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Sharyn
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| Posted: Sept 15 2009 at 10:01pm | IP Logged
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If so, what? And what do you like about what you have kept? Disliked?
My eldest dd want's a mantis for her upcoming 9th birthday. She's praying mantis crazy 
I think we will end up getting her a praying mantis, but we have been looking into getting other pets too.
One thing that has surprised me is just how long some of these critters can live for. We saw a frog in the pet store the other day, and apparently it can live for 30 years! We have thought about bush cockroaches but they can live for 10 years!
I'm not really keen on getting anything that lives too long, so the praying mantis's seem a good choice as they live for up to 18mnths. But they require live food. Stick insects just eat leaves,so they seem another good choice. I think even keeping a katydid would be interesting.
Spiders are definately out 
I love the reptiles, like the bearded dragons and the thorny devil's, but the former get quite large andthey are both long term comitments.
Scorpions, the less venemous ones I'm interested in but I don't know their lifespan.
So I'd just love to know if there are any other invertebrate/reptile loving families here, and to know what you love about keeping them?
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Paula in MN
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We've had lizards and frogs. They have not lasted, which may speak to our abilities and not theirs!
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 Paula
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Milehimama
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We have a constant rotation of turtles and geckos.
I love turtles, they are sturdy pets! The food is cheap, and they don't need an expensive setup. Right now our turtles are in a dishpan with water and a rock, and we let them play in the sunlight a couple times a week. Their water needs changing a couple of times per week, but since it's not a full aquarium setup (like a fish) it's easy - just take the turtles out, dump the water, wipe out their home, add new water.
Don't get softshell turtles, they stink.
We've had a variety of turtles for years and years.
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Milehimama in Houston
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Sharyn
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| Posted: Sept 17 2009 at 7:09pm | IP Logged
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Any particular lizards and frogs Paula?
Milehimama what kind of gecko's, Leopard? My dd really wanted a leopard gecko, but I don't think we are allowed to have them in Australia. We will have to go with a local variety. I have always loved gecko's. Thanks for the info on the turtles.
I think we are going to end up a little like a zoo in our house
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Paula in MN
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| Posted: Sept 18 2009 at 5:57am | IP Logged
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Sharyn wrote:
| Any particular lizards and frogs Paula? |
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Whatever the kids dragged in from outside
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Carole N.
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We have had turtles, frogs, and an anole. We had a small tank to keep them in and since we lived within walking distance from our local pet store, obtaining food was quite easy.
I must add that all of these were found pets. We eventually built a hugh area in the backyard for the turtles. They would wander into the roads at certain times during the year. My dh would always stop and move them to the side of the road, but occassionally he would bring them home. We would keep them for a few weeks to observe, then let them go.
My ds found the anole on a trip to Louisiana. He brought him (her) home and without a doubt, it was one of our most favorite pets. We did have to keep it in a supply of live crickets, but my dd would walk to the pet store. She was such a good customer, they often gave her free crickets!
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Sharyn
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| Posted: Sept 18 2009 at 6:48am | IP Logged
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Paula in MN wrote:
| Whatever the kids dragged in from outside |
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You must have a nice yard Paula. A frog wouldn't dream of coming into our desert of a garden We do have small skinks, but that's it for non insect life. It's amazing the different types of insects we have though. My dc's favourite thing to do is to find them. I do miss living in a more rural setting. It is lovely to have more wildlife about, although we get lots of venemous snakes here. My friend has kangaroos come into her yard! We are right in suburbia though with a fully enclosed yard.
Carole, I had to look up what an anole is, I had never heard of one before. It looks very interesting. My dd's dissapointment has been finding out how strict Australian regulations are. Many of the books she borrows from the library suggest things that are not allowed as pets here. But I'm keen to keep something local anyway, I think we might look into gecko's. But we have to get our licence first.
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Milehimama
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In SC we had anoles, because that's what lived on the side of the house. In TX, we have geckos- cuz that's what lives on the side of the house! LOL
Our first turtle was purchased, but all the rest were "found".
Anoles drink in a special way and must have humidity dew or water mist, so be aware of that!
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happymama
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| Posted: Sept 21 2009 at 9:39am | IP Logged
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This question hit home with me...
We have an aquarium with a tree frog in it, we have to feed it crickets (it also eats spiders, meal worms, grasshoppers, flies, lightning bugs.) I fed it a lightning bug late one night, turned off the light, and saw it light up inside the frogs belly over 60 times before it was digested!!
Anyway... keeping the frog is easy this time of year, to clean out the cage I take it outside & hose it down. The poop does stink. Come winter, hosing it down wont be an option. I suppose I could wash out the tank in the bathtub or something? Would that be gross?
We have kept many animals for observation and then released them. Toads are fun, we dig up earthworms to feed them, it is crazy to watch them slurp those up. Mantids, horned "toads" (actually they are lizards) are cool because they don't mind being held - but I don't think those are legal in all states. Caterpillars.
My 4ds is the biggest nature boy I've ever known. I don't need the hassle of taking care of these animals, but I do it for him.
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Sharyn
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| Posted: Sept 21 2009 at 10:24am | IP Logged
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Milehimama wrote:
| In SC we had anoles, because that's what lived on the side of the house. In TX, we have geckos- cuz that's what lives on the side of the house! LOL |
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My children would just love this. We have seen the occasional gecko on outside windows at night, but that's it.
When we were on holiday in Jakarta there were gecko's running about on the inside walls of the house. We also got to see a Komodo Dragon!
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Sharyn
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happymama wrote:
| This question hit home with me... |
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We don't often come across people who have our love for insects and lizards which is why I thought to post this. I thought it would be fun to see how many other families are like us.
When we have visitors I have to remind the children that not everyone likes these sort of things, otherwise guests get presented enthusiastically with mantis's and other things
happymama wrote:
| We have an aquarium with a tree frog in it, we have to feed it crickets (it also eats spiders, meal worms, grasshoppers, flies, lightning bugs.) I fed it a lightning bug late one night, turned off the light, and saw it light up inside the frogs belly over 60 times before it was digested!! |
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Wow! My dd is going to love hearing about that!
happymama wrote:
| Anyway... keeping the frog is easy this time of year, to clean out the cage I take it outside & hose it down. The poop does stink. Come winter, hosing it down wont be an option. I suppose I could wash out the tank in the bathtub or something? Would that be gross? |
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I wonder if the drains might become smelly?
happymama wrote:
| We have kept many animals for observation and then released them. Toads are fun, we dig up earthworms to feed them, it is crazy to watch them slurp those up. Mantids, horned "toads" (actually they are lizards) are cool because they don't mind being held - but I don't think those are legal in all states. Caterpillars. |
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It's just facinating to watch them isn't it, and to discover what it is you are looking at. We were looking for field guides tonight, but Australian field guides are so expensive,most being about $40!  Nevermind, we'll collect them slowly.
happymama wrote:
| My 4ds is the biggest nature boy I've ever known. I don't need the hassle of taking care of these animals, but I do it for him. |
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I know what you mean. I'd be happy to keep all sorts of things, but it is extra work to do isn't it. I have a small baby at the moment and so I just want to start our collection off slowly.
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4Real Forums : Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science
Topic: Do you keep/kept invertebrates/reptiles?
