seen on craigslist

I admit it - my morning coffee entertainment consists of reading the pet listings on Denver craigslist.

Found this gem today:

Hi i have to boy turtles between 4 and 6 inches i am geting ride of them because my favorite one just died the tank is a 55 and it comes with tank gravel dock clamp and two filters i can get pictures i am asking 70 and i can add a stand for only 5 dollars more

Sigh.

I'm not officially doing reptile rescue anymore, but do take in the odd turtle or tortoise. I hope to never again live in a house that contains "iguana rooms". Sheesh!

I love that people think that they can get hundreds of dollars, in some cases, for their unwanted reptile. On craigslist it seems that the common belief is that the larger the iguana, the more money it must be worth.

I took in three very large red eared sliders the other day that had been sharing a 55 gallon tank for years. They currently have the run of the box turtle garden, until we finish building the inground pond for them this week. The people were getting rid of them because they are moving, and didn't think the turtles would survive an 8 hour drive.

Ninety-nine percent of reptiles surrendered to me (or to the reptile rescue I used to work with) were due to the following reasons:

1) allergies (to turtles? okay...)

2) we're moving.

3) I'm pregnant, and this little firebelly toad is now Too Much Work for me.

4) it belongs to my kid, and he's tired of it.

Other excuses I've heard include: "It smells bad", "It's a classroom pet, and nobody can take it over the summer. I'll be back to pick it up in the fall!" (right...), and "my roommate/ex-boyfriend/adult child left it behind when they moved out".

I'm just glad that reptiles aren't especially easy to breed without trying, as most lay eggs that need to be incubated at a specific temperature. Well, you'll have to ask me sometime about the time I woke up and found that one of my foster boas had given birth to 70+ babies...