Saturday, March 07, 2020

My Encounters with Bearded Dragon, Chameleons, Geckos, Stick Insects, Leaf Insects and Praying Mantis!

Like many people, i do not think kindly of reptiles and insects although i don't have a phobia towards them, except for snakes. However, my eyes were "opened" when i visited my friend in Malaysia recently. 

One room was reserved solely for his pets and they are definitely not your usual cuddly kind like dogs, cats, rabbits, chinchillas etc! As the subject title has obviously pointed out; it's a collection of cold-blooded reptiles and insects! 

This is one of the two geckos he has and boy were they tame! While the nails were a bit sharp, the most important thing is that they don't bite. And don't you think their black, white patterned eyes are so beautiful!? 

The male chameleon; the cage might be small but it took me about 30 seconds to find it as it camouflaged itself real well. This one apparently has the tendency to bite and even though i am curious on how "bad" it could be; my friend's reply that it could draw blood is a major deterrent to curb my curiousity. 

Female chameleon; showing shades of pink (which was due to the lights installed), she was apparently a bit stressed due to the laying of eggs in the past week. So no touch too as chameleons have the tendency to die suddenly due to stressful conditions.

Stick insects, leaf insects and praying mantis! It's amazing how nature is able to create such wonderful creatures that blend in so well with the natural environment! I was offered a few stick insects to bring home but i had to decline in case i get too attached to them and their lifespan is only about a year.

An extremely pretty praying mantis that's still pretty young. My friend said this would be a great beauty once it's bigger! Just a little trivia about praying mantis; it's natural for the female to kill the male after mating! Yes, no love at all. 

Largest pet in the room; the bearded dragon! 

Adorable and photogenic; i was so captivated by it and might even have that slight intention to keep one! The picture doesn't quite give a good gauge on its size but it's about an arm's length. If you prefer something bigger (and also as docile), you can consider the Argentine red tegu lizard; there's a famous one called MacGyver the Lizard

My friend said i am lucky as i happened to chance upon freshly laid eggs by the female bearded dragon. So fresh; the egg shells were still relatively soft when i touched them! 

Given the need for constant temperature and humidity, the eggs have to be separated although at this time, you wouldn't know if they were fertilized. It's a waiting game of about two weeks before you can check for embryos (using a torchlight). 

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