Untamed Reptiles

Dearest Diary, I know it's been a while, but I have still been plagued by the REPTILE WORLD. One day, a few months ago, I was minding my business like I always do. Earlier the week I was trying to clean down a large white fence, so obviously I needed my J. Crew boots in order to properly accomplish this task.  My J Crew Rain Boots are not only stylish, but they come up high enough so that if I step on anything scary, I will only be passed out maybe for a few hours. They serve as a compromise with a scary world. Snakes can't get me, lizards, spiders, ants, FROGS, and let's just end the list here because this torture is really unnecessary. So I'm cleaning the fence with my J. Crew boots. Talia is my trusty helper. We got a lot done. Leaving the patio, I decide to let my boots stay outside to dry off. I felt a bit odd about doing that. Wasn't sure why, but I did.  On the other side of the house, I requested that my husband kindly ask the awesome guys that w...

Here specifically we’re going to be talking about leopard geckos. Keep in mind many other geckos have this problem though. Female leopard geckos lay eggs regardless if they have been breed or not. For some people it’s frustrating because It’s hard to keep a steady weight. With leopard geckos it’s very important to keep their tails nice and chunky and to do that you need to keep them feed with a consistent schedule. Here’s a couple pointers if your having problems with getting weight on them. DIET Many people use meal worms and crickets although these are the most easy to find staples they aren’t the best possible staples you  can use. Crickets have carotene in their exoskeleton which makes it hard for your gecko to digest. Crickets have also been known to carry parasites and aren’t even the most nutritious for all the work you have to put in to keep them. The best thing to do is to feed them nutritious insects in replace of the less nutritious insects. Many people have concluded...

When I got my first leopard gecko I expected him to love me straight away. But I was completely wrong. My gecko was very scared of me and I made a mistake that didn't help the situation. I was so excited to meet him I opened the box to let him come out on my hand and he ran out under my bed. It wasn't very safe because I had many workout equipment parts that could have hurt him. I got him out safe but it was so stressful. I thought he would never love me and he would always be scared but I can ensure you that it wont always be like that.   The first thing you should do is let your gecko settle in when your first getting it for at least 2-3 days. Start with placing your hand in the tank every day for 10-15 mins once in the morning once at night. trust me they will start to get curious what you are and don't be alarmed if they start to lick you. This is normal behavior they lick to find out what you are with sensory receptors. Once they fully step up on you slowly lift them...

People have mixed emotions on reptiles, some love them some hate them. We were always taught that reptiles are dangerous, so many have developed a fear of them. there are so many reptile in the reptile trade its hard to find the perfect one. heres a few reptile that could be perfect for you with a list of pros and cons. (leopard geckos)        leopard geckos are a pretty easy to take care of and have low requirements. I would definitely consider these lil guys a beginner pet. great if you want a small pet that doesnt take up space. ( quick care ) -20 gallon tank -20 gallon heat mat -minimum of 3 hides -food dish and water dish                                                  - paper towel or tile substrate ( cons they need live insects, insects need care, care is consistent) ( pros  easy to handle, easy care, small) (crest...

There is surprisingly a large amount of people that love reptiles but their parents definitely dont. i managed to get all A's on my report card and i was promised if i did i could get a leopard gecko. even though it was a couple months later i still got my geckos. ya see it all depends on the parent. my mom is scared of the actually animal. she was convinced that she would wake up one morning and there would be a gecko on her face. some just dont want their food (insects) in the house. Heres a couple tips to convince your parents to let you keep a reptile. 1 . save up ! owning reptile can get expensive but mainly when you first get the stuff for your pets. save up birthday, chore, and Christmas money and plan out the finances. for example, if your getting a bearded dragon look at the average cost of EVERYTHING your lizard will and would need. and at least 4 months of food costs. 2. inform ! show your parents that you know everything you need to know to take care of  thi...

Hey Loves, it's been too long since my last post. I have been pretty busy with work, but I need to journal my thoughts on this new development. So about 10 days ago, I was seeing emails about roaches. My first thought was "ewww". I'm pretty sure that's a word.  Anyways...I ignored it and continued working. The next development was when my reptile daughter (Tal) decided to fund her purchase (aka dad). She and her dad (wisely) kept me out of the loop on this purchase. Later that week I ask her if she knows anything about roaches coming to the house. She mumbles something that I didn't make the time to follow up on. So I go on with my day.  Last week Friday, Tal and I decide to take a walk in a park that we had never been--and then get some lunch.  We're eating lunch at the park when she receives a call. It's her dad. Lots of exciteme nt (I know nothing about what's so exciting).    She begins to pack up her lunch, "come on mom--gotta go". I...

As reptile owners we try to find ways to enrich our reptiles so that they can have fun and a good living space. Personally I believe that the bare necessity's are never what you should strive for. Not many people know what to use to enrich their reptiles but i have a little list that should help you out.                   (HAMMOCKS)   reptile hammock (SUBSTRATE) Hammocks are a nice way to get your reptile climbing. Many reptiles enjoy using hammocks to rest and bask on. You dont even need to buy one,you can make one yourself ! I notice my geckos like hammocks with pockets in them for them to crawl and sleep in. There are many videos online that you can watch to make one yourself. You don't have to spend a lot of money on them either. You can use an old t-shirt or a sock. you could also get a magnetic reptile ledge but those are a bit pricey.  Not many people know this but reptiles love digging. ...

Todays topic is going to be feeder insects. we all know most reptiles eat insects right? well when it comes to picking the perfect feeder insect for you and your reptiles it can be difficult. lets get into the basic and most common ones. were going to go through their nutritional value as well. keep in mind the these things to take into consideration ; over all care of the feeder insect, price, avalibility and nutrition   (mealworms) Many reptiles and even bird owners know about meal worms. They are one of the most common feeder insects because they are cheap,easy, and reliable, but they arent very good for you reptiles at all. They have hard exoskeletons (which make it hard for your animal to digest) and have little nutrition. I would honestly just use these guys as a variety contrast. only way for them to be nutritional if to gut load them with veggies such as cucumbers and carrots. (easy care(cheap(can find at all petstores(not very nutritional (crickets) crickets are ...

I'm really not a bad mother. Let me just explain--what seems to be happening is that the original agreement of a few leopard gecko babies is not what's happening. Apparently, the daughter (Talia) had 2 of her leopard geckos mate. Then the girl got pregnant, delivered an egg (as complained about in this post ). I think it delivered more than one egg. Photo by Andy Holmes on Unsplash I have to find out. Remember I told you that we had an issue with WHERE these eggs were being kept. I think that was taken care of---but ANYWAYSSS, we start with one or two eggs, and now I'm hearing that (what had happened was), she accidentally left the other two leopard geckos together, went out and forgot about them (is that really good parenting?)--and badda boom, badda bang. Now the other girl leopard gecko is pregnant.   Oh, and I got their names straight now (I think). Originally, it was BMO that first got pregnant. Now, the new pregnant girl gecko is named Mango. I would...

Bearded dragon care guide Hey everyone, today I’m gonna be giving you a basic bearded dragon care guide. To be completely honest this was a bit difficult for me because every single article says something different. one saying you can’t do this and the other one saying that you can, but from all of the information I gathered this is the proper care for your bearded dragon. I myself do not have one but I really want one and I’ve been researching all I can about them before actually getting one.I have a feeling my grandma will kick to Africa if I get one cause she seems terrified every time I bring it up. So let’s start. (Space) These guys do take up bit more space because they require a minimum of 40 gallons when they’re full-grown. In my opinion it’s not a good idea to continuously keep upgrading the tank. a 40 gallon is really just the bare minimum. The best size tank you could go for is a 60 gallon- 75 gallon. it might sound like a lot space but it will ensure the most ...

It's 8am, and maybe I did start my morning routine too late. Well, it's not a routine actually because I despise routines. But I like to start my day alone, with a cup of tea or coffee. Maybe read a chapter from something calming. More recently I've been pulled into a group of people who are meditating (on Whatsapp). I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to stop the jabber in my mind long enough to meditate. I don't even know what meditating really involves. I just follow what they say to do. It feels like I'm headed in the right direction but ANYWAYS... This morning, before I had a chance to even close my eyes to begin. Talia and Zo (our Spaniel mutt crazy dog) comes running into my (I'd like to call it my meditation room). The dog now seems to think he's a show horse. He is galloping ahead of her. He leaps onto the couch where I am trying to meditate. From there, he gallops or leaps over my lap and lands directly onto my phone. Knocks everyt...

So I'm the reptile lover's mom, and this is what her leopard gecko looks like to me. When I peek into the tank, I see this scariness. I'm still trying hard to be brave. I've been scared of reptiles for as long as I can remember.  What scares me? Pretty much everything. But let's start with the fact that I think they are NOT cute and cuddly. For one, they don't have any fur. I like fur. The softer, the better. Another thing is that these animals look like they may bite me. Although I've seen Talia place the animal on her shoulder (OMG!!), I still think it may bite one day. Another thing is that they're just not cute--and that may seem (not a nice thing to say), but I'm being honest here. I take Talia to lots of reptile events, sanctuaries, and other similar places. I will be keeping a journal of my journey because I hope to overcome this deep seeded fear of reptiles one day. Why? Because I wanna be the "bad ass" mom who can ri...