Hi All,
Very nice forum here!
My name is Ed and I'm in my 50s, with a wife and grown daughter. I have always been interested in animals, especially reptiles. Here is a Polaroid picture of my first pet, a nice little Eastern Hognose, from back when I had a lot of hair
:
In addition to the perfunctory "a couple dogs at all times" that goes with farm life, at one time or another I've kept as pets almost every native species that was slower than I was (including raccoons, opossums and a groundhog). I also enjoy aquariums/tropical fish and birds. When I was more able, I was a volunteer "Foster Parent to Wildlife" and worked animal rescues for the local wildlife agency for several years. I had the opportunity to deal with a very wide variety of local animals and birds as part of the job. Many animals could be helped right there at the farm, especially orphaned young animals that just needed to finish weaning, but quite a few had to be moved up to various facilities to provide more specialized care.
I've had quite a few snakes, lizards and turtles over the years, almost all native species, and normally have a black rat snake or two around at any given time. I did have a very docile and gentle Burmese Python for several years, but was forced to give him up when he became too large to easily handle alone. I simply couldn't get all of him off the floor anymore and I couldn't reliably get help to handle him daily or every other day, which is necessary with the bigger guys.
I have been looking at more exotic/colorful reptilian pets and have decided against more snakes (and the ever-present feeder mice). Turtles, especially aquatics, are both a mess to keep and bit nippy to trust around my extremities, so I have been looking at lizards, which do seem to have a lot of personality and seem to come in enough different versions to suit almost anyone.
It's always tempting to get something beyond one's skill level, and some of the larger species are incredible, but I think the BD is about where I want to be. A friend has two (14-16" OAL), and they are the most gentle and affectionate animals. Another friend has a very large male he got second-hand, but that guy doesn't like being handled and is not very well mannered, as if he had not been socialized by the previous owner at all.
So, I've been looking at BDs at all of the local shops, and have read almost everything I can find online about them. I'm not too keen on buying a baby from a 10 gallon tank of 20-30 babies in a pet shop, and have been looking to buy from a good breeder. A local breeder is advertising a very colorful and attractive baby, some sort of color morph. I'm hoping to get with the breeder in the next few days to pick up the little guy. I am almost I'm ready for him. I've released my latest rat snake back to the yard (after fattening him up on store-bought mice) and I'm in the process of cleaning, disinfecting and re-arranging a terrarium to house the new BD.
So, that's my story. I'm looking forward to learning more and meeting my new companion.
Ed
Very nice forum here!
My name is Ed and I'm in my 50s, with a wife and grown daughter. I have always been interested in animals, especially reptiles. Here is a Polaroid picture of my first pet, a nice little Eastern Hognose, from back when I had a lot of hair
:
In addition to the perfunctory "a couple dogs at all times" that goes with farm life, at one time or another I've kept as pets almost every native species that was slower than I was (including raccoons, opossums and a groundhog). I also enjoy aquariums/tropical fish and birds. When I was more able, I was a volunteer "Foster Parent to Wildlife" and worked animal rescues for the local wildlife agency for several years. I had the opportunity to deal with a very wide variety of local animals and birds as part of the job. Many animals could be helped right there at the farm, especially orphaned young animals that just needed to finish weaning, but quite a few had to be moved up to various facilities to provide more specialized care.
I've had quite a few snakes, lizards and turtles over the years, almost all native species, and normally have a black rat snake or two around at any given time. I did have a very docile and gentle Burmese Python for several years, but was forced to give him up when he became too large to easily handle alone. I simply couldn't get all of him off the floor anymore and I couldn't reliably get help to handle him daily or every other day, which is necessary with the bigger guys.
I have been looking at more exotic/colorful reptilian pets and have decided against more snakes (and the ever-present feeder mice). Turtles, especially aquatics, are both a mess to keep and bit nippy to trust around my extremities, so I have been looking at lizards, which do seem to have a lot of personality and seem to come in enough different versions to suit almost anyone.
It's always tempting to get something beyond one's skill level, and some of the larger species are incredible, but I think the BD is about where I want to be. A friend has two (14-16" OAL), and they are the most gentle and affectionate animals. Another friend has a very large male he got second-hand, but that guy doesn't like being handled and is not very well mannered, as if he had not been socialized by the previous owner at all.
So, I've been looking at BDs at all of the local shops, and have read almost everything I can find online about them. I'm not too keen on buying a baby from a 10 gallon tank of 20-30 babies in a pet shop, and have been looking to buy from a good breeder. A local breeder is advertising a very colorful and attractive baby, some sort of color morph. I'm hoping to get with the breeder in the next few days to pick up the little guy. I am almost I'm ready for him. I've released my latest rat snake back to the yard (after fattening him up on store-bought mice) and I'm in the process of cleaning, disinfecting and re-arranging a terrarium to house the new BD.
So, that's my story. I'm looking forward to learning more and meeting my new companion.
Ed
