Search found 524 matches

by Joseph S.
March 29th, 2015, 10:19 am
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: CB rosy bites vs WC rosy
Replies: 36
Views: 16280

Re: CB rosy bites vs WC rosy

It seems fairly common...search the webs for anecdotes. Interesting on locale differences. I have 1 cb verbena rosy who is quite bitey. Even after a while out of the cage. I think the whitewater area would be an intergrade region. I would love input from breeders as well. They seem fairly popular in...
by Joseph S.
March 26th, 2015, 4:11 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: CB rosy bites vs WC rosy
Replies: 36
Views: 16280

CB rosy bites vs WC rosy

Anyone have any explanations for this strange phenomena. Apparently WC rosys do not bite in defense-and they rarely mistake humans for food even after long years in captivity. I find a strange number of reports of CB rosys being nippy, which I attribute to them confusing human hands for something th...
by Joseph S.
February 25th, 2015, 10:25 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: history and availability of Santa Cruz gophersnake?
Replies: 1
Views: 2191

history and availability of Santa Cruz gophersnake?

I noticed these guys (p.c pumilus) are apparently in private collections. Any idea as to history and availability?
by Joseph S.
February 14th, 2015, 1:21 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Airport Herping
Replies: 57
Views: 17297

Re: Airport Herping

I think you all should be fine. Folk hunt out there as well which requires a lot of off trailing. The terrain off trail can be pretty steep. Blackjack is a neat place. I knowa few people of the cic as well including the senior wildlife biologist. I have only seen 1 rattler on the island which was a ...
by Joseph S.
February 14th, 2015, 1:21 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Airport Herping
Replies: 39
Views: 9953

Re: Airport Herping

I think you all should be fine. Folk hunt out there as well which requires a lot of off trailing. The terrain off trail can be pretty steep. Blackjack is a neat place. I knowa few people of the cic as well including the senior wildlife biologist. I have only seen 1 rattler on the island which was a ...
by Joseph S.
February 5th, 2015, 1:28 pm
Forum: Invertebrate Forum
Topic: Trapdoor spiders
Replies: 1
Views: 2391

Trapdoor spiders

Anyone else a fan of these guys? I've enjoyed observing what is either Bothriocyrtum californicum or Hebestatis theveneti in SD County-they are quite abundant in the right kind of habitat-of course you need to know what to look for since they camouflage their burrows so well. I brought back a couple...
by Joseph S.
February 5th, 2015, 1:22 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Does AC increase carrying capacity?
Replies: 14
Views: 5166

Does AC increase carrying capacity?

(perhaps by increasing the range of options for thermoregulation and providing habitat for prey)


Or just make herps easier to find? What do you think? Any research in this regard?
by Joseph S.
January 9th, 2015, 4:11 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: Looking for feeding syringes
Replies: 26
Views: 11234

Re: Looking for feeding syringes

Note to anyone considering feeding needle sizes.

Make sure to think about the outer diameter of the bulb. I am ordering another 16 gauge needle...the 14 gauge is too large. :?
by Joseph S.
January 7th, 2015, 8:04 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: best reptiles for outreach and educational programs
Replies: 21
Views: 28519

Re: best reptiles for outreach and educational programs

Thanks all for the suggestions so far! I don't know if I will be taking on any additional animals in the near future but definitely worth thinking about.
by Joseph S.
January 4th, 2015, 1:30 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: Looking for feeding syringes
Replies: 26
Views: 11234

Re: Looking for feeding syringes

Hello Kelly, There is an excellent thread on the venomdoc forums with correspondence between been and a European hobbyist. He has superb photos of his hatchlings feeding on finch eggs. He had enough baby Dasypeltis(his large female would lay several clutches of a dozen a year!) that he was using the...
by Joseph S.
December 18th, 2014, 1:14 pm
Forum: Fish Forum
Topic: strangest thing you ever caught
Replies: 48
Views: 62717

Re: strangest thing you ever caught

I didn't personally catch this, but on a party boat one time I watched the girl next to me reel in a big orange sea anemone attached to a brick. Haha I was stocking a touchtank by freediving in the Puget Sound. Usually those big Metridium anemones are attached to pieces of driftwood or other debris...
by Joseph S.
December 17th, 2014, 1:22 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: roaches for sale
Replies: 13
Views: 6392

Re: roaches for sale

Haha I remember getting a few hundred Turkistans to feed some red eye treefrogs. I managed to knock over the container($$$ scattering all over the floor!) and dozens must have went and hid in the house. We would find males for probably a year after that! dubia definitely smell less than a few other ...
by Joseph S.
December 7th, 2014, 7:36 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: best reptiles for outreach and educational programs
Replies: 21
Views: 28519

best reptiles for outreach and educational programs

Anyone else do talks as well as allow various forms of contact? My criteria 1. Trustworthy. Calm predictable. Ideal species do not bite in defense and have an easily tempered feeding response. 2. Educational. Natives have an edge over exotics. I dislike the use of morphs in ed. Programs...unless may...
by Joseph S.
November 20th, 2014, 12:24 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: zoo med excavator clay
Replies: 79
Views: 99238

Re: zoo med excavator clay

I must say I am a bit flummoxed by the commercial success of zoomed excavator...but then after seeing lichen accents and things in Ziploc bags at Petco(that could have easily been picked off a tree in a parking lot) I suppose anything is possible. For those wanting the looks and benefits many good r...
by Joseph S.
October 27th, 2014, 12:35 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Best Temp for Snakes/ General HELP
Replies: 35
Views: 11383

Re: Best Temp for Snakes/ General HELP

This is a pretty interesting thread. I've struggled as well with finding AC that can be accessed. Google Earth is a pretty good bet. What I've found so far in OR at least is oftentimes you can find the occasional abandoned structure and often vehicles but it is usually fairly intact and overgrown wi...
by Joseph S.
August 30th, 2014, 12:09 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Can snakes control disease?
Replies: 10
Views: 5606

Re: Can snakes control disease?

I think the low energy needs per snake would be balanced out by their higher population densities and specialization compared to other carnivores. Also, in many environments the larger mammalian/avian predators have been reduced in number they may be even more important. Nice to see some experiments...
by Joseph S.
August 12th, 2014, 5:19 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: Mediterranean Chameleons
Replies: 7
Views: 5503

Re: Mediterranean Chameleons

The problem is none of the countries where they are export for the pet/reptile trade. You can't build a business on just one not so interesting species. Montane chams are a good bet for those living in constantly cool climates. Veileds are pretty hardy-they probably don't see as great of temp swings...
by Joseph S.
July 22nd, 2014, 11:12 am
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: Potentially looking for a couple West Coast natives
Replies: 1
Views: 2267

Re: Potentially looking for a couple West Coast natives

We are go on this display. Anyone interested in further details feel free to msg me.
by Joseph S.
July 18th, 2014, 10:11 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Mertensian mimicry
Replies: 5
Views: 3956

Re: Mertensian mimicry

Alternately it could be explained by the innate aversion hypothesis. Perhaps the bright coloration of deadly corals drove the evolution of general fear towards brightly colored snakes display by birds.
by Joseph S.
July 17th, 2014, 12:09 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: Potentially looking for a couple West Coast natives
Replies: 1
Views: 2267

Potentially looking for a couple West Coast natives

I am potentially looking for some West Coast natives for a YMCA educational display in the Puget Sound Area. If anyone has any of the following extra, would be willing to do a tax-deductible donation or a good deal, and would be able to provide a receipt of sale or similar to show they were not WC t...
by Joseph S.
July 9th, 2014, 3:15 pm
Forum: Image Lab
Topic: Macro video
Replies: 6
Views: 3955

Macro video

Anyone get into this at all? Maybe not true macro but simply a camera good for close up things.

Alternately, has anyone heard of altering a Gopro to reduce the distance at which it needs to focus and magnify the image? Might screw on a macro lens work?

~Joseph See
by Joseph S.
July 9th, 2014, 3:05 pm
Forum: Fish Forum
Topic: Anyone Know what species this Jellyfish is...?
Replies: 13
Views: 20495

Re: Anyone Know what species this Jellyfish is...?

It could be Phacellophora camtschatica...the fried egg jellyfish.
by Joseph S.
July 3rd, 2014, 2:10 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: Looking for feeding syringes
Replies: 26
Views: 11234

Re: Looking for feeding syringes

Hello Kelly, It may, but you should be able to see the abstract. The actual article compares the abilities of Dasypeltis to Lampropeltis in regards to egg eating-not surprisingly the obligate egg eater greatly outperforms the facultative one(as far as eggs swallowed compared to head size). The autho...
by Joseph S.
June 24th, 2014, 3:48 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: Looking for feeding syringes
Replies: 26
Views: 11234

Re: Looking for feeding syringes

That is very interesting on the teats-though the short length would be a disadvantage I'd think. I find it helps prevent spittling if you get the food at least a little bit farther down the esophagus. I did the first tube feeding today-giving everyone anywahere from .75-2ml of egg. Pretty easy. Hold...
by Joseph S.
June 20th, 2014, 1:09 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: Looking for feeding syringes
Replies: 26
Views: 11234

Re: Looking for feeding syringes

Hello Kellly/Vic: I ended up ordering the 16 gauge 3 inch...which I feel is a nice compromise between smaller neonate sized snakes as well as tubing larger juveniles. In case anyone is wondering a quick google will give you outer diameters of needle gauges-a 16 gauge is 1.6mm OD. This is much thinne...
by Joseph S.
June 19th, 2014, 8:25 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: Looking for feeding syringes
Replies: 26
Views: 11234

Re: Looking for feeding syringes

When I was doing this for my own CBB babies I used catheter tubing. It was fairly large diameter but so long as I was gentle the babies fared very well. I suppose 16 gauge would be a nice compromise. I'm assuming these are compatible with the luer lock syringes on the site? I do remember doing injec...
by Joseph S.
June 19th, 2014, 1:22 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: Looking for feeding syringes
Replies: 26
Views: 11234

Re: Looking for feeding syringes

Hmmm...would you reccomend the straight or curved model?

Also-how small is 14 gauge? Like a Q-tip? A couple of these snakes are not much bigger around than a bootstring.
by Joseph S.
June 19th, 2014, 12:16 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: Looking for feeding syringes
Replies: 26
Views: 11234

Looking for feeding syringes

Anyone know of a good source for feeding syringes for tiny snakes? I recently acquired some baby Dasypeltis and would like to get some weight on them. Some of them have been eating regularly for the previous owner and so have grown well, and some have not(particularly some that have more kinks). I r...
by Joseph S.
May 23rd, 2014, 11:45 am
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: breathing sounds
Replies: 4
Views: 3123

Re: breathing sounds

Hello Kelly:

That is a good thought. Animal has drinking water available and is soaked about once a week per Richard Hoyers website(although she absolutely detests this). I will try adding a humid hide and see what happens.
by Joseph S.
May 20th, 2014, 2:33 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: breathing sounds
Replies: 4
Views: 3123

breathing sounds

I have a rubber boa I collected a while back on a long road trip and I have noticed that while being handled it makes some funny sounds while breathing-quite faint...not sure how to describe. I am aware of lots of cases where animals simply make sounds while breathing without it being a respiratory ...
by Joseph S.
May 12th, 2014, 1:14 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: desiccation as a disinfectant
Replies: 5
Views: 3419

Re: desiccation as a disinfectant

This depends on your pathogen of interest...many have a resting spore or otherwise can tolerate this and this will prove ineffective.
by Joseph S.
May 9th, 2014, 2:59 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: understory/streamside anoles?
Replies: 2
Views: 2368

Re: understory/streamside anoles?

I poked a couple importers about these but no response. They probably are not worth the bother to import.
by Joseph S.
May 2nd, 2014, 12:16 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: understory/streamside anoles?
Replies: 2
Views: 2368

understory/streamside anoles?

Does anyone know if these are ever or if their is any way they would be imported? I'm talking the little brown species adapted to living in the understory-Norops sp. for example. I think they be great vivarium subjects.
by Joseph S.
April 30th, 2014, 3:40 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Most pronouced air-surface temp difference
Replies: 16
Views: 4350

Re: Most pronouced air-surface temp difference

I need to start carrying my temp gun in a holster or something-haven't brought it with me but am continually amazed that I and the air will be cold but undersides of rocks and particularly sheet metal can heat up greatly. Many things affect this however. A neat little gadget a friend of mine picked ...
by Joseph S.
April 28th, 2014, 11:36 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Most pronouced air-surface temp difference
Replies: 16
Views: 4350

Most pronouced air-surface temp difference

Just curious what you guys have personally found.

It always shocks me that even when air temps are forecasted as cold-how quickly rocks/sand etc. heat up.
by Joseph S.
April 28th, 2014, 11:35 am
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: Feeder Hamsters
Replies: 16
Views: 10203

Re: Feeder Hamsters

I too have wondered about the use of gerbils and roborowski hamsters.

For those of us who only have one or two rodent eaters to feed-and who are keeping low gear snakes who do not eat frequently-I think they are a viable choice so long as you like rodents as well.
by Joseph S.
April 26th, 2014, 12:08 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Blind Snakes and Screech Owls?
Replies: 29
Views: 8986

Re: Blind Snakes and Screech Owls?

It does seem like this is a partnership in the beginning stages. Indeed-originally started by screech owls probably dropping blindsnakes by accident somehow and failing to kill them. One would have to look at out of season consumption of blind snakes by screech owls and determine if both sexes bring...
by Joseph S.
April 22nd, 2014, 2:55 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Why do Tiliqua have blue tongues?
Replies: 9
Views: 3913

Re: Why do Tiliqua have blue tongues?

Insight is much appreciated!
by Joseph S.
April 16th, 2014, 12:27 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Why do Tiliqua have blue tongues?
Replies: 9
Views: 3913

Re: Why do Tiliqua have blue tongues?

Hello Sam, Haha, love the dreamtime story. Their is at least one more out there I am familiar with. Imitating the color of a bloated dead thing is interesting-but the rest of the behavior does not seem to match. Otherwise perhaps we'd expect Tiliqua to roll over, musk, and extrude the tongue when pr...
by Joseph S.
April 16th, 2014, 12:17 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: March 2014- San Francisco Bay Area/Northern CA
Replies: 16
Views: 8050

Re: March 2014- San Francisco Bay Area/Northern CA

Its funny how non-herpers see these things and sometimes take them for granted! A friend reported to me that he saw what was definitely a zonata based on his description in Sequoia National Park(black, white, red striped snake-in a crack in a rock face). Of course some folk were scared/terrified of ...
by Joseph S.
April 15th, 2014, 5:30 pm
Forum: Fish Forum
Topic: True facts about an Angler fish
Replies: 7
Views: 14983

Re: True facts about an Angler fish

Oh yes this is a frickin gem. One of my roomates found this and the whole evening we would periodically bust up laughing at thinking of the flounder and the sargassumfish scene.
by Joseph S.
April 15th, 2014, 2:47 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Why do Tiliqua have blue tongues?
Replies: 9
Views: 3913

Why do Tiliqua have blue tongues?

Are their any actual scientific papers on this at all?

~Joseph
by Joseph S.
April 14th, 2014, 12:21 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Anyone local in Fresno?
Replies: 0
Views: 884

Anyone local in Fresno?

Anyone nearby in the area interested in going on some trips up into the mountains? I'm back from an indeterminate length of time and might as well herp! However, I am quite unfamiliar with the area and specifically blank space at higher elevations(now, in the great valley, that is everywhere-but it ...
by Joseph S.
April 3rd, 2014, 4:01 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: Necturus maculosus
Replies: 24
Views: 10471

Re: Necturus maculosus

I don't know if more than a couple people on caudata have bred these guys-and those that have haven't had repeat(or any?) success. I must say, breeding a fairly difficult species such as this is quite an ambitious project! I wonder if since you probably have access to it if hormones would be in orde...
by Joseph S.
March 21st, 2014, 2:06 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Last Child in the Woods
Replies: 15
Views: 5667

Re: Last Child in the Woods

Yes precisely that-it drives me nuts the places that you must stay on the trail-nowhere near as enjoyable as being able to waddle all over some vacant lot-even. But the issue is that while people wandering around is not an issue if they are all spread out-if everyone who visited the nature center we...
by Joseph S.
March 20th, 2014, 1:35 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Last Child in the Woods
Replies: 15
Views: 5667

Re: Last Child in the Woods

crocdoc: Basically the illegalization of catching or touching wildlife is a bad thing in most cases when it comes to getting kids into nature. Laws that make it illegal to bring home a lizard, or raise tadpoles as many books recommend people to do can get in the way of kids enjoying nature. Sure, it...
by Joseph S.
March 19th, 2014, 1:27 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Raft-less transoceanic dispersal by a giant tortoise
Replies: 9
Views: 2914

Re: Raft-less transoceanic dispersal by a giant tortoise

Now pet tortoise keepers caution keeping torts away from pools, mentioning they will sink like a brick if they fall in. Urban legend?

Certainly not suggesting to allow tortoises pool access.
by Joseph S.
March 17th, 2014, 1:11 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Last Child in the Woods
Replies: 15
Views: 5667

Re: Last Child in the Woods

The book touches on the subject of collecting. I'm sure some of the anecdotes if posted on here today by young folk would have people all up in arms...and maybe for good reason, maybe not. I myself am a strong believer in promoting such contact and making it so it is legal for kids to bring random c...
by Joseph S.
March 13th, 2014, 1:36 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: Getting rid of pesky drain flies from your herp facility
Replies: 10
Views: 5423

Re: Getting rid of pesky drain flies from your herp facility

Ah, you must be talking of phorid flies. Yes, those are difficult beasts to eradicate.