Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey,
Was reading your posts below to paradisio. You were telling him to "consider the source" of the advice given to him. You dont have to disguise it like that. You can just flat out tell him my advice is bad and i'm not a reliable source. I was helped when i first started by people on this board so i try to help others as much as possible. I wont answer somebody's question unless i'm 100 percent sure of the answer. This was the first i've ever heard of a gecko dieing after not eating only a week. But, if some of my advice is bad or something, feel free to correct it. Its just as much a learing process to me as the people i try to help, and i dont want anybody coming off with a wrong impression because i didnt know what i was talking about. Usually i try to answer those questions that come up time and time again because i dont mind answering them time and time again. I leave the difficult questions to the more experienced. So i'm not that bad of a source.

Who said they were going to die if they did not eat for a week? I must have missed that. Anyway, I don't want to speak for Marcia (sorry Marcia!), but my interpretation of her advice to "consider the source" meant basically this:

-if someone with many years of experience keeping and breeding leopard geckos and a successful track record of raising hatchlings to adulthood gives you some advice, you can pretty much count on it being sound advice.

I do not think she meant it to be negative and I am pretty sure she was not referring to anyone in particular, but rather making a general statement. Does that make sense?
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Peace-
Kelli Hammack
H.I.S.S.
email me

Unless i am badly mistaking, paradisio has only had his geckos for a little over a week. I remember a post of his from about a week ago that said he had his geckos for 3 days. So i told him he shouldnt be worrying yet, but if they continued to not eat after a couple of weeks then he should spend the money on a vet. Then about ten other people posted the opposite, that he should be really concerned about it, and that most geckos only take 1-2 days to get used to surroundings. Then people began posting about vet visits and using syringe to feed and all this stuff. Thats where i got the idea. And since i'm the only one who had contradicting information then who else would Marcia have been referring to about the "consider the source"? I understand that you guys's advise is much better than mine but i'm just trying to help on the basic questions. And i dont think i should be automatically labled as a bad source. Please understand, i'm not arguing, i'm not trying to start an argument. I meant no offense in my post above. Just simply saying if i leave some bad info. to correct it. I apologize if i'm coming off as offensive, rude, or a pain in the neck.

-I- am the one that made the mistake of replying to your post. Oh well, I tried :~)
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Peace-
Kelli Hammack
H.I.S.S.
email me

She may have been referring to the seller as a source of bad advice, i'm sure you can understand that.
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I said this, you said that, he said huh? she said yeah.....

It doesn't matter. No need to beat a dead horse. you gave bad advice, the more expreienced handler took care of it. Correct advice was given, leave it be. It's not worth your brainpower to argue on here...

Kev
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Kev
1.2.0 Tang Leopard Geckos: Marley, Mary, Moki (Tang Albino)
0.1.0 Colombian Rainbow Boa: Rambo

Hey Gex,

I don't know you but I do know Marcia, and she is not one to pull punches. If she, or for that matter Kelli, Rob, or Ross, etc. thought you had given bad advise they would have called you on it there and then. Don't have such a thin skin no one is singling you out. After talking with some others off this forum I can pretty much say you are not the one they are talking about. Chill dude it's all good.

Tim
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LEOs: 6.9.0
1.3 High Yellows-Barney,Betty,?,?
2.0 Hypo Tangerines-Bam-bam,Rex
0.3 SHCT's -Journey,Wiggy,Lil'bit
1.0 Rescued Normals -Shleprock
1.3Tremper Albinos Mr.Slate,?,?,?
1.0 Tang Tremp Albino - Rocky

I like how when a "big breeder" goes off on someone about something that someone can not help nobody say a word to them...... I dont think I was even 1/4 as mean in my post as a couple of the post I looked at below....... Oh and just so everyone knows (and I am not pointing any fingers here) just because someone is a breeder does not mean their word or advise is the best out there...... Lets face it, leos are just about the easiest reptile species to keep and breed...... All you really need to do is keep them fed, watered, give them calcium, and keep them warm and they do all the work for you...... And besides that, there are breeders still keeping leos on sand and say its fine when it is a known killer...... The fact is, as long a the leo is not sick, if you cant keep a leo alive, happy, and willing to breed then you should not really keep a reptile at all...... Like I said I am not pointing any fingers..... I just want people to think before they snap out because someone says something they did not like....... And also do not take someones word just because they breed leos...... I have an 8 year old cousin that breeds leos.....

Sorry but I would take the advice of a person who has been keeping and breeding leopard geckos for many years over the advice of someone who has kept them for 6 months. You wouldn't?

Yes, leopard geckos are not hard to reproduce on a small scale (neither are corn snakes or ball pythons), when you start talking about 30, 40, 150 adult breeders it's a whole other ballgame. I have seen countless people get into leos, build up a fairly large collection of them in a short amount of time, then get out of them really quickly when they realize how much work it is.
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Peace-
Kelli Hammack
H.I.S.S.
email me

I totally understand that to breed on a big scale takes alot of work and dedication...... That is why I did not point any one breeder out....... I breed hundreds of gaboons, rhinos, and puff adders every year and just got back into the leo gig not too long ago so I know alittle bit about large scale breeding...... Not all breeders care for the animal they breed...... Some just see dollar signs...... There are breeders out there giving worse advice than some people keeping leos for 6 weeks....... Not all breeders are as dedicated or as knowledgeable as you and a COUPLE of others..... So it depends on who gives the info...... There are a few new people who seem to have a good grasp on keeping leos and there are some breeders that dont really have a clue...... Again I am not pointing fingers...... This is not why I posted to begin with....... I was just pointing out that when I gave my opinion in an earlier post everyone jumped on me "a nobody" and called me an ass and when a "breeder" does it, it is justifiable..... See what I am getting at?????

Usually, when someone makes a mistake, admits it, and a sincere apology is given, there is not much benefit in continuing to dredge up the situation. I made a mistake that caused damage to someone, admitted it openly, and apologized publicly in three separate threads as well as in a private correspondence to the person I directed my inexcusable behavior towards. No one else had the benefit of witnessing me sit here at this computer and bawl like a baby as I was writing those apologies, or the sick feeling I had in the pit of my stomach the rest of the day.

In no way was my apology intended for anything other than apologizing. It is sad that it could not be considered as much. I was certainly not implying that anyone gave bad advise or that I am the only source of information on this forum. I simply meant that when someone is overwhelmed with conflicting advise, in order to glean the most appropriate information one must consider the source of that information and use their own judgement.

As a sponsor for this forum, not only do I pay a significant sum of money to KS to keep it going for all of us to use, but I take a genuine personal and professional interest in all of the discussions and issues that get posted. It would be my hope that all of the years I have been involved with this forum, the help and advise I have given would by far outweigh the one, single time I should not have hit the "post message" button.
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Marcia McGuiness
Golden Gate Geckos
www.goldengategeckos.com

However perfect we try to be no one is perfect as we are human. The ability to recognize a mistake and admit it is just as important and admirable IMO as not making the mistake in the first place.
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Sarah Stettler aka Starling
Sarah@stargecko.com
StarGecko.Com COMING SOON! Star Quality Leopard Geckos
Specializing in Hypotangerine Tremper Albinos