Your Pet Guide: March 2009

Exotic Pet Snake For Beginner

Posted by floristmontreal | Posted in Ball pythons, Burmese pythons, care of snakes, exotic animals, exotic snakes, pet directory, pet supplies, snakes and pythons, snakes as pets, snakes species | Posted on 7:10 AM

Having exotic snakes as pets is becoming common nowadays. This is primarily because many people who have been taking care of one assert that snakes are attractive and can be quite tame, contrary to popular belief.

In spite of this, snakes remain to be not for everyone as care of snakes is quite complex. Just like in the case of having other types of exotic animals, commitment is very essential.

Thus, prior to acquiring one, it is best to have the right information about them such as behavioral characteristics, dietary and habitat requirements, and other pertinent details. Only after which should you decide if you really are capable of having one.

There are several snakes species may be considered as pets but the most common are garter snakes and pythons. For first-time owners that are inexperience with snakes, corn snakes, king snakes, and ball pythons are, in fact, most suitable as these are gentle and meeting their diet and environmental needs is not as difficult as for some other species. These snakes are relatively small. Ball pythons tend to difficult to feed, because sometimes they stop eating for months at a time. If you are interesting in acquiring a ball python, make sure it is captive breed, and used to feed with killed prey.

On the other hand, if you are a beginner, don't think about acquiring Burmese pythons, red-tailed boas, tree boas or pythons, water snakes and other wild caught snakes as pets, as they can really be dangerous especially when not handled properly. If you choose Burmese pythons and red-tailed boas, you may require assistance for handling and feeding, due to their size and strength. Tree boas and pythons tend to have very strict temperature and humidity requirements, and water snakes have very specific care requirements too. Wild caught snakes tend to be nervous, prone to illness, and difficult to feed in captivity.

The appropriate diet and living area vary with different species. Generally, though, in creating an artificial environment for them, take note of security as they tend to get out of any enclosure. Check for gaps and the strength of the habitat itself.

Otherwise, you shall be putting others in danger as well as incurring liabilities. Also, check if there is enough space for them to move around. The size of the space must correspond well to the size of your pet.

As all snakes are carnivorous, rodents like mice and rats are the best food for them. It is recommended to give them pre-killed ones so as to protect them from possible injuries caused by their prey when alive. This especially happens when the prey is given to them while they are not yet hungry and unwilling to attack. On your part, it would likewise be more convenient to have these killed rodents in a freezer than keep another habitat just for them. Snakes like anacondas and reticulated pythons aren't recommended as pets, as these snakes are huge, have poor temperaments and potentially dangerous.

Snakes care, no matter what you choose as your pet, has indeed never been easy. For pet snakes, your responsibility doesn't end when you have chosen the species. You should be familiar with appropriate care and feeding, the behavioral characteristic, and the commitment to keep the pet. It is actually just the beginning of a long-term complex relationship.

Taking Care of Ball Pythons

Posted by floristmontreal | Posted in Ball pythons, pet, pet store guide, pet supplies, pet supplies guide, python regius, royal pythons | Posted on 5:54 AM

Ball pythons or python regius are found along the edges of Western and Central Africa's forest lands. They are either on the trees or grounds. Although they are termed as royal pythons in the European countries, they are referred to as ball pythons in the US because of the curling habits. They tend to curl up and pull their heads firmly in the center when nervous.

Ball pythons are crepuscular, meaning they are more active at dusk and dawn. Similar to most pythons, ball pythons are gentle and curious snakes. They also have anal spurs like the ones found in boas.

These lone claws that appear on the sides of their vents are formerly their hind legs. The snakes lost their legs in evolution millions of years ago. Males possess longer spurs and smaller heads compared to the females.

If you plan to have one as a pet, it is best to buy a captive-born. If not, then go for well-feeding juvenile, adult or sub-adult breed.

In selecting a ball python, select one with a firm clear skin, clean vents, round-shaped body, and clear eyes. When handled, it should actively flick its tongue.

In selecting a housing for your hatchling, a 10 gallon glass tank with a hinged glass top and fixed screens should do the trick. Take note that snakes are regarded as escape artists. Ball pythons are cunning and powerful in breaking out. Hence, for a young adult, you need a 20 gallon glass tank. For a full adult, you need a 30 gallon glass tanks already..

When selecting an appropriate substrate, you can initially use paper towels. It can be easily replaced or removed when soiled. If your Ball Python is imported, you would need to monitor its feces and check it for mites.

Once established, use a fir bark or shredded cypress. Never use aspen and pine shaving because this can lodge in your snake's mouth while it eats. It may cause respiratory and other serious problems.

You need to monitor these shavings closely. When it gets wet and soiled, pull it out immediately, to prevent the growth of fungus and bacteria.

Place a hiding area for your ball python. You can buy a half-log at any pet store. An alternative can be an upside down plastic opaque container or an empty cardboard box.

Keep the tank warm, 80 to 85 degrees F in the daytime. At night, keep it at 73 to 75 degrees F. You can buy reptile heating pads at any drug store. As an alternative, you can buy incandescent light bulbs in metal and porcelain reflector hoods. Never use a hot rock because bBall pythons are prone to thermal burns.

Make sure your snake gets ambient humidity. You can check this using a hygrometer. Get this up to 50%. When your snake sheds, it needs higher humidity. You can increase the enclosure humidity to about 60-65%. By bathing your snake in a warm bath when its eyes clear, they will completely shed in 24 hours.

For hatchlings, you can feed it with a 10 day old mouse. For the larger ones, you can feed them larger pinkie rats or pre-killed mice.

Always provide a fresh bowl of water inside the tank.

Ball Pythons can live for many years. Amidst coming of age, they need to remain active and alert. In captivity, most snakes die for reasons related to their care and maintenance. Some causes include contact with lighting and heating elements, improper temperature, lack of needed veterinary treatment and care, no access to regular water and careless handling among others.

Adopt A Monkey

Posted by floristmontreal | Posted in adopting any animals, babies monkey, being primates, monkey as a pet, monkey vendor, monkeys | Posted on 5:35 AM

There are many stuff to deem when adopting any animals, not just monkeys. If you think of adopting a monkey as a pet, costs sometime to understand more about the requests of monkeys will profit both you and the animals. For indeed, there are responsibilities as a monkey possessor. Sometimes, monkeys are just like little children. They necessary a lot of your time and awareness and to take good heed of them, you just have to place their wants above all moreover.

Nevertheless what are some of these requests? The wants of a monkey are very parallel to the wants of a small little outcome. That's because monkeys, being primates, part many smiliar characteristics with being beings. To be a monkey vendor, it takes more than just feeding the monkey food and providing shelter.

For example, a babies monkey definitely wants education. It needs to be qualified what is the right thing to do, and what is not. And like being beings, they happen practice from a very little age. These routine cultivate to twig with the monkeys as they grow elder. So if undesirable behavior are not corrected early, you as the monkey holder may face behavioral troubles with the pet later on.

Also, shoulder in thinker that although the monkey regularly grows elder and mature, and haughty that it is well skilled, it will still want a carnival quantity of time and awareness. That's because monkeys are by scenery lively animals. And due to this nature, they expect party and plenty of play time to be delighted. And just like a creature being, if they are showered with dearest and are exultant most of the time, they react very differently and they also cultivate to be better. Still, being animals with an instinct for hurt, monkeys still get into agitate every now and then. That means as a monkey owner, if you to be very enduring with them.

Having said that, many people like to own monkeys as pets because they are very jolly animals. They like the company of creature beings. They are active, vigorous, and greatly responsive to people. Most importantly, they have childish actions that can make people laugh. For these reasons, monkey owners are more than willing to forgive and disregard about the wicked stunts that monkeys come up with every now and then. A juvenile incident, a brief laugh, and everything is water under the passage. And being adorable looking little creatures, perhaps that's why it's relaxed to plunge in worship with a little monkey.

In any casing, do remember that there are fun moments and tiresome moments when care a monkey as a pet. Don't just think of the fun moments. Spare a thought for all those wearisome time as well, but don't be scared of a few tiresome moments. For all you know, it's usuall because of these tiresome moments that earn you and your monkey nearer together. Ultimately, it's about developing a great relationship with your pet monkey, and all great relationships doesn't come from all good. There has to be some good, and some bad in any prolific relationship. So don't just be your monkey's warden. Be it's best colleague, and it will indeed reciprocate and be yours as well.

Why Monkeys Pets

Posted by floristmontreal | Posted in abnormal behavior, Monkey babies, Monkey pets, monkeys, perfect pets, pet-monkeys, pets’ behavior, Primates are wild animals | Posted on 6:19 AM

We’ve all seen movies, cartoons, commercials, music videos, etc. in which the main characters are played by these cute, joyful, smart animals. And this may lead us to believe that monkeys would actually make perfect pets.

Although while they are just small babies these sweet creatures, with their big eyes and their fuzzy fur may appear as harmless and innocent, when they grow up and become sexually mature, they can turn into really violent beings. Not to mention that they can pass on to us some extremely dangerous viruses, like the one of herpes B. This disease can be lethal for humans.

The problem is many people think they may adopt monkeys as substitutes for children. And therefore they are willing to pay a rather big amount of money to get such a pet-monkeys may cost thousands of dollars. Nonetheless, veterinarians generally share the idea that monkeys have a complex emotional system, a high level of intelligence, are likely to live a long life, and therefore they feel the need to spend their time with their "own kind" rather than humans, no matter how much we may try to please or spoil them.

Here are the words of such a doctor: "If you try to keep them as pets you're creating a mentally disturbed animal in 99.9 percent of the cases," He also says that "The animal will never be able to fit in any other home. Never learn how to get along with other monkeys. And, more often than not, will end up with a lot of behavioral traits that are self-destructive."

Monkey babies are usually taken away from their moms when they are about three days old, and in exchange for their mothers they are given a cuddly, stuffed toy to play with, a blanket, or other such things. This causes the poor animals to adopt an abnormal behavior: they rock, grasp themselves, or suck their thumbs (so in a way they may remind us of how abandoned children act like.)

Monkeys become of age, therefore reach sexual maturity when they turn 18-24 months old. It is at this point that they can get pretty aggressive and dangerous towards their owners. Because of that, the formerly proud monkey owners decide to give them over to zoos or sanctuaries, where, sadly enough, they get to spend the rest of their lives. Or sometimes they are sent to laboratories for experiments or breeding.

Due to the change in their pets’ behavior as they grow older and stronger, some owners may try to change the unpredictable characteristics of monkeys by chaining them, putting them in small confined spaces, removing their teeth or nails to make them unable to scratch or bite.

Let us not forget that "Primates are wild animals," as said Truitt, from the Primate Rescue Center mentioned. "No amount of surgical mutilation, training, or beating will ever change that."
Monkey pets can really make one’s life more complicated, as they tend to behave like trouble, difficult children. Thus, appart from showing favoritism towards certain family members, growing monkeys are also likely to become more and more aggressive if there are too many people in a house or a room.

Monkeys are happy only when they can fulfill their social and emotional needs. They need other social animals like them, they need to feel loved and protected, and generally long for genuine affection. Such emotional needs may in fact appear as quite similar to the humans’ ones. Nevertheless, there is still a wild side to that, which reminds us of their being wild animals, not domestic pets. Therefore it would be a great mistake to see them and consequently treat monkeys like we would treat a dog, a cat, a hamster, a guinea pig or any other such common pets.

One should try and understand that they do have their very own, specific needs, feelings and emotions, and they are reluctant to change them for our own simple pleasure and entertainment. They are likely to become aggressive when people treat them like toys, this happening especially in the case of human kids who may enjoy controlling them or handling them in a rather harsh manner. Knowing these consequences, think more than twice before you decide for a monkey pet.

Bearded Dragon

Posted by floristmontreal | Posted in Bearded Dragon, beardies, exotic pet, pet lizard, Proper Housing, reptile pet, reptile pets | Posted on 9:04 AM

If you are interested in owning a pet lizard, one species you might want to consider purchasing is the Bearded Dragon. Commonly referred to as "beardies" by those who own them, Bearded Dragons tend to be quite tame and are relatively easy lizards to care for.

Since they are generally calm in nature, they are also a good choice for families with children who are looking for an exotic pet, though it is important to be certain to wash your hands thoroughly with antibacterial soap after handling a Bearded Dragon as you should with any reptile. This precaution can protect you and prevent the transmission of salmonella.

Recognizing a Bearded Dragon

Bearded Dragons have a very distinctive look, as their heads are broad and triangular in shape. In addition, they have what appears to be many spikes running along the bottom of their chin, though these spikes are not harmful or painful in any way. When the Bearded Dragon feels threatened or intimidated, however, it will expand this pouch in order to look larger and more menacing. Hence, the name "bearded" dragon.

Creating the Proper Housing for Your Bearded Dragon

When creating the proper housing for your Bearded Dragon, it is important to remember that these reptiles are native to dry habitats that are sparsely vegetated. Therefore, care should be taken to recreate this same type of habitat in your home. While a baby bearded dragon will be happy in a 20 gallon long tank, it is best to use a tank that is at least 40 gallons long or more for an adult bearded dragon. This way, your pet will have plenty of room to run around and comfortably explore its habitat.

In addition to having enough room to move about, your Bearded Dragon will also need areas where it can bask and absorb heat. Therefore, rocks and logs should be added to the habitat as well. Finely sifted play sand or calcium sand should be used to cover the bottom of the habitat. These sands can be purchased at nearly any pet store. It is important to never use sand from the beach or from your yard, as this sand can contain parasites and other potentially dangerous additives that could harm your pet.

Finally, you will need to pay special attention to obtaining the proper lighting and heating for your Bearded Dragons. You will need a UVB light such as the Repti-Sun 10.0. Your pet will need to receive 12 to 14 hours of UVB light each day in order to prevent the development of certain diseases, such as Metabolic Bone Disease. It is also a good idea to use a heat lamp to keep one side of the enclosure warmer than the other. This way, your Bearded Dragon can move from one side of the enclosure to the other in order to better regulate its body temperature.

Feeding Your Bearded Dragon

Bearded Dragons are omnivores, meaning they eat fruits and vegetables as well as insects. Ideally, your pet's diet should consist of about 80% plant matter and 20% insect. Some insects Bearded Dragons enjoy include:

• Butterworms
• Crickets
• Hormworms
• Locusts
• Phoenix worms
• Roaches
• Silkworms
• Superworms

Some vegetables you may want to feed your Bearded Dragon include:

• Cabbage
• Carrot tops
• Collard greens
• Dandelion greens
• Escarole
• Kale
• Mustard greens
• Parsley
• Spring greens
• Turnip greens

While fruit can also benefit Bearded Dragons, it is important to stay away from citric fruits such as oranges, lemons and grapefruit as these fruit can be potentially fatal to your pet.

Reptile Pets

Posted by floristmontreal | Posted in agamid lizard, Bearded Dragon, Corn Snake, dogs as pets, reptile pets, Reptiles, Royal or Ball Python | Posted on 11:11 AM

Reptiles are now more popular than dogs as pets, a fact that appeared as a result of a survey carried out in early 2008. guess the most popular reptiles reptile pets. Like many things pet related, you need to make the right choice, and just as choosing a badly suited breed of dog can cause problems, the same is true of reptiles.

The easiest to care for tend to be the most popular also, and as such are great first reptiles, so here they are:-

Bearded Dragon
Bearded Dragon is the name used for any agamid lizard in the genus Pogona. They are native to Australia, and are sometimes the first reptile people get as pets.

Bearded Dragons are popular pets, notably the species Inland or Central Bearded Dragon. These animals are also affectionately called "Beardies" by those who breed or raise them. They are a ideally suited to children, because of their friendly and calm nature, along with the low amount of work they need to be cared for.

Beardies have broad triangular heads and flattened bodies, the adults growto approximately 18 to 24 inches from head to tail with males and females being of comparable size, although males usually sport a larger head and a thicker tail base than the females.

Beardies have a distinctive set of spines running horizontally from the head to the base of the tail. They range in colour from light tan to dark brown, depending on their native soil, often with highlights of black, brilliant red, or gold, and can change greatly depending upon their internal condition, mood or temperature darkening when cool. Some spefically hand reared have been selectively bred for more brilliant colorations.

Beardies are omnivorous, capable of subsisting on a wide variety of food sources, including both insects and vegetable food. A typical diet for captive beardies includes leafy greens and vegetables, and regular meals of feeder insects.

All species are from Australia, but they have been exported the world over and bred successfully in captivity. Beardies live about 8–15 years with proper care in captivity, though some can live up to 20 years old

Corn Snake
The corn snake, or red rat snake, is a North American species of rat snake that subdue their small prey with constriction. The name "corn snake" comes from the fact that they have markings on their underside that looks like corn. They are found throughout the south-eastern and central United States. Their placid nature, reluctance to bite, moderate adult size 1.2 to 1.8 metres, attractive markings, and comparatively simple care make them popular pet snakes. In the wild, they usually live around 10-15 years, but can live as old as 23 years in captivity. Like all rat snakes, corn snakes are non-venomous.

They have a diet mainly consisting of rodents, mostly mice and rats, which they kill via crushing. They are accomplished climbers and may climb trees in search of birds and bats. Pet Corn Snakes are usually fed by their keepers on a diet of commercially available rodents, predominantly mice, while younger and smaller snakes may eat live or dead rat or mouse pups of various sizes. Frozen mice are preferable, as live prey can possibly carry disease or injure the snake if it has not been raised on live prey.

The Corn Snake was one of the first snakes to be kept in captivity by people, and remains one of the most popular. Large volumes are bred annually to ensure that there is a constant supply, lowering the need to collect specimens from the wild. keeping more than one together is inadvisable in captivity, as these are naturally solitary animals.

Owners of Corn Snakes have emphasised a cage with no chance of escape. Corn Snakes are excellent escape artists and will often get out of any home that is not properly secured. More first timers lose their snakes to escapes than death. They are good at climbing, squeezing out of tiny holes, and can also use their bodies to push the lid off of a poorly-fitted aquarium.

Royal or Ball Python
The Royal Python or Python Regius is a non-venomous python species found in Africa. This is the smallest of the African pythons and is popular as a pet snake. Adults generally do not grow to more than 90-120 cm in length, although some examples have reached 152 cm and even 182 cm, around 6ft, but this is very rare. The build is stocky while the head is relatively small and the scales are smooth.

The colour marking is typically black with light brown-green side and dorsal blotches. The underside is a white or cream that sometimes can include scattered black markings. However, owners and breeders have, through selective breeding, developed many mutations with different colours and patterns.

The name ball python comes from the snakes tendency to curl into a ball when worried or scared. The name royal python is rumoured to have come from the story that Cleopatra allegedly wore the snake around her wrist.

Ordinarily when wild, the diet consists mostly of small mammals, such as African soft-furred rats, shrews and striped mice. Younger snakes have also been known to feed on birds. Captive pets usually do well on domestic rats and mice, either live, pre-killed, or frozen-thawed

There are obviously many more reptile types kept as pets, and no doubt the favourites will change, but any of the three named above will make great pets, and a great introduction to keeping reptiles.

Your Pet Guide