Winnipeg herp keepers

[crocdoc]

Hey guys, I'm going to be in Winnipeg in a week. Any of you guys live there? Any petshops worth visiting, out of curiousity?

[chuck911jeep]

If you stop by Quebec, send me an email

[timfriesen32]

I live in Steinbach (1/2 hour east of Winnipeg). But come to Winnipeg fairly often.

As far as pet stores go? I'm probably the wrong guy to ask. There are a couple with reptile departments, but nothing that I have found terribly impressive. But, I may have missed a couple as well. Have a good time in Winnipeg! What is the purpose of your trip?

TIm

[crocdoc]

Thanks, guys.

Tim, I'm going to visit family. My siblings and I are all getting together for my father's birthday. I grew up in Winnipeg.

I'll be checking out the snake dens, but thought I'd see if there were any interesting pet stores, just out of curiousity.

[timfriesen32]

Sounds good man. Have a great trip. I've never been to the snake dens, but have heard they're quite the site.

TIm

[crocdoc]

You should make the trip one day, they're not that far out of Winnipeg

[kap10cavy]

I grew up in Winnipeg.
You aint ever going to grow up. Take some pics of this snakes den place. I will never see it otherwise.
It's a long, long drive to Winnipeg from Alabama.
I gotta remember my camera when I go critter hunting so all those Canooks can be jealous of me for once. hahaha

Have fun.
Scott

[SnakeyeZ]

As far as petstores in winnipeg goes...there isnt anything thats really exciting..the same deal in every one!

Have a good trip..

[crocdoc]

Hey Scott, I took photos of the snake dens last time I was there but they're all transparencies. This time I'll have a digital. It's very impressive to see that many snakes together in one spot.

SnakeyeZ, I'm just curious about the sort of reptiles they sell in the average pet store these days, it needn't be that exciting. Are there any that sell monitors there, or is it still just hamsters and gerbils?

[Jeff_Favelle]

Crocdoc, I'm putting in an order for 10 locale Jungles, 5 lacies, a sexed pair of perenties, and , if there's room, some het albino carpets. Just leave them with Crannie. Thanx bro!

;)

As for pet stores, you'll find the usual wild fare of niles, maybe savannas, balls, etc etc. Might be pretty cool if you're used to all your Aussie stuff. Weird how all the stuff your exposed to would get us high as a kite, yet our stuff is the stuff you're interested in. Small world. Let us know when you're out! Tim Cranwill and Kevin M are also out that way, so along with Tim F., you should be set for tour guides! LOL!! :)

[crocdoc]

Originally posted by Jeff_Favelle
Crocdoc, I'm putting in an order for 10 locale Jungles, 5 lacies, a sexed pair of perenties, and , if there's room, some het albino carpets. Just leave them with Crannie. Thanx bro!

Sorry, Jeff, the lacies are still eggs at this stage (although one has started to dent, so it may be hatching sooner than expected). You wouldn't want them, anyway, as you'd have to keep them indoors in your climate and with the space they require, you'd probably need to halve or quarter your current collection. That goes double for perenties, for at least with lace monitors you can make up for some of the space vertically (got high ceilings?).

Have I managed to rationalise you into not wanting them any more? :) Haha.. I couldn't imagine trying to smuggle lace monitors in my socks, even if I were that way inclined.

As for albino carpets, a friend has a pair but I'm not into the morph side of things. They're pale and pasty looking - for that price you'd think they'd come with all of their colours!




Originally posted by Jeff_Favelle
Weird how all the stuff your exposed to would get us high as a kite, yet our stuff is the stuff you're interested in.

Although that is true about some Australians (I know a guy that thinks it would be 'cool' to get savannah monitors, yet he keeps lacies in his back yard) that is not the case with me, as I grew up over there and used to have access to all sorts of stuff. When I was a kid they sold monkeys, boas and caimans at the local Kmart. Funnily enough, amongst the lizards, lace monitors were my favourites even then (just from seeing them in books) and I had already developed a keen interest in a lot of Australian herps. That's the main reason I ended up here, to do work on a particular reptile (saltwater crocodile).

Originally posted by Jeff_Favelle
Small world. Let us know when you're out! Tim Cranwill and Kevin M are also out that way, so along with Tim F., you should be set for tour guides! LOL!! :)

I hadn't realised they were in Winnipeg. It'd be great to catch up with some fellow herpers, although being a family trip my time will be limited. I'll have to get contact details before I leave, as it isn't long now. Thanks for that, Jeff. I am stopping in Vancouver, but it is only for a few hours between flights, otherwise I'd organise to catch up for a beer or two.

[Tim_Cranwill]

Hi CrocDoc. :)

A few of us should go for some drinks and shoot the shiat. Just don't forget to bring lots of pictures with you! :D

The pet stores here blow with a capital b, l, o and w. I have seen one maybe two monitors in the past few years but generally, it's a bunch of leopards, cresteds, corns, kings, rats and balls... and poooooor samples at that! You can see WAAAAAY better stuff at my place, Rich's place, Kevin's place... etc. And all of us will actually let you in our houses! :D :p

Give me a shout or send me an email:
204-269-2502
cranwill@mts.net

What dates will you be in town?

[vincenzo]

i am also form winnipeg and agree with everyone our petstores leave MUCH to be desired!! if you get the chance tim c has an awesome collection as well as a few other people around here. enjoy your vacation

[Jeff_Favelle]

LOL! So no order then? ;)

If there's time to catch a Blue Bombers game, I might just fly out for the day!

[mmichele]

im from winnipeg it rocks

[Tim_Cranwill]

Originally posted by mmichele
im from winnipeg it rocks

It does? I guess I missed that memo. :p lol

[crocdoc]

Originally posted by mmichele
im from winnipeg it rocks

I must be talking about the other one, then. The one in Manitoba.

;)

Tim, email on its way.

[SnakeyeZ]

Originally posted by Tim_Cranwill
Hi CrocDoc. :)

You can see WAAAAAY better stuff at my place, Rich's place, Kevin's place... etc. And all of us will actually let you in our houses! :D :p

Haha..

[timfriesen32]

Originally posted by mmichele
im from winnipeg it rocks

She must be from a part of Winnipeg that I have never been to.

TIm

[crocdoc]

Originally posted by mmichele
im from winnipeg it rocks

Maybe there's a different Winnipeg somewhere, other than the one I grew up in.

Or maybe she meant to say 'im from winnipeg it rots'

;)

[Tim_Cranwill]

LOL!

There's another option I thought of that would be cool if you had some time to spend. We could get a few people together and head to Dave's new reptile zoo out by Brandon. It would be about a 2hr drive each way though, plus the time we spend there. But if you have 6 hours to spend and we can work it out, it would be a cool trip.

That or we could just eat some wings, drink some beer and shoot some shiat. :p

[SnakeyeZ]

Whats this "shoot the shiat" thing we speak of? lol New hobby?

That would be an ideal worth thinking of...

[crocdoc]

Dave's new reptile zoo?

[SnakeyeZ]

Oh Common people...Winnipeg isnt that bad.. aside from all the poverty and homelessness downtown..its really not a bad town. *gags*

-Rich

[crocdoc]

Winnipeg is a great place if you happen to be covered head to toe in thick white fur.

[mmichele]

winnipeg rocks dont you go around dising winnipeg but its true all the pet stores suck exeped for petland but ther prices are outrages for a crested gecko of no specel couler morph its like 150$$$

[timfriesen32]

Which part of Winnipeg do you live in?

I couldn't be paid enough money to live in Winnipeg. The traffic sucks, the rate of car theft is the highest in Canada, and I think that we've actually reach the highest number of violent crimes per capita in all of Canada. How do you figure Winnipeg rocks? Unless rocks is slang for amazing....LOL

Yes I have lived in Winnipeg before as well. Lived there for 4 months and couldn't get out fast enough...LOL

TIm

[mmichele]

WATEVER

[SnakeyeZ]

Originally posted by timfriesen32
Which part of Winnipeg do you live in?

I couldn't be paid enough money to live in Winnipeg.

YOUR 7 foot @$$ is goin down man!! lol

Tim..I need to get out of the city..maybe go live just outside selkirk or somthing :-)

[SnakeyeZ]

Originally posted by crocdoc
Winnipeg is a great place if you happen to be covered head to toe in thick white fur.

Totally...even then... its sketchy at times..lol

[timfriesen32]

I also grew up in rural Manitoba, so basically any town/city with more than 10,000 people is to big for me. I prefer my space and solitude.....and suffer from an extreme case of road rage when people cut me off. LOL

I can't stand city traffic, Steinbach traffic is bad enough. LOL

TIm

[galad]

LOl yea we have the highest murder count in the country but what as it 30 or something last year. Just be thankfull we don't live in the states.They get that in a night.
Most of it is the biker gangs anyways.

Does anyone think a pet shop would even work in Winnipeg?
It would have to be pretty sweet.
and mmichele the pet store your backing had a one inch cricket in the feeding dish of a one inch baby chameleon.
Most of the poop on the bottom wasn't even fully digested.
but thats as far as i'll go with that.

What about a small herp show in winnipeg?
Start off with a small show somewhere inexpensive but not trashy. Hard to find in Winnipeg I know.

I just hate the fact that the closest show we have to is such a long road trip. Although I might be getting on my dads air canada card soon so I could fly with at least two or three people for super cheap.

ws

[timfriesen32]

What about doing something outside of Winnipeg? In a near by or community....or Brandon?

TIm

[SnakeyeZ]

Yea..we'd end up spending more time at the zoo than anything else..haha.

[crocdoc]

what's this new zoo in Brandon?

[Bruce]

I'm in Kenora and would like to meet my Herp neighbours.
If there's a beer and wing night count me in!

Chris

[Tim_Cranwill]

Dave Shelvey recently built a new reptile zoo in Manitoba. I have only heard good things about it. He keeps crocs, monitors, hots, giants and everything in between... even down to the corns, kings and geckos.

I'm sure it would be a really cool trip. It's just a matter of whether you can afford to spend that much time on this outing. I'm sure it would take us 6 hours.

[kap10cavy]

The more I hear abou how wonderful Winnipeg, the happier i am to live in a small hick town in Alabama.
Oh, it is sunny and 84 degrees outside as I type.

Scott

[galad]

So I guess that means we wont be able to do a herp show then?

Winnnipeg has good weather in the summer it can get really hot sometimes.
Cept for the last couple years weather has been screwy just about all over.

so herp show??????


lol

ws

[Tim_Cranwill]

I looked into doing a show last year (would have taken place this year). There was very little cooperation on the govt's behalf. If we had a show, it would have to be outside of the city limits.

The main problem I had with committing to the idea wasn't getting vendors, it was about getting traffic through the doors. We don't have the population density or reptile breeding history that provinces like BC, Alberta and Ontario have. And we also don't seem to have the same market they have. It could get there over the next few years but we'll have to see. I think we need more breeders, hobby breeders and hobbyists to make a show worth the effort.

On top of that, I would be too busy running the show to do much in the way of sales, so it wouldn't really be worth it for me to do it at this stage in that respect either.

My guess is that in 3-5 years we might be ready to try having a small show. But who knows? :)

[crocdoc]

Originally posted by galad
Winnnipeg has good weather in the summer it can get really hot sometimes.

ws

Yeah, and if summer lands on a Sunday everyone has a picnic! Unfortunately, last time I lived there summer landed on a Wednesday and I missed it because I was at work. :(

[Manitoban Herps]

How old is this thread..LOL! :D

[SnakeyeZ]

Pretty old...he's been here and gone already..lol.

[crocdoc]

Haha. Wow, surprised to see this thread revived. Yes, I have been on my whirlwind tour of Canada and managed to catch up with Tim Cranwill for a chat and a peek at his great collection. That was by far my shortest trip to Canada ever, as I spent a total of 1 1/2 weeks there (there rest lost on travel time) and during that short time moved between Winnipeg, London (Ontario, not the other one) and Toronto.

Luckily it was winter here, for the friend that was meant to check up on my animals couldn't get in (long story). Being winter, I had the heat turned off and they'd barely moved in the time I was away. The max min thermometer on the incubator didn't register any drops in temperature, unlike last year (After ten years living in the same place without a single electrical issue, the first year I had lace monitor eggs in the incubator we had half a dozen power outages in my neighbourhood in the middle of winter).

[SnakeyeZ]

Sounds like a horrible mess..lol. Too bad you didnt get to stay longer here. Im sure the rest of us would have a great time listening to the tales from the outback!lol. Next time..we'll all goto Montana's for beer's and ribs! lol

[crocdoc]

I visit Winnipeg on a reasonably regular basis (every 18 months or so), so next time for sure. It should be a longer trip, too, so I'll be slightly less pressed for time.

[SnakeyeZ]

It's a date then! lol


-Rich