Golden Retrievers are one of the most popular family dogs in the United States. Their popularity is due to their excellent temperament and intelligence. We highly recommend this breed for all types of families, especially families with children of all ages. Since Goldens are sociable dogs, we do not recommend they be in an environment where they do not receive attention. Because of their large size of about 75-90 lbs. it is also not recommended that they be kept in small living conditions. Goldens make great couch potatoes, however, at younger ages they are active and require at least two walks per day. A mature Golden should have regular walks to keep them happy and healthy.

A Golden's personality and good looks are well known in the dog world...therefore, keeping your Golden well groomed and giving it lots of attention is important. Goldens are sporting dogs...they were specifically bred for hunting. Your Golden will love to retrieve objects that you throw or hide. Your Golden may even enjoy retrieving in water! Encourage this natural instinct by getting toys designed for retrieving. Providing games that utilize their natural instincts such as a simple game of stick throwing will keep your Golden happy. Goldens are also known to love tennis balls....be sure that you provide a extra large sized tennis ball (not a regular size) to prevent choking.

Goldens do require a regular grooming schedule. This is because of their long and multi-layer undercoat which sheds regularly. You may notice that your Golden has minor shedding daily, however, large shedding cycles can be as much as three to six times per year depending on weather in your area. To keep shedding under control, we recommend every two weeks a grooming schedule using a rubber curry comb (round or oval soft rubber hand comb) to first remove any loose undercoat and then a soft bristle wooden comb to make the coat shiny. Adding a teaspoon of olive oil or vegetable oil to hard kibble once per week will also help keep the coat shiny.

Goldens can have some health problems related to poor breeding. Be sure that you have investigated your breeder's history carefully for the following common health problems; hip dysplasia and immune system or allergy problems. Goldens are also susceptible to obesity and ear infections.
Posted by bird_boy

Species:
Frilled Dragon

Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover:
Agama-Frilled Dragon

Sexing and Characteristics:
The males are typically larger than the females. They also have larger heads and teeth, larger femoral pores, and tend to have brighter frill colors than the females. Females can sometimes tend to be more skittish than the males. Frilled dragons can reach up to 30 inches in length. The tail is almost double the length of their body. When adults, the frill can be fairly large--up to 12-14" in length! *The lifespan of the Frilled Dragon can reach up to 15 years. Frilled dragons range in color from olive to grayish-brown to nearly all black. Their frill ranges in color from yellow to orange to jet-black, along with spots of orange, red, and white.

Mostly Active During:
Day

Substrate and Water Needs:
Make sure to leave a large water dish in the enclosure at all times. A cat litter pan works great as a water dish for adult Frilled Dragons. Young dragons should never be housed on sand. It will more than likely cause impaction and you will either end up with an enormous vet bill, or a dead lizard. Young dragons should be housed on black and white printed newspaper, paper towels, or alfalfa pellets. *note- alfalfa pellets do cause mold and it is more high maintenance to keep clean. When your dragon gets bigger, you can house it on cypress mulch, newspaper, wheat bran, alfalfa pellets or bed a beast. I prefer bed a beast because it holds humidity a little better.

Lighting and UVB:
All Frilled Dragons require a basking light and UVB light. The basking light wattage depends on how warm your house is. Make sure you find the correct wattage to get the right temperature. I would even suggest maintaining these temperatures before your Frilled Dragon comes home. Make sure that you use a light with UVB. Many light packages say they contain "UV light", make sure the package says UVB! I usually recommend Mercury Vapor Bulbs. They are a basking light and UVB bulb in one. They come with a 1 year warranty. With regular bulbs, you have to change them every six months. Not to mention, the mercury vapor bulbs seem much brighter and it seems to make the lizards more active--which is very healthy! *UVB light is very important for the Frilled Dragon to produce enough calcium, which prevents bone deficiency and MBD. Frilled dragons need 10-12 hours of light. (The brighter the light, the better. Frilled dragons thrive under full spectrum UV light.) I put my lights on timers to make it easier, and so the light schedule stays constant.

Temperatures and Humidity:

The basking area should be around 95-100 degrees Fahrenheit. (See what your dragon prefers. If he is always under his light, bring the temp a little higher. If he is hiding from the light, bring the temperature lower)... The cool side of the tank should be 75-80 degrees. The night temperature should be kept at the mid 70’s at best, but no lower than 65 degrees. Humidity should be at least 50%, no higher than 70%. I keep mine at around 60-65%. If humidity is too high, respiratory problems may occur.

Heating and Equipment:
Do not use heat rocks! They can cause severe burns on ANY lizard. I don’t even use heat mats. They have made little to no difference in temperatures in my experience, and there is still chance of the Frilled Dragon (or any lizard) getting burned by one. During the night, if the temperature goes below 65 degrees Fahrenheit use a heat lamp or a ceramic heat emitter. These produce up to little to no light so your Frilled Dragon can sleep soundly.

Caging Provided:
The bigger the cage, the better for Frilled Dragons. They love to climb and are very active lizards. The MINIMUM for the enclosure of one adult dragon is 4’ high x 3’ wide. You can house two adult Frilled Dragons in a 6’ height x 3’ wide x 4’ long enclosure MINIMUM. I recommend building a custom enclosure. It saves money, and you can do what you want with it! There are plenty of web pages on the net to give you some ideas on how to build the enclosure yourself. You can house a hatch ling in a 10 gallon tank. They will not be able to live in a 10 gallon for very long. Juvi Frilled dragons can be housed in a 40-55 gallon tank, but they will grow fast. Make sure that Frilled Dragons have plenty of things to climb on, along with a basking spot and a large water dish. *Note- Never house a large dragon with a small one. The small one may end up being dinner! Also NEVER house different species together.

Diet:
Omnivorous

Description of Diet:
Frilled Dragons are mainly carnivorous, but may also eat some fruit and veggies. These lizards eat A LOT. Hatchlings and Juveniles should be fed every day at least 2 times a day. Adults can be fed once a day. Wait to feed them until one hour after their basking light turns on, and two hours before their lights turn of so they have time to properly digest the food. Frilled dragons can be fed live crickets, super-worms, pinky mice, meal worms, roaches, cooked eggs, and canned reptile food. The juvenile Frilled dragons should be fed pray no larger than the width between their eyes. Veggies that can be fed are collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, and dandelion greens. Go to beautifuldragons.com to get a nutrition list for greens. Mealworms, pinky mice, wax worms, and fruit should only be fed as treats.

Supplements, Nutrition and Usage:
Make sure to gut load all insects before feeding. I give my insects fresh fruit and veggies to eat off of. Dust insects/pinkies with calcium supplement powder every day for juveniles, and every other day for adults.

Maintenance:
Clean the cage every 2 weeks. What I do is scoop out fecal matter whenever I see it and replace all the bedding and disinfect the cage about every 3-4 weeks. Change the water every day, or every time you spot fecal matter in it. (Yes, Frilled Dragons love to poo in their water!) Mist them at least once daily. You can also give them a weekly bath in shallow luke warm water. *When you first get your dragon I recommend taking it to a reptile vet for a regular check up and fecal exam. Many new reptiles are known to have internal parasites that can be very dangerous to the Frilled Dragon if it goes untreated.
Some Words on this Species:
Frilled Dragons make wonderful pets for the responsible herp keeper. They have very strong personalities and are naturally curious. Juveniles may be slightly shy at first, but they warm up to their humans quickly. They are very docile. This species can be one of the most rewarding and personable of all reptile companions, next to the bearded dragon.

I hope my caresheets help you, and I hope you have fun with your frilly friend. :)

Posted by bird_boy

Species:
Yellow Tree Monitor

Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover:
N/A

Sexing and Characteristics:
A Yellow slender bodied monitor that can grow up to 5 feet total. There are black spots on the body and the tail can be banded. The teeth are sharp like razors and can draw blood easily however the bites don’t hurt as much as you would think. They are skittish and handling them can help calm them. However if yours is wild caught like mine was have patience as to how long they take to calm, I have had her for 2 years and there are times that she still wants to run and hide. They have long sharp claws that will scratch up your arms so keep that in mind. Tail whipping and bowel evacuation are also defensive mechanisms. Males have hemipenal bulges and females don’t. I have a female so I can’t say for sure, but in most species of lizards the males have enlarged femoral pores and the females have smaller femoral pores.

Mostly Active During:
Both

Substrate and Water Needs:
A large water dish that is big enough for them to "swim" in, which needs to be changed daily as they will get it filthy with dirt and feces. I have awoken in the morning to find her sound asleep completely underwater. I found that they love to dig and create burrows which can extend a pretty good distance from the entrance. So I suggest at least 3 or 4" of soil or a soil mix in which they can dig and hide. Include a hide box and make sure to include a lot of branches especially for young ones as they are arboreal and love to climb, the higher the better. The bigger the tank/enclosure the better.

Lighting and UVB:
I have a combination strip light with florescent and incandescent light bulbs. Never go over the suggested wattage of the light fixture. Day cycle should be on around 10-12 hours and the night cycle should allow for cooling, but not too much. The light bulbs should be ones made for reptiles so they get the added UVA/UVB that is important for proper health.

Temperatures and Humidity:
A basking spot of up to 125 or more. The rest of the tank should be from around 95 to 80 and the humidity should be kept high.

Heating and Equipment:
Ceramic heat elements or under tank heaters can be added if the light bulbs don’t sufficiently heat up the tank. Be careful as to how much heat is in the substrate because they need a place to escape the heat. An easy way of maintaining the correct heat levels is by having two thermometers, one near the basking spot and one near the substrate level on the other end of the tank.

Caging Provided:
I have my 27" monitor in a 75 gallon tank so she has room to run and grow. I have huge rocks holding the tank top down because she escaped from the tank one day. So I suggest tank clamps or something similiar so you don’t have to worry about escape, but don’t make the rocks too light because you don’t want the monitor to get part way out and then have the top fall on them and injure or kill them.

Diet:
Carnivorous

Description of Diet:
Meat almost any kind, eggs (cooked so the risk of Salmonella is lowered), mice, rats, crickets (when small), fish, giant meal worms and I have found that canned cat food is similar enough to the canned monitor/tegu food to be fed. They are scavengers also so if you see that they don’t eat right away don’t be alarmed. I feed her twice a week but it can vary on size and what you are giving, if you give a big meal don’t feed them the next day if it’s a small meal maybe feed in another day or 2.

Supplements, Nutrition and Usage:
All food should be dusted with vitamin and calcium powder. I also use a vitamin spray everyday.
Maintenance:
As long as you keep the water fresh, don’t leave food in past a couple of days and maintain heat and humidity you should have a happy healthy monitor.

Some Words on this Species:
This is a relatively new species only discovered in 1997 in Indonesia.

I hope my caresheets help you, and I hope you are careful with your newly discovered friend. :)

Posted by bird_boy

Species:
Ball Python

Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover:
none

Sexing and Characteristics:
Males are generally shorter with less girth and females are bigger and usually fatter than males as with all snakes. Males and a hempenis.Your snake can be probed to find out what kind of sex it is.

Mostly Active During:
Night

Substrate and Water Needs:
I prefer Aspen but many other substrates an be used like:newspaper,cypress bed,cage carpet,desert snow,sani chips,and many many more.On the wood materials make sure to freeze them or bake them to prevent mites.DO NOT USE CEDAR OR PINE BECAUSE THEY ARE POISONOUS!

Lighting and UVB:
75 to 100 watt light bulb or ceramic heater.

Temperatures and Humidity:
85 to 90 on the hot side and 75 to 80 on the cool side and at night about 75 to 80.

Heating and Equipment:
75 watt to 100 watt depending on snakes cage size.I prefer the reptile bulbs or the ceramic heater and a heat mat can also be used.NO HEAT ROCKS THEY CAN BURN THE SNAKE AND ARE A WASTE OF MONEY!

Caging Provided:
Many people say a 20 gallon and it is fine but I prefer a 30 to 40 gallon I have a vision cage and it equals out to about 50 gallons if you have the money its worth your money to buy one because you can also stack them.

Diet:
Carnivorous

Description of Diet:
Baby-Fuzzy to small mouse Sub adult-Large mouse to small rat Adult-Medium to large rat

Supplements, Nutrition and Usage:
None

Maintenance:
Very easy to take care of just spot check every week change water daily and take out fecal that is left in the tank but other wise very easy to take care of.

Some Words on this Species:
They are great snakes for the experienced or the beginners and I love mine.Also many people love them because there calm demeanor and they size males 3.5 to 4.5 feet and females 4 to 5 feet.

I hope my caresheets help you, and I hope you have fun with your ball python. :)

Posted by bird_boy

Gerbils are easily tamed and will bite less then their cousins, the Hamster. Gerbils have a very gentle attitude and are not easily scared or startled like the Hamster. They are very active, social and playful animals! They are not nocturnal like their Hamster Cousins, so they are playing during the day and at night! They love to sleep together in groups as well! Gerbils are very social and are comfortable in pairs, unless you are wanting to breed, keep only the same sex in the cage together. Please remember, if plan on keeping two together, then they should be purchased at the same time so they could be raised together!

Housing:
Gerbils can adapt to any type of small animal cage. The most important thing to remember that the cage needs to allow plenty of room for the Gerbil to play and burrow. So a wire bottom cage is not appropriate for Gerbils! The SuperPet CritterTrials and Starter Homes are good prepackaged cage purchase choice. But if you can afford it, the best cage for a gerbil is a long aquarium, such as a 20 gallon long tank. The 20 Long will house up to 4-6 Gerbils. This will provide the gerbil with a chew proof cage that can be filled deep with a layer of comfy bedding that they can dig and burrow through. You can hide pieces of PVC pipe/ or SuperPet Tunnels in the bedding for them to run and play through, satisfying their natural instinct. You can also purchase a tank top to secure on top of the tank. Tank tops are wire tops that secure to the top of the aquarium. If you are just buying 1 - 2 Gerbils then a 10 gallon tank and top set up is sufficient.

Bedding:
Gerbils should kept in Aspen, CareFresh or shredded newspaper bedding. Cedar is not safe for small animals due to the oils in the wood. The Cedar is known to cause respiratory damage and even death in small animals. Pine Bedding, some experts say yes it is safe while others say no. Many Breeders will use Aspen while others are still using Pine Shavings.

Feeding:
It is HIGHLY recommended that you feed your Gerbil high quality of food. The reason why is because the higher quality of food has the necessary vitamins and minerals in them for your Gerbil. The lower end food lines that the Super Chain Stores and Grocery store sells contains only fat and fillers, nothing for nutritional value! For example, you do not want to feed you and your family nothing but candy every day for the rest of your life. You will end up having health problems and die at a younger age. This is what you are doing if you feed low end food to your pet!! You will find that by feeding your pet the better food will improve its life span and will show more signs of being healthy! And a lot of the times, the Pet Stores are cheaper on the better food products then Super Discount Chain Stores. Remember that this pet is part of your family now! Remember to feed daily the Gerbil/Rodent Block seed mix. You can offer your Gerbil vegetables only in small amounts. Vegetables contains moisture and too much moisture can cause digestive problems. Also remember to remove any uneaten vegetables at the end of the day. You can also provide bread, in small amounts, also, Hay such as Timothy as well to the gerbil as a treat. Chew toys and treats should be given to gerbils also. You can place paper towel rolls in the cages so the gerbils can chew and play with it.
Provide fresh water at all times!

Tid Bits:
With PROPER care Gerbils can live 3-4 years on the average. Now if you are doing minimal care and feeding low grade foods then your Gerbil's life span is cut in half to 6 months to 1 year.
Never lift a gerbil or pull it by its tail. The tail is very fragile. They should be picked up slowly by cupping the body in both hands. Gerbils can jump, so be careful when holding them. Gerbils go thru stages as it grows older, just like children to teenagers then into adult hood! Every gerbil is different in their personality! Be patient and respectful toward your gerbil and do not let a nip scare you away. Gerbils are very curious and playful creatures! Gerbils love to dig, burrow, and run in wheels/balls. They also love to chew and they will constantly will chew on anything they can. So provide lots of chew toys for them! The chew toys will help keep their teeth cut down!!

I hope my caresheets help you, and I hope you have fun with your fur friend. :)

Posted by bird_boy

Common Name:

Papillon

Other Common Names:

Continental Toy Spaniel, Butterfly Spaniel, Dwarf Spaniel

Scientific Name:

Canis familiaris (Full Taxonomy)

Group:

N/A

Origin or Range:

N/A

Europe Relative Size:

Much Smaller Than Average (as compared to other dogs)

Average Lifespan:

??? year(s)

Compatibility:

Relatively Non-Aggressive (as compared to other dogs)

Category:

Mammals » Dogs

Animal Description:
An ancient breed, the Papillon is known to have existed as early as the 14th century and there is a strong possibility that they were bred well before that.
The Papillon, also known as the "Continental Toy Spaniel", "Butterfly Spaniel" or "Dwarf Spaniel", is a steady, friendly toy breed. They do well in most any environment and make good watchdogs. Although quite active outdoors, the Papillon (pronounced "pappy-yon") is relatively calm indoors, making them quite adaptable to apartment living. Papillons are quite friendly, particularly towards those they consider family. They may bark at strangers and be possessive of their home and family, making them good watchdogs. The Papillon is not, however, a "yappy" dog, unlike other toy breeds. Papillons are quite intelligent, albeit stubborn, and can be taught simple tricks. Although most members of the breed are quite easy to train, others are more difficult. The Papillon can do well with other animals if socialized to them as a pup. However, some members of the breed may be aggressive towards other dogs. Papillons, although quite sturdy, are nonetheless small dogs, which makes them susceptible to injury from over boisterous children. For this reason, it is best if the Papillon's family consists of older, gentle children. The Papillon is an ideal pet for individuals who enjoy outdoor activity paired with quiet time at home. Some lines of Papillons are high-strung and timid, while others can be difficult to housebreak. The Papillon is a unique looking dog. Quite small, most Papillons do not exceed 11 inches in height or weigh more than ten pounds. Despite their diminutive size, however, the Papillon stands out. This is mostly due to its ears, which are quite large and resemble butterfly wings. In fact, it is the dog's ears that have caused it to be called "Butterfly Spaniel." The Papillon's ears are usually a darker color than the rest of the coat, which is always white. Most Papillons have spots of some darker color on the coat, as well as on the ears and around the eyes. Papillons have long, luxurious coats and a slightly pointed muzzle. The tail is long and carried over the back. Its exact origin of the Papillon is unknown. While it is likely the breed originated in Spain or Italy, people in both France and Belgium also claim the breed started in their country. Wherever its origin, the Papillon was featured in many paintings and frescoes of Renaissance Italy. The Papillon was originally known as the Dwarf Spaniel because of its Spaniel-type ears. It was later known as the Continental Toy Spaniel. The Papillon is recognized by all major Kennel Clubs.

Specific Care Information:

N/A

Relative Care Ease:

Average. The Papillon's long, silky coat requires daily combing to keep it from matting. Although Papillons are usually clean and odorless, the dogs should be bathed when necessary. Papillons are quite active animals and love going for walks or runs. However, the dog will remain happy even if a couple of days pass between walks. Some common health problems associated with the Papillon include kneecap problems (patella) and fontanel. Some Papillons have problems with anesthesia.

Breeding and Propagation:

N/A

Relative Breeding Ease:

Average. Like all dogs, over-breeding any individual Papillon may be harmful to his or her health.

I hope my caresheets help you, and I hope you have fun with your big-eared friend. :)

Posted by bird_boy

Species:
Reticulated python

Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover:
N/A

Sexing and Characteristics:
Determining the sex can be attained by probing or popping; both of which should be done by professionals.

Mostly Active During:
Night

Substrate and Water Needs:
Newspaper is the cheapest & easiest with regards to cleaning & disinfecting. Cypress mulch is great for controlling humidity. Aspen also works well. Never use any substrate containing cedar, as this is deadly to reptiles!

Lighting and UVB:
A 12/12 (12 hours on 12 hours off) cycle should be provided.

Temperatures and Humidity:
Temperature: Provide your retic with a basking spot of 90-95F and an ambient (background) temperature of 78-80 °F. The ambient temperature should not fall below 75. A great way to monitor temps is to use a digital indoor/outdoor thermometer with a probe. Stick the thermometer to the inside of the cage on the cool end and place the probe on the warm end, and you’ll have both sides covered at once. Humidity: Providing proper humidity for reticulated pythons is important to ensure a healthy environment and aid in shedding, but as stated previously too much humidity can be as problematic as too little. 50%-60% is the right amount. There are a couple ways to maintain humidity. One would be to use cypress mulch. Cypress is good for this as it turns a tan color when dry & a rich brown when wet, giving a visual cue as to when it needs to be dampened again. Another is a humidity box. Get a plastic container with damp sphagnum moss or paper towels, cutting a hole in the top or side & placing it in your python’s enclosure so that it can access the box as it pleases.

Heating and Equipment:
There are several ways to go about heating the enclosure: under cage heating pads and basking bulbs. Use thermostats, rheostats and/or timers to control your heat source. Do not use hot rocks with as they can seriously burn your snake.

Caging Provided:
Hatchling reticulated pythons can be kept in a 10 gallon aquarium for a short period of time. Juvenile (4’-8’ in length) reticulated pythons can be kept in a 4’ long X 2’ wide X 18" high enclosure. Adults (10’+) will require a large enclosure. An adult male can fit comfortably in a 6’ long X 3’ wide X 18" high enclosure. While females will require an 8’ long X 3’ wide X 18" high.

Diet:
Carnivorous

Description of Diet:
Feed your snake an appropriately sized rodent weekly. Hatchlings can take on an adult mouse or rat pups for a short period of time. At 3’, the snake is large enough for weanling rats. At 4’, it is typically capable of consuming adult rats. Do not handle your snake for at least a day after feeding, as this can lead to regurgitation. Reticulated pythons have a terrific feeding response and are generally easy to get started on frozen thawed or pre-killed food. Never leave a live rodent unattended with ANY snake! You can feed your hatchling reticulated python every 3-5 days. While decreasing the amount of times fed as it gets older. It is possible to somewhat "stunt" your snakes growth. But this will leave you with a hungry reticulated python that is constantly searching for food. Resulting in a stronger feeding response. However, if feeding twice a week this will result in faster growth. NEVER handle a rodent, then handle your reticulated python; as you may be mistaken for food. Before buying one, you may want to make sure you have a constant food supply to keep this snake from hatchling to adult. Meaning from adult mice-large rabbits (maybe even pigs.) Contact other retic keepers or members of a local herp society to help point you in the right direction

Supplements, Nutrition and Usage:
N/A

Maintenance:
Spot-clean you snakes cage when necessary. Clean and disinfect the water bowl on a weekly basis. If you must clean the whole cage use a 5% bleach solution. Rinse the enclosure thoroughly and allow to completely dry before replacing cage furniture and you snake.

Some Words on this Species:
The largest of the pythons, this is a long and relatively slender snake. Large specimens can attain considerable mass and bulk, specimens over 300 pounds are reported. The record length slightly exceeds 33 feet. Retics or tics (as they are known) have big heads that are distinctly wider than the necks. Most specimens have orange eyes. Most specimens have pale dorsal blotches on the back, and smaller white lateral blotches high on the sides. Difficulty level: ADVANCED! The keeper of this type of snake should have a lot of experience with other large boids. THESE ARE NOT BEGINNER SNAKES! If properly kept by a knowledgeable owner they behave well and are a spectacular sight as a large, tame python.

I hope my caresheets help you, and be careful with your long scaly friend. :)

Posted by bird_boy

Species:
Goldfish

Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover:
rosy reds, comets.

Sexing and Characteristics:
N/A

Mostly Active During:
Both

Substrate and Water Needs:
You can keep either gravel or no gravel. Up to you!

Lighting and UVB:
No required lighting, unless you plan on having live plants.

Temperatures and Humidity:
Anywhere from 50-70

Heating and Equipment:
Any kind of power filter will do, air pump is almost always a must for any fish. For goldfish indoors, you really don’t need a heater. Thermometer of course!

Caging Provided:
I keep my goldies as strictly feeder fish for my lionfish, although they are really fatty for them.Any tank is fine, really. I’d say anywhere from 1/2 gallon and up, as long as it has a filter

and an air pump.

Diet:
Omnivorous

Description of Diet:
Regular goldfish flakes they thrive on.

Supplements, Nutrition and Usage:
None

Maintenance:
Water change once every two weeks.

Some Words on this Species:
These are dirty fish! Excellent first fish. EXTREMELY hardy.

I hope my caresheets help you, and I hope you have fun observing your colerful fish friend. :)

Posted by bird_boy

Caresheets for your pajama cardinal

scientific name:
Spaeramia nematoptera

typical aquarium size:
3"

feeding requirements:
meaty foods, including brine shrimp, mysis shrimp and other seafoods

hardiness once acclimated:
very good; healthy specimens usually adapt readily

fish compatibility:
quite peaceful with unrelated species, but their small size and slow movements make them easy targets for more aggressive fish

reef compatibility:
excellent; do not pick on corals or clams, and eat only the smallest of shrimp

other comments:
a hardy species, good for beginners and smaller tanks; best kept in singles or pairs; schools work short-term for juveniles, but once adults start pairing off, the remaining fish are driven away.

I hope my caresheet helps you, and I hope you have fun with your new fish friend. :)

Posted by bird_boy

Caresheets for a fuzzy dwarf lionfish

scientific name:
Dendrochirus brachypterus

typical aquarium size:
6"

feeding requirements:
meaty foods, including fish, shrimp and other seafoods; may require live fish or ghost shrimp at first

hardiness once acclimated:
very good; healthy specimens usually adapt readily and grow quickly

fish compatibility:
eats any fish or crustacean that fits in it's mouth; otherwise not particularly aggressive; several can usually be kept together

reef compatibility:
eats decorative shrimp and crabs, but doesn't directly attack corals, polyps or clams

other comments:
VENOMOUS, avoid contact with spines; one of the hardier, smaller species of lionfish; hiding places should be provided; may not compete well for food with more active fishes.

I hope my caresheets help you, and be careful with your new lionfish friend. :)

Posted by bird_boy

Caresheets for your caiman

Species:
Spectacled Caiman

Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover:
Dwarf Caiman, Culver’s Dwarf Caiman, Yacari Caiman, Piranha Caiman

Sexing and Characteristics:
Males tend to grow faster. When the cloaca is large enough to put your pinky in, you can sex them. This usually doesn’t happen until they are about 2-3 years old and about 3-4 feet. I don’t recommend probing, because a slight miss can ruin your croc.

Mostly Active During:
Night

Substrate and Water Needs:
Take the length of your largest caiman and use 2 x that amount for the width and 3 x that for the length of the water area. Have enough land area around it for them to bask comfortably. Most of mine have always spent most of their time in the water, but occasionally like to get out for a few minutes and "hide" in the grass.

Lighting and UVB:
I have always used UVA and UVB for daytime and heat elements without light for night time, when they have been kept indoors.

Temperatures and Humidity:
They seem to love it between 85-90 F. Both water and air temp.

Heating and Equipment:
When indoors, I use a heating element in the water set at 85. Outdoors I’ve always let the Texas sun do all of my heating.

Caging Provided:
Right now the 9 big guys are in a 2500 gallon pond measuring 18 ft x 12 ft, surrounded on all four sides by a 3 foot walking path which is fenced and gated. For those long cold Texas winters we throw greenhouse plastic over the entire thing.

Diet:
Carnivorous

Description of Diet:
Chicken (not too much because the additives can affect their breeding tendencies). Live fish in the pond at times, but mostly dead fish, deer, steak, any meet that went bad in the freezer, any road kill that lands in the yard, any rabbits, bunnies or squirrels that our neighbors catch and need to discard, and I haven’t seen the neighborhood bully around for a while (just kidding!).

Supplements, Nutrition and Usage:
Reptile calcium and vitamins on occasion. Especially if I’ve been feeding them meat without bones for a while.

Maintenance:
Clean the filters regularly! And believe me, croc poo stinks!

Some Words on this Species:
No matter what you are told, they do not "only grow as large as their enclosure" and you can NEVER tame them. There is 250,000,000 years of killer survival instinct going on that has not had to make any real changes in all that time.

I hope my caresheets help you, and I hope you are catious with you pet caiman. :)

Posted by bird_boy

Species:
American Alligator

Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover:
New born to juveniles (6 inches-12 inches; 1 day to 1 yr old) Juveniles to sub-adults (12 inches to 5 ft.;1yr-5 yrs.) Adults (5ft.;5 years +) AGE AND SIZE DO NOT NECESSARILY ALWAYS MATCH; GENETICS AND FEEDING ARE THE DECIDING FACTORS

Sexing and Characteristics:
Although anyone with practice can indeed sex an alligator using a specialized probe it is much easier to have your local vet trained in the care of these ancient creatures check for you while giving a routine examination after your purchase. While baby alligators are in fact "cute" and can be enjoyable, please remember...Alligators DO grow up, usually at the rate of one foot per year. Growth to some extent can be controlled by diet but genetics is the key factor. Consider your decision to purchase this pet carefully. This is truly a pet that will need to be handed down to the next generation; the average life span of an Alligator is (with excellent care) approximately 50 years +. The average size for an adult raised in captivity seems to be somewhere around 4 to 7 feet. But remember....this is still 4 to 7 feet of Alligator. Use common sense, read everything you can and always realize that although Alligators seem tame, they actually view humans naturally as a threat and as a means by which they are fed. Use caution when feeding larger Alligators...this is common sense. The instinct of 100 million years is not going to disappear....ever.

Mostly Active During:
Both

Substrate and Water Needs:
New born to juveniles; Hatch-lings and young alligators up to 12" may be housed in a 40 gallon long reptile tank. Avoid using small pebbles especially as these materials can and do get lodged in the intestinal tracks actually leading to an untimely death. Babies and the very young are very healthy eaters and usually will eat the substrate along with the food being offered. I use larger natural rocks (boiled in water with a bleach additive of 1:10 parts bleach to water prior to placing in the tank. This avoids any bacteria or parasites to contaminate the Alligators). Under-gravel filters work well if maintained on a consistent basis. However, harmful bacteria can build up under the gravel if not properly cleaned. I recommend a complete water change regardless of the substrate at LEAST twice a month or more if necessary. Be sure to use a de-chlor product suitable to amphibians. For larger more mature Alligators, 12 inches plus regardless of age, I use children’s play sand that has been thoroughly cleaned (play sand can be boiled clean in a large container, heated to a boil and stirred. This will kill and potentially harmful bacteria and/or parasites that may be present.) A smaller pond and/or pool filter can be used for larger enclosures. Check out your local classifieds for used filtration systems. You can save a bundle. Be sure when housing a larger Alligator outside during acceptable weather that any fencing provided as a barrier is placed at least 1 to 2 feet below the ground as these guys love to dig. Having your neighbor ask you if you have seen her cat is an awkward way to discover your 4 foot pet is not in its enclosure. Water temperature, regardless of the size or age of the Alligator should be maintained at approximately 75 to 85 degrees F. This can be maintained in an aquarium with non-glass heaters(if you use a glass heater, be sure to disguise it well as broken glass and young Alligators who will eat anything is not a good mix). For larger indoor or outdoor enclosures, child wading pools or pre-fabicated ponds work very nicely. Relatively inexpensive pond heaters, pool heaters or even larger aquarium heaters can be used. Be sure that no matter what the size of the enclosure, whether an aquarium for the young or the wading pool for the larger, be sure there is enough water to allow the Alligator to totally submerse itself. Air temperatures of ranging in the high 70’s to 80’s is acceptable but be sure to provide and area in the enclosure for basking. This can be achieved easily using heat lamps designed for reptiles. Caution: DO NOT purchase standard clip-on light fixtures; these are not meant to be on for long periods of time and there is a very REAL possibility of fire. Use only the heat lamps that have the ceramic fixture where the bulb is inserted. Please remember that water and electricity do not mix; always be sure to use a power surge power strip and hang it higher than the area of placement.

Lighting and UVB:
The debate for the use of specialty UV lighting continues regardless of specie. I prefer to use the UV light for the Alligators, especially while new born up to juvenile stages. There is no definitive long term study as of yet and after reading through the various zoological articles on the subject, UV lighting use remains a 50/50 spit for and against. For larger gators, I continue to use the ceramic based heat lamps to provide heat and basking temperatures.
Temperatures and Humidity:
Alligators enjoy humidity but must also have "cooler" areas within the enclosure regardless of size. There is no need to provide any type of mechanical device to provide humidity. Mother nature will continue that process for you as long as you have water and heat. Be sure to observe the heat temperatures above. Once you begin to monitor the over-all air temperature in the enclosure, the humidity will take care of itself.

Heating and Equipment:
Basic equipment for any Alligator enthusiast should include a thick rubber band to secure the jaws when clipping toe nails (this is usually not necessary however accident can happen. Usually having a good hard surface for the substrate (IE. rocks or concrete) will naturally keep nails at proper length. With larger animals, keeping a "mechanical reach-er" is a good idea. This will help the Alligator distinguish your hand from its dinner. when working in outdoor enclosures, an "Alligator shield" can be made from simple plywood cut in the shape of a circle. Add metal handles to one side. these shields, although rarely used, can be a simple an effective way of putting a safe space between you and your Alligator who may have woken up on the wrong side of the pond. Keep it handy. My advise is to not feed or clean enclosures of the larger Alligators without someone else present. Remember...rule #1...these are instinctive creatures...they may always be docile...but there is that possibility that can bring disaster. Being prepared is the best policy.

Caging Provided:
For hatch-lings, I use a standard 40 gallon long reptile tank with the built in slide lid. This is a god size for 2 hatch-lings. Be sure if an under-gravel type filter is used that the cleaning recommendations as described above are followed. Use the larger, flat surface rocks to build up an area to allow the hatch-lings to leave the water and to bask in order to maintain temperature. By using a heat lamp in this size enclosure, there is actually no need for additional aquarium type heating elements. Larger tanks, such a a 50 gallon long or larger will need the heater to help maintain temperature. For larger Alligators, especially sub adults, I have found that store fixtures obtained through local swap meets and second hand stores are ideal. Larger jewelery, trophy and display cases provide adequate space an attractive display for your home. Be sure to remove any metal shelf brackets. Fill holes with a filler that is water proof. This can be found at boating stores and even larger discount retailers for a few dollars. After filling any holes in the solid backs and floors, paint the interior with a marine paint (be sure to check the manufacturer label and purchase only nontoxic environmentally safe products to avoid contamination to the Alligator.) Seal all corners and side of the case with a nontoxic clear caulking. This will help maintain temperature. A large plastic pan can be used for the water area. Especially useful are the plastic concrete pans sold at most home stores. Build up the rest of the area with rocks until even with the water containers edge. This allows the Alligator to come and go in and out of the water at its’ leisure. If the unit has sliding glass doors, be sure that the glass is in fact not less than 1/4 inch thick. Most cases use this as a standard thickness. You can purchase a specialty lock at just about any glass shop and some retailer stores. For larger indoor areas, a room dedicated to the Alligator is best but not everyone can afford to give up the home office or guestroom for their 6 foot + companion. If housing in a basement, provide the same lighting and temperatures for water and air as described above. Remember to check the area for any type of pesticides and/or chemical containers. Wash the area thoroughly using a mild dish soap and scrub brush (save your back...screw or duct tape the brush onto a painting pole). Pre-fabricated chain link dog kennels make great basement enclosures, are easily maintained, relatively inexpensive and provide a safe environment. Substrate should be of natural material such as rocks, children’s play sand or pea-gravel. DO NOT use pine bedding. It is not only unsightly, but when wet can foster harmful bacteria. Perhaps the easiest and most affordable way to keep indoor and outdoor enclosures clean is with the use of a 50 gallon + wet/dry vac. Be sure to introduce this piece of machinery slowly. It can cause anxiety in your Alligator but over time wil

Diet:
Carnivorous

Description of Diet:
There has always been heated discussions of what exactly to feed an Alligator in captivity. But I believe that common sense is often the best way to go. Simply put, Alligators are carnivorous but that doesn’t mean it becomes the family garbage disposal. Hatch-lings can be fed mice pinkies, occasionally crickets and super worms. I avidly avoid chicken and store purchased meat. Chicken and beef can harbor bacteria, is expensive and difficult to store. Neither can provide a balance nutritional meal for your Alligator. I have found that pre-killed rats (usually purchased frozen from pet outlets) are perfect for larger juveniles and sub-adults. Be sure when feeding the frozen rats that it has been thoroughly defrosted. This can be easily achieved by soaking it in warm water for approximately one hour prior to feeding. NEVER feed an Alligator frozen food of any type. The freezing temperature can cause serious gastro-intestinal damage including death. Rabbits purchased and thawed in the same manner may be used with the larger adults. Many people do in fact raise their own rats as a feeding source. This can be done in a home or apartment setting with relative ease. Raising rabbits on the other hand can not be. If feeding an Alligator appears costly, you are quite correct. However, again, please DO NOT consider an Alligator as a pet unless you are willing to provide all of the proper and necessary care, food and above all, finances that it will require.

Supplements, Nutrition and Usage:
Alligators fed on a strict diet of whole pinkies, rats or rabbits really do not require a supplement. Since the feeder animal is basically tenderized and swallowed relatively whole by the Alligator, all of the minerals and vitamins necessary will be extracted from the feeder.

Maintenance:
Be especially careful to keep algae from growing in the Alligators water container and/or enclosure. Algae can be very harmful to the Alligators respiratory and digestive systems. Always play a yearly trip to your local herp vet. Observe your Alligator daily and be aware of any changes that may seem unusually. However for the most part, given the basic care and feeding as described above, I have found that my Alligators are healthy, content creatures that I look forward to being around for many years to come.

Some Words on this Species:
Please remember...any pet, a dog, cat, reptiles such as lizard and snakes...anything can show aggression. Alligators have gotten bad press due to recent attacks on humans and companion animals. But never forget...although the Alligator will more than likely adjust to you and to his home and may even seem cooperative and "tame"...beware. Always put safety first both for yourself and your Alligator.

I hope my caresheets help you, and I hope you are catious with you pet alligator. :)

Posted by bird_boy

Caresheets for ringneck doves

Species:
Ringneck Doves

Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover:
All versions and mutations of ringneck turtle doves.

Sexing and Characteristics:
There are many mutations of ringneck doves now available including white, pied, and varing shades and tones of the common brownish cinnamon collor. Ther are not sexually dimorphic which means that the sex of the bird cannot be told from appearance. DNA sexing is the only deffinite way to tell. But experianced dove breeders can tell by feeling the pelvic bone of the bird. I’ve also noticed that male doves will coo louder and more often than females.

Mostly Active During:
Day

Substrate and Water Needs:
These birds to extremely well in an outdoor flight pen or aviary. They can be kept in a cage made for an amazon parrot or macaw, but I don’t recommend it. In my aviary, I use straw as the substrate and they will use it to line their nests. In a cage, the best substrate would be newspaper or aspen shavings. Water should be provided in a dish. In an indoor cage, the type of dish that locks to the side of the cage works the best. These birds generally do not bathe often like cockatiels and parakeets do. However, in the summer I will put the sprinkler on so it goes sprinkles into the pen a little and they will sometimes go take a shower.

Lighting and UVB:
They need at least 10 hours of daylight every day. In an aviary, this is easy to achieve. In an indoor cage, the cage is best put near a window or put outside for a few hours. Pure direct sunlight is also necessary for a doves will being. Again this is easy to achieve in an aviary. Just make sure that the whole cage or pen is not in direct sunlight and that the bird can retreat to some shade if it gets too hot.

Temperatures and Humidity:
Doves are very hardy creatures. If kept on a well fed diet and given adaquate higing places, a dove can cope well to just about any type of weather as long as the temp doesn’t get below 29 degrees. I keep my doves out year round and they do well in all conditions including freezing 32 degree weather, wind, rain, downpours, and hot weather up to 108.

Heating and Equipment:
No heating is necessary.

Caging Provided:
All my doves are kept in two 7 foot high, 6 foot long and 5 foot wide outdoor aviaries. Two of the sides are open with 1/2 inch chicken wire and the other two wooden. Both pens have a roof. They also have boxes, and other hidey holes made from wood to retreat to if they wish.

Diet:
N/A

Description of Diet:
Ringneck doves should be fed a staple diet of a quality dove or pigeon seed mix. The seed mix should be available to them at all times. treats can also be given. My doves enjoy wheat bread, romain lettuce and spinach.

Supplements, Nutrition and Usage:
No supplements are necessary

Maintenance:
Very easy to care for. The substrate at the bottom of a cage trey should be cleaned weekly. A flight pen only has to be completely cleaned out about once a month depending on the size of the pen and number of doves. Fresh water and food should be available at all times. Perches of varying degrees of type and thickness should be provided. Generally a perch for a ringneck dove can be no smaller than the thickness of a standard wooden broom handle. Square perches and fruit tree brances can be used to exercise the toes and provide variety. All doves should have a ledge made out of a 2x4 to perch and rest on. Ledges are prone to being pooped on so they must be cleaned off and scraped weekly.

Some Words on this Species:
These are very gentle and somewhat timid birds. Youngsters that have just been weaned are easy to tame. Adults can be more of a challenge, but it’s still possible. They can even be handfed as babies for maximum friendlness and excellent companions. Although this is difficult for the unexperianced. They can be territorial though.but they can sucessfully share an aviary with pigeons as long as the aviary is big enough for each dove to have it’s personal space. I wouldn’t recommend putting doves with finches though. Another interesting aspect about the dove is it’s cooing. They can coo much louder than people believed and mine like to put their heads in an almost empy food dish and coo so it seems louder. And although they are active in the day and sleep at night, they coo at night too. Mine will regularly coo at 11:00 at night and 2:00 in the morning. When I had a pair indoors, they even cood if the cage was covered. Another note is that a dove doesn’t have to be covered at night. They are very hardy birds that can adapt will to just about any climate.

So I hope my caresheets help you, and I hope you have fun with your Ringneck Dove. :)
Posted by bird_boy

Caresheets for the african grey parrot

Species: African grey parrot

Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover: N/A

Sexing and Characteristics: N/A

Mostly Active During: N/A

Substrate and Water Needs: I think a good 8 ounce tub will do for water needs for substrate I think newspaper is the best

Lighting and UVB: No uvb is required but it wouldn’t hurt but doesn’t help

Temperatures and Humidity: I suggest 80 degrees and 40% humidity

Heating and Equipment: If its cold you should raise the temp or put a blanket over cage humidifier should be at least 1 and a half feet away from the cage

Caging Provided: I use a empty room for my african grey pair but a minimum for 1 from what i think is twice the wingspan that is what i suggest

Diet: Herbivorous

Description of Diet: If you think all they at are seeds your wrong i recommend 15% seeds 15% vegetables 20% nuts 50%fruits

Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: Don't know sorry:(

Maintenance: Clean cage 2 times a week

Some Words on this Species: I suggest these if you can take care of them everyday because a big reason all animals are in a shelter is because the animal gets aggressive because they need something your not doing right also i recommend not to clip there wings

So I hope my caresheets help you, and I hope you have fun with your african grey. :)
Posted by bird_boy

Caresheets for cockatiels and parakeets

Species: Cockatiels, parakeets

Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover: small conures

Sexing and Characteristics: Parakeets-cere color-blue/male, brown or pink/female cockatiels-cheek patches, head color-bright,lots of yellow/male, faded/female

Mostly Active During: Day

Substrate and Water Needs: Newspaper, butcher paper for cage bottom water dish fresh water daily

Lighting and UVB: Uvb lights are helpful if it is a dark room, but not a necessity

Temperatures and Humidity: Can live outside all year up to zone 5 if outside all the time. Would die if was an inside bird and escaped out in the winter. Otherwise room temp is fine.

Heating and Equipment: N/a

Caging Provided: MINIMUM cage should be at least double the height of the bird, 1 1/2 times wider than the wingspan.

Diet: Herbivorous

Description of Diet: Seed is 75% of their diet. The other is people food. If it’s healthy for you, it’s good for them. (NO chocolate, avacoado, light side on the dairy)

Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: Cuttle bones for calcium

Maintenance: Keep the cage tidy. Spray with warm water 1 or 2 times a week (in the morning, so they can dry all day) or allow them to bathe in a sink in an inch or so of water.

Some Words on this Species: Parakeets will chatter all day. Conures are usually noisy also. Cockatiels can be, but are usually quieter if they are happy. All will talk to different degrees.

So I hope my caresheet helped you, and I hope you have fun with your cockatiel or parakeet. :)

Posted by Bird_Boy