Collection VS Pets

[Red Ink AUS]

Hi guys,

Collection VS Pets, which one do you have?
There is a distinction between the two of them where i come from and I was wondering if it is the same over there?

 

[staylor]

I am sure there are some people here that have a collection but for me personally no matter how many I have they are all pets.

 

[egg 80]

as above no matter how many they'll always be pets to us ;D ;D

paul

 

[corrine]

Agreed. mine are all pets no matter the number

 

[zebraflavencs]

Wellllllllllllllllllllllll I sorta have both at the moment, Francis... I am watching 8 reptiles of a buddy, who is going out of town for two weeks, those are the collection.. Mine... Na no collection there... Those are my Monsters ! Even the wee geckos
Janie

 

[ladyknite]

I have collections, and I have pets. Lemme explain. I've been a snake lover all my life. I've kept some really BIG snakes. Right now the biggest I keep are RTB's. I like them, but they're not my "take me out to play pet" and the rest of my snake species fall into that same collection category. My gex are kewl, and I take very good care of them, but again, not the "take me out to play pet." The frogs, horny toads, and various other species fall into that "collection" category also.

My pets are my dragons, my various lizard species, and my dog. They're socialized, come out to play, get special treats, and I find they hold the largest part of my curiosity.

 

[beardielover17]

I look at any of my living animals as my family/children. Like human children, I'd do whatever it took to make sure they had the best life. I take all of my pets on outings, to the store, and make them a part of my every day life. I don't see them as a collection or even pets. I see them as a small (with the exception of mo) scaly human/child.

 

[Red Ink AUS]

I certainly don't mean any offence by this.

It's just that down here we have collections and pets. I consider myself to have both but all are given the same love and care as the rest.

Example 1:

Question
"What have you got in your collection?"
"I have a collection of Nephs but I'm still waiting on some amayes"
"Cool, oh what else do you keep?"
"I have a BD and a stumpy as well as a Mac"

Now the distinction is I have several sub-species of the Nephrurus complex (with more to come).
"Collection" usually implies as well a target species that the individual is working on and have several sub-species of it or several localities/morphs of the one species.
It does not mean they are not cared for any less or loved any less.
When asked what else I KEEP (keep being the operative word), then i say the rest of the specimens I am not working on but are merely there for companionship and enjoyment.

Example 2:
"What have you got in your collection?"
"I have bearded dragons"
"Nice, what's in the collection?"
"I have a trio from the Stimpson desert, 1 from the Victoria desert, a pair from the NT, two from Alice Springs and a pair from the SA Mallee region"
"Any other stuff?"
"Yeah, I have a few carpets and a BTS"

This person "collects" locality specific BDs reather than sub-species.

Do you guys see what I'm getting at?
I probably should have clarified the distinction of collection vs pets at the start, my bad.

The main distinction is i guess is for people like me who have target species they work with and have multiple sub-species within that consider them to be collections rather than just singular pets (snake keepers think in the same way as Gina already stated). Also as Ladyknite stated collections are usually the less touchy feely specimens and are rather the "study" specimens.

Also most people that have a "collection" actively work on them, study wise from breeding data, to behavioural records, to alternative husbandry practices as well as surveying their natural habitat if possible. Rather than just the 4x2x2 love that pets are given.

I know i search for pretty much all reference materials i can for my collection of Nephrurus (sp) from basic husbandry caresheets all the way to PhD research papers. I study the sexual di-morphism and behaviours, the scalation count of each sub-species, the state and composition of their natural habitat, range of temperatures/humidity anually, other animals that share their teritory, common and un-commom deseases within the species, natural parasites, viruses, etc..etc.. anything and everything i can get my hands on lol.
(not that pets don't get the same treatment they do)

 

[ladyknite]

Very well put Francis.

I must say, I honestly envy your opportunity to categorize based on specific locality. I wish I had that opportunity with dragons. Of all my animals, most are identified by their genus, then their specific region for my own personal notes, but I've found that the majority of people here in the US have no earthly idea what you're talking about when you try to discuss it.

At first, the practice of studying and keeping all those anal retentive notes seemed rather geekish and borish, not to mention a little dumb. But over time, I came to see the value in what had actually been in the few years prior and how it had changed, both in husbandry and in genetics. What I saw and observed some 20 years ago is a very far cry from what I see today. Somehow, I think that information will be valuable one day.

 

[Red Ink AUS]

Double edged sword i suppose Gina, the reason why we categorize by either sub-species or localities is that's all we have available to us (I like it that way lol). Most aussie herptoculturist are purist and would'nt even consider mixing localities in their breeding programs let alone sub-species. The word hybrid here is a bad word when it comes to reptiles lol.

The country is governed by reptiles and they are the domimant species here, more species of them than mammals, birds or amphibians. The "locality" mentality stems from the act that within the same species the varriance is so great that people don't like mixing them (prime example of these are the BDs and Carpet pythons). The jungle carpet (morelia spilota cheynei) as an example, though it actually has a very small range in northern QLD is highly variable in it's colouration as well as size. You have the Jullaten jungles as an example which are predominantly black and white then move 200km away to the Palmerston region and palmerston jungles are black and gold. The same goes for womas (aspidites ramsayi) some are yellow banded and grow to about 2m (SA), to the red banded Tanami desert locality at 1.5m and the smaller Boodarie woma at barely 5 foot, plus everything in betwwen.

 

[Red Ink AUS]

At first, the practice of studying and keeping all those anal retentive notes seemed rather geekish and borish, not to mention a little dumb. But over time, I came to see the value in what had actually been in the few years prior and how it had changed, both in husbandry and in genetics. What I saw and observed some 20 years ago is a very far cry from what I see today. Somehow, I think that information will be valuable one day.

All and any info is valuable Gina ;D

 

[staylor]

Francis I am amazed every time at your knowledge of so many reptiles and how you can pin point where all of them are native to and not just country but the region of the country.

 

[Red Ink AUS]

Francis I am amazed every time at your knowledge of so many reptiles and how you can pin point where all of them are native to and not just country but the region of the country.

LOL I'm a total geek when it comes to reptiles Sandra, but I am only well versed in Australian reptiles ask me how to keep a leo or a uro :-\.

 

[staylor]

That is still more then I know...I still learning this little one.