Caution: Metamorphosis in Progress

Please bare with me while this polli-blog transitions into adulthood!

After some prodding, I'm finally making the move to having a dedicated blog for all my herp-related posts. I'm in the process of testing out Blogger's settings right now and gathering up the herp-related content from my old blog (and Facebook). You'll probably see much of that old content (and pictures) come back in updated posts interspersed in the new content. Don't worry, there will be plenty of pictures of Pakku, the Grumpy Frog...and the new additions!

In the meantime, check out my series of posts on my trip to Repticon Dallas in April.

So, what else would everyone like to see on Paraherpetology?

Picture of the Week: Hey, There's Something on Your Nose

An oldie, but goodie. This picture was taken about two months ago. (Sorry for the water spots.)

Hey, Pakku, there's something on your nose!

~crosses eyes, snap~

You got it!

It's Feeding Time!

Today, I'm sharing some videos of Thing One and Thing Two being fed. After many unsuccessful (and quite laughable) attempts at getting video for these two, I finally ended up with two decent videos. As you can see in the first video, Thing One is a very enthusiastic eater and frequently targets the tongs. I am anticipating that Thing One is the most likely candidate to give me my first Pacman bite. Knock on wood, that hasn't happened yet. Thing Two, on the other hand, is quickly gaining the nickname Mr. Picky for his/her habit of ignoring bugs on the ground and only taking certain dubia from the tongs. But, he has the cutest way of opening his/her mouth for food when he does eat.

AsiaFest & Turtles at Haggard Park in Plano, TX

On Saturday, we spent some time in Plano, TX. We were there to check out the 10 anniversary of Plano's AsiaFest in Haggard Park, but we also did some shopping and sightseeing in the historical downtown district.

Of course, I spent most of the time watching the Tae Kwon Do demonstrations.

Black belts from Lee's U.S. Tae Kwon Do Academy going through forms in place.

Great front snap kick!
I really need to get back into martial arts classes. I'm missing breaking things...on purpose.

Picture of the Week: Pakku, the Ninja Frog

Ninja Pakku says "I'm Ninja Frog! You cannot see me....

...Why are you looking at me?...

~flash~

...Blasted human!"

Pakku croaked!

The good kind of croaking, that is. After weeks of swearing I heard random croaks coming from Pakku's terrarium, I finally captured a couple croaks on my cell phone.

 Pakku croaking 01

Sorry for the quality. It was a quick recording using my voice notes app. I'm hoping to catch him on video croaking with the HD camera and use the microphone attachment to get better sound quality. But, you know what they say about working with animals...

Next time I have to handle him, I'll check his front feet again for nuptial pads, but there weren't any discernible ones last time I handled him. His throat does look more grey and spotted than previously, so I've been leaning more and more towards declaring Pakku a male.

Picture of the Week: Lizard in the Garden

I found this little guy hanging out under a bush in the front landscaping. Sorry for the picture quality. I only had my cell phone on me at the time.

What do you all think?
American Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis)?

Repticon Dallas, Part 7: The Texas Reptile Exchange

One of my favorite species of pet lizards is the Central Australian bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps). Being a popular and fairly easy to care for species, I was quite surprised that there weren't more of them available for sale at Repticon Dallas. A few posts ago, I shared a picture of one of the bearded dragons that were available for adoption from DFW Reptile Rescue. The only other vendor that had bearded dragons at Repticon Dallas (or at least that I saw) was The Texas Reptile Exchange...and I nearly came home with one.

The Texas Reptile Exchange is an authorized Exo Terra wholesaler and reptile dealer/breeder based out of Powderly, TX. See their website for a full like of available species or just give them a call with your wishlist.

Repticon Dallas, Part 6: R.A.R.R., N.E.W.T.S., and the Leander Rattlesnake Festival

In yesterday's post, I shared some pictures of the adoptable reptiles at DFW Reptile Rescue, a nonprofit reptile rescue run by Carrie and Melissa Caposello. On the other side of the building, two groups teamed up to raise money for a cause near and dear to their hearts through T-shirt sales and a silent auction (held on Saturday). If you missed my Herp Haul post last Thursday, check it out to read more about the silent auction and see what I won (another book to get my nose stuck in, of course).

Rise Against Rattlesnake Roundups (RARR) and Nature's Exotic Wildlife Tee Shirts (NEWTS) teamed up at Repticon Ennis to raise funds for the Leander Rattlesnake Festival--the first no-kill, educational rattlesnake event in Texas, planned for Spring 2014

The two groups represented at this mega-booth were Rise Against Rattlesnakes Roundups (RARR) and Nature's Exotic Wildlife Tee Shirts (NEWTS). RARR provided the personnel and message, while NEWTS provided the T-shirts for sale and showcased their own herps. (For more information about this two groups and pictures, read through to the next paragraph.) Proceeds from the silent auction and T-shirt sales this weekend went to the Leander Rattlesnake Festival Fund (click the link to donate towards this kick-start project). This fund was started by Leander local herp hobbyist Kenneth Reid to raise money for the first completely no-kill, education-based rattlesnake event in Texas. The Leander Rattlesnake Festival is planned for Spring 2014 in Leander, TX (a town ~30 minutes north of Austin, TX) and will include: educational displays of venomous snake species in Texas, guided snake hunts for wildlife enthusiasts, venom extraction demonstrations (by Kentucky Reptile Zoo), and some great Texas barbeque. The goal of this event is to show communities that there is an economical alternative to traditional rattlesnake roundups, as well as provide the area with a fun, family-friendly reptile event.

Repticon Dallas, Part 5: DFW Reptile Rescue

On April 13th & 14th, Repticon Dallas filled Ennis' KJT Auditorium with 20 vendors offering a wide variety of reptiles, amphibians, and other exotic pets for sale. You could find nearly every product you would need to keep your pet herp happy and healthy. The vendors at Repticon ranged from large pet stores with extensive inventories to specialty breeders/dealers featuring beautiful, rare morphs. Most were more than happy to talk (in detail) with visitors about their business and herp care. Several nonprofits were there to raise money and showcase their adoptable herps. It was a fun, successful event that I look forward to attending again in the future.

One of my favorite booths at this Repticon show was that of DFW Reptile Rescue. One of the few no-kill rescues in the Dallas-Fort Worth area that takes in pet reptiles, this Burleson-based 501(c)3 nonprofit has been finding forever homes for the scaly since 2007. Carrie and Melissa Caposello are a pair of delightful gals with hearts of gold and a talent for describing the personalities of their rescues. They also own Caposello Photography...so I'll apologize in advance to Carrie and Melissa. My pictures just don't do these beautiful herps justice. Check out the gorgeous photographs on the DFW Reptile Rescue website and Facebook page.

Carrie (left) and Melissa (right) Caposello of DFW Reptile Rescue.

Picture of the Week: Our Resident Garage Gecko

The Common House Gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus) that has taken up residence in the DSL box in our garage is finally getting habituated enough to my presence to tolerate being handled. I was able to snap a few pictures earlier this week.

Our resident Garage Gecko
Common House Gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus)

New Editions to the Pacman Pack

At Repticon last week, I picked up two new Horned Frogs (aka Pacman Frogs) for the home zoo. They are doing well and have acclimated well to their new homes. I'm holding off on officially naming them until they get past quarantine and I have a better idea of their personalities. For now, the Fantasy Horned Frog (Ceratophrys cornuta x C. cranwelli) is being called "Thing One" and the Ornate Horned Frog (C. ornata) is being called "Thing Two".

Repticon Dallas, Part 4: Review & Upcoming Shows

Now, let's review...

Although not my first reptile or pet show, this was my first Repticon and I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I'd heard both good and not-so-good things beforehand. Overall, I will say that it was worth the $5-15/ticket for a fun weekend of talking to other herp people, seeing so many species/morphs, and picking up a few deals. The VIP goodie bag, doorprizes, silent auction, etc. were all great bonuses for me. Repticon will be back in Dallas (Ennis) on October 19th & 20th and I definitely recommend coming out for at least an afternoon.

Repticon Dallas, Part 3: My Herp Haul

Besides the Zoo Med VIP Bag, there were several other items on my Repticon shopping list. I didn't find everything I was looking for, but I did buy (and win!) some nice goodies...and ended up coming home with more than I originally intended.

Some of the vendors at Repticon. Front and center was Feeder Source.

Repticon Dallas, Part 2: What's Inside the Zoo Med VIP Bag?

It's good to be a VIP...

Repticon offers VIP tickets for sale online to the public prior to their shows. For $12 a person, you receive a two-day pass for the show, early admission on Saturday (9am, instead of 10am), and a Zoo Med VIP goodie bag. The cost is less than a two-day pass purchased at the door ($15), so VIP tickets are definitely worth it if you are already planning on attending both days of the expo. But, is it worth buying VIP tickets for the goodie bag?

Front of the Zoo Med VIP goodie bag.

Repticon Dallas, Part 1: The When, Where, and Who Was There?

Let's start with some background info...

The Repticon banner over the door of the KJT Auditorium.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, Repticon is one of the largest (if not THE largest) reptile and exotic pet convention in the States. Herp hobbyists can find a Repticon show happening nearly every weekend in one of their over 40 show sites across 18 states within the continental US. Paying homage to its beginnings*, the lion's share of Repticon shows are hosted in Florida--including Ft. Lauderdale, Ft. Myers, Jacksonville, Orlando, Pensacola, Tallahassee, Tampa, and West Palm Beach. These shows are sponsored by two of the main reptile product manufacturers--Exo Terra and Zoo Med Laboratories, Inc.--and often feature door prizes and good bags from these companies. (See "Repticon Dallas, Part 2" for more info on this!) Smaller Repticon Expos usually have a dozen or so vendors selling a good selection of herps, other exotic pets, pet care supplies, books, and gift merchandise. Whereas, larger Repticon Expos are a grand experience with over 50 vendors making available everything a herp enthusiast could ever ask for.

[*Author note: I've been told by different people that the first 2003 Repticon show was in Tampa, Orlando, and Ft. Myers. According to the Repticon Ft. Myers webpage, Ft. Myers was actually the second reptile show held by Repticon. I've been able to confirm that both the Tampa and Orlando shows were first held in 2003, but I am still unsure which of these was the FIRST Repticon Expo. If anyone knows, please comment below.]

Repticon "postcard" ad.

Caution: End of the Tadpole

Which came first--the tadpole or the anamniotic egg? 

Whatever the answer, this is the end of the line!

Herp posts prior to April 15th will remain on my private blog...because I had to stop somewhere and Tax Day was a good stopping point.