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This weeks theme is Pets/Animals
Warning: If you really don’t like turtles or lizards go away now and come back another day.
The Box Turtles:
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The box turtle on the left is Spaz. He’s an Eastern box turtle and he thinks he’s a lizard.
He likes to climb. Only problem is that he doesn’t do it all that well. Hence the name Spaz. The turtle on the right is Spaz’ love interest Myrtle. She’s an Ornate box turtle. She’s not a very good climber either but she tries. Spaz is about 11 years old and Myrtle was 35 or so when we got her so I guess she’s 46 now. She’s getting up there. They were out for a garden walk when I snapped these pics.
Now for the Water Dragons!
This is a photo of two of my water dragons. Night is on the left and Rogue is on the right. Don’t they look cute, it’s almost as if they posed that way. I had a total of 7 water dragons at one time, but sadly all are long gone.
My main website started as a way to help people care for their water dragon lizards, but over the 11 years that it’s been in existence it’s grown into a monster of a site with information on the care of over 100 popular pet reptiles. The site has also had over 10 million visitors in that time. I have an article coming out in Reptiles USA magazine August 1st about the care of Water Dragons. Yep, these babies have made me famous in select circles.
Finally, my beloved Napoleon. I really care/cared about all of my pets but Napoleon was so very special. He was a rescue and we never thought we’d end up keeping him but he grew on us and we ended up having him 9 years. We think he was about 13 when he passed away in 2003.
He never liked the camera so it was hard to take a picture of him looking relaxed. He was such a sweetie. I think rescued animals know when they’ve found a good home and I think he was such a good boy because he’d had such a terrible life before we brought him home. If you like iguanas and want to know more about Napoleons story go to my main site and read about his rescue.
He was tame, very tame, but that came with a lot of work and training. He also had a TON of personality and was smart. He was trained to poop in a particular area too. Now would you think you could potty train a lizard? Well ya can.
I’d say his personality was a cross between a cat and a dog to use familiar examples. He was like a cat in that he would do the things he wanted to do when he wanted to whether that be come over for a visit and a rub or get curious and get into trouble. He was like a dog in that he really enjoyed attention and seemed to know when we were talking to him and he’d usually respond by “talking” back to us by bobbing his head.
Anyway, to end this and give you and idea of just how big he was here’s a picture of him with my husband Chris. Napoleon was 7 feet long and weighed approx 15 pounds near the time of his passing. May he rest in peace. I felt like I lost a son when he died. Actually, I think I’m still grieving.
Leave a link Only if you are a participant of Saturday Photo Scavenger hunt. Don’t link and run, it’s very rude.
Oh my, I love your animals. The dragons and beautiful. Something I’ve always wanted, they fascinate me. I’m sure I left this remark on someone elses blog today too (also showing dragons) hehe :=)
I had a tortoise when I was very young, I remember keeping him in the shed when he hibernated. I have no idea what became of him.. hmm
Mine are up!
Mandy
Oh no! I won’t go away….I love turtles. It’s just I don’t know how to take care of them.
Oh my goodness! Those are some great shots — especially the lizards! WOW! WONDERFUL!!!!
Great photos! I had turtles as pets when I was young. Take care. Dani
Love the turtles but not the lizards.
Great photos. Have a nice weekend!
Not a big lizzard lover, but always find pictures interesting!
I have an iguana on mine this week!!
My S P Hunt is posted.
Great story and pics about your love of lizards and turtles! Fascinating. My son used to have two smaller lizards, I think they were called Newts. That was probably almost 10 years ago now. I didn’t mind them. The only thing that was a nuisance was having to go to the pet store to get fresh live food for them all the time.
Wow! 7 ft is big. Great shots and I’m sorry that you still miss him.
I rescued an iguana from a 10 gallon fish tank where they kept it far too long…. It couldn’t use it’s back legs an had rubber jaw when I got it…. It quickly grew into a 4 foor monster— Only problem was it was mean as could be… Tail whips are painful! Somehow… i don’t miss hime quite like you do yours….
loving the last pic the most. that’s one BIG iguana!!! mines up too…
Very Cool!! all of them – my BIL raises some kind a lizards- maybe someday we’ll get one. have a great weekend!
Amazing. Not a fan of lizards but….they are still amazing animals. Good shots.
I had a pic of something in my garden. I sent it to the Colorado Herpetological Society because I didn’t know what the heck it was. Here’s my link if you want to give it a shot. (I hope you don’t mind but if you do-my sincere apologies.)
http://ramblingsandotherthings.blogspot.com/2006/07/i-have-gills.html
My pet photo’s are up but be forewarned…lots of pics with stories. ;0]
Pam
That’s a whole lot of reptiles!
Neat looking pictures! I just wouldn’t want to run into one of those in the middle of the night! 🙂
Mine is up too!
I don’t participate in the picture thing but i love turtles, those are great pics.
Wow, you sure love lizards. And iguanas. And turtles.
My (less exotic) photo is up.
WOW!! Now those are some interesting pets!
I’ve always wanted a reptile of some kind but I was always sort of scared of them as well. Plus, I have 2 cats and a dog so I wasn’t sure how they’d get along.
I do have 2 turtles though! I’m not sure what kind they are, they are small and green and they swim hehe My husband bought them for me a few years ago at our local pet store.
Maybe you know what they are? There are some pics here:
http://www.breigh.com/wordpress/pics/album/72057594141150144/The_Bunkers.html
Napoleon just looks like the coolest pet ever!
Oh… you have some really cool critters! I love the photos… MayNaploen RIP. =( Sorry to hear he’s gone.
Love turtles, got one in my home, kids love it too…