After the sale...then what...part 1

I was just perusing another web site where there was a thread concerning shipping of animals, arrival of "dead" animals, and what's the buyer's recourse.  I use quotes around the word dead because oftentimes we want to think that the seller sent a dead animal, just to get our money.  I doubt this is true, in the majority of cases, although I have no doubt it's been done by unscrupulous people. 

There are things that can be done to avoid such disasters.  One of the first things that come to mind are the heat packs that people use.  These heat packs are activated by oxygen, and if you have enough of them in too small a space, they can use up the oxygen that the animal needs to breathe.  Secondly, even if the day time temps seem acceptable in your neck of the woods, how about the night time temps?    And if they're coming by airplane, those cargo holds aren't neccessarily pressurized, so those temps can get very cold.  Thirdly, do a little research about the seller before you make the payment on your animal.  There are new people coming into the business all the time, and it may take them a while to get a reputation, but they may still be known in the herp community.   If they're already established, someone should have something to say about them. 

Okay, now, as the seller you've made the deal.  This can represent a whole new set of problems.  You know you've sent the animal in a proper container, at the proper temperatures, and notified all the proper people that the animal was coming.  On the other end things break down because the person forgot the animal was coming, and it sat in an airport cargo area for a day or two.  Or, after picking it up,  they left it in a cold vehicle while they went off to party.  Or they left it in a hot car, while they went off to do something.  These are scenarios they don't tell you.   I guess you can accept the flack they'll throw at you via the internet.  You can refund their money and never do business with them again.  You can even try to replace the animal.  

There's always two sides to these mishaps.  But, speaking to the buyer, for peace of mind, spend a little money, travel to a show or sale, and buy the animal while you can look at it, and talk face-to-face with the seller. 

Update on NPI cages...

...just saw an ad in the latest Reptiles magazine for NPI Cages (Neodesha Plastics), and they now offer ones that DO stack!  And they're in a great color...black!  I don't know any more about them, as I have not seen them in person, but if they're the quality of their other cages, you can't do any better!  And no, I do NOT get a kickback for my praise...

Herps are everywhere...

Do you collect artwork of herps?  Pottery?  China?  Glassware?  Toys?  Books galore?  Anything that says "snake??!!!"  You're not alone.  Herps are mysterious to many, and very popular images.  You may find them where you least expect them.   This is part of the rather fancy tile floor in the Pennsylvania state capitol building, in Harrisburg, Pa.   It's not new, has been there for years, perhaps since the building was erected.  If you're ever there, check it out.  The capitol, itself,  is one of the most beautiful in the U.S. and one of the oldest.

Escapes...

Was going through some old photos recently, and found this one.  We keep our tortoises outside during the summer months, in wire pens that we've fashioned out of "hog panels" (available at farm stores).  They work really well.  This guy did NOT make it out, but he sure tried!  Rather disconcerting to find him like this, but he couldn't get any higher.  When it gets warm anough this year, I'll put in pics of how the pens look today, with their inhabitants.

Whoops...

...the Bronx Zoo had an Egyptian cobra get loose in the reptile house. 

Possibly a keeper's position is now available there???   Experience preferred!!!!

But without more information, all I can say is "You never leave a cage of a venomous (NOT poisonous as the media keeps referring to it) unattended.  You make sure the snake is in the cage, and the cage is secure."

That being said, we've had a few escapes around here...NONE venomous!  But we have seen that the majority of the animals never go very far.  They always seem to go to warm spaces, and are usually easy to find/catch if you go in late at night.    And they're usually on the ground, few seem to go "up."  Another ploy is to look for things that appear to have been "moved" by the animal.  Far easier when a big boa gets loose, than a small kingsnake, but there are usually telltale signs. 

I've seen the "back rooms" of several zoos, and there are plenty of places to hide.  But I feel sure they will find the snake.  Fortunately, it's too cold in New York right now, for the animal to live outside.   It is a shame for the people who paid to get into the zoo, with the specific purpose of going to the reptile house.   I'm sure the media will keep us updated.

St. Patrick's Day and where were the snakes...?

We did go snake hunting this morning at a little known cottonmouth den site.  Since the weather has been in the 60s the last few days, and was supposed to be in the 70s today, we thought we'd give it a try.

We found one Cottonmouth, and one Black Ratsnake.  Not a great day, but we did see what we set out to see.  Someone else, who followed us by about an hour, found at least 12!  So we know to start a bit later in the day.

No pictures, but the picture on the blog is a juvenile we found last year. 

We don't collect there as it's a site where there's some research going on, and we already have a cottonmouth (from another area) and we don't want any more.  It's just fun to see, and photograph, but of course we left the camera at home.

Saw a Five-lined skink at home, so the herps are coming above ground.  Of course the water turtles have been out for weeks...  Ahhhhhh, summer must be close at hand...

Great venomous cages...

....are made by NPI, aka Neodesha Plastics, Inc., in Neodesha, Kansas.      
We DO NOT sell them, but we sure use the heck out of them! Have for as long as they've been available, over 20 years easily! If you want to buy them, go to: NPICages.com.

The subject of venomous snakes can be a heated one, depending on who you talk to. There are people who have kept them successfull for years, with no adverse publicity. Then there are the newbies in reptiles, who want to start with something "hot" without even knowing basic husbandry. And lastly the drug dealers, and meth makers who keep them for whatever reason (supposed protection???)

Regardless of what category you may or may not fall in, you owe it to those around you that they feel safe as possible from incidents, such as escape, and Neodesha cages will do just that. When used correctly, they are escape-proof. I say "used correctly" because leaving the cage open, is NOT using it correctly. But as far as pushing open the lid, or crawling out a small opening, there are none!

And they are so light weight! Even the biggest, well, maybe not the 96 inch custom (if they make that one any more), is easily picked up by one person. We take ours outside, hose them down, and disinfect, before returning the cage to our snake room, and put the animal back.

One of the presumed drawbacks are that they do not stack. But seriously, do you really stack your cages? We never have, even with flat cages. We also got away from cage complexes, as we feel that individual cages are more sanitary, and there's less likelihood of diseases passing through a common wall.

Another drawback might be the cost, as they are a petroleum-based product, and so are tied in with the cost of oil. But they last for a very, very long time! We have some that are over 20 years old, and although they may have discolored, they work just fine! And I think the snakes are color blind anyway!

Got venomous, get Neodesha! End of story!