The Rock iguanas are composed of three species with seven subspecies:

• Cyclura carinata
  • Bartsch’s Iguana (Cyclura carinata bartschi)
• Cyclura cyclura
  • Allen’s Cay Iguana (Cyclura cyclura inornata)
  • Exuma Cay Iguana (Cyclura cyhlura figginsi)
  • Andros Iguana (Cyclura cyclura cyclura)
• Cyclura rileyi
  • Acklin’s Iguana (Cyclura rileyi nuclalis)
  • San Salvador Iguana (Cyclura rileyi rileyi)
  • White Cay Iguana (Cyclura rileyi cristata)

In the Bahamas all of the Rock iguanas are protected by the Wild Animals (protection) Act, and they are all listed by CITES in Appendix 1 meaning they are near extinct or very endangered. Today it is illegal to hunt or harm any rock iguanas, and they can live up to 40 years in the wild.

Reptiles Magazine published an article in 2010 giving a quick run-down of the Cyclura sp. Which can be read here (http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Cyclura/em-Species-Rundown/)

You can read more about the Rock Iguanas in the Bahamas min their website (https://bnt.bs/wildlife/reptiles/lizards/bahamian-rock-iguana/)

IUCN Redlist profiles of the iguanas are as follows:

Cyclura carinata

• Bartsch’s Iguana (Cyclura carinata bartschi) - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/6026/12317199

Cyclura cyclura

• Allen’s Cay Iguana (Cyclura cyclura inornata) - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/6041/12360350
• Exuma Cay Iguana (Cyclura cylura figginsi)- http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/6040/0
• Andros Iguana (Cyclura cychlura cychlura) - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/6039/12349025

Cyclura rileyi

• Acklin’s Iguana (Cyclura rileyi nuclalis) - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/6047/12369475
• San Salvador Iguana (Cyclura rileyi rileyi) - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/6048/12360803
• White Cay Iguana (Cyclura rileyi cristata) - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/6046/12358978

Here at Ferrets and Friends, we have the joy of taking care of over 40 animals that run the spectrum of different types of exotic pets.  People often ask us questions like "I have a rabbit already, but I have always wanted a chinchilla.  How do they compare?"  We think these are great questions, but researching the answers can be tough.  We hope to write more articles to address these questions, but to start we will compare some of the extremes with the animals we already work with.  We answered these questions based on our current experience taking care of parrots, ferrets, rabbits, chinchillas, hedgehogs, parrots, tortoises, lizards, snakes, amphibians, and invertebrates.

Our cleanest animals are our snakes and our amphibians.  Weekly spot checks and deep cage cleaning every six months to a year is usually enough to keep their homes clean.  Our tarantulas and millipedes also keep their enclosures pretty clean.  We could not pick just one animal to say that it is the most clean.

Jubilee, our macaw, makes the list again!  Her screams can be heard from other buildings!  While Jubilee is pretty quiet most of the day, there is time in the afternoon that she likes to get loud (and also practice talking).  Our Eclectus Parrot, Missy, also has some pretty loud calls.  Anyone who wants a quiet animal should stay far away from birds.

If you covered the enclosures for our snakes, amphibians, or invertebrates, it is unlikely would even know that an animal lived there.  Smaller lizards like geckos and chameleons are also extremely quiet.  While larger lizards and tortoises don't make vocalizations, they are more active in their enclosures so you may hear them digging, scratching, climbing, or otherwise running about.  

There are lots of different qualities that go into what makes a good pet and the exact definition will vary from person to person.  Ultimately, you have to do your research and figure out what works best for you and your lifestyle.  

For article written about the hunters and hunting programs above:

Large python capture:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article221334535.html

Python hunting program:

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/florida/fl-reg-python-hunters-everglades-20180530-story.html

​My last update on the Argentine black and white tegu front was back in May 2018, where I talked about the different tegu species that have been introduced into Florida. For this update I am going to be talking about removal efforts that I am involved in directly as part of my work and school thesis.

​The Argentine black and white tegu is a large lizard native to South America – specifically Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina. These lizards can reach up to four feet in length, spend most of their time on land, but can swim and remain submerged for long periods. These critters are intelligent, and when kept as house pets can be very attached to their owners and quite docile – making them wonderful pets. However, as the tegu grows very large it can become more work than their owners care to give, many owners and individuals who sell animals in the pet trade become irresponsible and release their Tegu into the wild. Occasionally, beloved pets are lost when not kept in a secure outdoor enclosure, not watched appropriately, or accidentally get loose and run away.

​Currently there are removal efforts in place by several agencies including the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, U.S. Geological Survey, National Park Service, private trappers, and the University of Florida. Over the past fove years there have been several interagency tegu management meetings and workshops which helped to establish cohesive management objectives, plans of action and budgets, and research and resource gaps. Ideally, tegu removal will be as efficient as possible – increasing tegu removal while minimizing cost.

​Trapping efforts by the University of Florida involve a trap line of 125- 150 live capture traps in a targeted area. These traps are deployed in February and are checked every day for new captures. The area being trapped is near two ecologically important areas – the Everglades National Park and the Turkey Point Power Plant – both which are home to very important and some imperiled species like the American Crocodile, which is threatened in its range. In 2018 University of Florida trapping efforts removed 360 tegus from the targeted area of trapping, and efforts are continuing in 2019. In addition to this effort there is currently a bill filed with the Florida senate that would ban ownership of Argentine black and white tegus (and sale) all together.

*All photos are from camera traps the University of Florida has set in south Florida to capture images of tegus in the wild.

We often get asked if ferrets make good pets.  Our honest answer is that it depends what you are looking for in a pet.  If you are looking for a simple, low maintenance pet that can be kept caged for most of the day, then then ferrets would be a poor match.  Ferrets are more comparable to keeping a cat or a dog than keeping other small mammal pets.  Like cats and dogs, ferrets require annual veterinary exams and rabies vaccines.  While ferrets can be housed in a large cage, they require significant out of cage time for exercise, mental stimulation, and socialization.  Ferrets may be a good match for individuals who are unable to have a cat or dog due to allergies, limitations with an apartment, or long work schedules.  While ferrets are surprisingly tough, they tend to play more roughly which may not be suitable for families with young children.  As a pet for older children, ferrets are more tolerant than other small pets that are typically advertised for children.

While it is not unheard of for a ferret to reach the age of 9 or 10, it is incredibly uncommon with most ferrets living between 5 and 7 years.  Ferrets are prone to a variety of health issues which can be very expensive. We wrote about the veterinary cost for three of our oldest ferrets here: www.ferretsandfriends.org/blog/what-does-it-cost-ferret-health

Ferrets are incredibly mischievous.  Creating a ferret-safe space for your ferrets to run around can be quite a challenge.  Anywhere their skull can fit, they can fit.  In our experience, we have ferrets that could fit under doors or cabinets.  Certain types of furniture such as reclining chairs can be hazardous for a pet ferret.  Ferrets can also cause a great deal of damage to furniture, carpeting, and other possessions.  Even with their musk gland removed, ferrets still have their distinctive odor which is impossible to completely eliminate. 

Like dogs and cats, ferrets can eat appropriate dry food or wet food that can be found in most pet stores.  They should have access to food and water at all times.  Ferrets have a very fast metabolism so their body may start breaking down fat reserves if they go more than four to six hours without eating.  Ferrets tend to eat frequently throughout the day and night.  This means that they may go to the bathroom more frequently.  Many ferrets can be trained to use a litter box with some effort.  For our ferrets, we use both puppy pee pads and litter boxes.

​The central American river turtle, also known as the Hickatee, is a species that is critically endangered according to the IUCN red list. Their population trend is decreasing in the wild, making them of extreme concern for conservation.  Historically this turtle is the only surviving species of a family of turtles which used to be wide spread. However, now this turtle is restricted to parts of Central America, Southern Mexico and Guatemala. It is a large freshwater turtle that is nocturnal highly aquatic and completely herbivorous feeding only on plant matter. Unfortunately due to its large size it has been hunted in its range and over exploited for centuries. This over exploitation has led to the critically endangered status of this turtle and reduced its populations to the point where it is likely that they may become extinct. 

​Habitat and Reproduction

These turtles tend to live in deep rivers and lakes and a travel using areas that are flooded during the wet season. As the floodwaters recede they will occasionally become trapped in small ponds and lakes until the next wet season occurs and floods allow them to travel back to the deeper rivers. Not much is known about the reproduction of these turtles.  Females of the species like to nest at the peak of the wet season and can lay up to a for clutches of eggs. Not much is known about the nesting and reproduction of the species due to the low numbers of populations, how fragmented they are in Central America, and the lack of research done on them. It is known that the nests are often laid below high water points and often flood for weeks, but this flooding of the nest is not shown t cause any kind of negative impacts on the survival of the hatchlings. 

​Hunting and over exploitation

The biggest threat to these aquatic turtles is over hunting of mature turtles and their eggs. This turtle has been hunted since the time of the Mayans and Hickatee with rice is a traditional meal that is widely eaten, especially in Belize, to this day. It is relatively easy to hunt the hickatee since it is inactive during the day time and when sold at market can bring in much profit. There are laws in place that the hunting of the turtles to be illegal in Central America since 1975, but there is a lack of enforcement which leads to the over exploitation of what populations are left.

Research and conservation

There has been some research done on these turtles, but not much is known about them. They have not had a formal population assessment throughout their range in years, and studies are extremyl difficult to perform due to lack of funding and since they have a highly fragmented population. There is a need for sites and areas to be protected to protect these turtles resources and habitat. Protection to is needed for their food sources and the water quality of the homes that these turtles live in. Management of the areas where the Hickatee is found, as well as restoration of some natural processes in highly developed areas. Species management and recovery plans are heavily needed in order to direct conservation efforts including species reintroduction where they have been exploited and conservation in the form of captive breeding and head starting. Other efforts for education include formal classroom education, training and awareness, and communications in the community where these turtles are being hunted and exploited. Encouragement for compliance and enforcement of laws to protect this animal is also heavily needed.  It is also suggested that further research be done on the actual population size distribution and trends within those populations how often these turtles are harvested what they are used for and how they contribute to the livelihood of locals who are harvesting them as well as general population trends throughout their range.

It has been another big year for Ferrets and Friends, LLC.  This year, we debuted a new package system to create more flexibility for our customers.  Our macaw parrot has been a popular new addition to our already diverse and colorful crew.  We updated our reptile enclosures to a great new setup from Animal Plastics.  We also moved to a larger and more spacious location to provide more space for all of our animals friends.

We added three new species to our shows this year including our African Pygmy Hedgehog, Harlequinn Macaw, and Mexican Red Knee Tarantula.  For 2019, we are not planning on adding any new species to our collection.  Instead, we will be partnering with Astoria Dressage to add pony party packages next summer. 

Unfortunately this year, we said goodbye to quite a few of our cherished animals stars and an excellent animal educator.  Miss Lina is no longer with Ferrets and Friends and has relocated with her animals.  Over the past couple years, she shared her passion for animals at a total of 122 events and worked hard on our social media accounts and marketing.  We thank her for her hard work and wish her the best in her future endeavors!

While we said goodbye to some of our animal friends due to this change, we also experiences some significant deaths.  Two of our ferrets, Samson and Ramona, passed away this spring.  Samson retired earlier this year due to the progression of his insulinoma.  We lost Samson shortly after his sixth birthday.  Ramona had an unexpected and unknown illness for which she was humanely euthanized during an emergency veterinary visit.  She was five years old when she passed.  We regret to say that ferret lifespans are far too short and healthy ferrets can suddenly become extremely ill in a short amount of time.  It is important to find out in advance about what emergency veterinary services near you are equipped to care for ferrets.

In 2018, our animals have had fewer illnesses than they did in the previous year.  This is mostly due to the average age of our ferrets.  In 2017, we had four ferrets over the age of three years old which is a common age for ferrets to become ill.  After our two oldest ferrets passed in the spring, our oldest ferret is now Jack who is three years old.  Unfortunately, Jack was diagnosed with adrenal disease this summer.   The good news is that his hormone implant has been working great so he has been his happy, active, and fluffy self!  

This year, two of our new bunnies had their spay surgeries and both went well!  Jessica even had a bit of a surprise for our vet as she actually had internal male parts instead of female.  Our vet was very confused when he couldn't find what he was looking for originally.  She's a very special bunny!  After the spay, some of Wednesday's territorial behavior significantly decreased.  Getting bunnies spayed is important for their health as it eliminates their risk for uterine or ovarian cancer.

Jasmine (Chinese Water Dragon) and Domino (Green Cheek Conure) have continued laying eggs this year.  Our leopard gecko, Cici, has stopper laying eggs.  In her older age, she seems to be slowing down and has been struggling with a cyst on her eye which we have been monitoring with our veterinarian.  She is currently being retired from animal shows as our younger leopard gecko, Fiona, takes her place.

This fall, the owner of Ferrets and Friends met with the Executive Director of Pets on Wheels.  Pets on Wheels is a nonprofit organization that provides pet therapy visits to a variety of settings.  After a an wellness check from our veterinarian and a thorough examination from Gina (Executive Director at Pets on Wheels), we are excited to announce that two of our ferrets, two of our parrots, and our panther chameleon have all passed the temperament screening to be therapy animals.  We couldn't be more proud of our animal friends!  So far, Jubilee has been popular with Hospice of the Chesapeake making her visits to patients in a variety of settings.  

This year, we added eight animals to our care.  Four of our new additions have been doing a great job as animal ambassadors and we are waiting for the remaining four to finish their quarantine period.  We added two ferrets (Aurora & Logan), a Harlequinn Macaw (Jubilee), a Veiled Chameleon (Bruce), a Chinese Water Dragon (Hiccup), a Blue Tongue Skink (Loki), a Colombian Red-tail Boa (Thor), and a baby king snake (name pending).  Of these animals, only one had a previous home.  Thor is a two year old albino boa constrictor and already measures an impressive five feet in length.  We are excited for him to make his official debut next year!

Currently, Ferrets and Friends has 45 animals in our care.  Of those animals, about 40 animals are being used in shows at the time of writing.  Next year, we hope to start offering packages with some Equine friends.  Rebecca, our animal educator, has been hard at work rehabilitating two ponies and training them to interact with people.  They have made great improvements this past summer in riding lesson and camps.  We hope to feature them in some new packages for 2019.  

Have you been waiting for an opportunity to see our animal friends in person?  Check us out at the World of Pet Expo on January 25th-27th.  It is located at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, MD.  There will be lots of vendors and performances. For more information, visit www.worldofpets.org.  Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you in 2019!

About CrocFest:

CrocFest is a non-profit organization that raises money twice each year for the research and conservation of various crocodilians. This is a wonderful fundraising event that I am always so excited and proud to participate in. Earlier this December the winter 2018 CrocFest fundraising event was put on at Gatorama - a home to predominantly crocodilian residents, Gatorama provides captive housing for various crocodilians including American alligators, American crocodiles, Saltwater crocodiles, Nile crocodiles, and many more. In addition to the main attraction, this facility houses various tortoises, lizards, and snakes for entertainment and educational purposes. Gatorama generously opened their doors to be the platform and location for winter CrocFest to occur, and donated all admission to the park directly to the CrocFest cause.

The  Cause:

Winter CrocFest 2018 raised money and awareness for the Indian Gharial. The Indian Gharial is one of only two species of it's kind, and it is suffering tragic decline. The beneficiary of the funds raised this year go to Jeff Lang. Dr. Lang is a world rebound crocodilian biologist who taught Animal Behavior and Vertebrate Zoology at the University of North Dakota for over 20 years and has headed various research projects focusing mainly on crocodilians and turtles.

In 2008 there was a mass die-off of over 110 Indian Gharials. This tragic event sparked the Gharial Ecology Project (GEP) headed by Jeff and another biologist in India, Romulus Whitaker. Together they obtained some funding to radio track Gharial in the area where the mass die-off occured in order to see how this even influenced reproduction of the species along with other aspects of their ecology. Jeff has been directing this effort as an unpaid volunteer, paying for his airfare and expenses for three trips a year since 2008 and training dedicated staff for the project.

His efforts to date have ruled out some of the potential obvious causes for the Gharial die-off included tainted food sources and pollution of habitat. This suggest an event specific to Gharials - disease, genetic mutation, or potentially response to stress. The research has document movement of size classes from hatchling to adult, males and females, daily and seasonal patterns of movement which are all important towards understanding the life of Gharials and allowing scientists to identify key factors to move the species towards recovery.

The money raised at CrocFest goes directly to Jeff and his research group in order to further fund the research and conservation of this amazing g species.

The Event:

CrocFest is broken up into two parts:

Silent auction, and live auction. The wonderful event has gracious donors and caterors whom provide beverages, food, and servers for the event. These tasty delights are there to enjoy while attendees mingle amongst th8emselves, look at auction items, and enjoy exhibits.

These auctions, in addition to t-shirt sales and the price of admission, are the main method to raise funds. All auction items are donated by wonderful supporters of crocodilian conservation and research. Items this year ranged from ZooMed and Zilla reptile tanks and accessories, authentic clothing and decorations from India, beer, jewelry, decorative plates, live reptiles and arachnids, custom artwork, food, alcohol, knives, tickets to various Florida attractions and much much more.

The silent auction goes from event start until 5PM, at which point the highest bidder takes their winnings. After the silent auction items have been claimed and donations collected it is time for the main event: the live auction. The rules are simple- if you raise your hand, scratch your head, or get outwardly excited over an auction item you make a bid....its all for conservation, remember? Highest bid takes all, and even the auctioneer can bid things out from the crowd. This is quite a lively event, and battles to outbid one another can escalate quite dramatically (and quickly). 

Final Count

The important part of CrocFest is to remember that ALL proceeds go directly towards research and conservation of wonder crocodilian species in need. This year winter CrocFest raised over $40,000.

CrocFest will continue to raise money and awareness for crocodilian research, and has already announced its summer 2019 CrocFest event which will take place in June 2019 at Zoo Miami in southern Florida.

CrocFest
CrocFest Twitter
CrocFest Facebook

Natural History

The red foot tortoise is a species that is native to South America, and are closely related to yellow foot tortoises which live in the same area. They grow to be an average of 12 inches long from the front of their shell to the back, but they are known to reach 16 inches. Their carapace, or the top of their shell, is mostly black with a patch of lighter red-orange coloration in the middle of each scute. Their legs, tail, and head all are dark in color as well with scales that contain red, orange, and yellow pigment. They live in a variety of habitats ranging from dry savannah to forests around the Amazon Basin. They are very common in the pet trade, and due to this they have been collected to the point of vulnerability of extinction.

Their diet is just as variable as their habitat. They are omnivorous tortoises and their diet consists of an assortment of plants, grasses, flowers, fungi, carrion, invertebrate, and many fruits when they are available. Common fruits that are consumed in the wild are cacti, figs, bromeliad fruit, and more. The tortoises will eat the entire fruit and seeds which make them super important in the seed dispersal of many plants since the plant will grow wherever the seeds are excreted! Their diet usually changes seasonally base don availability of food resources. In the wet season it has been found to consist of 70% fruit, 25% leaves and shoots, and the remaining diet was fungi and carrion. In the dry season fruit is reduced to 40% of the diet, 23% of the diet is flowers, 16% is fresh leaves and shoots, and the remaining percentage has been found to be fungi and carrion.

In The Pet Trade
​
The red foot tortoise is considered vulnerable and is listed in CITES Appendix II which restricts international trade but does not restrict movement within the country and so many are still being smuggled in large numbers. There is conservation occurring within parks and refuges as well as captive breeding programs, but the tortoises are still exported in large numbers as pets and food – from 200 to 2005 there were over 35,000 exported.

​In the United States red foot tortoises are bred on a large scale, especially in southern states where they can be housed outside for most of the year. As babies they are relatively inexpensive at approximately $80 each. They are readily available in pet stores, reptile expos, and directly from breeders. Hatchlings begin at roughly 2 inches and grow to be around 12 inches in length over the next 10 years of life. The life span of a tortoise varies depending on the quality of care it receives, but most can live to be over 50 years old in the wild – in captivity their life expectancy is much higher due to no threat of predation. A full-grown adult should be kept in a rather large enclosure – 2 ft x 6 ft is the recommended size for an adult red foot. 

In Florida

The long lives and need for a relatively large enclosure mean that red foots are likely a pet that will be re-homed or passed on to children as time passes. However, this is not always the case and tortoise owners can be left with an unwanted pet. In Florida, and likely other southern states, we have seen an epidemic of released pets. Given the year-round warm climate in Florida we often see release exotic pets. Red foot tortoises are on the list of pets found released (or escaped) throughout Florida. From 2007 to 2017 there are 25 cases of found red foot tortoises in Florida. All of these tortoises at one point in time were a personal pet, and many of them had been released in rural sites near Gopher tortoise burrows. This selection of gopher tortoise burrow as a release site is potentially a sign that the red foot tortoise was likely released by a person. Most people, when they have pets that are unwanted or they cannot care for will put their pet in a place where they think they will be safe, and while a Gopher tortoise burrow seems like a great choice it is not. All unwanted pets should be taken to shelters, pet stores, or advertised a “free to a good home” in an attempt to keep it in captivity. Released tortoises can spread disease to native turtles and tortoises which could be devastating to native populations. Not all released pets are lucky, and they will often wander until they reach a road and are at the mercy of vehicular traffic.

To learn more about red foot tortoises:

http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Red-Footed-Tortoise/

http://www.animalspot.net/red-footed-tortoise.html
​
http://www.eddmaps.org/distribution/List.cfm?sub=56835

​http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Turtle-Tortoise-Species/South-American-Red-Footed-Tortoise/

The common boa constrictor belongs to the family "Boidae" which is composed of small to large snakes which constrict their prey. The common boa lives in tropical North, Central, and South America with a few individuals in the Caribbean. It has a wide distribution of habitat types it utilizes, and can be found in dry mountainous areas to grassland and woodland areas; on the ground and high up in trees. These boas can live for over 20 years and grow as large as 10 feet from nose to tip of tail. Their coloration can vary, but generally they are a brown-grey base color with a pattern of brown-red 'saddles' from just behind the head to the tail. This pattern is very effective camouflage in jungles and forests.

Boas give live birth, and can have litters of 20-60 individuals, but average to around 30 individuals born. They usually breed in the dry season (summer months). When born, the offspring can measure between 15-20 inches in length. After birth the young are completely independent and grow quite rapidly in their first few years, after about 4 years their young boas will mature and be able to reproduce on their own. Their ability to produce such large litters makes them very adept as an invasive specie. Having not true predators as adults, once they reach full size they are left alone to reproduce and grow the population.

Boas are very common in the pet trade, but similarly to the burmese pythons they grow quite large and can become a handful to take care of - especially when dealing with an individual who is not well socialized of friendly. In Florida there is a population of boas living in the wild. The common boa constrictor was first reported wild in Florida in 1990. There are established populations which have been breeding and self-sustaining for over 10 years. These large constrictors are very common in the pet trade and it is thought that their establishment is from animals being released or escaping from pet owners and distributors. There is also the possibility of snakes escaping when facilities are destroyed by hurricanes. For these boas it is thought that a reptile distributor released several hatching boas intentionally in south Florida in an attempt to establish a population in the Everglades. This animal is a threat to native animals, as it feed son lizards, birds, and mammals both on the ground and in trees. The established populations can potentially impact native species on a local level.

​Locations of those found in Florida

Boas are constrictors and eat whole prey including small-medium sized mammals and birds. Their diet mostly consists of rodents, but will consume large lizards and mammals as large as ocelots. The younger boas feed on mice, birds, bats, lizards, and amphibians of increasing size as they grow. They are ambush predators and will often sit in one location waiting for prey to cross their path. In areas with low prey availability they will hunt at night. In Florida, they pose a threat to many species of threatened birds and mammals. 

Learn More
​Florida Fish and Wildlife
UF Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
Animal Diversity Web
Reptiles Magaine