Future skins

[NTD]

I really liked that pic of the pup Wayne.  I think she though she was back in Idaho. 

As far as your concerns about the rattlers, it's understood.  I do take good care of them as my purpose for keeping them is much more than some kind of "cool" factor.  As far as precautions Yep, I take plenty of them.  They are housed in a zoo grade enclosure.  My friend Frank used to have a business building zoological exhibits.  This particular cage is fiberglass housing with Lexan sliding doors with locks.  Being Lexan (not plexi) I could whack the dang doors with a hammer, tip the cage upside down and they wouldn't break.  I don't "handle" them, even with tongs or a hook if I can avoid it.  They are kept on a natural substrate which help keep the cage clean due to normal bio breakdowns, so I don't have to mess around in the cage much.  When I do anything in the cage it's with tongs, my hands never go in there with snakes in the cage.  They are located in a room that has 2 doors seperating it from the rest of the house and those doors has sweeps on them to prevent escapees.  I do everything I can to mitigate the risks of keeping these guys.  I was a bit more lacksdasical before Mackenzie was born, but I tightened things up after

 Scorpions are interesting.  My wife has a fascination with them.  In about a month I will start collecting them for sale.  I did bulk collecting last year of scorpions and made a few hundred dollars and I only went out and collected 2 nights.  I started a bit late in the year though, so I hope to do better this year.

The cactus do freeze someitmes, we had some record lows this year and a lot of people sustained substantial damage to their cactus gardens.  We had single digit lows...which for most of the country is nothing but for here it was bad...Lot of pipes freezing and breaking.  This is only my 3rd winter in AZ but I've been told it only snows about once every 4 years in Tucson

I love it here, I do have lots of room, I'm only on an acre but I have a ton of public land adjacent to the property.

[stickbender]

     Yeah, I kinda thought you would be a bit on the cautious side.   Wow, you must have a lot of scorpions out there, or they are quite pricey.  Two nights, and a couple hundred dollars.  I have always wondered about the Indians, pioneers, and cowboys, who slept out on the bare ground, and under wagons, and such, with all the scorpions, and trantula's and sidewinders, and such, how the heck could they sleep?  I would have to have a hot bed of coals around me in order to sleep.  I'd be up all night with a big stick, whacking creepy, crawling, and slitheing critters.  I'd have to sleep in the day time.  Not to mention the nasty little Gila Monster!   Now those things have a set nasty looking chompers, not to mention the venom!

[NTD]

We have lots of them if you go to the right places.  I sold them for $2-5 depending on species and how many they bought.

Those Gilas are actually pretty laid back guys.  They don't startle easy and they have a long fuse.  Takes a lot to piss them off.  Frank has a holding permit for 4 of them...get to play with them occasionally.  And I know I've posted this one before but this is the Gila's Big brother...Mexican Beaded Lizard...I do have to admit I was pretty vigilant while holding this guy.

[stickbender]

     Boy that is a big one!  No thanks, I'll just look at them in the cage.  My luck, someone would have been aggravating it, before I picked it up.   Soooo, I will just look thank you.  Those teeth, or fangs, are phenomenal.  If you ever got bit by one, you wouldn't be able to just pull your hand away!  Not like regular lizard teeth.     They are like a pit bull once they clamp down on you.  The pain is supposed to be excruciating. Seen some pictures on Animal Planet, where in Mexico there were these little tourista stands, that sold all kinds of junk, and the skins, and skulls of Gila, and Beaded lizards.  It showed the fangs on those things, whew!   Nope, no camping out under the stars, in that neighborhood.

                                                                      Wayne

[NTD]

NTD,
 Nice collection ! I wouldnt mind seeing some more pics.

Well you asked for them

Anery male Boa and Hypo Female Boa I think she's gravid but the male is still courting her


One of my favorite Jungle carpets, caught her shedding.


Her 23 year old Grandmother


My wife's albino boa couldn't get good pics of her she wanted to eat me


My male Ackie monitor (dwarf monitor species)

[Lee Slikkers]

Dang Nathan, you guys have quite the collection!  I like the Anery, some of those grey/brown tones looks subtle and smooth. Beautifully conditioned animals too...very, very nice~

[Cameroo]

Love the snake pics Nate, but every time you post a pic of that dang pup, I come that much closer to wanting to get a GSP for myself!  Man that little bugger is cute!!

[Bevan R.]

Just wondering what you feed all those critters?

Bevan R

[NTD]

Thanks Lee, I like the anery's but a nice hypo are probably one of my favorites for the boas.

No kidding Cam.  I'll post some new pics of her later.  She's a ton of a fun, quite a nice dog...but crazy!

Bevan,
Rats, Mice, and Quail.  I breed the rats and quail myself.  The rats make a little profit as I breed many more than I feed.  I've been trying to expand and actually make the rodent breeding my regular job.  Sounds funny but the mice I feed I get from a friend who is a commercial mouse breeder.  He makes 60-70K on breeding mice...works 3 days a week too