What do you keep???

LadyVipertx · Joined: 19 Dec 2007 Posts: 28 Location: Texas

I have two baby Redfoots and 2 Adult Russians.....

Pam AkA Lady Viper

JustAnja · Joined: 19 Dec 2007 Posts: 56 Location: WI

Leopards
Russians
Hermanns
Three Toed Box Turtles
Common Snapper

More to come Wink

_________________
~Anja Buffalo
Crotalus & Company
Venom-Center
Wisconsin Reptiles Site
Pepper Center

**Justin** · Site Admin Joined: 13 Dec 2007 Posts: 96 Location: PA

this peninsula cooter and a red slider

_________________
1.1 ribbon snakes
1.1 albino checkered garter snakes
1.1 white sided rat snakes
0.1 ball python
0.1 blood python
0.0.1 savannah monitor

**ZEKE** · Joined: 13 Dec 2007 Posts: 466

cute turtle! how big is that one? it looks small

**Raven** · Site Admin Joined: 13 Dec 2007 Posts: 217

I have an ancient desert tortoise, over 140 years old. I'm a foster mom for my state's department of wildlife. Mr. Snapper (the old coot) is currently in hibernation. In this state you need to be a desert tortoise foster parent to have a desert tortoise.

cheers,
Raven

**Eric** · Site Admin Joined: 12 Dec 2007 Posts: 334 Location: Pa

Raven that's awesome!
_________________
My collection...
2.3 (Trimeresurus albolabris)
1.1 (Bitis gabonica)
1.1 (Naja siamensis)
1.1 (Agkistrodon contortrix phaeogaster)
1.1 Red Eyed Leucistic (Naja kaouthia)
1.1 Leucistic (Naja kaouthia)
1.1 Naja karachiensis
0.1 Bitis arietans
Stop by and check me out...
www.easternpareptilerescue.org
www.myspace.com/eparr_1
www.myspace.com/easternpareptilerescue

**Raven** · Site Admin Joined: 13 Dec 2007 Posts: 217

Thanks, Eric,

Here's a terrible photo of His Oldness in hibernation Wink

enjoy,
Raven

**Raven** · Site Admin Joined: 13 Dec 2007 Posts: 217

He weighs about 35 lbs. Pretty good size for our native desert tortoise. DWR (Division of Wildlife Resources) said he was one of the biggest that they ever found. He wandered onto a golf course and couldn't be returned to the wild.

I'll have to get an actual weight this spring.

cheers,
Raven

JustAnja · Joined: 19 Dec 2007 Posts: 56 Location: WI

Can I ask how they are judging his age at 140?
_________________
~Anja Buffalo
Crotalus & Company
Venom-Center
Wisconsin Reptiles Site
Pepper Center

**Raven** · Site Admin Joined: 13 Dec 2007 Posts: 217

They (Division of Wildlife Resources) told me when I adopted him that he was between 125 and 130 years old. The explanation they gave was his shell condition, his size, and the rings within the partition of his shell. They said that the rings even indicated what type of drought/vegetation cycles he experienced during his lifetime. They could not give me an exact age. The 125-130 years was their herp experts' best estimate. I have had him for about 14 years now.

cheers,
Raven

JustAnja · Joined: 19 Dec 2007 Posts: 56 Location: WI

There is now way, they are way off. Yes the rings explain drought cycles and such but he can add many rings in a year or only 1-2. There is no way to determine age like that, so unless you have a hatch date you cant really. Sorry. That would also put him in competition for the world's oldest tort so its really highly unlikely. I would just say he is really old. Wink

_________________
~Anja Buffalo
Crotalus & Company
Venom-Center
Wisconsin Reptiles Site
Pepper Center

**Raven** · Site Admin Joined: 13 Dec 2007 Posts: 217

Well, I'm only a regular person and reported his age as I was told by those folks who "supposedly" should know. I guess having university degrees and government positions are no guarantee of "expertise". This shouldn't be a surprise, since we already know that most of the animal "experts" within AR, like PETA's so called "exotic animal specialist", have no real experience with animals and no university degrees in biology or animal behavior, ect. I guess I believed Division of Wildlife Resources' "specialists" because they actually had to go to a university and get degrees in biology, etc., for them to be eligible to have their jobs.

Too bad Mr. Snapper doesn't speak English, so that he could tell us, personally, how long he has been a citizen of the planet. He'd probably also have a few words to say about the golf-course that displaced his long standing desert territory (this is where they picked him up) before he came to live with us, humans.

cheers,
Raven

JustAnja · Joined: 19 Dec 2007 Posts: 56 Location: WI

I really hope I didnt upset you Raven, as that was not my intention. I just hear similar things allot, about how old someone is told a tortoise/turtle is when they adopt it. Smile

Just because they have a degree doesnt mean they are an expert. hehe
_________________
~Anja Buffalo
Crotalus & Company
Venom-Center
Wisconsin Reptiles Site
Pepper Center

**Raven** · Site Admin Joined: 13 Dec 2007 Posts: 217

I'm not offended, Anja, just sensitive.

I don't care how old/big/cool/scary/disgusting/crazy/etc. my pets are.

I had an old friend visit me the other day and trip out over my "pets". She's known me since our children were little (now grown up and gone) and wanted to know, "Why do I have all of these pets? Am I having some kind of mid-life crisis?" I reminded her that I've ALWAYS had lots of pets.

She said, "Well, maybe you always had a few dogs, a cat, and an Iquana. But, why these pets now?"

I told her that No.1-I love animals, and like animals better than most people. No. 2-my husband said I can have any pet I want once my children are grown and gone (as long as it does not weigh more than me). No. 3-Why does she GAF(give a freak-keeping it family friendly here)? I then asked her what she was doing to make the world a better place. I didn't receive an answer.

I am sensitive because I have so many people freak out that I have snakes. Even other exotic owners ask me why I have snakes. It tends to put me a bit on the defensive.

Maybe someday I will tell the story of Mr. Snapper's adoption. I never tried to have a tortoise and happened to be in the wrong/right place at the wrong/right time. The story is especially hilarious if you knew all of the factors such as my husband did not start out "pet friendly" at the beginning of our relationship Smile

Any old who....thank you for your sensitivity!

cheers,
Raven