• Responding to email notices you receive.
    **************************************************
    In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.

  • IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!! About the Google Adsense ads being displayed

    =====================
    Posted 08/15/2025
    =====================


    Yeah, I know. They are a pain in the butt. But they pay the bills to keep my server running. Just a fact of life, I am afraid.

    Want to get rid of them? Simple. Just become a Contributor level member or above and they will be gone. -> Please click HERE."

    Is that too much for me to ask of you to keep this site running? Well, sorry about that. I too wish I could get everything for free. But alas.....

    =====================
    Addendum: 01/10/2026
    =====================


    Google Adsense ad revenue for December, 2025 was just $30 over the cost of the lease for the server running this site. So, in effect, the money providing the incentive for me to continue running this site is coming SOLELY from the paid memberships and sponsorships here. Which honestly ain't much....

Search results

  1. Z

    Treefrog Facts: Natural History as it Relates to Pet Care

    Hi All, The world is home to a mind-boggling assortment of fascinating treefrogs, many of which make wonderful pets. Included among the 1,200+ species that have adapted to life above-ground we find tiny, colorful gems, giants that will feed from one’s hand, gliders that sail through the...
  2. Z

    UVB: Why do Reptiles Need It; Choosing the Best Bulb

    Hi All, Our understanding of the role that Ultraviolet B Light plays in the lives of reptiles and amphibians has increased greatly over the last few decades, but we still have much to learn about the needs of individual species. A good deal of conflicting information has been published, and...
  3. Z

    Africa's deadliest Snake? Black Mamba Venom and Natural History

    Hi All, As any experienced reptile enthusiast knows, accounts concerning the size and aggressive nature of various snakes are usually highly exaggerated. The Black Mamba, however, comes close to living up to the legends that surround it, and has long been among the most feared of all African...
  4. Z

    Working with Black Mambas

    Hi All, As a small boy, I devoured the books of Messrs.’ Ditmars, Kauffeld, Whittaker, Sanderson and others who sought out snakes in their natural habitats. The formidable Black Mamba, (Dendroaspis polylepis), accorded respect by all, was given a special place of honor by legendary snake man...
  5. Z

    Emperor Scorpion Babies: what do I do?

    Hi All, Emperor Scorpions give birth to live young, and most hobbyists are thrilled when this happens. However, scorpion reproduction breaks many of the “rules” that apply to other pets. For example, a female that has been alone for 14 months may one day be found with 30 tiny white...
  6. Z

    Best Uromastyx Diets

    The Best Diet for Uromastyx Lizards - a Herpetologist’s Thoughts Herpetologist Frank Indiviglio discusses the best diet for uromastyx lizards and their other dietary requirements
  7. Z

    Best Foods for Poison Frogs, mantellas & other Tiny Amphibs

    Hi All, I began working with Poison Frogs and Mantellas in zoos just as the secrets to longevity and breeding were being discovered. Today, captive-bred animals are almost mainstream. This is wonderful, but there is a downside – they are sometimes viewed as “simple to keep”. While these tiny...
  8. Z

    Best Humidity Gauges

    Hi All, Like most lifelong animal keepers, I consider myself to be a fairly good judge of humidity levels in the home terrariums and zoo exhibits under my care. But when I began working in new buildings equipped with state-of-the-art hygrometers (humidity gauges), I quickly realized that I had...
  9. Z

    Important Supplies for Pet Tarantulas: A Zoo Keeper’s Notes

    Important Supplies for Pet Tarantulas: A Zoo Keeper’s Notes Hi All, Among the world’s 900+ tarantula species (Family Theraphosidae) we find spiders of every conceivable size, description and lifestyle, some of which make interesting, long-lived pets. I had the chance to work with many during...
  10. Z

    Wood Turtle Care, Natural History

    How to Care for American Wood Turtles (with Notes on Natural History) Herpetologist Frank Indiviglio talks about and the natural history of wood turtles and how to care for them in captivity
  11. Z

    World’s Oldest Dinosaur is Discovered

    World’s Oldest Dinosaur is Discovered Hi All, Recent studies of a creature known as Nyasasaurus parringtoni indicate that dinosaurs may have appeared over 240 million years ago – 10-15 million years earlier than was previously believed. Its fossils, unearthed in Tanzania, also shed light on...
  12. Z

    Working with the False Gharial – One of the World’s Largest, Rarest Crocodiles

    Working with the False Gharial – One of the World’s Largest, Rarest Crocodiles Hi All, I find it difficult to express just how fortunate I’ve been in having had the chance to work with 12 Crocodilian species in the wild and captivity. Breeding Dwarf Caimans, wrestling Orinoco Crocodiles into...
  13. Z

    Archerfish Care: Keeping a Brackish Water Sniper

    Hi All, In the early 1980’s, I had the good fortune of being chosen to help set up the exhibits in Jungle World, a new Bronx Zoo building highlighting Southeast Asian wildlife. Leaf Insects, Sunbirds, Marsh Crocodiles, Giant Soft-shell Turtles, Proboscis Monkeys, Tapirs…all came under my care...
  14. Z

    World’s Rarest Snake, the St. Lucia Racer (Population 11), is Rediscovered

    World’s Rarest Snake, the St. Lucia Racer (Population 11), is Rediscovered Hi All, The St. Lucia Racer or Ornate Ground Snake, Liophis ornatus, has the unenviable distinctions of being both the world’s rarest snake and the species with the smallest range…it may even be the rarest creature on...
  15. Z

    Millipede Care, My Experiences in Zoos, & an Arboreal Millipede “Emergency”

    Millipede Care, My Experiences in Zoos, & an Arboreal Millipede “Emergency” Hi All, Millipedes (Order Diplopoda) are among the most diverse yet least studied of all invertebrates. There are enough millipedes to keep generations of fans happy – over 12,000 species have been described so far...
  16. Z

    Leatherback declines

    Leatherback sea #turtles decline by 78% at major nest site http://bit.ly/XioAur My experiences working with sea turtles; volunteer ops http://bit.ly/cVz1sE
  17. Z

    My Picks: Best Tadpole Foods for Various Species - What are Your Thoughts?

    Hi All, Breeding frogs and rearing tadpoles is one of the most enjoyable aspects of our hobby, and becoming ever more important to the survival of many species. In the course of working with numerous species at home and in zoos, I’ve compiled a list of commercial foods that have proven...
  18. Z

    Collared Lizard Care & Natural History

    Hi All, The 8-14 inch-long Collared Lizard, Crotaphytus collaris, is one of North America’s most colorful reptiles. Alert and active by day, Collared Lizards housed in planted desert terrariums make for stunning displays. They also possess distinct personalities, accept gentle handling, and...
  19. Z

    Snake Conservation Groups Name 2013 as Year of the Snake; Snake Studies a Priority; V

    Hi All, In 2010, I highlighted a study that documented steep declines in a number of snake species. Despite disturbing similarities to the “Disappearing Amphibian Crisis”, the snake situation seems not to have generated widespread concern. In my own career as a herpetologist, opportunities...
  20. Z

    Bearde dragon venom, illegal collection

    Bearded dragons produce a mild venom, & all in the pet trade may have originated as illegally-collected animals! http://bit.ly/WP2Irc
Back
Top