A Day in the Life
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From the Editor
Welcome back to the Cold Blooded Chronicles! It's fall and that means show season. If it is your first time attending a show, be prepared. You will see more reptiles than you can ever imagine. Some of them common and some spectacular, but all of them beautiful. When visiting a larger show, have in mind in advance what you NEED rather than want. Supplies and feeders are usually less expensive at shows than your local pet shop. If you are shopping for an animal, check the vendor list and then check out the websites of the breeders you will be looking at. Get a little of the guess work out of the way and know what price range you are working with and who you really want to see.
Don’t be surprised when some breeders do not allow their animals to be held. Remember this is not a petting zoo, but a business to them. They don’t want their animals to be overly stressed from massive handling. They also do not want anything passed along between animals from other vendors' tables. Many breeders may ask that you clean your hands before touching. Find what you want, talk with breeder for a bit, ask the basics about the animal, and then ask to handle. Be sure to bring along things like bags, Sterilites, or deli cups just in case something happens on the transport home. You don’t need to buy anything to have a good time. It’s a wonderful feeling to be in a place where there are so many other herpers. Get to know some folks. Kingsnake.com will be at the two remaining NARBC shows, so stop by and say hi. Take a moment to check the events calendar for a show near you.
The Kingsnake.com bookstore has been undergoing some massive revamping, including the addition of the 2005 calendars, and there will be plenty more to come over the next few weeks - just in time for holiday shopping!
If you know of a book that you feel should be there, or there is a book you would like to review, please drop the Bookstore Editor a line!
Many folks have asked in chats and on forums about getting work into the Art Gallery. We have a new Art Gallery Cooridinator, Melanie Martinez. You can contact her here.
If you are in a chat room during unhosted hours and observe a problem you would like to report, you can use our chatroom abuse report form. Be sure to include the date, time, AND TIME ZONE, of the complaint, as well as the username in question. We log all chat room activity but we need this information to investigate complaints.
Interested in writing? Care to put your pen where your mouth is? Kingsnake.com is accepting article submissions for the newsletter. Email me for more information!
Cindy Rampacek
Editor, Cold Blooded Chronicles
PHFaust
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New Photo Gallery!
What's so new about it? It looks just the same - But it's not!
The photo gallery has been rebuilt from the ground
up, and although in most operations it looks the same and works
the same, behind the scenes it is completely new and written by
us. It's tremendously faster and gives us the ability to add a
plethora of new features. Some of the new features we have
already added include:
100 Mb Account - $107.00 per year
To upgrade your photo gallery account to a paid account please go to:
http://gallery.pethobbyist.com!
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On the Road with kingsnake.com
By Jeff Barringer
What a long wet windy trip its been! For those of you not trapped on a
desert island, and some who are, this season's hurricanes have been
making life problematic to say the least. But as they say, "The
Show Must Go On," and herpers making the annual trek to Daytona
Beach for the National Reptile Breeders Expo crossed paths with Charley.
kingsnake.com was no exception. This year I, along with our Director of
Technology Services, Clint Gilders, braved the sun, sand, wind, surf, and
debris to attend, as did approximately 95 percent of the vendors. Held in
conjunction with the 2004 International Herpetological Symposium, this
year's Expo was one that produced many stories and photos (see our photo
gallery at http://gallery.pethobbyist.com/index.php?cat=659 for some examples).
Though the foot traffic for the show on Saturday and Sunday was lighter
than normal, as would be expected in a region labeled a federal disaster
area, for those who were there it was a great show nonetheless. I can
already see next year's "I survived the Daytona Expo 04"
t-shirts in my mind.
Anaheim anyone? No longer just the home of Disneyland, Anaheim is now
the west coast home of the North American Reptile Breeders Convention.
Attracting many major east coast and midwest reptile vendors to the
California sun for the first time in years, the weather was
extraodinarily hot for the area, and so were many of
the neat creatures on display. kingsnake.com was there with a surprise
for its users, giving away 300 FREE kingsnake.com T-Shirts. We averaged
3 shirts per minute handing them out, and they were all gone after the
first 90 minutes. Saturday night Prehistoric Pets opened
its doors to vendors and attendees for a post show open house,
supplying the pizza and cold drinks at its huge
retail facility in Fountain Valley/ Many attendees found the time to
visit, including noted breeders Rich Salmon, Bob Clark, and Kim Bell.
All in all Anaheim was a great show for most, and an opportunity to
enjoy one last splash of sunshine before the arrival of fall and winter.
Where to next? Chicago! Les Fowler and Cindy Steinle will be going to
NARBC Chicago for kingsnake.com and handing out another 300 T-Shirts. To
get yours, you have to attend AND you have to be early. See you there!
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Emergency Preparedness
By PHEve
As you all know hurricane season is upon us, and has already devastated Florida, with another one on the way. It has brought with it the loss of homes, property damage, flooding, and loss of power, and the worst imaginable, loss of life.
With winter approaching, some parts of the country will have problems with heavy snowstorms, wind, blizzard conditions, and yes, more power outages. Be it dangerous weather conditions, fire, or natural disaster, unfortunately there are times we must deal with emergencies.
In the past couple of weeks, many of our users were not only terribly concerned about the safety of their families, but also had concerns regarding their animals. One of the most asked questions was “What should we do to keep our lizards warm, if power outages occur for long periods of time”? Here are some things you can do to help keep your reptiles safe.
Essentials
1. FOOD - Make sure you have extra food available, feeder bugs ordered in advance if warned of damaging storms. Make sure you have plenty of ice on hand, to keep frozen foods, or refrigerated foods (vegetables, fruits) from spoiling, in the event you lose power. Have a cooler filled!
Cold packs can also be purchased, for keeping foods cold.
2. WATER - Always have bottled emergency water, for drinking, misting, for quick clean-ups, whatever. Empty 2 litter soda bottles, empty plastic milk containers, any airtight container will work. Water is a MUST!
DECHLORINATED water- I, like a lot of people here, also keep frogs. So don’t forget a few bottles of treated water for out froggie friends, for hydrating, and misting!
3. HEAT - If power is lost for a brief time, they should be fine. But if power is lost for extended periods of time you will have to provide some heat in order for your reptiles to be able to eat and digest their food.
Always have heat packs available, 35 - 40 hour heat packs should be used. Heat packs can only be used once. They are chemically activated. As soon as they are opened and exposed to the air, you shake them, they react with oxygen to generate the heat. The sides of the pack can be taped only enough to secure to the container; don't allow the pack to just lie on the bottom of reptile container. Its purpose is to change the temperature of the air inside, not to heat the reptile itself.
Hand warmers, seen at stores such as K-Mart, are NOT sufficient for this purpose.
4. EMERGENCY CONTAINERS- or enclosures for lizards, snakes or frogs. If you live in a warm climate and keep your reptiles outside, hazardous weather may force you to bring them in. You must have containers available if you have to move your herps to a safe room, different area in your home, or be forced to take them elsewhere.
Rubber maid containers with screen lids (pre-made by you) or at least holes in lid for ventilation and breathing are lightweight, inexpensive, and easy to move, and work well for short periods.
Pillowcases are a great way to move snakes, or some lizards, in a hurry. Either knot the fabric or rubber band the top shut.
You may want to have old newspaper or paper towels available for lining the bottom of temporary enclosure, and also for needed clean-ups. Plastic trash bags may be a good idea also for waste disposal. Smells may begin to get overwhelming.
Just a final note, PLEASE Stay safe. If you see a category 4 or 5 hurricane coming your way Get your family and Pets (if possible) and GET OUT OF DODGE. Our thoughts are with you all, please take the necessary precautions.
For more information on Emergency Preparedness for all of your pets please click here.
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A Day in the Life:
Saving the Common
By PHFaust
My family has decided I am unequivocally insane. My friends think I am a little off. My husband just rolls his eyes and shakes his head. There are times I feel overwhelmed. There are times I cry. There are times I threaten to quit. And then another call comes.
“We have an 8 foot white boa python type of snake that has cigarette burns and mites. Can you help?”
No matter what is going on, my answer is always yes. I shuffle animals. Prepare a bag with mite treatment, and since I am in the midst of a move, I sniff around for a ride for this snake. The humane society is nervous. They do NOT like handling reptiles, especially ones this big. I rely on friends in the rescue community here in my state to help.
In a way I am lucky. I have a lot of friends who also rescue who don’t mind grabbing a properly packaged reptile (as long as they don’t have to touch it). However, I cover a lot of ground. This month alone my rescue has taken in 11 snakes, 2 lizards and 2 turtles with a promise to take three more lizards in the next few weeks.
I have placed one.
I know my fees are higher than what you would pay in a pet store. But I put a lot of vet work into each of my animals. Every animal I take in goes to the vet. Every animal gets a fecal, blood panel and most have something that needs to be fixed. 90 percent of all snakes have mites and 60 percent have Upper Respiratory Infections. 95 percent of all iguanas that come in have either MBD or kidney disease. Then there are the incidentals. You know, open sores from rodent bites, facial abscesses from repeatedly banging their heads into the corner of a too small aquarium, hot rock and cigarette burns, DECLAWED IGUANAS. Everyday stuff here. Some animals come with caging. Some come with nothing but the scales on their backs. My fees are higher for a reason. But sometimes people don’t realize that.
There are people who love the common animals. My favorite is still an iguana. I love the majesty of a wonderfully healthy adult male. The sheer power they have. The communication with them through head bobs. They were my first. I still hold a special spot for them. Many folks love them. I also adore the feel of a large boid. The heavy body, the strength, the slow and concise movements. Many people adore them. Yet unlike dogs and cats, reptile rescue is still in its infancy. People don’t always think there is one near by. But we are closer than you may think. We all have at least 1 iguana, 1 chelonian, 1 large snake. Some of us specialize in things. Until recently I was an Iguana rescue, then I realized I was needed for more. I made do with my resources.
When thinking of getting a common and normal animal, consider a rescue. Looking at my current animals, we are no longer just Iguanas and Burms (although I still get those with frequency). I get things in like Leopard Geckos, Russian Tortoises, Taiwanese Beauty Snakes, Corn Snakes, Bearded Dragons, and the list goes on. If you are a lover of a run-of-the-mill “Red Tail” Boa check with the rescues. Many have several to choose from. Usually they will have adults, but on a rare occasion, babies are available. Support your local rescues. If you have old caging, extra feeders, or even extra money to give please do. Most reptile rescues are run out of the people’s homes. They live and breathe their work and their hobby. If you can foster for a period of time, that would be wonderful also. Popular belief is that all rescues are government funded. This couldn’t be further from the truth. My rescue is in the process of becoming non-profit, but even then it will not be government funded. It will just mean donations are tax deductible.
Not sure where to find a rescue in your area? Start with kingsnake.com's Rescue Network. It is a great online resource. Another good idea is to check with local zoos, herp societies, vet clinics, nature centers, and even humane societies. Talk with the rescue president, ask for references, and follow up. To an ethical rescue, finding a GOOD home is their first priority, not making money.
I still hang on. I still have days where I want to quit. And when that happens I get a call like I did with Bianca. The white 7-foot boa python type of snake with cigarette burns. Turns out she did have those burns, she was dehydrated, underweight, covered with mites and had an upper respiratory infection. See she was picked up at a drug raid. I knew what she would be before I even saw her. And I was right. She is a beautiful albino Burmese python. She needs some work. But she will be OK.
When I take those calls after I swear I am going to quit, I stop and think. What if someone wasn’t there who loved those unlovables? Would they ever find a safe place? At least this way, exhausted from all the cage cleanings and feeding schedules, I know they do.
Cold Blooded Chronicles is copyright 2004 by OnlineHobbyist.com unless otherwise specified. All rights reserved.
