Finding Melissa Kaplan

point taken

This is a very interesting discussion, I can relate to it very well. I've been keeping reptiles for a relatively short time, less than 5 years. The first year I know nothing at all, and my WD suffered for it. I found a forum that as a whole is full of mostly younger members, or beginners like me. I learned a great deal in a very short time from that forum and have really kind of grown beyond it. I shouldn't feel that way as there are so many more newbies who need experienced help.

Had I found this site first, well I probably wouldn't have stayed. I am not saying that there isn't valuable info here but as Dragondad stated some here would ridicule rather than help. Please don't get me wrong, I am in no way perfect nor am I any more nice or any less mean than anyone else it's just that sometimes discussions get beyond control depending on the subject. Some understandably so others not so much. There are so many bright minds posting here and opinions are as varied as the reptiles that we keep that education sometimes gets lost in all of that. I guess the point I am trying to make is that MK's site doesn't have this type of format and it's alot easier for someone who is just looking for info to find it rather easily, wrong or not.

I wouldn't want this site to change to a site like that as I find info and entertainment here. I appreciate it for what it is but it may be a little much for the average young person with their first iggie or corn.

Take care,

Chris

BTW I had no idea snakes couldn't hear until I was 31. I would suspect that alot of young people have no idea either. I know I'm stupid but seems to me we never learned anything about snake in my high school.

hi all! this is my first time here. i also have experienced ms kaplans views. theybsuck!!!! i have been doing reptile rescues for over 30 years and i whole heartly disagree with her output on reptiles. you guys are awesome. so glad i found this website!!!!keep up the good work!!! totally addicted to reptiles of all kind!!!

Michael, as you said there is often a better approach in showing positive information in conjunction to explaining why a lot of Kaplan's is incorrect, wrong, misleading or dangerous... But you yourself pointed out something; Fauna is not at the present time easily found by beginners. Word searches online will bring up several sites before Fauna begins to register and Fauna was started buy and still tends to attract a more experienced crowd.

There are certainly efforts being made to make Fauna a more beginner friendly place, but the change will be slow and there will always be the core element to this site that centers around experienced and largely educated herpers. People who have seen enough both good and bad to simply put another notch in the negative column where Kaplan is concerned if they weren't already aware of her. For those people, a discussion of the type earlier on this thread is appropriate. The original poster was linking caresheets off Melissa Kaplan's site on his geocites or AOl hometown or whatever page so he obviously already knew where she was, her contact information is all over that site. If she wasn't taking the time to respond to him on the generalized email addresses she has listed and he was naturally inclined to agree with her viewpoints and information as is evidenced by his choice of linked caresheets, why should I help him further along that evil path by providing her less public contact information?

When I first came into the reptile world, the first "authority" I found was Kaplan. I read her website and always wondered why, if she was so devoted to education and the care of reptiles, she filled her works up with put downs and negative remarks. I realize now that she must have another agenda, because no one in the pursuit of spreading accurate information will fill their care sheets up with inacurracies. All over the site are these dubious caresheets, as well as statements and remarks on how "repulsive" and unsuitable reptile pets are. When I read one of her stories on why reptiles are unsuitable, I can't help but notice how poorly (and poorly is an understatement) the supposed "expert" keeper kept his animals. Obviously if their animals are dying at an alarming rate and over hundreds are being kept in such a short time, the keeper really has to be doing something wrong. Same with that college student. She supposedly buys an iguana when it's a hatchling, but three years later it has MBD? The keeper is really doing something terribly wrong!

Just now I was browsing MK's website, I clicked the link to see what she has written on bearded dragon, mostly because I have one and I've read the care guides from many web sites, as well as listened to many experts in the field. I found this:
You can find the hole page here: http://www.anapsid.org/bearded.html

Here is a little snippet:

"As the dragon grows, it is better to feed him mice (pinks, fuzzies, crews, young adult) rather than mostly insects. Whole rodent prey is more nutritious - and will not cause the impaction that insect prey can."

Having read that, do you still feel she is the foremost authority on bearded dragons or any reptile? Nearly all keepers and breeders that I have spoken to are divided on the issue of feeding mice to beardies. Some do it as a once-in-a-while treat to fatten up a bit after breeding, but many others claim it can do more harm than good because impaction issues do indeed exist with dragons and rodents. Others still say that dragons aren't designed to handle the heavy load of "nutrients" that mice will give all at one time. No where, however, is there any one who agrees that mice are a staple food for dragons. Even when mice are fed, only a pinky or fuzzy is used, never anything leading up to a young adult. Maybe a large monitor lizard, but a bearded dragon?

And yet I can see excited first time lizard owners dropping live adult mice in with half grown beardies after reading that. Or someone giving an adult beardie 6 fuzzies a day. So this site is performing the very valuable service of killing the animals of beginners.

Erin B.

So this site is performing the very valuable service of killing the animals of beginners.

And that is EXACTLY what Kaplan wants. The site is riddled with anti-pet trade propaganda. Garbage about how it's impossible to keep a reptile healthy in captivity and how they shouldn't be owned by individuals. Then add in care information designed to kill someone's pet and you get people who don't know any better following outright wrong and bad advice, killing their animals and then saying to themselves "reptiles are impossible to keep in captivity." which sways them over to her side when votes banning or limiting ownership come up. Kaplan is evil. Pure malevolent evil.

This is also why I never get my information from one source. I made that mistake with my second snake... took the word of the store owner and didn't do too much other research. This advice killed a KSB in 2 months time, a remarkable feat for such a hardy little snake. I'm never making that mistake again, it was a rather valuable lesson and one that I try to share with other people. Too bad a snake had to die because of it.

Erin B.

(this same store owner is now trying to start a 'herp lobby'. Never trust a politically active herp group, especially over the internet, until you see how they treat their own animals and by what ethics they run their own store. Kaplan has nothing on this guy.)