➡I accidentally bought Balut eggs: 2 live ducks! Now a Chat Thread!

[ShrekDawg]

Geckos are like aquarium fish. Except you can take them on walks.

I feel like geckos are better than aquarium fish cause you can actually hang out with them and interact with them, take them out and watch tv with them or whatever, like a dog or cat, and actually bond with them/have a buddy whereas fish you just get to stare at lol fish are pretty to look at but you can’t really pet them or hang out with them or anything so they’re a pretty boring pet haha

 

[Tesumph]

I'm distantly familiar with snakes. They will interact if they aren't shedding (always?) and not moody (always?). How do geckos compare to snakes? Serious question.

Several acquaintances were collecting lizards, but I never saw them out of the cage/aquarium/viewing chamber. That and tarantulas. I am fascinated by them, but watch them outside. The Florida Keys and iguana watching was fun. See invasive species. There's another! Better than squirrels, eh!

Best story is when the Keys get cold, it rains iguanas. They fall out of the trees. Just go pick up the one you want. I'm returning to the Keys one winter. One winter...

Thank you for taking the time to explain it. Geckos are like aquarium fish. Except you can take them on walks.

I appreciate the genuine curiosity.
I’d say leopard geckos are more like hamsters. Cute, easy, docile, often gifted to children and then neglected.

Iguanas are known for being a-holes. Not my style.
Chameleons are not great for handling and are notoriously hard to tame. Large snakes are literally a handful. Different strokes for different folks.

It’s hard to explain the appeal of snakes if you don’t “get” it. There’s almost as much rude distaste for the hobby as there is with rats. Forgive my defensiveness.
Many can be hand tamed and have a very endearing curiosity to their personalities. Ball pythons are known for their puppy dog eyes.
Yes, really. You asked.
I understand it’s a foreign concept to almost anyone. Snakes aren’t necessarily ornery by nature, they’re just different. It’s a steep learning curve to read their body language and respond appropriately.

 

[Kiki]

I appreciate the genuine curiosity.
I’d say leopard geckos are more like hamsters. Cute, easy, docile, often gifted to children and then neglected.

Iguanas are known for being a-holes. Not my style.
Chameleons are not great for handling and are notoriously hard to tame. Large snakes are literally a handful. Different strokes for different folks.

It’s hard to explain the appeal of snakes if you don’t “get” it. There’s almost as much rude distaste for the hobby as there is with rats. Forgive my defensiveness.
Many can be hand tamed and have a very endearing curiosity to their personalities. Ball pythons are known for their puppy dog eyes.
Yes, really. You asked.
I understand it’s a foreign concept to almost anyone. Snakes aren’t necessarily ornery by nature, they’re just different. It’s a steep learning curve to read their body language and respond appropriately.

How's your sanding job coming along?

 

[RUNuts]

I appreciate the genuine curiosity.
I’d say leopard geckos are more like hamsters. Cute, easy, docile, often gifted to children and then neglected.

Iguanas are known for being a-holes. Not my style.
Chameleons are not great for handling and are notoriously hard to tame. Large snakes are literally a handful. Different strokes for different folks.

It’s hard to explain the appeal of snakes if you don’t “get” it. There’s almost as much rude distaste for the hobby as there is with rats. Forgive my defensiveness.
Many can be hand tamed and have a very endearing curiosity to their personalities. Ball pythons are known for their puppy dog eyes.
Yes, really. You asked.
I understand it’s a foreign concept to almost anyone. Snakes aren’t necessarily ornery by nature, they’re just different. It’s a steep learning curve to read their body language and respond appropriately.

Understood. I'm too practical. Everything should have a purpose and "because I want one" is very shallow and impulsive. Snakes, like parrots, can be a 30+year companion. Kudos to those who knowingly take on the challenge for the whole time. I've got kids, another 30+ year challenge that I may not live through. Why? you ask, because I wanted one.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Understood. I'm too practical. Everything should have a purpose and "because I want one" is very shallow and impulsive. Snakes, like parrots, can be a 30+year companion. Kudos to those who knowingly take on the challenge for the whole time. I've got kids, another 30+ year challenge that I may not live through. Why? you ask, because I wanted one.

I can totally understand that but to that I would counter, what purpose do dogs have? Cats? Any pet/companion animal really? None. I don’t think reptiles are any different. Most pets have no practical purpose other than people enjoy them. Which I think is a fine purpose in and of itself.

They provide companionship, happiness, enjoyment, someone to talk to if a person doesn’t have anyone else, etc. Pets can even lower blood pressure and stress so there’s a more practical/medical purpose right there.

I know for me personally I would be miserable if I didn’t have any animals around.

And yeah, technically chickens or goats or whatever are animals too while also serving a purpose and I do love the chickens too but they’re outside and they’re also not exactly cuddly.

Of course neither are reptiles really but they can be or at least held.

And there’s something really relaxing, for me at least, about having a cat fall asleep in your lap, purring away (did you know the frequency of a cat’s purr can actually heal or help heal many ailments including broken bones? It’s real, look it up), or a dog curling up at your feet. I imagine it’s the same for reptile people.

 

[Tesumph]

Understood. I'm too practical. Everything should have a purpose and "because I want one" is very shallow and impulsive.

Uh huh.
I’m sure you take your borzois out to hunt wolves on the regular, then?
But.. but.. that’s their PURPOSE!

 

[ShrekDawg]

Uh huh.
I’m sure you take your borzois out to hunt wolves on the regular, then?
But.. but.. that’s their PURPOSE!

 

[RUNuts]

Uh huh.
I’m sure you take your borzois out to hunt wolves on the regular, then?
But.. but.. that’s their PURPOSE!

Very astute. One flaw. I don't have any dogs. I have a Crazy Lady who has 7 dogs. You might be referring to those Borzoi.

I refer to them as emergency rations.

She is not amused.

I'm not either, they can eat a horse and are not getting fat.

 

[BantyChooks]

I don't think I've ever acquired an animal that wasn't motivated by "because I want it". I'm the mad scientist sort, as you all know well. I do stuff for the sheer "Why not?" nine times out of ten. (Though, to be entirely fair, I usually stop wanting something entirely once I find out it's prohibitively expensive... except for a degree. In hindsight, maybe I should've stopped wanting that too, eh.) Doing something because you want to doesn't equate ill thought out or impulsive. Heck, it usually takes me years to decades to finalize plans. I pinch pennies until Lincoln has blood running out of his mouth from ruptures in his respiratory tissue, so I think I can splurge on having a few button quail around without feeling guilty, y'know?

 

[BantyChooks]

Very astute. One flaw. I don't have any dogs. I have a Crazy Lady who has 7 dogs. You might be referring to those Borzoi.

I refer to them as emergency rations.

She is not amused.

I'm not either, they can eat a horse and are not getting fat.

That's what I call the dog as well. She provides some practical purpose of scaring off large predators, so that's why she's emergency rations and not regular Saturday night rations.