A:  There's a reason I don't ship fish.  However, I have shipped some in the past.  I watched one post office staffer flip my box into a bag across the room.  Guppies and killies are easier than angels.  Put one fish per bag.  Add 20% water and 80% air.  Double bag them with the rubber banded ends on opposite ends.  Right now (warmer weather) you can use one of the P.O.'s mailer boxes.  In a few months, you'll need a styrofoam insulated box which are really too big.  LA
PS:  Don't tell them you have liquids in the box.  You will be taken out back and disassembled.
PPS:  What's with the blue background that takes up beau coup room?

A:  Aw shucks.  Is this like a fan letter?  I couldn't have done the page without your superb photos.  LA

A1:  Your bearded dragon will likely recover if you feed him well and keep him warm.  He may wind up permanently disfigured, but that's not a severe problem.
A2:  I hope the PETA people never win or we'll be eating oatmeal for Sunday dinner.  I am never "generous" at election time.  No way could I afford to buy a politician.
A3:  Legal age for working in a pet store varies per area.  Here it's age 14 and your hours would be limited to 20 per week.  You'd also need the approval of your school's guidance counselor.
PS  What you might want to do is ask your guidance counselor to recommend you for an internship at a pet store.  Sometimes you can get school credit for working.  LA

A:  Not all legislation banning certain animals is bad.  Google CITES for a better overview.  Then every state has the right to impose their own rules upon their citizens.  For instance Iowa prohibits me from selling poisonous snakes to citizens without a permit.  I choose not to sell them at all.  I've seen the results of a couple snake bites (and chimp bites).  Anyway. most of the legislation is well intentioned.  Some of it is just a reaction to newspaper reports.  LA

A:  The Feds banned baby turtles because little kids put them in their mouths and possibly get Salmonella.  Of course, little kids lick their hands all day long, so they still get all manner of germs during the day.  Piranhas are not banned nationally, just in some backwater areas like Des Moines.  If anyone wants piranhas in Des Moines, they have to drive all the way to West Des Moines to find them.  LA

A:  Harlequins, Rasbora heteramorpha, are very mellow fish.  Long-flowing slow-moving fins are hard for most fish to resist.  LA

A:  You don't say what type of air powered filter.  Some shrimp will get sucked into any filter except a sponge filter.  LA

A:  Both those fish come in a variety of sizes.  Basically, any large fish will eat any small fish that will fit into its mouth.  LA

LA

A:  It will probably heal itself.  I prevent that wound by flattening the barb with a pair of pliers.  It makes them easier to unhook also.  LA

A:  Right (if he'll eat them).  They're kind of picky at first.  They also like treat foods and live foods.  LA

A:  Bluegills will eat mealworms, superworms, crickets, brine shrimp, feeder goldfish, guppies, rosey reds, ghost shrimp, glassworms, white worms, grindel worms, wax worms, and white clouds.  Plus they'll eat the freeze-dried (and frozen) plankton and krill. LA
PS  I have no idea what a "rolly polly" is.    

A:  Now I know what you're talking about.  You have to turn over a great many boards or sift thru piles of leaves to find enough of these guys to feed to your fish.  (Pillbugs are a land dwelling crustacean -- not an insect -- and have gills.)  I doubt you can find enough of these little armadillos to overfeed your sunfish.  Feed your sunfish as many as they'll eat.  LA

A:  I've used PVC pipe glue, several of the crazy glues, and epoxy glues in aquariums with no problems.  LA

LA
Chubby frog burrowing under his gravel.

A:  I've had this particular chubby frog over gravel for about a year and a half.  Way over half the gravels on the market are rounded with no sharp edges.  I have to dig him out once a week to make sure he's still there.  LA

A:  Sounds good.  But I'd probably go to the Dollar Tree and get a set of chip bag clips rather than use that $25 glass cleaning magnet.  LA

A:  Excellent wildlife in your yard.  All I have here are chipmunks and two tribes of yellow jackets (wild bees).  I have some ant lions living next to my house, but I can't catch them.  Anyway, the only Australian water dragons we can get are captive bred here in the states.  This makes them very pricey. 

I saw a movie called Walkabout in the early 70s.  An aborigine whacked monitors and ate them.  Are aborigines able to whack dragons also?  LA

A:  Nice pics.  I don't really specialize in any animals (except bugs)

LA
One of the nomadic critters that traverse my back yard, also raccoons, rabbits, and squirrels.

Your bottom pic reminded me  that I saw another Australian movie a couple weeks ago called "Rogue" about a giant croc.

It was a sad movie because the crocodile died in the end.  Two thumbs up anyway.  Not so much for "Wolf Creek."  LA

A:  Sure.  Your site looks much more related than Mexican hotels.  I added this pic.  I hope it was yours.  LA

LA

A:  I'll add your info to my flounder page.  Being "job-free" can decrease your stress in some ways but increase it in other ways.  LA

A:  401(k)s are the best.  You probably had to convert it to an IRA when you retired.  Move as much as you can to a Roth IRA.  Thanks for the referrals.  LA
PS:  No charge for the financial advice.

A10:  It's easier to put a male and a female in their own tank rather than offering other angels to choose from.
No prob on the extra Qs.  Just remember that these are my As and not to be regarded as highly as the 10As that Moses brought down from the mountain.  LA

LA
Vietnam mudskipper -- probable male.

A:  Hey, there's worse things to come to Des Moines for.
A1:  Sorry, no African mudskippers.  I haven't seen them for nigh unto two decades.  That pic's a 35 mm slide I shot back when I traveled around lots more than I do these days.  Does Kodak still make Kodachrome?
A2:  They do like to argue.  A 40 breeder should give them plenty of elbow room.   Make sure you cover their tank.  Forty breeders are hard to cover.
A3:  For maybe the last three years, all we can get are the Vietnam mudskippers. They are available right now.  Be sure to call ahead when you work out your schedule.  Make sure we have some on hand or have to order them for you.  Their availability varies from week to week.  LA

A:  I've never seen any larger than my middle finger.  Have you read my Mudskipper page?  I used BING to search and found lots of hits for "Vietnam mudskippers" and "Vietnamese mudskippers"  LA

A:  Doesn't sound like typical ball python behavior.  They usually just roll into a ball when picked up.  However, they do like warmth and perhaps you're just warmer than your friend.  I'll add your report to my "bare minimum"  ball python page.  LA

A:  Interesting page you referred me to.  Thanks.  LA

LA
Here's a cricket finishing off a black widow spider.

A:  Large crickets are real biters.  And they search for food when the lights go off and your mantis sleeps.  Too many crickets can be a real threat to your preying mantis (and even lizards).  LA

LA

A:  Whew.  There were nearly 80 photos on my Madagascar Roach page.  I won't be adding any more.  Besides, I sold my master colony (1,000 or so) to Carolina Biological Supply.  LA

A:  Cool.  I can always use more ribbons.  LA