What should I buy next??

bo2as · 02-10-11, 05:59 PM

Hey guys.. so i found out that the reptile expo is in my region on march 5! i would of thought that with all those vet bills i would want nothing to do with a new pet lol... but i cant help but thinking about getting readdy for a new addition, so i can snagg something interesting at the expo loll. now i dont have much room left in my aptmnt lol so i was wondering if you guys had some suggestions! ive had beardies, water dragons, and tokays. so anything other than that, and that stays small enough for me to keep in a...lets say 20 gallon tank. lizards or snakes! if you have any suggestion tell me why i should get this pet maybe a list of pros and cons! im all exited!

THANKS IN ADVANCE !!

NennaMeerkat · 02-10-11, 06:11 PM

Why not get a leopard gecko or a hoggie

Pros for both are that they are easy to take care of and they are very nice little animals and fun to have. Leopards have funny personalities and habits. And in a 20 gallon tank either would be nice and happy its entire life.

totheend · 02-10-11, 06:37 PM

Bo2as, the expo is March 6th

Sapphyr · 02-10-11, 07:23 PM

I agree with Nenna. As for pros and cons, on the Leo's side, they're relatively low maintenance compared to some other reptiles, they tame easy, have tons of morphs, and are overall really awesome little guys. Only con I can think of is the crickets get a little pricey if you buy them. We've been considering raising our own crickets. And I guess another con is Metabolic Bone Disease, but this only occurs if their needs aren't met.

I'm not an expert on hognoses, nor have I owned one, but from what little I do know, they're reluctant to bite and they stay relatively small. Grow to about a foot. I've heard they fake biting, they act like they're striking but they don't open their mouth to bite. It's more of roughly shoving their flat tipped nose against you. I'm not 100% sure, but aren't their fangs located more in the back of their mouth instead? A con that I do know of is some people have negative responses to their saliva should they be bitten. It's extremely mild though, nothing major, nausea at best, if that. And no, it's not venom, it's just their saliva.

NennaMeerkat · 02-10-11, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sapphyr

I'm not an expert on hognoses, nor have I owned one, but from what little I do know, they're reluctant to bite and they stay relatively small. Grow to about a foot. I've heard they fake biting, they act like they're striking but they don't open their mouth to bite. It's more of roughly shoving their flat tipped nose against you. I'm not 100% sure, but aren't their fangs located more in the back of their mouth instead? A con that I do know of is some people have negative responses to their saliva should they be bitten. It's extremely mild though, nothing major, nausea at best, if that. And no, it's not venom, it's just their saliva.

Hoggies are rear fanged snakes and it is debatable about if they are poisonous or venomous. Either way though they really don't bite. Instead they will flatten out their necks similar to a cobra

They will also shake their tails like a rattlesnake, open their mouth wide and hiss, release a musk of sorts, and what they are most famous for...

Playing Dead

The last thing they will ever try to do is bite and they will always fake strike at you bumping their heads trying to poke at you with their nose or just flat out head butt you. You would REALLY have to piss one off to actually open mouth bite.

Sapphyr · 02-10-11, 07:34 PM

Oh wow! I didn't know about flattening their head, and I'd forgotten about playing dead. They're so comical.~ And yeah, I know it's super rare to get bitten by one. As crazy as it sounds, some lady(we visit her for crickets) said she knew a guy with a hognose, got bit by it, and almost lost his arm. I'm extremely skeptical of this, though.

Now I'm extremely inspired to save up for a hoggie next month at our expo. The guy who sold me my BRB had regular western hoggies for $55. I personally like orange or red colored hoggies, but they're just too awesome to pass up, no matter the color! Not sure mother would be happy about a second snake, though... Or the bf. I'm hoping once we move in, though, he'll grow out of his mild snake phobia.

NennaMeerkat · 02-10-11, 07:44 PM

Have you seen this kind of hoggie morph?

NennaMeerkat · 02-10-11, 07:45 PM

And one last post...here is a better view of the flattening of the neck

bo2as · 02-10-11, 07:55 PM

i was actually debating on a hoggie or a geck lol but hoggie seems to have me smiling a bit more

a cant wait to go to this expo!! aand totheend.. i heard it was both days.. can i know where i can get accurate info lol? i REALLY dont wanna miss it!

Hillsberry · 02-10-11, 08:18 PM

Both Leos and Hogs are great! To me I would go with the Hog just cause I am more of a snake person then a lizard. But leos are so cute. I think you will find it easier choosing what you want once you get to the expo! Good luck! Post pictures once you get your new addition!

Sapphyr · 02-10-11, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NennaMeerkat

Have you seen this kind of hoggie morph?

Oh wow, that's beautiful.~ Probably a smidge pricey though, hm?

Also, totally agree on pics. We love pics <3

totheend · 02-10-11, 08:22 PM

No the expo is only on March 6th. The only time the expo runs for 2 days is for the CRBE (Canadian Reptile Breeders Expo) and it is in Sept. Go here...Ontario Reptile & Exotic Pet Expo

And Hognoses can and will bite........trust me!

NennaMeerkat · 02-10-11, 08:29 PM

Really they will bite without doing the other stuff? I mean I know they can, but they aren't like some snakes that will just strike out of nowhere. I wouldn't call them bitey though by any means.

Sapphyr · 02-10-11, 08:40 PM

"Hognose snakes (Heterodon) are rear-fanged and technically not venomous, but the saliva they excrete is considered toxic to prey but not considered to be dangerous to humans and they will never bite in defense (as the only way to get bitten by a hognose snake is to smell like their prey).[1] There has been some debate whether or not hognose are venomous, but there is evidence that their saliva has some toxicity to smaller prey items, such as toads and frogs."

Edit: "Providing you wash your hands after handling the snakes food it is very unlikely that you will receive a bite from the Western Hognose Snake and even if you do it is also unlikely that the fangs will connect as they are set so far back in the mouth. It should also be noted that most defensive strikes from the Western Hognose snake are bluff, with the mouth closed."

totheend · 02-10-11, 08:42 PM

I have some that will just hit me closed mouth..but have had some that bite without warning over and over again. I donated a male to the ecology dept. at a University near me and he has bit everyone in the lab....as soon as he sees you he starts biting.......crazy little animal !! I have had some just out of the blue bite me too. But they usually give warning and even then they usually don't bite it is just the closed mouth hit.