Varanus99
11-03-2008, 08:19 PM
Hey, I thought of an idea for a thread! Go me!
I always found it fun to have a reptile around for a long time. When I kept snakes I had a corn snake for 15 years before she finally died (*sniff*)
Right now the oldest reptile I have is a blue tongue skink which I have had with me for close to 19 years. And he was nearly full grown when I got him. So if you figure it takes them about 2 years to get to that size he is at least 21 years old. And could be much older I really dont know.
I was in the market for a tiliqua gigas. Back in the day before the internet and all the shows etc it wasnt easy to aquire certain animals. Well someone told me that a shop about an hour from my house had one. Off I went. The place was a dungeon. And there in a ten gallon tank was a skinny little gigas which I picked up for I think $50? Fattened him up and he's been with me ever since. Through many apartments (some where he was snuck in), through quite a few girlfriends (He's still here, they're all gone) and a move to a different state. When I sold my snake collection and either sold or gave away my other animals I kept just him and the corn snake.
It's hard to believe he's been with me so long. I tried to breed him once when I finally found a female. But he beat her up and she died a few days later. Since then he's been a bachelor. He is a true "pet". And to this day he STILL tries to squirm away from me! Its like...DUDE! Its been 19 freakin' years! If I havent hurt you yet what makes you think Im gonna start now??? DUDE!
He's still in decent shape. Still eats pretty good. Not like he used to but he's still chubby. He's had a few health problems over the years. I admit I didnt know how to care for him properly when I first got him and he lost some nails and toes due to shedding problems. Skinks have delicate toes. And he had mouth rot at one point that deformed his bottom lip a little bit. But I took care of that, my husbandry improved and he healed up. The missing toes dont seem to slow him down and his lip deformity is very minor and doesnt effect his eating. I give him a bath once a month and that helps him shed since he doesnt shed so well on his own any more. And I just keep him really, really clean as Im guessing his immune system isnt what it used to be. Hell, neither is mine. We've both gone from young bucks full of vim and vigor to grouchy old men, lol.
He's the only reptile I still keep on newspaper. I gave up the paper for skinks and monitors years ago but I keep him on it because Im afraid to change anything. He's been alive so long Im scared to change the husbandry as he might keel over. I dunno, maybe its just voodoo but I dont wanna change anything.
He's not in my reptile room. I keep him in my home office. He's about 3 feet from me as I type this. Sleepin under the cork bark hide as usual.
In this hobby we often have a LOT of animals. Some folks have a dozen, some several dozen, some hundreds. Over the years Ive had a lot. Snakes, lizards, turtles, frogs, etc. Sometimes, and Im guilty of this as well, we may loose touch with the "pet" factor. Lets face it, if you have 50 geckos or 100 ball pythons its hard to kitchy koo each one every day. And like most of you Ive lost some animals over the years. Not many, knock wood, but some. Its always sad but I'll tell ya when this guy finally goes it will break my heart. This guy and the corn snake that I already lost I know Ill miss forever.
Oh, his name is Bluebeard. Get it? Clever, eh?
Soooooooo enough about me. Whats your oldest reptile or the reptile you've had the longest? Do tell.
I always found it fun to have a reptile around for a long time. When I kept snakes I had a corn snake for 15 years before she finally died (*sniff*)
Right now the oldest reptile I have is a blue tongue skink which I have had with me for close to 19 years. And he was nearly full grown when I got him. So if you figure it takes them about 2 years to get to that size he is at least 21 years old. And could be much older I really dont know.
I was in the market for a tiliqua gigas. Back in the day before the internet and all the shows etc it wasnt easy to aquire certain animals. Well someone told me that a shop about an hour from my house had one. Off I went. The place was a dungeon. And there in a ten gallon tank was a skinny little gigas which I picked up for I think $50? Fattened him up and he's been with me ever since. Through many apartments (some where he was snuck in), through quite a few girlfriends (He's still here, they're all gone) and a move to a different state. When I sold my snake collection and either sold or gave away my other animals I kept just him and the corn snake.
It's hard to believe he's been with me so long. I tried to breed him once when I finally found a female. But he beat her up and she died a few days later. Since then he's been a bachelor. He is a true "pet". And to this day he STILL tries to squirm away from me! Its like...DUDE! Its been 19 freakin' years! If I havent hurt you yet what makes you think Im gonna start now??? DUDE!
He's still in decent shape. Still eats pretty good. Not like he used to but he's still chubby. He's had a few health problems over the years. I admit I didnt know how to care for him properly when I first got him and he lost some nails and toes due to shedding problems. Skinks have delicate toes. And he had mouth rot at one point that deformed his bottom lip a little bit. But I took care of that, my husbandry improved and he healed up. The missing toes dont seem to slow him down and his lip deformity is very minor and doesnt effect his eating. I give him a bath once a month and that helps him shed since he doesnt shed so well on his own any more. And I just keep him really, really clean as Im guessing his immune system isnt what it used to be. Hell, neither is mine. We've both gone from young bucks full of vim and vigor to grouchy old men, lol.
He's the only reptile I still keep on newspaper. I gave up the paper for skinks and monitors years ago but I keep him on it because Im afraid to change anything. He's been alive so long Im scared to change the husbandry as he might keel over. I dunno, maybe its just voodoo but I dont wanna change anything.
He's not in my reptile room. I keep him in my home office. He's about 3 feet from me as I type this. Sleepin under the cork bark hide as usual.
In this hobby we often have a LOT of animals. Some folks have a dozen, some several dozen, some hundreds. Over the years Ive had a lot. Snakes, lizards, turtles, frogs, etc. Sometimes, and Im guilty of this as well, we may loose touch with the "pet" factor. Lets face it, if you have 50 geckos or 100 ball pythons its hard to kitchy koo each one every day. And like most of you Ive lost some animals over the years. Not many, knock wood, but some. Its always sad but I'll tell ya when this guy finally goes it will break my heart. This guy and the corn snake that I already lost I know Ill miss forever.
Oh, his name is Bluebeard. Get it? Clever, eh?
Soooooooo enough about me. Whats your oldest reptile or the reptile you've had the longest? Do tell.