McMartinVille--Reptiles

 
NO NEED FOR A CAR, CLICKED YER MOUSE... AND HERE YOU ARE! "McMartinVille"
 

Pets

The picture at right is of my cage setup (well, how it looked until spring 2004, when I got rid of the large enclosure and the carpeted stand--now I have no place for my patches!).  

My Pets

To call a captive reptile a "pet," in the strictest sense of the word, is a misnomer, in my opinion.  Although some reptiles will tolerate being handled, and some actually seem to enjoy it, they usually don't get lonely and chew up your carpet like other "pets" might (dogs, for example).  I consider reptiles to be more along the lines of fish in an aquarium--fun to observe, but not quite on the same level as an avian or mammalian pet.  That's not to say I don't become attached to my captives, though!

I do support the keeping of reptiles (and other animals) as pets.  Some people don't, preferring to stick to "mainstream" pets like cats and dogs.  Some extremists want to ban all pet ownership (pet owners, PLEASE do not donate money to PeTA or HSUS!  You'll never see their agenda on their website, though, because they'd wither away without gullible pet owners' dollars.  ).  Conversely, I think the presence of a more exotic pet such as a reptile increases awareness of the natural world around us, and may help fuel an interest in environmental studies which will benefit us all.

 

I find reptiles interesting to both observe in the wild and to keep as pets. It's not that I have anything against "normal" pets, but I've just had more exposure to small scaly animals than dogs and cats throughout my life. Also, over the past few years I've become allergic to dog/cat hair, and though I'm told it's possible, I've never known anyone to be allergic to reptiles! In addition, my reptiles never wake me up in the middle of the night barking (though some species can)!
When I was younger, I felt compelled to capture every lizard I came across to keep as a pet. My mom wouldn't let me have a snake, so I satisfied my curiosity with lizards and turtles (as well as newts and toads here and there, but they're not reptiles, so I don't include them here).  I also bought several from local pet shops.  For a look at my past reptilian pets, click the link below.

Currently, I keep two turtles, four lizards, and two snakes.  Their links are below.

Past Pets | Lizards | Snake | Turtles