# Yesterday was world lizard day



## Chew Toy McCoy

This is butters, my blue tongue skink. Native to australia.


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## Chew Toy McCoy




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## Chew Toy McCoy




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## Eric

Excellent, way to kick off this forum!


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## Chew Toy McCoy

Eric said:


> Excellent, way to kick off this forum!




Thanks.  Sorry for doing a separate post per picture but I couldn't figure out how to post multiple pics from my iPhone.    Really glad you started this sub forum though.  Pets are the best.


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## Eric

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> Thanks.  Sorry for doing a separate post per picture but I couldn't figure out how to post multiple pics from my iPhone.    Really glad you started this sub forum though.  Pets are the best.



It's all good, share away.


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## Alli

I have a former colleague who has a side hustle breeding lizards. Geckos to be precise. I prefer the larger ones. The photo of the dogs just chllin’ with the lizard is fabulous, @Chew Toy McCoy !! We have garden variety skinks all over the place here. They’re as common as geckos. But nothing so large!

One of my favorite things about having spent time in south Florida last summer was all the iguanas. Not so little, but such timid little dragons!


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## lizkat

I really miss the colorful little eastern newts that used to adorn our gardens in the western foothills of the Catskills.  They mostly had faded away by the early 90s after some drought years in the late 80s --followed on by some harsher than usual winters--  and I haven't seen one in my yard in about 25 years.  So flashy and sporty in their terrestrial juvie phase, and very good at picking insects out of the veggie patches.


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## Chew Toy McCoy

Alli said:


> I have a former colleague who has a side hustle breeding lizards. Geckos to be precise. I prefer the larger ones. The photo of the dogs just chllin’ with the lizard is fabulous, @Chew Toy McCoy !! We have garden variety skinks all over the place here. They’re as common as geckos. But nothing so large!
> 
> One of my favorite things about having spent time in south Florida last summer was all the iguanas. Not so little, but such timid little dragons!




Locally we mostly have blue bellies, alligator lizards, and whip tails. It’s crazy to think these large lizards are just as common in other parts of the world.

I try to take Butters out at least once a day.  Sometimes I pass out and she just sleeps with me, sometimes nuzzling between my head and the pillow, occasionally hissing in my ear when I move too much.


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## Chew Toy McCoy

lizkat said:


> I really miss the colorful little eastern newts that used to adorn our gardens in the western foothills of the Catskills.  They mostly had faded away by the early 90s after some drought years in the late 80s --followed on by some harsher than usual winters--  and I haven't seen one in my yard in about 25 years.  So flashy and sporty in their terrestrial juvie phase, and very good at picking insects out of the veggie patches.




I’ve noticed a drop in the local reptile and amphibian population as well, but also some our making a comeback.  For a while at our cabin I thought we were seeing less because I took them all home as a kid.


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## Alli

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> Locally we mostly have blue bellies, alligator lizards, and whip tails. It’s crazy to think these large lizards are just as common in other parts of the world.
> 
> I try to take Butters out at least once a day.  Sometimes I pass out and she just sleeps with me, sometimes nuzzling between my head and the pillow, occasionally hissing in my ear when I move too much.




I’ve had snakes as pets in the past, but never a lizard. I wonder how my husband would feel about that....


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## Chew Toy McCoy

Alli said:


> I’ve had snakes as pets in the past, but never a lizard. I wonder how my husband would feel about that....




I've also had snakes in the past.  It was a toss up between a blue tongue skink and a ball python, but when I got the email from the skink breeder that they had new babies for sale an unusual for me competitiveness kicked in.  When they send out emails to announce newborns it's almost like eBay sniper bidding.  They are usually all spoken for within minutes of the email being sent.  I was one of the lucky few who made it, 6 babies available, thousands of emails sent.


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## Alli

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> I've also had snakes in the past.  It was a toss up between a blue tongue skink and a ball python, but when I got the email from the skink breeder that they had new babies for sale an unusual for me competitiveness kicked in.  When they send out emails to announce newborns it's almost like eBay sniper bidding.  They are usually all spoken for within minutes of the email being sent.  I was one of the lucky few who made it, 6 babies available, thousands of emails sent.




The last snake I had was a ball python. He was, quite honestly, a boring pet.


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## Chew Toy McCoy

Alli said:


> The last snake I had was a ball python. He was, quite honestly, a boring pet.




I live in an apartment that has always allowed cats but I’m not much of a cat person. They started allowing small dogs a couple years ago, but I don’t think an apartment is fair to a dog and depending on the dog there could be daycare costs I would have to consider while I am at work. The puppies pictured above are my parents’.

I also have an assortment of small critters (for another thread) and was looking for a more mid-sized pet that could be out of their enclosure and somewhat cuddly. The boringness of a ball python and relative small size for a constrictor sounded like it might fit that bill. An issue I had with them is their dietary needs, not that I’m against feeding rodents. It’s just kind of a chore. A bonus with Butters is she eats wet cat food for the first year and after that will also eat dry and wet dog food along with some vegetables and fruit. All stuff I can grab at the grocery store.


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## Alli

That makes it pretty low maintenance! I once had a friend who had rats that just roamed the house. She claimed they were just as smart as dogs. No thank you. I’ve known others who had tarantulas that pretty much roamed freely through the house or apartment. That could be kinda fun. My last wish list was a hedgehog. At least you can take them out of their cage and play with them.


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## Renzatic




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## lizkat

We had a king snake in the apartment my college roommate and I shared for awhile in Manhattan in our first years out of school.   Her boyfriend at the time was in graduate school down south, and on his way to becoming a herpetologist.   So you know how it is, you usually try to love whatever your true love loves, whether it's Harleys or king snakes, jazz or trance...   so she said absolutely yes when the guy asked if she wanted to have this critter.  I was okay with it, and the snake was beautiful,   but I have to say I was more fond of her two cats.


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## Chew Toy McCoy

Alli said:


> That makes it pretty low maintenance! I once had a friend who had rats that just roamed the house. She claimed they were just as smart as dogs. No thank you. I’ve known others who had tarantulas that pretty much roamed freely through the house or apartment. That could be kinda fun. My last wish list was a hedgehog. At least you can take them out of their cage and play with them.




I want a hedgehog too!  But they are illegal in my state (CA).   Not to disuade, but I've heard a lot of those adorable hedgehog moments are rare and in some cases owner abuse (they really don't like floating on their back in water).  

I love the narration and editing in this video.


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## Alli

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> I want a hedgehog too! But they are illegal in my state (CA).  Not to disuade, but I've heard a lot of those adorable hedgehog moments are rare and in some cases owner abuse (they really don't like floating on their back in water).




That video was darling! I wonder why they’re illegal in CA? It figures that here, hedgehogs are legal and pot is not.  When I visit my mother in FL I always talk about going to one of the many hedgehog farms nearby. So far no one has let me cause they know I’ll come home with one. 

Who knew you could feed them scrambled eggs?! If they eat grits, too, I could make dinner for both a hedgehog and my husband to share. Just sayin’.


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## Chew Toy McCoy

Alli said:


> That video was darling! I wonder why they’re illegal in CA? It figures that here, hedgehogs are legal and pot is not.  When I visit my mother in FL I always talk about going to one of the many hedgehog farms nearby. So far no one has let me cause they know I’ll come home with one.
> 
> Who knew you could feed them scrambled eggs?! If they eat grits, too, I could make dinner for both a hedgehog and my husband to share. Just sayin’.




Not sure why they are illegal in CA but the way CA works is there is a list of allowed animals. If they aren’t on the list they are illegal. Given hedgehog’s popularity there probably is a direct reason and it’s not just an oversite. But even CA has hill folk and I can guarantee they have pets that aren’t on the list, like ferrets.


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## Alli

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> Not sure why they are illegal in CA but the way CA works is there is a list of allowed animals. If they aren’t on the list they are illegal. Given hedgehog’s popularity there probably is a direct reason and it’s not just an oversite. But even CA has hill folk and I can guarantee they have pets that aren’t on the list, like ferrets.




Ferrets aren’t allowed either?????


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## Chew Toy McCoy

Alli said:


> Ferrets aren’t allowed either?????




No. But I know several people in the state who have/had them.  I think they are considered an ecosystem ruining invasive species and having spent some time with them I can see why. By comparison cats aren’t curious at all.


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## Chew Toy McCoy

Butters displaying how her species got the name.


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## Chew Toy McCoy

Butters nap wedge. Taken from iPhone (still shitty) front facing camera.


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## Alli

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> Butters nap wedge. Taken from iPhone (still shitty) front facing camera.




Who knew they were cuddly?!


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## thekev

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> I want a hedgehog too!  But they are illegal in my state (CA).




As they should be. Hedgehogs shouldn't be pets. They are wild animals. They're cute, and some docile ones show up on youtube and Sonic the Hedgehog was in theaters earlier this year. That makes people want them as pet, but I doubt most of those people can even care for them properly. Vets are also unlikely to know a lot about treating hedgehogs.

Also the hedgehog looks a bit stressed at parts of the video. The digging is probably instinctive. Curling into a ball is likely due to stress. 

I really wish people would stop buying exotic pets. As much as I think hedgehogs are adorable, I wouldn't own one.


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## Chew Toy McCoy

This old Tool video has a Butters in it.


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## Chew Toy McCoy




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## Chew Toy McCoy

This is Butter’s favorite chill spot under a folded blanket at the foot of the bed.  Sometimes I pass out at night and she’s still there in the morning.


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## Chew Toy McCoy




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## Alli

Oh I love Winston!


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## Chew Toy McCoy

Alli said:


> Oh I love Winston!









Then you'll also love Clint and Gus Gus.  Clint is a total reptile nerd and does great videos on pluses and minuses on owning different species.  Winston and Gus Gus are an Argentine Tegu.  By all accounts closest thing to having a reptile dog but be prepared to have at least a half room enclosure for them.

Clint has even done the king cobra which as you can imagine on his 5 point scale rated very low.


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## Chew Toy McCoy

In case you didn't know.


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## Chew Toy McCoy

I feel like an asshole for not mentioning this in the thread before, but these are/were my African fat tail geckos, Kramer and Sierra.





Kramer (left) passed away about a year ago.    Sierra lives on!


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## Alli

Did I mention my former colleague who raises geckos? You can check out some of her babies here.


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## Chew Toy McCoy

Alli said:


> Did I mention my former colleague who raises geckos? You can check out some of her babies here.




You didn't.    And I can't because I'm not on Facebook.  

Before you suggest I should reactivate my Facebook account for this and other non political interaction I feel I should point out I refused to do it even for my favorite uncle's cancer support group (that's not the only way to keep in touch).  He passed away about 2 years ago and thus all other reasons to rejoin Facebook will forever be trivial.  

Have them post on this forum.


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## Alli

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> You didn't.    And I can't because I'm not on Facebook.
> 
> Before you suggest I should reactivate my Facebook account for this and other non political interaction I feel I should point out I refused to do it even for my favorite uncle's cancer support group (that's not the only way to keep in touch).  He passed away about 2 years ago and thus all other reasons to rejoin Facebook will forever be trivial.
> 
> Have them post on this forum.




Well that sucks! I wonder if business owners are aware how much they are limiting themselves by only having Facebook and no real webpage? I didn’t realize you had to log into Facebook to see a business.


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## Chew Toy McCoy

Alli said:


> Well that sucks! I wonder if business owners are aware how much they are limiting themselves by only having Facebook and no real webpage? I didn’t realize you had to log into Facebook to see a business.




No doubt, although I don't know if it's all that limiting considering how many people are on Facebook.  Having said that, I went to a reptile expo a few years ago and the few people I was slightly interested in maybe getting something from in the near future gave me a business card with nothing but a facebook and/or instagram address.  I understand maybe we're beyond phone numbers at this point, but is an email address really that obscure now?


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## Chew Toy McCoy

Redid Butters' enclosure today.  She made a wood chip pillow so she could rest her head while also observing what was going on outside her enclosure.


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## Chew Toy McCoy

Mexican alligator lizard.  Gorgeous.


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## Chew Toy McCoy

I had one of these in my early 20's I got from a local pet store.






Flash forward to 2020.  Wait no, go back to mine.  The internet didn't exist, maybe AOL was just coming out.  Therefor there wasn't the access to information we have now.  If you were young, interested, it was at a pet store, and you could afford it you just got it.  You asked some general advice and that was about it.  There was no "Don't get unless you absolutely plan to do this, this, and this."  Needless to say it didn't live very long.

Now flash flash forward to 2020.  They are hard to find, banned from export from their native habitat (due to earlier pet trade exploitation), are expensive when you can buy one, and probably not in the best of shape.  I saw a couple available at a reptile expo a few years bag and they were missing some toes which is quite common when you don't monitor their shedding.  Not to be subjectively cold, but even in that less than great condition they were still asking $700 each.  

I actually got bummed I didn't take care of mine as well as I should have, not for rarity or financial purposes, but for not providing the proper care and respect like I do now.  One of the things that got my attention at the expo was they were just hanging out on a big branch on a table.  No enclosure, the only animal at the expo displayed like that.  That's just how they are.  Super chill and hardy, no worries about them bolting or easily getting injured.


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## Chew Toy McCoy

Butters picked her side of the bed.


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## Alli

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> Butters picked her side of the bed.



She is just too cute!


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## Chew Toy McCoy

Alli said:


> She is just too cute!



I definitely think so and there's no fighting over covers.  

I think at some point I'm just going to start a Butters thread because that's largely what this thread has become which takes away from the honor of world lizard day.


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## Chew Toy McCoy




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## Huntn

Woke up this morning and it was 52 F (Brrr!). We had some cardinals flitting around our back deck. We have a coat stand on the deck where my wife leaves her wet swim suits. One of these cardinals hopped around on the coat stand and disappeared between the swim suits and either grabbed an anole or knocked it out the swim suit where it was huddled against the cold. Now down on the pool deck they were staring each other down, the adolescent anole was opening it’s mouth in a threatening manner and I was a bit surprised  thinking cardinals don’t eat lizards.

I did not want to deprive the bird of a meal, so I waited, but then it flew off, so I opened the back door and that lizard was so cold it could not move, so I picked it up, (it opened its mouth at me too) and tucked it back in the folds of one of the swimsuit where it could warm up. No, I was not going to adopt it... 

We have anoles, skinks, and used to have small geckos that hung out by the front porch light at night, but this last summer none appeared.


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## Apple fanboy

One of mine. Photo, not pet.
View attachment 999


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## Huntn

Apple fanboy said:


> One of mine. Photo, not pet.
> View attachment 999



Nice photo. Why not post to be visible in the post (said in a friendly tone)? 

Did you take this in a studio setting or was the background whisked away?


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## Chew Toy McCoy

Huntn said:


> Woke up this morning and it was 52 F (Brrr!). We had some cardinals flitting around our back deck. We have a coat stand on the deck where my wife leaves her wet swim suits. One of these cardinals hopped around on the coat stand and disappeared between the swim suits and either grabbed an anole or knocked it out the swim suit where it was huddled against the cold. Now down on the pool deck they were staring each other down, the adolescent anole was opening it’s mouth in a threatening manner and I was a bit surprised  thinking cardinals don’t eat lizards.
> 
> I did not want to deprive the bird of a meal, so I waited, but then it flew off, so I opened the back door and that lizard was so cold it could not move, so I picked it up, (it opened its mouth at me too) and tucked it back in the folds of one of the swimsuit where it could warm up. No, I was not going to adopt it...
> 
> We have anoles, skinks, and used to have small geckos that hung out by the front porch light at night, but this last summer none appeared.



As I've gotten older I've found myself watching nature playing itself out and helping out if I think it's appropriate.  Today's not your time little buddy.

Sounds like you live in nature's pet store.  Most we have is blue belly lizards, the occasional alligator lizard, and basic frogs.  



Apple fanboy said:


> One of mine. Photo, not pet.
> View attachment 999




Leopard geckos are great and easy to care for.  Plus the morph (different colors and patterns) market has really exploded.  The local reptile expo didn't happen this year for the same reason most things didn't happen this year.


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## Apple fanboy

Huntn said:


> Nice photo. Why not post to be visible in the post (said in a friendly tone)?
> 
> Did you take this in a studio setting or was the background whisked away?



I tried! Having a few issues posting images on here. In a studio. A light tent. He liked the warmth.


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## Apple fanboy

Here's another from the same day.


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## Huntn

Apple fanboy said:


> I tried! Having a few issues posting images on here. In a studio. A light tent. He liked the warmth.



It’s possible if the photo is too large there might be an issue. I’m mostly using my iPad and when I select a photo from the album (on the iPad), At the top of the selection window, a choose size link appears, where I will select “medium”. This especially applies when the photos came off my phone, transferred with AirDrop, those tend to be very large.


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## Huntn

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> As I've gotten older I've found myself watching nature playing itself out and helping out if I think it's appropriate.  Today's not your time little buddy.
> 
> Sounds like you live in nature's pet store.  Most we have is blue belly lizards, the occasional alligator lizard, and basic frogs.
> 
> 
> 
> Leopard geckos are great and easy to care for.  Plus the morph (different colors and patterns) market has really exploded.  The local reptile expo didn't happen this year for the same reason most things didn't happen this year.



I usually rescue lizards in the house. If they appear weak, I place a drop of water in their mouths before turning them lose. I’ve noticed some when cold seem to enjoy the warmth of my hand.


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## Apple fanboy

Huntn said:


> It’s possible if the photo is too large there might be an issue. I’m mostly using my iPad and when I select a photo from the album (on the iPad), At the top of the selection window, a choose size link appears, where I will select “medium”. This especially applies when the photos came off my phone, transferred with AirDrop, those tend to be very large.



I always post images from my Mac so don’t get that option. I resize the images but they still seem hit and miss.


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## Chew Toy McCoy

Apple fanboy said:


> I always post images from my Mac so don’t get that option. I resize the images but they still seem hit and miss.



When posting photos from the Photos app on my Mac I first export them to my desktop.  I found exporting them as unmodified original doesn't work.  I have to do use the other export that exports to jpeg and gives the size option.

But as the site owner is a photographer himself I'm sure he'll get this all sussed out eventually.


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## Chew Toy McCoy

Today Butters found my long lost (over a year) Apple TV remote, well, indirectly.  I've kind of resigned myself to letting her use the bed as her play and explore space when I'm home because she's not arboreal (climbing) lizard because of her large potato body, nugget legs, and toothpick toes.  It's just not in the cards.  So the bed is somewhat like an island.  Earlier today I heard a telltale thud on the carpet.  Sure enough she tested her limits and failed.  Didn't see her in the open areas so I grabbed my flashlight and she was behind the bed and close to her was my long lost Apple remote.

Interestingly she didn't just pick a random side of the bed and go for it.  I've seen her gravitate with interest towards the wall left side of my bed where my fat tail gecko Sierra resides.  From the bed it's eye level, lit, and decked out like an appropriate natural habitat.  So while Butters is exploring amongst the sheets, pillows, and blankets it's like she sees it and goes "Hey, nature!".  The world's first scientific behavioral study that shows even animals are attracted to zoos when they aren't in it.


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## Chew Toy McCoy

Just found out the country's longest running and largest reptile shop is about an hour drive from me.  It's in Berkeley so my first concern would be if my interaction with them isn't woke will they strike? I love reptiles but know very little about their justice movements.   On average 5,000 reptiles under their roof at any given time.


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## Alli

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> Just found out the country's longest running and largest reptile shop is about an hour drive from me.  It's in Berkeley so my first concern would be if my interaction with them isn't woke will they strike? I love reptiles but know very little about their justice movements.   On average 5,000 reptiles under their roof at any given time.



But you’re going to find out, right? And maybe take some pictures when you go check them out?


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## Apple fanboy

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> When posting photos from the Photos app on my Mac I first export them to my desktop.  I found exporting them as unmodified original doesn't work.  I have to do use the other export that exports to jpeg and gives the size option.
> 
> But as the site owner is a photographer himself I'm sure he'll get this all sussed out eventually.



Photos on a Mac? I never open it. Ive even had issues with images 1000 pixels on their longest size which is usually fine on most forums.


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