• Posted 12/19/2024.
    =====================

    I am still waiting on my developer to finish up on the Classifieds Control Panel so I can use it to encourage members into becoming paying members. Google Adsense has become a real burden on the viewing of this site, but honestly it is the ONLY source of income now that keeps it afloat. I tried offering disabling the ads being viewed by paying members, but apparently that is not enough incentive. Quite frankly, Google Adsense has dropped down to where it barely brings in enough daily to match even a single paid member per day. But it still gets the bills paid. But at what cost?

    So even without the classifieds control panel being complete, I believe I am going to have to disable those Google ads completely and likely disable some options here that have been free since going to the new platform. Like classified ad bumping, member name changes, and anything else I can use to encourage this site to be supported by the members instead of the Google Adsense ads.

    But there is risk involved. I will not pay out of pocket for very long during this last ditch experimental effort. If I find that the membership does not want to support this site with memberships, then I cannot support your being able to post your classified ads here for free. No, I am not intending to start charging for your posting ads here. I will just shut the site down and that will be it. I will be done with FaunaClassifieds. I certainly don't need this, and can live the rest of my life just fine without it. If I see that no one else really wants it to survive neither, then so be it. It goes away and you all can just go elsewhere to advertise your animals and merchandise.

    Not sure when this will take place, and I don't intend to give any further warning concerning the disabling of the Google Adsense. Just as there probably won't be any warning if I decide to close down this site. You will just come here and there will be some sort of message that the site is gone, and you have a nice day.

    I have been trying to make a go of this site for a very long time. And quite frankly, I am just tired of trying. I had hoped that enough people would be willing to help me help you all have a free outlet to offer your stuff for sale. But every year I see less and less people coming to this site, much less supporting it financially. That is fine. I tried. I retired the SerpenCo business about 14 years ago, so retiring out of this business completely is not that big if a step for me, nor will it be especially painful to do. When I was in Thailand, I did not check in here for three weeks. I didn't miss it even a little bit. So if you all want it to remain, it will be in your hands. I really don't care either way.

    =====================
    Some people have indicated that finding the method to contribute is rather difficult. And I have to admit, that it is not all that obvious. So to help, here is a thread to help as a quide. How to become a contributing member of FaunaClassifieds.

    And for the record, I will be shutting down the Google Adsense ads on January 1, 2025.
  • Responding to email notices you receive.
    **************************************************
    In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.

herp newbie in Ohio

C

catherine carney

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Hi all--

I've been lurking for a bit, finally took the plunge and joined. Great set of forums, and very much appreciate the BOI discussions (among many others)....

I have an extensive background in fish (killifish and natives), dogs, cats, rabbits (French angoras), and Shetland sheep. Some experience with Nubian goats (who knew they could jump a 4 foot fence??), and poultry (chickens, ducks, adding geese soon). New to peafowl, pigeons, and herps (brown anoles and white's tree frogs). Yes, I have a petting zoo in my backyard (grin)--more than half of these animals are due to my daughter's 4-H and other animal interests. She's never met a critter she didn't like (or want to keep)--this latest foray inter herps is at her request.

From what I have read, it looks like there can be a fairly steep learning curve associated with keeping herps. Can you all recommend books/websites/resources that we can educate ourselves about care? Her primary interest is amphibians (frogs) at this point, but she also thinks snakes and lizards (specifically geckos of all sorts) are cute--though that's subject to change given that she's a teenager. Any other resources that I have missed that I should look for??

Do you have any recommendations about attending the All Ohio Reptile Show? We have gone in the past and been impressed with the grad students from Bowling Green (who I gather are doing herp breeding projects/sales as part of their school curriculum), but it's been several years since we've been there and I know things can change. Anyone I should look for??

Thanks in advance for your help--sorry for the long post.
 
Welcome

Welcome. I don't live all that far from ya. I'm not new to the hobby but have only been in it for 3-4 years. As far as sites to gain a wealth of information they are generally segrigated. These are a few of the forums I frequent.

Ball pythons:

www.ball-pythons.net/forums/index.php

Geckos:

www.Geckoforums.net
www.Geckosunlimited.com

Tegus:

www.Tegutalk.com
www.thetegu.com

Chameleons:

www.chameleonforums.com

General Forums:

www.vivariumforums.com
www.kingsnake.com
www.repticzone.com/forums/index.html

Poison Dart Frogs

www.dendroboard.com

There is definitly a wealth of knowledge out there. There are more forums these are just the ones I check out from time to time. And welcome to the hobby. :thumbsup:
 
Hi all--

Thanks for the welcome--and for the resource info! We'll have to check out the websites later this week.

Any local herp clubs/organizations I should look up?
 
Hello:) Always ask questions thats my mato and lots of people hear are ready to help::))
 
Welcome! You'll find a ton of help here. Amphibians can be both the most and least forgiving of all herps, but if you can do goats and teenagers, I think you'll do great. When you get down to specific questions, cruise through the subforums here and see where your inquiries would best fit the category. (Like the 'Shows and Events' subforum for inquiries about the Ohio shows). Glad to have you on board!

Noelle
 
Hi all--

Thanks for the welcome and the encouragement--although I feel like I don't know what I'm doing most of the time with the goats and teenager, let alone herps (grins).

I've been cruising the subforums, had missed the shows and events one so I'll check it out.
 
Welcome to the forums!

I'm in Canton so not too far from you!

I have cornsnakes for sale right now and I also breed Crested Geckos ( highly recommended, have one for sale now) they are easy to keep and best of all don't need crickets, can live entirely on a powdered fruit mixture and are very gentle.

my ad and email is here:
http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=307165

[email protected]

You'd be welcome to come see them any time.
 
Hi Kyle--

Wish I'd known you were in Canton when I was up coaching a swim meet last weekend!

Crested geckos are definitely on the possible herp list--I've had some experience with leopard geckos and loved them, and the cresteds are even cuter (or so my teenager says)....I'll have to do some more research about them and see if we can provide the right conditions....

Any chance you'll be at the Columbus herp sale in April?
 
Hi Catherine,

When I go to shows I usually go to the Cleveland show...

the best way to keep Crested's ( I've found) is in a living vivarium, it's also the nicest once the setup is done, with living plants and soil to decompose the feces.
Very low maintenance and holds pretty much perfect humidity with occasional spraying .

I have a link for making one that I used, just need to look it up if you're interested.

Also willing to sell an entire set-up with the one I have for sale.
 
Hi Kyle--

The Columbus show is closer for us, so we end of there if we have time to go at all (with a farm, it's sometimes tough to get away)....

I've done paludariums for some SE Asian fish, have West African, SE US, and Ohio biotope paludariums planned (amazing what you can do with great stuff, polyurethane, silicone, and cork bark, LOL) and find that the critters do much better in a naturalistic set up. Sounds like the same is true for cresteds.....I'll have to do some research and see what your link looks like....The anoles are thriving in a natural set for the same reasons, but I'm finding that the white's tree frogs are tough on the plants due to size/weight....Any good links for crested gecko care??
 
Hi Rebecca--

You're up in my neck of the woods.....Glad there's another newbie out there! Now I don't feel quite so lost (lol). What are your herp interests?

Wouldn't say a small farm is all fun--lots of work at this time of the season with spring shearing, getting the market garden in, repairing/replacing fences, and trying to keep the wretched (OK, there are other words I use for them, but not allowed on this forum) raccoons out of the poultry, cleaning out the barn, you get the idea. The monsoon rains of last week didn't help--still cleaning up.
 
the racoons have ate their way into my small shed, could not even go in there last summer as she had babies and she was huge! Scared me off!

I really don't know what interest me, but a lot of the pic I have seen are really neat looking little guys, finding the time is my problem, I have a lake here and some turtles , frogs, toads, and other things that live in there, the grandkids love to fuss with them, and the baby toads are so cute, but I take have a business to tend to, so not a lot of time for fun things outside of the fun I have doing it. Thanks for the welcome. I did have fun with my sons when we had the farm, it was hard work and I will never forget what I learned doing it, we also raised Great Danes, a beautiful animal and so gentle!
 
Hi Rebecca--

Your raccoons sound like mine--they do just move in and make themselves at home (grrr). They will climb over, dig under, or chew through about anything if they think there's food inside. Mink are worse--we lost 2 dozen show ducks one afternoon last year to a family of them that got in through a 2 x 2 inch hole. NOT pretty.

I know what you mean about time--and about what we (kids included) learn from hard work. I don't regret being busy in the least.

As far as herps, I suspect that the folks on the site can recommend "low maintenance" species if you ask. People have been more than welcoming and helpful on the forums.
 
Hi Kyle--

Thanks for the links. I'll look at them today since it's raining and I can't work outside....

In the 20 years I've been on this farm, I think we've found one broken arrowhead--but the local historical society says that there was a native village on the bluffs overlooking the river south of town, so I suspect they're out there...just not here. BTW, it's also possible to pan for and find small amounts of gold in the local creeks, just another interesting factoid about the county...
 
I live about 15 minutes north of you or so and I know all to well what our local raccoon population can do. I lost 40 3lb broilers to coon in one evening back when I showed them for FFA 5 years ago :angry:. Caught 4 coon the next evening that came back to finish off the last one. I was heated to say the least
 
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