Rewards:
Personally, I’ve never kept blue-tongues or anything more conventional. However, these skinks just look awesome – their serrated scales make them look more like crocodiles than like lizards. They are low maintenance, diurnal (most active at dawn and dusk) and fairly inquisitive.

Feeding:
I basically feed mine mealworms gut loaded with oatmeal… Not necessarily the most nutritious food, but they seem to thrive on it. I’m not sure the oatmeal makes much difference, but keeping the mealworms healthy saves me money. I generally offer it a mealworm every day by dropping it where the skink can see it. However, you can tell if your skink is in good condition by looking at the base of the tail. A thick, plump base shows a well-fed skink. A skinny base shows you need to feed your skink more often. If absolutely necessary you can offer an adult skink young super worms, but these can be hard to swallow.

[Update] I have found that Grey's water skinks will eagerly eat bloodworms left on a flat rock. However, it appears they will be even keener on eating crickets!!

Housing:
Firs of all, these skinks must be house separately. The friend I mentioned in the intro had two together, but one killed the other. The owner of the pet store/complex from which I bought the skins insists that both of his were males (I do not know for sure how to sex them, although I read that females are generally larger than males). Perhaps it’s possible to house a pair together, but it’s probably not worth it.
They are a medium-sized skinks: mine is just under 20cm long. My second Bible – the DK Reptile Recognition guide – says they get to be between 20 and 24 cm long. I keep mine in an unconventional 20 gallon aquarium that is wider than it is high with a soil and pebble substrate. This is divided in four distinct parts. The most important is the water container in which the skink can swim, shed (they seem to prefer to shed in the water), cool off and hide. The second is a hiding place - currently an inverted rectangular plastic box – which is also absolutely essential to help your pet settle down. Next I’ve planted canary seeds in one corner of the aquarium. The skink seems to enjoy hiding and foraging in these. Finally, I have a raised mound of earth that the skink can lay on to observe the other pets in my room.
Although the water in its aquarium keeps it fairly humid, I do occasionally mist it manually. These skinks look a lot nicer when they are wet rather then covered in mud, so I sometimes mist it just for the pleasure of seeing it in its full splendor... I keep the aquarium at slightly above room temperature (between 24 and 29 degrees Celsius, depending on the season), not because I’m following a guide but because that’s the temperature during the day in the corner of my bedroom I keep it in. I figure that as long as it can submerge itself at will it should not have any problems, and the temperature drops to about 20 Celsius during the night.

Final words of advice:
These skinks are fast and agile. Although they cannot climb up the sides of an aquarium their enclosure must be secure. Keep in mind that they do not become any less agile while you are cleaning their aquarium. Nowadays, I generally leave my skink in its aquarium when cleaning out the water and detritus (such as dead plants and worms) because my skink is fairly used to my sticking my hand in by now. However, for the first few months I had to keep it in a separate plastic box with a firm lid. Catching these skinks, even in an aquarium can be tricky. Don’t worry: although they look like crocodiles I’ve never been bitten by them. I generally restrain my skink by grasping it at the base of the tail then quickly switching fingers and moving my grasp so that I hold it right behind its shoulders. I don’t feel comfortable holding the tail for too long…

Keeping your pets active and happy

2005-12-26T05:08:00.000Z

Animals kept in captivity can become bored. An animal that is not stimulated is unhappy. Pacing and other repetitive motions are common, as are aggressive behavior, psychological damage, and simple inactivity. These destroy one’s enjoyment of any pet. This problem is faced by zoos, as well as private pet owners. One solution – or, rather a broad range of sub-solutions – to keep your animals stimulated is enrichment.

What is enrichment?

Enrichment is any activity that stimulates captive animals to display normal behaviors; behaviors that mimic their daily activities in the wild. Tying a ribbon on a string and hanging it up for a cat to play with is simple enrichment. In trying to “catch” the ribbon, the cat mimics the natural activity of catching food.

There are three main types of enrichment:

Environmental enrichment: providing your pets with an enclosure that permits exploration, foraging, ‘destruction’ (explained later), etc. My birds (with the exception of the Java Rice Finch) all enjoy a spray from a hand mister on hot days, even though a water bath is always available in all my cages.
Sound enrichment: my lovebirds love to whistle along to any creaking noise or whistle. I keep them in a place where they can hear and see wild birds (if you’ve kept lovebirds you’ll probably have realized that the primary purpose in their lives is to rip other birds limb from limb, so watching wild finches in my garden gives my lovebirds quite a thrill). Sound enrichment doesn’t work with snakes… (although I’ve never tried it with other reptiles).
Olfactory enrichment: Many animals have keen senses of smell and will spend hours investigating a new scent. This can be used with ferrets, rats, chinchillas, etc. I’ve never used it with birds or reptiles (and I do not suggest using it with amphibians – most scents are chemicals and amphibians can absorb chemicals through their skin). I’ve personally never used it with my pets. Now that I think of it, my mouse would probably enjoy it. Anybody got any suggestions or scents mice find attractive (I’m not too keen on using food).

The limiting factor with enrichment is you imagination. Obviously, make sure you don’t use something dangerous. If you use plants ensure that they are not toxic in any way. And make sure you do not feed live prey as ‘enrichment!’ While certain animals must be given live food, it would be unquestionably unethical to do so for simple pleasure. Otherwise, be creative and enjoy watching your pet enjoy your enrichment…

Brown Tree frogs

2005-12-25T15:23:00.000Z

Introduction:
Brown tree frogs can make fascinating pets. I find these amphibians readily in my backyard during the wet season. However, I generally only keep these frogs for a couple of weeks before I release them – they don’t seem to cope too well with captivity. If you catch frogs and plan to release them make sure not to miss the end of the rainy season – I would hate to have to release a frog in the dry season. I have observed four such frogs in the past three years.

Difficulties:
Wild-caught tree frogs do not seem to settle into captivity very well. They don’t eat easily and generally just try to escape all the time. There’s no way you could possibly be able to “pet” these pets… However, certain tree frogs that are available on the market make much easier pets to take care of. Some of these species can be found on http://www.calm.wa.gov.au/plants_animals/reptiles/advice/tree_frogs.html Being amphibians, all frogs can absorb chemicals, etc through their skin so A) never use any detergent or anything similar in your frogs aquarium and B) always thoroughly wash your hands if you happen to have to touch them (keep your hands moist).

Rewards:
These frogs are incredibly active. Their leaps are quite simply spectacular. And, besides, they make fairly awesome photographic subjects…

Housing:
I have personally seen one of these frogs leap approximately four feet. The bigger the frog, the farther they can leap. Therefore, if kept in a very small aquarium they will batter themselves quite badly. The ones I have kept always seemed to do fine in a 20 gallon aquarium with a lid that is taped on so the frogs can’t escape. I even kept one is a large cardboard box that had been lined with duct tape and had a thin layer of transparent plastic in front. This setup seemed to work quite well. I think that the darkness and the cave-like design of this enclosure actually helped that frog calm down. However, A) it detracts very much from your enjoyment of the frog, B) it makes it harder to feed the frog and C) the humidity eventually destroys the enclosure. Do not try to keep these frogs in cages. Slamming themselves against the metal bars or chicken wire may result in injury. Insect-screen enclosures might be interesting though… Never tried it myself.

These frogs need a few basic essentials. First of all, at least two plants they can leap between. If your frog is attaching itself to the side of it’s aquarium during the day (being nocturnal) then you need to redesign your setup. At night you can expect your frog to investigate and will unquestionably ‘perch’ on the aquarium itself (as in the photo). The first thing you might need to add is hiding places. Generally, large leaves are all you need: the frogs will cling to them upside-down and thus conceal themselves (obviously, if you plan to keep your frog for more than a few days the plants will need light, but most certainly do not leave your frog exposed to direct sunlight). Otherwise, be creative. One design that worked for me was a plastic cup attached to the top of the aquarium with a couple of twigs secured inside it.

Humidity is pivotal. If your frog dries up it will dry. It’s probably a good idea to provide a large water bowl in the frog’s habitat, both for humidity and for them to swim in. If you are using an aquarium, just fill the bottom six centimeters or so with water. Mist your aquarium daily. Do not leave it exposed to direct sunlight, but remember that being cold-blooded your frogs will be more active if the temperature is relatively warm. Normal room temperature of about 27, 28 degrees Celsius works well. Air-conditioned rooms constantly at 10 degreed Celsius are definitely not suitable.

I have only ever kept one frog at a time, but I see no reason why two frogs of similar size cannot be kept in a suitable aquarium. Do not catch baby frogs – I’m positive they’d die. My general rule is that the bigger the animal (relative to its species) the more likely it is to survive.

Feeding:
If your wild-caught tree frog eats you are lucky. Here are a few tips to increasing your chances. Any, true exotics lover must have mealworms, if not bloodworms somewhere in the house. I need a constant supply of live ones for my other pets. Of the four frogs I kept I saw one eat two mealworms in two weeks and another one would eat live bloodworms every few days for the month I kept it. To offer these foods I attach a few, small, plastic ‘dishes’ (about 1cmX1cm) to the side of the aquarium and place the food items on them. For wild caught frogs the prey must be alive. If you insist on observing (as, I must admit, I do) I suggest you sit in a way that you are below the aquarium, instead of staring straight at the frog. I generally lie under the table I keep aquaria on with only my head poking out from under it. You must remember that free frogs are predominantly nocturnal, so they won’t eat if the lights are on too bright. I prefer to turn off the light and turn on a lampshade on the other side of the room (yes, I keep my frogs in my bedroom – and there’s nothing wrong with that!).

Final words of advice:
I have never ‘lost’ a brown tree frog. I mean this in two senses. First of all, these frogs are escape artists so make sure your housing is suitable. Secondly, none of my frogs – even though they were all wild caught – have ever dies while in captivity. However, the one that refused to eat did loose a bit of condition in the week I kept it. I have no way of knowing whether these frogs survive once I release them (which is why I’ve only kept four in the past three years). I have no reason to believe otherwise, but I do not have confirmation that they all survived once released. As with any animal you catch and then release, be rational. Don’t wait until your frog is skin and bones before you release it. Remember that worldwide amphibian populations are dwindling…

Why get a pet?

2005-12-25T13:24:00.000Z

Those of us who own pets probably don't need anybody to tell them that keeping pets can have wonderful rewards. However, I think outlining these rewards may be a good way to start this blog. Those of you trying to convince your parents to buy you a puppy... enjoy! This list was developed in preperation for a seminar on "Dr. Dogs" I organised in my school. I can't claim to be an expert on the subject, but it's always easier to find references when you know what you look for.

Pets and the Aged

Aged individuals with pets have been proven to lead longer lives as they have a sense of fulfillment and purpose.
Pets reduce stress and chances of cardiac arrest.
Pets aid the disabled both in terms of physically helping them with everyday activities (seeing-eye dogs) but also by providing unquestioning affection. Again, pets can provide the sense of purpose that sometimes seems missing in people’s lives.

“Doctor Dogs” (dogs that are for therapy in hospitals)

They provide a sense of security, and are proven to help people open up
They are directly useful in therapy (eg. communication, walking)
They are good companions for people who are autistic and therefore find it difficult to relate to other humans.

People in general

Pets may be used to ease family tensions and bring families closer together
Teach sense of responsibility.
Have been proven to reduce stress and stress-related conditions (such as high blood pressure and cardiovascular disorders)
According to an American survey, 57% of pet owners say that if they were stranded on a desert island they would rather have their pet with them than anybody else: a testament to the powerful companionship pets provide.

Pets in Class

Induce relaxation and reduce stress.
Teach students about the natural world (can be used as teaching aides)Permit the teacher to teach the students life-lessons such as respect and responsibility in a hands-on manner.

Blog Explanation

2005-12-24T11:47:00.000Z

First of all, allow me to explain what made me decide to create this blog and certain reservations I have in making it.

I have a whole host of fascinating pets. They enrich my life and, as a High School student, help me relax. Living in the Philippines, this is where the vast majority of my true exotics come from. That means I don’t generally need to play around with temperature, humidity, etcetera. However, I also have a number of conventional pets – lovebirds, a cat, and so on. In this blog I will focus on the pets you are unlikely to find in a Western pet store. Having said this, I haven’t been to a “Western Pet store” in a few years, so I don’t quite know what’s available nowadays. Still, I am fairly confident you wouldn’t find Gray’s water skinks, Philippine Narrow-mouthed toads (Kaloula sp.), little file snakes, Philippine Hanging Parrots or wolf snakes (Lycodon sp.). Eventually I will write blogs about the trials as well as the rewards of keeping each of these and more.

However, I have certain reservations. It is not necessarily “easy” to keep some of these pets or, probably more to you interest, similar species. Many species have been pushed towards extinction by the unregulated pet trade. While the exotics I’ve got are not endangered, I’d like to make sure they stay that way. Please be responsible when buying pets that come from another country, as well as when getting pets from your own country. If possible, I suggest you only buy captive-bred animals. If you really want something unconventional perhaps you should consider a newt. I have two Japanese fire-bellies myself – wonderful pets. I know you can find newts in the pet store, but they still count as exotics!

In any case… I hope you find my blogs either A) informative or B) entertaining. I’m still not quite sure how this works so bear with me. Should you have any questions about keeping pets you think I might be able to answer e-mail me at naja[dot]nivea[at]gmail[dot]com or post a comment. I’m not an expert but even if I can’t answer a question myself I can post them on the blog or forward them to friends of mine who are somewhat more qualified in exotic pet care.

Cheers J