Taking in unwanted herps.

Nafun · 06-14-10, 08:23 PM

What's your guys' opinions on it?

Today at the vet (My JCP has an infected scale) one of the employees asked me how many reptiles I had. When I answered "9 with more on the way" she asked if I would be interested in taking two adult ball pythons, an adolescent iguana (assumed adolescent, don't know it's history, just its size, and improper diet stunts their growth), and a water dragon with a stumped tail.

I'll be e-mailing them tonight about it. Hopefully they don't pull that "we really need a good home for our guys, they're free....... if you buy our enclosures."

**Aaron_S** · 06-14-10, 08:28 PM

I look at it this way. Can I properly house these animals and give them to the time and care they need without jeopardizing my other pets health?

If you can't answer yes to that question then you need to simply refuse to help. It isn't really a 'rescue' if they don't get the proper care.

For the record, I'm not saying YOU wouldn't/couldn't properly do it. I just believe this needs to be answered whenever someone 'rescues' any animal.

infernalis · 06-14-10, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

I look at it this way. Can I properly house these animals and give them to the time and care they need without jeopardizing my other pets health?

If you can't answer yes to that question then you need to simply refuse to help. It isn't really a 'rescue' if they don't get the proper care.

For the record, I'm not saying YOU wouldn't/couldn't properly do it. I just believe this needs to be answered whenever someone 'rescues' any animal.

This is true, sometimes even the nicest of people get in over their heads and become overwhelmed.

I turned down some great garter snakes this season because I feel I have plenty to keep me busy as it is now.

I like to leave room for 1 or 2 more, but not 10 or 20, my pinkie bills are already high enough.

Kmef07 · 06-14-10, 09:43 PM

Quote:

I like to leave room for 1 or 2 more, but not 10 or 20, my pinkie bills are already high enough.

Have you ever though about breeding your own?

infernalis · 06-14-10, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kmef07

Have you ever though about breeding your own?

you mean this.....

Nafun · 06-15-10, 02:04 AM

Well, I've got nothing but time. Four more enclosures would just become part of the cleaning routine. The water dragon seems to me to be the highest maintenance thing on the list, by far. Not something I would choose as a pet, but I feel really bad for it, since it's on it's 3rd or so home, and all refuse responsibility for costing it its tail.

I figure, the iguana eats vegetables. My wife eats vegetables (she loves collard/dandelion/etc greens. No accounting for taste). Not much extra expense there. The water dragon eats bugs, the turtles eat bugs. Given the minimum order requirement for mail order crickets and worms, no real extra expense there. As for the adult balls, I'm swimming in rodents.

Aside from vitamin supplementation (they'll use the same calcium w/o d3 as I'll need for my tegu when he hatches),

Really the only sticker comes down to whether they're really looking to rehome, or simply want to "throw in the animals" when they attempt to sell their lights/cages/etc at a profit. I know I'll have to build enclosures for the iguana and water dragon, and the pythons can live in large tubs. But if they're willing to throw in the heating and lighting equipment and save me a couple of hundred bucks in set up, it would make me feel a lot better about their motives.

**Aaron_S** · 06-15-10, 03:03 AM

You seem to have made up your mind before you asked your question.

Enjoy the "new" animals when you do pick them up!

shaunyboy · 06-15-10, 10:06 AM

lizards aint my thing mate,but dont iguanna's hit the 6 ft mark and can be very agressive ???

ive always been told to steer clear of them as they take an awfull amount of work.what ever you decide i wish you all the best with it.you may also want to post pics to keep big rob happy mate.

cheers shaun

dragunov.762 · 06-15-10, 11:34 AM

my girlfriend had an Iguana when she was younger and she says that they take as much work or more than a dog. there nails and tails need cut, they need baths and tons of exercise, they also need alot of human interaction to stay tame and to keep them from getting bored and lazy. they also have tons of personality and make good pets as long as you have time for them

Evra0914 · 06-15-10, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dragunov.762

my girlfriend had an Iguana when she was younger and she says that they take as much work or more than a dog. there nails and tails need cut, they need baths and tons of exercise, they also need alot of human interaction to stay tame and to keep them from getting bored and lazy. they also have tons of personality and make good pets as long as you have time for them

I've heard the same thing about Iguanas, they are very hard to take care of.... But if you have the time and patience I think you'll like them!

shaunyboy · 06-16-10, 10:32 AM

i know a guy who works with iguannas.he told me that with males you have to let them know your the alpha male.if you dont they can give you some serious welts by whipping you with their tails.he used to put on his motorbike leathers and his crash helmet.then he would go into their enclosure and wrestle with his big 6 ft male.he would then pick him up and roar at the iguanna.this established his domanance and the iguanna acted fine.he had to go through this proccess everytime the iguanna reverted back to thinking it was the boss.his male looked like a living dinasour and it could hit you hard and fast with his big thick tail.his enclosure was huge it had an inside and outside part so the iguannas could come out if the weather was nice.a lot of reptile shops wont sell iguannas around my way.there are too many cases of the customer buying this cute 6 inch lizard only to panic when it started growing into a 6 footer.your even hard pushed to find a reptile rescue to take them because of their hard to manage nature and size.good luck with it if you take it mate.
cheers shaun

Lankyrob · 06-20-10, 03:56 AM

We have taken on a few rescues - in my opinion - its only a proper rescue if you are taking the whole thing - animal, enclosure, food, heating the whole lot. If not you are taking one animal so that they can use the enclosure for a replacement (tho i have never rescued animals form a vet only privately).

I have made a "donation" for the enclosure but never more than £50 and when you think of the cost of vivarium/heating/substrates/hides etc etc that is nothing in comparison.

Nafun · 06-20-10, 06:51 AM

Well, they backed out on the enclosures since I'm building custom enclosures for both lizards, and they'll keep the animals until I get the enclosures done, but they're still including everything else. Three of the four enclosures weren't nearly big enough for their inhabitants, and three of them were made with cedar (I'll keep cedar away from all my pets, thanks). The balls will be going into big 4' tubs, the lizards into custom enclosures. (The iguana enclosure is going to be a converted closet. I've always wanted to turn that closet into an enclosure, now I get my chance)

Lankyrob · 06-20-10, 07:06 AM

Fair play mate - they can only have better lives with you.

Dont forget the piccies once you are up and running and they are all settled in tho!!!

infernalis · 06-20-10, 07:33 AM

Take the enclosures anyways... if you leave the enclosures behind, it will tempt them to get more animals some day.

the key to a successful rescue is to also prevent the prev. owners from getting more pets after you leave.