Why do I look on Craigslist:(

[SHBailey]

Funny you should mention education and reptiles...

Long ago and far away in another time and another place and another life, I considered trying to become a veterinarian, among other things. Back then it wasn't reptiles in particular, it was just animals in general. I got a bachelor's degree in biology, but in terms of a career, "B.S." was all it ever amounted to. The closest my employment situation ever came to my education was when I was a clerk at the department of health. I could have done that job without the college degree, but it did help because I was typing and entering lots of scientific data, and I knew what it meant and I knew how to spell it.

That was over 18 years ago and things are very different now. That summer I bought my first house and moved in with two cats, two ferrets, and a gerbil. Back then my plan for the rest of my life was to get a master's degree in environmental science, continue my career with the department of health, surround myself with furry little critters now that I had my own house and yard, and live out the rest of my life as a happy single career woman with no husband and no human children. But sometimes life throws you curves...

About two months later I fell in love, for the first and only time in my life (and at the age of 41 no less), with a man who is severely allergic to anything with fur. He turned out to be crazy enough to love me back, so I was lucky enough to be able to marry him about 6 months later, and that's how we became reptile people. I had met my first snake in one of my biology classes some years before that when I was in college the first time around, so I already had a pretty good idea that (contrary to popular belief) you can cuddle a reptile. It doesn't have to be warm and fuzzy. :love5:

 

[Rankins]

My reptile interest started 43 years ago and have always had reptile pets the entire time. I'm 48 y/o so started really young...and retired early to spend more time with my animals.

 

[Skipper7]

This thread pretty much sums up why I like reptile people in general. Although we may have different viewpoints, we're all quite obsessed :lol: . I love reading the stories of people telling off pet stores! I myself have complained to a few local petsmart and petco locations. And let me tell you they didnt like getting told off by a 16 year old! Hahaha!

Sadly the one local pet supplies + shop that actually took good care of the beardies stopped carrying all reptiles. They said something about it being a decision from higher up the ladder. I was kind of torn by it. I loved visiting the little babies and like that local people could adopt well taken care of babies. Just last week I went back to where I purchased Skipper from 7 years ago and they had stopped carrying reptiles as well. They weren't even a chain.

Like Rankins said, I like when the hobby grows and when I see healthy little scale babies. On the other hand, I see what Nobby is saying about regulations and limiting "impulse buys." But, I am from the South and still have the redneck American love for freedom to do whatever we want :lol: !!

 

[Zombiepanda]

Hey sorry to change subject really quick but there's a post on here titled "my dragon keeps shaking". I asked the basics but I think his dragon has been without an uvb bulb for two months. Can some of you more experienced people's pop over and make sure I'm giving accurate information or even correct my info and give better info :/

 

[Rankins]

No worries...this thread has probably run its course
I'm out shopping now, won't have time to post for awhile. If someone else hasn't gotten to it by the time I can post...I'll take a stab at it.

 

[Zombiepanda]

Thanks!!!


And as much as I sound like an terrible person, which I have been called for this exact reason, I. Ever had that drive to be a vet :/ I was in nursing school and didn't like it either. I'm not a warm and fuzzy open hearted person. i am actually quite the hermit. I'm more of a young female Walter Matthau lol please don't hate me for it. My mom and sister and grandma adopt every single stray they see and can't turn a single fluffy animal away, but they have a deep disdain for reptiles. Which happily makes me the black sheep of the family ^_^

 

[Rankins]

Haha....I would have gotten fired many, many, many times if I was a nurse in a hospital. I had no problems at the prison I worked at. If my patients gave me any problems I would throw them out of my clinic.

 

[Zombiepanda]

Haha....I would have gotten fired many, many, many times if I was a nurse in a hospital. I had no problems at the prison I worked at. If my patients gave me any problems I would throw them out of my clinic.

It was truly a struggle to pass my ethics class. My dad was a marine so I am not the most sympathetic to people who don't deserve it LOL

 

[Gormagon]

Haha....I would have gotten fired many, many, many times if I was a nurse in a hospital. I had no problems at the prison I worked at. If my patients gave me any problems I would throw them out of my clinic.

It was truly a struggle to pass my ethics class. My dad was a marine so I am not the most sympathetic to people who don't deserve it LOL

We are a lot alike... I have a very low threshold for stupidity as well!

 

[Zombiepanda]

Haha....I would have gotten fired many, many, many times if I was a nurse in a hospital. I had no problems at the prison I worked at. If my patients gave me any problems I would throw them out of my clinic.

It was truly a struggle to pass my ethics class. My dad was a marine so I am not the most sympathetic to people who don't deserve it LOL

We are a lot alike... I have a very low threshold for stupidity as well!

lol I've noticed!! stupid people give me an eye twitch. Not ignorance because that can be fixed, straight up dummies drive me insane

 

[AHBD]

I can understand perfectly well some of King's thoughts that more oversight + actual good sense regulations could help to eliminate some undesirable effects that come from just anyone buying or selling reptiles,[ which are soooo much more demanding to care for properly than dogs, cats, hamsters, rabbits ] He , and others on here , all have a passion for the well being of the animal. The reptile trade is rife with problems, and if you could see the large scope [ half dead reptiles at shows+ stores , Craigslist, etc. ] as well as the serious effects of non native large reptiles let loose in the warmer states, something can be said for it being a real concern.

 

[SHBailey]

I guess maybe I have a higher tolerance for "stupidity" than some, but when it hurts an innocent and helpless animal, maybe not so much. Unfortunately, it just makes me sad that I don't have enough energy, courage, or whatever, to actually do anything about it.

My husband says there's no such thing as "common sense" because it's not "common" :roll:

 

[Rankins]

To be honest most of my reptiles are a lot easier to care for than my cats. Feed em once a week, clean enclosure once a week, let them sleep for 5 months.
The cats, fed them daily, clean litter daily, dump litter every couple days, throw toys to them, brush them....etc.
An animal is an animal, regulating reptiles based on how some people care for them makes as much sense to me as trying to regulate a cat, dog, or fish.
Most animal owners are not abusive so its reactionary to see an abused reptile and blame all reptile owners for that abuse. Regulation doesn't stop everyone from abusing animals...so should we ban all ownership? Someone once said "owning a reptile isn't a right, its a privilege".... I totally disagree with that statement. It is my right to own a reptile, there is no law preventing it. Its a right and a privilege....
Should we blame all bearded dragon breeders for the abuse that some of the reptiles they produce suffer? Should we regulate breeding?
Would most everyone on this forum have a bearded dragon if they were regulated? Are most people on this forum an animal abuser?
Who dictates who's qualified to own a reptile? How do you test them? How do you enforce it? Do regulators come to your home for monthly inspections? Do you have to prove you replaced your lights every 6 months?
I mean seriously...where would the people advocating regulation draw the line? Sorry, but I draw the line at any regulation.

 

[Gormagon]

We disagree at times on very few things but this is not one of them. This is directly on point with my views as well. We already have way to much government interference in our lives as it is. We have laws that they don't enforce and, those ridiculous ones that they do, makes no sense to add more.

WELL SAID SIR!!!!!

 

[Rankins]

All I know is I would not be the same person I am today If I wouldn't have picked a green anole off my house wall when I was 5 y/o. If reptile ownership would have been regulated my life would have taken a totally different path....and it wouldn't have been nearly as much fun.
Education I feel is the key, this forum is an excellent source for that. When I was 5 y/o the internet was a few decades away...and I still figured out how to care for a wide variety of reptiles. With our help there will be a lot of other 5 y/o boys and girls that will develop a life long interest in reptiles. I'm not going to take that away from them....