Reptiles? Anyone?

[FrugalReeferJon]

A little off topic but anybody here keep reptiles as well as a reef? Earlier this week I attended a party my workplace holds every year for all the 10 plus year employees. This year it was held at Sea World here in San Diego. Lots of socializing, music, dancing, food, alcohol with a 3 drink limit. There were also Sea World reps walking around with different wildlife. One Sea World rep came up to my GF and I carrying 2 Australian Blue Tongued Skinks, started talking about them, let us hold them and I immediately fell in love. These guys are so chill and well behaved that the thought of keeping one of these guys on my own in the future started flowing through my head. I even read up a little the next day on the basics of keeping reptiles since I’ve never done it.

 

[Miami Reef]

@rtparty @Crabs McJones

 

[bluemon]

I just combine the two together and keep a marine iguana and a sea snake in my 100 gallon.

The iguana does a good job chomping on my nuisance algae /s

 

[rtparty]

I keep amphibians. Reptiles freak me out

 

[dvgyfresh]

Reptiles are super cool. If you are serious about keeping them they are care guides all online. Most important part is patience as the animal has to get to know you , and I think very important is you have to confident grab every time, show no hesitation/scared when picking them up

 

[Fish Fan]

I like reptiles, and used to be very into their keeping and breeding. I always really liked the smaller snakes and larger lizards. I've never had a Blue Tong but they are cool animals. I have had larger monitor lizards, which I really like.

Here's a few pics from over the years:

 

[Should I]

i have everthing i need to setup a viv for a tree monitor i just pussied out cause there pretty expensive very sensitive and i have no clue what i am doing + when i tried to ask advice on keeping them i got flamed the reptile people don't seem to like new keepers unlike fish people when i asked aload of dumb questions when 1st starting

 

[twentyleagues]

I have kept quite a few reptiles in my time. I do miss my Argentinian boa, Black Rough neck monitor and my Argus monitor, all were donated to the Detroit Zoo years ago when I no longer had time to properly interact with them. I kept my ancient Okeetee corn snake until I got divorced and was unsure what the outcome would be. I gave him to a coworker 6 years ago. I have had a few others couple dwarf monitors and a few skinks never a Blue tongue though. My ex worked at a petstore and they had one as a "mascot" she would "wear" it around all day. Biggest things when dealing with most reptiles is interact with them daily (if appropriate based on feeding mostly), Dont smell, act, or look like food...reptile brain is real.

 

[twentyleagues]

I like reptiles, and used to be very into their keeping and breeding. I always really liked the smaller snakes and larger lizards. I've never had a Blue Tong but they are cool animals. I have had larger monitor lizards, which I really like.

Here's a few pics from over the years:

Wow what a clutch! Same parents? I wouldnt think that mix possible.

 

[Fish Fan]

Wow what a clutch! Same parents? I wouldnt think that mix possible.

Oh yeah, same mom and dad with some mixed genes made all those colored corn snake babies. Reptile breeding and genetics can be fun, but aquarium keeping has been my oldest hobby, and I think I prefer it, but I will always like reptile keeping too. I also really liked the monitor lizards

 

[twentyleagues]

Oh yeah, same mom and dad with some mixed genes made all those colored corn snake babies. Reptile breeding and genetics can be fun, but aquarium keeping has been my oldest hobby, and I think I prefer it, but I will always like reptile keeping too. I also really liked the monitor lizards

I have kept and bred fish most of my life, A few reptiles too, corn snakes, leopard geckos, Small green geckos (cant for the life of me remember their type). Fish are "easier" to deal with in general. My Argus was a handful, but I loved her. Never really knew what she was thinking, and she was always thinking. She escaped from a few different enclosures pulled the vents out of one, figured out how to open the lids on another when she was little. She would intimidate my ex all the time, guess she knew something I didnt..lol.

 

[Fish Fan]

I have kept and bred fish most of my life, A few reptiles too, corn snakes, leopard geckos, Small green geckos (cant for the life of me remember their type). Fish are "easier" to deal with in general. My Argus was a handful, but I loved her. Never really knew what she was thinking, and she was always thinking. She escaped from a few different enclosures pulled the vents out of one, figured out how to open the lids on another when she was little. She would intimidate my ex all the time, guess she knew something I didnt..lol.

Yeah, those monitor lizards are super smart, no doubt about it! That's funny about intimidating your ex lol!

 

[twentyleagues]

Yeah, those monitor lizards are super smart, no doubt about it! That's funny about intimidating your ex lol!

Yeah the Argus would tripod every time my ex came down no matter what was going on and just stare at her. She would do it sometimes with me to but you could see her eyes flashing, she was excited to see me she knew I would let her out.
@FrugalReeferJon Sorry for the sidetrack this just sent me down memory lane. I think with the proper knowledge a Blue Tongue is a good first larger lizard to own though. They are usually pretty docile if handled regularly.

 

[Fish Fan]

Blue Tongues typically make very good pet lizards

 

[littlefoxx]

This is my beautiful boy Dash Im a first time reptile keeper, I saw him in a store in January and brought him home. He was so small then! I did a lot of research on bearded dragons before getting him. They are a really good beginner reptile for sure and I love him he is a great cuddler

 

[littlefoxx]

There is also a form for bearded dragons thats the same format as R2R and very helpful.

 

[FrugalReeferJon]

Yeah the Argus would tripod every time my ex came down no matter what was going on and just stare at her. She would do it sometimes with me to but you could see her eyes flashing, she was excited to see me she knew I would let her out.
@FrugalReeferJon Sorry for the sidetrack this just sent me down memory lane. I think with the proper knowledge a Blue Tongue is a good first larger lizard to own though. They are usually pretty docile if handled regularly.

No problem, I love reading all these discussions about different types of reptiles.

 

[Malum Argenteum]

even read up a little the next day on the basics of keeping reptiles

Another thing worth reading up on is legal and conservation issues -- trafficking and the role of hobby keepers in it.

The Aussie BTSs are all smuggled lineage, as Australia doesn't export reptiles for commercial purposes (Indo BTS are gray market, as a function of the extreme amount of laundering out of Indonesia), as are the dart frogs in the photo above (that particular locale was smuggled -- very likely numerous times -- out of a national park in Brazil and trafficked through Europe).

While the specimens for sale aren't the smuggled ones, buying them encourages more trafficking of new species, morphs and locales -- that's distinctly the case with the darts above.

 

[twentyleagues]

Another thing worth reading up on is legal and conservation issues -- trafficking and the role of hobby keepers in it.

The Aussie BTSs are all smuggled lineage, as Australia doesn't export reptiles for commercial purposes (Indo BTS are gray market, as a function of the extreme amount of laundering out of Indonesia), as are the dart frogs in the photo above (that particular locale was smuggled -- very likely numerous times -- out of a national park in Brazil and trafficked through Europe).

While the specimens for sale aren't the smuggled ones, buying them encourages more trafficking of new species, morphs and locales -- that's distinctly the case with the darts above.

While I get what you are saying most if not all the Blue Tongues that are for sale now are captive bred. Same for most dart frog species. If we thought this through most fish and corals would probably be on a similar list or at least could have been at one time. I am not happy or "good" with the practice of smuggling but in the case of the Blue tongue that was a very long time ago. These are generations removed.

 

[Crabs McJones]

Snakes and lizards here