My weird pets

[SkinkWitch]

I keep a variety of animals, here are some of my more unconventional ones:

Green Anole

Rose Chafer Beetle

Praying Mantis (eating jam from my sleeve lol)

Giant African Land Snail

Albino Giant Snail

Blue Tongued Skink

Hope you like them

 

[kazzymc]

WOW there brilliant love the giant snails i always remember holiding one on a school trip many years ago lol

 

[sazzy34]

Love the skink, he/she looks chilled out.
Just a question about the snails though, are they easy to look after and can they be handled ????
My boys school are looking for homes for some of there babies.

 

[Kitteh]

oh wow..!!!!!

x x

 

[SkinkWitch]

Thanks all, glad you like them, they are sweeties really!

Sazzy34, the snails are sort of easy, they need a heated tank (26-27C) and I'd advise using compost not dirt from the garden for their tank or they can pick up parasites. Apart from that they are like garden snails really, they eat the things you would expect like lettuce and cucumber. They also need calcium such as cuttlefish for their shells. If you get more than one they'll breed eventually and believe me they lay hundreds of eggs so you do need to keep a check on that! Eggs can be disposed of by putting them in the freezer overnight, they can't be released into the wild (it is illegal!). If you do decide to get some feel free to pm me, I also moderate a snail forum.

Oh and they can definitely be handled!
The captive-bred ones are totally safe for children, no parasites or disease to catch. Mine love to come out and see me, they also love a bath in lukewarm water and a drop of beer!

 

[Kitteh]

my favourite is the praying mantis..

x x

 

[natayou]

wow so interesting!!
do you know I saw some of those snails for sale outside an african food shop the other day in peckham, they are HUGE
cant imagine eating them though
oops sorry hope you dont get upset at the thought of it

 

[Carolanski]

Love the skink - they get quite big dont they?

Praying Mantis' freak me out!!! Kinda spooky looking!

We keep Crested Geckos

Kurt, Sid and Titch

Don't know how to add actual piccies so have added them as attachments

Carol x

 

[Nu77y1]

Love the B.T Skink, im looking at getting one of those soon. Like the praying Mantis too, what do you feed it on? My brother keeps Scorpions, not to keen on them.


Nicci

 

[SkinkWitch]

Nattayou - yes, they do eat the giant snails unfortunately, I suppose it's part of the African culture as they're a readily available source of food. Sometimes some folk from my snail group go to london and 'rescue' as many as they can afford.

Kitteh - I'm glad you like my little baby, I've had her for over a year now and I'm quite attached to her! She's laid me a few eggs but has no mate so they'll be infertile :cry:
Carolanski - those cresties are GORGEOUS! And they look really well cared for and happy, bless them. My skink is about 2.5 foot, fully grown.

Nu77y1 - I'd totally encourage getting a b.t.s, they're like puppies when they get to know you. I feed my mantis crickets, waxworms, moths and the occasional treat of jam or honey. I used to have some scorps but they weren't really my cup of tea either.

SW
xxx

 

[natayou]

aww bless your group rescuing the snails, so are they alive then in the boxes that i saw them in...
have you always liked these types of pets?
I really love the look of iguanas but guessing they take alot of looking after
I have never even heard of a skink before and didnt realise it was so big from the picture...2.5 ft wow
x