What's the most interesting herp you have ever kept?

[BoidKeeper]

Looking at another thread about how our collections got started I see a lot of people started simple and moved up. That got me thinking to what we've moved up to. Everything we keep even corns are considered exotics but what is the most exotic or unusual or even rarest herp you've ever kept or are keeping?
I don't mean morphs either I mean things that not too many other people have that sort of thing.
Thanks,
Trevor

[marisa]

Hmmmm well when I was young, around 10 my Dad came home from riding his dirt bike in the california desert with a "horned toad"

To this day I have no idea what this reptile actually was. He lived for like four + years in a fish bowl with no lights, no heat, no uv and nothing but mealworms once per week. He was really neat!

Marisa
Did a little web search and I think it was this:
http://www.wildherps.com/species/P.coronatum.html

[Scales Zoo]

That is a tough question.

The Sheltopusiks are really neat, and get the most comments from the general public that sees them.

My favorites are the blackheads, not a lot of other people currently working with them right now either.

Have a monitor lizard which is an import, was imported as an argus, and does not appear to be an argus, or any other type of the gouldie complex. It should also not be a cross, as their ranges in the wild don't overlap - so it might be a new type - who knows.

Probably the most rare and weird thing that happened, was buying a Red tailed green ratsnake from a friend. He bought it from a local petstore, which had gotten quite a few W.C ones in. This one looked a bit different right off the bat, and after 2 months of us keeping it, it turned really grey before it shed. It shed, and came out looking as shiny black as an Indigo, and has stayed that way.

It is either a melanistic form of a Red tailed green ratsnake (which would be super rare) or, I think it is a melanistic Elaphe Janseni. When the pure black ones show up at the importers in Florida, they sell for $350 u.s, if you are lucky enough to be some of the first in line.

Ryan

[Gary D.]

Although I persoanlly have been fascinated with anacondas for ever and am stoked at now having one, the most unusual animals right now are my mata mata and the northern snake-necked turtle.

[Simon]

I haven't really kept anything THAT special...

I've kept a couple of rare things in Canada.
1) Frenata (Green Trinklet Rats) are properly the most rare
2) 100 Flower Rat
3) Mandarin Rats
4) Rhino Rats
5) Twin Spots
6) Red Spot
7) Red Back

More or less just the rare asian species

Nothing really exciting....

Just hoping to breed the Rhino Rats in 2005 soon~~

[Linds]

Most of my collection is composed of fairly common species, I guess my Jamaican Boas would be considered the least common.

<img src="http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/508/22mj99.jpg">
<img src="http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/508/22slowpoke.jpg">

[lakeridgekennel]

I have some cool stuff in my collection maybe isn't rare but is cool
green burms
albino pattenless burm
big ornate nile
My puppy tame amarican aligator I love him/her the best pet in the world
Sean

[beanersmysav]

Looking at that list you have there lakeridgekennel you must have a mansion, those are some big cage reptiles. Wish I could have a collection like that

I don't have anything exotic I guess my rarest kept would be the Armadillo Lizard. I don't know of anyone else who keeps one personally.

[GekkoGeck0]

I haven't kept much over the years... mainly due to a lack of space, but this gecko is probably the most aesthetically interesting gecko I've seen.



Palmatogecko rangei, they're fossorial, and my personal favourite gecko.

In the past I had the very fortunate opportunity to work in a couple of southern Ontario's larger collections. So most of my favourites were not my personal animals. Top ten would go like this;
1) Galapagos and Aldabra Island Tortoises
2) Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake(s)
3) Argentine Black and White Tegu (Ralph was HUGE and friendly)
4) Mata mata(s)
5) American Crocodile
6) Dwarf Caimen (both species)
7) Cuban Boas
8) Every Phelsuma I've ever met!
9) Eastern Indigo
10) Storr's Monitor

I could go on forever, as each and every herp I've worked with had some special qualities. However most of my time currently is taken up with geckos and frogs.

[daiyoukai]

The Bufo alvarius, two Sonoran Desert Toads. A animal that produces pyschodelic chymicals is truey interesting to say the least.

[hhw]

An African Egg Eating Snake.

[daiyoukai]

Originally posted by hhw
An African Egg Eating Snake.

what do you feed those guys?

[chappy]

Probably my Guatemalan boas, I know of another trio that was recently available but other then that I haven't seen or heard of any in Canada. I haven't been able to find much info on them, other then this site http://www.travellog.com/guatemala/ikbolay/species.html

It says they can reach lengths of 5 m, but to my understanding they are dwarf boas :S

[andytheboa]

my FWC and it is my only "HOT" (head) :lol: