HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: gerard@progress.COM (Gerard Bras)
Subject: Re: Herp First Aid
Organization: Progress Software Corp.
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 15:35:06 GMT

gt6441c@prism.gatech.EDU (Jon Edwards ) writes:


>   I have a Sailfin dragon that was burned by a "hot rock"
>(that I promptly removed).  He was badly burned at the base
>of his fifth digit (finger??) on one of his front feet.  There is now
>a rather disgusting looking wound there that *may* get infected.  What
>is the best way to sterilize this and remove the dead digit?  (Or is
>that even what I should do?)

Depends on the severity of the injury.  I would do the following.

0) If there's a lot of necrotic tissue you'll have to remove it. "Debriding"
is the vet. term.  My tool of choice for this ghastly and brutal job is
a small pair of surgical scissors.  You should only have to do this once.
If you're in doubt about being able to do a thorough job then taking
the animal to a vet will be money well spent.

1) Soak the foot in water as warm as the lizard will tolerate.  The
point is to really clean the wound out.

2) Dress it with Polysporin or Betadine.  In the past I've been a real
Polysporin fan, and it's still a good product for preventing infection.
However, I've come around on Beatdine.

Do this every day.  While the burn heals, you are goning to have to keep
the habitat degermed as best you can.  I recommend removing any fancy
substrate and using paper which can be replaced daily.  Clean the cage
daily with a good germicide like Nolvasan, Lysol, or diluted chlorine
bleach.  I strongly prefer Nolvasan.  I understand there is a Betadine
brand product for scrubbing but I've never used it.  Whatever you use,
get as much rinsed away as you can.

>Thanks, and I guess I've learned my lessons about hot rocks....

I've posted on this subject numerous times and there's always somebody
who comes back saying they love these products and have used them for
years with great results.  I'm sorry you've learned the hard way.
And you though *Hot* tocks was just commercial hyperbole.

regards,
gerard
From: mdtaylor@wc.novell.com (Mark Taylor)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
Subject: Re: Breeders
Date: 19 Nov 92 20:11:25 GMT
Reply-To: mdtaylor@wc.novell.com
Organization: Novell, Inc.

In <Bxz3uK.Eru@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> thompssp@feserve.cc.purdue.edu writes:

>     I am interested in getting the addresses of herp breeders. Mostly snakes,
>but I am also interested in other herps. I have the "HERP WHOLESALERS/BREEDERS/
>SUPPLIERS" list that was posted a few weeks ago. I have written to many of the
> [omitted]

If anyone has breeder information that is not in the monthly posting mentioned
above, please send it to don baldwin (donb@igor.tamri.com) as well, so we
keep this valuable resource up-to-date.

>     One last thing---I am thinking about buying THE REPRODUCTIVE HUSBANDRY
>OF BOAS AND PYTHONS by: Ross. I have heard that this is the BEST book out for
>anyone wanting to get in to breeding snakes. Does anyone have this book that 
>would care to comment? I would like to get a little feedback before this 
>starving student spends $90 on a snake book!!

It's a great book.  Don't buy it for the coffee table - it's not light
reading.  Over half the book is species-specific information compiled from
successful breeding programs all over the world.  It is heavy on the science,
and has plenty of graphic snake-porn, as well as lots of gruesome shots of
What Went Wrong Here.  And it covers *only* boas and pythons. 

$90 is high.  I think you can find it for $80, if you think it's worth it.

mdt
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
From: thompssp@feserve.cc.purdue.edu (Steven P. Thompson)
Subject: Books
Organization: Purdue University
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 02:19:01 GMT


     I found out something today that might interest some of you out there in
net-land.
     I made a post a little while back about the book, Reproductive Husbandry
of Pythons and Boas by Ross. Many people wrote to me and told me that this was
a great book to have.
     Mant of you also told me that the $90 I found it for was a bit high. Most
told me to join a herp club of some sort to get it for a discount. Well, today
I found out that any bookstore can get this book. They just look it up on their
computer system and WHAMO!, you have a book!
     Actually it is not that easy. You first have to find somebody to look it
up and then you need to find a bookstore that special orders things. The one 
in the mall will not due. This is because they belong to a huge corporation
that has a warehouse. They don't seem to think that they can keep an expensive
snake book?! I was able to find a nice bookstore that would custom order it for
me. The price--------$75.00, not too bad? There are some other books that I 
would like to have for my herps and I am planning to try the same thing with
them.
     If anybody is interested in finding this same Boa & Python book, I have
the ISBN number that makes it MUCH easier to order. Just e-mail me for it.
     Just a little FYI for ya'..................



                                              ~Steve
From: mds5597@ritvax.isc.rit.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
Subject: Re: Locating cages
Date: 18 Nov 92 23:42:23 GMT
Reply-To: mds5597@ritvax.isc.rit.edu
Organization: Rochester Institute of Technology

In article <1992Nov18.163234.1505@adp.uucp>, mattb@adp.uucp (Matt Berigan 3-9742) writes:
>I've got a little argument going with my brother-in-law regarding where to
>locate a cage.  I say that if one uses a basement (commonly cooler and
>moister) one can achieve greater control (cold to hot) as needed.  Using
>an upstairs room means there won't be the same range in temperature and
>when the furnace starts working it will get very dry.  

	Thing is...it is easier to have controlled heat in an area that is
allready for the most part heated. Less expensive too.

                                               
                                                      Treky and Tabatha
							    N8VFZ

P.S.
----
Live long and prosper.                   
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
From: mattb@adp.uucp (Matt Berigan 3-9742)
Subject: Locating cages
Organization: U of Wisconsin ADP
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 92 16:32:34 GMT

From adp!mattb Wed Nov 18 10:20:29 CST 1992
Article: 1388 of rec.pets.herp
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp

>>second posting - I'm really just learning!!  I guess I missed the distribution>>last time.


I'm brand new to this usenet stuff folks so pardon any errors (probably due to	never having used VI before).

I'm interested in getting a snake and so I've been watching this list for
a few weeks.  I'm finding it quite useful.

I've got a little argument going with my brother-in-law regarding where to
locate a cage.  I say that if one uses a basement (commonly cooler and
moister) one can achieve greater control (cold to hot) as needed.  Using
an upstairs room means there won't be the same range in temperature and
when the furnace starts working it will get very dry.  

Of course, Wisconsin can't be compared to Texas as far as basement temperatures
go so for some of you this argument is irrelevant.  I like to hear opinions
from others here in the Mid-west.
Thanks  matt.berigan@mail.admin.wisc.edu (or just post it):




Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
From: ss@panix.com (Steve Steinberg)
Subject: Iguana misses his hot rock!
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1992 02:26:33 GMT
Organization: PANIX Public Access Unix, NYC

After reading all the discussion against using the hot rocks, and after
the 10 millionth time this week that my ig dumped on it, stinking up the
whole room, I decided to remove it.

The problem is that he misses it!  He lies flat on the astroturf
directly above the heat pad (no wheres near as hot as the hot rock)
and has been off his food and 
pretty irregular.  He has a 75 watt flood light about 6" away from a 
favorite branch but seems to want his hot rock back!

Whats a guy to do???

HELP!
-- 
=====================================================================
=== Steve Steinberg   ==  ss@panix.com  == {cmcl2,apple}!panix!ss ===

              (The space below intentionally left blank)
From: dhm1@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu (DANIEL HILL MCCAULEY)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
Subject: Cactus for Boa - Does this sound right????
Date: 16 Nov 92 21:38:00 GMT
Organization: Lehigh University

I was wondering if I could put a small moon cactus (red caps type), it doesn't
have any spurs that are sharp enough to injure the snake.  Thanks!!!


    -Dan

    
-- 
*******************************************************************************
*Dan McCauley       (Lair of Sam, Lisa, Spot, Spot II, and Victoria)
*                              ...with carcasses of dead smelly vermin!
*******************************************************************************
From: bell-peter@yale.edu (Peter Bell)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
Subject: Re: Tame?  Igs v/s Snakes
Date: 20 Nov 1992 20:41:51 -0500
Organization: Yale University Science & Engineering UNIX(tm), New Haven, CT 06520-2158
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: minerva.cis.yale.edu

In article <1eivafINNckj@uwm.edu> hodgeman@csd4.csd.uwm.edu writes:
>
>I've heard all this talk about "tame" iguanas, but what about
>snakes?  Can you tame them?  How do they respond to people,
>compared to igs?
>
>Bill Hodgeman
>(hodgeman@csd4.csd.uwm.edu)

My impression of how this works is that "tameness" is how people perceive 
species-typical behaviour, primarily, and that the amount of learning at 
the reptile's side of the equation is important but not dominant in how 
people define tame.

That said, one of the big things I've noticed about snakes, in terms of 
their learning, is that they seem to learn their owner's smell fairly 
quickly.  In an unfamiliar environment, they will tend to return to what 
is familiar, often a scent that they know.  I used to have a red-tailed 
boa, a very mellow snake, and had him out of the tank a lot.  When he was in
my room, he tended to wander around and explore quite a bit.  When I took him
with me to do my chores, people would like to hold him, which was fine when
I was mopping floors--kept him from getting tangled up in the mop!  But, when
I rejoined the group of people he was with, he would come back over to me
*very* quickly, and then stay in my vicinity.  

I've also noticed this behavior in garter snakes that I have caught--they
know my smell better than anyone else's very quickly (a matter of weeks), and
will return to me when they are out of their tanks and a friend and I are
both handling them.  

To me, that tendency to return is a very "tame" behavior, and as long as the 
snake in question is not of a species that bites a lot, an animal that has 
learned its owners scent is pretty well tame.  People have varying degrees
of luck with the species that do bite--there are mellow retics, retics that
become mellow with handling, and retics that strike unpredictably (or worse 
yet, predictably and always!) at things moving around them no matter how much
handling they get....

Peter

Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
From: pholland@iastate.edu (Paul J Hollander)
Subject: Re: _Discover_ cover story
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 16:57:50 GMT

In article <1992Nov18.144026.9421@sei.cmu.edu> bjz@sei.cmu.edu (Barbara Zayas) writes:
>
>...entitled "The Evolution of Dragons in the Jungles of
>Indonesia"  by Jared Diamond.
>
>The teaser: "Those Giant, gold-blooded, man-eating monsters
                           ^^^^^^^^^^^^

>of yore have not only survived, they've climbed to the top of
>the carnivore heap..."
>
>Discover magazine
>December 1992
>pp 72-80

Get out the pans and rifles!  I'm off to Indonesia to stake a claim in the 
reptile gold rush.  8^)

Paul Hollander    pholland@iastate.edu
Behold the tortoise: he makes no progress unless he sticks his neck out.
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
From: rptjr@brahms.udel.edu (Richard Terrell)
Subject: Chemical handwarmers
Organization: University of Delaware
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 16:20:39 GMT

I have a 4-5 year old iguana and have successfully used the _chemical_
handwarmers for trips with no incident.  I think the iguana pretty much
chills out in the car, so she hasn't torn into the casing yet.  The
warmers I usually buy have a fairly heavy plastic casing.
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
From: mdtaylor@wc.novell.com (Mark Taylor)
Subject: Re: Chem hand-warmers (was Re: Emergency)
Reply-To: mdtaylor@wc.novell.com
Organization: Novell, Inc.
Date: 19 Nov 92 01:33:00 GMT

In <1992Nov18.234453.1142@ultb.isc.rit.edu> mds5597@ritvax.isc.rit.edu writes:

>In article <1992Nov18.174336.22200@sco.com>, kamalm@sco.COM writes:
>>
>>I've wondered about the chemical hand-warmers too...  Is there any chance
>>that a herp could bite (or claw) thru the plastic container-baggie and
>>get to the chemicals?  I suspect that the stuff is pretty toxic.
>>

>	Sounds risky.....I used hand warmers that are bio safe.  The main
>ingredient seems to be like saw dust or small(very small) wood chips.

>                                               
>                                                      Treky and Tabatha
>							    N8VFZ

Sound like I'm in luck.  I have a bunch of sawdust and very small wood
chips lying around.  These will undoubtedly make the bio-safest hand
warmers around.  How do I get them to generate heat?

mdt
From: jhaines@eniac.seas.upenn.edu (Jason Haines)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
Subject: faq question plus much more (monitors)
Date: 23 Nov 92 02:12:02 GMT
Organization: University of Pennsylvania


	I just started reading this newsgroup today.
I am interested in restarting my interest in herps.
I used to have a few boas, corn snakes, etc... in 
highschool.
	I am interested in purchasing a monitor lizard -
probably a mangrove.  The local pet shops don't have a good
selection and they don't seem to be well cared for (lamp burns,
skinny, etc...) - plus they seem a bit pricey.
	I need a good deal of info (I have been researching this
a bit to make sure I do it right from the beginning).
	Where in the PA or northeast area would people recommend
purchasing a monitor (or other herps)?  Is their a FAQ on caring
for monitors and/or herps?  How sensitive are herps - espeically
monitors and caimens (the one related to the crocodile - not the
lizard) to the chemicals used in treating water in the US.  I know with
fish and small frogs I used to leave the water aside or 24hr and treat it
with some product (can't remember what).
	How often do people change the water for water, mangrove, etc...
monitors?

Any and all info appreciated (any people with monitors in the
Philadelphia area).


------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jason R. Haines		     University of Pennsylvania (SEAS & Wharton)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Red '90 Mustang LX 5.0    /     Blue '71 Rotary Powered Datsun 510
(Recycle your toner cartridges)	           (^^^^^FOR SALE^^^^^)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: dd76@umail.umd.edu (Deborah D)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
Subject: Re: Taming Iguanas
Date: 19 Nov 92 17:37:07 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: U of Maryland - Zoology

Brad writes
> 
> Once i catch him, though, i only have to stroke his head four or five
> times to calm him. He likes to have his neck stroked, and will doze off
> in a matter of minutes!! This is kind of strange given his initial
> reactions on the approach of a human, but i attribute it to his small
> brain size and the fact that once he's caught, he's not immediately
> threatened anymore.
>

	Vosjoli refers to this behavior as 'zoning out'.  When your ig shuts his eyes,
it's his way of shutting out the world.  It's a response to overstimulation.
I often hand feed mine, and when she's had enough to eat she shuts her eyes
when anything more is offered.  Now you tell me who is conditioning who?  

I know that it looks like a cat or dog closing its eyes with contentment, but 
that's not really the case. Sometimes the eye's shut and the dewlap goes up 
at the same time.  If there are no other signs of agitation that go with the
shut eyes, you'r probably not bothering it too much.  Continued gentling 
handling should give good results.

Good luck

Deborah




Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
From: dgsolt@rodan.acs.syr.edu (David G. Solt Jr. )
Subject: Re: Plants for an Iguana tank
Organization: Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Date: Sun, 15 Nov 92 13:06:09 EST

In article <BxKqnB.8yx@javelin.sim.es.com> krogers@javelin.sim.es.com writes:
>ss@panix.com (Steve Steinberg) writes:
>...
>If you want a few more tough plants which can take some punishment and
>aren't likely to be eaten, try bromeliads from the genus Cryptanthus
>and the run-of-the-mill Dracena species.  Non-spiny succulents are ok
>as such but they break off easily as a rule.  Not a problem with small
>igs but as they grow and get heavier you'll end up with smashed plants
>all over the place.
>
>It's very unlikely you'll be able to maintain any plants in any sort
>of decent shape for more than a few months.  They'll never thrive
>unless you have something the size of a greenhouse and only one or two
>small lethargic lizards.  I've messed around with plants and two
>basilisks a lot in my 4'x4'x7' terrarium and the plants lose even with
>animals which are carnivorous weighing only ~150 grams.  Even if the
>plants can hold the weight the sharp claws shred the leaves over time.
>
>Plants are cool but you'll have to view them as dispensible with igs.
>-- 
>Keith Rogers
>krogers@javelin.sim.es.com

I just got a turtle and thought I'd try getting some plants for his 
"home".  I have had good luck so far with watermellon vines.  See,
ground vines (as apposed to climbing vindes) can take a heck of a
beating because they live on the ground and in order to survive need 
to be able to take an occational stepping on. 

I grew my vines from seeds.  They don't take too long to sprout, are
very hardy, and grow quickly.  I have three of them, each about 1.5
feet long snaking around the bottom of my turtle's home.  They took
about 2 months to get that size.  They get absolutely trampled by my
turtle, but they do fine (as long as the stems don't get broke; I keep
my fingers crossed!)  The only other thing I know is that you can't
seem to give them enough water.  

I don't think any of you are going to go out and grow watermellons,
but maybe consider ground vines.  I don't know if that would serve
your purpose, but it's a thought.

Dave

From: ruska@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM (Dave Ruska)
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 18:42:50 GMT
Subject: Re: Mice
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp

In rec.pets.herp, thompssp@feserve.cc.purdue.edu (Steven P. Thompson) writes:

> 
>      I am wanting to purchase a large quantity of mice. All I am really 
> interested in are frozen ones. Does anyone know of anyplace where one can
> mail order a bunch (ie. 100 ??) of frozen mice? I am interested in regular
> size mice and pinkies also!

Check out the numerous ads in Reptile and Amphibian Magazine, the Vivarium
magazine, Notes from NOAH, or most any Herp newsletter. 

The expensive part is the air-freight, so you might what to try to find
a local supplier. Call your neighborhood reptile vet and ask for the names
of any local rodent suppliers. Don't bother asking your local pet shop,
because they won't tell you. They would much rather sell you live mice.

>        Thank You for any help you can give!!!!
> 
>                                                   ~Steve

Dave                                (daver@hpgrrd.gr.hp.com)

Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
From: fsjdj1@acad3.alaska.edu
Subject: Raising mealworms?
Organization: University of Alaska Fairbanks
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 21:36:00 GMT

I have a friend who's trying to raise mealworms, but hasn't had any luck so
far.  The beetles won't mate.  Any ideas? 

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Jack Johnson                           |     The opinions expressed herein are
Internet:  FSJDJ1@acad3.alaska.edu     |     in no way related to any opinions
Bitnet:    FSJDJ1@ALASKA               |     held by anyone, real or imagined.
-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
From: bjz@sei.cmu.edu (Barbara Zayas)
Subject: _Discover_ cover story
Organization: Software Eng. Inst.;Carnegie-Mellon U.; Pittsburgh, PA 15213   _USA_
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 14:40:26 GMT


...entitled "The Evolution of Dragons in the Jungles of
Indonesia"  by Jared Diamond.

The teaser: "Those Giant, gold-blooded, man-eating monsters
of yore have not only survived, they've climbed to the top of
the carnivore heap..."

Discover magazine
December 1992
pp 72-80


Barbara Zayas				Software Engineering Institute
Information Management			Carnegie Mellon University
bjz@sei.cmu.edu				(412) 268-6378
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
From: mds5597@ritvax.isc.rit.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
Subject: Re: Tame?  Igs v/s Snakes
Date: 23 Nov 92 19:59:31 GMT
Reply-To: mds5597@ritvax.isc.rit.edu
Distribution: usa
Organization: Rochester Institute of Technology

In article <1eivafINNckj@uwm.edu>, hodgeman@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (William Hodgeman Jr) writes:
>
>I've heard all this talk about "tame" iguanas, but what about
>snakes?  Can you tame them?  How do they respond to people,
>compared to igs?

	Snakes and igs from the wild are about the same difficulties as far as
tamming goes(MEAN!!). Snakes, I do not have much experience yet, but Tabatha
was very gittery for a long time. She is now starting to slow down(about 10
weeks under my care, and she is about 14 weeks old). I am just curious how to
tell if she is getting tame or sick....don't know....
	If you dont spend a lot of time with igs(captive bred) they too will
get mean. They will bite, slash you with there tail,ect.
                                               
                                                      Treky and Tabatha
							    N8VFZ

P.S.
----
Live long and prosper.                   


>
>Bill Hodgeman
>(hodgeman@csd4.csd.uwm.edu)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
From: bpb9204@tamsun.tamu.edu (Brent)
Subject: Re: More Gecko Gifs
Organization: Texas A&M Univ., Inc.
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 22:52:23 GMT

gt6441c@prism.gatech.EDU (Jon Edwards ) writes:
|Is there an ftp site somewhere that these Gecko Gifs can be obtained?
|(We don't get the alt.* groups...)

Jon (and others),

  The gifs posted to a.b.p.misc can be obtained from tamsun.tamu.edu
[128.194.15.32].

Here is the location (following the newly introduced ftp syntax...):
  tamsun.tamu.edu:/herps
Use anonymous to login, your usual id@host as the password.

As always, I'm still looking for other herp photos, so if you know where
some exist, would you please send me a note telling me about it?

Thanks,
-Brent

p.s. the gecko pictures are pretty good - get them if you like geckos.

-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brent P. Burton, N5VMG
bpb9204@tamsun.tamu.edu
From: thompssp@feserve.cc.purdue.edu (Steven P. Thompson)
Subject: Tree Boa
Organization: Purdue University
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1992 02:04:33 GMT


     I have recently become a bit interested in an Emerald Tree Boa. I would
like some input on what this snake is like.
     My main question is about it's agressiveness. I have looked the snake up 
in all of my resources and have found that I could adequately provide for one,
but I don't want a mean snake.
     I know of a Cook's Tree Boa that I could buy for about $10 assuming that
I would be the one to stick my hand in to get it....Get my point??!!!
     If these tree boas are similar, I don't think I want one.
     Any input would be helpful!


                                                       ~Steve
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp