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Old 04-29-2007, 05:06 PM   #31
varnyard
Well, it would seem, the proof is in the pudding.

Rich, I will not be supporting your site(s) with a care sheet on tegus. I am also requesting that you pull my membership on you site(s), I will not be back.

Morals are non-negotiable in my book, looking at yours, they seem to lack quite a bit.
 
Old 04-29-2007, 05:08 PM   #32
romad119
Seems like he is/was his own worst enemy. Coming up with a site that strives to have the ebst and most complete care sheets, etc. is a noble endeavor. More and more its seeming that the endeavor is more noble then the person?
 
Old 04-29-2007, 05:08 PM   #33
Dennis Hultman
Quote:
Originally Posted by iguanairs
As stated, it was one of my staff that had editted the caresheet. I had no idea the caresheet had "added" bad info. Once I was notified, the caresheet was taken offline. Bobby will be writing up a caresheet to populate the new R.I.D we have been working on here: Reptile Information Database

Fortunantly Bobby understood that I didn't know what had transpired and this was easily resolved. Its also nice that he is writing a caresheet with factual information for addition.

Sorry about the mixup.
Dejavu

Quote:
Well the site owner got rid of one of them for an attack he made on me and another user on a forum in that site, but others remained. In my opinion, there was a clique of moderators who wanted control of people more than caring about herps and proper herp care. Now guess what: some of those moderators are now the ones listed in your email (in the second post on this thread). Certainly all the ring leaders, as I saw them to be, have moved to the new site! The attitudes expressed, in my opinion, by those moderators was that they felt themselves superior to anyone who disagreed with their knowledge or lack of knowledge regarding herps and herp care - and I do mean superior in a extremely snobbish sort of manner (but this is only my opinion). My posts, and the posts of well meaning others, were often slammed because we gave an opinion or info differing from theirs. Sometimes we were slammed the hardest when the person making the original inquiry said "holy cow Glenn's suggestion was the one that worked" or something to that effect about one of us, and our advice, who would dare disagree with the moderators. They often would lash out at anyone who gave an alternate solution to a problem that a herp keeper was having, when it differed from a suggestion already made by one of them. To me at least, it seemed they wanted ass kissers only to answer threads on that site, ass kissers who would elevate the moderators to some sort of demigod status - but again that is just my opinion.
Sounds just like what happened to Bobby's care sheet.
 
Old 04-29-2007, 05:25 PM   #34
varnyard
Quote:
Originally Posted by varnyard
Well, it would seem, the proof is in the pudding.

Rich, I will not be supporting your site(s) with a care sheet on tegus. I am also requesting that you pull my membership on you site(s), I will not be back.

Morals are non-negotiable in my book, looking at yours, they seem to lack quite a bit.
R.I.D.
Herp Center
Herp Habitats

Rich, if you do migrate memberships as you stated on the phone with me, than you will need to pull my membership from all/any of the above.
 
Old 04-29-2007, 05:45 PM   #35
jsrocket
Quote:
Originally Posted by romad119
Seems like he is/was his own worst enemy. Coming up with a site that strives to have the ebst and most complete care sheets, etc. is a noble endeavor. More and more its seeming that the endeavor is more noble then the person?
Alan, I strongly suspect that his endeavors were less than noble. They were more likely to promote his name, and make a buck.

A professional site that was truly trying to provide the best, most accurate caresheets, would never operate like that. It smelled like a sham to me from the git go, when I discovered what he did in 2004, that was the icing on the cake.

The banner at the top of each page on his site reads:"Helping to R.I.D. the internet of inaccurate husbandry information". Right.

The guy's a shyster.
 
Old 04-29-2007, 06:30 PM   #37
Dennis Hultman
http://www.herphabitats.com/reptile_...ation/tegu.htm
Quote:
Author: Varnyard
3:25 PT 4/29/07
Quote:
This information is a generalization of the needs for the five basic Tegus that are found in the pet trade. Each species of tegu has additional requirements that are breed specific. You can read more about each specific species by using the links at the bottom of the page.

Tegus are "new world lizards" found in the tropical rainforests, tropical woodlands, and arid scrublands of Central and South America. Specific species will come from specific areas and will be noted within their caresheet. Tegus are terrestrial (ground dwelling) for the most part, but they do like to climb and swim if given the opportunity. Tegus fill the same ecological niche as monitors, and they are an example of convergent evolution.

Of the five major species found today, they divide into two separate categories. The categories separate tegus by the number of loreal scales they have on their snouts (see diagram below). The three species that are most closely related have two loreal scales; Red (Tupinambis rufescens), Argentine Black & White (Tupinambis merianae), and Blue (scientific name has not been determined as of yet). The Columbian Tegu (Tupinambis teguixin) and the Gold (Tupinambis teguixin teguixin) are closely related and each have only one loreal scale. The Gold tegu is a separate species from the Yellow Tegu (Tupinambis duseni), the Blue Tegu is believed to be a color phase (morph) of the Argentine Black & White and the Gold Tegu is believed to be a color phase (morph) of the Columbian Tegu.

Enclosure:

The basic rule of thumb for an enclosure is twice as long as the length of the reptile and as wide as the reptile is long. Specifics for species will be given within their caresheet. A hatchling can be housed in a 20-gallon aquarium, whereas a juvenile can be housed in a 55-gallon aquarium. If the enclosure is too large for the hatchling or juvenile tegu this can cause stress.

Substrate:

The recommended substrate is cypress mulch, orchid bark or eucalyptus mulch. The substrate needs to be 6" - 12" deep, as tegus like to burrow.

Lighting:

Ultraviolet light with a full-spectrum of light is recommended. Lights that emit UVB are a must for this species of reptile. Ultraviolet lighting is important in the production of vitamin D3, which is necessary for calcium metabolism. UVB should be use in addition to calcium with D3 and multi-vitamins.

Lighting Cycle:

A cycle of 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness is recommended.

Heating:

Each specific species has their own individual temperature need that will be discussed within their caresheet. An enclosure should be set up in zones. There should be a warn side, cool side and then a basking area. The use of under tank heating (a specific UTH made for reptiles can be used or a heating pad made for humans) is recommended along with the lighting mentioned above. NEVER USE A HEAT ROCK AS IT CAN BURN YOUR TEGU!

Water:

Tegus like to swim, so the use of two separate water bowls is suggested. Make sure one of the bowls is large enough for the Tegu to use as a pool. Change drinking water daily and pool as needed.

Food:

One of the most important things to remember is not to offer food that is larger than the area between the tegus eyes. Tegus are omnivorous as adults. They will eat both meat and vegetables. Hatchlings are carnivores and their diet should consist of crickets, small mealworms, and (mice) pinkies. The juveniles diet consists of (mice) fuzzies, large mealworms, crickets and boiled or scrambled egg (chopped). Adults diet consists of mice, large mealworms, crickets, super worms and boiled or scrambled egg, fruit and vegetables. Remember to dust crickets and worms with vitamin/calcium mixture before feeding to your tegu. See individual caresheet for more specific species food list. Adult Tegus diet will be almost equal parts meat and vegetables. Tegus can become very aggressive while feeding. Hand feeding could be dangerous, as the tegu may not recognize the difference between your hand and the food.

Humidity:

Tegus require high humidity levels of 60%-70% for proper shedding as well as proper health. Misting on a daily basis is required. If you have another way to raise the humidity, that is fine. Remember not to make the substrate tacky with too much moisture, or you may grow molds, which is not healthy for the animals.

Hibernation:

Tegus hibernate up to seven months in the wild. They will also do this in captivity if given the chance. However, tegus do not have to hibernate. If they do not hibernate, they may still slow down on feeding during the normal hibernating season. Tegus will consume great amounts of food in August to prepare to begin hibernating in September. They will hibernate from September to March and begin eating again in April.

Hides:

Tegus require hides at both ends of their enclosures. These can be made out of a half log or another safe structure. They can also benefit from a moist hide.
 
Old 04-29-2007, 06:44 PM   #38
varnyard
Quote:
iguanairs: The staff member that had taken the Tegu caresheet for proof reading, grammar, etc. thought it was a little short. So they decided to add to it. (Which normally isn't an isse.) The issue is with the info they added. It was inaccurate.
It is illegal to take my information, then edit it for personal gain.

Quote:
iguanairs: I don't bother with the caresheets until I am informed it is "all set". At that point, I go in and grab it from where it was submitted and I add it to the template.
Sounds like you have done the (Grab it) thing before.

Quote:
iguanairs: Accountability isn't an issue. It never was. (Nor does it say it was anywhere in this thread. No one is "blaming" anyone for the incident and it doesn't say so anywhere in this thread.) This thread does nothing more than outline the events as they unfolded. (Another fact.)
Accountability is an issue here, I might add that burden lays on you, not your staff, but 100% you.


Guys, I think Ken hit the nail on the head:

Quote:
Ken Harbart: I don't know either any of the primary individuals involved, nor did I ever visit either site before today.

I've read what both parties had to say. Even if I totally disregarded the account of events by Joshua Witer, Rich Brooks' side of the story tells a tale of his own abuse of position and unethical behavior.
I would say what he has done to me would also fall under unethical behavior at best.

I must agree, after looking at his past/latest behavior this thread needs to be moved to the BOI.

Rich, do not call my phone again. I will address one issue that you had. Howard F. Is not on the stand here, regardless of what you or I think of him or his sites. He is not the one that took, as well as manipulated my care sheet. I will also add in so doing, made me look like an idiot. You would think one of the largest breeders of tegus would have better information than what you put my name on.

I thought it was a honest mistake, however I no longer feel this was the case.
 
Old 04-29-2007, 07:23 PM   #40
iguanairs
Hello,

I will first address the post that was written here several years back and I will take it from there.

Reptile Forums, prior to its sale, was owned by a kid named Josh. I joined the website when there was 40-50 members, and I stayed for roughly 1.5 - 2 years. Shortly after joining, Josh (whom I had never met) asked me to be a moderator. (Primarily do to all the questions I was helping to answer. Josh himself, the owner of the site, was posting questions about his own reptiles and wasn't in a position to help anyone.) I accepted the role of "Moderator".

As the site grew, and as "I" started advertising and driving in members, I got promoted to "Administrator". Now, anyone who uses vBulletin as their software knows that there are a ton of tools made available to administrators. I wasn't given even a 1/4 of the tools.

What this meant was that I needed to contact Josh whenever I needed something done. That became extremely difficult seeing as "I" was running the site and he would stop in every few months to see how many members the site had.

In the end, meaning my stay there, I contacted Josh for a period of several weeks and he didn't get back in touch with me. I logged on one morning, and the site was loading pop-ups on EVERY page load, and my PM box was loaded with complaints and how people were leaving, etc.

I again contacted Josh, and he was actually on and we chatted. The conversation is vague, but I remember how it ended. "They can deal with it." No, the members shouldn't and couldn't deal with it. I myself couldn't deal with it. If a thread had 3 pages, it would serve a massive sized pop-up in the middle of the screen on each of those pages.

"I" decided "I" was going to start a new site instead of working on his like I had been. (The site was up and over 1500+ users and god knows how much advertising I had done for the site.)

I started creating HC, but still maintained my position over at RF. I went in to RF each day and removed MY information from that site as I added it to HC. Now remember, this "owner" hadn't been on the site in MONTHS.

Every time Josh would show up, something new would be up. The something "new" was something "I" created. Not ANY of his doing.

When I got the site up, I sent an email to MY members, letting them know I started HC and was leaving RF. My staff, some of which are still with me, had no say in what I started creating. They knew why I was leaving and I approached each of them and asked if they would like to work on the new site AFTER it was already created. There was no team shenanigans going on. Most were clueless in the beginning that I was even leaving until my presence on RF started dwindling do to the new sites creation.

Needless to say, every staff member that went to HC was a staff member "I" promoted. (Surprisingly enough, "I" was the only person Josh had ever chatted with on that site outside of the posts he wrote asking questions. All of the staff was "my" creation. He didn't take on anyone but me. Josh played one role in this site, he owned it. He wasn't an active participant, he didn't advertise THAT site, or do things to improve that site. Instead, the day he decided to return, he starts trashing it.

Once we left, and to give everyone an understanding of just how much this site meant to Josh, he sold the site and domain to Howard Fluker within 2 weeks of HC opening!

I didn't remove ANY of Joshes stuff. NOTHING that was his was EVER touched. I only removed the items I created and contacted the users who joined while I was an administrator.

That site went down the toilet faster than a tornado ripping through a trailer park when the staff left and the kid (17) was livid he had just lost his entire staff who did EVERYTHING for that site. It had nothing to do with how things actually went. It was nothing more than a spiteful teen.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Now, lets talk about the R.I.D. The R.I.D has been up for 2 years. If I were trying to make a buck off of it, I am doing a pretty lousy job seeing as I am currently in the red. The R.I.D is being created as a resource. As many of you know and have seen, the amount of "bad" info on the net over-powers the good. I started the R.I.D with caresheets I had written, and caresheets the staff had written. Some of these caresheets had been up over on RF before I left. So some of them are over 3 years old. 2 of them are over 7 years old and have been on the net that long.

The caresheet donations we got were from members. Some of them are the exact same caresheets found in the UK's version of "Reptiles" magazine. The author of them use to be one of my staff members.

It has nothing to do with getting "my" name out there and nothing to do with "making a buck". The goal is to establish a common place where people can gather information. Its like a caresheet section found on any other site, except it will be larger.

I noticed someone stated that some of the caresheets are "off". Instead of saying they are "off", post what is wrong so they can be corrected. Husbandry is a science. It evolves over time. Simply saying they are "off" and not listing what is off doesn't do anyone any justice and doesn't get the info corrected.

While I am posting this, I see even more information has been made present. Its so easy for everyone to sit behind their computer and cast judgment over anyone or thing without first going through and hearing from the person. It seems like this site thrives on ripping people apart, even those who really don't deserve it.

The things that went down with RF did not go as Josh has them depicted. There was no mutiny or removal of any of his info. Its a bunch of BS and I am utterly in awe how everyone in this thread takes it like it is the word of the gospel.

Then to boot, this situation with the caresheet arises. Again, before anyone speaks with me, I am being attacked.

I have not downplayed the caresheet incident. I currently have a thread of my own going in the staffs area explaining everything. I have done everything I can to remedy this situation. Why anyone on this site would tell anyone else to not "support" the R.I.D is beyond me. If you see something wrong, the best you can do is correct it.

I am 30 years old, the father of 2, and I work for a living. I do this stuff online free of charge.

I am not like fauna or Kingsnake. I don't have ads in every crevice I can fit them and I am not financially supported by some business I own.

I am JUST an enthusiast with a knack for coding. I combined the 2 and have been trying to help spread good info. Ok, sh%% hit the fan with the caresheet and I did what I could to correct it. I am even willing to speak with any of you on the phone regarding the other situation that transpired 3 years ago. Heck, I live in MA and I will pay for the call.

I have nothing to hide. If the site started out as bad as it did, or as bad as Josh had claimed, then I must be one hell of a web designer seeing as that site is still up and continues to grow. A claim like he was making, if validated, would have made my site a sitting duck in the water right from the beginning. It didn't, because it was nothing more than hot air!

If anyone here wants to contact me and get ALL the facts, we are going to have to do it by phone. Seeing as you want to publicly execute me via tongue thrashing, at least some of you should have the decency to want to know all the facts. I can't even begin to try to cover everything in a post as I do have other things to take care of. bobby, again, I apologize for your caresheet having the bad info added to it. There is nothing more I can do or say to rectify it.

Thanks for posting those links Denis. I didn't realize without the gateway page that those links could be accessed. I have since removed them.

If anyone here is interested in everything, straight from the horses mouth so to speak, I am willing to foot the bill. I am getting a bad name here and I shouldn't. Feel free to shoot me your phone number and I will call on my bill. This is absolutely insane.

Bobby, if you would like to call, you know my number. As requested, I will not be calling you again unless otherwise notified.

(I have been on the site for over an hour trying to get this posted, remove links, etc. I have 2 kids to care for "7 & 2", so sorry for the delay in my response.)
 

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