Thought I'd share

[JokerGirl]

Just thought I'd share photos of the zoo. Our house is filled with just about every non-furry animal you can think of (the squirrels don't count) LOL.

Sam


Buddy


The Squirrels



120g Salt tank


Miss Mantis Shrimp (R.I.P - died two weeks ago of presumed old age)

[that_girl]

Wow, your salt water tank is very nice. How long have you had it running?

If I may ask, why do you have squirrels? I would think that it is illegal to have wildlife like that. Is it legal to keep squirrels?

[JokerGirl]

The tank has been running for almost 3 years now. That photos a tad out of date. Things are a bit different looking.

No, it is not illegal to have the squirrels. They are Richardson's Ground Squirrels a.k.a. Gophers, which are considered a pest in their native Alberta where I'm from. Actually, in Alberta, you can do anything you want (use your imagination...torture, maim, kill etc...) to them EXCEPT keep them as pets.

They were born in captivity and I acquired them from a local exotics shop. They are being introduced into the pet trade as a replacement to prairie dogs, a close cousin of theirs.

This particular pair was the last one that the shop had, and if I hadn't adopted them, they were going to be fed to the 5.5' gator in back of the store.

[that_girl]

Interesting about the squirrels, thanks for sharing. Do they make a good pet? Do they bite alot?

One day we'd like to set up a salt water tank. We had a good friend that was really into it and introduced us to some sweet exotic fish. I think I'd be more nervous spending that kind of money on a fish, than a reptile. He had a lot of fish die in transport or shortly after, although most were WC. It's a neat hobby though.

[JokerGirl]

I can't really say if they make a good or bad pet. We were there the first day the squirrels came in. Most of them were VERY friendly, jumping all over you, etc..., but we got the last pair, so they had been there a while and weren't really well socialized. They are very friendly, but aren't the most handleable. Fatty doesn't mind being picked up, but Skinny won't let you. They don't bite at all really. They will give you little nips, but nothing that hurts or leaves a mark. They both love belly and cheek rubs.

So I don't know... it's a mixed bag. They've been getting better with time. I have a feeling that many of the other ones would've been a lot more handleable.

Salt water tanks really aren't that tough to keep anymore. The hardest (and most expensive) part is setting it up. Shipping methods for fish has also gotten a lot better over the last few years. Most saltwater fish are wild caught with exception to a few species - clownfish being the biggest. I havn't had any fish die on me due to shipping, yet.