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killerandhealerqueen · 2 years

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hey long time no see ^^ i was rewatching KH and i was wondering if you could write a small thing of the guys going grocery shopping together or taking keiying to the zoo? you a wholesome date bc why not?

hope you’re well

-👻

Ghost anon, my beloved! Hello my darling, hello! Abso-fucking-lutely I can write a wholesome date for the family, absolutely!

Jiang Yuelou and Chen Yuzhi couldn’t remember the last time they did something…as a family

Yes, they had dinner with each other every night but they never really got to spend time with each other because with Jiang Yuelou being the police commissioner, he was always having to work, even weekends and Chen Yuzhi always had patients to see so they never just…had time

And they didn’t want to be neglectful parents and not be there for Keying because that wasn’t fair, so they decided one weekend that they were going to the zoo and having family time

When they got to the zoo, Keying was jittering with excitement and practically tugging at Jiang Yuelou and Chen Yuzhi’s hands for them to hurry up!

Jiang Yuelou and Chen Yuzhi couldn’t help but laugh at Keying’s excitement and so they quickly paid for their entrance fee before they headed off to go look at the different animals, Keying staring delightedly in the enclosures while Jiang Yuelou and Chen Yuzhi stood a little ways back and watched with small smiles

If Keying wanted them to come look at something, they would walk over and stand beside her, and if she wanted to know something about the animal, they would try to explain it to her to the best of their ability

They tried to spend as much time at each enclosure as possible (as well as take as many pictures of the animals in each enclosure) and of course they went to the petting zoo that the zoo had

“Remember Keying, gentle”

Keying nodded

“I know, gege”

Both Jiang Yuelou and Chen Yuzhi then watched as Keying cautiously approached one of the goats and gently stroked its back, the goat turning to look at her before it gently butted its head into stomach, causing her to laugh softly as she continued to gently pet it and scratch it

“She certainly has a way with animals”

Jiang Yuelou looked over at Chen Yuzhi and chuckled

“Just like her brother”

Chen Yuzhi huffed and looked back at him

“And just like you too”

Jiang Yuelou laughed

“I just have a way with cats”

Chen Yuzhi chuckled, just as Keying walked over to the wash station and washed her hands thoroughly before she walked back out over to them

“Did you have fun?”

Keying nodded

“The goat was really friendly”

Jiang Yuelou smiled

“We could see that”

Chen Yuzhi then tilted his head

“Ready to keep walking?”

Keying nodded and so the three of them kept walking, enjoying the sunshine and the animals

As they walked along, Keying looked up at Chen Yuzhi and tilted her head

“Hey gege?”

Chen Yuzhi and Jiang Yuelou looked down at her before Chen Yuzhi hummed

“Yes Keying?”

“How come so many of these animals are here?”

Chen Yuzhi hummed

“Well, a lot of them are here because they were born into captivity, which means that they can’t be released back into the wild, some of them are here because they’re undergoing rehabilitation to be released, or they’re here because they’re endangered”

Keying frowned

“What does that mean?”

Jiang Yuelou smiled

“It means that there’s very few of them left out in the world and the zoo is trying to protect them and even potentially breed them so that they try and bring the population back”

Keying nodded slowly

“Oh, I see…so zoos are good things?”

Jiang Yuelou and Chen Yuzhi nodded

“Yes, zoos are good things. Why?”

Keying shook her head

“No, I’ve just heard people say that zoos are bad and that the animals shouldn’t be behind the glass and what not”

Chen Yuzhi hummed

“Zoos do their best to provide as much enrichment as the animals would get out in the wild and try to make their enclosures as close to as what they would likely to live in the wild. So no, zoos are not a bad thing and they’re trying to help the animals”

Keying nodded

“Okay”

Jiang Yuelou then smiled

“Shall we stop at the gift shop before we leave?”

Keying lit up delightedly and she nodded as they continued on their way to the gift shop, Keying looking around while Jiang Yuelou looked over at Chen Yuzhi curiously

“You’re not telling her no?”

Chen Yuzhi smiled and looked over at him

“We don’t come here very often…it’s alright for her to have something”

Jiang Yuelou smirked

“You spoil her”

Chen Yuzhi laughed

“Like you don’t”

Jiang Yuelou chuckled

“True”

Just then, Keying walked over to them, a large red panda plushy in her arms. When they saw the plushy, they smiled

“Is that the one you want?”

Keying nodded and Jiang Yuelou smiled before he motioned for Keying to follow him to the checkout counter so they could pay for the toy

Once they had paid, they headed out of the shop, Chen Yuzhi looking over at Jiang Yuelou teasingly

“See? What did I tell you?”

Jiang Yuelou tsked and gave him a gentle nudge with his shoulder, Chen Yuzhi laughing softly as they continued to the car, Chen Yuzhi helping Keying into the backseat before they all got into the car and headed home

As they headed home, Chen Yuzhi hummed softly

“Keying? Which animals did you like?”

When he didn’t hear a response, he frowned before he turned to look in the backseat

“Keying?”

To his surprise, Keying was fast asleep, her arms tightly wrapped around her plushy

He looked at her for a moment before he laughed softly and turned back to face the road, Jiang Yuelou looking over at him with a raised eyebrow

“She’s asleep”

Jiang Yuelou hummed softly, a small smile on his face, and they continued the drive home in silence, mainly so that Keying could nap

When they returned home, Jiang Yuelou unbuckled Keying from her car seat and carried her over to the house as Chen Yuzhi unlocked the door, the three of them heading inside

Jiang Yuelou then carried Keying to her bedroom and laid her down, tucking her in and making sure that her plushy was tucked snuggly into her arms before he headed back out to the living room, where Chen Yuzhi was sitting on the couch

“Come on, Yuzhi. If Keying gets to take a nap, so do we”

Chen Yuzhi looked up at him and smiled slightly before he pushed himself to his feet, he and Jiang Yuelou heading to their bedroom before crawling into bed

“Where should we go next time?”

“The aquarium?”

Jiang Yuelou hummed

“That sounds like a nice idea…I’m sure Keying will love it”

Chen Yuzhi smiled and nodded as he tucked himself against Jiang Yuelou

“I’m sure she will too”

Jiang Yuelou chuckled and hummed before he shut his eyes, he and Chen Yuzhi soon fast asleep, the house quiet and peaceful after a family fun day at the zoo

#sass answers #ghost anon edition #Killer and Healer #jiang yuelou #chen yuzhi #keying #killer and healer headcanons

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zurajanaizurakoda · 2 months

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🍲 +🍠

🍲 When did you start writing and why?

Showing my age again but I wrote fanfics in the 90's. I had dozens of Sonic the Hedgehog OC's and there wasn't an internet so I just drew them and rotated them in my head. I think the first "sit down and write a story" fanfic was in a notebook, because again, no internet, it was Sailor Moon and I didn't get far. I also claimed I was going to write a book in Elementary school. I didn't. I wrote Pokémon fanfics and then decided it was all cringe and stopped for a long time and then got into a new fandom and wrote a fanfic. My longest unpublished fic is well over 100k words and I doubt I would post it if I finished it because at that point I'm so invested I couldn't deal with people telling me the characterizations are wrong.

I was always kind of a quiet kid who kept to myself. In kindergarten I played a game where I was a princess who crawled under the earth's crust and then tectonic shifts closed up the opening and I lived in a series of caverns that opened and closed as the earth shifted (Obviously someone tried to explain plate tectonics to me and I did not get it at all)

🍠 How long does it take you to write one of your fics or a chapter/part?

THIS. This is weird. I wrote like a dozen fics in six weeks, some of them in a single day. I was literally holding off posting them because they were coming so fast. And then it stopped. Burnout, family issues, the world being a miserable hellhole, a lot of reasons. It took over a month to write that last fic, and it was like that episode of Cardcaptor Sakura where they don't realize they're stuck in a time loop but Kero's game save kept being deleted right before the final boss. Every day I'd write some and think, "It's almost done. I should finish tomorrow." And the next day I would look at it and there would be at least a day's writing left. And scenes kept appearing, wouldn't it be more Gintama if the adorable glomp scene was ruined by a knee to the junk. Sensei isn't just going to let things go at that. I know a rural inn wouldn't have beds, it would have futons, but damn it after everything else you're going to deny me the "there was only one bed" trope.

So, I don't know. I tend to skip around and write chunks in lots of stories, especially if someone reminds me of one and I think, "Oh shit, I need to fix it up so I can show them." Does any of that answer the question?

Thank you so much for the ask! I can't believe all the enrichment people have been providing me in my enclosure lately! I've got a few more to get to.

#gintama #ginzura.... maybe?#asks #I need to tag better

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dreamychaika · 2 years

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oh yeah that one palette game by @/m-chromatic. combo picked by my friend btw! they asked me to draw a johnkat

(two slightly different versions under the cut)

#homestuck #johnkat #john egbert #karkat vantas #i love how they're not even as much of a johnkat shipper they just see me going insane over them consistently and #decide to provide some enrichment for my enclosure #spasibo vorona <3 #and yes i still very much love johnkat your honour #look at that fuckinf neon green to candy red gradient #.png

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the-bentley · 2 years

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Snake Information Page for Writers

This is meant for those including captive snakes in their writings and not as a pet care guide. This information I gathered while researching a story about Crowley from Good Omens being someone who kept a large collection of snakes. I have kept corn and garter snakes in my time, but since my husband does not like the idea of keeping a freezer full of pre-killed mice, I haven’t had a pet snake in years.

I’ve included information in the breeds that some might find superfluous, but it’s there in case someone wants to get really detailed with their character’s snake.

General Information

Snakes are escape artists. This could be a way to give your character a headache if they don’t have a secure enough cage. Or a source of comedy. Or whatever you chose. Ways to find a lost snake can be found here: https://reptifiles.com/how-to-find-lost-snake/

Snakes are not cuddly pets. They will not love you (unless you decide to anthropomorphize the snake). They will, however, recognize you as the one who feeds them and perk up if you approach the cage, and they’re hungry.

Your character is not limited to wild type colouring for their snake. Many morphs have been bred into various pet snake species. If you want a good idea of what’s out there at what price, check out Morph Mart www.morphmarket.com

Snakes are not usually social, so your character should keep one per cage. Unless they’re keeping garter snakes, who thrive better when in pairs or more, or two female corn snakes, who can tolerate each other. Garters should be kept in same-sex groups or your character is going to end up with a lot of babies. They give live birth, too, so it’s not like your character can hunt down eggs and remove them.

Some people set up vivariums for their snakes. Here’s how to set one up for a ball python, just to give you an idea. https://www.joshsfrogs.com/catalog/blog/2020/02/ball-python-bioactive/

If you really want to get detailed on your descriptions and activities, all snake enclosures need:

Hides. Two, if the snake’s one that needs gradient heating

A heat source that is either a heat lamp, a heat mat or heat tape. Mats and tape are better for most species than a lamp, but a lamp is still a good option.

UV light for some species. Nocturnal species usually don’t require this, but UV lights can improve the immune system and digestion of even snakes who don’t require them

A water bowl

A thermometer or two to help keep the enclosure in the right temperature range

A hygrometer to measure humidity.

Substrate. This will vary from paper towels to coconut mulch, depending on the species and how the owner wishes to handle cleaning.

Enrichment. This can be provided with branches to climb on and plants (fake or real, if your character sets up a vivarium) for snakes to hide under. Or rocks if your snake is from a drier region.

Most non-venomous pet snake species are constrictors. They will first strike, catching the prey in their teeth, then they will wrap their coils around it to suffocate it. It doesn’t matter if the character is feeding it a pre-killed meal. The snake will still treat it as if it’s alive.

Two species that are not constrictors are the garter snake and the eastern hognose snake. Garter snakes rely on jaw strength to overpower their prey. Hognoses subdue their prey with a very mild venom that is not powerful enough to affect most humans. People who are allergic to bee stings can be allergic to hognose venom. But they’re rear-fanged snakes, so one would have to really get a finger into its mouth and chew on it a while to envenomate anyone.

Feeding most pet snakes involves holding the pre-killed prey in feeding tongs and wiggling it, so it thinks it’s alive. If your character doesn’t use feeding tongs, they risk being bitten. Snakes go into feeding mode when they smell rodent and will strike at anything carrying that scent, including the hand of someone who’s been handling rodents.

If you want to go detailed on feeding, the snake should be fed prey that’s as wide as the widest part of the snake itself. You’ll have to do a little research from there on whether that means a small mouse, medium rat or whatever once you determine the size of your character’s snake.

Most people don’t know how to hold a snake. Here’s a good video from Animal Wonders Montana on holding small to medium snakes. https://youtu.be/yD1IodiHo1U Josser’s Jungle has a video on how to handle a larger snake, like a ball python. https://youtu.be/iBwTFTWtKo

Snakes are more likely to try to slither away and hide from you than attack. If a snake attacks, it’s more likely because it’s either a feeding response, they’re in shed and blind or they feel cornered. Of course, this is very your mileage may vary. Some species, especially snakes from Africa, are known to be defensive. But everything in the African food chains is trying to eat each other, so can you blame them?

A general personality profile for a species doesn’t mean that is how all members of that species will behave. Individual snakes have different personalities, meaning you could have a grumpy ball python even though that species tends to be docile. Develop the personality you want for the snake you write.

If you want to incorporate snake body language in your story, Snake Discovery has a great video on that. https://youtu.be/KNKgK9L_CP8

Snakes are considered “in blue” if they’re about to shed. Their eyes go opaque blue and their scales take on a bluish tint.

Depending on how realistic you’re being in your story, you might want to look up if it’s legal to keep certain types of snakes, or snakes at all, where your character lives. The U.S. is a mess of laws, depending on the state. In the UK, you need a permit to keep venomous species. Iceland doesn’t allow snakes as pets at all.

Realistically, a character could be bitten by their pet. There are several types of bites. Bluff strike - snake will come at you with mouth closed. Tag - when the snake bites and lets go. Eating bite – when they believe you’re food, bite and hold on. Here’s a video on those types of bites and ways to get a snake to release if they bite and hold on. https://youtu.be/_pIz_rcuD9Q

Like with any pet, what your character has is going to depend on space, income, and experience. Someone with a tiny apartment/flat is not going to have a large constrictor. A character who has just got their first snake is not ready for a green tree python.

I will be breaking down popular individual species on a Google doc found here. I’m not very far along right now, but will be adding more as I have time. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IqVH5lqPZNhjtMnKC4C3IST_M30zy_RCcPt3UAnVWC0/edit?usp=sharing

#writing tips #writing

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llamagoddessofficial · 4 years

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Got hit by my first wave of inspiration for a while, and decided to ride it out instead of fighting it. So, for anyone who wants it... have Mc’s first meeting with Zoo!Naga Skull. (Yes, the one that ended in kidnapping ;) )

Nervous was an understatement.

“Keep track of him at all times. Always make sure you can get to the door, never let him cut you off. Don’t underestimate him just because he’s blindfolded.”

You could feel your heart hammering in your chest so loudly it was getting hard to pay full attention to Maggie, the senior zoo staff member in front of you, hard to keep a grip on the large and heavy bucket of meat clenched tightly in one hand and the hooked feeding pole in the other. You weren’t even supposed to be doing this, you were too low down on the zoo staff ladder... you should’ve been feeding the little snakes or the herbivores, you should be years away from this level of care! The naga were already leagues above your pay grade, and now they wanted you to feed the biggest one of them all!?

I shouldn’t be doing this. I shouldn’t be doing this. You cringed- but I can’t refuse, I need this job!

“Talk to him, move loudly, make sure he knows where you are because the last thing you want is to spook him. I know you’ve had good experiences with the other two naga but that doesn’t mean you should ever let your guard down, understand?”

“... Yes.” You said, voice barely above a whisper, grip sweaty on the feeding pole. You couldn’t help it, your eyes flicked down to her left hand- the one she didn’t have anymore, the one that had just a wrist stump remaining.

“... You’ll be fine. We’ll all be watching, if something does happen for some reason we can get in and help you.” She took on a slightly more comforting tone, noticing your line of sight. Her injury was the reason she wasn’t the one bringing the naga his food, given her senior position and superior experience. “I got this when I was young and cocky, and because I followed the safety protocol I lost a hand and not a neck. So long as you stick to the rules and don’t do anything stupid, you won’t have a problem with him. Ok?”

“A-are you sure I’m...”

“Yes, you’re ready. You’ve dealt with the other two.” She cut over you, turning you by the shoulder. “Now go, before Skull gets hungrier.”

And just like that, you were pushed through the door of the enclosure, that shut firmly behind you. The secondary door opened... and despite the fact that every part of you was cold and shaking, you had no choice but to go forward. As scared as you were, someone needed to get the naga fed... someone needed to go straight into the beast’s den.

... You stepped into the enclosure.

It was built to resemble a near-surface cave; the walls and floor were made of slightly uneven smoothed stone, with a few windowed ‘cracks’ in the fake stalactite ceiling providing enough daylight to see by. There were some interesting objects to provide a little enrichment, like ‘boulders’, patches of fake grass, a little filtered waterfall dribbling into a relatively shallow pool... and a small tunnel, leading to a den with no windows he could juuust about curl up in so he could have some privacy.

... Inside that den, you could see a hint of a steely blue-grey... scales.

... You sucked in a tiny breath through your nose, and stepped further forward, following the zoo protocol of tapping the metal end of the pole lightly against the bucket of food to let him know it was feeding time. It took a moment for there to be a reaction, but... slowly, surely, the mass of muscle resting inside the den began to shift.

Giant claws hooked over the stone edges of the den entrance, bone hands as big as your head... the thing about Red and Sans is they were very vocal naga, Sans regularly hissing and snarling and Red making curious rattling and purring sounds. But with Skull... there was nothing but the low sliding sound of scales against rock, that sounded long and oh-so heavy.

... He emerged, head moving into the light, vicious cranium crack and tight fitted black blindfold plain to see... with just his skeletal torso out he was already almost as big as you. A shot of panic doused your system and you had to clench your teeth together to stop yourself from crying, or dropping everything and bolting back through the door. The rest of him followed after; the long snake tail that made up over three quarters of his body length coiling behind him as he raised himself up, gathering like a loosened rope, thicker than you were wide... faded blue and littered with scars that just didn’t seem to catch the light in the same way the other two nagas did.

He was... huge. You knew this already, but there was something different about seeing him with nothing in the way.

... You had to swallow the terror again, no longer able to tap on the food bucket as your hands were shaking too much. I’m fine. I’m fine. The door is right behind me.

... He was keeping his distance from you, head turned downward slightly, facing in the direction of the bucket. A flash of blue around his mouth- his forked tongue flickering rapidly, which could either signal curiosity, hunger or both. The pounding in your chest became more intense.

“... H-hey, big guy.” You stammered, keeping your voice as gentle as possible, as low and soft as you could in order to not spook him. He reacted immediately, his head cocking a little, raising to face directly at you instead of the bucket as if making eye contact despite the blindfold- just get this over with, (y/n), just get this over with. “... I-I’m... supposed to talk to you, to let you know where I am... talking worked with the other two, I... h-hope it works with you, too.”

You put the bucket on the ground, sliding a decently heavy chunk of the special treated naga-friendly meat onto it. Skull had a unique feeding hook; it was much longer than usual, slightly difficult to handle, but reinforced along the inside to facilitate easier feeding from a distance. You raised the pole with the hung meat and slid it slowly closer to him, keeping careful watch of the way his tongue would flicker toward the food... you were so ready to bolt. You just needed to get this done.

“I’m, uhm...” You felt like an idiot. You could feel all the other staff members watching. “The food’s on the hook. You probably know that already, but...”

... He moved forward and caught the chunk straight off the hook, swallowing it without any chewing or pausing, then going immediately back to sitting there, patiently, watching. Waiting for more. You brought the hook back, putting on another piece, moving it toward him again... careful to keep hold on the pole despite your sweaty palms.

... He was eating as quickly as your unpractised snail-pace would allow, but most notably.. without issue. You finally felt a droplet of relief in the sea of fear; he was eating normally, he wasn’t being aggressive or trying to approach... this was going pretty well, for your first time feeding the moodiest naga in the zoo.

“... There we go. Good, this is going good. Please don’t eat me.” You half-joked, repeating the process. Retract pole, hook meat, offer it out. Starting to get into a rhythm. “... I hope you’re always this relaxed with me. That would be really helpful.”

He took the meat again, obediently. You let out a tiny sigh; the more he just did what he was supposed to, the calmer and more comfortable you felt. He’d probably learned by now that it was just best to get the food offered, instead of biting the hand that was feeding him.

... Or biting it off.

“... Everyone’s watching. I think they’re waiting for me to mess up. Do something dumb and get kicked out.” You mumbled. You felt... surprisingly not-awkward? Sometimes, when you spoke to the animals, you felt weird because they clearly didn’t care... but in this case, you got a strange feeling from the way his head would twitch and follow you despite the meat, how his tongue would flicker only when you’d stopped talking. It felt like he was... actually listening?

Besides. Nobody could fault you for talking to the naga to keep it calm and not-murderous as you passed him food from as large a distance as possible, right? If it worked, it worked, and you kept your limbs.

“... There we go.” You said, as you passed him the last piece- you then tapped the side of the empty bucket with the hook like you’d been told to, so he’d hear the hollow sound and understand there was no more food, before you picked it up again. You felt... a lot less terrified? Still nervous, but not like you were about to throw up.

“... Uhm... thank you.” Your voice was still pretty small. “For... being calm. I appreciate it.”

... He stayed where he was. You felt, again, like he was watching you, despite him having no vision.

...

You took a step back, ready to go back through the door and throw up... but as soon as your foot sounded against the stone floor...

Everything about him changed.

His lips and teeth parted... and the most powerful hiss you’d ever heard filtered out, filling the room, tearing through the air and right through your body. Like someone had set off a huge firework but it just kept hissing and hissing and hissing, deep and loud and intertwined with an open-mouthed growl, it echoed off the walls and shook everything inside. It was as if someone had flipped a switch in his head, something inside him had snapped; his shoulders rose, tail beginning to move across the floor and rearrange itself. It sounded like... a warning.

You froze, heart dropping into your stomach, all the warmth and colour draining from your face.

...Oh no.

... The hissing stopped, but he kept his new position. He’d stopped in a more aggressive, coiled posture like a tightened spring, tongue now flickering constantly.

...

“... Maggie.” You said, voice cracking, essentially calling for help. Your eyes were locked onto him, you couldn’t remember any of the safety protocols for aggressive naga, every part of you was petrified, you couldn’t feel your hands or toes you could only feel the pounding in your own head. You were afraid to blink- it was going TOO well, I’ve used up my luck, it’s all gonna go wrong now!

“... Okay, just relax.” You heard her voice over the exhibit speaker system but you daren’t turn your head away to look at where she was. “He probably just doesn’t trust you yet, and is getting possessive over food he thinks might still be in the bucket. Okay? Use the pole to push the bucket toward him.”

You swallowed, following her advice; you set the bucket down without taking your gaze off him as if your feet were glued to the earth, and then used the end of the pole to push the bucket across the floor. It made an ugly scraping/rattling sound as it moved.

... He wasn’t even turning toward it. He wasn’t paying attention to it. His attention seemed steadfastly on you, if his head direction was any way to tell. You were sweating, your neck hairs were prickling.

“Alright. Now back away slowly.”

... One step back.

He immediately started hissing again, even louder this time, with deafening aggravation... he lowered his head.

A strike position.

You didn’t hear Maggie’s shout over the speaker system, you could hear nothing but your heart and his hissing. The rabbit-like urge to RUN overtook your whole body, something in you shattered, and you staggered backward with the intent to turn and dive for the door.

... The speed at which he crossed the entire enclosure would’ve been incredible in any other circumstance.

He lurched with all the power readied in the wound muscles in his tail, striking forward so quickly it was like he vanished from his spot, and suddenly you were screaming as the pole was knocked out of your hands. Suddenly something huge and hard was gripping you and your clothes and your legs went out from under you, the world was dark and turning and you brought your hands up over your head in an instinctive defensive posture, you faintly heard the sound of dozens of voices shouting out in synchrony but everything was ringing, the heels of your boots were dragging so quickly across the floor it felt like the friction was going to burn through them and kicking your legs into nothingness as a pathetic attempt at attack/escape did genuinely nothing, you cried out...

... And then just like that, your body came to a halt; you’d stopped moving.

You opened your eyes, forcing in deep terrified breaths, finding yourself in almost total darkness and taking only a few milliseconds to realise you were inside his den. It was so cramped and the floor and walls were moving, why were they moving, you put out a hand to try and steady yourself or get to your feet...

...

That wasn’t the floor or walls. Your hand landed on smooth, hard scales.

You were on him. You were on his coiled tail.

You made a sound you could only describe as a broken whimper-cry of fear and tried to sit up and get some control, but it was almost impossible as he was still moving, his body shifting and writhing underneath you and forcing you to only sink deeper into his scales, deeper into his hold. Something wound around you, starting from your chest and moving down to your knees, binding your legs together- and the scariest part was that you could feel the power as he shifted, you could feel the strength behind the scales when they pressed against you. He was a living muscle, and with little more than a flex he could squeeze, and you’d go squish.

That’s what’s going to happen. He’s going to constrict me to death! Your breathing was getting so fast your chest was heaving, you tried to push the coils on your middle but it was like pushing the unmoving floor, you were getting dizzy with panic, you started to beat them with your fists, S-someone help me-!

His face came into view. Hovering over you, only just silhouetted by the light creeping into the entrance of the den.

... Once again, everything in your body just... stopped.

All thought, all movement, everything froze, as you stared up at him with wide eyes.

... He’d removed his own blindfold. A bright, blood red ring was gazing down at you... fuzzy around the edges, the hole in the centre nothing but a dot.

... His own movements were slowing, as he apparently settled on the position he was in. You were almost horizontal, your head lifted up ever-so-slightly, everything lower than your chest totally bound and covered and crushed under more of his body. He was so close.

...

He was warm. Like summer’s day. And he was... just staring.

...

You could hear absolute havoc breaking outside of his den. But even so, your breathing was slowing... you were calming, despite it all. Something about his eye... the way he was hanging his head... how his tongue just ever-so-slightly peeked out of his mouth, as if only curious...

... How he hadn’t killed you yet. He wasn’t squeezing. You felt so, so very tiny, trapped in the coils of a giant naga...

Why hasn’t he...?

...

A single, sharp phalange moved over to your face. You naturally flinched leaned away at the sight of such huge claws coming close, sucking in a breath... and as soon as you did, he... paused? He took a moment, with his your-head-sized hand just hanging there...

... Like he was giving you a second? He held your eye.

... When he started moving again, he moved so slowly. So gently... and he turned the hand over, brushing the back of his thick knuckle across your cheek with a feather-light touch. His hands were warm, too.

...

It was a like a cat, the way his eyelight widened, blowing to fill his whole socket.

He seemed to lose whatever self control was making him move slowly, and instead his massive head leant in, before you could so much as muster the energy or presence of mind to squeak he pressed his face flush against the side of yours with his teeth just under your ear. Instead you just let in another tiny breath of shock and felt a shiver travel across the whole length of your body- he was nuzzling, with an unmistakable joy, parts of his tail moving ever-so-slightly like he just couldn’t contain himself. In amongst the gleeful nuzzling he took a few inquisitive breaths in your hair, his tongue flickering out and surprising you with how ticklish it was- you brought your shoulder up in defence but he seemed to like that tiny reaction and did it again, chasing your sensitive spots.

“G- ah, stop!” You said, but less out of fear and more out of ticklishness- you couldn’t get away from him, it was like being fussed by a giant overly affectionate puppy. He was breathing right down your ear, and his breath and tongue made everything prickle, you tried to put your hands over your neck but he wasn’t having it. “... G-guys? Guys, are you out there?!”

You distinctly heard someone mutter ‘oh my God, she’s alive’, before a sharp “Play dead! We’re coming to get you!” sounded pretty close to the den.

... You saw Skull’s reaction- and by saw, you meant heard and felt. As soon as he seemed to realise they were approaching the entrance to his hide, he stopped nuzzling, face still against your neck... and a slow, upset snarl began to filter out of his chest, and seeing as you were surrounded by him it was deep and so close it was vibrating your insides. At the same time, his snake body shifted and started to tighten, slowly moving to cover you more, bring you in further into his coils... trap you underneath.

“N-no, no!” You said, panic at possibly being constricted to death rearing its head again. “Don’t come any closer without sedatives, please!”

“... What the hell’s going on in there?!”

“H-he’s just... he’s just got me wrapped up.” You stammered, swallowing, wishing you could see them instead of the den ceiling right now; your voice had a strange, echoing quality inside the small space. “I-I can’t move. When you come closer it agitates him and he squeezes. Don’t come closer. Please just go get sedatives.”

“... Are you sure you’re okay in there?” You could hear them backing up, thank fuck. And he could definitely hear them too, noticeably relaxing. “It’s gonna take us a while to get anything strong enough for him.”

... Skull let out a strange, deathly soft hiss, apparently really liking your hair... so quiet, only the two of you could hear it. His scales were warm, and although you were trapped, it almost felt like he’d deliberately trapped you in this reclined position in order to make sure you were comfortable in his grip.

...

“Y-yeah, I... I think I’m fine for now. Just please don’t take too long.”

#llamagines #llama writes #naga au #naga sanses #heeee #local monster just wants to kiss pretty face- please stop running

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jxeyhudson · 3 years

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behold the hope county zoo au

decided to say fuck it and type this idea out. all my ramblings are below the cut

-Sam and Jess are big cat keepers. At first glance it seems like they hate each other, but they’re actually best friends. They both take their jobs really seriously and have a deep respect for the cats and are careful around them, but they also have close bonds with them and have a lot of trust that the cats won’t hurt them. Peaches is Jess’ favorite while Sam is besties with the tigers.

-Jacob and Eli work with the mammals in the North America section. Jacob’s focus is on the predators (Grizzly and polar bears, wolves, badgers, foxes, etc.) while Eli is on the others (moose, reindeer/elk, beavers, bats, river otters, bison, etc.). Cheeseburger is obviously the star of the North America section.

-Grace and Mary May are also mammal keepers but they work in the African section (so elephants, rhinos, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, antelopes, etc.). They don’t have specialties in the way Eli and Jacob do; they split the work evenly based on what needs to be done.

-Nick and Kim are bird keepers together (everything from parrots and toucans to flamingoes and ostriches to hawks and eagles). They met at work and just immediately hit it off, and they’ve been together ever since.

-John and Joseph are both reptile keepers. John works in the actual reptile house with the snakes and smaller lizards. He loves the snakes and is really passionate about showing people they don’t deserve the bad reputation they’ve got. Joseph works with the bigger reptiles around the zoo (crocodiles, alligators, tortoises, and komodo dragons). The two of them are pretty flexible and help each other out pretty often, though. It’s not unusual to find John with the crocs or Joseph with the snakes.

-Hurk and Adelaide are primate keepers (chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, lemurs, etc.). I don’t think I need to elaborate on this one it just fits the vibe, you know?

-Sharky and Joey are the educators/tour guides. They’re like the super funny unexpected bestie combo of chaotic himbo and badass bisexual. Classes that take field trips to the zoo usually get divided up in half and split between the two of them and there is ALWAYS some kind of competition that Sharky and Joey start between their groups.

-Earl is the head zookeeper. He trusts his keepers a lot and mostly just tries to provide support where they need it and do damage control when necessary.

-Virgil is the zoo’s owner, but he’s like an involved and hands on owner to the point he’s also just kind of become the curator. He likes knowing his employees and keeping up with how the animals are doing.

-Dutch is the zoo’s carpenter. He designs, builds, and maintains the habitats including all of the climbing structures, shelters, and large enrichment toys in them.

-Faith is the zoo’s botanist. She oversees all of the foliage in the habitats to make sure they’re safe and beneficial to the animals. She also maintains the butterfly garden and the greenhouse where they grow certain foods right there for the animals. Xander is supposed to be her intern but he’s always running off to see Adelaide.

-Staci is also an intern. He got handed off to Jacob basically and Jacob has begrudgingly come to like him. One time Staci stood too close to the fence of the wolf enclosure and had the back pocket of his pants ripped off when one of them tried to bite him on the ass. Jacob laughed so loud that people could hear him halfway across the zoo.

-Jerome is the head vet (I know Dr. Lindsey and Dr. Perkins are right there but consider: I don’t give a shit about them). Wheaty and Tracey are vet techs.

-Tammy is in charge of PR and marketing. And she’s a mega bitch about it, too. The no fun police, if you will.

-Other animals/sections are taken care of by minor/side characters like Merle, Zip, Wade and Dave, etc.

Bonus: -Sam has a massive crush on Joey and does not at all realize it is mutual. She’s constantly trying to show off for Joey. Joey has a lot of fun teasing her and flirting with her to watch her get all flustered. Sharky and Jess are secretly trying to team up to get them together. Less secretly are the children on tours for their field trip who see them flirt and yell shit like “Do you like like her?” all the time. That’s when it’s Joey’s turn to get flustered. -Boomer is the emotional support/companion dog for the cheetah. (For anyone who is unaware, cheetahs are prone to anxiety, so zoos often pair them up with a dog to provide support for them). -The three Inside Eden’s Gate friends (Alex, Hannah, & Sara) are general interns who help the keepers on a rotation basis. They have their favorite rotation slots, though. Hannah’s is with Jess and Sam with the big cats, Sara’s is the avians with the Ryes, and Alex’s is the Africa section with Mary May and Grace because he loves the gentle giants. -The Hope County Zoo is non-profit and very focused on conservation, education, and rehabilitation. The animals they have are all rescues that cannot be released back into the wild, rescues that will eventually be released back into the wild, or part of important breeding programs for vulnerable and endangered species.

theres a good chance i write this and/or start making a shit ton of content for it not even gonna lie to yall

#i really went in on this one huh?#oc: sam hunter #joey hudson #jacob seed #joseph seed #john seed #staci pratt #sharky boshaw #nick rye #far cry 5 #hope county zoo au #creating that tag now..... just in case

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creechursofthenight · 3 years

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Vampire Enclosure Basics: Common Domestic Vampires

Most people are going to need to keep their vampires in an enclosure! While I don't personally keep mine in an enclosure, and instead allow them to freely roam my room (and sometimes the rest of the house, at night of course), many still will need enclosures.

But what kind of enclosure does a common domestic vampire need? There's a lot of misinformation on what a good starter enclosure should look like, either excluding important features or adding too many unnecessary ones for a beginner, so I'm here to share what I think is the best setup for a starting enclosure!

Cages

Common domestic vampires should be kept in cages, not terrariums or tanks. The cage should be a minimum of 30” x 15” x 20”, but the size of course needs to go up the more vampires you keep! You'll want a cage with various platforms and bars that are easy to climb on. You also want a cage that your vampires can easily hang from the top of.

Cages like the above are great for vampires! They have plenty of space to run around, they can easily climb and hang, and there's lots of space for enrichment!

Substrate

Common domestic vampires are definitely the most versatile when it comes to what substrate you use in their enclosures! You want something your vampire can easily burrow in (keep in mind your vampires quadrupedal height and decide on how much substrate to add this way! Three inches is generally a good place to start). Ideally, you should use coconut fiber or wood shavings as your vampires substrate, but if your common domestic vampire is sharing an enclosure with another terrestrial breed with different substrate requirements, your common domestic will be just fine with other types of substrate.

Heat Sources

For common domestic vampires, the best heat source you can provide for them is a heat rock! I see lots of vampire owners using heat lamps, and while this is okay if you have a terrestrial breed being kept in a terrarium, you don't want to use a heat lamp with a metal cage, as you run the risk of overheating the metal, potentially harming your vampires when they touch it. (Pairing a wooden cage with a heat lamp is completely okay however). You also have the choice of under-cage heating pads, which will keep the substrate of your cage nice and warm! While this is a less direct source of heat, it's a great way to keep your vampires warm!

Enrichment

Vampires need enrichment! This will be a pretty big section, as there's a large variety of vampire enrichment and common domestics are generally pretty easy to entertain, not having many of the requirements some other breeds have.

Let's start with blood bottles! Now, blood bottles are not a requirement if you let your vampire feed directly from you or have scheduled feeding times, but if you're fine with letting your vampires feed when they want, then a blood bottle is a great choice!

Next, I wanna talk about hiding spots! Of course your vampire should be able to burrow in their enclosure, but additional hiding spots are highly recommended, especially as they can make great places for your vampire to nest and sleep! I personally recommend hides that resemble rocks, as vampires have the natural instinct to hide in caves. The most important aspect though is that the hide is dark, making it a good nesting spot.

Next there's hammocks! Vampires like being in high up places, and while they should be able to easily climb and hang in their cage, those activities can take a lot of energy! Hammocks let your vampire be in a high location without having to use up so much energy climbing or hanging upside down.

Next, there's scratching posts! Having a scratching post for your vampire is really important, it'll help them keep their claws in good condition and prevent them from scratching you during handling! Generally, the fabric scratching posts you see most often are intended to be placed outside of enclosures, so for the inside I suggest getting a wooden post!

And that's it! Those are the basics!

I may have to make a separate post talking about some good starter toys in future! Vampires absolutely need toys, but it's such a broad topic that I just can't cover it in this post. But do remember that toys are also a very important part of a starter setup, even if they aren't listed here!

I really hope this post can help anyone looking into getting a common domestic vampire. <3

#vampire ownership #vampire husbandry #pet vampire #vampire ownership advice #vampire #common domestic vampire

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thoodleoo · 5 years

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What *are* the dangers of outside cats? I always imagined if I got a cat in the future, it would be an indoor/outdoor cat? Should I not do this?

hoo boy. might be opening a can of worms on this one. i will talk about it ONCE on here since animal welfare/conservation is a passion of mine but people can get pretty nasty about this debate so. i will limit myself to one post.

first though i’d like to say thanks for this ask! i’m glad you’re thinking about the best way to raise your future cat and that you’re open to new information about it.

there are many reasons that you shouldn’t let your cats outside unsupervised, including...

1. the outdoors are not safe for your cat. even if you live in an isolated rural area where there aren’t many cars and you’re absolutely certain there are no large predators wandering around, the outdoors are still not safe. heck, an enthusiastic hawk could kill a small cat. other things your cat could face outdoors: parasites, people who don’t like your cat, people who might decide to steal your cat, poisons/toxins, other cats. housecats are a domesticated species; they don’t belong out in the wild.

2. your cat is not safe for the outdoors. in many cases, cats have become, effectively, an invasive species. for every animal that your outdoor cat kills and brings home, there are several others that it’s killed and left outside. cats have been blamed for the extinction of several different species (i’ve seen numbers ranging from 30-60 species). they will hunt birds, small mammals, lizards, anything they can, really...many of these animals were not designed to combat the hunting skills of a cat.

3. letting your animal roam around unsupervised is unfair to your neighbors. if you let your dog run around, pooping in other people’s yards, harassing their animals, and causing general mischief, it would be considered a nuisance animal. your cat shouldn’t be allowed to do this either.

4. letting your cat outside is an invitation for it to bring all sorts of nastiness into your home when it returns. you have no idea where your cat has been while it’s been outside. just think of all the stinky things it could have rolled in, carcasses it could have munched on, parasites it could have picked up...these are not things you want to potentially bring to your home!

5. there are other, safer options to give your cat an enriching life. make sure it has plenty to do inside to occupy it (puzzle feeders, toys, scratching posts), and provide your cat with vertical space to explore (e.g. putting up cat shelves for your cat to climb up). you can also allow your cat to interact with the outdoors in safer ways. some examples would be giving your cat access to a window where it can watch the outdoors, providing a catio or other outdoor enclosure, or harness training your cat so that it can go on walks.

this is a really quick summary, but if you’d like some more in-depth info (plus some links and sources to look at) here’s a really good post on the topic! the op is actually pro-outdoor-cats, so start reading at the-adventures-of-dave’s reply. you can also check out @catsindoors for some more resources and info.

ok that is my ONE POST about outdoor cats...if you want more then you gotta pm me

#fun fact before i decided to be a latin teacher i wanted to be a vet!#instead i get most of my animal exposure by being a weird horse girl now #Anonymous

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theramseyloft · 5 years

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Hi, I have a very broad question. what can you generally expect from the experience of having a pet pigeon? I know a bit about parrots and their relatives, enough to know that I would not be able to give them the time they deserve for a good home. pigeons are not as smart as parrotkind, but are they as social? as loud? do they require the same amount of work? in short, what are you getting yourself into when you adopt a pigeon? I’ve always loved the idea, but don’t want to be neglectful.

The long and short of it is that you are more forging an interspecies friendship than adopting a pet.

I’m noise sensitive. I can’t be around anything too loud or pitchy with out tremendous pain, so the low cooing of pigeons makes them an ideal fit for me.

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Here are a few minutes of my flock enjoying breakfast and conversing, for reference.

A single pet pigeon does not require the same amount of manual work in cleaning and food prep as a psitticine.

They don’t like the cluttered environment that psitticines need as enrichment. They can’t climb. Flight and walking are their only two modes of transportation, so they prefer a clear air space to move around in, with perches spaced well apart.

Basic physical needs are simple.

Pigeons are strict granivores. Seeds are all they can digest, so a wild bird seed with a good, varied blend is a decent start that can be bolstered with unpopped popcorn, dried lentils, and split green peas.

Calcium can be administered for a few pets through drops in their water, dust over their daily feed (reptical purchased from a pet shop, or cuttlebone grit by a cheese grater), or oyster shell offered in its own dish, which ever is easiest for you.

Pigeons are intensely social, so a cage for them should be more like a wire crate is for a dog: a safe place for them to sleep at night or wait while you aren’t available to supervise them until they have learned the house rules.

And speaking of wire crates for dogs, they are easy to modify, and make a comfortable enclosure for a single house pigeon that’s kind to your wallet and bird.

These are labrador sized dog kennels with a garden stake used for a perch (pigeons are cliff nesters. round perches hurt their feet.) and a rabbit corner litter pan hung up as a nest.

If you have a bigger breed, like a King, in mind, it would be best to seek out a great dane sized wire kennel and mod it.

Pigeons enjoy splashy baths, swings, mirrors, and anything stick-shaped, shiny, and/or jingly, but most of the enrichment they really need is social.

They can be very happy with an attentive human partner, with out needing to be on you all the time.

They like having the option to come see you and hang out, and go do their own thing when they want time to themselves, so free roaming at least in their handler’s room if not the entire house is ideal.

Pigeons are exactly as smart as parrots. They just have a different skill set and can’t mimic speech.

Pigeons are highly cooperative pattern mapping social learners, about as smart as a five year old human.

Pigeon flocks are democratic meritocracies.

Every bird that can fly has a say in what they do when they go foraging, and they decide by vote.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100416214045.htm

Birds earn their place as leaders by proving they are the best at that specific task, be it finding food, water, nest material, or navigating back home.

If some one else proves they are better, the flock will demote their former leader by choosing to follow the new one who has proven themself.

https://www.audubon.org/news/in-homing-pigeon-flocks-bad-bosses-quickly-get-demoted

they are capable of high level cognition.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090212141143.htm

because their brains are wired very similarly to ours.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/07/130717095336.htm

They recognize faces like we do

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110411171847.htm

show superior self recognition to three year old humans

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080613145535.htm

They categorize like we do

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140402095107.htm

Learn the equivalent of words by the same mechanic as human toddlers

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150204184447.htm

They can even learn written words with enough nuance to differentiate a real word from an acronym with the same number of letters.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/09/160919111535.htm

And they understand the abstracts of time and space, using the same regeon of the brain that humans and primates do.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/12/171204144805.htm

The relationship with a pigeon is a lot closer to friendship with a nonverbal child than the typical owner/pet dynamic.

Their social structure is so similar to an extended human family that individuals socialized with humans integrate easily into a human flock.

The way they pattern map makes them adept at picking up language.

If you talk them through everything like you would a toddler that doesn’t know those words yet, they will pick them up.

For example, “You like chasing that ball?” tells them the object they are interacting with is a ball and the action is chasing.

“I feel sick/sad/angry/happy” will help him learn the words for your moods and states of well being.

Pigeons are smart and socially conscious enough to draw parallels between yours and their own, largely on their own.

Because their flocks are democratic meritocracies, pigeons innately understand the concept of consent and are capable of expressing what they want, once they work out what indication you can understand.

If you make a habit of telling the bird that you need to do something that may be unpleasant for the sake of their well being (like going to the vet, or untangling a hair from their toes), doing that as quickly as possible, and releasing them immediately afterwards, and only asking what the bird wants when they have the option to decline, you and your pigeon can work out a means of answering yes and no and indicating their choice.

They are smart enough to learn house rules as well as a dog or cat, provided you are consistent enough.

My Assistance Pigeon free roams my house like a puppy. Even taught himself to try to poop on tile, where it’s easiest to clean up.

There is some difference in the personalities of cocks and hens.

Cocks build friendships primarily through rivalry, and their affection is very pinchy and aggressive.

People often think a human-social cock is antagonizing them because he dislikes them, when what he is actually doing is trying to impress them with his strength and tenacity, the way he would a hen he was courting.

You can wrestle them back with out fear of hurting them.

When you want the game to finish, just relax your hand and move it where ever he pushes or pulls, until he finds the position he wants.

Hens tend to be more cuddly and clingy than cocks.

Check out @tinysaurus-rex, @birdgeppetto, @sensitive-pigeon, and @katskip and ask them about life with their pigeon house mates.

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obeymeimagines · 5 years

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Question from @lowlucifer:

“Can you write something about my boys™ with pets? What they feed them, animal, what they're called their relationship with them, thanks bb lots of love uwu”

Answer:

Hell yeah!

Lucifer has a black Norwegian Forest Cat called Luna. She’s independent and calm and he very much appreciates having her presence in the room while he works. She often sits on his lap and purrs when he goes over paperwork, and every now and again she gets distracted pats. She gets a gourmet meal once a year, for her birthday, but usually she just gets the highest quality pet food, and has some leftovers, provided they’re cat safe.

Mammon has a Cockatoo called Gem. He’s loud and has lots of attitude. Gem often gets freed to make a mess when Mammon wants to sneak out, but despite that, everyone knows Mammon loves Gem a lot. He feeds him a healthy diet, 50% seeds, 30% veggies, and a spoonful of unseasoned chicken per day, and he makes sure Gem is healthy and gets a lot of exercise. The Devildom vet sees no more frequent visitors than Mammon when he thinks something’s wrong with Gem.

After Henry 1.0′s escape, Leviathan decided to take in a slower animal. He went for a Boa Constrictor (BCC) who has a huge enclosure, with a humidity box and plenty of enrichment. Levi likes to add different smelling things to keep Henry 3.0 entertained. When Henry 3.0 was small, he liked hanging out in Levi’s sleeves, but now that he’s big, Levi usually just keeps him on his shoulders during handling time. Henry 3.0 is currently the size where he gets fed one big rat per two weeks. Levi always wears the head piece of Henry 3.0′s first successful shed as a necklace.

Satan has a Syrian Hamster. It’s a big fluffy one that he likes to pet a lot. Despite the immense mess that his room is, Satan made place for a castle of an enclosure, with an exercise wheel, plenty of toys, a huge burrowing mound, constantly cleaning the water tube and food dish. The hamster is called Cashmere and is a very friendly one. He loves toys with food hidden in them.

Asmodeus has a Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo. She is called Peach. Peach is a bit bossy, she loves attention, and she has a tendency to cause scenes. She’s much less behaved than Gem, and she’s the dominant bird of the house. She has much the same diet as Gem, though she’s much more likely to stay perched on top of Asmo’s head. Despite his belief, that does not make her any more behaved. She has the same diet as Gem, though the two birds do not get along at all. Needless to say, as there are two birds in the same house, neither Cockatoo talks.

Beelzebub has a Saint Bernard. A gentle giant named Hazel, despite Peach’s attitude, she’s the real boss of the house. Whenever an animal breaks loose, you can always expect to find them with Hazel watching over them. She’s a big, lazy girl, who’s the exception to the rule that Saint Bernards eat a lot, as she self rations rather well. Hazel enjoys sitting next to Beel while he eats, or chilling with any other resident of the house. She mostly eats the best quality of dog food, but every few days, Beel would give some leftovers to Hazel.

Belphegor has a Ragdoll cat he calls Oliver. Oliver is a lazy boy, who whenever not being cuddled by Belphegor and acting like a personal pillow, he hangs out with Hazel. Two lazy babies, Oliver is a very picky eater, who enjoys sleeping more than anything else, he’s very mild tempered and doesn’t mind being lifted around anywhere. (He secretly thinks he’s Hazel’s brother. Don’t tell him otherwise.)

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aerodactylheresies · 5 years

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Insect Enrichment

It’s relatively common knowledge that vertebrate pets require environmental stimulation in order to stay happy and healthy. When it comes to arthropods, however, few people bother to provide enrichment, either because they feel it unnecessary, or, as I felt, just don’t know how exactly to approach it. In keeping Guyana spotted cockroaches (aka dubia roaches, Blaptica dubia) over the last year, I’ve found them to be surprisingly complex in their behavior, and have tested several types of enrichment with them that I feel I could share to help others in the same position as I was.

First, for those who don’t know already, what is behavioral enrichment, and why is it important? Enrichment refers to any practice that seeks to provide animals with stimuli that will encourage them to engage in natural behaviors in order to maintain mental and physical health in captivity. This results in longer, healthier, and happier lives for the animals. For more intelligent animals such as mammals and birds, this often takes the form of toys and food puzzles, which is what many people immediately jump to when they hear the word. However, for arthropods, enrichment must take much more diverse and subtle forms.

Enclosure Design and Population

The first and easiest form of insect enrichment is enclosure design, which can be easily and effectively applied to any species with just a bit of research. While needs such as water and food can easily be met in an empty plastic container, and may keep your insects alive and well, going a little bit deeper and researching your species’ natural environment can give you big head start before even trying more complicated methods of enrichment. The first piece to consider is substrate. While many species don’t need a substrate, many others find it a necessity. Different species will likely have different substrate needs, but most have easy to find info online. Substrate is an important and easy way to allow burrowing insects access to their most common natural behavior. Another factor important for nearly all insects is some form of shelter. Whether it be a piece of bark or upturned egg carton, allowing your insects to hide from view will greatly reduce the stress of captivity for them. Many insects also have more specific environmental needs. Arboreal insects will likely appreciate the ability to climb objects within the enclosure, while other insects may prefer to stay grounded. Do research into your species for setting up their enclosure. These needs should be attended to first and foremost, before any more intricate enrichment.

Despite the common notion of insects (besides ants and bees) as unsocial creatures, many have complex and interesting social interactions in nature. In caring for my roaches, I’ve found it interesting to observe their behaviors and have even felt that some have personalities (one of my males, who’s wings never fully formed, is amusingly the most aggressive, chasing the other males around). I think it is important to allow species that commonly live in groups to interact with their own species in order to stimulate their natural territorial (and in some cases, hierarchical) interactions. However, some species are solitary, notably mantids, and this should be accounted for too. Choosing how many of a species should go in an enclosure is as fundamental as the enclosure itself, and integral to overall welfare.

This post is already getting a bit long, so I’ve decided to cut it for your sake. I’ve got a bit more to say though. Click ‘keep reading’ for the rest!

Novelty

Novelty is an important concept in animal enrichment. Changing features in an animal’s enclosure or care forces them to relearn actions and break habits. This keeps them mentally and physically active, and can easily be applied to most any species, vertebrate or invertebrate. The easiest way to apply the concept of novelty is simply changing the locations of objects in the enclosure from time to time. By moving shelter, water, or food, your insects will have to learn the new locations of these objects. Don’t move too much at one time though! Many insects will get stressed if you completely upturn their enclosure each time you want to give them enrichment. Simply move small pieces at a time to encourage exploration without causing too much stress. The easiest (and from what I have seen, most effective) thing to move is food. Don’t just put the food in one place; moving it around the enclosure (or even hiding it under something) can encourage investigation and foraging, mimicking skills necessary in the wild. You can add structures to climb and put food on to of that even. I recently put a cardboard tube in with my roaches, with food in the top. Though at first they were confused, they eventually found their way up! Though you may worry that your insects may be unable to find their food in its new location, don’t worry. Most insects have very keen senses and will likely find it eventually, though you should consider whether your location is appropriate for your specific species.

Variation of Food and Scents

A more specific technique derived from novelty is varying food. Many herbivorous and omnivorous species, such as roaches, will benefit greatly from semi-random variation of food. By changing what type of food you give them, you will keep your insects engaged in feeding, as they will not become disinterested with any one food. Different types vegetables contain different nutrients, and switching up which you use allows your insects to select the exact ones they need to stay physically healthy. Most insects also have highly sensitive antennae, which give them a great sense of smell. Varying food will give the enclosure different aromas depending on what is fed, giving the insects a reason to use their senses to investigate. Scents can also be added from non-food sources, although you should be careful to research any possible pesticidal characteristics of anything you add to the enclosure. I have personally experimented with occasionally adding herbs to my roach enclosure, with great success, as the roaches quickly become excited towards the strong scents. Simply varying food and scents in an enclosure helps to keep insects active and curious, resulting in longer, healthier lives.

To Conclude

At this point, it should be clear that enrichment exists for more than just vertebrates, and is actually very easy to provide with just a little research and effort. I really hope that some of the people who read this find it interesting and helpful, and I hope that this information will be useful in caring for insects. I know many people don’t really like arthropods, but I’ve found them to be fun and engaging pets, and highly recommend them. Thank you for reading all the way through, it means a lot. Best wishes in future invertebrate care, and feel free to ask any questions you have!

#arthropoda #pet care #insects #reference #ref #guide #enrichment

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fbwzoo · 6 years

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I’m super curious, how did you decide you wanted the pets you have? My first exotic pet (a turtle) was basically brought in by my dad bc he’s has no impulse control but after reserching that pets care I decided I liked caring for hands-off animals who needed varied diets. (Also turtles make horrible impulse buys kids don’t do what my dad did lol)

I’m glad the turtle ended up working well for you! Definitely not a good impulse purchase, oof. And uhhh I ramble a ton, so this turned out really long. So I’ll put the long stories under a read more and the tl;dr version is:

Hedgehogs - wanted small animal pet to be my very own, but wasn’t interested in small rodents at the time. Hedgehogs were new & interesting, and I stuck with them because I loved their personalities & that for the most part, they just snuggle with you while you read, watch TV, etc.

Hermit crabs - commonly neglected pet, which I’m a sucker for. My mentality was “well, I can provide better than like 95% of people”. I’ve stuck with them because I love to feed them & they’re amusing to watch…and I’m going to keep ending up with them bc I can still provide better than like 95% of people so I have a hard time saying no.

Ball python - commonly neglected pet & I’ve always wanted to get into reptiles since my mom wouldn’t let me before. Got Charis specifically because previous owner was my roomie’s cousin & horribly neglected her.

Cats - I love cats & wanted more since losing family cat when I was 19. Fell in love with Ebony specifically at wildlife rehab & got her as soon as I had a full-time job secured (I literally called from the parking lot to give the news & arrange to go get her). Ditto chose us bc we’re suckers!

If you want to read more of my ramblings, look under the cut! :)

I got into hedgehogs because when I turned 18, my mom agreed to let me get my own pet that would be just mine (as the dog/cat were family pets). Couldn’t be a reptile, I wasn’t terribly interested in fish, and it had to be fairly small - she ruled out rabbits & ferrets. So I was looking at hamsters, mice, rats, etc. I wasn’t very interested in hamsters, mice, & other small rodents at the time, so kept looking. I found out about hedgehogs and was fascinated. So I ended up getting my Lily! I didn’t do nearly enough research before I got her, unfortunately, but luckily she was forgiving of my mistakes & I spent the first year I had her getting things fixed & doing my best to spoil her. I still love hedgehogs because they’re fairly chill and don’t absolutely need tons of hands-on handling time, but they’re still good for bundling in a blanket and snuggling with you while you read, watch TV, etc.

When I moved out, I hadn’t had a hedgehog for several years by that point & was desperate to have them again. So I ended up in contact with a rescue in the KC area - who I ended up befriending, and now he’s my bf (and his husband is my partner too)!! ♥ I got Bindi and Pancake both from him & he also has my Bassy boy too.

For the hermit crabs, I read an article about them sometime in college, about how they’re all taken from the wild & about the shell shortage in the wild. It went into a bit of detail about how their needs are often unknown or overlooked as well…and I was hooked. I’m a sucker for commonly neglected animals! I did some more reading & decided I wanted to rescue hermit crabs eventually. I ended up getting the chance shortly afterwards because I was talking (infodumping) to a classmate about what hermit crabs need & it turned out she had two that she wasn’t providing all this stuff for. She wasn’t really interested in improving things & offered them to me. When I posted about it on FB, a neighbor who only had one left after losing the second offered me theirs as well. So I spent 2 weeks in a flurry setting up a 40g tank & brought home my first three crabs! 3.5 years later……a 130g tank of 19, and a 55g tank of 5. Sigh. XD I still like having hermit crabs because again, they’re hands-off & I love feeding them! They have a massively varied diet and that’s my biggest interest within my animal interest. Plus they’re fun to watch because they’re dorks.

Charis, my ball python, I got because I wanted a ball python for a few years, again due to the commonly-neglected type thing. They’re so common in the pet trade that people don’t always do enough research, and there’s so much misinformation out there on how big of enclosures to give them & that they “don’t need enrichment”, which is bullshit. My roommate’s cousin had Charis & was NOT taking care of her at all. Seriously - she was in a 20g tank with one open hide, one water bowl, no heat, and no light. Prior to that he was keeping her in a PILLOWCASE for at least a month because he didn’t have a tank set up for her. She has scars on her because when he first got her at a couple years old, he didn’t know better & she had access to a heat bulb in her tank - which of course she wrapped around & got burned. It was just a mess and I’m so glad she’s safe with me now (though she lives at my partners’ house bc of apartment rules). Once I’m living in a bigger place where snakes aren’t banned, I would like to rescue another ball python & perhaps some other snake species as well! It’ll depend on how much room I have to work with though, and it’ll be slow due to wanting to purchase good sized cages prior to getting the sneks.

The cats…Idk, I love kitties! I missed having a cat around after we lost our family cat when I was around 19, I think. I was still around them a lot from petsitting & working at Wildside. I fell in love with Ebony at Wildside & told the rehabber there for years that she was mine & I was taking her home someday. She was quiet, but loved when someone would come over & give her attention, and liked to climb up on your shoulders to purr in your ear & lick your cheek. So literally the day that I was offered a full-time job at my workplace here, I called Wildside from the parking lot & asked if I could still have her & made plans to drive up & get her at the end of the month.

Ditto….well, she chose us because we’re suckers. XD Gotta feed the poor skinny stray cat…and pet it…and shit, she’s friendly….oh look she came straight into the living room….crap she’s really lovey and adorable and oops, she’s ours now.

#asks #my pets #fbw rambles #fbw rambles a LOT #I like hands off animals too #as you can see by my critters #the cats are the most hands-on #and Ebony is my perfect cat bc she's just so happy to lay near us most of the time #and sleep while we do things #she's curled up in a ball on her quilt next to me rn #she's v cute

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