Tuesday, October 19, 2010

DIY - Naturalistic Crested Gecko Background/Hide Spots

Alright, while I've been waiting to get the animals moved in at my new place, I have admittedly been going a little stir crazy without them. One of the awesome things about reptiles, though, is the amount of awesome things you can do to decorate their tanks - something which, in my case, can be worked on without either the animals OR their enclosures (as long as you know the dimensions of the tank you're working with).

So, what better thing to do with my time than work on decorations?

About a year ago, I started on a custom backdrop for my Crested Gecko breeder tank. Crested Geckos are an arboreal species, which live in semi-humid, moderate temperature environments - meaning that when I'm creating a background for these guys, I need something they can climb and hide in, which will stand up to a somewhat moist environment. To make one yourself, you will need:

1) Great Stuff Expanding Foam Insulation (I bought 2 cans of it, since I hadn't used the material before, and I wasn't sure how much I was going to need.)
2) Something to act as the base for the background. I personally like to use flat sheets of cork board - it's reasonably inexpensive, lightweight, easy to manipulate so that I can get it the right size&position, and it seems to stand up well to my tanks&their inhabitants. Additionally, a lot of cork board packages come with some sort of self-adhesive Velcro pads, which you can use to mount the background to the tank if you deem it necessary (as with anything you put in your tank, be aware of the dangers of placing an adhesive in the enclosure - I prefer to make the background large enough that I can wedge it tightly against the back of the tank to prevent slippage, or small enough that I can use a suction cup based clip for easy removal.)
3) Wire Cutters or strong scissors
4) Hot glue gun (and extra sticks of hot glue)
5) Clear drying caulk
6) Dirt (I used loose coconut fiber that I had frozen for a week or two to 'sanitize' it, then defrosted)
7) Fake Plants (I got mine from Michael's Arts&Crafts - it is important when selecting your plants that you make sure there are no sharp edges or little pieces that they could pull off&hurt themselves.)
8) *OPTIONAL, STRONGLY SUGGESTED* Biodegradable planter cups

As I originally started this project nearly a year ago, I do not have photos of the first few steps - I know, I know - epic documenting fail. ;)

That's alright, you're intelligent people - I'm sure you can figure it out without the visual aids!

...Or, next time I make one of these, I'll photograph that as well.

The breeder tank that I use for the Crested Geckos is an 18"x18"x24" - I started by arranging the cork board into an appropriate sized back drop (taking several 12"x12" pieces and cutting&hot gluing as appropriate to create an approximately 17"x17" square - allowing space on the edges for the Great Stuff Expanding Foam to... well... expand, after I sprayed it on... more on that in a moment).

After I had hot glued the pieces of cork board into an appropriately sized&shaped base to start with, I took some of those biodegradable planters and arranged them on top of the base (to create pockets for hiding/sticking the fake plants in later) - I ended up cutting the biodegradable planters in half to create a more natural look, then hot glued them in place as well.

Next step... GREAT STUFF! This was actually the most unusual (and simultaneously most nerve-wracking) step for me, since I had never used this particular medium before (it was recommended to me by numerous people who have done their own Crestie enclosures). I took the Great Stuff Expanding Foam, and commenced to cover the entire thing - I actually ended up overdoing it a little, I think - it sort of started swallowing those plant pockets I had created with the biodegradable planters - but it all worked out well.

I let the Great Stuff dry COMPLETELY, then picked up the Clear-Drying-Caulk and my bag-o-dirt.

...This step was SO messy. I ended up covered in caulk and coconut fiber. I really wish someone had managed to get a photo of me; I looked like a swamp thing.

Basically, I smeared the entire thing with clear drying caulk, and then covered it with the dirt.

...I had SO. MUCH. FUN! :D

The end result (after letting it dry completely, and shaking off the majority of the extra dirt... both from the background and from myself) left me with something like this:



Lumpy, brown, and reasonably unimpressive, albeit a pretty good start if I do say so myself. (You can't see them, particularly from this perspective, but there are four plant pockets hidden in there - their 'invisibility' isn't necessarily a bad thing; I prefer the look of not being able to see where they are - it feels more 'natural looking' to me; however you do yours is up to you. Have fun! Get creative!)

I then proceeded to let this air out for... oh... about a year (literally, since I sort of forgot about it). You don't need to let it air for that long, but I'd give it about a week in a well ventilated place to finish out-gassing. If you're not sure if it's done, give it more time - you definitely don't want those chemical smells in with your critters.

After it's completely done drying and is no longer giving off that chemical concoction aroma, it's time to DECORATE! Grab those plants, people!



Plug in your hot glue gun, and start playing around with where you think you want your plants to be. Once you like the way they look, get going! Begin to hot glue them in place.



*NOTE* A good deal of fake plants have wires in them that will help hold shape to some extent (this is where the wire cutters come in - trimming pieces off larger plants, etc), and it's important to remember that your critters will actually be actively involved with this background. While the support of the wire is nice, there's nothing quite like spending a ton of time putting a tank together, only to walk in the next morning and find that your geckos (party animals that they are) destroyed it over night. I make sure to 'anchor' the plants with hot glue in several locations, to prevent slippage, offer more stable footing to the animals, and stop the animals from massacring the decorations that they're clambering over.

When you're done (or have had enough of burning yourself on the hot glue), let it set to dry, and VOILA! You should be left with something vaguely resembling a naturalistic environment, that you can attach/wedge in to the back of your tank.



Personally, I have a blast with this stuff. Don't be afraid to get creative, have fun, and don't be afraid to make mistakes a mess ;) - it's how we learn.

Go enjoy your animals.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Have Reptiles, Will Stay Home

Hey guys - sorry about the absence; I've been a little busy getting married. ;)

I am now on my ninth day sans scaly babies, and I've got to admit - it feels a little weird. I couldn't figure out why it felt so awkward until I realized that the last actual vacation I took was in June of 2007, over three years ago.

Appropriate pet-sitting is tough to find, even when the animals are as common as dogs or cats; when you have anywhere between 10 and 40 reptiles for people to look after, each with their own particular diet/temperature/humidity/handle-ability requirements... it gets more complicated, not to mention more expensive.

Somehow, for my honeymoon, my mom stepped in with her natural good grace and offered to keep an eye on the critters for me until I get back into the swing of normal daily life.

Those tanks I ordered back in July should arrive some time within the next month and a half or so; I am SUPER stoked, and there will definitely be photos of those when they get here, and once their set up. I'm also going to be working on some decorations for the largest Crested Gecko tank this evening I think - after I move them over, I'm going to be reorganizing things, maybe converting it into a naturalistic set up.

More to come - for now though, over and out.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Every Once In A While, I Weird Myself Out

"Hey, so what kinds of things are you going to be writing about on your blog?"
"Oh, you know, some of the ridiculous things I do as a reptile keeper. Some of it'll be informational, sometimes photo posts, sometimes silly stories or really weird things I've done."
"I saw that little turtle picture, that's pretty cute."
"Haha, yeah, he was."
"Don't have him anymore?"
"Not... really... I have part of him. I kept the shell."
"...How do you get the shell off of a turtle?"

Let's start by establishing that this turtle was a rescue; someone bought their kid a 1" turtle from Chinatown, and - after finding out that not only are they a health hazard (especially for kids), but they're also illegal, it was abandoned at the store.

Me being me, I took it home.

I got him set up appropriately, took him outdoors to get his UV exposure, all that good stuff - and yet, unfortunately, never could get him to eat.

As seems to occur when unfortunate events stack up, our tiny turtle didn't make it for very long.

Which brings us back to, "...How do you get the shell off a turtle?"

(Weak of stomach, turn back now.)

The initial response was to take the body and place it outside, near a colony of ants; the ants then strip away everything but the bones, and you're left with a pretty awesome skeleton. The ants, however, have had a habit in the past of walking off with little pieces that I wanted; I wasn't willing to sacrifice to them this particular collection of bones.

Next option? Boil it.

I will save you the gory details, but rest assured, I will never be doing that again.

On the first count, it absolutely reeks. I don't think I've ever smelled anything so foul as a boiling turtle. Even in the only port-a-potty at the fair. In the middle of a marathon. On a hot day. In India.

On the second count, it's a turtle. That died for uncertain reasons. The health hazards of keeping a regular live turtle near things you eat with are high, never mind a dead one, when you don't know exactly what it was that killed it. The amount of scrubbing and disinfecting that ensued was pure ridiculousness.

So, being that I couldn't stand the smell long enough for the boiling process to be particularly effective, that left me final option.

Manual removal.

For those of you that don't know, turtles are attached to their shells; while it varies from species to species on how the shell is actually constructed and how much 'shell reduction' has gone on, we'll basically say that their spine is fused to the inside of the shell. (Poke around here for some more highly informative stuff regarding turtles, tortoises, and their shells: http://reptilis.net/2009/01/21/t-u-r-t-l-e-power-part-1-turtles-are-weird/)

Using some very unorthodox methods, will power, and stubborn 'I CAN DO THIS' concentration, I pried my turtle from his shell with...

An old fondue-fork-like-object.

And scissors.

...I apologize.

I justify it only with morbid curiosity, and the intense desire to have a tiny little turtle shell of my own.

...It did work. Sort of.

And that's some of the sort of thing you'll be reading about on this blog.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

I Don't Like Pet Stores

I apologize for the absence guys; my computer was down for a few days while I waited for a new power supply to arrive.

At work, I've been prepping for Back To School night; in honor of this auspicious occasion, I set up a little desert tank in the classroom and brought in a (rather boring but) incredibly sweet little lizard of mine.



I present to you, Dollar, performing his usual laziness in the corner of the tank.

Dollar is a Leopard Gecko (a genetic morph, actually, he's an albino of sorts) - a very hardy, mellow, easy to care for lizard, and one that I would highly recommend as a starter animal for kids.

There are a few good 'starter' reptiles; Leopard Geckos and Bearded Dragons both fall into this group as far as I'm concerned - Leopard Geckos have the bonus of being slightly easier all around and don't take up as much space as Bearded Dragons, while Beardies tend to be more sociable and interesting to interact with.

For those with kids, or interested for themselves, make sure to do your research on any animal before you purchase it; DON'T rely only on the salesperson at the store.

While well-intentioned, the number of ill informed sales people out there greatly outweigh those that know what they are talking about - always better safe than sorry. There are tons of books at your local store or library, and a plethora of information regarding the care and husbandry of your prospective purchase available on the internet. There are websites to read, forums to ask questions of, and excellent breeders to be found; there are even websites that you can check out the reputation of the breeder you buy from!

I was debating beating around the subject, but I think I'll come right out and say it; my personal recommendation is to avoid purchasing reptiles at any commercial pet store and go straight to the breeders.

There are a lot of reasons for this, the first of which being that chain stores (Petco/smart/club) have a lot of things to focus on; what this means for the animal you're about to purchase is that it is only one of many things on this particular radar, and more likely to receive a smaller portion of the care and attention pie. The critters have a tendency to be overpriced and underfed, and you're likely to walk away with more hardship than anything else.

Specialty stores can be hit or miss; while there are some amazing reptile stores out there, there are also a lot of really lousy ones as well - for people just starting out in the hobby, it can be difficult to tell the difference just by walking into a place.

Breeders are more likely to be narrowly focused - meaning fewer species that they're working with, and thus a (likely, though not guaranteed) deeper knowledge of the one species that they do work with. The animals are more likely to be healthy and happy, and you (as the customer) are more likely to get the kind of personally tailored experience that you're looking for. Small time breeders tend to cater to each customer individually, which gives you more freedom to ask questions and get to know the animal you're about to purchase. They also tend to be more consistent (if they're lousy, you can find out pretty easily by bouncing the name around at the forums and asking for people's input), and give you a more direct course of action should things not go as you expect them to.

All of this is my own personal opinion, you could have amazing luck the other way around, but in the 15+ years that I've been buying, this is what I've found to work best.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

There's Always Room At The Inn

Well, there are two bags of cypress mulch defrosting in the sun beside the house, geckos sleeping in the bedroom, and my newest friend happily gnawing the head off of a cricket beside me.

More accurately, he already gnawed the head off of the first cricket, ate the antennae and dropped the rest. He's finishing up the body as we speak, while pinning the second cricket against the wall with his spare 'hand' (appendage) so that it's there when he's finished consuming the first.

Any guesses as to what the newest addition is?

Anyone?

It's a Praying Mantis. :D



Okay, so it's not a reptile, but it does fall into the 'creepy-crawly' genre.

When people find out how many animals I have (or have had, or accrue throughout the year), the looks on their face are generally something like a mix between shock and awe; a sort of, "How did you do that/How does that happen?!?"

The answer is this: patient parents/housemates, a nurturing environment, and an extended period of time.

At work on Thursday, the kids stumbled across my newest addition in the play yard - after several near-misses with the bottom of tiny sneakers, the mantis climbed aboard my hand and I was able to give a mini-lesson in the value of preserving a life. Usually, after scooping the creature out of harm's way, I deposit whatever it happens to be somewhere in the 'safety' of the nearby garden; in this particular instance, I brought it home with me and have since begun caring for it. I've never kept a mantis before, though I have tried (unsuccessfully) to raise them from those little egg cases you can purchase at the store.

This is about as far as I've ever come with being able to raise them:



(Photo by M.Krauss - check out his work at http://www.pbase.com/mkrauss)

They hatched, then - probably due to keeper inadequacy - failed to thrive. The learning curve with living things is a sharp one; keep up, or the animal dies. (I swear, I will get back to the point eventually here.)

Anyway, I now have a mantis, it is eating (more than I expected it to, at that), and it is (thus far) doing well.

They filter in, whether it be by chance and curiosity (as with Trakker here), people thinking of me and asking if I'll take one in as a rescue temporarily, hatching (I breed them too, remember), or what have you. They stay, until they're released, rehomed, sold, or - as some of them do - take up a permanent residence here at the house.

And that my friends, is how I end up with a head count of anywhere between 10 and 40+ animals throughout the year.

One at a time.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

I Buy Dirt

There is a pile of mulch on the floor of my bedroom.

More specifically, there are three 11 liter (10 dry quarts) bags of cypress bedding taking up a not-negligible amount of space beside the ladder I use to get up onto my bed.

So, basically, there’s a pile of mulch on the floor of my bedroom.

A friend of mine grabbed them for me this past weekend at a reptile show that I was unable to attend; he dropped them off yesterday (which I much appreciate), and now – being that my freezer is full (of coffee grounds, chicken, and rats, apparently), I feel like I’m starting a compost pile right there in my living quarters.

I definitely leave a smaller carbon footprint than others, but this is a bit ‘green’ even for me. ;)

…What does the full freezer have to do with anything?

Cypress mulch has a lot of perks; it’s great for maintaining humidity while remaining mold & mildew resistant, it does a fantastic job of odor control, it’s reasonably attractive, and it’s inexpensive.

It is also a natural bedding, which means that funky little critters might enjoy making their homes in it before it gets into the snake cage. One way to help prevent contaminating the tanks with these joyous little organisms is to expose the bedding to extreme temperatures before I use it in the tanks; I shove the bags into the freezer for about a week, pull them out to thaw, then use them. The other alternative would be to bake the bedding; aside from losing the natural moisture in it (which I want to keep), there’s something weird to me about sticking what is basically damp kindling in the oven (cue visions of burning the house down).

I’ve got to take a look and see what I can move, how I can make room… until then, I’ll continue to hope that no one mistakes what’s going on and starts tossing their garbage in here.

Monday, September 20, 2010

There's A Snake In The Tub

Every serious reptile keeper has, at some point, had something akin to a spiritual awakening – usually at that moment in which they simultaneously realize how idiotic the thing they just did was, and that they seem to have survived it unscathed. (These are the moments I am referring to, most usually, when I say something like, “I’ve learned a lot…”)

One of my favorite personal experiences involved a 7’ boa, duct tape, a tub full of lukewarm water, and – of course – myself. About the time I was bent awkwardly over the tub, coils of muscle flopped across my arm and…snaking… up my leg, I realized that the piece of duct tape I was attempting to remove from this not-particularly-pleased animal was the one wrapped – problematically – around its mouth. Was there anyone home to help me should something go awry? Of course not. Could I have become one of those news stories that make me roll my eyes at the blatant moronic behavior of some snake owners? It’s possible.

Luckily for me, and for the boa (who I affectionately refer to as Grip) – I did not. At nearly 15 years old, Grip was an incredibly mellow animal…never snippy, good with kids, and just a fantastic specimen all around. As far as Red Tail Boas go, he was not a particularly ‘big’ snake; but, just for fun, let’s talk, for a moment, about the word “big”.

More specifically, how this word relates to things like… oh… snakes.

This is a very relative term; for some, a ‘big’ snake is anything larger than a worm that surprises them in the garden. Others might judge more by length, as in, “If I can’t completely crush it when I scream in fear and stomp on it, it’s big.” (I do NOT condone squishing snakes, by the way - if you ‘stomp’ on a snake in my presence, it better be trying to eat you.)

If you’re me, a ‘big’ snake is more governed by thickness or weight, rather than length. If it’s under six feet, I’ll probably be referring to it as small to medium sized (depending how much under six feet it is) on the grand scale of snakes, and then discuss its relative size in comparison to others of the same species.

Another general measurement I like to use is, “If I were the only one around, could this thing kill me by sheer strength alone?” (Not that it would, but COULD it, if it wanted to?)

Grip, for example, is one that I would refer to as a ‘big’ snake – somewhere around 7’ long, and 17-20 lbs. By species, Grip was ‘small’ to ‘average’ – Red Tail Boas can get somewhere between 7-10 feet, and significantly heavier than this one was. In general, I’d consider a 7’ snake to be large, but definitely not huge; it comes nowhere near the length or width of the more commonly envisioned Reticulated Python, Burmese Python, or Anaconda (either the Green or Yellow variety).

Rule of thumb when working with snakes (particularly constrictors – often referring to boas and pythons, but also including any snake whose method of killing prey is through coiling around it and compressing) is that you should have one person for every 4’ of snake – just in case. I have definitely had my lapses in obeying these sorts of practices, and – thus far – I’ve been incredibly lucky. Acknowledging snakes as wild animals is an absolute must; while you may work with them for 50 years and never have an issue, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

I Keep Rats In The Freezer

You keep WHAT in your freezer???

Yup, you read me right; I keep dead rats in my freezer. Well, technically, I keep dead rats in a shared freezer, and it's not the one in the kitchen. They're in the freezer in the garage, right above the coffee grounds and just below the chicken breasts, wrapped oh-so-discreetly in neon green plastic bags.

Who DOES that???

Well, if you're me, it sort of comes with the territory. I am a reptile breeder, and this is a taste of my average day.