Pets - Reptiles

[VXIRONwoMAN]

Anyway, like I said, this just makes me feel stronger about people keeping exotics and non-domesticated animals in general. And I'm not just talking about herps, but birds, fish, mammals, etc. These animals just do not belong in captivity, unless the keeper is a dedicated to its care and husbandry (like in a zoo environment), I just feel like it isn't a good idea, and certainly not fair to the creature. After I got the Mata Mata, it was less than a year before I started feeling guilty again.

And on top of the guilt, there is the whole problem of invasive species, disease, illegal trading of endangered and threatened species, pressure on wild populations, the list goes on. Basically, I just won't do it anymore. I don't want any part of the "pet trade". These are not pets, they are captive specimens. My cat is a pet, my dog is a pet. Tigers and Mata Mata turtles are not pets.

While I don't hold keepers in contempt, I just feel like its such a bad thing to do, if you really "love" and respect the animal. There's just sooooo many sad stories of neglect, improper care, and plain old failure, like in my Mata's case, that just make me feel like crap.

OK, I'll get off my soap box now. Good luck to all the keepers out there.

Bart

I agree with you to the nth degree, Bart! Especially once my Bearded Dragon didn't take well to moving to Chicago and passed away. In my efforts to do some good after his death, I adopted 2 more Beardies in desperate need of a good home. Their living conditions were so sad, I won't even go into detail about that. But here is a little about them after I rescued them...

It started with Ozzy and Sharon... who couldn't get enough of each other from the start.



Little did I know that Sharon had a surprise waiting... 22 eggs were laid. Being my first clutch, I didn't expect any survivors...


I was wrong... 11 hatched! And all that hatched survived! The one on the far left was the first born and the runt of the clutch.


Here's a good size comparison...Father and his first born...


After the eggs were laid, I adopted Sharon to a herp expert in Michigan because I didn't have space for 13 Beardies. She even has an alligator! I adopted all the babies out and kept Ozzy. He roams around in his 100 gallon terrarium all to himself. He is so spoiled. I don't think I will take any more reptiles in after he is gone though, because I do feel the same as Bart. This isn't where they belong.

[VXIRONwoMAN]

For those that have good eaters...

I buy all my live food from www.premiumcrickets.com They have great prices, and give quality product. I have bought crickets, butter worms, phoenix worms, and super worms from them. I have always been happy with them and so has Ozzy. It's waaaay cheaper than getting them from the local pet shop.

Just a suggestion...