new turtle keeper

[loconorc]

Alright, well when you decide on a species, I can point you in the direction of a good place to buy and look for info. Both are hard to fid unless you know where to look.

RES can get pretty big, especially females. Eastern painteds are very hardy and fairly small. There are albino and pastel RES avaliable, which I would prefer over normals anyday, I don't know about you.

I assure you that youll catch the herp flu and get into more someday! It always starts 'oh I just want one turtle...' then a year later you have a zoo.

 

[loconorc]

Don't leave map turtles, spotteds, cooters, ed-bellies or even snappers out either. And don't forget exotic species. New guinea redbelly sidenecks, snake necks, african sidenecks, and others can make great pets.

I wasn't trying to steer you away from tropical species, just making you aware of special care needs. Tropical species can be a great deal of fun. Temperate species might just be easier for you in your situation.

Just for fun, I recommend you buy the DVD 'Reptilemania' from cornutopia.com. Its fascinating to say the least. And don't get too hung up on books. Try amazon.com once you decide on the species you want, and buy the highest rated book. Keep in mind books are the BASICS and only the basics. Simple guidelines for you to interpret and apply in your own way. Look at other peoples setups as well at the forums and photo galleries at kingsnake.com, you can learn a lot more than any book can teach you.

 

[TheBloodyIrish]

Just for fun, I recommend you buy the DVD 'Reptilemania' from cornutopia.com. Its fascinating to say the least. And don't get too hung up on books. Try amazon.com once you decide on the species you want, and buy the highest rated book. Keep in mind books are the BASICS and only the basics. Simple guidelines for you to interpret and apply in your own way. Look at other peoples setups as well at the forums and photo galleries at kingsnake.com, you can learn a lot more than any book can teach you.

Books are not too bad, but majority of the good herp books are textbooks or field guides.

If you are going to buy books, it is best to keep a library of them. That way if there is one book with misinformation, you always have a couple of others to refer to.

 

[at2]

ok guys, im off to learn about herps and see what happens. if this turns out anything like my fish hobby/addiction my wife is going to just love it....ha

 

[loconorc]

Keep us updated. You dont want to get in over your head.

 

[Tequila]

OMG I can't believe what I just finished reading in this thread I'm so glad that my parents had NO way get in touch with you people, I would have never had any pets at all.

Someone gets on and asks about a tortoise/turtle for a kid as a pet and you people go nuts. You try and try and try again and again to talk him into talking his daughter out of the pet, that as this thread goes on becomes apparent he too wants. From Tortoise to Turtle and then people start suggesting other things he didn't even mention like Lizards, oh yes Geckoes (that are known for clamping onto fingers and not letting go), (or better yet loosing there tails when grabbed by a child - children seem to love this event, really they do, alittle a squirming bloody unattached tail - I can just hear the screams of joy now.....daddy daddy it broken, put it back ooooon put it now ooon - I don't wanna it with a broken taaaiillll - make it stop moving. Snakes like Sand Boas and yes Childrens Pythons, - not to be confused with pythons for children - both of which have nailed me on more than one occasion and sometimes even drawn blood, but no mention of Ball pythons I wonder why.

I do not get what is everyones problem with Turts and torts here. People look around Schools all over the place have either Turtles, Tortoises and or Frogs and Toads as science room pets. And if this guy needs a 5'-8' circular plastic pool to keep 1 Turtle or 1 Tortoise. I'm in big trouble, I guess I'm now in the market for a 50,000-75,000 sqft home, anyone got one cheap?

People I don't wanna make fun of anyone, but c'mon get real you people are almost as bad as those people in the Arapaima forums/threads, I reading and somewhere someone has an 8" fish and someone else is slamming them that there 5,000 to 20,000 Gal tank they have it in or plan on putting in isn't enough and that anything short of a 50,000G tank is just plain crazy. Or better yet someone else post some pics from someones site on arapaimas they've had for 12yrs, that they where 8"-10" when they acquired and are now 5, 6, and maybe 7 feet and some dude says oh the pool there in is way too dirty for endangered species to be in like that - WHAT? This person has had these fish for over ten years grown them over 5 feet from what size they got them and some dude is going to make a comment like that - Where do these people come from. I have had Arapaimas and THEY WHERE FINE!

 

[TheBloodyIrish]

OMG I can't believe what I just finished reading in this thread I'm so glad that my parents had NO way get in touch with you people, I would have never had any pets at all.

Someone gets on and asks about a tortoise/turtle for a kid as a pet and you people go nuts. You try and try and try again and again to talk him into talking his daughter out of the pet, that as this thread goes on becomes apparent he too wants. From Tortoise to Turtle and then people start suggesting other things he didn't even mention like Lizards, oh yes Geckoes (that are known for clamping onto fingers and not letting go), (or better yet loosing there tails when grabbed by a child - children seem to love this event, really they do, alittle a squirming bloody unattached tail - I can just hear the screams of joy now.....daddy daddy it broken, put it back ooooon put it now ooon - I don't wanna it with a broken taaaiillll - make it stop moving. Snakes like Sand Boas and yes Childrens Pythons, - not to be confused with pythons for children - both of which have nailed me on more than one occasion and sometimes even drawn blood, but no mention of Ball pythons I wonder why.

I never really advocated that she should keep away from turtles, just that she need to be exposed to a wide variety of animals that she have not been able to approach one-on-one. Throughout the thread I kept recommending that she should try new things. Either way, I stated that I would not see a problem with a turtle if the original poster enjoy them anyway, so even if she doesn't think they are neat as she thought they were, at least he will enjoy the turtle in his collection. I know that you were not targeting me, or any specific individual, but I would like to bring this to light.

No one really have a problem with turtles and tortoises, but a lot of time, people really like them then they get them and get bored of them. I was the same way as well when I was growing up. I wanted a tortoise and a slider ever since I could speak, then a guy with a massive reptile collection showed me some of his specimens, and I found out I didn't really like turtles and lizards all that much and started me off with my prime interest: snakes. He also helped to focus my love for them, since I preferred boids over the colubrids since I felt more comfortable with those guys since I could control them more easily at the time; although not everyone is comfortable with heavy snake, so they go down the path of colubrids. That same guy also got a friend of mine into keeping frogs which he loved more than the snakes that he wanted at the time. What people are interested in, and what people enjoy keeping are two separate things.

I agree with you, I never really liked Children's Python, Kingsnake or Sand Boas as starters for kids since they are nippy when they are small, although I never heard of a nippy Spotted Python ever. I never really understood why people recommend Ball Pythons as starter either since they stress out their keepers, even the experienced ones. If docile nature is the reason why they are good "starter," then so is any male Columbian BCI, they get to be around the same size and far more hardy than a Ball Python. Although people say they are nasty around feeding and shed time, any reptiles can or will have the same disposition around the same times anyway.

 

[loconorc]

A small child shouldnt handle ANYTHING while its small, hence why baby nippiness doesnt matter. And so be it if its nippy, it doesnt hurt anyway.

So what are you whining on about?

We DID suggest ball pythons. Ball pythons don't make the best pets sometimes. They aren't the best eaters, and almost all are WC at pet stores (the reason we told him to buy online). Try reading the whole thread before you complain. We told him to keep an open mind, and that turtles might not be his best option.

WOW. You think SCHOOLS know what theyre doing? Where have you been? Frogs and turtles are among the worst classroom pets among little kids. At least for handling anyway. Also, notice how I suggested AGAINST leopard geckos. DER!

And whats with the arapaima rant? If you want to whine about MONSTER FISH in a MONSTER FISH forum, go to the right thread.

 

[Tequila]

A small child shouldnt handle ANYTHING while its small, hence why baby nippiness doesnt matter. And so be it if its nippy, it doesnt hurt anyway.

So what are you whining on about?

Most small children seeing something they thought was cute chump down on their finger, at the very least will think it hurt even if physically it doesn't. More than likely it will scare the heck out of the child, and probably make them wish they never wanted a pet and they more than likely won't ever want one again. Yeah I don't understand that either, you would think if a child was biten by something they thought was cute they'd loved it even more, (that was fun, get it to bite me again daddy). Let me say this while with most torts and or turts you know where the business end is and you can tell a child don't put your finger in or near it's mouth. Now with snakes they take a (bell or AT&T approach) more of a reach out and touch you frame of mind. And as for the rest of what you offered up as a better choice of pet I can sit here and pick them apart for days. Because there not what this guy was asking about! You did ask people for there suggestion right? The fact is this guy asked about Torts or Turts nothing else and you guys took it upon your selves to say this or that or the other, are you sure, really, truely sure because I think you would be much better off with, this or that or anything other than what you inquired about.

We DID suggest ball pythons. Ball pythons don't make the best pets sometimes. They aren't the best eaters, and almost all are WC at pet stores (the reason we told him to buy online). Try reading the whole thread before you complain. We told him to keep an open mind, and that turtles might not be his best option.

Though I was using Ball pythons jokingly since most people think they make the worst pets. YOU ARE RIGHT: I did make a Mistake, you did mention Ball pythons. And a host of other animals this guy never asked about and he did state at one point in the thread that his daughter wasn't interested in something else and that his wife wasn't going for snakes. I guess after all is said and sone I'm asking why ask someone to keep an open mind when they didn't ask you about anyother than Turts and Turts?

Dude I would hate to tell you just how many "captive breeders" sell animals they bought from an importer. And before you say this or that, I've been there. Let me tell you that more Petshops than you know are buying more and more of there animals from captive large scale breeders. Why, because that's what people want and petshops and the pet trade goto and do what the people aka money wants!

I'm just trying to understand why you and a few others think that in this thread/forum you should sway people from what they asked about to what you think is best for them, appearantly you don't even know this guy or his daughter at all. The guy asked about A turtle/Tortoise in the beginning not a lizard, frog, toad, snail, snake, bat or a cow. But yet you decided that you know what is best and that he should take his child to see the various other animals and see if she would change her mind.

I can see someone saying well this tort or turt isn't the best in your area and with the space/conditions you have, why not look into these turts or torts, but to suggest a totally different species of animal all together just because you like them better? or think that you know what a child would like better than that child.

WOW. You think SCHOOLS know what theyre doing? Where have you been? Frogs and turtles are among the worst classroom pets among little kids. At least for handling anyway. Also, notice how I suggested AGAINST leopard geckos. DER!

Nope I don't think Schools know what there doing at all, thats why do people send there kids to School all the time. Maybe everyone should stop sending there children to School and start sending them to sit an listen to you. And you can tell them how Schools don't know nutting. Anyone that makes a comment that Schools don't know what there doing has lost any and all arguments before they even start! Period!

And whats with the arapaima rant? If you want to whine about MONSTER FISH in a MONSTER FISH forum, go to the right thread.

Oops alittle tired after work and reading as much of this thread as I could. Mustta looked up at the [URL="http://www.monsterfishkeeper.com/forum/ and"]www.monsterfishkeeper.com/forum/ and[/URL] thought that ranting a bit about fish here wouldn't matter much since what I was ranting about Arapiamas was related to what I was ranting about with the size of cantainers, enclosure. ponds etc, etc. A THOUSAND Pardons oh great one. Please forgive me for ranting about a fish in a forum many based on fish with a Reptile Thread.

I didn't think that I touched on buying from line or petshops but if I did let me try an give a clearer take on that here. Not all captive breeders are the same and they all don't really breed what they claim they do. I know of roughly 5% that while they may breed what they can also sell imported animals as CB. Which is better than before when I could point out in any given trade show/herp show 10-15% of vendors that weren't truely 100% legit. Dude I used to work both sides of the fench. I've worked retail and wholesale. I know those that only sold captive bred and those that sold whatever they could at the shows. In the hayday of computers I helped those that where true blue so to speak setup there sites, name there new breeds find new blood. Anyway I was just wondering why people wanted to steer people with kids away from what they wanted thats all.

SORRY IF I OFFENDED ANYONE!!!!!

 

[loconorc]

About 1% of breeders truly know what theyre doing. Its not that hard to find them either. I could rattle off 15 or so right now, leaving out a couple hundred or maybe a couple thousand.

You think we were trying to get him out of turtles? No, we were telling him to keep an open mind to other herps, and although his daughter loves turtles, she might love something else even more. Since when do kids know what they want? We werent trying to steer anyone away from anything. Its called suggesting, its friendly and helps more than it hurts. It hurt you and only you, I don't know why. Maybe youre some 'turtle activist' or something, I dont know.

And he seemed happy with all the suggestions. Either that or some bloody brilliant sarcasm. We don't hate turtles. We love them, hence why I am a herper. But everyone has different situations. We don't know his finicial/time/space situations, we can't decide what he keeps. Just because he didnt ask doesnt mean we can't make SUGGESTIONS. now if we were saying YOU MUST GET THIS OR THAT!! Then you have reason to complain.

Also notice all the turtles we suggested. Yeah, we hate turtles.... right.

What makes you think kids should handle herps AT ALL? Much less nippy babies? Who says nippy babies want to be handled? Its always safer and more fun when BOTH are older (and smarter).

SUGGESTIONS, SUGGESTIONS, SUGGESTIONS O great one.