Most Bizarre Things You've Heard People Say About Herps

[spix14]

So...I know you've all heard uneducated people spout the strangest things about reptiles, and swear up and down that they are true. What's the strangest thing you've ever heard?

Mine has to be the lady that swore her friend's BP ate lettuce. I just kinda stared at her for a second, and then told her that there is not one single snake on the planet that is a herbivore. This woman actually argued with me for a good twenty minutes about this, getting progressively more snarky, before I told her that the only way a snake would eat lettuce would be if you shoved it down the throat of a mouse first. Whereupon she turned around and huffed out of the store.

I still wonder about this from time to time. I mean, lettuce? Good grief.

[NateDogg13]

The owner of a small pet store around here told me he had a 60 year old female iguana that he sold. Even said it was ok to feed it dog food and insects for extra protein and lettuce was there main source of food. Then he went on to talk about some tortoises that live 200+years.
I didnt expect much truth from him since ive seen his store close and reopen 3 times in different places because he didnt make enough money to pay any of the bills.

[NateDogg13]

Just thought of another one. There was an ad on craigslist a few months ago where they were selling a BP that they had the venom and fangs removed so they dont have to worry about it killing their kids. Morons....

[Patrick Long]

The oldest tortoise ever recorded, almost the oldest individual animal ever recorded, was Tui Malila, who was presented to the Tongan royal family by the British explorer Captain Cook shortly after its birth in 1777. Tui Malila remained in the care of the Tongan royal family until its death by natural causes on May 19, 1965. This means that upon its death, Tui Malila was 188 years old.

Tortoises can live that long


http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/ne...00/4843422.stm

[panthercz]

I've heard numerous times Iguana's can't eat anything that's red in color or it will kill them.

[SteelerFreak89]

1. Godzilla could actually happen

2. You can get Aids from snakes...

[Ophiuchus]

"An iguana isn't a lizard. It's like a lizard...only bigger."

"Do turtles poop through their mouths?"

"Can snakes go to the bathroom?"

[NateDogg13]

Tortoises can live that long


http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/ne...00/4843422.stm

He meant average lifespan is over 200 years

[GirDance]

"Are you involved in witchcraft or something"
"no"
"They why else would you have snakes?"

[pslsnakes]

Here's one.... "Snakes only grow to thier enclosure size."

Oh oh! Another... I was in a pet store a while ago getting some feeders, when there was a lady looking to buy a baby ball. The guy working there said "make sure you get it a friend so they can share a "house"/tank so one doesn't get loney."