Reptile and Seizure Updates

[MissLissa]

So, for those who were wondering what happened to the large venomous snake seizure, I have very good news: we were able to rehome several of the subadults! Unfortunately many of the adult and juvenile animals we seized were in extremely poor condition and were humanely euthanized. Their bodies were then donated to herpetocultural research labs and education facilities. We hope their sad story will bring hope to the future of other reptiles.

In other news... I have a baby! I finally found a baby in my gracilis (red eyed crocodile skink) tank last week! Soooo cute. Unfortunately the parents are extremely shy and nervous so I don't have any update pics on them.

Baby!!!

• MissLissa
• Jun 12, 2016

Juvenile red eyed crocodile skink

Quick pic of my lady Toothless, the nova (Tribolonotus novaeguineae). Her boyfriend didn't make it into the shot, but they are guarding an egg right now, so here's hoping!

Toothless

• MissLissa
• Jun 12, 2016

Helmeted crocodile skink aka white eyed crocodile skink aka muddy eyed crocodile skink aka bush...

Gorbash the fire skink is being a garbage disposal, as per usual. He is getting super friendly, and will climb on my hand for food. Well, he would pretty much do anything for food so that is not much of a surprise

Gorbash

• MissLissa
• Jun 12, 2016
• 2

Fire skink

Charlotte the Scheltopusik is doing really well. Eating lots, still mostly hates me which is pretty good for a schelto since they are not known for their kind and loving personalities lol

Charlotte

• MissLissa
• Jun 12, 2016

Scheltopusik

 

[absolutbill]

Congrats on your new little baby - those guys are really neat and at one point I thought about getting some, but just have too many mouths here as it is. Also wonderful news that at least some of the seized snakes can go to new homes, since it wasn't looking to be an option.

 

[FlChamMom]

Great pictures! Thanks for showing off some of your amazing animals!

 

[MissLissa]

Yeah, we were all pretty stoked about the snakes! The whole thing was just heartbreaking.

Tribolonotus are wonderful but I wish they would stop importing them, honestly. They kind of just, well... die. They come in riddled with crazy parasites (one of my rescue gracilis had three species that were new to science), skinny, dehydrated... just awful. They are hard to acclimate, to get to eat, often refuse anything but a single prey item, slow breeders, some have had nutso reactions to meds (like some other skink species), the whole shebang. You almost never see them in their enclosures since they are mostly subterranean, they hate being handled, stress themselves into months-long starvation at basically the drop of a hat, need a damp/wet environment but are susceptible to fungus... they are kind of awful pets. I think most chams are easier than WC Tribs! I never recommend them, if I'm honest, even though I love mine to pieces.

If anyone was going to do them justice, though, it would be chameleon people: those crazy dedicated lizard nerds!

 

[Carlton]

Fire skinks are so beautiful! I've only seen a couple in real life and both were quite mellow to handle. Just wish they didn't have those delicate skink tails.

I grew up hunting suburban yards for herps in S. CA, though I seem to remember having a mutual hate relationship with "alligator lizards".

 

[KLowery88]

Gorbash is the best name, lol. Fire skinks and Crocodile skinks have been on my list for a while, but I've heard similar warnings about how easy it is to stress Crocodile skinks, so I'll likely give them a pass.

 

[MissLissa]

Fire skinks are so beautiful! I've only seen a couple in real life and both were quite mellow to handle. Just wish they didn't have those delicate skink tails.

I grew up hunting suburban yards for herps in S. CA, though I seem to remember having a mutual hate relationship with "alligator lizards".

My fire skink does not like being handled, but he will do anything for food so I can get him up on my hand or into a glass container if I need to do a visual inspection. They are just walking stomachs! He does have a regrown tail and a few scars but I suspect he is a male, and was definitely WC, so that is not surprising since the boys can get quite vicious with each other at breeding time.

North American alligator lizards and scheltopusiks are both in the family Anguidae, aren't they? I could see how they would be grumpy, too! Charlotte has enough grump for several species

Gorbash is the best name, lol. Fire skinks and Crocodile skinks have been on my list for a while, but I've heard similar warnings about how easy it is to stress Crocodile skinks, so I'll likely give them a pass.

I'd absolutely recommend fire skinks, though: easy peasy lemon squeezy s'long so you can keep it hot and humid, and afford the buckets of food they want! CB preferably, since they have less parasite issues, but honestly every WC I've ever met has calmed down in a surprising amount of time, and I've never seen one miss a meal. They are also gorgeous, and pretty hilarious. Mine is all over his cage, busy digging tunnels, hunting crickets. He has a TON of personality: I'd put him up with Vladislav and Charlotte the Schelto for personality-ness. It took him about a month or so to realize I was the Great Cricket Provider, and now he goes not give a hoot what I'm doing in his cage. I didn't see him for the first two weeks, though.

Gorbash

• MissLissa
• Jun 23, 2016

Fire skink

Gorbash

• MissLissa
• Jun 23, 2016

Fire skink

 

[KLowery88]

I'd absolutely recommend fire skinks, though: easy peasy lemon squeezy s'long so you can keep it hot and humid, and afford the buckets of food they want! CB preferably, since they have less parasite issues, but honestly every WC I've ever met has calmed down in a surprising amount of time, and I've never seen one miss a meal. They are also gorgeous, and pretty hilarious. Mine is all over his cage, busy digging tunnels, hunting crickets. He has a TON of personality: I'd put him up with Vladislav and Charlotte the Schelto for personality-ness. It took him about a month or so to realize I was the Great Cricket Provider, and now he goes not give a hoot what I'm doing in his cage. I didn't see him for the first two weeks, though.

Gorbash

• MissLissa
• Jun 23, 2016

Fire skink

Gorbash

• MissLissa
• Jun 23, 2016

Fire skink

I'm a big skink fan, and I love creating bioactive enclosures, so I always figured they would be a good fit. I'm glad you recommend them so highly. They seem to have such cute faces and I think they're one of the most beautiful reptiles out there.