Reptiles And Other Animal Friends

My name is Taylor. I am a former zookeeper. This blog no longer updates but feel free to enjoy what I have already posted. DISCLAIMER All animals in this blog are under professional exotic animal care unless tagged as a pet. I do not condone the individual ownership of exotics nor the handling of them outside of a professional setting.

[taysanimaladventures]

Kind of ready to lose my other gecko within a year of the last one passing :(

[taysanimaladventures]

Xrays confirmed he has arthritis. Not great but not terrible.

The owners told me he was 10 when I got him, and I've had him for almost 10 years making him around 20.

My cornsnake that I've had since I was 11/12 is also around that age. Rose was 16 when she pasaed.

I own(ed) a lot of senior citizens. It's Tay's retirement home.

[cyalaterbyeyall-deactivated2025]

“responsible” exotic pet influencer voice: look at how cute and cuddly my endangered african cat is! don’t you wish you could do this too? remember, though, only i can do this! i’m not promoting this animal as a pet! hey, check out my super awesome king cobra freehandling, doesn’t it make me look badass? again, though, only i can do this! i’m not trying to promote these animals as pets for just anyone! all i do is post constant photos and videos making it look really cool and fun and badass to own these animals! don’t ask where i got them btw

[taysanimaladventures]

Kind of ready to lose my other gecko within a year of the last one passing :(

[taysanimaladventures]

Bleaching my blog again this time with this cute one-eared possum hanging outside our apartment.

[taysanimaladventures]

I mean I am honestly alright if someone with hippo expertise or more animal behavior experience than myself had something to chime in about this and we could have a thoughtful discussion. But I asked about this on the zookeeping subreddit and they were all in agreement that the way Moo Deng is treated is unacceptable, and not a single keeper so far has disagreed. And if you're going to call me an idiot and a racist, or you're not in the field of animal husbandry/behavior/something similar, you are not worth the effort.

[taysanimaladventures]

I think I am going to take a break for a bit. I realized in this discussion I kind of spiraled back into my traumatic experiences and I totally checked out from the real world because I fumed about this too much.

I will elaborate on my problem with how Moo Deng is treated and then call it done.

When you have animals in captivity, you have to desensitize them to tough things. You get them used to being touched, to needles, to loud sounds, etc. because it is not in their nature to accept those kinds of things. They are scary! So keepers do something called conditioning, which is introducing the scary thing slowly so they are eventually able to deal with it. I emphasize the word SLOWLY. If you went from nothing to an injection with a needle, you not only terrify your animal and risk it injuring you or itself, but you also shatter its trust in you. It's not going to want to associate with you anymore, because you scared it! It may even be stressed out at the mere sight of humans, which is not what you want for it.

Additionally, when going SLOWLY to introduce the Scary Thing to the animal, if the animal expresses distress you back off. It's normal and reasonable for the animal to express some discomfort, after all you are introducing it to a Scary Thing. But if the reaction is strong, i.e. running away and biting, that is the animal telling you it's done. It's time for a break. And you respect that. And you go even more slowly next time, because you respect that animal. And of course, when doing conditioning, you are always rewarding the target behavior of not being afraid of the Scary Thing.

What I see in Moo Deng videos is no respect for her autonomy. One video that stuck out to me was one where her keeper was touching her legs, which is a normal thing to want to condition. But then he practically pulls her leg out from under her, causing her to fall. She keeps backing away from him, until finally she decides she's had enough and turns around and bites him. I also see many videos of her being chased around and trying to hide under her mom, only for the person with the camera to persist. I also see videos of her getting hosed down, her going "ok I've had enough," and walking away, but the keeper hosing her down regardless.

No keeper worth their salt does shit like this. Yes, we have to condition them so they can endure the essentials such as vet checkups. But a good keeper has respect for their animal. A good keeper does not poke and prod their animal to the point of snapping, and then film it because it's funny. I do not repect the people taking care of Moo Deng, not because they're Thai (the fuck is wrong with you people), but because they are not respecting their animal.

Again, I am open to feedback and a discussion from a real hippo keeper/zoologist/other animal professional, but I am no longer entertaining armchair internet animal "experts" who immediately jump to insults and racism because I have skepticism.

And with that, I'm taking a hiatus (not that I really had much going on here anyways but yknow).

[taysanimaladventures]

I mean I am honestly alright if someone with hippo expertise or more animal behavior experience than myself had something to chime in about this and we could have a thoughtful discussion. But I asked about this on the zookeeping subreddit and they were all in agreement that the way Moo Deng is treated is unacceptable, and not a single keeper so far has disagreed. And if you're going to call me an idiot and a racist, or you're not in the field of animal husbandry/behavior/something similar, you are not worth the effort.

[taysanimaladventures]

We don't support the treatment of Moo Deng in this house. I don't meme animals in distress.

[theacridstackrid]

Are the adults doing what moo Deng does? Because if the adults were stressed you'd better believe there'd be a body, you pillock. Hippos have huge tusks, even pygmy ones. It takes two seconds of thinking and not falling for racist BS to realise that. At this point you're actively participating in bullshit misinformation. You're not a zoologist, or an expert in animal behaviour. You don't even know two things about hippos I'm pretty sure. Moo Deng is fine, and if moo Deng was in danger the adults would be pissed.

Tldr; you're a moron, moo Deng is fine

[taysanimaladventures]

You can't even take two seconds to look at my blog to figure out I'm a former zookeeper. You're also not worth the effort!

[taysanimaladventures]

You're actually just being racist assuming Moo Deng is being treated poorly

Yknow I was going to go into a whole thing about what exactly I am observing in Moo Deng videos, and why I believe it's animal mistreatment, and why I am qualified to make statements like that.

But you probably would not give a shit about all that anyways, and conclude that calling me racist is the only thing you need to do to in order to win the argument. You aren't worth my energy.

[taysanimaladventures]

We don't support the treatment of Moo Deng in this house. I don't meme animals in distress.

[taysanimaladventures]

I say this sincerely: fuck off. I am so tired of seeing this argument in response to any criticism about Moo Deng. Newsflash, I am heavily critical of animal mistreatment all over the world, including my own backyard. I got the friggin Reptile Zoo 20 miles away from me and I scream on the Orange County subreddit all the time about how the owner is a piece of shit that exploits animals for internet clout.

This is no different, and Moo Deng's keepers are not immune from criticism because they are in another country. All I see is an animal that is constantly being poked and prodded and harassed and repsonding by flinching, biting, running away, and whale eyeing. That is not cute. That is not how conditioning works. And that is not fucking racist to point out. Shame on you for taking a serious issue of racism and using that to excuse animal abuse.

[taysanimaladventures]

We don't support the treatment of Moo Deng in this house. I don't meme animals in distress.

[local-hellhound-steals-spaghetti]

Let's talk about zoo animal welfare for a second...

(And I want to preface this by saying I have a 4 year Bachelor degree in Animal Science (focusing in welfare and behaviour with a major in Canine and Equine Science) before I got sidetracked into zoo animals and did 3 internships working with wild canids, ungulates and marine mammals - this involved both hands on behaviour modification/desenitisation as well as hands off behavioural observation and welfare study. I worked for 2 years as a marine mammal specialist and worked specifically in facilities to improve husbandry, behavioural training and welfare practises.

I also worked in a facility in the Asia Pacific, working to improve welfare standards for bottlenose dolphins and continued to work with cetacean welfare researchers after this. I also did a course in zoo management, husbandry and welfare and this involved working in an accredited zoo facility learning things like exhibit design, behaviour management and husbandry with multiple species.)

So a few points to say about zoo animal welfare when discussing zoo standards and practises:

The average person does not have the expertise to do behaviour observation and welfare evaluation in zoo animals - that's why when the general public visits a zoo and says "the animal looks sad" it's worth being skeptical of that claim. But it doesn't mean a gut feeling about a zoo's quality can be completely invalid. Just that it might be worth researching further or seeking more information.

However, with experience, it is possible to analyse behaviour in the context of welfare. And context to that behaviour is always important (for example, Moo Deng showing stress related behaviour towards the specific context of being touched or followed around by her keeper - very much an indication of poor handling practises)

Poor animal husbandry and welfare is not limited to specific countries or regions, however it can be more normalised and accepted under the influnce of cultures and laws. Or even just the culture of the zoo itself such as the "this is the way we've always done it" places.

Being an accredited zoo is a start to good welfare, but it doesn't make any sort of welfare concern obsolete. And accreditation is supposed to ensure that welfare concerns are addressed but because they are mostly run as a volunteer based organisation, they often don't have resources to check into every concern (unless it's a government funded organisation)

A zoo contributing to conservation research is great, but not if it is at the expense of the animals' welfare - welfare should always be prioritised, with research and conservation efforts to follow.

Welfare is a state that is in flux. So a negative welfare state can move into positive welfare state under different influences.

There are multiple factors that influence zoo animal welfare: enclosure/habitat, expression of natural behaviour, guest interaction, diet, enrichment, water quality, hygeine ect. It'll rarely just be one factor, though it does depend how salient that factor is.

Just because a keeper or management of a zoo have been there for a long time, doesn't mean they can't be criticised - it is possible to be still using outdated practises and believing in methodologies and management practises that need updating - that's the whole point of continued education

Having limited resources can often impact welfare. Giving a facility the resources they need to improve is a good start to improving welfare.

Even if an animal is being handled in an inappropriate way for a short time, that doesn't mean that can't have long term implications for welfare eg. if every time your dog jumped on you when you got home and you smacked him in the face once before going on with your day, that doesn't mean that your dog won't learn negative associations with your arrival just because it was one time.

Best practise husbandry of zoo animals involves:

Use of positive reinforcement based voluntary husbandry and health care

All interaction based on choice and voluntary interaction that is reinforced with primary reinforcement such as food

Mostly hands off approaches for the species that require them (ungulates, large primates, large carnivores)

Relatively stable social groups with aggression only in specific situations/contexts that are normal for the species

Back areas for animals to rest outside of public view

Species appropriate habitats to meet species specific behaviour requirements

Five freedoms of welfare being met but goes above and beyond the bare minimum

Poor zoo animal husbandry involves animals:

Being forced into anything such as presentations, education programs, medical procedures/gating

Any use of physical punishment such as chasing, slapping, pushing or poking - negative reinforcement such as bull hooks are also fairly outdated in handling species like elephants

Being excessively handled, chased and touched/restrained for no reason (eg. for social media videos)

Showing signs of avoidance and aggression constantly towards their keepers

Have constant conflict happening in their social groups

Are living in enclosures that are not suitable for their specific specific needs - size is only one factor in this. Substrate, habitat design, water quality ect. are also things to consider.

Are too close to the public/at risk from the public

Have no areas to retreat from the public/rest away from potential stressors

Have no enrichment program/no daily enrichment

Those are all flags that there could be some poor welfare happening and that a zoo is not prioritising welfare

Okay there's the ramble of the day done. Feel free to ask questions for further clarification if needed.

[taysanimaladventures]

I've been at my new job for a few weeks now. The job can be kind of boring and repetitive sometimes, there's some stress from it being busy and fast-paced, and there's been a few questionable managerial decisions that resulted in things being messy.

Still, I come in and feel so content and I find myself smiling and joking around a lot. I can leave at the end of the day and not give a single thought to what I'm leaving behind. If mistakes are made by me I can fix it and move on. If others make mistakes I literally do not have to care. I can shrug my shoulders and move on with life.

My coworkers complain about the job but for me I feel like nothing can phase me because the animal care field already put me through the worst. My bar is in hell. I feel like a massive weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Work is no longer an act of passion for me, but rather a neutral place that supports my ability to live. While I miss doing what I love, I am way happier without the stress of it.

I am free.

[taysanimaladventures]

Sorry for nonstop depressing posts. Here is Snickers.

[taysanimaladventures]

.

I got a new job. Starting Monday I am going in to learn how to be a laboratory technician where there are zero animals involved.

I feel like I'm grieving all over again. I have been in animal care since 2016. I really, really, really wish things had worked out and I could stay in zookeeping. But I love myself too much to go back and potentially go through emotional turmoil again.

Every job had problems where if it was not one thing it was another. From emotional abuse to exploitation to being overworked to being paid minimum wage to witnessing animal neglect. I cannot take it anymore. My dad said he was sad to see my passion for animals run dry because of what's happened to me. It made me cry because he was right.

Especially the animal neglect. I could probably tolerate everything else if it wasn't for the animal neglect. You would all be horrified at the number of animals that were perfectly healthy then suddenly met their demise because at least 3 people were not doing their job of staying on top of their care. The causes are usually burnout and/or being short staffed, which is never an excuse btw, but these facilities never, ever seem to give a shit about fixing these problems. It's always about paying and staffing at the bare minimum, using up all of people's energy and passion until they quit, then move on to the next rookie that will eagerly take their place before a rinse and repeat.

***warning descriptions of animal deaths below**

Rest in peace to the three ibis that got sick because their food was caked onto them and their keeper didn't notice. The rhea that starved to death because their keeper didn't take weights or notice she was getting outcompeted for food. The toadlet left out overnight in a feeding tub and got mummified. The raccoons that caught parvo from wild animals. The burrowing owl, seagull, and ducks that got eaten by wild animals from inadequate caging. The owlet that got scalded because an inexperienced keeper insisted on cleaning her wounds. The bald capuchin that died because he was left out in the cold overnight by accident. The ducks that got sucked into pond drains. The bearded dragons that had to be put down for yellow fungus because quarantine wasn't taken seriously. The bearded dragon that had kidney failure but was misdiagnosed and the vet was never challenged despite my advice. The leopard geckos that needed to be put down after months of me saying they were not eating and they needed to be looked at. The baby feeder rodents that starved to death because they were taken away from their mothers. The tarantula some kid dropped because they stupidly let kids hold their animals. The skunk that starved because his keeper wasn't paying attention. The bearded dragon who passed because she was made morbidly obese. The toads who were infested with ants after pest control skipped their section. The countless animals who died after being left in hot cars. The baby turtles who were kept in dirty plastic bins because their aquarium never got repaired. The animals who were suffering or dying but not euthanized until it got really bad. And all other animals in captivity that could not thrive due to the negligence of humans.

**end triggering content**

I insist on saying I did not quit this field, because I was never a quitter. I did all the hard, smelly, sweaty work that came with the job without a problem. I am prioritizing my health. I am leaving abusive people. I am taking care of myself. I am going to live my life the way I want to and have money and weekends and holidays. I am going to spend time with family and friends. I am going to take care of the animals I own. I am going to heal and then I am going to be myself again. I can never take my 20s back, but I can start living now.

[taysanimaladventures]

Just gonna. Bitch a bit lol. I'm sorry I don't have anything positive to share on here anymore. But I think prospective keepers need to know the shit that happens in this field.

Trigger warnings for animal neglect and death.

I was let go from a job. When I was working part time at my local zoo they underpaid me severely. I needed to take part time because my grandma was dying. I lived with my husband but the pay was so bad and hours were limited to 16 a week so I was forced to get a second job.

I quit the zoo last year which is a whole story in itself, but we are keeping it simple here. I think once I am a but cozy I will share that story and all the other stories at some point. Anyways I stuck with this second job for the past year while processing my grandmother's illness and eventual death to at least earn some income. However after my grandma passed I decided for certain I wanted to leave the industry. I learned the hard way that changing careers is not easy so I was sticking with them only for cash during this frustrating job search.

This second job was taking care of ambassador animals for an educational program. Nothing fancy, just a collection of small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, inverts, and an owl. My boss acted like she worshipped the ground I walked on because I busted my ass trying to help them rebuild their animal collection after their old one was lost to a wildfire.

I did a lot for them. A lot. I found reliable breeders to purchase from, set up the entire animal care work room, wrote care sheets for every single animal, created schedules, deep cleaned, did research and gave advice, and more. All of this while juggling a nasty sleep issue, depression and anxiety from my grandma's situation, and mental health issues up the wazoo from changing around medication.

Now while I bust my balls for my animals, over the years and years of exposure to terrible situations I have not been the most..... palatable person. I had a breakdown when my boss brought in a new bearded dragon and made little effort to quarantine it. I was irritated after the 4th time I come back from the weekend to empty water dishes and dirtier-than-normal cages. I got huffy with the people who take animals for making stupid mistakes, such as leaving a lamp on the edge of a snake enclosure causing it to melt. I had repeatedly requested my boss re-train staff so mistakes were minimal. She always said she would but I never saw a change. She even admitted to me she noticed staff were in deep conversation while handling animals which is probably why the mistakes were happening. And she wonders why I got pissed off at them??

My patience eventually ran dry after like 4 months of this shit and my boss -appeared- to be understanding that I have extensive trauma and I act the way I do because of it. It's not like I ever called anyone a mean name or bullied them, like I was the victim of way too many times when I first started out. I was outwardly unhappy, did not want to converse with anyone, and had a tone and was short sometimes. People still walked on eggshells around me. And you know what? I didn't give a shit and I still don't. I was a lone wolf in my duties and I wasn't required to converse with anyone except my boss. Plus no one here matters except for the animals. When you are careless with my animals, I am going to be pissed off.

But apparently my (now former) boss showed what really matters to her. She gave the keeper who forgot to refill water bowls a million chances to do better and never let her go. That keeper was the reason I even wrote those care sheets. But me? I'm grumpy and I challenge the status quo. Got to go. After blowing smoke up my ass for two years, saying I'm amazing and valuable and I can share anything with her and giving me a stupid piece of tape with stars on it for handling a sick animal.

I snapped from the stress.You should take a break. Ok, I'll take a fucking break! And then, a few days after my grandma's funeral which she knew about, I get an email: Oh so you can't come back this isn't working out anymore.

Sorry, what?

So I am here to shame the other shit this job did. Of course I spoke up, but it did not change anything.

-Two male rats kept in this cage. They were separated because they were fighting. They now live in two of these cages. I asked for a bigger cage. Blown off. I asked if the DIY guy could fuse the cages. "There's no point if we are getting a bigger cage." A year later, still the same cages. Btw they have diarrhea often.

-Rescued bearded dragon was brought in underweight. Boss said feed her insects every day (she was at least a year old, young but not a baby). Beardie starts getting chunkier and chunkier. I say hey we need to cut back in the notes. Ignored for a few weeks. She is morbidly obese. Only then the boss says cut back. She is also dead now and I only know this since I checked records while on "break." Wanna bet that was the morbid obesity?

-Another bearded dragon not feeling well. Eyes closed, black bearding. I'm hollering for him to be seen. "Oh it may just be because it's cooling down." Eventually sees the vet, the fucking quack says he's trying to brumate. I've never owned beardies but I called bs. Nothing was done except blasting more heat on him. Nothing changes. A week later, he vomits blood and dies. It was kidney failure.

-Leopard gecko not eating and slowly losing weight. In the notes several times over the course of a few months, "he is not eating and losing weight." I guess it was my bad for putting it in the notes I assumed were getting read instead of verbally telling my boss. Got ignored until I verbally told her. Gecko needed to be put down.

-Rabbit taken to programs way too often. He comes back and looks worn the fuck out. I bring this concern up to boss. "Yeah, we need to get a third rabbit." But otherwise nothing changes.

-Accepts a hermann's tortoise in a glass enclosure that nonstop runs into the glass, promises a tortoise table but here we are again a year later.

-Says yes to a frilled lizard from the quack of a vet as an apology for what happened with the beardie. Takes the vets word that his enclosure (a horizontal, not vertical enclosure with newspaper only and a red lamp and heat pad) is correct and it's "just like caring for a bearded dragon." The poor thing stops eating and the skin of her frills is dead from being unable to shed. Their solution is force feeding her. Fed up with leadership, I research the species and learned that everything we did was wrong. I set up proper lighting and substrate for her (can't do much about a vertical enclosure). She bounces back.

-"This animal doesn't look good, it shouldn't be taken to programs." "Okay" -2 days later they are back at programs- "Sorry we needed it."

I get that I was not necessarily a great person in this story, but I truly feel justified because this was such bullshit to deal with and now I am truly free of this hellish industry. I am unemployed and it's uncomfortable but it's better than dealing with this bullshit.

To my husband, friends, and family helping me get through this: thank you.

To Stephanie: fuck you.

[taysanimaladventures]

If I could

Begin to be

Half of what

You think of me

I could do about anything

I could even learn how to love like you

Rose Quartz the leopard gecko. Born in 2010, adopted in 2015, humanely euthanized 2023.

I know things on this blog have been depressing as fuck lately. I quit my job, realized my jobs had caused significant mental damage on me, my grandma passes, and only a few weeks later I had to put Rose down. I got her footprints today.

I adopted Rose after the passing of Jasper, a leo I had gotten from a pet store chain and failed to thrive. I obviously refused to buy animals from those chains since and I ended up getting Rose from a former breeder going through a nasty divorce. I brought her to my college dorm in an empty beer box. Since getting her she has done a ton of traveling up and down California as I moved from college to home to the middle of nowhere to where I am now with my husband. She was always one to eagerly pop her head out as you walked by, hoping you had a snack. She had the most beautiful, vibrant colors that made her look like the unhealthiest lemon popsicle. She was also a mini celebrity on this blog for a period of time.

Last year she started to refuse to eat and looked bloated. We went to the vet who said it could be a minor infection or organ failure and she was given antibiotics and pain meds. After her course of medications she did well for the rest of the year up until a few weeks ago. We repeated the same medications but this time she was not improving. She was losing weight, still refusing to eat, was still looking bloated, and was clearly unhappy with all the medications being forced on her. Additionally the vet had felt a lump inside her. I had always suspected cancer since the first time we went through this. She had a suspicious spot on her skin. The vet and I agreed to humanely euthanize her. She was only 13.

I think in a sad way my time with her is another piece of what makes me want to leave the animal care field. Prior to her passing I looked through this blog and saw all my posts of her and how enthusiastic and excited I was about her. But as time went on I lost my passion. I was already burning myself out taking care of dozens of reptiles every day and coming home to needing to do more reptile care became a chore. She was never neglected and I have always made it a point to give my animals the best care possible no matter how low I was feeling. That is our obligation as pet owners. However she had become only that- an obligation. It makes me sad for her and sad for what happened to myself. I grieve for her and for the enthusiastic gecko keeper I used to be.

To other gecko owners: give your gecko a tight (imaginary) hug and a tasty worm for me.

[taysanimaladventures]

Triggering content

The hardest part about my experiences with animal keeping was not the labor. It's not the smells that make you gag, the heavy lifting, or enduring all kinds of weather.

The pain comes from picking up the bodies of animals that were otherwise perfectly healthy because someone neglected to do their job. It comes from watching coworkers succumb to heat stroke or exhaustion or chronic pain from being worked to the bone. It's knowing that you NEED to over work yourself to the bone otherwise an animal suffers. It's missing every Mother's and Father's Day and Christmas and Thanksgiving and all other precious, limited time with your family. It's breaking down every time you fill up your gas tank because it's almost a days worth of wages for you. It's looking at all the help wanted signs in fast food and retail with a starting wage that's higher than yours. It's moving from one job to the next with dwindling hope that the next job will do you and the animals better. It's hearing from former coworkers how 6 people have quit since you left and they are on their way out too because things have not improved. It's having panic attacks over believing that coworkers are doing the wrong thing because you have seen animals die after people did the wrong thing. It's having panic attacks over making simple mistakes because you have been screamed at so much.

It's knowing that you can't stay in this environment because of how often you are reminded of all the shit you've had to endure.