HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: stevep@wrq.com (Steve Poole)
Subject: Anyone keep a Nile monitor?
Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 01:26:17 GMT

I was cruising the pet stores the other day and ran across an
absolutely gorgeous young Nile monitor.  From the little info I
have in my herp books, I'd guess that he was only a few months old.
I was sorely tempted, but didn't nab him for the Suggested Retail
Price of $90, telling the Pet Dude that I might be back soon after
doing a little research.

So, until I can find a good varanid book (is De Vosjoli's worth
having?), could someone who keeps these pups give me some info?
I understand that 5-6 foot adult length is typical.  Niles are
pretty slender -- how much does a healthy adult weigh?  How quickly
will he grow, and at what point is it necessary for me to begin
feeding pinkies?  He's been eating crickets.  How long can I get
away with keeping him in a suitably configured 29 gallon long tank?
Do these guys adapt to handling well?  He was pretty aggressive
when I examined him at the store.

Thanks much for any advice.
  - Steve

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Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
From: mattk@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (matthew.kaufman)
Subject: Captive care of box turtles
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 13:29:23 GMT
Keywords: why me...

Hello herp-net.
Over this past Labor Day Weekend, I received a call from a colleague.
His kids had found what he claims to be a box turtle, a good sized one
(6" across the shell.) He wanted to know what kind of tank to keep it in.

Somehow people must know I have access to herp-net. Remember the killer
firebellied toad and the monstrous snake in the woodpile?

Anyway, I first tried to get him to release the turtle where they
found it ("walking down the street.") There are numerous ponds and streams
near his house. Box turtles can be found throughout much of NJ, although
turtles can't be sold in pet shops in this state.

My advice (from my extremely limited experience helping to care for some
turtles at a friend's pet shop) was to put it in something it couldn't
climb out of, give it a rock to sit on and a lamp to keep it warm, and
make sure it didn't get too cold (below, say, 70) at night. The turtles I
was familiar with (sliders, musk turtles and box turtles) lived in a double
sink in the back room of the pet shop and were fed dead fish from the
shop's tanks, vegetables and random junk. They were robust messy eaters;
husbandry involved moving the turtles from one side of the sink to the other
and cleaning out the side they'd filthied every week. Live foods like
feeder goldfish, hamburger, strips of meat, and so on would keep the
turtle happy.

With luck, his kids will get tired of the turtle and release it. He had
called a veterenarian friend of his and had gotten largely the same advice.
I recommended a local store for glass tanks and told him to consider
large coolers and rubbermaid buckets as containers, as they tend to be
more economical and easier to maintain. You can, for instance, hang a power
filter off the back of a 10 gallon rubbermaid container, providing a nice
waterfall for herps (I've done this from time to time.)


So, did I mislead my colleague? Let me know if I did. Thanks!
-- 
"I am the chosen one."  | Copyright 1992 mattk@usl.com. Permission for
                        | reproduction in printed media or by pay-for-read
"And I Choose to be     | services explicitly disallowed. Permission granted to
shopping!"              | USENET and like free facilities.
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
From: debra@solbourne.com (Debra Frances)
Subject: Re: Small update on some large snakes
Organization: Solbourne Computer, Inc.
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 20:40:24 GMT

Was it tame? (Or just sick?).  Was it a yellow or a green anaconda?  The yellows
stay relatively small (twelve feet), while the greens can be 20 feet plus....
                                    DEBRA
From: quest@iowegia.uucp (Steve J. Quest)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
Subject: Re: New savanah monitor
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 92 11:55:30 CDT
Distribution: world
Organization: Iowegia Public Access Usenet/UUCP, Clive IA USA.

jal41820@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Smiley) writes:

> A friend of mine has a monitor that's about two feet if not more right now,
> and his belly looks like it's about forty. The thing is huge. I've seen 
> monitors at pet shops just about half it's length, and the belly is easily
> five times the size. He so far hasn't had any problems with it, and it is
> still able to fight well when killing for food. But other than that, he'll
> just lie around all day. But as I said, he hasn't had any problems at all
> with him.


Josh,

        I take my monitor out for walks.  I get a few stares, and 
most people step FAR away from it, but I also get a number of kids 
who say "wow- what is it?" and then I start them on the road to 
loving herps.  Not only are walks on warm sidewalks good for the 
monitor, it is good for herp public relations.  So long as the 
sidewalk is warm, George will move, and quickly!  He turns to lead 
when he cools off- like all ectotherms................sq

(by the way, George has lost his middle belly spread, and has 
built up strong legs as a result.  He looks quite good- all 
because of the walks.  I didn't walk my first monitor, Dave- and 
he got really fat and lazy....)
From: news@times.aux.apple.com (News Subsystem)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
Subject: Average size of a RT Boa
Date: 9 Sep 92 23:30:10 GMT
Reply-To: eriks@apple.com
Organization: Apple Computer, Inc.

Hi everyone.

Does anyone have an idea of how big an average 5 month old Red-Tailed Boa 
should be?  How long and how heavy?  Thanks in advance.

Erik         <eriks@apple.com>
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
From: bagus@netcom.com (Mark E. Ruedy)
Subject: Giant Snake Residence
Date: Sat, 05 Sep 92 14:27:18 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 


I am planning to build a cage for my 10' Burmese Python.  The pet store
where I've seen other giant snakes had them in wide, tall (about 9')
cages.  The thing is, I've never seen a large snake (one who's bigger
around than my leg) crawl vertically.  Is height important for a cage
for a large snake?  I thought instead I would make it long and wide 
and two levels so I could put my boas in one.

What do you think?


thanks
mark 
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
From: pholland@iastate.edu (Paul J Hollander)
Subject: Re: Looking for any info on mutant herps...
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 16:29:01 GMT

In article <1992Sep14.011330.16243@tamsun.tamu.edu> bpb9204@tamsun.tamu.edu (Brent) writes:
>I'm sure there's documentation "out there" on mutated herps, but hopefully
>I can get sources directly from y'all, if you've seen any.
>
>I remember several years ago a story about a two-headed rat snake.  This was
>just some story floating around school one day, but I've always wondered
>if this naturally occurs.
>
>What I am looking for specifically, are pointers to information and/or 
>pictures about mutations such as this.  If you know of any, could you please
>reply to me?  (Especially the pictures.. ;-)

Off the top of my head, I believe that there is a picture of a two-headed
(Cal king?) snake in James A. Peters' _Snakes in Fact and Fiction_.  Fred
Frye has one or two in his book _Biomedical and Surgical Aspects of 
Maintaining Reptiles in Captivity_ (title probably isn't exact but it should 
be close).  Frye's book that came out last year (can't remember the title)
should have the same ones or others.

The San Diego Zoo has a reputaion for trying to always have a two-headed snake
on exhibit, usually a Cal king.

Actually, two-headed snakes aren't mutations but chimeras.  The difference
is that a mutation is an inherited condition, usually understood to be 
caused by a single gene.  Two-headed snakes are a developmental abnormality
caused by two fertilized eggs getting stuck together and having a shell
formed around them.  BTW, my friend Tom Weidner had a Burmese egg that 
contained two babies, both of which hatched and lived.  He's had several
where only one or neither of the twin Burmese lived.  Once I had a bullsnake
egg that contained twins, but neither lived.  In these eggs, the two 
babies weren't pressed tightly enough together to merge, as a two-headed
snake has done.

If anyone is interested, I made a checklist of mutants in the corn snake
from McEachern's color pattern guide.

Paul Hollander    pholland@iastate.edu
Behold the tortoise: he makes no progress unless he sticks his neck out.
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
From: hall@kronos.arc.nasa.gov (Michael Hall)
Subject: Re: Advice regarding finding lost herps
Organization: NASA/ARC Information Sciences Division
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 23:00:03 GMT

[Advice for finding lost snakes deleted.]

It has always bugged me that this periodic post does not include advice
for finding lost amphibians.  Certainly you won't find frogs in the warm
coils of the refrigerator.  So here goes...

Avoid having escaped amphibians in the first place.  Keep them
in an extremely secure enclosure, as when they escape their lives are
in immediate danger due to dehyrdation.  Often times, a suspected escapee
can be found hidden in the terrarium, burrowed beneath the soil or
otherwise concealed.  But if one does escape, look in moist, cool, dark,
enclosed places.  This usually means house plants, particularly in the
leaves, in the soil, in the drainage tray, and between inner/outer pots.
Also check the bathroom and kitchen and any place else where water is found,
including in or around their terrarium.  If you fail to find the escaped
amphibian on the first pass, place dishes of water all over the place,
in corners, around the terrarium, etc.  You may find your escapee
here or at least keep it alive until you can find it.  Remember that
most amphibians are nocturnal, so to find an escaped amphibian out in
the open or on the move you'll probably have to look at night, with a
flashlight.  As a side benefit of this approach, frogs become dazed by
flashlights shined in their eyes, making it easy to capture them.

-- 
Michael Hall            \ 
NASA Ames Research Center\ "WTH? HODYGTE,A? AIR?" -- attributed to Jacko  
hall@ptolemy.arc.nasa.gov \
From: datri@egsner.cirr.com (Anthony Datri)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
Subject: Re: Captive care of box turtles
Keywords: why me...
Date: 10 Sep 92 04:48:17 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Central Iowa (Model) Railroad, Dallas, Tx.

>Thanks for all the replies. I learned plenty. My colleague's kids decided
>to let the turtle go where they found it.

I'm glad to hear that.  I had to go to a chain cruelty store yesterday to
get a mouse (my Black Pine just shed -- in one peice for once) since my
usual source was dry, and there was a woman with a little kid buying what
was labeled as a "box" turtle of some sort.  They had no clue, and the
kid selling them the stuff only a sliver of one.  He set them up with the
AVS book, though, and when he wandered off to go do something I took the
opportunity to give the woman some quick advice about food and vitamin
supplements.  I'm not sure what she ended up doing -- I heard the kid telling
her that if she put a "cuttlebone" in the guy's drinking water that the
supplements weren't needed.  Sigh.

I was driving home one stormy night last year when I noticed a suspicious
lump on the side of the road.  I circled around to discover that it was
a turtle/tortoise of some sort, about 8" long.  I couldn't get a very good
look at the guy, but I picked it up and set it on the safe grassy area next
to the road.
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
From: mattk@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (matthew.kaufman)
Subject: Re: Captive care of box turtles
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 13:01:37 GMT
Summary: Resolution...
Keywords: why me...

In article <1992Sep8.132923.27357@cbnewsl.cb.att.com> mattk@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (matthew.kaufman) writes:
>Hello herp-net.
>Over this past Labor Day Weekend, I received a call from a colleague.
>His kids had found what he claims to be a box turtle, a good sized one
>(6" across the shell.) He wanted to know what kind of tank to keep it in.

Thanks for all the replies. I learned plenty. My colleague's kids decided
to let the turtle go where they found it. Apparently, my colleague
told his kids that his friend the turtle expert :-) said that it would be
very hard to keep in captivity. Good move.
-- 
"I am the chosen one."  | Copyright 1992 mattk@usl.com. Permission for
                        | reproduction in printed media or by pay-for-read
"And I Choose to be     | services explicitly disallowed. Permission granted to
shopping!"              | USENET and like free facilities.
From: jal41820@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Smiley)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
Subject: Re: New savanah monitor
Date: 11 Sep 92 18:09:06 GMT
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana

Alexander Bernard Brands <ab3n+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:
:)     Now a question about the monitor.  He has been eating very well.  I
:)have fed him worms, slugs, grasshoppers, dog food, and hard boiled egg
:)with success. Yesterday, I cut up an entire hard boiled egg and gave it
:)to him, and he finished at least 3/4 of it!  Now this lizard is only 6
:)inches from snout to vent, so he was quite plump after that meal.  He
:)couldn't even keep his belly off the ground when he walked and had some
:)difficulty climbing has branch.  But I began to wonder if it was OK to
:)let him eat so much?  I can't think of any specific problems, but I just
:)got a little worried to see him so packed full of food.

A friend of mine has a monitor that's about two feet if not more right now,
and his belly looks like it's about forty. The thing is huge. I've seen 
monitors at pet shops just about half it's length, and the belly is easily
five times the size. He so far hasn't had any problems with it, and it is
still able to fight well when killing for food. But other than that, he'll
just lie around all day. But as I said, he hasn't had any problems at all
with him.
-- 
        Josh Laff              #     #      
email to: smiley@uiuc.edu     _       _     Hello! I am a signature virus!  
      (217) 384-6249         |#\_____/#|    Join the fun and copy mo*#(*&^!>.
                              \#######/     
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
From: adwright@iastate.edu ()
Subject: Re: Raising mice
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames IA
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 19:59:33 GMT

In <0vsncsa.bagus@netcom.com> bagus@netcom.com (Mark E. Ruedy) writes:

>In article <dc6155.715904577@eehp13> dc6155@eehp13.cen.uiuc.edu (David William Clapp) writes:
>>  
>>I'm looking for a cheap alternative to buying mice/rats from a pet store. 

>I use to breed mice and rats for my snakes.  Make sure you can get good
>rodent food *cheap*. I spent too much for the rat food and it was almost
>a wash.  I also ending up spending more time with the rats and mice
>(cleaning cages, feeding) than I did with the snakes.  And the *smell*!

I used to raise mice. I would keep them in an outbuilding so the smell was
not a problem. I used heat lamps in the winter. I never bought mouse chow.
They ate corn, which is cheap, supplimented with insects (a good use for 
june beetles that congregate on the window screen) dandelion greens, and table
scraps, such as chicken bones, stale bread or whatever. Sometimes i would give
Cheerios (generic style, about once a week)
 but would probably buy whole oats if i did it again. Mice need not
cost much to feed. 

give them a place to hide and try to separate the male from females
giving birth. The males
will often eat the babies. Also provide twigs for them to chew on. A couple of
dog biscuts helps in this respect and also servs to prevent accidental 
starvation. 


>I gave up.  I just keep pricing the pet stores for the cheepest deals.

>You could make $ at raising rodents, but it's a full time job.

>good luck
>-mark
From: nathan@charles.ucdavis.edu (Nathan Rollins)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
Subject: Burmese Pythons and Iguanas?
Date: 10 Sep 92 22:54:00 GMT
Organization: Bohemian Inebriation Association
Originator: nathan@charles.ucdavis.edu


  I was wondering... could a small burmese python and a medium size
iguana share a large terrarium? Or will the iguana mysteriously vanish?
They don't need to share; I've got plenty of cages- but I think they
would look neat together. Any suggestions?

-otter
Organization: Senior, Biology, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 12:05:11 -0400 
From: Alexander Bernard Brands <ab3n+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: New savanah monitor

A couple weeks ago, I asked about keeping a savannah and an iguana
together, and many of you advised against it.  Well, I got the monitor,
and I keep the iguana out of the cage almost all of the time.  I have
had them both in the cage a few times under close observation.  The
first time, the iguana became defensive, but nothing happened, and they
started basking right next to each other.  Since then, the iguana is
almost completely oblivious to the monitor unless the monitor climbs
over the iguana.  The monitor couldn't care less about the iguana. 
Nonetheless, I keeep the iguana out most of the time.

     Now a question about the monitor.  He has been eating very well.  I
have fed him worms, slugs, grasshoppers, dog food, and hard boiled egg
with success. Yesterday, I cut up an entire hard boiled egg and gave it
to him, and he finished at least 3/4 of it!  Now this lizard is only 6
inches from snout to vent, so he was quite plump after that meal.  He
couldn't even keep his belly off the ground when he walked and had some
difficulty climbing has branch.  But I began to wonder if it was OK to
let him eat so much?  I can't think of any specific problems, but I just
got a little worried to see him so packed full of food.

   -Alex
From: mike@jammin.nosc.mil (mike pawka)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
Subject: Red Footed Tortoise
Date: 11 Sep 92 20:14:09 GMT
Organization: NRaD


	I've just acquired a Red Footed Tortoise and was wondering if there is any
reliable way to tell his age?

							Mike
From: 71162.3470@CompuServe.COM ("Peter P. Donohue")
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
Subject: transporting snakes (summary)
Date: 5 Sep 92 03:07:50 GMT


   Thank you for all of the replies that I've recieved.  The amount of
responses was very heartening - good to see that the group is still
going well.
   The recommendations were (summarized):
1) ship them by FedEx in a styrofoam box and label them as fragile
glass.  Don't tell them that they are live animals.
2) carry with me on plane.  People don't go through X-rays, but
magnetrons (or something similar that measures metal content).  These
would not be harmful to the animals.  
3) ship via air frieght on Delta.  Many people have used this method
with no problems.  Costs $30 to $40.
4) check in - either as carry on luggage or in hold.  I've heard a few
people say that the X-rays used on luggage will kill the snakes.  No
one said that they knew of anyone that has tried it (though one person
brought frogs on as carry othrough the scanners and didn't have a
problem).  Guess this option is out until I know more about the affect
on snakes.
5) Take them on drive.  Disadvantages noted were the high stress level
and possibility of temperature problems.  Some mentioned cooling then
animals for the trip.  Also mentioned was that baby snakes may not
survive the prolonged stress.

   On bringing them into California, thereshouldn't be any problems at
the border.  Many people said they commonly cross the border and have
never been searched.  Even so, they are searching for plants, so most
animals should be fine.

   I have decided to carry the three babies that I have on the plane. 
They will fit into a small snake bag in my pocket during the scanning at
the airport.  After that, they will ride in a small cage in my carry on
bag.  The other six snakes will probably drive with me in a few weeks
when I finally move out west.  I have a tropical fish shipping box
which I recieved when I ordered snakes from a breeder.  I should be
able to control their temp pretty well, especially by keeping them up
in the passenger compartment with me.  Thanks again for all the info.

					Pete


Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
Organization: University of Central Florida--Computer Services
Date: Sunday, 6 Sep 1992 21:20:57 EST
From: <COP80208@UCF1VM.BITNET>
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
Subject: Herp Home For Sale

About a year ago, I was forced to sell my two Red-Tailed Boas. Now
their tank is sitting unused, but taking up a lot of space.
If anyone is interested in it (or knows someone who might be), it
measures 72"L x 26"W x 30"H. It has a 48" Vita light and a thermostatically
controlled incandescent light for heat.  It is all aluminum (except for
the glass front) with a rubberized floor.  It also has removeable bolt-on
legs which make for better viewing.  The entire top comes off for easy access.
I would like to get about $250 for it (it cost about $400 to build) but I
really do need to get rid of it, so best offer takes it.
I can be reached via e-mail or at (407) 366-3309 and ask for Mike.
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
From: mundy@chemvx.tamu.edu (Why, yes. That is a python in my pants.)
Subject: Re: New corn snake....
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: Sex Studies Division, Texas A&M Univ.
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 20:07:00 GMT

>Well, since I've had my desert kingsnake since April, I've grown attached
>to snakes and now own another -- a local store was selling baby corns
>(normal and albino) for $25.  Now I know, to a lesser degree, what some
>people mean... ;-)  Everything I heard about the corns is true -- they are
>just good-natured.
> 
>-Brent

ssssssssssssssssssssex

Really? Which store was this?

BTW, did i mention that I can't keep your phone number for any length of time?
I'm living close to your place now. Call me at 846-3697 (leave a message).






					---- The Cunning Linguist

Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
From: debra@solbourne.com (Debra Frances)
Subject: Re: Hog Island Boas
Organization: Solbourne Computer, Inc.
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 19:49:42 GMT

Anyone know of any Hog Island Boas for sale?
Also; I have various green, doublehet, and albino burmese for sale.  They
range from 4feet thru 10feet.  Price - $500 to $1500 each.
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
From: tmohler+@cs.cmu.edu (Tim Mohler)
Subject: Re: Small update on some large snakes
Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 01:25:35 GMT

In article <BuL5FD.2q7@solbourne.com> debra@solbourne.com (Debra Frances) writes:
>Was it tame? (Or just sick?).  Was it a yellow or a green anaconda?  The yellows
>stay relatively small (twelve feet), while the greens can be 20 feet plus....
>                                    DEBRA


I don't know the answers to any of these questions. I didn't bother
asking the store personnel, as I had no intention of buying the guy
anyways, and, well, the looked like teenagers more interested in
furry cats-n-dogs than cool pets like snakes.

I will have a friend of mine who lives near there ask them some
questions - I feel bad for the snake; his body took up almost
all of the cage space, and he had only a teensy water bowl (I 
understand they are fairly aquatic).

Tim