Who has reptiles?

[MX MaNiAc 06]

I own a Chinese Water Dragon, Snapping turtle, Painted turtle, 2 baby bearded dragons and a Mississippi Map turtle.

I went to a reptile show today to get a new cage for my Chinese Water Dragon and decided to buy a couple bearded dragons since they were so cheap. I got them for 40 a piece. If they breed i can sell the babys for up to $100 each.

I got a little turtle too but when i put it in with the snapper and painted turtle the snapper kept trying to bite its tail and feet. So i took it out and i might just sell it..

Sorry, no pics.

Whats everybody got?

[atvRiDa400ex]

i had 2 red eared sliders...but they stank up my house, so i let them go in a natural spring..:devil: :eek:

[Scott-300ex]

I caught a Water Moccosin once, I love snakes and reptiles.

He almost bit me before I picked him up, but I got fast reflex's, good thing cuz they are VERY poisonous!

[atvrider23054]

i have a bearded dragon.

[HB416EX]

I had a bearded dragon.He was full size when I got him and lived 8 years.I thought it was a cool animal.I liked watching him hunt the crickets and worms.

[standardryder]

heres my two bearded dragons, both about 14 months
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n84/standardryder2006/dragon.jpg


this is what im getting real soon...
a yellow anaconda:)
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n84/standardryder2006/yellowanaconda.jpg

[atvrider23054]

heres my set-up. i need to get a log/stick so he can climb it instead of th rock.

[m.h.s.c.#527]

my granpa has 3 desert tortoises in his backyard he estimates the big one is over 80 years old its awesome

[Pappy]

hehe

[standardryder]

Originally posted by atvrider23054
heres my set-up. i need to get a log/stick so he can climb it instead of th rock.


heres mine. its 6'x2'x2' the sides are malamine coated mdf and the front is set up with 2 pieces of glass that open like a display case. deffinatly the cheapest way to go for a large reptile cage.
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n84/standardryder2006/S4021943.jpg

[MX MaNiAc 06]

Your guys's bearded dragons are enormous compared to mine! Mine are so small they probably arent even a month old yet.

Id like to have a snake. They are badass. But my dad would kill it with a stick and most likely do the same to me. There was an albino King Cobra at this thing today. It was the coolest snake ive ever seen. Some little kid was tapping on the glass yelling "snakey snakey!!". It stood up and its hood flew out then it striked the glass. One of the most amazing things ive ever seen, even though i about pissed my pants.

I told my boss about it at work the day before and i ended up running into him. He bought a pastel ball python for 200 bucks. Its pretty cool looking!

[DRT]

Argentine boa and an ackie lizard.

[Vindex Injuriae]

Y'all can have all the Mr. No Shoulders....

I like pets with fur and feet. :D

where was this at? i am getting ready to replace my ball pythn that died a few years ago...the wife says the daughter is big enough to know to not bother it now(she is 5, was 2 when it dies). man, a pastel ball for $200, i would have snagge done of them up...gotta let me know if there are any more locally soon...

[400exrider707]

My gf's bearded dragon...

[HondaEXrider22]

I had 2 leopard geckos, and a scorpian(the black one, i forget), and loads of fish with frogs and such in the tanks. I liked them, but I didnt have the time nor money to take care of something that sleeps all day and does nothing.

[krt400ex]

i had a lepard gecko thatr died about 2 weeks ago. she was 11 yrs old. im gonna get an iguana(SP?) next

[MX MaNiAc 06]

Originally posted by speedyquad
where was this at? i am getting ready to replace my ball pythn that died a few years ago...the wife says the daughter is big enough to know to not bother it now(she is 5, was 2 when it dies). man, a pastel ball for $200, i would have snagge done of them up...gotta let me know if there are any more locally soon...

It was in Mars, PA.

His pastel is deffinately a good looking snake!

i need to go to one of these...soon

[bwamos]

I have a leopard gecko (Nan). She's going to be 13yrs old soon. :eek2:

In a seperate shelter, I also have 1 African Firebellied Toad (9yrs old), and 2 Oriental Firebellied Toads (Both 4yrs old). Also have a few assorted fish in with the frogs. 65 Gallon tank 50/50 terestrial/aquatic.

[atvrider23054]

Originally posted by standardryder
heres mine. its 6'x2'x2' the sides are malamine coated mdf and the front is set up with 2 pieces of glass that open like a display case. deffinatly the cheapest way to go for a large reptile cage.
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n84/standardryder2006/S4021943.jpg


WOW, nice set-up

[MX MaNiAc 06]

Originally posted by HondaEXrider22
I had 2 leopard geckos, and a scorpian(the black one, i forget), and loads of fish with frogs and such in the tanks. I liked them, but I didnt have the time nor money to take care of something that sleeps all day and does nothing.

Well geckos are pretty boring pets. They arent pets that u can hold which makes them pretty pointless. Scorpians are cool to look at. Thats about it. I would never own one. Fish arent interesting at all.

[krt400ex]

Originally posted by MX MaNiAc 06
Well geckos are pretty boring pets. They arent pets that u can hold which makes them pretty pointless. Scorpians are cool to look at. Thats about it. I would never own one. Fish arent interesting at all.


yes you can hold a gecko...i held mine all the time...and she would just sit in my hand and sleep. for some reason though, she didn't like the color blue. my bed has blue covers on it, and whenever i put her on it she would run full-bore right off the edge of the bed if i didn't pick her back up

[bwamos]

Originally posted by MX MaNiAc 06
Well geckos are pretty boring pets. They arent pets that u can hold which makes them pretty pointless.

They are great pets. Very friendly and if raised to be social, they are just as happy hanging out on the computer desk as they are hiding in their rock. ;)

I even let the frogs out to explore occasionally. Just have to wash your hands after handling them or you'll be spending a lot of time on the komode.. lol. Their skin secretions are mildly poisonous. ;)

[MX MaNiAc 06]

I owned one once and it was mean. Every time i held it he would bite me or try to get away.

[Scott-300ex]

My one friend had a zoo in his basement, he had about 500 reptiles down there, untill his brother got kicked out and took them all with him.

[DVXracer]

Originally posted by atvRiDa400ex
i had 2 red eared sliders...but they stank up my house, so i let them go in a natural spring..:devil: :eek:

I had 2 of those also, got rid of them for the same reason .. I put them in the paper tho and some hippie lady came and got them, she prolly made turtle soup:p

[MX MaNiAc 06]

Originally posted by Scott-300ex
My one friend had a zoo in his basement, he had about 500 reptiles down there, untill his brother got kicked out and took them all with him.

Holy chit! What did he have?

[krt400ex]

Originally posted by MX MaNiAc 06
Holy chit! What did he have?


wait...you want him to start listing them? :huh

[MX MaNiAc 06]

Originally posted by krt400ex
wait...you want him to start listing them? :huh

Yeah. Im sure its 100 of something or other and 50 of something else...

[MX MaNiAc 06]

Originally posted by DVXracer
I had 2 of those also, got rid of them for the same reason .. I put them in the paper tho and some hippie lady came and got them, she prolly made turtle soup:p

Turtles stink. If u clean their cage once every other week or so they wont smell.

[Scott-300ex]

Originally posted by MX MaNiAc 06
Holy chit! What did he have?

Snakes, gecko's, lizards, rats, rabbits, turtles, camelions......


I went to the pet store yesterday to play with the snakes, that was fun, and they showed me a Tecko(?) Gecko, somethin like that, blue with bright blue spots or somethin like that, you pick it up it opens its mouth and reaches for you hand and barks at you, it will stay that way untill you let it go. Bit the guys glove and he threw it in the tank with the glove and left, came back and it was still biting it for 30 minutes.

[MX MaNiAc 06]

Originally posted by Scott-300ex
Snakes, gecko's, lizards, rats, rabbits, turtles, camelions......


I went to the pet store yesterday to play with the snakes, that was fun, and they showed me a Tecko(?) Gecko, somethin like that, blue with bright blue spots or somethin like that, you pick it up it opens its mouth and reaches for you hand and barks at you, it will stay that way untill you let it go. Bit the guys glove and he threw it in the tank with the glove and left, came back and it was still biting it for 30 minutes.

I told u guys those things were mean! lol

[DVXracer]

Originally posted by MX MaNiAc 06
Turtles stink. If u clean their cage once every other week or so they wont smell.

Haha i cleaned there tank EVERY week and they still stunk.

[slo250]

horny toad!

[MX MaNiAc 06]

Originally posted by DVXracer
Haha i cleaned there tank EVERY week and they still stunk.

Wow. I have 3 turtles in 1 cage. I clean it every other week. Sometimes i like 3 weeks. After 3 weeks it smells pretty rank.

[mxdad]

I have a snapping turtle and a tree frog

[bwamos]

Originally posted by Scott-300ex
Snakes, gecko's, lizards, rats, rabbits, turtles, camelions......


I went to the pet store yesterday to play with the snakes, that was fun, and they showed me a Tecko(?) Gecko, somethin like that, blue with bright blue spots or somethin like that, you pick it up it opens its mouth and reaches for you hand and barks at you, it will stay that way untill you let it go. Bit the guys glove and he threw it in the tank with the glove and left, came back and it was still biting it for 30 minutes.

LoL.. I'd bet that was a species of day gecko. They are a bit more fiesty than nocturnal gecko's like the Leopard gecko... lol. Sounds like a very healthy one to boot. ;) Generally , if a day gecko is complacant.. it's not a good thing.

[MX MaNiAc 06]

Originally posted by EigerRider
I have a snapping turtle and a tree frog

How big is ur snapper?

Originally posted by MX MaNiAc 06
How big is ur snapper?

i heard a guy ask a girl that once...he got slapped adn thrown out of the bar

[krt400ex]

Originally posted by speedyquad
i heard a guy ask a girl that once...he got slapped adn thrown out of the bar


LMFAO :D :devil:

[Crazy Diamond]

I have 3 Iguanas, 3 Bearded Dragons, 4 Columbian Boas, 2 Ball Pythons, 2 Red Eyed Tree Frogs, 1 Snapping Turtle, 1 Painted Turtle, 1 African Spur Thigh Tortoise and a Salamander that the kid found in the yard in with the frogs!

[Crazy Diamond]

You guys that have turtles. Do you have a filter in the tank? I have a setup with the Snapper and the Painted turtle together and I have never had it smell! Hell I couldn't tell you the last time it was cleaned! The filter takes care of that. Clean the gravel every once in a while like a fish tank too and your good to go! What are you feeding them?

[MX MaNiAc 06]

Originally posted by Crazy Diamond
I have 3 Iguanas, 3 Bearded Dragons, 4 Columbian Boas, 2 Ball Pythons, 2 Red Eyed Tree Frogs, 1 Snapping Turtle, 1 Painted Turtle, 1 African Spur Thigh Tortoise and a Salamander that the kid found in the yard in with the frogs!

Damn man, i thought i had a reptile zoo. How many crickets do u buy a week? lol

[Crazy Diamond]

Thats just the furless ones. We also have 2 rabbitts, 4 pet rats, 2 parakeets, a rose breasted cockatoo, and a tarantula. Also have a goldfish pond and an aquarium full of tropical fish. I buy 1000 crickets every few weeks. Its cheaper to buy by the 1000 than to buy a few at a time. I also buy enough frozen rats to last 6-8 months for the snakes.

[standardryder]

Originally posted by Crazy Diamond
I buy 1000 crickets every few weeks. Its cheaper to buy by the 1000 than to buy a few at a time


im going through about 3000 a month with just my 2 beardies, but they are still pretty young. how old are yours?

[fasterblaster09]

i dont have any myself, but my friend has a kumoto (sp?) dragon

[mxdad]

Originally posted by MX MaNiAc 06
How big is ur snapper?

This is my 2nd one. His shell is only about 5" long at this point. I found him in a mud puddle after my son blew threw it on his Pred 90.

My last one had a shell of over 12" when I let it go in the resevoir.

[crazedape]

kumoto dragons are poisonous and very strong. Why would anyone want one of those?

i don't think he really has a komodo dragon

[MX MaNiAc 06]

Originally posted by EigerRider
This is my 2nd one. His shell is only about 5" long at this point. I found him in a mud puddle after my son blew threw it on his Pred 90.

My last one had a shell of over 12" when I let it go in the resevoir.

Do they grow fast?

Thats funny because i was at my buddys race and all the riders were standing at the first turn. I was standing there talking to him then the guy said to get on ur machines. As i was walking off the track i saw something moving in a puddle right in the middle of the first turn. I grabbed him n kept him. I call him holeshot. :D

[MX MaNiAc 06]

Originally posted by speedyquad
i don't think he really has a komodo dragon

Dont those things grow to be 6 feet long? I doubt it would make a very good pet. lol

[fasterblaster09]

I swear, I didnt see it in real life, he showed me a video of it on his phone. i know a whole bunch of people who have gone seen it. its only like 3 feet long or so they said. his dad won it in a game of madden online. ima look into getting a pic of it.

maybe a bearded dragon, but not a komodo dragon...they are very dangerous, it is hard for zoos to even get permission to keep them...
the saliva is very bacteria laden, if you are even bit by one, chances are you will die from a bacterial infection within a few days...this is how they klill most of their prey...

Taxonomy
Order: Squamata
Family: Varanidae
Genus/species: Varanus komodoensis

In 1992, Komodo dragons hatched for the first time outside of Indonesia at the National Zoo. Four clutches have hatched and the resulting 55 offspring may be seen in more than 30 zoos around the world. The Zoo's Komodo dragon can be seen in the outdoor enclosure behind the Reptile Building.

Description
The Komodo dragon is the largest living lizard. The largest verified specimen reached a length of 10.3 feet (3.13 m) and weighed 366 pounds (166 kg). This may have included a substantial amount of undigested food. More typical weights for the largest wild dragons are about 154 pounds (70 kg). Although the Komodo can run briefly at speeds up to 13 mph (20 kph), its hunting strategy is based on stealth and power. They can spend hours in one spot, waiting for a deer, boar, goat, or anything sizable and nutritious.

Monitors can see objects as far away as 985 feet (300 m), so vision does play a role in hunting, especially as their eyes are better at picking up movement than at discerning stationary objects. Their retinas possess only cones, so they may be able to distinguish color but have poor vision in dim light. They have a much smaller hearing range than humans. The result is an animal that can not hear such sounds as a low-pitched voice or a high-pitched scream.

Vision and hearing are useful, but the Komodo's sense of smell is its primary food detector. The Komodo detects odors much like a snake does. It uses its long, yellow forked tongue to sample the air, after which the two tongue tips retreat to the roof of the mouth, where they make contact with the Jacobson's organs. The chemical analyzers "smell" a deer by recognizing airborne molecules. If the concentration present on the left tongue tip is higher than that sampled from the right, it tells the Komodo that the deer is approaching from the left. This system, along with an undulatory walk in which the head swings from side to side, helps the dragon sense the existence and direction of odoriferous carrion from as far away as 2.5 miles (four km), when the wind is right.

When the Komodo is hunting and catches its prey, a deer for example, it attacks the feet first, knocking the deer off balance. When dealing with smaller prey, it may lunge straight for the neck. The dragon’s basic strategy is simple: try to smash the quarry to the ground and tear it to pieces. Strong muscles driving powerful claws accomplish some of this, but the Komodo's teeth are its most dangerous weapon. They are large, curved, and serrated, and tear flesh efficiently. If the deer fails to escape immediately, the Komodo will continue to rip it apart. Once convinced that its prey is incapacitated, the dragon may break off its offensive for a brief rest. The deer is now badly injured and in shock. The dragon then launches the final blow, a belly attack. The deer quickly bleeds to death, and the Komodo begins to feed.

Its tooth serrations harbor bits of meat from the Komodo's last meal, either fresh prey or carrion. This protein-rich residue supports large numbers of bacteria. Scientists have found some 50 different bacterial strains, at least seven of which are highly septic, in the saliva. If the deer somehow maneuvers away and escapes death at this point, chances are that its victory, and it, will be short-lived. The infections it incurs from the Komodo bite will probably kill it within one week; its attacker, or more likely other Komodos, will then consume it, usually as a group. The Komodo bite is not deadly to another Komodo, however. Dragons wounded in battle with their comrades appear to be unaffected by these otherwise deadly bacteria. Scientists are searching for antibodies in Komodo blood that may be responsible for saving them from the fate of the infected deer.

The muscles of the Komodo's jaws and throat allow it to swallow huge chunks of meat with astonishing rapidity. Several movable joints, such as the intramandibular hinge, open the lower jaw unusually wide. The stomach expands easily, enabling an adult to consume up to 80 percent of its own body weight in a single meal, which most likely explains some exaggerated claims for immense weights in captured individuals. Komodos can throw up the contents of their stomachs when threatened to reduce their weight in order to flee.

Large mammalian carnivores, such as lions, tend to leave 25 to 30 percent of their kill unconsumed, declining the intestines, hide, skeleton, and hooves. Komodos eat much more efficiently, forsaking only about 12 percent of the prey. They eat bones, hooves, and swaths of hide. They also eat intestines, but only after swinging them vigorously to scatter their contents. This behavior removes feces from the meal. Because large Komodos cannibalize young ones, the young often roll in fecal material, thereby assuming a scent that the large dragons avoid. Young dragons also undergo rituals of appeasement, with the smaller lizards pacing around a feeding circle in a stately ritualized walk. Their tail is stuck straight out and they throw their body from side to side with exaggerated convulsions.

Distribution and Habitat
Komodo dragons are limited to a few volcanic Indonesian islands of the Lesser Sunda group including Komodo, the largest at 22 miles (35 km) long, Rintja, Padar, and Flores.

Komodo dragons are found in tropical savanna forests, but range widely over the islands, from beach to ridge tops. They escape the heat of the day and seek refuge at night in burrows that are barely big enough for them.

Diet in the Wild
Komodo dragons eat almost any kind of meat. They scavenge from carcasses or stalk animals ranging in size from small rodents to large water buffalo. The young mostly feed on small gecko lizards or insects. They are tertiary predators (predator at the top of the food chain) and are cannibalistic. They can detect carrion from a considerable distance, about 2.5 miles (4 km), and actively seek it out. Komodos hunt along game trails, where they wait for prey, deer or boar, to pass by. They then attack the prey; most are unsuccessful in bringing down an animal. However, if the dragon was able to bite the deer the toxic bacteria in their saliva will kill the prey within the next few days. At that time, they can use their powerful sense of smell to locate the dead animal. A kill is usually shared by many Komodo dragons and very little is wasted.

Zoo Diet
They are fed rodents, chicks, and rabbits weekly.

Reproduction
Although males tend to grow larger and bulkier than females, no obvious morphological differences mark the sexes. One subtle clue does exist: a slight difference in the arrangement of scales just in front of the cloaca. Sexing Komodos remains a challenge to researchers; the dragons themselves appear to have little trouble figuring out who is who. With a group assembled around the carrion, the opportunity for courtship arrives.

Most mating occurs between May and August. Dominant males can become embroiled in ritual combat in their quest for females. Using their tails for support, they wrestle in upright postures, grabbing each other with their forelegs as they attempt to throw the opponent to the ground. Blood is usually drawn, and the loser either runs or remains prone and motionless.

The victorious wrestler initiates courtship by flicking his tongue on a female's snout and then over her body. The temple and the fold between the torso and the rear leg are common spots. Stimulation is both tactile and chemical, through skin gland secretions. Before copulation can occur, the male must evert a pair of hemipenes located within his cloaca, at the base of the tail. The male then crawls on the back of his partner and inserts one of the two hemipenes, depending on his position relative to the female's tail, into her cloaca.

The female Komodo lays about 30 eggs in September. The delay in laying may serve to help the clutch avoid the brutally hot months of the dry season. In addition, unfertilized eggs may have a second chance with a subsequent mating. The female lays in depressions dug on hill slopes or within the pilfered nests of Megapode birds. These chicken-size land dwellers make heaps of earth mixed with twigs that may reach three feet (1 m) in height and ten feet (3 m) across. While the eggs are incubating, about nine months, females may lie on the nests, protecting their future offspring. No evidence exists, however, for parental care of newly hatched Komodos.

The hatchlings weigh less than 3.5 ounces (100 g) and average only 16 inches (40 cm) in length. Their early years are precarious, and they often fall victim to predators, including their fellow Komodos. They feed on a diverse diet of insects, small lizards, snakes, and birds. Should they live five years, they can weigh 55 pounds (25 kg) and stretch 6.5 feet (2 m) long. By this time, they have moved on to bigger prey, such as rodents, monkeys, goats, wild boars, and the most popular Komodo food, deer. Slow growth continues throughout their lives, which may last more than 30 years.


Life Span
Dragons may live about 30 years in the wild, but scientists are still studying this.

Status
Komodo dragons are endangered due in part to their limited range. It would appear that they have been hunted (legally and illegally) over the years, but not to the extent of decimating the population. Komodo National Park, established in 1980, and strict anti-poaching laws have helped protect the dragons, although illegal activity still takes place. Villagers sometimes poison carrion bait to reduce the population, much like ranchers of the American West poison sheep carcasses to rid the area of coyotes and mountain lions.

Dutch colonial government instituted protection plans as early as 1915.

Fun Fact
The ora, or "land crocodile" as they are called by locals, are the largest living lizards. They can reach lengths of more than ten feet and weigh over 300 pounds. The average size for males is eight to nine feet and about 200 pounds.

[MX MaNiAc 06]

I didnt know that they were poisonous. They sure are cool looking though!

[Crazy Diamond]

You can't have a Komodo Dragon! No One Sells them! And you would be dead really fast if he ever bit you! There are other lizards you may have! Nile Monitor, Black Throat, Savannah,...etc. NOT a Komodo!

My dragons are 2 years old! They go thru 1000 crickets, 1000 mealworns and 50 Superworms every 3 weeks! They also eat greens and fruit! They love carrots shredded!

[reptikes]

Right now i own 1 Male Anery Boa, 1 Female Prob. Super Hypo 50% het Albino Boa, 1 Female Suriname Boa striaght from Bob Futo, 1 Female Pastel 100% het Albino Boa, 1 Male normal Red Tail Colombian Boa, 1 Female African Rock Python, 1 Male 1 Female Arginetine Boas, and 3 Geckos

[reptikes]

another pic.

[reptikes]

yet another.

[mxdad]

Originally posted by MX MaNiAc 06
Do they grow fast?

Thats funny because i was at my buddys race and all the riders were standing at the first turn. I was standing there talking to him then the guy said to get on ur machines. As i was walking off the track i saw something moving in a puddle right in the middle of the first turn. I grabbed him n kept him. I call him holeshot. :D

I don't think they grow that fast. I had the other one for several years and have had this one for at least 6 mos now. I think they say they grow to thier environment so keep him in a smaller tank and he will grow slower???

[fasterblaster09]

this weekend i'll ask my g/f to borrow her camera, and go over and get pics. I personally didnt know what that looked like, so i looked a pic up on the computer and it looks JUST like it. and he was telling me the saliva and stuff is poisonous. the man they got it from said it wont grow anymore because of the cage or w.e its in.

[reptikes]

The komodo dragon DOES NOT HAVE ANY PIOSON. And a captive species would not have the bacteria in its mouth that the wild ones do. The bacteria is not genetic, its caused from the dead things it eats and the rotting of the food that is stuck between its teeth. Komodos in Zoos do not have the bacteria either, i've seen pictures of kids with the Komodo at the Pittsburgh Zoo. If you want a Komodo you best bet is to get a Asian Water Monitor. They get to 7.5 feet and can wiegh in at 170+ pounds. The crazy thing is they are tame, i had a yearling Water Monitor that was 3 feet and i could feed him canned chicken right out of my hand! He was awesome.

I buy, sell, and trade reptiles.
MIKES REPTIKES : For all of your Exotic Reptile needs.
Reptikes@yahoo.com

[reptikes]

One more thing, Snakes and Monitors WILL out grow there enclosures. Keeping them in a small space will not keep them from growing at all.

[standardryder]

sent you a pm^

[Crazy Diamond]

Hey Reptikes. Where in PA are you located?