Just saw the Giss on TV

[caveman]

http://www.wkyt.com/home/headlines/Seized-venomous-snakes-brought-to-Powell-County-227614191.html

The snakes went to a place near me.

[Jeremy]

I thought this was about the time he was on Silver Spoons for 15 seconds.

[The Giss]

I thought this was about the time he was on Silver Spoons for 15 seconds.

Haha.

Pretty serious situation actually. Over 100 snakes and lizards, five venomous. All but the four venomous snakes (albino monocled cobra, southern copperhead, and two western diamondbacks I transported immediately from the site to Kentucky Reptile Zoo are now in their new homes (here). We have to wait to for the court case outcome to see what happens. Vet appointment Wed for three that are seriously sick.

This doubles the number of lizards we house and triples (apx) the number of snakes. Not angling for any donations or anyhting, just saying (our out of pocket so far is just shy of $1,000.

[Jeremy]

How is it not known someone would have that many snakes?  Wouldn't the food purchases give them away?

[AmyHollar]

How many mice does it take to feed that many snakes?    EEeewww.....


   Good job Keith!

[Jeremy]

How many mice does it take to feed that many snakes?    EEeewww.....


   Good job Keith!

And cans of chicken broth... not sure if that is true but I remember seeing a video where to get some snakes to accept frozen mice they had to be dipped in a can of chicken broth to get them to hunt it.

[3 wide and wingin]

I thought this was about the time he was on Silver Spoons for 15 seconds.

Under rated show. Would love to see it on reruns somewhere.

Keep up the good work Giss.

[careless hal]

Good job Keith!  To be a herpetologist  you have to take a vow of poverty.

[MichiganDale]

Good job Keith!  To be a herpetologist  you have to take a vow of poverty.

Isn't that the truth!   The Giss on TV, A Star Is Born!   From handicapping horses to handling snakes - what a path our boy's life has taken!   

[caveman]

I used to have Savana Monitor's.....several to be exact....only my small one's ate crickets and mice....the large one's ate rats, chicken, baby chickens and some birds....they also liked scrambled eggs.

Leroy was my fav....he would lay on my shoulders a nd eat cheese at the bar with me ....he weighed 22 lbs.......Rita the Meter Maid weighed 28, but shit was a bitch.

[Jeremy]

http://www.wkyt.com/home/headlines/Danville-completes-Turtleman-investigation-213038811.html

Also what a surprise that Turtleman show is a fraud

[The Giss]

http://www.wkyt.com/home/headlines/Danville-completes-Turtleman-investigation-213038811.html

Also what a surprise that Turtleman show is a fraud

Apparently, to have an Animal Planet or History show, you must also have an arrest record.

Cavey, there were three savannah monitors in this seizure...mediums, 18-24"  have two biig ones that we use in educational programs, George the 2nd is not quite 3' and Snerdly is 3.5'.

Jeremy is correct on  the chicken broth thing, if they won't eat prekilled.

Just finished the first feeding of the whole group. Did not feet the animals that will be traveling to programs in PA this week (PSU-DuBois and Kutztown U). Used 6 XL Rats, 20 Large Rats, 15 Medium Rats, 30 Small Rats, about 50 large mice, 20 weanling mice and 30 assorted pinkies, fuzzies and hoppers (all frozen thawed). Add another 4 large, 8 small rats, 16 large mice and about a dozen smaller mice for the travelers/ Will be picking up live pinkies for some of the newborn snakes Sunday, along with a $500 frozen rat and mouse order.

Also picking up about 20 lbs of greens today for the tortoises, iguanas and bearded dragons.

Three more snakes go in for surgery tomorrow, total vet bill is going to be about $1500.
Some of the boas are extremely rare and worth several thousand dollars each.

[Just Saying]

What kind of surgeries do you have to do on snakes?

[The Giss]

What kind of surgeries do you have to do on snakes?

They have bad mouth infections which have become abcessed. The dead tissue is basically allowing the infection to incubate,, so they sedate the animal, debride the dead tissue and clean out the infection, then put the snake on antbiotics to kill off the infection.

[Just Saying]

Is this a by-product of captivity, and are there preventative measures you can employ? Having never worked around reptiles I know zilch about them. (or little else about anything, for that matter)