Hello, Again.

Back from the mini-vacation/take step dad to doctor appointment outing. Somewhat happy to say that we managed quite a few scores. We came back with four new crested geckos, two babies and two almost adults, four leopard geckos, three adult females and one male, a lot of the plants that suction cup to the wall, a lot of the lava rocks with holes in them for the fish tank, another bag of repashy, tank backgrounds and some hermit crab/halloween crab food. And of course the standard 1000 crickets and 1000 mealworms. :) However, today we are going to meet a lady to pick up two more crested geckos and a gargoyle gecko along with some tanks and supplies. So, look forward to pictures of new critters soon!

Sadly, the first guinea pig I got, Ginger, developed an allergy to something she came across or something in her tank and she passed away on new years eve. I miss her so much and so does Tanner. He is getting extra love from me and my dad who seems really taken with him. Dad has even gone out of his way to read about GPs and he read that they are social animals and need a companion (which I already knew and why I was looking for another boy while we were gone). The simple fact he put in effort to learn about them warms my heart though. I am still thinking of getting another pig to replace Ginger, but I am really looking to be smitten with the GP upon sight, not just for a replacement. Ginger was the whole reason I got started and I don't want to tarnish her memory and replace her so quickly. I think I am going to ask my dad to help me make a special cage for tanner that is as big as the whole shelf that he is on so that there is room for another male in the cage with him.

Anyway, I'd like to introduce you to a critter that I have had for a while now. My Halloween Crab, Jamaican.

They are really neat crabs. I've had one other one before him and I think their colors are just beautiful, not to mention when people come over they are really impressed and surprised at the colors these guys have. I treat mine almost the same as a hermit crab. They share the cage actually. I provide a large water dish so that he could fully submerge himself to wet his gills, a dish with hermit crab meal, hermit crab cakes, and they get fresh greens everyday along with the occasional bit of meat. These crabs are mostly nocturnal and love to dig and the soil works best for that. He in particular loves to dig under the water dish. I'm glad that he has a hard shell and the dish isn't heavy or I'd be worried about him getting hurt. They are fast little critters and like to scurry around and they will pinch! I think getting pinched by a crayfish or crawdad hurts more than getting pinched by this guy. I really enjoy watching him eat. He will pick up a piece of what ever he wants and move it toward the little plates underneath his eyes and then they will come outward and separate a little revealing a star shaped toothy mouth and then he puts the food to the teeth and they grind away at the food. It happens pretty quickly and he is not shy about eating either. He will even take a piece of food from your hand if you offer it to him! I also like to give him a bath occasionally during the week to help keep him and the two hermit crabs clean.

That's all for today, talk to you again soon!