Confessions of a reptile rescuer: 2009

Reptiles and amphibians are a mystery to most people. The things that I hear about reptiles and amphibians sometimes make me giggle. I have a hard time believe that some well-educated individuals can come up with some of the oddest myths. Here are a few that I have always enjoyed.

Got warts? Toads are very bumpy creatures. The myth is that if you touch a toad, you will get warts. Not true. Kissing a frog won’t get you a prince either.

Pet peeve: People constantly tell me about poisonous snakes. They are not poisonous, they are venomous. Here is the simplest explanation: Poisonous means that if you eat the animal it makes you sick. Venomous means that if the animal bites you, you get sick. A toad is poisonous because if you get the poison from their paratoid gland (looks like football shoulder pads) in your eyes they will burn, or in some cases ingest it, you get sick. Why would you get poison in your eye? Well, if you picked up a toad and then later rubbed your eye, it could happen.

Milk snakes are found in barns because they try to drink cow’s milk. Nope. Milk snakes are called milk snakes because when they are alarmed they release a milky white substance (similar to a dog or cat musking you). It is a defense for them. No snakes drink milk. Corn snakes also don’t eat corn. They are found in cornfields because that is where mice live and they eat mice.

Snakes can hypnotize you. Sorry. This is also not true. People once thought that snakes could hypnotize, probably because they have no eyelids and so they don’t blink.

Snakes are slimy. Again, this isn’t true. I think in order to be slimy, they would need to be wet. Many snakes like the water, but they are not slimy. In fact, many are silky smooth which is why some are used to make clothing, belts, etc

Snakes will chase you and try to kill you. That was the basis of my irrational snake fear as a child. Most snakes will run and/or hide if they are threatened. They are peaceful creatures, except when they are hungry. I've heard many people tell me stories about how snakes chased them or their dogs. It's probably more likely that a dog would chase a snake and not the other way around.

Snapping turtles: A man once told me that if a snapping turtle bites you, he won’t let go until sunset. Not true. I’ve also heard that if a snapping turtle bites you it won’t let go under it hears thunder. I have no idea what the reasoning is behind those stories. I can tell you that snapping turtles are called that because they have an extremely powerful jaw and can chop off a human finger.

Shattering snakes (also known as joint snakes) never die. There is a myth that if you drop a joint snake, it will shatter and then slither away. That myth comes to us from the southern US. They have an animal called a glass lizard. It’s a legless lizard that is not a snake. It has eyelids and ears, unlike a snake which has neither. They are called glass snakes because if they break off their tails, they usually break into many small pieces (like when glass breaks). They are one type of lizard that discards their tail as a defense hoping that whatever is trying to attack them will think they have their prey and leave, leaving the tail-less animal alive to see another day. They do grow back very slowly, but are never as perfect as their original tail. And, there is no such thing as a joint snake.

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Impulse buying reptile pets

Everyone has that impulse now and then to buy something without giving it any thought beforehand. I might sound like a broken record, but I always say to do your homework. Think about your purchase. A lot of reptiles live for a very long time (some tortoises can live to 100 years). It can be expensive to house and feed reptiles, especially if they are going to become huge as adults.

If you haven’t noticed, animal shelters never allow people to come in and adopt without thinking over their adoption first. My organization does the same with our reptile and amphibian adoptions. And, over the past 11 years, I’ve noticed that an awful lot of people fill out adoption applications. Only a small percentage of people who apply actually ever adopt an animal. Lots of people change their minds after considering the responsibilities of owning the animal.

Reptile shows are a great place to buy a pet reptile or amphibian (also known as a herp or herptile). You should be prepared before you go. Do some research in the days before the reptile show. There are hundreds of websites with care sheets and thousands of books available on just about any reptile pet. Find out what size cage you’ll need. The cage and related supplies alone usually cost a lot more than the animal itself. Consider the food. You will need a cage or some type of container to keep the food. Your animal is only as healthy as the food you feed it. Some reptile food needs its own care: crickets, mealworms, mice (if you need fresh killed), fruit flies, etc.

I don’t want to sound negative, because in my mind reptiles make great pets. But I’m a realist. I’ve also done a little impulse shopping in my day. I’ve always lived with the consequences of my actions, but many people don’t. Sometimes the owner will surrender their animal to a rescue, sell it or in some tragic cases, it will die. I would much rather that people have a good experience with their pet reptile than get the wrong pet and have a terrible experience.

Always ask a lot of questions about the animal you want to purchase. You can write them down so you don’t forget. Sometimes the excitement of the new animal makes all of your questions go right out the window, and you want to be sure to get accurate information on what the breeder would suggest for proper housing and food. Hopefully, you will buy the right animal for you and have a great herp experience!

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