• Posted 12/19/2024.
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    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.

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    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.
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    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.

Venomoid in/near Indiana?

BlueCrowned said:
...I see snakes on Craigslist all the time for reasons like "I don't give it enough attention" or "I don't have time for it"....
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You also made me remember that when I adopted my first rattlesnake, that venomoid, he really stunk! He, like many other snakes that keepers lose interest in, had been left for who-knows-how-long in a filthy, feces-laden cage.

The first thing I did was to give him a nice bath in luke-warm water. I'm sure it surprised him but it actually appeared to improve his mood too. He lived a total of 17 healthy years with me, at which point he passed peacefully in old age. My guess, knowing how big he was when captured & how long his previous owners had him, put him in his mid-20's when he died.

A few more things to keep in mind with either venomous or venomoid snakes: I had no mentor & no formal training (both of which ARE a good idea). I only had a deep respect for my own health, as well as that of my snakes...so it was necessary to get creative to do things safely. Things like bathing a rattlesnake. Every thing you do must be thought-out for safety, never rushed, never attempted when you're feeling tired, sick, distracted, angry, or in any condition other than fully sober.

Unlike other "pets", it's most unlikely that you'll find a veterinarian willing to treat your "venomoid" for health issues, unless he or she did the original surgery on the snake; even if you do manage to find one, it's unlikely you'll find the bill "affordable". Snakes that receive good care can live a long time, as they deserve. Ask yourself if your skills are really up to the task, it's a long time to be responsible for their health & routine maintenance.

You're probably thinking that if (when) you get tired of such a pet, you can just re-home it anyways, so no big deal? You should know that good homes are hard to come by, and even with that, there's known to be a much higher mortality among snakes that are re-homed...presumably due to the stress.
 
BlueCrowned said:
I can admittedly get pretty heated when animal welfare is on the line
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Being passionate about the health of critters is IMHO a good thing. However, each situation should be approached on its own merits. The goal in an individual situation where there is a compromised or abused critter is not to immediately just tell off the abuser. Being told off tends to make people defensive and turns communication adversarial.
Of course if you are speaking in a more general way you can certainly let the world know how angry the mistreatment of animals makes you, and rightfully so.

hotlips said:
A few more things to keep in mind with either venomous or venomoid snakes: I had no mentor & no formal training (both of which ARE a good idea). I only had a deep respect for my own health, as well as that of my snakes...so it was necessary to get creative to do things safely. Things like bathing a rattlesnake. Every thing you do must be thought-out for safety, never rushed, never attempted when you're feeling tired, sick, distracted, angry, or in any condition other than fully sober.
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Your post shows a lot of thought and wisdom, I can see how the poor adopted snake you got flourished and had 17 good years.
 
Thank you, Lucille...I felt lucky to have known him & wish he was still alive & in residence.
I suppose people are drawn to rattlesnakes (& other hots & venomoids) for various reasons, just as they are with other animals. I'm definitely not a part of the "adrenaline-junkie" crowd, nor did I care to look "tough". After giving snake programs, I was sometimes told that I "didn't look like someone who keeps snakes"? (never mind rattlesnakes, lol). Guess I should at least have worn jungle fatigues. Snakes were not the animals I ever expected to work with, just some of the most maligned, and they taught me to keep an open mind. I once seriously considered zoo-keeping, & even volunteered some time in the National Zoo, but that was well-before I got interested in snakes & by then, I had a better-paying day-job.
 
Giving programs like that is something I would be interested in, but I only keep small snakes and I wouldn't know where to start anyway..
 
BlueCrowned said:
Giving programs like that is something I would be interested in, but I only keep small snakes and I wouldn't know where to start anyway..
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That's the first & most important thing you need: interest! And I'll bet you know more than you think.

I'll be honest, I am not into public speaking...I was very uncomfortable, especially at first, but snakes really need vocal allies. I was first encouraged to try by a local nature museum curator (who also kept snakes & other small creatures in the museum). When I started, I only had "small" snakes and mostly non-natives, since I am not into field collecting & only had rescues. The rattlesnakes came a year or two later, and typically that was a separate program.

Anyway, it doesn't matter, because most people are afraid of snakes and most people have never even met one up close...you'd be surprised how much you can matter, how just that one personal contact can change minds (assuming the snakes you bring are docile & harmless). You'll have to make a judgement call at some point about whether or not, and how much, to allow others to touch or hold your snakes. I only allow young children to gently touch (remind them) while I hold the snake, but many teens & adults often want to hold a snake briefly. I've never had any of my snakes bite or try to bite...their comfort with me carries over nicely to public settings.

One way to start is to talk about how you got interested in keeping them, what you've learned about snakes that they probably aren't aware of, & how snakes manage to survive in the wild, in the face of what seems like
overwhelming "disabilities" that actually work in their favor. Talk about how snakes sense their surroundings: for example, many people don't realize they're deaf, and when a snake is in their yard, yelling won't make it leave.
Then they see the snake as being "defiant & even aggressive" so they justify killing it...even harmless snakes. They don't understand that natural selection has resulted in many snakes (including rattlesnakes) that "hold their ground" because they aren't fast enough to flee and survive, but that they really are afraid of us.

Explain that snakes don't rely on vision to identify, that motion attracts them because they must always search for food to survive. They need to know that snakes bite for only a few reasons & that they aren't mean or out to get us: self-defense (*anything that picks them up in the wild is normally a predator about to eat them, & we appear to be big scary predators!) or an honest mistake (feeding bite, which is preventable by paying attention to how we're perceived...ie. don't handle & smell like prey- snakes trust their sense of smell way more than what they see). Because they are near-sighted & deaf, smell & touch become their main senses. (along with heat sensing pits for those that have them) By explaining these things, people start to feel some empathy. Remind them snakes are shy...

"But snakes are so squirmy & slimy!" The lack of limbs actually lets them go into holes & crevices to catch prey that eludes other predators...they are the world's best mouse-traps and environmentally-friendly to boot! Without snakes keeping rodents in check, we'd be over-run with rodents, & they carry diseases, eat/damage our crops, cause house fires & expensive auto repairs when they nest & chew on wiring, & reproduce exponentially.

See? don't get me started-:rofl: Best bets: try a show & tell with school kids, either in a classroom or through your local library, including summer-reading programs & "camps". One thing that I've been doing locally is participating in a yearly "Wildlife Expo" put on by a local feed-store. Of course they & many of the booths are vendors with relevant products (this is a big hunting & fishing area), which is why it's such a hit having someone there with live snakes! (a friend joins me with some of her snakes too, and we are both mobbed for about 5 hours- it's very tiring for the snakes so we each have about 4 & give them "breaks") It's held indoors (A/C essential in summer heat here) at our fairgrounds, & the "meet & greet" format isn't really like "public speaking" at all (though I've been asked to do that as well). It's not only kids that want to see/touch/ask questions, but many adults...quite a few that are amazed to change their minds about snakes and say so. :) I usually take intact 'sheds' with me & snake eggs- I have 2 un-bred rat snakes that insist on laying about 2 dozen duds every year, anything to help educate. It's very easy to talk with people this way & I never get tired of hearing adults say "I NEVER EVER thought I'd touch a snake...& he's really pretty too...I actually like..." If you wonder if this is worth doing, just think about all the people (family & friends) that THEY influence afterwards.

Another fun thing (with a well-behaved snake) is to go to a "Blessing of the Animals" where pets are invited to a local church blessing in celebration of St. Francis of Assisi*. I'm not a church-goer, but I go with others, & with a little courtesy "heads-up" (I made sure the minister wasn't phobic- I don't want to frighten anyone) it goes awesomely well, lots of fun. Turned into a 'meet & greet' with animal-lovers. (*normally held in the fall) After the first one, their church bulletins now invite "all pets, snakes too" and the minister seems to enjoy the "bragging rights"? :D The bulletin after each blessing mentions that snakes attended also.

Local Petco here has a "Reptile Rally" every so often but I hesitate to take my animals there because they might be exposed to mites etc. That's a risk, IMO, and mostly a promotion for them. Anyway, you get the idea?
 
Thank you for the ideas... My king and milk snakes are a bit small yet, but I wouldn't mind taking my large corn snake and not so large KSB out. You don't see big corns at pet stores too often after all.
 
I don't take young (small) snakes, that's true. Several reasons: far more fragile, and also, handling can easily over-heat your snakes, even in a bldg. with A/C. Never forget we are 98.6*, which is too warm for some snakes, especially with extensive handling.
Programs are important, but the safety & well-being of your snakes is always first.

Corn snakes need to be cooler than boas & pythons, but my adult corns do very well, & their beauty is impressive. Milk snakes- many are very nervous, so be careful, even once they're bigger. (You might just take one but keep it in a plastic critter cottage to see, not touch or handle.) These days my largest snakes are 6.5-7' yellow (FL) rat snakes & the smallest one I take is an adult Aussie spotted python- the mix helps because some ppl are more afraid of either large OR the small* ones. (*go figure?)

Start small, see how it goes... I know our local library routinely focuses on different things, dinosaurs, space...see if they have a reptiles focus planned, or if they'd like to? Maybe they never have because they have no 'props'...you might be just the inspiration they need. Last year I joined in with our library for the children's story-time...they were read a couple stories with snake themes, then I did a show/tell, then they did crafts related to snakes. I really prefer talking to adults, but all ages need the education. At a library, you'll find adults leaning into the room too, lol...it's all good.
 
Just a caution- if you're not used to really young children, they sometimes try to grab &/or pull, so pay close attention when showing a snake to them. I let them "touch" ("pet") but never hold. They also have a very short attention span, and they're more into seeing & touching, & asking questions. It's nearly impossible for even me to stay "on script", lol.
 
A bad mark by some rando who paid to give it, hiding behind the anonymity of the site's feedback system, because you can't respect an opinion that's different from your own. REALLY mature there.

Thanks again for that lead, Lucille. Came out to the same dead end these vocalists gave, but it gave me an idea of how to further search. I'll be sure to bump your karma up a little.
 
Arctophile117 said:
A bad mark by some rando who paid to give it, hiding behind the anonymity of the site's feedback system, because you can't respect an opinion that's different from your own. REALLY mature there.

Thanks again for that lead, Lucille. Came out to the same dead end these vocalists gave, but it gave me an idea of how to further search. I'll be sure to bump your karma up a little.
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What on earth are you going on about?
 
Arctophile117 said:
A bad mark by some rando who paid to give it, hiding behind the anonymity of the site's feedback system, because you can't respect an opinion that's different from your own. REALLY mature there.

Thanks again for that lead, Lucille. Came out to the same dead end these vocalists gave, but it gave me an idea of how to further search. I'll be sure to bump your karma up a little.
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I have detracted from your karma.

I certainly feel that people should be able to ask questions here, and I do not agree with but respect some opinions, enough so that I actually gave some helpful advice to you here, but I do take issue with your digs at this site and your seeming inability to give the very thing you are so loudly demanding, tolerance to the opinions of others.

By the way, the site's feedback system is not anonymous if you purchase a basic membership to Fauna. It is not expensive, and for those of us who realize the enormous benefits conferred by the ability to read the BOI and forums, it is certainly worth what amounts to a couple of lunches out somewhere.
 
Hey, WebSlave, to answer yourquestion, it's kinda hard to figure out who when you don't let that part be visible.
 
All this because you overgrown kintergardeners had to pop in an opinion instead of just ignoring a question you don't agree with, which would have been the mature thing to do. Per YOUR own policies, WebSlave, THAT needed to be saved for the more casual-based forums, seeing as one with a brain and well intentions would think a page focused on vet care would be more for progressive info, not for a bunch of retrothinking hillbillies to post ancient ideas that had been caused by previous surgical knowledge. And why would I give money to some asshat that encourages gradeschool behavior? Only reason I'm even still here is because ONE person was helpful, which is good enough for me shouldI need to put up with the same schoolyard response for any future information. Grow the fuck up. If you don't agree with something, you don't need to attack them for it. I'm not trying to steal your damn Tonka truck.
 
Arctophile117 said:
All this because you overgrown kintergardeners had to pop in an opinion instead of just ignoring a question you don't agree with, which would have been the mature thing to do. Per YOUR own policies, WebSlave, THAT needed to be saved for the more casual-based forums, seeing as one with a brain and well intentions would think a page focused on vet care would be more for progressive info, not for a bunch of retrothinking hillbillies to post ancient ideas that had been caused by previous surgical knowledge. And why would I give money to some asshat that encourages gradeschool behavior? Only reason I'm even still here is because ONE person was helpful, which is good enough for me shouldI need to put up with the same schoolyard response for any future information. Grow the fuck up. If you don't agree with something, you don't need to attack them for it. I'm not trying to steal your damn Tonka truck.
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Obviously this one needs to be shown the door. But I gave her a year to maybe cool off. Be that as it may, I did suggest that she seek professional counsel during the private messages we exchanged as a result of her accusing me of being the one giving her the negative karma that obviously unhinged her.

:out_of_here:
 
Arctophile117 said:
If you don't agree with something, you don't need to attack them for it.
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But that is what you are doing, attacking people in this thread for their opinions. It seems to me that you arrived with a chip on your shoulder.
Arctophile117 said:
had to pop in an opinion instead of just ignoring a question you don't agree with
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I think Caro, Toby, Donald and Brittany made some interesting and worthwhile comments. When you ask a question on a forum, the value of the reply is actually increased as people bring in their experience and perspective.
 
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