Seriously, how DO you do it?! (long post.. sorry!)

[babysweet]

So a year ago, after not even a month of dating, my dear bf convinced me to get a baby ball python at last year's april Reptile Expo in Mississauga. I thought we got a good deal, and later learned (big props here to the Reptile Store in Hamilton -- you guys ROCK!) that she was probably WC.

I'm a huge advocate of learn before you buy, and I'm 99% great about not letting my heart get ahead of the brain, but alas, we ended up with what we believe to be a WC Ball. She's a year old now, and doing great (yep, were we ever lucky!) but the experience almost scared me away from herps forever!

Well, a year later, we have an Okatee corn from Port Credit Pets, two green anoles, and tonight... finally... we picked up two cresties (huge thanks to Gecko Brothel for introducing me to these amazing creatures at last month's show! and HUGE thanks to steve from Hamilton for hooking me up with these two beauties!). We've got another one on the way next week (also thanks to ssnakess classifieds), and possibly a few more ($$ willing) coming next month from the Reptile Store.

We're hooked. We can't stop. We're buying a house this fall, and we've already decided that we've got to pick one with a suitable reptile room. <sigh>

Don't get me wrong, I'm ecstatic, and I love looking after the little critters, but seriously, how do you not end up with tanks instead of walls? :OP

I'll post some pics of the little beauties as soon as they're comfortable enough in their new homes to pose pretty for the camera.

Thanks to all those people who have helped us along the way. Being a dog person, I'm used to the cliques of dogdom, and the general rudeness of fanciers in general. But the world of herps is truly filled with some amazing people.

Extra thanks to: The Gecko Brothel, The Reptile Store (you RULE Reptile Man!), Steve from Hamilton, Select Gex (for pointing me to ssnakess.com), and everyone else who's helped us out along the way.

Kim Helstein

2.0 Cats, 1.1 Dogs, 0.1 Ball Python, 0.0.1 Okatee Corn, 1.1 Green Anoles, 0.0.2 Crested Geckos

[DragnDrop]

It's not called an addiction for nothing :) Welcome to the madness, and don't worry, it's not likely you'll be carted away to a pink room - it's a nice madness.

I have no problems with tanks and enclosures showing up all over the house. Mind you, I'm lucky, no significant other to worry about and the kids are perfectly okay with it too... they even have their own herps. :)
There are enclosures in every room except the kitchen (no desire for them there) and kids rooms (I'd never find the enclosures again it those rooms, ... lost forever :) )
When I have guests over, I just tell them to ignore the snake in the bathroom enclosure, he won't tell a soul what he sees. :)

[babysweet]

You have a snake enclosure in your bathroom! That's way too cool... lol.

My mother in law just bought a new house, and there's a 3' x 2.5' tiled shelf beside her bathtub that she's planning on filling with potted plants. I might have to make my own suggestion now... I've got a hex that would fit JUST RIGHT. ;O)

Well, good to know my insanity can definitely get worse. I have no doubt that it will.

Kim

[Betty Miskie]

Sounds like you definitely caught the crestie bug, glad to hear we could convert another!:D
Betty

[babysweet]

My bf picked me up from work to take me out to lunch today... and all I wanted to do was run to the reptile store to get more cork bark and hides... lol.

"Cresty bug" is putting it mildly.

Oh, and I mentioned the bathroom enclosure to my significant other... now we have to look for a house with an extra room for the reptiles.. and a bathroom big enough to hold a snake.

<sigh>

I can think of worse things... ;O)

Kim

[DragnDrop]

It doesn't have to be a bathroom snake. I used to have dart frogs in there, but some people didn't like the idea of frogs eating flies in the bathroom, even if they were fruit flies not 'out house' flies :) So I switched the tank to dart tadpoles. Now that I don't have darts anymore (physical limitations on my part), I decided to use the tank for a pueblan milk snake. They tend to hide a lot during the day and at night disappear when someone walks past - enough privacy for even the pickiest guest using the facilities. I could see a Rhac of some sort in the bathroom since the humidity can be higher in the room if you work it right.

[babysweet]

Dart frogs, eh? Hmmm... we don't have any frogs yet... ;O)

Ooooh... you're starting something terrible here... lolol

I have always been fascinated by the little creatures. I worry though, because we're not that experienced just yet. I fretted over our Ball Python terribly for the first six months, although when we got our Corn it was like tank-heatpad-cover-dish-log-hide-DONE. No sweat!

We chose crestys however, because I fell in love with the few that Gecko Brothel had at the show last month. I was not a lizard person. Not at all. More of a lack of exposure than a distaste (although Beardies still give me the willies... can't really say why... lol). It was just a HUGE bonus that they're so easy to care for.

Frogs seem complicated... although I'm sure I could find plenty of help to walk me through it... I have to say it again... I have never met so many helpful people in an animal circle before. It's taking some getting used to... but highly enjoyable!

Well, off to the reptile store for some more hides, some dishes, and some more crickets (these fat little crestys love their crickets!)

And maybe a peek at the frogs.... ;o)

You guys have created a monster.... :D

[DragnDrop]

We didn't 'create' a monster.... we just released the 'monster' that was hiding inside you. :)

[little_dragon_]

That's so true..just remember to make a feeding budget before you start to go overboard ;)

[Dragonhood]

in this hobby it's hard to say NO to new animals. We have over 200 at is time and still growing!!!! lol!! John from reptileoasis

[Lrptls]

definetly think about cost of food! very important. that is what is holding me back from having possibly hundreds of animals. i can only afford to keep around 30, if i start going crazy and geting all sorts of new pets i see that i am soon geting rid of some. which is always sad but i end up being happy having every thing i love the most.

happy to hear there is another person out their sharing our adiction though =)

[babysweet]

Yes, that's a great point about the cost of food, care, substrate and general upkeep. Having kept "special needs" dogs and cats for the past six years, we're very careful about that.

Our most "special" boy is a golden retriever (my once-in-a-lifetime dog) who happens to be hypothyroid/epileptic/anaemic/dysplastic. Nothing tops this boy!

On top of that, we feed all our furry kids raw food (well, I suppose our reptilian pets as well...lol) and the cost can be astronomical.

Compared to those guys, the price of mice (will buy in bulk when necessary... for now we buy them singly), crickets, mealworms, babyfood and supplements is nothing.

Not that I'm dismissing that it DOES get pricey, but we're more aware of the "keeper costs" than most people. My $$ problem right now is tracking down discount tanks and such. The reptile shows in Mississauga have been great, we've picked up some cheap tanks, tops, heat pads and substrate, along with both of our snakes, at the show over the last year.

As a BARF feeder, I'm great at ferreting out the deals!

Thanks again for the warm welcome, and the great advice!

Kim Helstein

[Betty Miskie]

Oh wow, you do have the "bug", and it isn't just with cresties.......... you have it bad. What you need is a nice little leo or fattie then. That will take your mind off the frogs and cresties.:)
Betty

[babysweet]

Actually, I'm really not a fan of Leos... or Fattys... something about that big tail... I don't find it appealing. Don't get me wrong, other than the tail they're cute little things, aren't they?

What I have my eyes set on right now is a pair of Giant Day Geckos at the Reptile Store. Gorgeous creatures...

And ever since the Reptile Man showed me his collection of geckos, I've been pining for a pair of satanic leaf geckos.

Gargoyles would be nice, too... or a Giant Gecko (Rhacodactylus Leachianus)...

lol... see what I mean?

And it gets worse... saw my very first Savannah Monitor last night. Obviously we're not even CLOSE to being ready for a monitor (love those Ackies!) but definitely something to work for...

My bf is almost as bad as I am... lol... thankfully we're saving for our house right now, or we'd already have converted our house into Noah's Ark...

Kim

[Joe]

The first Reptile I ever bred was the Giant day gecko, sucked me right in they did...lol, Paul aka the reptile man is a good guy and will set you up nicely im sure... good luck!

[babysweet]

Picked up two more cresties today... lol

Couldnt' help it! One from the classifieds here at ssnakess, and one from Paul at the Reptile Store.

One is a tiger/brindle rust, and one is a brown patternless/bicolour. Hard to tell, they're both only a few months old.

I'll post some pics as soon as we get our digi back.