Hey Scott,

Can I add some more of your posts to the web site? I like the pyg care article and your Elite essay.

Tanith you are one of two people who have my permission always to reproduce anything i may write. You do not need to ask me but i appreciate it none the less. oh ya and remember spell check me lol

I feel more confident with longer hooks but i too have only a 24 inch at the moment thats why im looking for a longer hook i found out the hard way that amazon tree boas have a good strike range on them lol. I guess the 24 inch just isnt gonna cut it with them man those things have an attitude but i just love them i have a gravid female cant wait till she drops! Does anyone have any suggestions on their favorite type of hook im looking into getting another one at the next reptile expo ( this weekend cant wait getting hopefully some emeralds or a couple more female atb's anyways thats it. thanks and happy herping.

Oops. Scott, I re-read the pyg article and I can't recommend free feeding medications like Flagyl and Panacur (metronidazole and fenbendazole) in a water bowl because you have no accurate measure of how much medication the animal is taking in. So that paragraph isn't one I'd want to put on the web site. The rest is great.

A good alternative is injecting a fresh killed fuzzy with the meds. Most adult pygs will take fuzzies right off. I also hate assist feeding or medicating pygs, but when I have to do it I use a soft foam pinner and a tube.

Tanith thanks for reminding me . I dont do the waterbowl anymore i do as a matter of fact use pinks or mice I need to edit that...if you wish to please do and remember can you add in be sure not to carry needles on you places leave them home, Cops look at them as drug related. well one did till he noticed the box in they came out of marked LIVE VENOMOUS REPTILES lol

I preffer to think of it as being a hard hitting crash course that's ultimately geared towards forcing the other person to become more open to the idea of answers that aren't always what they want to hear...

I dunno if I'd call myself pompus either. Egomaniacal self absorbed impolite domineering stubborn pessimistic madman maybe.

But not pompus. I don't have an expensive enough haircut to be pompus.

wow this forum is fast. does anyone have a favorite brand of hooks or tongs i'd like to know before the expo so i dont get a crappy hook thanks.

HOOKS = MIDWEST

Tongs = Whitney's if you can find them

There are a few things to consider when looking at hooks...

1) Do you want a cage hook or a field hook?

2) Are you buying a hook for a specific animal or just to have a hook "in case"?

3) Have you used both L hooks and J hooks?

4) Is it comfortable to hold, yet strong and lightweight enough to manuver?

5) Are there an obvious design defects (like a hook that rotates in the handle or one that's simply too narrow or too wide)?

For most animals... and you're talking arboreal boids as I understand it... you'll want a hook with a good length to it, that's lightweight and manuverable, that you feel comfortable gripping and that has a slightly deeper, narrower J hook shape. Sharply angled J hooks are acceptable too, but it's easier for an arboreal to get their tail around something and slip a hook than a wide bodied terrestrial species. It all comes down to comfort though... do you feel comfortable using the hook to manipulate an animal? If yes, and it seems of high quality (strong, decent materials and construction) then buy it.

Thanks i dont know the hook and tong brands very well so that helped alot but i was also looking at prices they can be pretty expensive! some of the hooks are like 60 bucks! I guess i was just born a cheapscate oh well ill get over it i guess once i sell my solomon island ground boa i should have enough for some more handling equipment. Does a 100 dollars seem too low for a solomon island ground boa that what im selling mine for and people are acting like it was a gift from god for me to price it that low lol. If you think thats too low tell me i need to know before i start getting ripped like crazy.