#improper animal husbandry

[cometothecatbureau]

TW: Images containing Animal Abuse under cut

First and foremost, I need to mention this is NOT MY FISH. This poor little beastie, known as Gogo, is kept in the toddler classroom at my old daycare job. Since the DAY he got there I knew he wasn’t going to have a good life.

He’s currently in a one gallon (yes you read that right) “tank” with no heater, or filter, lid, lights or live plants. If this monstrosity was ever cycled, it most likely isn’t anymore because when my coworker would clean it, she’d put him in a cup, remove all the water and then do a complete water change. None of the water being added in is treated in any way either, it’s just straight from the tap.

I’ve told her time and again that he needs a bigger tank, a heater, a filter and to keep some of the old water in when she adds new, and to add declorinater but to no avail. Despite all my pleading i got brushed aside and was told “It’s just a betta he doesn’t need any of that stuff”

And now she’s messaging me on FB being like “he’s dying help?!!” Like. Girl. I love and respect you as an educator so much but you should have LISTENED TO ME. As you can see in the pictures above, this poor little guy is pale, struggling to swim and most likely has fin rot if not possibly the early stages of dropsy starting. I would absolutely 100% take him into a quarantine at my home and nurse him back to health because in spite of all this he’s somehow still alive, though barely.

However, given the overall response to my original suggestions for a better home for him, odds are I’d do all that work only to have him go right back into that shitbox and deteriorate again. I remember what he looked like when he first came into the room. He was the prettiest shade of blue, with big fins and such an inquisitive and friendly little fish. He could’ve been so happy and lived a decent life if he hadn’t been left to suffer.

I guess I’m posting this because I wanted to share my frustrations with like minded people who understand. And before anyone asks, the reason I didn’t just go and buy a proper 5gal system for Gogo when I was still working there is because it was a temp position. My coworker would’ve been responsible for maintaining the tank after I left and given we shared the classroom, it wasn’t my place to do that without her say so. If I was with this job long term you bet I would’ve stepped in.

For anyone else who isn’t a fellow “fish nerd” there’s no such thing as a low maintenance pet unless it’s a rock. Everything alive requires at least a little bit of care to have the quality of life it deserves. This includes all creatures, not just mammals or cute, fuzzy things.

#personal #animal abuse #fishblr #fishblr rant #improper animal husbandry

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for breaking up with someone over fishkeeping and cat food? I know how the title sounds but hear me out. This happened a couple years ago and I'm still friends with the people this happened with but it still weighs on me. So I have always been kind of militant about husbandry when it comes to the animals I keep(autistic, it' a special interest) and I don't really like to deal with people who don't take caring for living creatures they willingly bring into their home seriously. I sold a fish tank to my, then, partner J who wanted to get into fish keeping. J and D, our other partner, lived together. After taking the tank home and cleaning it up we were throwing around ideas for what to put in it. It wasn't too big but also not small, but he kept throwing out species that would far outgrow the tank or species that would fight and kill each other. Every time I shot these species down J took it well, realizing the space was either too small or they would die and didn't want the fish in improper conditions but D kept telling me not to "squash his creativity" and he could "do whatever as long as it made him happy". At this I obviously hopped on my soapbox about how it's our duty as animal owners to give the animals we keep proper conditions and D went absolutely off on me and mentioned how I care "too much" about how other people keep their animals and had always made her feel bad about how she feeds her cats and now I was doing this. For context my cat eats a raw diet. I did a lot of research and talked to my vet and he's doing wonderfully while one of her cats is extremely overweight to the point he waddles instead of walking and the other two are getting there as well, both of which I've brought up concerns about but I have NEVER shamed the way she fed her animals. She had been interested in the interest I had taken and had ASKED for better quality food recommendations, so I gave them, but NEVER told her she had to feed them a certain way. A majority of our conversations were just me info-dumping and her being happy to listen and ask questions occasionally. Anyway J kind of backed out of the conversation at this and D and I went back and forth a bit before D finally said "I don't think this relationship is going to work out if you won't let this go"(This being I have pointed out one of her cats is grossly overweight a couple times and it's extremely unhealthy, especially since he's aging now) so I said "Yeah I think so too. This is something I clearly care a lot about and I'm not going to be with someone who puts their own or their partner's feelings over the well-being of the animals they are responsible for"(referencing when she said a few times when talking about the fish that it was okay if the fish killed each other or died from improper conditions as long as J was happy with how the tank looked and "it's not like we're putting kittens in with sharks, they're Just Fish") and we broke up there and then. Since then we've still stayed close friends after a short break from each other(I'm actually her Man of Honor in her upcoming wedding to J!) and she's actually made moves to better the quality of the food she buys her cats and is working on getting her obese cat's weight down and J's fish tank hobby is going very well(with proper keeping standards!!). But the situation at the time still weighs on me and even though we're genuinely too busy with work and life to make a relationship work anymore anyway and that was also a factor of the breakup.... AITA for beginning a breakup over animal husbandry?

What are these acronyms?

#aita #am i the asshole

[rotclaw]

to my fellow bearded dragon owners- this video was made by an australian veterinarian specializing in exotics, BeardieVet. it has tons of info on proper beardie care and i highly recommend watching/listening to it when possible (it's quite long at nearly 4 hours)

here's a long comprehensive list of info, copied from a reddit comment

• Bearded dragons do not bask all day. They come out in the morning and in the evening to bask for a bit

• If you have warm nights, your dragon will bask less. They will only bask based on their body needs and if they are warm all night they do not have a need to bask

• It can get as low as 5°C/41°F at night in Australia during spring and typically is about 11°‐12°C/51.8°‐53.6°F in their burrows

• Preferred core temp for their body is 36.3°C/97.34°F. This is achieved with a basking spot of about 42°C/107.6°F

• They do not have bile acids to ingest vitamin D3. They get this vitamin through proper UV

• Average preferred UVI is 4.1, but any where in the range of 3.8-4.5 is acceptable

• A high amount of bright visible light is needed for them. They know to go to the bright light to bask

• A heat bulb with visible light and UVA (like a halogen bulb), a proper linear UVB bulb, and a full spectrum LED bulb are the preferred lights used to achieve a proper LUX (perceived brightness)

• They are considered beginner pets because they are so robust that they can stay sick for so long without showing signs (not because they are easy to care for)

• Humidity isn't an issue by itself (they actually seek out humidity microclimates). It's high humidity combined with improper temps that causes issues

• They are very active animals and the main reason they aren't active in captivity is because they are bored

• Bare minimum size enclosure is 4x2x2. This is really needed in order to get proper UVI and temps. 5x3x3 would be better.

• They spend a lot of time higher up (more males than females) to be able to survey their territory in places like bushes and trees (not something like a hammock)

• They like to be able to see their surroundings fully

• Deep Heat Projectors are unnatural wavelengths and cause them to dry out which increases water loss

• In the wild they will sleep out in the open in 15°C/59°F, but will go into a burrow with anything under 10°C/50°F

• "Brumation" during our summer months is due to increased temps that cause them to stay sheltered to reserve their energy

• Substrate in Australia is 0.3% gravel, 1.5% silt, 2.3% clay, 95.9% fine sand (quartz & iron oxide)

• If they try to ingest their substrate it's a nutritional deficiency or a psychological reason: not proper UV, fed high phosphorus & low calcium, MBD & parasites, husbandry issues

• If you don't have loose substrate, you're depriving them of one of their 5 freedom rights

• Straight play sand isn't the best because it lacks clay

• Pin worms are needed to break down cellulose

• An overload of parasites is due to poor husbandry. The parasites are a secondary issue, so fix the husbandry and the parasites will go back in check

• No loose substrate equals a loss in muscle mass and causes stress on the joints, this becomes a welfare issue

• Keepers that bathe their dragons so they can defecate that is trying to solve a problem that's caused by poor husbandry (i.e. temps not high enough, parasite overload, not enough UV)

• If your husbandry is correct, you should not have to bathe them at all. It's not something they typically do (sit in puddles of water). Unless of course they are visibly soiled

• They should be able to do normal bodily functions on their own. If they can't, it's a welfare issue

• They do not absorb through their skin or their cloaca. They are not designed to take water in that way.

• They should be getting enough water from their food. You can mist them (from above not straight in the face) and the enclosure to mimic rain as well once a week. This will create little spots for them to drink from too

• Some causes of MBD include: not enough vitamin D production, not enough heat, not enough calcium, and too much phosphorus

• In the wild they eat a lot of flowers, wild sage, hibiscus, and Australian blue bells

• We grow them way too fast in captivity. It should take them 2 years to grow to full size, not 6 months

• Babies should get 5-6 protein items (about the size that is between their eyes) a day

• Adults should get 3-4 protein items (about the size that is between their eyes) 3 days a week and 3 times that in greens

• They do not need to eat if they are overweight

• Absolutely no fruit ever. They do not eat any in the wild at all and it causes dental disease and fungal cultures

• All protein items should be dusted with calcium

• BSFLs do have high calcium, but a majority of that is in their exoskeleton which is indigestible so they still need to be dusted

• You can dust a salad with a multivitamin once every other week

• ADV is something natural to them and is only an issue if husbandry is wrong (like cold sores in people, only comes out under stress)

• Obesity causes a lot of health issues

• Their insides are in one cavity so when they are obese it pushes their lungs in and they have a really hard time breathing

• Obesity also insulates them which prevents them from reaching optimum core temperature as the heat cannot penetrate past the fat

• Weight and length to compare what an ideal body composition should be (SVL= snout to vent length):

• Male: 372 grams; 24cm/9.45in SVL

• Female: 254 grams; 21.5cm/8.46in SVL

• Gravid Female: 315 grams; 22cm/8.66in SVL

• Average Dragon: 341 grams; 23.3cm/9.17in SVL

(thanks to schance99 on reddit for writing all this down)

#reptiblr #bearded dragon #bearded dragon care

[astarab1aze]

➥ Runaway Mage

⸻Technical Information. // Face, Voice, etc.

01. Faceclaim. Yoru   [ Shishi no Odoriko ] & Personal or Comm'd art 04. Voice Claim. Miyavi, if he had noticeable vocal cord damage

⸻Profile Information. // Name, Age, etc.

01. Name. Kaede Shikabane   02. Alias. Shizuka, Kae   03. Sex. Male 04. Gender. Male   05. Age. 46   [ Dependent ] 06. Birth Date. October 31st   [ Balemagus ] 07. Blood Type. AB+ 08. Race. Half-Elfhen & Half-Feline, Zurine by nationality ; Yuureian by ethnicity. 09. Marital Status. Single   [ Multiship ] 10. Orientation. Bisexual   [ Biromantic / heavy male preference ] 11. Residence. He has no home, ever on the move, trying a little too hard to escape his own life in more ways than one. 

⸻Physical Information. // Body, Equipment, Family, etc.

17. Physical Description. Kaede’s hair is rather long and layered, so it tends to sit in a boyish, fly-away sort of way. It’s a dark violet shade - or, pretentiously, midnight - and incredibly soft to the touch. The lighter, floral blue of his eyes contrasts nicely with his hair. More often than not, he prefers to wear it down, as he feels the style compliments his overall appearance. His body is slim with some light toning and he stands at a rough 5'5", a little on the short side even for an elf. His skin is somewhat unusually pale, denoting a lack of sleep and improper nutrition. He wears a crimson jade hip ornament said to have healing properties, handed down in his family by patriarchal members. He has an abundance of barely-there freckles all over his body and both self-harm & combat scars, a large gash across his throat and quite a few on each of his thighs - and many more on his arms, front, and back; Also has a birthmark under his right buttcheek that looks something like a smeary bruise. There is a surgical scar on his right hip caused by a near-ruinous injury and the surgery that followed. On each pointed long-ear, his lobes are pierced, as well as two cuffs on his right ear. He has a natural pair of darkly spotted snow leopard ears and a long, fluffy tail as well as slit pupils, long canines, patches of dark fur along his spine and shoulders, and claw-like nails. Also x3, he has a phenomenal ass.

13. Equipment. He is effectively always ready for a fight, keeping a Yuureian silsaph katana and at least four knives of varying styles and lengths on his person at all times. He will also have various items kept in a limitless bag including Zurine medical tools, a journal, palmseal, singing stones, minor husbandry tools, some specific alchemical reagents, witchlights, a collection of both expired and current border passes, various international currencies, witchlights, and some other magical items and tools. 14. Occupation. Untethered sorcier with allegiance to no governing body on the continent ; He has chosen to never kill for a ruler or agency, as well as never to be a court mage, devoting himself to a life of drifting in order to escape his obligations. 15. Job Performance. Not Applicable 16. Parents. Juno Miris of Lakensov, Vago (deceased) and Kurai Shikabane of Chiisana, Yuurei (deceased) ; He doesn't much remember his mother and though he doesn't know it, she remains attached to him in spirit as a demonic presence - his father, however, he is glad to be rid of. 17. Siblings. Terin Shikabane (deceased) and Morrigan ( @elysiumtouched ) through seemingly tenuous relations, but they are in fact all half-brothers.

⸻Personality Information. // Likes, Strengths, etc.

18. Likes. Kirati dragon's breath, Myrrdinian chocolate oranges, specifically Yuureian tea, most animals, long moonlit walks, most international foods, taking naps, drawing, listening to local street music, dancing, men with light hair, singing, spending time with his lixni Muushi, Vagoan whisky, knives, flowers, black coffee, sharing snacks and drinks, ignoring Crimson-Talon letters, reading and researching, exploring old ruins, etc. 19. Dislikes. Inefficiency, most mushrooms, most sweet things, being forced to improvise, being flustered or confused, blood on his skin or staining his clothes, the sight of corpses, failure, imperfection, being responsible for other people’s lives, lack of control, being noticed, most nightfolk, most humans, all Wildlings, the undead, cottonmouth cakes, scarbuncle cheese, most other sorciers, most other elves, etc.

20. Positive Traits. Honest. Diligent. Loyal. Protective. Committed. Persistent. Strong willed. Hard-working. Thoughtful. Kind. Generous. Earnest. Firm. Loving. Prepared. Giving. Mostly merciful. Self-sacrificing. Open-minded. Accepting. Proud. 21. Negative Traits. Distrustful. Obstinate. Conflicted. Reckless. Guarded. Hard-headed. Hot-tempered. Bratty. Snobby. Self-loathing. Self-conscious. Reactive. Melancholic. Isolative. Impatient. A smidge obsessive. May get jealous. Envious. Naive. Prone to panic. 22. Goals. To try to find a way to beat the madness before it takes him. 23. Desires. Freedom from his grief, and forgiveness for the lives he couldn’t save or had to take, whether against his will or not; To love and be loved as though he were truly worthy of it. He’s tired of floating through life with nothing to show for it, and being hunted as a consequence. 24. Alignment. Neutral Good

25. Personality. Kaede has some difficulty forming relationships with other people and is generally very slow to start. Incidentally, this frees up a lot of his time, so he pours nearly all his focus into his work. He’s incredibly flawed in some aspects of his reasoning and decision-making, despite his intelligence, having assigned an arbitrary amount of blame to himself for past failures and horrific incidences, perceived or not. He’s the small and silent type, with a spoonful of emotional baggage and social ineptitude. Though he comes off as cold and formal at times, he has a mischievous streak and can be rather playful under the right conditions. He can also be sweet and somewhat boyish, though he’s mostly a bit bratty and hardheaded. He’s a sensitive soul at the end of the day, riddled with trauma responses and other behaviors resulting from years upon years of emotional, mental, and physical abuses - where the bulk of his trust and mental health issues stem from. He has vivid flashbacks about the massacres, nightmares too, and such will drag him back into an incosollable state of fear and misery. Although, he tends to hide, like a feline trying to lick their wounds in private.

⸻Sorcery Information. // Affinity, Talent, etc.

26. Affinity. Necrotic and Fire - high-level control, practiced and mastered well at the Zurine Mages' University. 27. Shapeshifting. Not applicable - he never cared much for transformation as a school of magic and wasn't born naturally capable of it in the first place. 28. Utility. Wards, curses, summoning, husbandry, and illusions - moderate.  29. Specialization. Lightning Magic, summoning, illusions, and some Bestial magic - highly skilled thanks to years of careful study, practice, and fine-tuned familial & cultural techniques handed down for generations. 30. Graduate School. Zurine Mages’ University - the only active school for mages on the pangea ; Extremely dedicated to quality, well-rounded education and therefore expensive, though they do offer scholarships based on potential ; Open to all magical folk, or those who can afford it ; Generally treated as a sort of haven for them. 31. Classification. Anthromorph, Runaway Mage ; Anthromorphs are a sub-type of shapeshifter or were whose human and primary animal forms are permanently apparent in some combination - they are equally as animal as they are ‘human’ in appearance and physiology. Kaede is somewhat different as he gets his animal parts from his elfhen side ; Runaway mages, or untethered sorciers (typically), are effectively deserters and thereby marked for capture and hollowing, which drains a mage of their magic and leaves them a weak, nearly-mindless husk of their former selves - there is a steeper cost to receiving an education at the University. 

⸻Background Information. // Past to Present. // Warnings for...death, arranged marriages, underage marriage, murder, cheating, very dysfunctional families, abuse, and other things that were kinda common in medieval times. There's a lot more to Kaede's story et all, but I've kinda beaten all the details to death.

    Kaede has really only ever known death and misery over the course of his life.

Born to miserable people - Juno of Clan Miris in Lakensov, a free spirit of a fledgling warrior, and Kurai of the Shikabane Clan out of Yuurei, an insecure, powerless man - in a miserable, atypical arranged marriage brought on by desperate need for saphluvium and pig-iron. Juno was young when she was promised to Zenchuu Shikabane, and at the time, Kurai was only a handful years older than her. The two were inseparable when they met, and Zenchuu, next in line as head of the Shikabane, thought nothing of it. Allowing Juno and Kurai to befriend one another - seemed only fair when considering how much older Zenchou was in reality (14 versus 349). But such was the way of things, to secure much needed resources.

Some Vagoans dedicate their lives entirely to monster hunting and extermination, curse breaking, escorting, smuggling, artisanship, among other related fields of work - they forge their weapons and tools with saphluvium, silver, and both proper and pig-iron. With local mines fast-depleting, the Miris Clan was losing grip on their trade, gradually becoming poorer and poorer. It came to a point they couldn't take care of the children anymore, so they arranged marriages, hoping to restore their clan through agreements, alliances, and, well, marriages. Insodoing with Juno, they were able to secure enough iron, silver, and saphluvium to get back on track and breathe some new life back into their clan and community - the hope, then, was that her new family would treat her well and care for her in the ways they couldn't at the time, though it took much longer than it seems, and she wasn't treated well.

The Shikabane are, in some ways, obsessed with death due to generational curses, malice, and genuine evil that'd taken root hundreds of years ago. For some time, they were isolatory, refusing to interact with anyone outside the clan. Naturally, predictable problems cropped up, problems that some were desperate to be rid of and others were only too happy to wallow in. Much of their history is buried, though accurate and detailed descriptions of what sins were committed by their number exist, if only in theory. Such that happened to Juno, whose betrayal of Zenchuu by having an affair with Kurai resulted in her murder a handful years later, when Kaede was small enough to perhaps not remember her later on in life...and the Madness that gripped Taisho, the head of the family before Zenchou, that caused him to slaughter so many.

The madness persisted, and it was soon found a host of demons had possessed certain members of the Shikabane hundreds of years before, biding their time, lying in wait, on top of the threat of ever encroaching insanity - the curse of the Mad Empress all elfhen are subject to. Worse still, it was found Taisho aimed to use Kaede in a blood ritual as a vessel to house the devils inhabiting his body at the time. Taisho violently killed as many people as he could, from the oldest members of the clan to some of the youngest, and far too many had died before he could be stopped by the likes of Kurai and the few who remained that weren't children.

From that day on, though the blame wasn't Kaede's to bear, he was treated as responsible for it all because he was mentioned by name in Taisho's journals, multiple times. Endless obsessive rants about stealing his body, smothering his soul, working his way up to clan head again, murder murder murder- Kaede was special after all. The only member of the family in hundreds of years capable of wielding not one, not two, but multiple forms of magic with a very unique proclivity toward lightning magic and illusions. Taisho killed so many just for a chance to take him and use him, so the remaining family associated Kaede with their loss, as the cause of it, the reason. More than that, however, was the fear Taisho's ritual had worked, and the simple fact Kaede was there where Taisho was dead.

So Kaede got the brunt of everyone's wrath, but especially Kurai's. All failure, every misstep, every stumble out of line was punished severely for years. Kurai would beat him, lock him up in a cell beneath the main house, isolate him through manipulation, shunning, setting too many expectations for him to follow, preventing him from ever leaving the estate. He was kept a prisoner in his own home, taumatized and without any support, forced to learn how to master certain family techniques until such a time came they decided to ship him off to Zuri with Aoi and Terin.

Terin died along the way, slaughtered by Wildlings on the border between Chimeria and western Vago. It wasn't Kaede's fault, but Aoi would see his failed plan as the cause regardless, but the truth was that the Wildlings were faster and armed with silsaph blades. They didn't stand a chance, not really, not ever. In the end, Terin knew this well and had already accepted his fate, thinking of his death before it came a sacrifice to see Kaede and Aoi get away. It would've been easier if Kaede'd been the one who died, however, for upon arrival in Zuri, Aoi informed the sorciers in Azura of Kaede's ineptitude - bitter and angry at Terin's passing. For the following ten years, he wasn't allowed to leave the University tower, at all, put on an effective house arrest until one day, they ended this punishment and gave him an ultimatum: Serve us willingly, or serve us in death.

Naturally, he took their offer - anything to be free, even if only for a little while. They were unwilling to allow his talents go to waste, no matter how he felt on the issue, and resolved themselves to use him exclusively to suit whatever ends they saw fit. Treating him in his beastly-elfhen form as expendable, only still breathing because he's useful to them, ostracized by all irrespective of him in his totality. And, for a time, he played along, intending fully to escape the minute he breathed his first breath of fresh air outside the tower.

When such opportunity arose, tasked with hunting down a runaway mage, he killed his companions in cold blood, burned the order, and ran. He's been running ever since.

#➥ Kaede. #♞ // Verse: Of Endless Suffering. #/ bleh #/ not happy about how i wrote the backstory so might rewrite it at a later date #/ servicable for now tho

[omg-snakes]

Same anon as the socialization ask - thanks so much! I just wanted to add on as a funny tidbit, specifically what I saw was a sort of... "Playing hard to get"? Like I've seen a lot of videos where the female "darts away" from the male but not fully, and then waits for him to catch up - she had plenty of space and traction to move further but didn't. So when my little yearling boy crawled on top of her I was like NOPE!! At least they'll probably be good breeders in the future? Lol

Ha! That's adorable, she was totally "playing hard to get" on purpose. I'm glad you interrupted their flirting because it definitely sounds like they were getting along a bit too well! They'll be a good match when they're a bit older. :)

Personally I introduce mating pairs a month or two before breeding season so that I can gauge how they get along, and I find that most pairs are pretty chill and friendly with each other even when they're not actively looking to breed.

A well-fed, well-kept, contented corn snake is really not very prone to cannibalism, so as long as you're present and supervising I'm sure it's okay to have a reasonable size difference. I wouldn't introduce a hatchling to an adult, but a yearling and a 2-year-old is fine.

The problems that folks report are usually due to poor husbandry, improper feeding practices and/or permanent cohabitation, and stressed animals.

From your description, it sounds like your snakes are happy to visit and you're taking proper action to make sure their get-togethers are safe and enriching for everyone involved.

#snake #snakes #reptile #reptiles #reptiblr #corn snake #corn snakes #answers to questions #text post #corn snake husbandry

[fellowshipofthenoodles]

Please (re)meet Leo! This man was rehomed to one of our friends, but had to move house and her new landlord made her downsize her animals. Which means we got to take on this dude!

He has metabolic bone disease, a condition that forms due to improper husbandry. Which is why he looks so skrunkly. I may or may not have laughed for 10 years at these pictures.

[id: Leo, the brown crested gecko, pressed up against the glass of his enclosure. His face is sort of scrunchy]

#Leo #the noodles

[is-the-snake-video-cute]

obviously there isn't gonna be just the one answer for every case but for the average person, how do you know if you're ready for another snake? is it a matter of confidence or time and experience?

This is a great question! Like you said, it'll of course vary for everyone, but in general I think it's a matter of everything you mentioned!

Buying snakes is awesome, but it's not best to jump right in with an additional five snakes a week after getting your first. There's no set time limit, I'm not going to say you should wait a year (as an example) before getting your second snake, but definitely wait for the honeymoon phase to wear off before you get another. I often advise new keepers wait until they've experienced their first challenge - a food strike, husbandry issues, etc. - just so they know better what they're getting into with multiple snakes.

By the time you're ready for another snake, another important thing to look for is absolutely your confidence levels. You should know what to do in case of minor snake emergencies (like a stuck shed or improper husbandry) and be confident and accurate with correcting husbandry errors. You should also be pretty comfortable with handling your snake, and know how to read basic snake body language.

Finally, even after you've built up your confidence and you feel like it's time for another, I recommend sitting down and taking an honest look at whether or not you feel like you're really ready for another snake. Make a list of the supplies you'll need to buy, and consider how adding another snake will impact your life (what size enclosure will they need as an adult? Will they fit into your routine with your current snake, or will you need to make some adjustments?). Just like with your first snake, it's important to reflect on the commitment you're making - most snakes are long-lived animals, after all!

#not a rating #buying snakes

[sardineth1ef]

Hot take(maybe?):

It is always morally justified to take from stores that sell live animals such a rodents,parrots, cats, or dogs. Idc if Its small, exploiting animals is gross and so is supporting the mills their from.

I always also record when i see improper husbandry/neglect. Expose their asses. Call me a Karen idfc.

I excluded reptiles and aquatics because it's not so black & white.

[tiancimachines]

Organic fertilizer production line can meet the requirements of environmental protection

With the rapid development of animal husbandry and planting industry in China, large and medium-sized livestock and poultry farms (villages, communities) have emerged in various places, and a large amount of livestock and poultry manure has become the main source of local pollution because it can not be treated in time. Due to the improvement of rural people's living conditions, a large number of straw treatment methods are improper, which also becomes a harm; Domestic garbage surrounds the city. How to process and utilize organic fertilizer production line as soon as possible and turn waste into treasure has become a problem to be solved at present. At the same time, the current agricultural production generally relies on fertilizer, on the one hand will cause environmental pollution, in fact, the current rural non-point source pollution has been quite serious, become a thorny problem, on the other hand will affect the quality of agricultural products. After China's accession to WTO, "green barriers" have also become an important obstacle to the export of agricultural products. Therefore, people gradually realize that in the use of chemical fertilizers, it is necessary to increase the proportion of organic fertilizer, especially for economic crops such as vegetables, melons and fruits, tobacco, the use of biological fertilizers, which can increase production, improve quality, and protect the ecological environment, and can widely use urban and rural organic waste, such as municipal waste, sludge, livestock and poultry manure. The new technology of bioengineering is used to produce bioferfertilizer, so that the "grain - fertilizer - grain" form a virtuous cycle chain. Therefore, pig manure treatment equipment, cow manure treatment equipment, organic fertilizer equipment processing biological organic fertilizer, biological fertilizer has become a new source of fertilizer for the development of ecological home industry and an emerging fertilizer industry.

#organic fertilizer equipment #organic fertilizer production line

[bearerofwisdom]

Exactly Why Are Sea Turtles Crucial To The Environment?

Sometimes misunderstood by people, turtles grow extremely large and have lengthy lives. Native Australian turtles require lots of room, no fish tank will be suitable for these guys. To be able to house them properly it is necessary to get a 6 foot turtle tank or an outdoor pond.

Pet turtles have been around for a while, but our understanding of them has changed dramatically during this time. Media has given these guys an unfortunate reputation, frequently resulting in improper husbandry and health problems. Native Australian turtles require lots of room, no aquarium is suitable for them. In the future, you'll need to upgrade to a 6- foot turtle specific tank or outside ponds to accommodate them at their full size.

For babies it is advisable to get as big tank as you can manage , so that you won't need to upgrade as soon.. The ideal size for a start is 120x60x60cm. However, for adults, 180x60x60 is better. Tanks that are smaller than 90cm length aren't suitable for turtles. At a minimum, the depth of water must be 2 to 3 times the length of the turtle's body.

Ponds

Adults should be housed in an enclosed, outdoor pond. It's generally a good idea to wait until the turtle's shell has a that is 15cm in diameter before housing in an outdoor pond. A 6-foot tank is suitable for most species, but the larger tank is more suitable.

Plant Cover

Most turtles are quite timid. A minimum of one third of the tank must be densely planted to provide protection. Driftwood is a good addition to the aquascape in order to provide an additional source of enrichment and hide-outs. It is crucial to place furniture in a way that the turtle does not become trapped or pinched underwater. If not, drowning may happen.

Turtle Docks

In order to provide your turtle with a safe place to rest, a turtle dock is necessary. The dock must be large enough for the turtle to fit its entire body. The dock should be able to hold both the heat lamp and UVB. Keep in mind that UVB is restricted by glass and plastic so ensure that there's no glass between the bulbs and turtle's basking area.

Can I keep more than one turtle in a tank?

It is not a good idea to keep more than one turtle in a tank. They are animals that live in solitude which can cause stress and injury to each other.

If they're about the same dimensions as the tank and the tank is large enough (180x60x60cm) If they are, then eastern long-necks may be kept together. You should always monitor your turtles' behaviour and ensure they have access to the identical food. If one of them is aggressive, the other may be stealing their food.

Both both a UVB and white basking lamps are essential for turtles. They should be placed on top of the dock for turtles, which is then the Basking Zone. The temperature of the Basking Zone is supposed to be between 30-34 degrees, and it is always recommended to monitor and control this temperature using a thermostat as well as a digital thermometer.

#Turtles Crucial To The Environment #Sea Turtles #Turtles #Youtube

[gayhyena]

Exactly Why Are Sea Turtles Important To The Environment?

Turtles are often misunderstood as they grow huge and live long lives. They are native to Australia. Australian turtles require a lot of space. Therefore, an aquarium with fish isn't appropriate. To be able to house them properly, you will eventually need to purchase a 6-foot turtle tank or an outdoor pond.

Pet turtles have been all over the world from the very beginning, our knowledge has grown exponentially. The media has given them an unfortunate reputation, frequently resulting in improper husbandry and health problems. Native Australian turtles require a lot of room, no aquarium is suitable for these guys. You'll eventually need to upgrade to a 6- foot turtle specific tank or an outdoor pond in order to keep the turtles at their maximum size.

It is recommended to purchase a large tank for babies so they don't have to get out of it. For adults, a bigger size is better, at 180x60x60cm. Turtles shouldn't be used in tanks that are smaller than 90cm. The depth of the water should be at least 3 times the length of the shell, at a minimum.

Ponds

Adults should be kept in an outdoor, secure pond. It is recommended to wait until the turtle's shell measures approximately 15cm before putting it into an outdoor pond. If this isn't possible and you are not sure, a 6-foot tank is sufficient for all species. However, bigger is always better.

Plant Cover

Most turtles are quite timid. To provide cover, at least one-third of the tank must be densely planted plants. Driftwood is a good addition to the aquascape to provide additional enrichment and hiding places. It is important to place furniture carefully so that the turtle does not get trapped or pinched under water. Otherwise, drowning could happen.

Turtle Docks

To provide your turtle with an appropriate place to rest, a turtle dock is required. The dock needs to be big enough for the turtle to fit the entire size of its body. The dock must be able to accommodate both the heat lamp and UVB. Remember that plastic and glass filter out all UVB so it is paramount that there's no glass or plastic between your lamps as well as the turtle's basking area.

Is it possible to keep more than one turtle in a tank?

It is not a good option to keep more than one turtle in one tank. They are animals that live in solitude that could cause stress and injury to one another.

If they're about the same size as the tank and the tank size is large enough (180x60x60cm), then eastern long-necks could be kept in a single tank. Be sure to keep an eye on your turtles' behavior and ensure that they are fed the identical meals. If one is aggressive, the other may steal their food.

Both both a UVB and white basking lamps are essential for turtles. They must be placed on top of the dock for turtles, which becomes the Basking Zone. The basking zone temperature is supposed to be between 30 and 34 degrees. It is suggested that you monitor and control this temperature using the digital thermometer as well as the thermostat.

#Sea Turtles #Turtles #Turtles Important To The Environment #Youtube

[is-the-reptile-video-cute]

About the Blog

Hi! My name is Sam (they/them), and I’m a herpetologist who has had several years of reptile owning and handling experience.

There were no blogs for reptiles in general, so I decided to make one. Inspired by @is-the-snake-video-cute, as well as all the other animal video rating blogs.

I can generally answer any questions about reptiles, including husbandry, anatomy, handling, and identification. However, I am not professionally trained in reptile identification, but have learned from years in the hobby, so take my words with a grain of salt.

Reptile husbandry is complicated, and there are usually many right ways to care for a pet. Always consult multiple sources while researching for a new pet, and never impulse-purchase a living creature. If you have a husbandry question, I will answer with the general consensus of the reptile keeping community, and my personal opinion, but do not use this blog as your only resource.

Ratings

Red: The reptile or person(s) interacting with it are in active danger. This may be someone free-handling a venomous snake, a reptile being injured by a person or animal, or a seriously ill reptile.

Yellow: The reptile is not in active danger, but it is not being treated well. This may be bad husbandry such as small enclosures or incorrect temperatures.

Green: The reptile is happy and healthy. No one is in danger.

Blue: The reptile is unhealthy or in danger, but it is not the fault of a person mistreating it. This may be a reptile born with kinks in its spine, or a reptile killed by its natural predator. These are sad, but not a result of improper care or handling, just nature.

Purple: Uncertain. The video/picture doesn’t provide enough context for me to determine what the rating is.

Disclaimer

I consider myself pretty knowledgeable when it comes to animals, but at the end of the day, I’m just someone on the Internet who loves reptiles. I will make mistakes, and feel free to correct me if I get my facts wrong. There are also some types of reptiles that I don’t know much about, so I would recommend being cautious when asking me about them.

Reptiles I’m not very familiar with:

—Rhynchocephalia. I know almost nothing about tuataras, so I won’t really be able to answer questions about them.

—Amphisbaenidae. No one really knows much about them, but I’ve only barely researched them. I would recommend asking @is-the-snake-video-cute about them instead.

Do not ask urgent medical questions. I know what typical reptile illnesses look like, but I am not a professional and I can’t diagnose your reptile. If you ask about your reptile being sick, I will almost always recommend to go to a vet and not elaborate further.

Otherwise, ask away! I’ll accept pretty much anything as long as it has to do with reptiles. If you want, you can also just submit a video or photo of your pet being cute, or a cool reptile you found in the wild. There are no stupid questions, and I won’t judge you. If your video/photo isn’t rated well, please be kind and take it as constructive criticism. I am not making an attack on you personally, just spreading information so others don’t make the same mistakes. The ratings are meant for you to learn from them and change your behavior, too.

Have a great day! :D

#reptiblr #reptile #is the reptile video cute #rating #reptile videos #herpetology #snake #lizard #reptile blog #reptile husbandry #geckos #snake handling #lizard handling #reptile handling #venomous snakes #pet reptile #pets #pet snake #welcome post

[fisharewet]

Unpopular opinion, but I have no sympathy for people who keep venemous creatures such as cobras and get bit/stung whether or not they die. You know that creature is dangerous and are putting your life in danger.

Keeping this animals under professional care for reasons such as them not being able to return to the wild is fine as long as the person knows what they're doing of course.

I'm just sick of hearing stories of someone getting bit by a king cobra they keep as a pet, most often confining them to a single bin on a rack. Or people keeping toxic amphibians in their house. If you get hurt and/or die from keeping an extremely venemous animal it's your fault and I will use your case to continue to criticize people who do this

#unpopular opinion #idk how many people agree with this or dont #idk if ill get hate for this but like i dont care #there are very limited circumstances this is okay #snakes #reptiles #lizards #venom #improper animal care #animal husbandry #my post #my opinion

[i-m-snek]

Bearded Dragon Basics:

This is a list of absolute essential basics when getting a bearded dragon. 

A ceramic core heat lamp. This is to provide a proper hotspot for the dragon to bask in. 

Reptile specific basking bulb. While regular bulbs can get the job done if you buy the correct wattage, I find those basic ones go out within a week. It genuinely saves money and time to get the ones meant for 8-12 hour long use. 

UVB fixture to hold UVB bulb, plus a 10.0 bulb. Bearded dragons 100% absolutely require UVB, along with their basking spot. This bulb allows them to properly metabolize calcium. If not used, they can get Metabolic bone disease. The bulb needs to be replaced every six months. 

A water bowl. *Gasp* but Laura, don’t water bowls raise the humidity and cause RI’s???  No, they absolutely do not. Every animal has the right to drink whenever they are thirsty. A water bowl in an enclosure on the cool side will not even budge the humidity, and allows the dragon to hydrate themselves. Improper heat and bacteria is what causes RI’s. 

Something to bask on  You want this to be just a few inches under the basking spot, to help the dragon thermoregulate. 

At least one hide. While they won’t use it during the day, it makes them feel much safer at night when they sleep. Giving them the choice to be out and about or in a hide is necessary for building trust.

Mesh topped enclosure.  You can use pre made, store bought, custom made, etc. As long as you are able to get correct husbandry it can be any size, as long as its at least 3 feet long. Bearded dragons can be very active and need room to roam properly. Babies can start out in adult sized enclosures. 

Calcium powder, one with D3, one without. Calcium without D3 to be given twice a week, with D3 once a week. Vitamins twice a week. Sprinkled on bugs or veggies. 

A source of LIVE bugs, especially if getting a baby. Fresh is always best for bearded dragons, and for their source of protein I usually recommend Dubia roaches, but crickets work too.

A source of leafy greens (NOT lettuce, lettuce is basically just water with no nutrients). Mustard greens or collard greens are the best two to get. If bought from the supermarket, be sure to rinse them thoroughly. 

Something on the bottom of the enclosure, such as the tile pictured above.  There is a lot of controversy on what should be used in a bearded dragons enclosure. NEVER use calcium sand, or any sand they sell at pet stores, it basically works like cat litter and they lick their surroundings and can easily get impacted by it. For beginners I recommend either tile or paper towels. More experienced keepers can use a proper mix for semi-loose substrate, or a fully bioactive enclosure. But there is a bit of risk that comes with that if you aren’t experienced.  Please note: This is not a care sheet. This is to make people aware as to how much work and money it takes to set up a bearded dragon, and help new keepers get started as well. 

#kitana #bearded dragon #reptiblr #pogona #lizard

[is-the-owl-video-cute]

I saw a post that mentioned snake discovery on your blog? What are your thoughts about them and GoHerping? Apart from a few incidents isn't SD pretty reliable?

I would never recommend Snake Discovery because they quite frankly neglected a disabled alligator in an improper enclosure for seven years for profit rather than sending it to a facility that had the space already. Rack-style breeding is also a red flag, no matter how nice the racks are. Dressing up an alligator and handling it with no safety precautions in place as well as bringing it with an unbanded snout out in public spaces and constantly calling it a pet despite it supposedly being rescued from an abusive pet situation is a problem. I don’t care how much they say in the video that an alligator isn’t a pet, when they call it a pet in their thumbnails and dress it in bunny costumes, it’s a pet and it’s an animal they clearly had no idea how to properly care for.

It does not matter to me at all whether their other tips on herp husbandry are accurate, there’s too much evidence of profit over animal welfare in their videos for me to ignore. I don’t know the other channel offhand and I am not a herp specialist so outside of the obvious “don’t put choking hazards in a kiddie pool with an alligator” I won’t offer much insight that holds weight.

[orcinus-veterinarius]

I am not by any means a marine animal expert, but my after first ever visit to the Tulsa Aquarium a few weeks ago, I was left with a sour taste in my mouth.

There were a lot of husbandry issues that I could get into (mainly the touch tanks being completely un-monitored, and not having any off-exhibit enclosures for the animals housed within (I did ask to verify that one), the sad poorly enriched octopus, and some hardcore clown fish over-breeding) but the main thing that put me off of ever wanting to go back was their shark exhibit.

Namely the "Largest Collection of Captive Bullsharks"

Per the website, the tank is a 380,000 gallon enclosure but given the sores/lumps/tumors? on the tips & edges of their pectoral fins, from I assume rubbing on the glass, logic would indicate that the enclosure is too small for them to move comfortably otherwise they wouldn't rub their fins on the glass?

There are 10 bullsharks in total, housed with 3 nurse sharks which appear to be in relatively good health compared to the physical appearance of the bullsharks, in a barren tank that has one of those shark tunnels in it. I don't presume to know anything about the captive needs of such large sharks as my knowledge only extends to the easily maintained carpet & cat sharks which require lots of hidey holes and enrichment. So the emptiness of the tank reads as improper to me, but its my understanding that bullsharks are migratory open-water dwellers and probably prefer an uncluttered environment?

I feel like animals developing large lumps/sores/tumors? on their fins would be a husbandry concern that should be addressed but none of the staff that I spoke with had anything to say that indicated that they were treating the animals for the abnormalities.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject as you have far more experience with marine biology.

It appears the Oklahoma Aquarium (I assume this is the one you’re talking about) is not AZA-accredited, which raises a red flag. The accreditation process is rigorous and costly, and we shouldn’t assume every facility is “bad” just because it’s not accredited, but a public aquarium of that size ought to be able to handle it, and I’m concerned as to why they haven’t tried (or succeeded) to obtain it.

Yeah, touch tanks need to be very closely monitored. For starters, someone has to make sure patrons properly wash their hands before touching the animals, and that everyone follows the “two-finger” rule. The animals should also be given breaks at regular intervals. Things can go south very quickly with touch pools if they aren’t strictly supervised.

I’m not privy to bull shark-specific husbandry, but sharks is general tend to be remarkably fast-healing creatures, so if you saw a lot of lesions I would worry about chronic problems, possibly related to tank design like you said, or water quality, which is always a major issue with any fish. If the aquarium were AZA-accredited, I would feel confident saying a vet would be aware of and monitoring the problem (facilities without an on-site vet have to have one visit every few weeks… I’ve rounded with one of my instructors before and we walked through every single tank with the aquarists to check in on fish with existing conditions). But since they’re not, I really can’t say. If you got icky feelings and there’s no accreditation to back up their welfare, I would say go with your gut and don’t patronize them again.

#oklahoma aquarium #bad zoos #aquariums #fish #sharks #animal husbandry #answered asks #the-fantabulous-satan