keeping reptiles boring?

[DanTheMan]

Man every lizard i Have ever kept has its own personality and they have never bored me. From my geckos which come out at night and stalk the woodies to my little dragons that are always running around. Geckos are boring during the day but what do you expect their nocturnal. I suggest you get some nice small dragons they are very entertaining!

Dragons have personality! Thats true, yet I have no interest in keeping them, I don't know why.
Snakes are just more fascinating, even though they have no personality.

 

[reptilegirl_jordan]

na i dont find reptiles boring
i love watching them searching for food,feeding,sheding,sometimes its abit of entertainment when you get a hatchie home and they think there a taipan.hehe.
sometimes i look at an adult i have and remember when i got it at 70cm's now the snakes 6 foot+.good stuff.

 

[Slateman]

I keep a mixture of species, so there is always something going on around my place and I could never find this boring. I love to sit and watch my snakes even as they rest, to familiarise myself with their faces and their shapes, marvel at how they manage to squeeze into the tightest spots and still remain comfortable, and then to see, as I watch my sleeping snake, an eye move! Not sleeping at all, but watching me right back!

To cruise around the cages as I do my checks and notice who is alert to my activity and who isn't. To outstare the Brown Tree Snakes, spring them as they glide along a branch and then freeze in place when I come near, so I freeze also and we play... who will move first. (I cheat, I count those eye movements as a win to me!)

I adore to watch them drinking, to watch the muscles in their heads moving, some flicker their tongues as they drink, others bury their faces right up to their eyes and just let themselves go with the experience. I love to hold a water bowl under a nose as a snake rests and to see it flick, flick, realise the water is there and lower their head to drink as I enjoy the sight of my snakes trusting enough to do that while I stand there holding their water.

At nighttime, as the pythons cruise their branches, looking out of the enclosures to watch me and subconciously convincing me (in a totally anthropomorphic way of course) that they are asking to come out and explore, politely, with a please, thank you.

And when time comes that the bellies start to rumble and the cruising stops and the stillness of the hunt starts, to see them alert, but appearing not to be, heads jerking to each and every movement that happens around them. Tiptoe past, lest they strike the glass and hurt themselves.

To watch the feed, the clumsy ones attacking their harmless dinner backwards, taking forever to figure it out and reshuffle the hold to find that elusive head to start. The real hunters, hitting, squeezing the already lifeless body in an imagined kill. To tug lightly on the tail of dinner as the snake starts to back off a little, prompting a fresh squeeze. 'It's alive!! Kill it again!! Kill Kill!!'

To consistantly be amazed at the ability to stretch, the sides of the jaws and head moving stealthily, side to side, like creeping footsteps along the furry bodies disappearing inside, marvel at the muscles, stretching and pulling dinner deeper into their bellies. The shape of a rat gone, to be replaced by a form, infinitely longer and thinner than the rat was born to be in a rat perfect world. Then the push, as the head and neck turn, first this side, then that, pushing dinner deeper, the thin line of skin hanging loosely under the neck and the back muscles bunching with the effort.

Then dinner in the belly, so big and so fat refuge in a tight hidey hole is not possible. Watching them lying stretched across a branch, bellies full, the knowledge that those teeth are simply waiting for me to become complacent and reach in to adjust a waterbowl, thinking in my own head, (who has the pea sized brain now) that, no way, they are full and sleeping now, it's all safe... and reaching in with rat stinky fingers...

The reach for the towel to stem the blood. Nostrils filled with the lingering smell of rat, now lumps in bellies, but only recently defrosting in warm water. Cleaning the defrost bowls, curling my nose at the smell of the rat water. Knowing this is the first of a long line of cleans to be done over the next couple of weeks, as each happy satiated snake digests and yet, not regretting the work to come.

For in between the work, as I wait for my new wounds to heal and close and be forgotten, (maybe a scar or two and certainly another tale to tell for the enjoyment of others), comes the watching and appreciation of the animal species I have chosen to keep.

Never boring.

Wow, I could not write that with my Slateman's English, but have similler feelings regarding my animals.

 

[Slateman]

Never boring, I can potter around with them all day, every day, cleaning , feeding, observing, *cuddling* esp the stimmis.
When they breed and have babies it is amazing....now for that full time job at Snake Ranch....lol

We know that you are reptimum Fay. You softy.

 

[cement]

AS you get older you tend to enjoy the simpler things. As a young fella, i would have been bored too, but I was hyperactive and loved nothing better then not being at home!
Nowadays, the herps suit me down to the ground, I find them fascinating and glad I got into them as captives later on in life as I now have more time for them.
My kids are like you, they love the herps but just don't have the discipline for the daily routines. But thats not a drama as i do it.
If your bored mate, pass them on, keep up with the field work as that is your passion. The last thing I wanted as a teenager was a responsibility, too many places to go and things to see.
Maybe you'll come back to them.

 

[Fester]

Wait until you are my age (or Slatey's), they move about the right pace for me!! I reckon, snakes anyway, are one of the easiest animals to look after. I have fish, used to keep birds, lizards a long time ago, but snakes, you can go away on a 2 week holiday and they look after themselves. Don't bark, don't lose hair on the carpet, don't scratch at the door, don't have to feed them every day ..... wonderful pets!

 

[Wild_Storm]

I understand. Thorney devils are ferocious. There's one thing that really irritates me though, and that's the term "hots". Makes me feel like killing a yank.

Well Shane when a Brown is COOL they don't move as much. I didn't mean the term as in 'hot' instead of venomous, but hot as in heat... But I do apologise for using it, I should have said a nice Brown who is all hot and excited!!

 

[Slateman]

Wait until you are my age (or Slatey's), they move about the right pace for me!! I reckon, snakes anyway, are one of the easiest animals to look after. I have fish, used to keep birds, lizards a long time ago, but snakes, you can go away on a 2 week holiday and they look after themselves. Don't bark, don't lose hair on the carpet, don't scratch at the door, don't have to feed them every day ..... wonderful pets!

Ha Ha They are starting to be quick for me now.
I tipped bucket full of hatchies 2 days ago in garage. You should see me to try to get them. Little buggers was fast enough to give me hard time.

 

[ryanharvey1993]

wow, thread is long since last time, yes I see what everyone means, when I got my first reptiles they were great but now they dont do much for me, I am just gonna go herping, I really enjoy seeing reptiles in the wild. maybe I will keep a bearded dragon and a pair of geckos, they are great, I have to admit I love watching beardies, and geckos are heaps cute. I have had a few bad experiences with keeping, so that might of made me not like it as much.

 

[ReptilianGuy]

I talk to mine even though I know they can't here me. My daughter thinks I'm loopy but sonce I don't expect and answer I know I'm not.

I love checking out the strange positions she gets into and when I get up close some times she comes up to the glass to check me out and we do a strange dance in front of the glass together.

Sure it isn't much fin when they just sit basking or hide for some quiet but you take the good with the bad like most things.

i do the same so if i'm not crazy you aren't. they say they cant hear but vibrations go through the ground so they just don't understand lol. and i also read somewhere on the 5th page of this thread that pythons have no personality...***.. who here doesn't look at thier pythons after 8pm or 9pm.
my bredli will crawl up the front glass to say let me out, she don't do it to others and only when she knows we're in the room..
all my pythons have personality. i have 3 that kiss, 2 more so than others. another that will rest his head on the lip under the door and come stait to me when i open it. i can go on. they all have personality. thats 1 of the things that got me into herps. and i love pythons as much as vens. they are more interesting during the day as they are dirunal where pythons are nocturnal, i find my pythons highly active at night unless they've been stretched by a big feed. so if you observe them when they are active then yes. then they wont be boring...

hell i can sit for hours just staring at them and not get bored.

if anybody has any unwanted herps. send them my way, i will pay the freight. at least then they will be appreciated for what they are.

truly magnificent, beautiful, intriguing and wonderous creatures..

 

[coz666]

i have a life.
i have a tv and a ps3 for entertainment.
i give them a good life, they eat well, they are very clean, and they get laid once a year.
they have it better than me.

 

[xScarlettex]

i expected the thrill to rub off but ive had my python for 8 months now and i still get up at all hours of the early morning to see her slither around her tank, i watch her feed every single time, im always finding her new things to put in her tank to give her some variation, i still get her out all the time to cuddle =) everytime she sheds i keep the skin (maybe gross but im fascinated by it) and i love watching her get bigger and watching her colours change and learning about how body works, maybe im just obsessed but i love her to death and wouldnt change a thing for the world =)

 

[elapid66]

carpets are boring gts are cool elapids yeah now where talkin and crocs say no more

 

[Vincey]

Herps are awesome in their own different way. They wont fetch a stick, but the other things they do are quite interesting to observe. Maybe you should get a dog =p
Hope you get back into it!

 

[Vincey]

i have a life.
i have a tv and a ps3 for entertainment.
i give them a good life, they eat well, they are very clean, and they get laid once a year.
they have it better than me.

R O F L

hahaha that was golden

 

[Slytherin]

Well said Wrasse!!! Now I know I'm not the only one who thinks like that! LOL :lol:

I love Snakey for all the reasons others have said and more. When I first got him, I was annoyed that he would sleep all day, only to come out at night and stop me from sleeping with all his racket! But I soon realized that I wanted him to be something he wasn't. He is nocturnal and a real 'party animal' at night...I dont know how many times he has fallen off his branches at night! His antics at night are a wonder to watch. His latest trick is to slither up the edge of the glass where it overlaps with the other one and then when he's at the top, he loosens his grip to slide straight down. He does this over and over and appears to 'enjoy' it! I spend so much time watching him at night, I'm thinking that I'm becoming nocturnal too! (Nothing like sleeping in to midday..LOL! :lol

I enjoy snakes because they are different and misunderstood. Snakey fills that niche in my life . I now appreciate him for what he is. I enjoy his antics at night and I enjoy his quietness during the day. I find that his slow slithering, quietness and placid nature is calming when I hold him (so great for a stressed day). When I want excitement or movement in my animals, I watch the finches (they are so hyperactive), or play with the dog or watch the fish.

 

[caustichumor]

It's not bungee jumping, but I enjoy keeping reptiles, although eventually you end up spending more time tending to the rodent colonies then to the actual reptiles.....

 

[mysnakesau]

Nope never, don't get me wrong the passion for handling your reptiles dies down with time but this can be a good thing. When i received my first pair of snakes i was excited wanting to hold them all the time but now i just prefer to only handle them if needed and of course to show of ............But like they say each to their own.

My passion has not died, but am learning to have more respect for them - not handling them every 5 minutes or for hours on end for my own pleasure. I love watching my snakes. Even if they do nothing, if they look content I am happy, and while they don't move much that is when my camera comes out - practicing to get better snaps. New Years Day I took 300 photos just of two of my carpets, and my daughter's water dragons and beardy. I just kept clicking and did get some really lovely photos.

Watching the water dragons is very entertaining - they dart about the place looking busy and alert, I know they are well. And our little beardy is so the centre of attention - always photogenic.

I find it very...um...can't think of the word...but had one of my last season's baby pythons come back to me, temporarily to get him feeding as he will not feed for his owner. I visited this little python a few weeks ago to try and get him to eat - he took the mouse. And first day back with me - New Years Day - he ate a weaner mouse, yet he has not eaten since the last time I fed him weeks ago. His owner couldn't be doing anything wrong. That is just what snakes do but I enjoy playing up the thoughts in my head that the little snake knows I was his second mum and will only behave for me...hehehe...just gloating that I got him to eat

Nope, reptiles are not boring. I love my reptiles - always got something to do with them. Now I'll go back and read the rest of the comments.

 

[Slytherin]

This is a great thread. I'm loving reading people's comments.

mysnakesau, I'm guilty of taking lots of pix when Snakey is resting, my full dig camera is testimony to that!

 

[Reptilian]

Dunno about your herps, but all of mine are quite active... I def dont think they are boring, If I did i wouldnt spend so much money on them!!