Posts tagged "snakes"

Unusual Starter Pets

by Paul Ciampanelli (Subscribe to Paul Ciampanelli's posts): May 13th 2011 12:00PM Filed Under: Exotic Pets, Reptiles, Small Pets

semiplume, │:│chelle's view│:│, 3sth3r, listentoreason, Flickr

"Can we get a dog?"

It's the question that (some) moms and dads everywhere dread hearing. There are lots of reasons parents might think their children aren't ready for the responsibility of owning a dog. That's why generations of kids have learned how to care for animals with smaller, lower-maintenance pets like goldfish, hamsters, gerbils, or hermit crabs.

Those animals are fine choices for a first pet, but they're not particularly original. Maybe your child wants something a little more unusual, or maybe you want to surprise him or her with a new pet that's exotic enough not to feel like just a consolation prize instead of the dog they asked for.

We've got a few ideas for interesting, relatively easy-to-care-for, intermediate-level starter pets that not every other kid in the classroom is going to be bringing for show and tell, and plenty of information to get you started in learning how to care for them.

Fancy Rat
A fancy rat isn't actually a particular species of rat. Rather, it's a term used for domesticated rats in general, i.e. the ones that people keep as pets. Many of you might have a knee-jerk negative reaction to the idea of a rat pet; rats aren't historically an animal folks like to imagine in their houses. But fancy rats are clean, safe, and one of the most intelligent pets commonly available. They're smart enough to be as tamable and trainable as a dog, and they make loyal companions. Read more about them in our "Rats 101" article.

Python Stolen, Publicly Wrestled by Bumbling Burglars

by Paul Ciampanelli (Subscribe to Paul Ciampanelli's posts): Sep 10th 2010 3:00PM Filed Under: Reptiles, Pets News

black headed python snake found_drama, Flickr

From Home Alone's Wet Bandits, to Jasper and Horace snatching dalmatian puppies for Cruella de Vil, to the cookie-craving crooks of Cookie Crisp cereal fame, there's a reason that bumbling thieves always come in pairs: Two idiots are funnier than one.

Case in a point: A duo of would-be reptile thieves raided an Australian pet store yesterday and made off with the shop's 8-year-old, five-foot python named Boris, according to the Associated Press. Then, insanely, and in defiance of the logic and good sense that nature gives most of us, the thieving pair brought Boris to a McDonald's restaurant and put on a show, wrestling the snake in the parking lot and thoroughly befuddling onlookers.

The robbers/wrestlers were later booked on charges of burglary and theft. Boris, who the pet shop's owner, Jodie Graham, claims is something of a store mascot is doing alright, although, "he was a bit cold and stressed so I have him in the tank warming up," Graham said. "I am just glad to get him back."

Unfortunately, a lizard stolen alongside Boris by the larcenous twosome remains missing.

Gatorland: Meet the Snakes!

by Paw Nation Staff (Subscribe to Paw Nation Staff's posts): Dec 7th 2009 1:40PM Filed Under: Exotic Pets

Camouflage Animals

by Michelle Toglia (Subscribe to Michelle Toglia's posts): Nov 3rd 2009 4:00PM Filed Under: Exotic Pets, Small Pets, Photo Galleries

Camouflage animals from can easily transform their colors to match their backgrounds. Whether hiding from their predators or reflecting their mood, these color-changers are truly masters of disguise. See if you can spot them.

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Camouflage Animals

Argentine Horned Frog Reptiles
The Argentine Horned Frog, also known as the Horned Frog or Pacman Frog, originated in South America. The green and black amphibian, which can grow up to six inches long, is a popular pets and can live for as long as 10 years.

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Camouflage Animals

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Walkingstick
The Walkingstick takes its camouflage abilities to the next level by creating the appearance of a stick or twig to hide from predators. While normally they stand still, these insects are able to walk around as though they were a twig caught in the wind. They can be found in tropical forests or woodlands all across the world.

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Dwarf Puff Adder
Found in Nambia, the venomous Dwarf Puff Adder hides from the hot desert sun by burying itself in the sand, where only its eyes show.

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Stonefish
Often resembling a rock, the brown colored Stonefish camouflages itself perfectly in the ocean. With 13 venomous dorsal spines on its back, the Stonefish can cause tissue damage and respiratory distress in humans, which can lead to cardiovascular shock if left untreated.

Ian Waldie, Getty Images

Madagascar Day Gecko
The green Madagascar Day Gecko lives in the dry regions of forests in Madagascar and neighboring islands. They usually grow to be four to six inches long. Their tail makes up almost half of their length.

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Chameleons
Chameleons, the quintessential color changers, can transform their skin color when their mood, temperature or the amount of light around them is altered. Their hue, which can vary from yellow and pink to brown and black, is also altered when they communicate.

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Green Anole
Often confused with chameleons, Green Anoles turn brown when they're stressed or sick. Found in the trees and shrubs of the southeastern United States, these lizards are popular pets.

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The Eastern Wood Frog
The Eastern Wood Frog tricks competitors by changing colors to match its surroundings. Found in North American woodlands, the frog also has a dark, color-changing patch from its eye to the base of its front limb.

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Giant Alien Snakes Invade U.S.!

by Rebecca Quimby (Subscribe to Rebecca Quimby's posts): Oct 23rd 2009 11:00AM Filed Under: Exotic Pets, Reptiles

National Park Service

Giant Alien Snakes: It's not the title of a creepy new horror movie. According to a study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), nine species of giant snakes alien to North America could become established in the wild and wreak havoc on the ecosystem. National Geographic reports that these snakes can grow longer than 20 feet and weigh over 200 pounds. The slithering giants would be capable of surviving in the wild, and since they breed quickly and lack native predators, they could quickly cause trouble in U.S. ecosystems.

Some of these snakes have already infiltrated Florida, and the Burmese python could potentially spread to the entire lower third of the U.S. While some of the snakes in question have been known to kill people, the real risk is to ecosystems, which have no defense against the alien invaders.

So where did these snakes come from? Most of them were once pets that escaped or that people released into the wild. "If you want to be good to Mother Nature, do not under any circumstances let [your snake] go," study co-author and USGS zoologist Gordon Rodda told National Geographic. "You'd be better off euthanizing it than releasing it."

The real message here seems to be: Don't adopt a pet you can't care for. And if you must get rid of your pet, deal with it in a responsible way!

Pet Python Kills Two-Year-Old Child

by Paul Ciampanelli (Subscribe to Paul Ciampanelli's posts): Jul 7th 2009 10:00AM Filed Under: Exotic Pets, Reptiles, Pets News

Photo: Tambako the Jaguar/Flickr

A pet albino Burmese python strangled to death a two-year-old girl in her Oxford, FL. home last week. After the python's owner, Charles Darnell, awoke to find the snake's terrarium empty, he immediately ran to his girlfriend's daughter's crib to find the 8-foot python wrapped around the child. He stabbed the snake in an attempt to pry it from the girl while others dialed 911. Unfortunately, the girl was already dead when emergency crews arrived at the scene. The snake apparently had escaped and attacked the child during the night.

Darnell did not have a permit for his pet python as dictated by Florida law for all pets classified as "Reptiles of Concern" by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), nor was the pet housed under lock-and-key conditions as required. The necessary permit entails an annual $100 fee and an application that demonstrates the applicant understands the requirements for care of a Reptile of Concern. Darnell may face charges for child endangerment as well as FWC violations.

Snake in Toilet Bites Unsuspecting Man (On His Privates!)

by Helena Sung (Subscribe to Helena Sung's posts): May 15th 2009 2:00PM Filed Under: Exotic Pets, Reptiles

Look before you sit? Photo: brian.gatwicke/flickr

Ssssso not funny!

A disturbing news story out of Taiwan leads this writer to think an old Korean myth she heard growing up --- about the perils of using the bathroom at night lest a monster jump out of the toilet and grab you --- is disconcertingly real.

A 51-year old man, identified only as Lin, was surprised by a sneak snake attack as he sat down to use the toilet in his home in rural Taiwan. "I felt an excruciating pain in my lower body, like someone had stabbed me with a knife," Mr. Lin said. He instantly jumped up, but it was too late. A large snake lurking in the toilet bowl had bitten him on his private parts.

Though the snake was not poisonous, Mr. Lin was taken to the hospital for minor injuries and a potential infection. "A snake's mouth is not always clean," said the director of the hospital. (Especially when that snake's been lolling about in a toilet! Ew.)

Interestingly, Mr. Lin views the whole incident as the snake's cry for help. "If it hadn't [bit me]," he said. "Maybe it would have been stuck in the septic tank and either suffocated or starved to death. It looked like an accident but it was actually fate." Okaaay.

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