Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i was browsing through this forum today and i just want to make some comments. first off, very nice pictires here. the smaller object makes for a great picture. im from the ball pthon forum, and there are frequently low-quality pictures there. you guys seem dedicated to your hobby, and i respect that. now a few questions....are these kept as pets for the most part? are they for food for other critters? one last one, when you raise one of those crazy lookin butterflies, do you let go, or do you continue to take care of it until it dies? i understand you cant let them all go due to different climates and such. it seems like a lot of work if you are going to just let them go. well, thats it, my hat is off to you guys.

Deal

Hey Deal,

I spend time on the chameleon and beardie forum - nice to meet you! Yes, the bigger the object, the farther away you need to be, but there are always cool pics of scales, eyes and tongues!

I can only speak for myself regarding my moths. The ones I post here are all reared as hobby, education, conservation. I raise them from egg to adult, which is a year long process. I release all of the adults within a day unless I cage a female for a wild mating, after which I release. The wild silk moths do not feed as adults and live 7-10 days on average. Butterflies and other moths do feed as adults and can be difficult to feed as adults without proper setup. Some sphinx moths have tongues 3x the length of their body and have to hover to feed (like a hummingbird). As you can see, that could be hard to accommodate. I feed none of them to my herps. I also raise silkworms, which are closely related, but they are reared as feeders.

So if were you cruising here looking for feeder info we will steer you in the right direction, just don't ask me how to raise a luna moth you want to feed to your snake! Actually, b/c their cycle is so long, and can be tricky, most folks would not bother. And...once you see one of these huge, lovely creatures you might not have the heart to do it

thanks for your quick reply. it sounds like it take a lot of time and dedication to raise a "bug" hehe. im just messin with ya. that moth you have pictured is stunning. any more pictures? nice pictura again.

Deal

I raise various species primarily for my own fun and also educational display purposes (I work at a nature center so it's cool to be able to keep some pets at work as long as they serve a purpose <g>.

What species I rear vary from year to year though I always make an effort to raise monarchs as I specifically participate in the Monarch Watch migration study program. I always raise native species and this helps as I don't have to worry about when it comes time to let them go (it's illegal to release non-natives into the wild). Trying to keep butterflies as adults in captivity is difficult unless you have a huge greenhouse setup and lots of nectar and host plants.

This is a photo of a prometheus/spicebush silk moth that emerged this summer. I found 5 cats earlier and they all pupated. Of the 5 I had 2 emerge - the others will probably wait until spring to emerge.

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Wyvern

The Invert Collection:
* (1) Aphonopelma anax - Texas Tan
* (1) Avicularia geroldi - Brazilian Blue Pinktoe
* (1) Brachypelma auratum - Mexican Flameknee
* (1) Brachypelma emilia - Mexican Red-leg
* (1) Brachypelma smithi - Mexican Red-knee
* (1) Cyclosternum fasciatum - Costa Rican Tiger Rump
* (1) Eupalaestrus campestratus - Pink Zebra Beauty
* (1) Grammostola pulchra - Brazilian Black
* (1) Lasiodora parahybana - Brazilian Salmon Birdeater
* (1) Nhandu chromatus / Lasidora cristata - Brazilian Red & White (aka White Striped Birdeater)
* (1) Nhandu coloratovillosus - Brazilian Black & White
* (1) Theraphosa blondi - Goliath Bird Eater
* (1) Latrodectus variolus - Northern Widow w/egg sac
* (~24) Latrodectus variolus - Northern Widow spiderlings