So yeah......

[Sauzo]

Looks like i am done for the year on reptiles or VERY close lol. Just picked up this reduced pattern gila from Steve Angeli. Hopefully he can get it on Delta Monday.
[IMG][/IMG]

[tickyyy]

I am new to reptiles, do people keep pet gila monsters? And what's their temperament as usually (well I assume so) venomous species are usually more defensive and more likely to bite.

[Sauzo]

Well from what i have been told talking to a few breeders and keepers is as babies, they will bite if given the chance. As they mature, they tend to mellow out. But overall it depends on how much you interact with them. I was told to start working with them with 1 glove on the hand near the bitey part and a free hand holding the tail part. Steve Angeli has pics of his girlfriend and kids holding some large ones and he told me his girlfriend isnt really into reptiles.

And yes, people breed them. It is illegal to collect them in the wild. And certain ones are actually endangered.

[tickyyy]

And we can own venomous reptiles in Washington?

[Sonny1318]

Very nice man, God bless you. Wish you the best. Thanks for sharing. Nice collection you got going.

[Sauzo]

And we can own venomous reptiles in Washington?

You would have to check your county regulations but i live in unincorporated King County and only gilas and beaded are legal. Any venomous snake is NOT legal as well as crocodilea, croc monitors and i believe water monitors.

It's kind of like how Everett used to be illegal to own retics but King County is fine. And i believe Seattle city limits, you cant have anything over 8 feet. Been about a year since i checked up on all the regulations as i did it when i was researching gilas and beaded before i planned to pull the trigger.

[cletus]

Nice pickup Sauzo!

[Bogertophis]

And we can own venomous reptiles in Washington?

I'm not in Washington but in general, you can have laws prohibiting such things on the state level, county level, & even city level, so check & re-check before you
"dive in". Oh, and if you're renting where you live, um, probably not a good idea. Or if you're a home-owner (& care about having insurance) be careful too.

[Dianne]

I'm not in Washington but in general, you can have laws prohibiting such things on the state level, county level, & even city level, so check & re-check before you
"dive in". Oh, and if you're renting where you live, um, probably not a good idea. Or if you're a home-owner (& care about having insurance) be careful too.

As a side note for homeowners, you really should disclose what you have animal-wise. Some companies prohibit certain breeds of dogs and types of pets, but many will just add an animal liability exclusion form to your policy....means you’re just not covered if your animal hurts someone. If not disclosed up front and they find out from a claim, they can cancel your policy. Just one of the many reasons I don’t usually have handling sessions with certain critters in my collection when someone asks to hold one.

[Dianne]

Looks like i am done for the year on reptiles or VERY close lol. Just picked up this reduced pattern gila from Steve Angeli. Hopefully he can get it on Delta Monday.

What a beauty! Very cool addition.