Hotel Lobby Pet

absolutbill

absolutbill

Chameleon Enthusiast
Hello All!

I work in a major hotel down here in FL, and the powers that be have decided they want a cage with a critter by our kids' check-in station. The cage would sit on top of the station, so can only be about 6" deep, and 2' wide. Height would probably be 2' or less because I don't want it top heavy. It would have a padlock on it, but be in a busy lobby.

I've convinced them to NOT get a chameleon at all, and am pushing them towards either dart frogs, or a tarantula. Money's not really an issue, however I don't know how quickly they want this set up. Can anyone suggest anything else that we can put there? It has to be tolerant of a few things:

1. Lights - the lights are on ALL the time, and while we do dim the lobby lights around 7PM, they go up at midnight so the night cleaners can see to clean. We could drape the cage, however I work the AM shift, so can't swear that it would consistently get done (cue the type A personality!).

2. There's a lot of foot traffic, and while we are a high-end hotel I've seen and heard it all. The creature would have to be tolerant of taps on glass or screen, and kids. The cage will have a padlock on it, but when you deal with the public you never know.

3. The people who work in the department who will be responsible for it (it's by my Front Desk, however I'll not be too hands-on more than likely), are not going to be interested in something high maintenance. They will buy the lighting and misters that I tell them to, and they already have crickets for other creatures they have in our kids club, but they won't be dusting insects (and probably not gut-loading them either).

If anyone has some other options other than frogs (they have some in their nature center already), or a tarantula (they are worried about people having arachnophobia and freaking out when waiting to check-in), I'm all ears. Thanks!
 
- A cricket-only diet with no supplementation will knock out every insectivorous reptile or amphibian, since they all need at least some kind of supplementation and gutloading, since crickets have an unbalanced Ca:p ratio

- The 6" depth will knock out any animal over 4" in length or so

- The lights being on 24 hours will knock out any pretty much any animal at all, as nocturnal, crepuscular, and diurnal animals all need a day-night cycle to thrive.

- Lots of traffic knocks out any sensitive or shy species

I would recommend against Dart Frogs, specifically, having worked with and bred them. One, crickets are too large for them (think fruit flies) and two, they need regular supplementation as well, three, they definitely need a day/night cycle, bring mainly diurnal, and four, they can be quite shy and stress with staring/tank tapping.

Honestly, I sincerely doubt there is anything that would thrive here. Even frogs and other amphibians need vitamin supplementation, gutloaded prey and a day/night cycle.

Maybe fish? Guppies, dwarf gouramis, etc can make stunning displays and can be quite tolerant. A shrimp-only tank with plants can be quite beautiful, and cherry red, crystal red shrimp and flower shrimp are pretty hardy, given the proper care and some species can be mixed-and-matched as many are non-aggressive. However, the care for aquatic creatures isn't something I would categorize as "low"- regular water changes, ammonia/nitrite/nitrate monitoring, daily feeding, algae cleaning etc can be fairly demanding. And even fish benefit from a clear day-night cycle.

If you can assure that the cage/tank would be covered at night, and at least a once-a-week supplementation schedule with gutloaded food items, that would greatly increase the options for suitable critters.

In all honesty, my first response would be: No animals, put a plant-only vivarium in there.
 
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That's REALLY limited. However I'm confused. You said a 6" depth and a 2' height. Which is which (lxwxh)? Also, I would consider getting a bigger cage. Don't put it on the desk if possible, more like on the ground, off to the side, against the wall, and put like that fancy thing that says "do not touch" and that like thing where it's a thick band that goes like lululu, I can't think of how to describe it. Like you put it in front of something so people don't go back there. Anyway, I would do that and get a snake or something, as these aren't terribly high maintenance. All you have to do is feed them a mouse every week (on the exact same day don't skip) and change its water every day/other day. Also, bedding change every month. They love coconut fiber.
Most of this can be found at PetSmart/Co. (I hate Petco because of that poor baby iguana they threw in the trash, which they should be sued for animal cruelty for doing), but their prices are decent. Anyway, a corn snake is easy. Snakes also don't really need calcium as they are invertebrates (in my experience). A 10 gallon tank would suit a corn snake just fine. When they get big enough where they can stretch from one corner of the tank to its opposite (in a right angle) upgrade the tank, to a 20. Same thing, then to a 30/40, and so on. Snakes are fun, and their belly scales are heavenly smooth if that makes any difference to you. Hope you consider a snake. If not, a leopard gecko, which is also fairly easy. They require supplementation however, do research on that though. If "hands on" is limited, don't get a chameleon, iguana, Chinese water dragon, anything like that. Oh, also try a bearded dragon. They're really friendly and cool. Consider those, if not well atleast you got an idea hopefully.
 
How about a crested gecko? I think it might work, but I have Never owned one, so you need to research it.
 
laurie said:
How about a crested gecko? I think it might work, but I have Never owned one, so you need to research it.
Click to expand...

Cresties are awesome! however, they hide a lot and would be most active at night. They also like to defecate on the glass, so most often than not the cage will be nasty.
 
NickyChameleon said "Snakes also don't really need calcium as they are invertebrates (in my experience)."

This is absolutely incorrect. Snakes are vertebrate animals. They definitely have a spinal column. I'm not sure where he got the information that snakes are "invertebrates". There are a a handful of insectivorous snakes, and they require calcium supplementation just like any other insectivore (they also tend to be very high-stress and sensitive). Mammal-eating snakes require proper mature/adult feeders to ensure they have the proper calcium in their diets- pinkies etc do not have enough calcium and are quite fatty. Even a smaller snake like a cornsnake will need a larger footprint than 6" x 24". A 10g tank is too small for an adult cornsnake, and would be too large to fit in the space you have. They can reach 3-6' in length, and should be able to stretch out fully in their enclosure to help prevent respiratory issues, and a 3' snake cannot stretch out, even "diagonally", in a 10g tank. If your employer is concerned about phobias, then a snake might not be a good choice in any case. Also, employees may find handling dead rodents distasteful- lots of people do. Additionally, snake thrive with a day/night cycle, like most creatures. There really aren't many creatures that do well in light 20 hours a day longterm.

A leopard gecko would be excluded, in my opinion, by the lack of a day/night cycle and lack of supplementation and gutloaded feeders. You'd likely be facing MBD and/or other health issues in the long term. A bearded dragon would be out of the question- 6" depth is far, far too small for an adult beardie, plus their diets are much more involved than what your employees might be willing to offer. Even a tarantula needs gutloaded prey items and a regular light/dark cycle. A tank with a 6" width is too narrow for a crested gecko. They are very rarely seen during the day and don't really make the best display animals, though there are exceptions to that rule.

If you were able to resolve the lighting and supplementation issues, here would be some possible critters that I might put in a 6" wide terrarium/aquarium:
- Hyla Tree Frog Species (Green Tree Frog, etc)
- Dwarf Aquatic Frogs
- Shrimp tank
- Fish tank, with hardy freshwater microfish
- Small, ARBOREAL Tarantula growing to no more than 4", and even that is stretching it. A ground-dwelling tarantula would require more space than 6". Also, if smoking is allowed in the lobby, then that would exclude any arachnid or insect, as nicotine is a pretty powerful insecticide.
- Stick insects or a small mantid might work as well
 
MissLisa- sorry. Petco, as usual, gave me incorrect knowledge and I've always assumed that they were invertebrates, as no one has told me otherwise. So what ARE invertibrates........ o_O
 
Like are eels invertebrates? Ugh. You've succeeded at confusing me yet again. Oshajxjdjsjebdjtjfiekxntjcksjxjfjxjsjxjdjdjssskxkfjxkkdjzkakzkdkzkakespsowlspwksnekdkeksoapzpapaofuhlsksjsjjdkdksjdieksjdkx
 
You misunderstood Lisa. I meant like when it's a foot long. That's when I got Mushu a bigger cage (he's about 3 feet now, widest point is about 1.5". He's in a 40 gallon currently and is content. I gave him a branch of cherry wood my dad had cut down (washed several times) and he loves it. Mushu loves making me think he's escaped.
 
Back to the original topic however, cresties in my experience (friends) say that cresties aren't usually out during the day (depending). My friend has a bearded dragon and I went over to her house one day and her rotwieler was sitting by Malfoy (the bd)'s cage and my friend just kind of sighed, put Malfoy on the table, and Malfoy crawled on Ted (the rotwieler)'s back and they walked around the house. It looked like a strange battle scene. Anyway, BDs are really fun. They can be found on sale at PetSmart for about $50, and the babies always stare at you and follow your finger if you wave it in front of the glass. They chase my finger back and forth until I have to leave. They're great.
 
An invertebrate is an animal that does not have or develop a vertebral column, derived from the notocord. These include insects, arachnids, mollusks, crustaceans, cephalopods, and the like. No spine, spinal cord or vertebrae? Then the animal is an invertebrate.

A vertebrate is an animal that has or develops a vertebral column, which is derived from the notocord. So, basically, if it had vertebrae then it is a vertebrate. This includes snakes, and eels, and turtles, and elephants, and people, and every other fish, bird, reptile, amphibian and mammal (as well as lampreys, and hagfish- which are kind of a "swing species" since they don't technically have vertebrae but are still considered vertebrates because they do have a cranium and their closest relatives, lampreys, also have a vertebral column).

Bearded dragons and cornsnakes, as adults, are still too big for the space the OP has available.
 
absolutbill said:
Hello All!

I work in a major hotel down here in FL, and the powers that be have decided they want a cage with a critter by our kids' check-in station. The cage would sit on top of the station, so can only be about 6" deep, and 2' wide. Height would probably be 2' or less because I don't want it top heavy. It would have a padlock on it, but be in a busy lobby.

I've convinced them to NOT get a chameleon at all, and am pushing them towards either dart frogs, or a tarantula. Money's not really an issue, however I don't know how quickly they want this set up. Can anyone suggest anything else that we can put there? It has to be tolerant of a few things:

1. Lights - the lights are on ALL the time, and while we do dim the lobby lights around 7PM, they go up at midnight so the night cleaners can see to clean. We could drape the cage, however I work the AM shift, so can't swear that it would consistently get done (cue the type A personality!).

2. There's a lot of foot traffic, and while we are a high-end hotel I've seen and heard it all. The creature would have to be tolerant of taps on glass or screen, and kids. The cage will have a padlock on it, but when you deal with the public you never know.

3. The people who work in the department who will be responsible for it (it's by my Front Desk, however I'll not be too hands-on more than likely), are not going to be interested in something high maintenance. They will buy the lighting and misters that I tell them to, and they already have crickets for other creatures they have in our kids club, but they won't be dusting insects (and probably not gut-loading them either).

If anyone has some other options other than frogs (they have some in their nature center already), or a tarantula (they are worried about people having arachnophobia and freaking out when waiting to check-in), I'm all ears. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Wow, I can't really think of anything that would thrive under these conditions that would also be day active and "attractive". Something that could thrive on a simple vegetation diet (that you could buy prepared) might be an idea, but what would that be? Hissing cockroaches might upset squeamish people for obvious reasons. Katydids or stick insects might work if the hotel has access to the right live food plants year round. Snakes are pretty simple and may not need a lot of space, but the 24 hr lights and activity would probably keep one hidden much of the time. Insectivorous herps will need light cycles and supplements. However, I wonder if those aquatic clawed frogs might work. They are active, may not stress out at the lighting, and don't they eat a pelleted diet? What about aquatic newts? If they have adequate structure in the tank they could get out of the light to rest.
 
What about the little blue tail skinks like we have in VA. They are hard to keep alive, without experience, but thrive with effort. They are about 6" long, head to end of tail. Don't climb sides and are somewhat active. Kind of skittish though. They like to sneak in my house and pick off loose crickets. They are very entertaining, to say the least. VERY ABUNDANT HERE. My son runs around the house trying to catch them.
 
I'd say the clawed frogs get way too big- Xenopus get 6"+ in captivity, and do much better in the dark than they do in the light. They are also gigantic pigs, and poop machines, and I'd worry about the water quality in the size of tank that would fit. African Dwarf Aquatic Frogs (a different species) would be a good size, but they are shy and would definitely need a "nighttime", plenty of cover and regular weekly water changes.

Newts would have the same issues as a Xenopus- most would need a greater water volume than could likely be reasonably provided, and many get plenty big (6-12") and the smaller species tend to be the more sensitive ones.

Blue tailed skinks would need supplements, a nighttime, and more than a 6" depth especially since they are pretty terrestrial. 6" is TINY- it's half the size of the smallest Exoterra.

Stick insects might work. Or what about a colony of waxmoths? What about raising some butterflies from egg? Hissing cockroaches were a great idea, too, except for the possible "ick" factor.
 
I'm also thinking fish. If you're near or in a larger city, there are companies that can build and maintain it so it's done right and so no one has to fuss with it. Fish are the only animal I can think of that can adjust to abnormal light cycles without it majorly affecting them. Because of the narrowness of the space the species that could thrive would be severely limited, but there would be some great options, especially if it was a planted freshwater or a saltwater reef tank.
 
What about ghost frogs? Easy to care for, no food required :p

Okay I'm joking, of course. But seriously, what about an ornate orchid or carnivorous plant display? Less care than an aquarium but just as dramatic. Plus the learning opportunity is there to keep an educational component.
 
First off, thanks to everyone who contributed to this. I haven't been on recently to see all the action, but am happy with the response. There are a few elements at play here. The stand that it is to be on is not movable or changable. It's a piece of marble, with a lower shelf, and then a higher back and sides, forming a U. The cage/tank would sit on the top of the U, so I think that any water would make it unstable and too heavy for where it is sitting. It cannot sit on the shelf where it would be more supported. These are not my stipulations, but instead those of the hotel.

Next, the hotel already has bearded dragons, and a giant cockroach, so won't put them in there. It's too small for a dragon at any rate. I'm really liking the orchid and carnivorous plant idea though, and will propose it. Also, the stick insect idea might work well in there too. We have a butterfly garden, so I'm doubting they would put them in a cage, but maybe that's an idea as well.

Thanks to everyone who contributed, and I'll pass along your great thoughts - that's why I love this forum, I can always get some good ideas!
 
AbsoluteBill - can you share where this hotel is? I think I would like to visit the butterfly garden :)

Look up some photos of the Singapore Botanical Garden Cloud Forest House - they have a spectacular orchid mountain and a carnivorous plants lagoon. Obviously much larger scale than what you are looking at, but it might give you some design/display ideas. Orchids are so very cool because of the masaive variety - you could feature either showy exotic or local varieties for a more educational idea.

Side note: A few years back I read "The Orchid Thief" by Susan Orlean. Really gave me an appreciation for how amazing orchids are as a plant species.
 
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