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TOPIC: What happens if gator, fish, ferret or human wins?

Posted By: talula Posted On: Jan 15, 2007 Views: 787	RE: What happens if gator, fish, ferret or human w both-- we have a boa constrictor and have had many types of insects-- exotic and native we also have 2 very sweet rats, a red eared slider turtle, a parrotlet and a ferret who is OCD from neglect and abuse before the shelter seized him from the abusers. well i'm glad your puppy has a good home, now.:)
Posted By: Liz and Tally Posted On: Jan 15, 2007 Views: 784	RE: What happens if gator, fish, ferret or human wins? Here's my answer to any gator questions and debates, such as what usually happens to large gators, sewer myth, white gators, and as a pet. It's a bit lenghty, but it's what I talk about when Tally and I go to school to speak to kids. Having a gator for a pet takes a lot of acceptance of what they require. Not only can they be really tempermental when their bigger,(the max is about 14 feet) but the big stickler is that their lifespan is 60+ years. So when buying one, it's important to realize that: 1. It's going to be around for a while, and 2. No one wants to buy it from you when you're tired of it, regardless of its size. Most college kids like the idea of a pet gator, but not the idea of having it longer than a month. If Tally reaches more than 5 feet, we probably will have to get rid of her, especially since they become more dominating and aggressive after 5 feet. So far the strategy of little food, little growth is working wonders as she is almost three years and under 2 feet, and the normal growth rate is one foot per year until it slows at age five. Most zoos no longer accept pet gators (they have plenty) so we'd be donating her to a gator farm, having her put down, or leaving her in Florida where'd she'd probably starve since she's really bad at hunting. The amusing myth of alligators in the sewers of New York is unfortunately just a myth, since the animal actually gets most of their calcium intake from sunlight and can't live strictly off of fish. So sewer life isn't so hot, and I've heard that if you flush an alligator, they just get stuck in your pipes. There are albino white alligators, but not from the sewers. Supposedly, someone happened upon a nest of these critters in the wild (about 14 of them) and promptly donated them to their favorite zoo. The zoo then promptly sold them to other zoos for about $75,000 each, so one can imagine how rare and lovely ($$$$) it would be to find one. You wouldn't believe it unless you saw it, but Tally enjoys being handled, is good with kids, loves hiding in blankets, is afraid of cats, and chirps when scared.
Posted By: talula Posted On: Jan 15, 2007 Views: 779	RE: What happens if gator, fish, ferret or human w oh i believe it. i just think her fate is a damn shame.
Posted By: talula Posted On: Jan 15, 2007 Views: 777	RE: What happens if gator, fish, ferret or human w just to add, unless she has stunted growth from too small a tank and poor eating (which sucks, of course) she will get larger than 5 feet. the AVERAGE size of a female american alligator is over 8 feet long...and that's just average.. this is why, again, such species should not be available in the pet trade (and when they are, it's mostly illegal anyway)
Posted By: Pet owner 92 Posted On: Jan 15, 2007 Views: 770	RE: What happens if gator, fish, ferret or human w ROFL! Anyone who truly believes that an alligator enjoys being handled and is good with kids should make an appointment immediately with a mental health professional.
Posted By: Liz and Tally Posted On: Jan 15, 2007 Views: 770	RE: What happens if gator, fish, ferret or human wins? Thanks for your concern about our animal. We are fortunate to be living near Terry Wilkins, who has supplied and cared for the reptiles at the Columbus Zoo, as well as many zoos across the United States. We are using the setup he advised, and he assures us that Tally is quite healthy, is doing well, and has been for three years coming this April. When I first purchased my pet from him, I also made the mistake of reading and believing a lot of the stuff online, such as the myth of enclosures influencing size and growth patterns. Having an actual expert to consult with makes all the difference is owning an exotic and interesting pet.
Posted By: talula Posted On: Jan 15, 2007 Views: 768	RE: What happens if gator, fish, ferret or human w myth? excuse me, but i am an expert. have you not read my qualifications above? i have had the unfortunate experience of coming across some of these stunted reptiles during seizings. at any rate, that's nice that you're taking good care of your pet now, but the fact that you listed such morose options as she grows is unbelievable to me. how can you call something your pet when you admit you may have to have her euthanized because of her size? did you not think of this during the purchase? these, of course, are rhetorical. i think the answers are pretty obvious.
Posted By: Tally the Doomed Alligator Posted On: Jan 16, 2007 Views: 763	RE: What happens if gator, fish, ferret or human wins? ME LIKE TO GET HANDLED! ESPECIALLY BY CHILDREN! TASTES LIKE CHICKEN! IF YOU GOTTA GO, TAKE A FEW OF THEM WIT YOU!
Posted By: Attila the Bun Posted On: Jan 16, 2007 Views: 762	RE: RE: What happens if gator, fish, ferret or human wins? Liz, I'm sure glad you knew what you were getting into buying a gator for a pet. You sound like a very responsible, caring pet owner. Can I change my vote? Oops, too late.....game over. Two quotes from your post were interesting: ---"When I first purchased my pet from him" ---"Having an actual expert to consult with makes all the difference is owning an exotic and interesting pet." Considering these quotes are referring to the SAME PERSON, it occurs to me, as it surely must have occurred to you, that there's a strong possibility of a conflict of interest- being as how he's the retailer AND the expert. Just curious- and I'm being very serious here, as a fellow caring pet owner- how were you able to reconcile what, from where I sit anyway, seems like a conflict. On a MUCH lighter (and whiter) note, why do you think that the NYC Gator Sewer myth is "unfortunately" just a myth? Would you prefer that it actually be true, and that white gators roamed the sewers so that when a manhole cover gets opened up, a gator head pops out and grabs unsuspecting passersby (also part of the urban legend)? Plus it would make riding the subways even more of an adventure than it is already... That last one is meant as a joke, but the other one was serious. Seems we have a debate here between you and talula, about the ethics of gators as pets.

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