Reptar & Pinni

Study with Sandro Botticelli and "What's it like working at Lush"

we're looking to create an AI policy, and when we were talking about this, my boss (older millennial) was genuinely shocked to hear that younger people do not (seem) to view AI positively (a la the recent commencement speakers being booed)

please rb for larger sample size!

Question 1/3

Thank you for helping with this data collection. Please rb for as big a sample as possible!

us: WE DON'T KNOW. SHE SHOWED UP AT OUR HOUSE TWO DAYS AGO

the vet and techs were all really shocked by how sweet and stable she is and one was even like "she kind of acts like a service dog?" which I took to mean she was observing the same stuff that I was when I was thinking yesterday that she seems like she has received some positive reinforcement training. she's a very mysterious dog. she needed to take her Emotional Support Cow Ear with her to the x-ray, but she wasn't guard-y about it at all when the techs picked it up to give back to her if she dropped it etc.

Marceline

…which means it’s time for an annual reminder not to kidnap baby birds. Fact: most species of birds have almost no sense of smell. Someone probably told you that if you touch a baby bird, the mother will smell you on it and reject her baby. THAT IS NOT THE CASE. If you’ve found a baby bird and you touched it, all is not lost, you can still return it to mom and dad!

Pictured: a young Mourning Dove, after being rescued from the tender mercies of my dog, circa spring 2005. It’s a fledgling! Note how it has most of its feathers, but still looks a bit awkward and scruffy, and, being unable to properly fly, can be caught by an elderly husky or a child. 

Help, I found a baby bird on the ground, what do I do???

Hatchlings/Nestlings: IF it is naked or covered in fluffy down and/or pinfeathers and cannot flutter successfully, it’s a hatchling or nestling, and has fallen from its nest prematurely. Look for the nest- if you find it and can reach it, return baby and then leave and let the parents return. If you can’t find the nest, or if you find it in pieces on the ground, use a small box/yogurt container lined with dried grass and attach as close as possible to where you found the bird or where you think the nest was. If it’s cold, warm it in your hands for a few minutes before putting it back. RETURN BABY!!!! 

Fledglings: If you spot a young bird covered with feathers (may have a few patches of fluff) on the ground, it’s a fledgling (bird tween) who is currently working on flying 101 homework, which is normal and fine. Hanging out on the ground is part of the learning to fly process! If it looks like it’s in immediate danger (i.e. of being run over, stepped on, or eaten by a cat or dog), the best thing you can do for it is to gently scoop it up and place it in the low branches of a nearby tree or shrub, and then LEAVE. The parents are likely nearby watching, and will return once the coast is clear. If it flutter-hops away from you and you can’t catch it, then don’t worry! It just successfully avoided a predator (you), and therefore can probably continue to do so. LEAVE BABY ALONE!!!

DO NOT: Try to feed it, bring it into your house or car, or take it to your local domestic animal vet or shelter. 

I won't rehash the situation in the world and the US in particular, but some of the more recent developments made it necessary for us to move (back) to Europe. A mere three years ago I thought my adoptive country was going to be my forever home, but here we are.

I'm an EU citizen, so at least that bit is straightforward. Moving with eight reptiles however, isn't.

I can't find an airline that will allow us to travel with our snakes (in cabin or in the hold), which makes it necessary to either use a pet transport service or to ship them.

One pet transporter has quoted me $12k to move the animals. I'm waiting for more quotes, but it's unlikely that they'll be much lower.

Shipping is a viable option for snakes, but I can't imagine Shadow will tolerate being in a crate possibly for 2 days to the exporter location and then up to additional 4 days for the overseas air freight, customs, etc.

So for right now I'm trying to rehome at least Shadow the tegu. If any of you have the means and space to take her in, send me a DM, and let's talk. I'm in the Seattle/Tacoma area.

I have reached out to some snake exporters, and they can ship the snakes, and deal with the export part of the process, but I still need an import broker on the other end to clear them through customs and a veterinary inspection. That way, we "only" would have to spend about $4.5k to get the snakes from here to there.

When you're "importing" five or fewer pet reptiles (and they arrive within 5 days of when you travel), the veterinary inspection (and associated $$$ fees) can be skipped, and there's slightly less paperwork, but that means rehoming two snakes as well as Shadow.

Not thrilled about it, but if they go to a good home, I could make my peace and part with Lasso the corn and Makeba the ball python. They're both around 13 years old and healthy, great eaters, and very docile.

I'm not going to need to rehome any snakes, because as luck would have it, we have exactly five whose species are listed in CITES Appendix II (requiring export permit from USA and import permit from the destination country), so we can use a reptile-specialized exporter to ship them within 5 days of when I fly over there. We'll pay the local pet import agent to take them through customs, and I'll go to their airport office and pick them up.

The two colubrids, who aren't listed on any CITES appendices, may either travel with J when he flies to join me (if we find an airline that allows reptilian pets to travel with their people), or will get shipped in a second "batch" to satisfy the 5-day time frame requirement.

I’ve had some luck finding homes for critters on tumblr in the past so I figure I’d try here first. In the coming weeks I’ll be starting a 1 year cancer treatment plan that will leave me severely immunocompromised and unable to care for all my animals. I’d like to rehome some to lighten the load because I have so many.

I’ve got 3 female Guinea pigs I’d like to try to rehome. I’m open to having all 3 go together, or to rehome the younger 2 and the senior piggie stay with me alone (she’s got cataracts and maybe wouldn’t mind to live out alone here in peace lol).

Silkie girl was born June 17, 2020. She’s the senior and was bred by me. She’s got a cataract in one eye that was from a hay poke infection. She’s also underweight likely due to her age starting to catch up to her.

The teddy girls are full sisters born August 1st, 2024. I imported them from the states to breed but due to other things that never happened. They are too old to breed now. One is a golden solid (no eye/belly markings) and one is a golden agouti (eye and belly markings). They have teddy personality, so active, curious, nippy! One of them (golden solid) has a super mild pea eye, which is just a cosmetic thing that doesn’t require any treatment or care.

If you would be interested in two or all three (they do all live together), please contact me. We’re located in Kingston. :)

I’ve had some luck finding homes for critters on tumblr in the past so I figure I’d try here first. In the coming weeks I’ll be starting a 1 year cancer treatment plan that will leave me severely immunocompromised and unable to care for all my animals. I’d like to rehome some to lighten the load because I have so many.

Right now I have 11 fancy pigeons (mixed) that are outdoor living and not human tame. They tame up pretty easy though. Not sure of ages but none should be over 5, mixed sexes. If anyone here is interested in 1 or all please contact me! We’re located in Kingston.

Also going to post my Guinea pigs in a separate post.