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Animals
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As long as I can
remember, I've been interested in animals. We always had at
least
one "typical" family pet when I was young (a dog and/or cat) and my
parents were very accommodating
in letting
I or my brothers keep (at least temporarily) other, less traditional,
pets that we had grabbed, netted, or "rescued" from somewhere in the
neighborhood. When I went away to college and had a space I
could
truly call my own, the opportunity presented itself for getting any
animal I wanted, without having to ask anyone's permission.
However, having to bring them back home with me during the
summers and other long vacations significantly constrained the animals
I kept. Finally, when I moved to Chicago for graduate school, all constraints were lifted, and the diversity of animals I was caretaker for increased dramatically. (It's surprising how little most landlords care what living things you have in your apartment as long they are kept in cages!) Fortunately, my wife-to-be wasn't deterred from spending time with me due to my menagerie, and has continued to be very accommodating of my time and space-consuming hobby. I reached the carrying capacity of our place in Chicago (as measured by a variety of metrics including space, maintenance time, and Lisa's generosity) and even though we now have much more room in Cleveland, I don't plan on expanding much more. Turnover, thankfully, is quite low. Most of the animals I keep are "herps": reptiles and amphibians. This is mainly because they take up less space and produce less waste than most birds and mammals. Also, my scientific research is 
mammal-centered, and I like doing something a little
different (though still related) where my hobbies are concerned.
The animals I keep have been selected for
a variety of reasons. Some are great animals to keep
as pets, and I like having examples to show people who are interested
in keeping a snake, lizard, or turtle. Others are native to
the
Midwest, and are nice for showing to people who are
curious about the types of reptiles and amphibians that occur in area
parks and forest preserves. Others merely represent animals
that
are, for lack of a better description, really "cool" ("coolness" being
measured as a combination of morphology and behavior).
Together,
they ensure I always have something to do when hanging out at home.Below is a list of many of the animals that currently live in my home, or that have lived there at one time or another. This list, in turn, includes  links to photos of the
animals
and notes on my experiences keeping them. The primary reason
I'm
doing this is to make public some of my experiences with these animals
for others who are interested in their care. This page is not
intended to be an exhaustive guide to the care and feeding of these
animals. Rather, it is meant to contribute a small amount of
additional data and anecdotal evidence to the collective knowledge of
how to care for these animals. There is a wealth of
information
that can be gathered from the experiences of amateur herpetologists and
disseminating this information will help everyone take better care of
their herps.The secondary reason I'm doing this is so I can refer people to this page when they ask me what sorts of animals I keep :-) |
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Snakes, Lizards
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Scientific
Name |
Common Name |
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Anolis
carolinensis Chamaeleo calyptratus Cordylus cataphractus Corucia zebrata Eublepharis macularius Gerrhosaurus major Lampropeltis getula californiae Lampropeltis getula holbrookii Lampropeltis triangulum campbelli Furcifer pardalis Ophisaurus apodus Pogona vitticeps Python regius Uromastyx maliensis |
Green
Anole Veiled Chameleon Armadillo Lizard Prehensile-Tailed Skink Leopard Gecko Sudan Plated Lizard California Kingsnake Speckled Kingsnake Pueblan Milksnake Panther Chameleon Sheltopusik/European Legless Lizard Inland Bearded Dragon Ball Python Mali Uromastyx |
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Amphibians, Turtles
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Scientific
Name |
Common Name |
 |
Bombina
orientalis Cynops ensicauda Cynops phyrrogaster Hyla cinerea Hyla versicolor Litoria caerulea Rana sylvestris Siren intermedia Terrepene carolina triunguis |
Fire-Bellied
Toad Paddle-Tail Newt Fire-Bellied Newt Green Treefrog Gray Treefrog White's Treefrog Green Frog Lesser Siren Three-Toed Box Turtle |
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Fishes, Mammals
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Scientific
Name |
Common Name |
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Atelerix
albiventris Cynomys ludovicianus Lepidosiren paradoxa Monodelphis domestica Potamotrygon motoro |
African Pygmy Hedgehog Black-Tailed Prairie Dog South American Lungfish Short-Tailed Opossum Motoro Stingray |
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This
page was last updated on December 12, 2006.
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