Pet Show Blog » Florida

It’s raining lizards

petblog — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 19:34:36 +0000

In addition to record cold temperatures, Florida residents are dealing with another strange phenomenon — iguanas falling from the trees.

An iguana lies frozen, or possibly just in suspended animation, on the ground at a Florida Keys park following a cold snap - Tim Chapman, Miami Herald

The iguanas, which are not native to Florida, don’t do well in the cold. With record low temperatures in the state, the reptiles are falling frozen out of the trees in Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park on Key Biscayne.

The iguanas aren’t actually frozen. They are in suspended animation, coming back to life once they warm up. However, extended cold temperatures could kill them.

- Staff Writer Bryan Dean

Responsible snake ownership

petblog — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 16:00:27 +0000

An unfortunate story out of Florida last week brings up an issue I feel very strongly about — responsible snake ownership.

A 2 year old girl in Oxford, Fla. died when an 8 foot pet Burmese python owned by her mother’s boyfriend escaped from a terrarium and strangled the child to death.

My girlfriend, Sarah, has a pet store, and reptiles are one of her specialties. She’s always been a big fan of snakes and lizards, and I too am fascinated by them. Sarah doesn’t carry Burmese or reticulated pythons. Both species are common in the pet industry, and they grow to lengths of 15 feet or more.

What people don’t realize is that owning a snake that size isn’t much different from owning a leopard or grizzly bear. They are capable of hurting or killing a human and should be kept only by professionals or others who are very experienced.

If you are interested in keeping a snake as a pet, I would highly recommend sticking with something smaller. Corn snakes and king snakes grow to about five feet. If you want a python, try a ball python. They look similar to larger pythons but stay a manageable four feet. All of these snaked tend to have good temperaments and make good pets.

Because they stay a reasonable size, they also can be kept in a decent-sized aquarium. Larger snakes need huge enclosures that can be very expensive.

If you insist on owning a large snake, do your homework and know what you are getting into. And for goodness sake, keep the snake in a secure area where it absolutely can’t reach children.

- Staff Writer Bryan Dean

Orangutan on a jet ski

petblog — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 11:00:35 +0000

Sometimes there are only two reasons to post a blog… an orangutan on a jet ski and a woman in a bikini. This story satisfies both.

Surya, a 4-year-old orangutan living at The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species in Miami, Fla., has learned to ride a child’s jet ski. He wears a child’s wet suit, riding around the pool and waving at onlookers. He also wears a life jacket because he doesn’t like getting his head wet.

Picutred below is Surya with one of the lovely trainers who taught him to jet ski.

- Staff Writer Bryan Dean