new person on site

[danno]

Hello reptile lovers, my name is Danno, im from sydney Australia. I have a carpet python, sp. morelia spilota mcdowellii . He is 3 years old and nine ft long, his name is Monty. I also have two Australian speciesof water turtle. emydura macquariii and chelodina longicollis, they are both hatchlings 4 months old, about
5 cm diameter

[dlaura]

Welcome to this site danno. Sorry to say that I don't have any reptiles ......... so can't compare notes with you. Just wanted to say hi and welcome! I'm sure someone will be along to chat with you about your pets.

[Love Bird B]

G'Day Danno!

Australia is one of the places we'd love to live, just for the wildlife alone! Do you see many monitors, guannas? We have one little monitor, a Timor. He's incredibly cute.

We have 4 ball pythons, all named Monty, LOL! And our beloved blue tongued skink who's just too cute!

Have you been to the Sydney opera house? Ah, that would be another website.

[danno]

Hi Dsimko and love bird b,
Thanks for replying my thread. Nice to meet new people. I live in the suburbs so I don't often see monitors or goannas, they are stricktly deep bush reps but the blue tongue skink is very common in most backyard gardens, including mine. They love to bask in the morning sun and eat snails. I guess monty is not so original LOL. Yes I've been to the opera house but not to hear music, I'm not really into opera and can't understand a word lol.
I would love to visit America, you guys have some of the most beautiful wildlife on the planet, I love eagles and Bears!!! We do have some unique wildlife here apart from koalas and kangaroos,
You have no doubt heard of the croc hunter Steve Irwin, He's into reptiles in a big way, he's also into cameras! lol . A few weeks ago I found an owl on my clothesline, very rare to find these birds in suburbia! I would love to get a ball python, do they really roll themselves up as their name suggest? What animal freinds do you have dsimko? hope to hear from both of you again, till then keep well~Danno

[Love Bird B]

Hi Danno,

I wish we could switch places for awhile. Blue tongued skinks in the backyard would just be bliss! You can have all the bears you want over here, I'll take the koalas, even though they're not really bears, lol!

I think naming pythons Monty is a very natural and reasonable inclination, LOL. Ball pythons roll up when stressed. Ours never do because they have no reason to. Three were given to us as rescues and I guess they've been very thankful, the little dears.

Yea, Steve Irwin is difficult not to notice, and as you mentioned, very much into cameras. We prefer to watch Nigel Marvin, though you may not be familiar with him because he's British. Nigel would be great to have dinner with because we'd love to listen and talk to him for hours!

You're not alone on the opera issue! Hey, I live in a sports town and I'm not a fan. Operas here are just not as popular.

All the best from Philly.

[danno]

hi again,
yes the bluetonges are welcome visitors in our gardens. Our dog heidi was bailed up by a big one last summer, she didnt know what to make of it! I rescue it and relocated it to bushland nearby. I'm really into david attenbourough too, I love his documentries. can't get enough of wildlife. what sort of wildlife do you have locally? best regards~ Danno

[Love Bird B]

Wildlife we have locally

Rodents, LOL. I live in the center city Philadelphia which is built around a huge park where the wildlife hang out, but they naturally venture out of the park area. There are plenty of squirrels, rats, mice, opossum (often mistaken for huge rats) skunks! pigeons, hawks, doves, sparrows, robins, bats, beaver, deer, woodchucks, no bears though. I think we used to have wonderful creatures like wolves and bobcats, but anything that would attack farm animals have been sadly eliminated. There has been talk of reintroducing wolves, but there are still a lot of ignorant people that think they'll be attacked by them and turned into werewolves. Well, not quite that bad but it's just as insane.

I like the fact that Australia respects their crocs and wildlife enough that if someone is stupid enough to be eaten by one, they don't go after the croc or any beastie to kill it.

Regards, Barb

[dlaura]

HI Danno,
I have four: birds green cheeks conure / Einstein
goffins cockatoo / Angel
B & G Macaw / Taz
parakeet / Tweety
A cat / April
Golden Retriever / Amber

All of our animals get along great! The last two birds listed actually belong to my son. He is the one who discovered what a great family member a bird makes.

So, just what is a blue tongued skink?

We have mostly the same type of wildlife here as B has in Phili. We have some cable channels here that are great........such as - Animal Planet / Planet's Funniest Animals / Emergency Vets / Animal Cops.

Hope you are enjoying this site.

Diane

[JSimko]

We do also have a lot of deer (mostly dead on the side of the road here). We also have a few bears that can be seen once in a while and eagles, hawks, other various birds of prey and many birds that are usually are the prey.

[danno]

hi again all,
first up Dianne, bluetongue skinks are fat freindly lizards with stumpy little legs that seem way too small for them. Their tongues are blue, hence the name. They are harmless and quite common and are found here in most gardens where they live on insects and snails. sadly roadkill is rife here too, its a very bigcountry with lots of roads through, many groups and orgs are trying hard to educate the public about this sad toll. literally millions of animals of all kinds are killed on australian roads each year. wildlife orgs often build tunnels over roads etc to lessen the toll( koalas and wombats) sounds like you have a menagerie lol, golden retreivers are one of my favorite dogs, which brings me to Lovebird, no we don't kill wild animals kill or eat stupid people but sadly this dosent apply to dogs, owned by stupid people, who are allowed out to attack people! a dog that bites is usually put down and its always the owners fault. I sure would like to see beavers in a city, im guessing these are very large parks with ponds? wow hawks in the city? they must prey on pidgeons?
really enjoying this site, let me know if its possible and i will post pic or two of my pets, till next time take care~Danno

[Amanda]

Welcome to the board, danno! My 10 yr. old son owns a Sudan-Plated lizard and she lives in a 60-gallon tank filled with sand and decorated with rocks for her to bask on and a hollow log for her to sleep in. The background of her tank has been wallpapered on the outside with a picture of the dessert (australian dessert, according to my son). She used to eat live crickets, mealworms, butterworm, silkworms, etc when we got her 2 years ago. Now she eats fresh greens (shredded lettuce & carrots) and some low-calorie canned dog food (for protein). Also, after having her home for a week, she laid an egg (fertile) but unfortunately the baby inside the egg was dead. When she laid the egg, it wasn't moisturized enough because it looked almost like a raisin (but bigger and white).

As far as wild life living around us, the ones I see most often are nothing very exotic -- finches, blue jay, red cardinals, robins, doves, some seagulls, wild geese (we live near a lake), squirrels, chipmunks, and in some areas (especially by the ravine) there are foxes, beavers, ground hogs, cayotes, and I once saw a crane.

Again, welcome to the board and I'm looking forward to seeing pictures of your pets.

[danno]

hi Amanda,
nice to hear from you. I've never heard of the lizard you mentioned but any reptile is a great pet, your son is lucky, my parents would never let me keep anything that didnt have fur or feathers ,and very few of those! lol. Now im making up for it though, you bet, my carpet python Monty is nearly 9 ft and I have two turtles different species. I plan to get some lizards soon, but they will be native species because import of flora or fauna to oz is not allowed. I woulsd really love a few chamelians, they are an amazing creature, they remind me of small dinosaurs. You need to really be looking, to find most wildlife, most species are not exibitionist, but few are brave enough to look in logs/under rocks etc LOL better still, take a torch and go walking (very quietly) in bushland at night, you will see some wildlife for sure! As soon as I find out how to post pics I will Do. ~ till next time, keep well~Danno

[teri]

danno-

you sound like such a cool guy, i love the internet, we get to talk and meet people from all over the world! i have 4 parrots but no reptiles. i live in california, close to the harbor and on my morning walks down to the harbor there is 2 trees that have several nests of blue heron cranes and i feel like they are mine as i always have to stop my exercisizing to stop and watch themfor a while, each year they go thru their mating season and there is all this commotion when the babies hatch. we have coyotes that come right in people's baack yards and steal the smaller dogs and cats so the areas that coyotes are prominate have to be closely monitored when out walking a pet. we also have falcons and hawks and there have been stories of someone standing outside with their parrot on their shoulder and the falcon or hawk swoops out of nowhere and takes the bird! california is very well known for people owning exotic pets as alot of people have alot of money and it seems to be a status symbol to own one. my friend at work's husband hand made his own snake pole and went out to the desert and captured a rattle snake he now keeps in his garage! anyway can't wait to see pics of yer animals/reptiles!
-teri

[danno]

hi Teri,
nice to hear from you. Yours sounds like a cool neighbourhood, with all that wildlife, I like coyotes too, they are so much like wolves,another favorite animal of mine. Would love to see the nesting cranes, what graceful birds. Hope hubby knows what he's doin with that rattler! more, I hope he's lookin after it properly, does he know much about keeping/feeding snakes? Are you near a hospital? LOL people who keep exotic animals for status symbols really P*ss me off! usually the animal suffers then gets dumped when its not cool anymore! California must have really loose animal laws. Be glad your not in florida, I hear aligators are common there, often finding their way into pools! That id love to see, what a blast! what out for hawks, till next time c ya soon ~Danno

[birdygirl]

Welcome. I'm Allison. I have a four year old female white capped pionus named Sophie and a 2 year old female budgie named Pumpkin. We used to have iguanas. Also Bobcat the 7 year old cat, Sundea the 1 year old guinea pig, and the fish.
Welcome.

[teri]

danno-

alot of people here in calif have snakes and they feed them rats! live! the newest cool phase is to have a hedge hog! and you have to wear gloves to handle them. it is such a crazy mind set out here, people here just want to have the coolest, most unusual pet. in the 90's the phase was parrots and it hasn't slowed down, also it was pot-bellied pigs for awhile. i actually grew up in colorado and there is really alot of wild life there, so many deer, elk, bears, people who went camping had to be aware of their surroundings. i love california in the sense that i have the ocean right down the street, if i want the mountains and winter snow i only have to drive 2 hours, it just seems like i am centrally located with access to any type of activity i want to do. plus in southern california it is almost always sunny :) also i wanted to tell you how cool and funny i thot your first post was describing your animals, it seemed like you were speaking a foreign language! i like the aussy slang, one of my good friends from college is from japan and she married and aussy and now lives there so she sends me these wonderful e mails that are full of broken english with a dash of aussy slang. so exactly how do you care for your animals/pets? please educate me alittle, do you have to feed them live rats, etc?

[dlaura]

Hi Danno,
Thanks for educating me on the blue tongued skink - that is really interesting!

Have a great weekend and yes it is possible to post pictures to the site - we will look forward to seeing your pets.

[danno]

Hi Allison, Welcome,
What happened to your iguanas? just curious! ~Danno

[birdygirl]

They got these large growths on there necks and died. I don't really know what it was that killed them.

[danno]

You never took them to a vet? maybe a pet rock would suit you more, They are very hardy! Wow! hard to beleive!!!

[Mrs.Birdy]

Gosh danno. That was a bit of a strong statement there. In defense of Birdygirl, she is a wonderful, sensitive pet lover....why don't we stop ridiculing each other.

[danno]

Sorry mrs birdy and Birdy Girl,
That last post was not meant to be interpreted as it obviously was, My apologies! Just very surprised that you could "not know"
what it was that killed them! Most responsible pet owners of any species have a responsibility to the animal to be informed of any/all care required for that animal, which depends on you for its life! A human parent who said "I really dont know what killed my child" would be locked up! Vets , no matter how much they cost are an integeral part of keeping an animal, and I would have assumed that you would have had this animal/s seen well before they died in order to be sure of their health status and do something about it. Thats what vets are for, if you dont know, THEY DO! Ignorance is not nor will ever be an excuse.
Having said that, and made clear that animal well being is a very big issue of mine, I do realise that I do not have all the facts regards your iguanas, since you didnt offer them, so If I seem
ready to shoot you, fear not, I am not judging you personally, just
gobsmacked (shocked)at your statement.
Once again, sorry to have upset you, but Thats how it is!~Danno

[danno]

Teri, hi again,
sorry about first post, I thought I'd use the scientific names for my reps to eliminate confusion, but I guess I just confused you more. Monty, my snake is called a coastal python, they are found along the east coast of oz from NSW to QlD in the north, usually in deep euclypt(kind of tree) forest. Semi nocturnal they hunt mostly at night, emerging in early morning and late afternoon from whereever they hide to soak up the sun. They are quite common in rural/country areas, farms encourage them in barns and chicken houses to eliminate rats, although sometimes they get the munchies for the odd chicken! No herbs and spices required, eat your heart out col Sanders!lol They are quite hardy and are captive bred on a large scale, I beleive they are available in america but at quite high prices. Monty lives in a 6ft high x 5ft wide x2.5 ft deep timber cabinate with a large veiwing window at the front. It's well ventilated at the sides and top with peg board
(has lots of little holes, most folks hang tools on in the garage.
Carpet pythons require uva/uvb ultraviolet light so I use a 4ft reptisun 0.8 desert tube above. Heating is by way of 200 watt
infrared bulb inside a cage mounted on ceiling of enclosur to prevent burns ,and at night by 100 watt infrared spotlight also in cage on ceiling. Daytime temp range is around 31c (88f) night time around 24c (72f) these temps are at basking spot about 1.5ft from ceiling where he has a log bolted to the apex of his climing branches ( hes not aboreal but they do climb alot in wild, they hang in branches head down position waiting for prey to pass by beneath) this is controlled by thermostats on timer switches. Of course these temps are optimal and its important to
create a gradient of about 10- 12 deg (celsius) so they can thermoregulate during different times of the day as they require.
the floor of his enclosure is around 21c /70f and nearer the ceiling about 34c/90f. He is given a photoperiod(amount of hours per day of light) of 12hrs (summer) because I'm not breeding him, so he will not require hibernation,(another month of winter here before it begins to warm up) .
He has a large container of water avail at all times ,they drink infrequently but when they do they really suck it up! they also like to soak themselves in it when they are nearing time to shed their skin. As an aduly monty gets fed every 12-14 days 2 lrge rats, sprayed with reptivite multivitamin/calcium suppliment.
I buy frozen rats which are killed humanly using Co (carbon dioxide) this is done with dry ice. Im not sure how the setup is arranged but the ice is evaporated with water below the container the rat is in and the gas created overwhelmes the rat in seconds without stress or pain. I just thaw the rat in warm water about 20 mins then use fresh warm water a further 5-10 mins to bring the rat to body temp ,dry with paper towel and its dinner time. I tend to use long tongs because monty gets very excited, they have an excellent sense of smell. He strikes and constricts it befor eating it head first. I never feed live rats for a few reasons.
!. Its actually illegal here under animal cruelty laws
2. If a snake is not hungry for any reason it can end up being bitten by the rat!
3. Im squeamish about live vermin and I just don't have the heart to do it, Have you seen Stuart little? lol
~Danno

[danno]

I had noticed Mrs Birdie was probly Mum, Yes! It makes no difference to the iguana though! lol ~Danno

[teri]

danno-

WOW! you really know your stuff, it is so encouraging to hear your "culture" in australia, respect all living things as you do, the native american indians "culture" here in america are the same way. i grew up with the Ute and Navajo indians in colorado and did not grow up respecting their culture but instead discriminated against them, as i have matured i am very regretful that i wasn't raised to see that their view of life is very beautiful. there is a movie called "Dances with Wolves" i'm sure you've heard of it or seen it, and it made me very sad that i grew up with these wonderful people and missed out on their culture.

Thank you for the education of how you care for your reptiles, i also, take very loving care for my parrots in the same way, i am still educating myself on how to take better care of them. Parrots have the intelligence level of a 5 year old child and the emotions of a 2 year old child FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE! as they can live 60 to 100 years and out live you. i go to a conference every year and they have speakers talk and educate us on the different species of parrots. last year we had a young woman (not that i am older, but was very excited to see someone that age interested in bettering the lives of parrots) who got her PHD in studying a flock of orange wing amazons. she did not get this because of a love of parrots but a curiousity as why they have so many behavior problems in a domestic environment, and as she did the study she fell in love with them (: she pointed out 5 things in the wild that are vital needs that need to be met in domestication from the wild. first of all let me say they i do not believe parrots should try to be domesticated, they belong in the wild, as they are wild. anyway,in the wild 90% of their time is spent foraging for food, we take them and put them in a cage and give them a bowl full of food, we just took away 90% of their natural skill!!! she said with her study they did not put their food out freely for them but hid the food in small tupperware containers, 1 with a pop off lid, 1 with a twist off lid, 1 with the opening covered in paper so they had to poke their beaky thru, etc. there are 4 other important factors but i won't take up all this space to bore you.
also, you have to be very careful in judging someone on this site as you will get a rashing from all the other people who come on this site, i learned my lesson on that one, even if you do apologize, as you did, people will still post after your apology that you were mean in your judgement. just as a side note(: take care, i enjoy learning from you.
-teri :P

[danno]

Teri Hi,
If there is one thing I have learnt in my life, it's that you can't please everyone! Everone has the right to their own opinion,
and to say whatever they like, since we gave up burning at the stake anyway! LOL live and let live I always say.
someone once said " I disgree with what you say but I will defend to the end your right to say it". I have some very strong opinions on animal rights/welfare and I beleive they are justified and I stand by my convictions.
God help those who doubt what their sure of". I mean no offence or hurt to anyone and I.m sure birdie girl is everybit as sweet and caring as her mum says, I never meant to imply anything about her ability to care for an animal, god bless her little heart.
I have never kept any animal that I did not first study regards all aspects of its care ,well befor buying it, with the exception of goldy the goldfish that died when I overfed it at 7 years old(i was 7 not the fish).
I teach my two daughters who are 7 & 9 to respect all life, and to treat it accordingly, life is a miracle weather its a dog/snake/ fish
whatever. My girls have pets, they got their first only recently,
Laura has tropical fish and Hayley has hermit crabs.
I didnt just rock up at the petshop and buy them. I asked them to consider what pets they wanted and then boughts books for them about their care, which we all read. Only when I was satisfied that they could and would be responsible for their care were they allowed to buy them. They take care of their needs everyday, and that includes feeding cleaning etc. They are aware that a living thing has feelings and is not to be neglected because
they rely on them for everything. Most kids hate chores but my daughters know that I or their mother will not do for them. They have developed a healthy respect for nature. I asked them what would happen if mum or I didn't cook for them or take care of them, or make sure they wern't sick, so they understand that just as they rely on us their pets rely on them. They have never neglected their pets or complained about having to care for them.
Little Hayley wanted to take a hermit crab to vet the other day because it hadn,t moved in a few hours lol (normal for hermit crabs) but you can see that it's sunk in.
You mention that some birds can live for 60-100 years. It always amazes me that people often fail to consider that when buying a pet, even a dog! My turtles will live for 40-60 years , that will make me 75-90 years old then! I'm sure my kids will take over and probly my grandkids! Monty will live for atleast 25-30 years incidently!
I guess what it all comes down to is that keeping a living creature of anykind is not a right, but a privilige!
About birds, I'm actually a bit iffy about keeping birds in cages myself. It just seems more unatural somehow than with any other animal, since they have such freedom in the open sky, a god given an unique gift. Just seems sad!
NOTE: Before bird lovers converge on me carrying flaming torches!
1. I realise any domesticated/captive creature is out of its natural enviroment.
2. NO, I don't advocate releasing captive birds~ they die!
3. I'm sure you can give a bird a large enough area to fly in, and any creature enough room to be comfortable.
4. I realise that a captive bred bird will not mourn for the sky, since it has never experienced it.

Wow I'm really gettin myself in deep here arn't I! LOL
Like the native American Indians, our indiginous aboriginals have a great repect for living things and the enviroment, they lived in this land for 40-60,000 years and never drove any species to extinction. 200 years ago the first white rednecks came along and changed all that. Australia has the worst record of mammal extinctions in the world. If your interested look up online about the tasmanian tiger and find out what we did to our cuddly koalas in the early years!
I think you will be horrified! I was!
Just reread this and realised how intense I sound, sorry, I'm not really that bad at all lol ~Danno

[Mrs.Birdy]

Danno:

No I am not Birdygirl's "MUM" or I assume you mean mother.

I live in New Jersey, she lives in Ohio.

I am just defending your riducule of her without you knowing her or giving her a chance to answer your criticisms....

.....and yes, I have a right to my opinion just as you do.

(Something tells me that this site is going to get more and more "nasty" as we go along....I liked it the way it originally was)

[danno]

Hey put your pitchfork away! no-ones ridiculing anyone,and I did
give her the op to explain, she told me she didn,t know! There is no need for this or any site to get "nasty" ~ chill out! your a grown woman, why be so defensive? like I said free speech for all,
Birdy girl can speak for herself and say what she likes too! Will you defend me if she calls me an idiot? I think not. If you think what I said was nasty, ok, point taken, lets move on ok:)

[teri]

i told you danno, this is not a forgiving site when you voice an opinion that may seem, and or is taken out of context of how you meant it. even after you apologize for saying it without knowing all the facts(: i can relate to you as i am as passionate about my pets too, and how alot of callous people there are out there(with except to everyone on this site, i'm not referring to people on this site as you all are very passionate about you animals or you would not be on this site communicating about them) can make us so opinionated. Yes, those bad white redneckers did come and steal alot from the poor indians, it is just amazing where we as a people have come from and are going. i think it is so cool that you and your wife are so into teaching your children how to care for their pets, and made them educate themselves before deciding which one to choose. i wish there were more people out there like that, i also love the fact that there are so many people on this site, because it is nice to see so many people who love animals as much as i do.

[birdygirl]

Yes I am a teenager. I was five when we had these lizards. I had no control over taking them to the vet or not. I'm sorry if I offened you in any way but all i did was tell the truth.
Allison

[birdygirl]

And as a five year old when my dad told me that there was nothing that a vet could do(I did ask him to take the lizards to the vet)I had to believe him. And then the only animals that we who had vets were cats and dogs. We didn't know of any exotic vets.
That is the reason why the lizards didn't go to the vet

[birdygirl]

I'm sorry that the lizards died but I honestly had no way of influncing my parents.

[teri]

birdygirl,
i love your picture of your 2 birdies looking straight at us on your box that has your name, they look so cute, actually what kind are they, i can't tell by the straight on photo, is one a pionus?

[Mrs.Birdy]

Thank you Casagura.

I was just trying to stop undue disparaging remarks from being made on this site. It was always such a nice place to visit and I hope it will continue to be.

I appreciate your support.

[Love Bird B]

Wow! This certainly has been one interesting read!!

Mrs. Birdy, I agree with you too. This is a great place to visit and as long as you're here, I'm sure it will continue to be. I'm also glad that Danno is here with all he has to say.

It appears to me that there's been more of a 'cultural shocker' going on here rather than anything else. We should be able to call each other poo-poo heads when, and if, feelings get rubbed the wrong way. I for one would want to know if I've offended anyone with my weird sense of humor. Yes Danno, I've been there more than once!

I feel like we are a family here, sort of like The Olive Garden restaurant. Sorry, but things like that sometimes slip out and I feel like I have to say it.

[Jenny]

Hi Danno! I haven't introduced myself yet! I'm Jenny (also a teenager!) and though my main interest is in parrots (I have two conures, budgies, and a lovebird), I also have a uromastyx lizard and salamander, though both are actually my little brother's. This is so cool hearing about Australia! Lately I've really been wanting to go there, and have even thought about doing a foreign exchange thing, except that my birdies wouldn't survive that long wtihout me! Have you heard of Earthwatch? If you haven't you can find out about it at www.earthwatch.org. Anyway, I'd love to go on one of the research trips in Australia, especially the one where the frogs are studied in order to find out why so many are going extinct... Well, I'm very "animal-rightsy" (if that's a word) too, and it's great to hear how much you care for yours and about your two girls adn their pets! That's wonderful. I wish more peole in the U.S. and other countries would teach their kids- and themselves- that too. I volunteer at our zoo and they just built this huge free-flyte aviary full of parrots and other birds, and it makes me think all the more that parrots shouldnt' be kept as pets like they are. So since I can't just release mine (for reasons such as you said) I am trying all the more to take good care of them. Anyway, since other people were saying what kind of wildlife they had, here's some that I've seen in Kansas: vultures, pheasants, white-tailed deer, turkey, quail, herons, and about 75 other bird species, snapping and box turtles as well as others, coyotes, opossums, squirrels, rabbits, racoons, muskrats, and lots more. I agree, it is so sad how people have driven in the past few centuries so many animals to extinction- or near extinction,at least! There's so many different consevation groups out there trying to save everything, and it's all because of so many millions of people on this earth who waste stuff and don't think of the effects every single thing they do has on the environment. I think everyone should go back and start living like your aborigines adn our native americans! Sorry, I think I'm rambling! I'll stop now! Well, reading all these posts here has been interesting, and I sure hope everyone can get along with everyone else or at least ignore any not-so-nice comments if they dont' get worked out!

[danno]

Wow, just caught up with everything,
hello all newcomers of all ages, nice to hear from everyone.Jenny, i will checkout the earthwatch site. It seems i inadvertantly caused a firestorm on this site! Let me clear that up so we can all lay it to rest ! Birdygirl, please forgive me, I shot my big mouth off and hurt your feelings, for which I'm sincerly sorry, sometimes I'm a bit like Homer simpson! This is a great site where we can all get together and discuss beasties large and small, wherever people are gathered together you can expect stupid comments like mine and differences of opinion. Any site where everyone was sugar sweet and meek would be boring indeed! Differences make us unique, its how we learn from each other. Hopefully everyone, even teens can appreciate that, remember I was a teenager once too! As Love bird B said I think culture comes into it too, Aussies have a culture of straight talk, down to earth attitude,
Its who we are, we call a spade a spade, and expect like treatment from others. Honesty, and a fair dinkum attitude, make it possible to cummunicate without having to tip toe through any politicly correct nonsense. No-one likes the feeling of having to
'walk on eggshells' so as not to offend anyone. Our culture embraces everyones right to stand up and have a say without fear of reprisal, it's in our constitution too. Sensitivity to others is not absent here ,but comes down to the individual. We stick up for the little person too, but no-one is denied the right to say whatever they like, even if it earns them a kick in the bum!:)
I love hearing from people all over the world, everyone of them has something to teach me, I value all opinions, even those I don't agree with! Lets forget this gaff of mine now, 'water under the bridge' as we say, remember this site is about animals , not who said what to who. We can all enjoy the spirit of free speech and the exciting things we can learn about our animals, from each other. Life is a class room, and school is never out! ~Danno

[danno]

Can anyone please tell me how to add a pic to my name and what format i.e.jpeg etc???

[danno]

Thanks casegura !:)

[Jenny]

Looks like you got it figured out! No fair- I still haven't!! Is that your snake?

[danno]

Yep thats monty, pity it cant be any bigger but if anyone wants better pics I will have to mail them ~Danno

[Love Bird B]

Hi again Danno,

I also felt like I had to add that finding a decent veternarian here (in the States?) for exotics is *really* difficult!! It was even worse years ago when I had my iguana. I'm not even sure how I found the last vet I took Chickie to because I was crying so much, but it was somewhere out in the middle of nowhere. All he could offer me was that Chickie either had cancer or an infection. He gave me something for an infection and said if it was cancer, I should put him to sleep right then and there. For that he offered to x-ray him. I couldn't even imagine parting with him then so I took him home, without an x-ray.

He graced my life ten years. I was told that ten years was good for an iguana which to me wasn't very long, but apparently iguana's do not do very well here. Perhaps it's the lack of knowledge that vets have? Perhaps it's our polution levels which is what I think killed Chickie. I often had him on my windowsill where he could get sunshine for his vitamin D production. I live in the city where there's a lot of cars and buses and I think all the pollution shortened his life.

I wanted to add this for our dear Birdygirl who really had her 'hands tied' more than mine ever were.

Sometimes it helps if you write about a loss of a dear one. Sometimes it helps others to know that they're not alone when loved ones are forever missed.

[dlaura]

Hi danno,
I am just catching up on all the postings............this one got interesting the past couple of days.

Recently another person on this site and I kind of had something similiar happen - I tend to "speak my mind" - be blunt as some would call it and ............well you can imagine. I kind of tried to explain my reasonings or why I am like I am. Have tried to change over the years and have only found that "beating around the bush / diplomatic / not speaking my mind have only gotten things worse or not understood at all. So, while I try to use diplomacy - when push comes to shove - I am very much like the way you are in Austrailia. Your description of how you all communicate over there makes me want to move there. I too have always called things like I see them - can't believe I feel homesick for someplace I have never even been. It sounds like heaven - can't stand all the politics over here - in the workplace, church, sometimes even at home..........UGH!

Anyway, you have written a very nice apology and I hope everyone here just accepts it and puts all "previous posts" behind us.

Have a good day!

Diane

[Love Bird B]

Hi Diane,

So let's go to Australia! It's been on the great 'list of things do' for years! Jobs are a problem everywhere though. Danno, correct me if I'm wrong, but I've heard that Australia is having its difficulties and it's tough for foreigners to move there. I wanted to live in Canada after the fiasco of electing a 'President', but the job situation there is also in bad shape. I found out I could live in Canada if I had a million dollars to bring with me. That's one of the reasons why I'm still here.

I keep thinking that things will get better and it keeps me visiting here.

[dlaura]

Hi B,

So, when shall I have my bags packed? Maybe my next vacation will be to Austrailia. My husband is always looking for suggestions when comes to where to go - he loves to travel.

I think things will get better - at least here when someone gets their feelings hurt, the other usually apologizes. It is hard when we are all so involved with our animals and protection of animals -we impulsively speak from our hearts and don't realize that the other person will feel on the defensive. We are all beginning to understand each other better - so it can only get better -

RIGHT? NOW HUMOR ME HERE! LET'S BE OPTOMISTIC.

I think we all know and love one another here - but all families disagree sometimes. Like danno said, iF we were all mild mannered and didn't speak our hearts truthfully - how could we be helpful to others and it would be very boring!

[Love Bird B]

Hi Diane,

I'm packed.

You'll hear no argument from me on everything you've said. Well, almost everything, lol. I'm mostly upset with what our government had been doing to the envirionment and hope *that* changes more than anything else! Everything else is cool in the swimming pool.

barb

[Love Bird B]

Casegura,

I remember hearing about that program in Australia but that was awhile ago. I wonder why a medical transcriptionist didn't qualify?

b

[dlaura]

OK - sounds good. Are you currently in a pool or is that just an expression I've never heard before?

[Love Bird B]

LOL! I actually got it from a character in South Park who stutters and needs crutches. Only he said, 'everything's cool in the swimming ppppppppppoool' It cracks me up everytime I see that episode. That show is even sicker than I am!

It's also lingo from living in a place like Philly with a lot of Afro-Americans who have such a knack for creating expressions! Some of which have rubbed off on me. Lordy, I know that's for real!

"Cool in the swimming pool" means everything's fine. :cool:

[dlaura]

OK - I kind of thought it was some sort of slang - but just had to check it out.

[teri]

diane- i'm glad you stated that we are all getting to know each other better and are learning to communicate better, that's so encouraging, thank you (:

love bird b- i love that character on south park the "chef" when he says "two fittty" and the other little kids say "two fitty" what's that, and he says it's money, "two fitty, three fitty, one fitty". i worked with a guy here who was from PA and one of the cool sayings he said was that you folks would call each other up on the phone and say "Geet et?" which means "did you eat yet?" and i love saying that to people and they always go "What?" PA has a whole different language(slang) that is alot of fun. i think it would be even funner combined with australian slang (:

[Love Bird B]

Teri, that chef is hysterical and a very wise man too! South Park has got to be the sickest show ever. I just love it.

We have a whole slew of slang words that are just so funny! My favorite is 'whasup?' as in what's up, what's happening? The Aussie language is also full of wonderful slang! We had an Aussie visitor here at the university to give a talk and she suggested that we have a 'bit of brecky' when she got here, as in 'breakfast.' I wanted to hide in her suitcase so I'd get to go with her when she went home.

[danno]

Hi all, Well it looks like the crow's flown atlast! Whew, thats good!
My Isp went down for hours last night and left me up the creek so I havent had time to catch up till now. About retile vets, their not two a penny here either but you can find them. Fortunatly mine is 10 mins away. Herpaculture is growing here in oz and vets dealing with reptiles too. Since relaxed licensing laws came in more and more people are keeping reptiles. At Montys last vet visit an elderly woman (like granny on tweety and sylvester cartoons) approached me and just about drooled over monty, she stoked him and said how lovely he was! Apparently she kept snakes 40 years ago! I was floored, it's not the reaction you would expect from an elderly Lady just in to see about her cat!LOl ( nothing implied about the fortitude of elderly ladies..Honest)
Anyway, I thought I'd [post montys pic + one of my turtles if I can.
My cam is not the best so please forgive the quality, see you all soon ~ Danno

[danno]

Ok one at a time, heres monty!

[danno]

and a better one!

[danno]

my older turtles.

[danno]

This big reticulated python( probly called monty also lol) is not mine, I just wanted to share it with you. This is what I call a BIG
snake!

[teri]

wow! this reptile site has just became the coolest site yet! to me anyway, didn't think i would enjoy learning about reptiles so much.
thank you, thank you, danno- the photos are the coolest ever! i love the big snake, aren't they scared it might want to eat one of them holding it? how in the heck were they able to pick it up? is it a wild snake or is it someone's pet? what does it eat? elephants????? that is just insane!!!

here i was really upset that parrot.com changed to petlovers.com and looked how blessed us parrot owners have become?

i don't know if you know danno.....but this site used to be www.parrot.com and the creator of this site (Mr. Parrot/now Mr. Petlover) just recently changed the site so other "pet lovers" could come on and communicate with each other, and all of us parrot people's feather were really ruffled because of it, we liked being in our own community, and it was unique, especially the free email, it was so cool to have my e mail address be @parrot.com. but now i'm realizing that the change is a good thing(as all change is) but with us human's we are so rebellious to change at first (:

[danno]

Ok people ,Teri first....The BIG snake is a reticulated python, I'm not sure what their range is but I beleive they are found in india and some parts of asia(I may be misinformed) Anyway this particular one is someones pet beleive it or not! I think the guy that owns him (the one on the left near the head) lives in America somewhere. The people that keep these very large species usually keep them in a large room sized enclosure, out of nessesity. I have heard of a few crazys that say they let theirs roam free in the basement! You couldnt pay me enough to go down there !! This particular speciman is a mature adult. They grow up to around 30ft long and can weigh up to 300lbs. Their diet in the wild would include large animals like wild pigs. Naturally though their meals correspond to their size i.e. My python is 9ft long and weighs 5kilograms , He eats two large rats every 10 days but could easily eat a large rabbit, possum etc.
snakes ,since they must swallow their meal whole , generally consume large meals at each feed and hence need to eat less often, depending on their enviroment, ie temp, they need adequate temperature to digest a meal, the higher the temp the faster their metabolism. A snake may go many weeks without a meal. This reticulated python, may consume a large pig then go 6 months without need of further food. The most amazing thing about snake feeding, i think you will agree is this marvelous ability to eat huge items. Their lower jaw opens sideways and com[pletly unhinges to allow the food to pass, The incredible elasticity of their skin is demonstrated when you see a snake
with a huge bulge 10 or 15 times the size of the head.
Further, they are able to manipulate their windpipe, moving it to one side or the other,so they can breath while they swallow their food. Theres more.....Their heart and internal organs can move
to accomodate passage of food to the stomach.!!!
I think ,Casegura, it is these incredible adaptations, against the odds to survive, that make them a unique creature worthy of respect, despite instinctive, irrational fear and loathing of them,
which, blunts peoples imagination and deserved awe of snakes as equal to any species on the planet. This is why i like them, any creature that can survive even without limbs gets my respect.
Imagine for a moment how difficult life would be without limbs.
How clever they are to be able to eat at all. I think they are as an amazing creature as any weather furred , finned, feathered or not! :)~Danno P.S Teri ,most people who keeps snakes this big feed them on rabbits, lots of them!LOl

[danno]

P.P.S ~ Teri, ...Only a true Darwin award contender would attemp to handle an animal that big while it was hungry!! There are only a few reasons why it would "attack" a person: 1. its very hungry~
an animal that size would consider a full grown man(or woman) a prey size feast.
2. ~its hurt or afraid/alarmed~in which case it would bite but not constrict unless no.1 applys!
3. ~its very hungry AND its very stupid owner has the smell of food on his/herself!~ if it smells like food, it must be food!Note: snakes are largly scent orientated hunters!
These snakes have actually eaten people ! I read about a boy in india who was eaten by one while playing by a river. In the snakes defence, lets remember that humans destroy habitat and thus natural prey supplies, not only of snakes but just about every creature on the planet! population densitys in places like india make it enevitable that people come in contact with these animals more often as their habitat dissappears to make way for human habitation. ~ and he was probly a real tasty kid too! LOL
DONT TAKE THAT SERIOUSLY PLEASE!

[Love Bird B]

Look at those cute turtles! That's my favorite picture. It looks like a museum shot.

Casegura, we find just looking at our pythons to be entertaining. Sort of like fish, they interact when they see food, but mostly they're kind of neat just to look at. I also compare it to looking at fashion models, except I prefer to see the snakeskin on the snake and not as shoes and belts.

[danno]

Cool, this is what the site is all about! Casegura, good for you being a vegan, I salute you! I think its highly commendable of, it's apparently been scientifically proven that humans do not NEED meat for food.I personally think the entire way we treat aqnimals for food(and experiments)is evil, intensive farming practices, battery hens/slaughterhouse etc. Unfortunatly I was raised to eat meat, like most children of my generation, and the big nasty secret of where it comes from was of course hidden from me. I dont tell my kids either, I dont want to give them nightmares, but I'm honest with them if and when they ask or see something on tv etc. I rarely eat meat myself these days and my children are given the choice, I realise most of the world are like me so I dont get judgemental about it. Like teri though, I much perfer to see the skin on the animal! Animal fashion accessorys do get up my nose!!
But really, if you could watch your husband/son/daughter eat
a dead animal, why the upset over what snakes eat? or any animal for that matter, afterall there are not alot of places in the wild to get a bowl of lentil soup! lol About person/pet interaction,
first let me say I realise people love their pets and that some folks treat them as substitute kids even, but kissing any animal is unhygenic and does not come without health risks! Actually you can interact with a snake, after awhile they recognise their owner, if only by scent, and move toward you. If you are gentle and considerate in handling your animal, just like a dog, they will appreciate it and respond to that. I handle my snake each day and enjoy his company, I love to watch him move, and coil around me. Many snake owners of non venomous types like mine, say their pets each has its own personality, a claim made by most pet owners, including me.Monty definatly has a certain "character", through close regular interaction and observation, I am easily able to determin his mood at any time. As Teri says, reptiles are really not a cuddly sooky kind of animal, they perfer to be left alone, yet my daughters play with monty when he's out of his enclosure, they are gentle and respectful(its a living thing) but to see the the joy they get,from being able to experience this marvel of nature 'hands on' you would immediatly understand the bond between pet and owner is as strong as ever here.
Just a thought, casegura, you said you have respect for anything that 'can hurt me' .....thats fear and commonsense/respect , not admirational respect in general for a living being in its own right.
this overlooked difference brings people to kill anything they fear like spiders/snakes~THAT is not respect!
Apoint of interest for non reptile people~ This attitude I just mentioned has for years led to the common practice, particularly in
rural areas of people killing any snake they come across, Which is arrogant ignorance bred of fear! Its the method most commonly used which I would like to shed light on. Barring he handy availabilty of a gun, many people will reach for a garden spade or shovel and cut the poor creatures head off or cut it in half!!!!
In some instances it is the mistaken belief that this is the kindest way, in others they dont care less! Heres is the worst of it:
Unlike the human brain, the reptile brain requires very low blood oxygen content in order to function( turtles for instance sleep underwater, and when hibernating stay there for months! amazing!) Due to this interesting biological quirk, reptiles like snakes are low energy creatures i.e. they are active only when nessesary) If we have our air cut off, the large volume of blood going to our brain rapidly becomes depleted of oxygen(how long can you hold your breath?)and we pass out before our brain shuts down, usually in minutes or less. The reptile brain however
subsist on very little oxygen and as a result remains functioning long after oxygen supply is ceased, much like a heavy duty battery. Sadly this means that contrary to assumption, the the animal is not killed instantly ending its suffering, but continues to live ,alert, conscious ,and able to see and feel pain and fear for not a few minutes but for up to a whole hour afterwards! This has to be the most cruel and barbaric killing method of all!
So you see the importance of educating people about animals of all kinds! Only the bright luminesce of enlightenment, holds at bay the dark spectre of ignorance and fear! ~ I hope you all find most post, long and rambling as they are, never the less interesting~Danno :)

[danno]

Yes casegura, imglad to hear it! The kangaroo issue here is large and complex. Farmers regard them as pest since they eat crops(again, usually in times of drought when food is scarce) although
this is ironic since farmers clear land that was one roo habitat in the first place. Also hooved animals, none native here, do far more damage to the land. Culling is a bugbear well debated here, when roo populations increase dramatically, naturally they search for food to feed growing numbers(crops) .Personally I think man interferes way too much with natural cycles of life, as it is, but then again if you have ever seen thousands of pitiful starving roos, dead and dying you might be inclined to think that culling was a kindness. With a growing trade in roo meat for consumption,particularly export to japan and america now, some say this is not on, what will it be next?Koala steak? on the other hand where once mass graves were dug for culled roos(minus their skins) now the argument is that numbers are controlled, thus culling animals for consumption is preventing mass starvation and degradation of viable crops. What are your thoughts? do you cull native animals over there?

[danno]

Isnt it amazing that any government can make laws against animal cruelty then allow recreational "hunting"(i use that term loosely indeed) under the same laws!!!So called "hunters" here, duck shooters roo hunters pig hunters etc have a very hard time of it and rightly so! Id like to see open season on "hunters" !

[danno]

Thats even worse, how could anyone kill Bambi??? Does your father-in-law have animal heads on his wall? sounds like he should be painting buffalo in a cave somewhere LOL

[teri]

yes, i feel that hunting is horrible. i grew up in colorado with mostly rednecks and there is always the hunting season. i feel that hunting season would only be fair if the deer and elk were able to carry guns and shoot back!! i have never liked elk or deer meat, and i've always been told that i just haven't had it cooked correctly, sorry, but it will never be cooked correctly for my taste buds. however, i must say that i was raised on meat and potatoes and i do love steak, and chicken , and fish, and pork, i just block out how and where it came from. altho i love it i don't eat it every day. however, i feel it is very important to respect people who choose to be vegetarian and i love it that your relative respects your choice and accomodates you casegura. i've said this in other posts and i'll say it again, in america the traditional family pet is a labador retriever dog, or golden, and in mexico it is the parrot. and sadly to say they value the parrot as a tradition of ornamentation (i believe) actually my ex-boyfriend is hispanic and his mom had a double yellow head amazon and for 12 years was kept in a small cage, fed black sunflower seeds, and put in the garage when he was noisy. after her son adopted him and he was transformed, and she witnessed it, did she finally change her mind about the proper care of these beautiful birds. her son as he learned from me how to properly care for them tried talking to her and educating her to no avail. now she is obsessed with spoiling her newly adopted smaller parrot and educating herself on proper care, (: with my help :)
danno- i appreciate all your "ramblings", i learn more each time. my friend has a corn flower snake and it is the coolest nicest snake ever, everytime i go over to visit i always want to visit with "Pixie" and she feels so smooth, i love the feeling of her skin. my friend is an animal control officer and last time i was over there, he had to save a rattlesnake from someone's backyard, the family dog had found it and was so freaked out that he backed up so quickly to "get the heck out of dodge" that he fell into the swimming pool!!! anyway my friend was keeping it in his garage to further use it to educate the local school kids and then he set it free. but man, it was very cool/scary, i was so facinated, i just wanted to sit there and watch it, oh, it was a diamond back rattler.

[danno]

Yeah, rattlers are cool! I think they get a very bad run as a mean deadly snake but they dont, in reality live up to their reputation. yes they are venomous, but other than that are simply not a threat people, unless trodden on or optherwise interfered with!
I watch a documentry recently about them, apparently in texas I think they have regular rattler roundups and catch them by the thousands, not just from near human habitations but from their own desert territory. It showed these people cutting their heads of
and skinning them, and the rest is discarded. They treat it like a competition to see who can catch the most. Obviously rattler skins are a lucrative buisness! Very very sad!
CASEGURA~ I'm sure that attitude does not extend to all mexicans, atleast I hope not! There are rednecks in every culture I guess! I'm glad you made a stand against it in your own way! BRAVO!! :)

[JSimko]

I feel there should be something without any emotion that protects those that cannot protect themselves. Something I would love to see is a well armed and well armored replica of a rhino. It should be programmed to destroy with extreme prejudice anyone who attempts to kill it thinking it is the real thing. Because the way things are now people have to protect endangered animals and don't seem to realise that death is the only thing that will stop those that kill these animals.

[Chris Clark]

Hi danno, My name is Morgan, and I Enjoy pet rats. Alot of people don't understand how friendly and cute rats can be, but they are. If you are a true animal lover, you will understand that man has made animals ugly. They'll say things like oohh,a bat how ugly or oohh,a rat how ugly , when infact allcreatures were created to serve a purpose. Thanks for listining, Morgan.

[JSimko]

Hi Morgan.

Rats can be cool pets, despite what people think of them they are highly intelligent and do not mean any harm. Another misunderstood animal is the crow. People always say that they are filthy, but they are extremely intelligent and possess the ability to speek.

[danno]

Hi MORGAN, yes I like rats too1, have you seen stuart little? my monty likes them too but for far different reasons!LOL
Keep workin on em CASEGURA!
Hi JSIMKO, I dont know about robotic rhinos ROFL but I agree poachers should be shot!! Did you know there are only estimated to be 160 tigers left in the wild in Sumatra! Thats human predation! P.s. when Aussies say "stone the crows!" its only an expression of surprise/disbeleif, we dont mind them, but pidgeons are called flying rats! as are starlings!~Danno :)

[Love Bird B]

Danno, For the record, Stuart Little is a mouse, even though he's big for one. I had many mice for pets and one lovely rat. It's sad that their life span is so short, but that's nature. "Monty likes rats too" you're a nut! LOL! :)

[JSimko]

"Stone the crows" an interesting phrase. I was not refering to that when I said people say crows are dirty. I was talking about people around here. It seems that many people in the U.S. would not recognise intelligent life if it hit them over the head. We are always looking for intelligent life out in space, but many people do not see what we have here.

[JSimko]

I forgot to mention that I rescued a crow last week. I was a fledgeling and it got stuck on the branch of a small tree, the thin branch got wrapped around its' leg. One of its' parents seemed to be calling for help. It was also Flying to the branches over my head getting my attention and then flying back to the one that was stuck. The problem was easily taken care of since the young one had not been stuck there for long. When I put it down it ran away along the ground, because it was too young to fly yet.

[Jenny]

On the subject of rats again, I for one like them too! We had a lovely female rat for awhile, and my mom always said that she was her favorite pet that our family had had! She was sweet and intelligent, nad it made me so mad when people woudl take one glance at her and gross out! Explain that one to me... I've also gotten myself into an accidental mouse breeding program before (it's a long story so I won't tell it!) and ended up wtih 25 pet mice in the end! I loved each and every one of them. Danno- that's so sad about pigeons and starlings being called flying rats! I know of people who keep both species as pets and they are just as great as having a parrot. And for the record, starlings can talk too. They're only so extremely common because they're smart and have learned how to survive among so many millions of humans!! Jason- glad you were able to help the crow. I serioulsy think crows are one of my favorite birds, though no one understands why. Whenever I see one I'm in awe!

[teri]

i agree with jason and jenny, i love crows too, i think they are so beautiful. when i was in college i did a work study program in the psych dept and i had to care for the rats. and one rat was my favorite and wasn't being used for study at that time, and this very bad rat who kept biting his student(probably cause he was starving) had to be switched out and the professor (who very much resembled the rats) had a long talk with me about how they had to use my rat for study. well i couldn't stand the fact that they were starving him so i slipped extra food to him, then the professor had to have another talk with me about how i was interupting the "very" important study they were conducting!! well, i'm not proud of the fact that i had to work with the lab rats today and now knowing the reality of what they used them for, but i do know back then i was very young and naive, not that that is an excuse. but as we grow older we do grow wiser. right?

[Jenny]

Such a true statement! How sad about the rats, though that's great for you to sneak it food! =) I think it's terrible how so many animals are used for experiments, yet in reality those experiments usually determine little. I was reading about all the rabbits who have chemicals poured into their eyes by cosmetic companies, and was close to tears by the end of the article! I dont' see how humans can be so cruel. It even mentioned alternatives that woudln't involve cruelty to animals, and would be much more helpful and easier, though the stupid companys keep using the animals. I read this book about this older lady who went to vet school when she was in her 40's or something, and it was the story of her years in school. (called "If Wishes Were Horses") It was extremely interesting but sad because she had to kill animals like greyhounds to study herself. I don't know if I could do that!!

[Jenny]

BTW, what was the point of the "let's-starve-the-poor-helpess-rats" experiment?

[danno]

Jsimko~ I just thought I'd mention that little aussie expression, alot of Americans and others hear it and look to the sky and say "huh"? ~LOL
Casegura~ sorry I gave you such a vivid impression re-Stuart little, if it's any consolation, perhaps monty would avoid him ,being unable to digest his little clothes! LOL
Love bird b~ My mistake mouse/rat! Yes its sad that some pets have such a short lifespan. My dogs are 15 and 16 years old, I bought them both as bouncy little puppies. The younger one(Heidi
) is still a puppie LOL, probably will live a few years yet. The older one, Ginny is now definatly a doggy senior citizen! Shes going all grey, dosent hear or see too well anymore and has lost alot of hair, she wears a coat alot now. She is very frail, and sadly We do not expect her to be around too much longer, I'm dreading it,
as all dog owners will understand, and wondering how to explain to my kids when she dosent wake up one morning. ~Danno

[danno]

JENNY~ re: experiments. Im very much against animal experiments of any kind! They are not nessesary. They do not find cures for human diseases. They are useful only as an excuse to justify the huge amounts of money given as grants to so called researchers! I was once an active demonstrater/educater against vivisection, I have seen it all! Eventually I gave up because it was like trying to bail out the ocean with a strainer! Its a multi billion dollar industry the world over! If there was any realistic progress from this barbaric practice we would of had a cure for cancer etc ,many years and many billions of dollars ago! ~Danno

[JSimko]

Hi Danno.

I came up with a question for you about something you said a couple of postings ago. Do you know how someone gets a job protecting endagered wildlife. I feel that it would be fun. Is that something that only someone who was born and raised in that country can get in to, or is that something that anyone who feels strongly about the issue can get into. I know that I would really enjoy it. Please write back with any info you have on that subject, I would prefer that you private message or email me at JSimko@petlovers.com

[danno]

Jsimko, i have emailed you~Danno

[danno]

hEY, WHERE IS EVERYONE???

[teri]

sorry danno ba-nanno,
most of the people on this site love parrots, it is a brand new site for all the other type of pet owners so it will probably take awhile for people to find it and start posting about their animals. but i must say this whole thread really turned into an interesting and fun one (: there are other "heated" and interesting threads in the bird section of this site if you want to ever venture beyond the reptile section.

[danno]

Maybe, not having birds I doubt i'd have much to say there!

[Jenny]

....you never know! :) I just thought of something I ought to ask you, and that is, what kind of parrots have you seen in Australia? I was e-mailing a kid in Australia at one time and he was telling me about some lories that regularly came to his feeder. I can't imagine!

[danno]

Hi jenny, yes lorikeets and rosellas and the like, galahs, cockatoos etc are all common visitors to backyard feeders here, usually in droves!lol very colourful too! have added some pics for you~Danno

[danno]

more

[danno]

and more~wish i could add a few at once!

[danno]

and more

[danno]

and more. We have so many nice birds here,arn't we lucky! no cages needed, they are all on the front lawn, well mine anyway, every morning! ~Danno

[danno]

these guys are very common indeed, they come by the dozen to my place each day!

[dlaura]

Great pictures! As I said..........someday if I haven't already moved to Austrailia ...............I will at plan to visit.

[danno]

Casegura, not sure you would want wild cockatoos at your place, they can be pest, damaging houses, yes, eating woodwork etc, to the tune of $thousands of dollars!!! some people hate them!
Pet birds destroying your house!
" Help! My cockatoos is eating my house!" This seemingly bizarre cry for help is heard
regularly. Cockatoos, especially Sulphur crested Cockatoos, like to chew on materials of certain textures and hardness. These materials include the softwoods such as western red cedar or pine used extensively for window frames and other non-structural house timbers, including weather boards. If the cockatoos are not stopped, over a period of weeks they can cause considerable damage. (The following is mainly for Australia). The best solution lies at the architectural design stage of the building _ vulnerable softwoods should never be used externally in buildings where cockatoo chewing damage is likely. With existing buildings, it may be possible to hang out sacrificial pieces of softwood for the cockies to chew on in peace, while deterring them from attacking your house by spraying them with a hose whenever they try. If the house is not constantly attended, however, the solution may be to cover the wood with wire mesh or metal flashing. Alternatively, protective shade cloth or bird netting can be hung on a roller, attached to the eaves, so that it can be rolled up when the house is occupied. Very often, house chewing by cockatoos seems to be associated with somebody in the neighbourhood providing food for the birds, thereby attracting them close to houses. Feeding of birds in these circumstances is not recommended. Chewing of houses is only one of the problems generated by providing food for birds.

[danno]

typical daily scene at nearby sports feild.

[danno]

Have been trying to find pics of damage to homes caused by cockys, so far no luck~stay tuned, meanwhile, remember the very large snake pic i posted?....This is what happenens to folks who keep snakes that big!!!

[Jenny]

Well, the last three pics of the snake are all fuzzy on my computer, but thankyou so, so much for posting the others! I am DEFINITELY finding a way to visit Australia soon! Yes, it is hard to imagine cockatoos being pests but it has got to be very frustrating having your house chewed up by them! The worst thing that's ever happened here is a woodpecker who tried to drill holes in my roof for a day. Our zoo just opened this new "Australia" exhibit with lots of galah's flying around, nad it is awesome!

[danno]

sorry bout fuzzy snake pics! heres one for cat lovers!lol

[teri]

danno-
you are sooooo bad, i couldn't stop laughing about you posting those pic's of the snake eating a sleeping human. i'm kinda glad they turned out fuzzy (: you're so cute how you are trying to please us parrot people, i love the photos of the parrots you posted. are Kia's in australia too? i've seen pic's of them destroying people's cars.

[danno]

tERI, NOT SURE ABOUT THE KIA'S BUT PEOPLE KEEP THEM HERE, THE REST ARE QUITE COMMON. DOH, sorry caps lock thingy!
Hope cat lovers liked 'cat mountain' its a great pic! Here is one, sure to put you off surfing or swiming!LOL

[Jenny]

Wow- that "cat mountain" is amazing!!! I can't imagine anyone keepign kia's as pets. I've heard about people who have kept htem in aviaries and how hard it is to keep them locked in and from destroying everything in it! In some article the author had a kia, and even using the heaviest dog bowl available, the bird would tip it over and toss it around! In our zoo they just got one and it's cage and toys are made much stronger looking than any of the other birds. I think it'd be awesome ot have one though because I've fallen in love with the one at our zoo. It's so different than most types of parrots.

[danno]

Which one casegura? cat mountain or the shark? lol

[danno]

just 4 u casegura ~enjoy

[danno]

more...

[danno]

and...

[teri]

okay, question, how come there isn't a special section for sea animal pets, and people who want to post about them? lol just kidding, i'm so glad you've come on this site danno, you are alot of fun(: i bet your daughters and wife just adore you.

[danno]

Gosh, I'm sure my kids love me,my wife i'm not sure about, she sends me to work with one-way plane tickets in my lunchbox!lol
Hows this for cute?

[danno]

Thought i'd add this one, for all pet lovers~ how many animals can you see? ~Danno

[teri]

wow, those are great!! thanx!!!!

[danno]

Your welcome ,cool pic eh? ~danno :)

[Love Bird B]

It's Happy Shark Week here on the east coast from August 10 - 16 on Comcast. Has anyone been watching?

[Jenny]

The pictures are awesome! I especially love the sea turtle one. Thanks for posting them!