Why am I awake? Anyone? Bueller?
Jul. 17th, 2007 07:09 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mad_andySlay has this really really bad habit of waking me up before he goes to work.
It's my day off. Do not be waking me up at HALF PAST SIX in the blasted morning. It makes me cross.
Well, I have to take a stroll up the shop today to pick up some supplements for the chameleon (now known as Bender because of his legs). He's in less than ideal conditions at the moment - I lack a UV light for him - but he's warm enough, and comfortable. He isn't moving much, which is worrying, and I can't get him to feed, but he is drinking and hopefully there'll be some locusts left at the shop I can give him. If not, it's syringing for another couple of days until I can get him some. He hates that, and has started to puff up and hiss when he spots the piece of white plastic in my hand!
Not that I'm complaining, it makes it easier to squirt it into his mouth. If he gets better he's gonna hate my guts.
Got quite a shock when moving the pygmies yesterday - I found one of the adult females I'd bought had died, and from the state of her it was definitely murder. I've read that they can sometimes have fallings-out that result in the death of one of the group, so I was disappointed but not entirely surprised. I'd seen the other two about, and heard some squeaks - tiny, very high pitched sounds - coming from the nest box when I moved it, so still had high hopes.
Imagine my surprise, then, when I settled in to watch them explore their new house, when the first two out were both babies, probably about two weeks old!
So with any luck the dominant female has another litter, and these two are why she and the male turned on the other female. Now that they've got more room I'm not anticipating any more trouble - if they throw the grown on babies out of the nest they have enough room to be able to stay out of the way. I'm going to continue with a hands-off management plan - once there's a few subadults and young adults in there I'll round them up, sex them, and take them up the shop. But I don't want to be handling or disturbing them too much, as they really are so tiny it's unbelievable.
The lemmings had four healthy, husky babies - all males, as far as I can tell - miniatures of their parents, eating and drinking for themselves so they're off to the shop today. Quite a chip off the old block, they're all trying to bonk each other constantly. Delightful creatures, curious and fearless, happy to be picked up and played with. Much nicer than hamsters!!!!
Mind you, the speed they breed and grow up, and the lack of brain power - they're not cautious at all - no wonder they're number one prey item for just about anything with teeth and claws.
I'm surprised they're not more popular as pets; they don't smell, they're friendly and easy to handle (I love the pygmies but they're skittish as hell), not too bright (a thick pet is much easier to keep than a smart one), live quite cheerfully in groups and are handsome with their neat black dorsal stripe.
Although you do have to watch their diet - they're sugar intolerant, so fruit treats will kill them within a couple of weeks. Maybe that's it?
Anyway, I shall be leaving a sheet of instructions with them when I drop this four off at the shop - it's closed today, so they get 24 hours to settle in before the hurly-burly of shop life begins in earnest - and I suspect it won't be long before they're in good new homes of their own. They are particularly irresistable!
I need to move Barclay soon - she's outgrowing her tank at a rate of knots, so I need to chuck out all the crap on the side of the bedroom where her 4' tank is going to go. I'm going to ask Steve - who's a handy sort - if he can build me a stand for it that doubles as a snake rack...
*Snicker*
Slay's gonna go mad. Oh well, never mind, eh?
;)
In other news, I haven't heard back from Zico Chain. Oh well, even if we don't end up getting passes for the Nottingham show it was still incredibly good of Chris to ask! Can't wait to see them again. Damn I love that band.
It's my day off. Do not be waking me up at HALF PAST SIX in the blasted morning. It makes me cross.
Well, I have to take a stroll up the shop today to pick up some supplements for the chameleon (now known as Bender because of his legs). He's in less than ideal conditions at the moment - I lack a UV light for him - but he's warm enough, and comfortable. He isn't moving much, which is worrying, and I can't get him to feed, but he is drinking and hopefully there'll be some locusts left at the shop I can give him. If not, it's syringing for another couple of days until I can get him some. He hates that, and has started to puff up and hiss when he spots the piece of white plastic in my hand!
Not that I'm complaining, it makes it easier to squirt it into his mouth. If he gets better he's gonna hate my guts.
Got quite a shock when moving the pygmies yesterday - I found one of the adult females I'd bought had died, and from the state of her it was definitely murder. I've read that they can sometimes have fallings-out that result in the death of one of the group, so I was disappointed but not entirely surprised. I'd seen the other two about, and heard some squeaks - tiny, very high pitched sounds - coming from the nest box when I moved it, so still had high hopes.
Imagine my surprise, then, when I settled in to watch them explore their new house, when the first two out were both babies, probably about two weeks old!
So with any luck the dominant female has another litter, and these two are why she and the male turned on the other female. Now that they've got more room I'm not anticipating any more trouble - if they throw the grown on babies out of the nest they have enough room to be able to stay out of the way. I'm going to continue with a hands-off management plan - once there's a few subadults and young adults in there I'll round them up, sex them, and take them up the shop. But I don't want to be handling or disturbing them too much, as they really are so tiny it's unbelievable.
The lemmings had four healthy, husky babies - all males, as far as I can tell - miniatures of their parents, eating and drinking for themselves so they're off to the shop today. Quite a chip off the old block, they're all trying to bonk each other constantly. Delightful creatures, curious and fearless, happy to be picked up and played with. Much nicer than hamsters!!!!
Mind you, the speed they breed and grow up, and the lack of brain power - they're not cautious at all - no wonder they're number one prey item for just about anything with teeth and claws.
I'm surprised they're not more popular as pets; they don't smell, they're friendly and easy to handle (I love the pygmies but they're skittish as hell), not too bright (a thick pet is much easier to keep than a smart one), live quite cheerfully in groups and are handsome with their neat black dorsal stripe.
Although you do have to watch their diet - they're sugar intolerant, so fruit treats will kill them within a couple of weeks. Maybe that's it?
Anyway, I shall be leaving a sheet of instructions with them when I drop this four off at the shop - it's closed today, so they get 24 hours to settle in before the hurly-burly of shop life begins in earnest - and I suspect it won't be long before they're in good new homes of their own. They are particularly irresistable!
I need to move Barclay soon - she's outgrowing her tank at a rate of knots, so I need to chuck out all the crap on the side of the bedroom where her 4' tank is going to go. I'm going to ask Steve - who's a handy sort - if he can build me a stand for it that doubles as a snake rack...
*Snicker*
Slay's gonna go mad. Oh well, never mind, eh?
;)
In other news, I haven't heard back from Zico Chain. Oh well, even if we don't end up getting passes for the Nottingham show it was still incredibly good of Chris to ask! Can't wait to see them again. Damn I love that band.
