Animals
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Cat-N-Around Cat Club
Cat-N-Around Cat Club 2007 Annual Show
Hawkeye Cat Club 2004
Hawkeye Cat Club 2005
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Degus
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Water Bottles

Bugs
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Crab 04 Results
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Tarantula Night 2006
TarantulaWeen VII
TarantulaWeen 9
Walking Stick
Misc. Bugs
Misc Bugs II  

Birds
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Finches
Love Birds
Parakeets
Pelleted Foods
Quaker Parrots
Parrot Pictures
Parrot Pix II
Parrot Pix III
Dave's Parrots

Lizards
Alligators
Anoles
Bearded Dragon
Beardies II
Calotes
Chamel, Jackson
Chamel, Panther
Chamel, Veiled
Crested Geckos
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Gecko, Tokay
Horned "Toads"
Iguana New
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Iguana Q&A II
Iguana Training
Iguana Update
Cool Iguana Pics
Knight Anoles
Monitors, Nile
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Monitors, Water
Salmonella
Skinks
Skinks Blue-Tongue
Tegus
Uromastyx maliensis
Water Dragon
Misc Lizards
Misc Lizards 2
Misc Lizards 3
Misc Lizards 4
Misc Lizards 5
Misc Lizards 6
Misc Lizards 7
Misc Lizards 8
Misc Lizards 9
Misc Lizards 10


Snakes
Anacondas
Boa, Rosy
Boa, Red-Tail
Corn Snake
Garter Snake
Green Snake
Kids/Corn Snakes
Kids/Red-Tail Boas

Kids at Pet Expo 1

Kids at Pet Expo 2

Kids at Pet Expo 3

Kids at Pet Expo 4

Kids at Pet Expo 5
King & Milk
Python, Ball
Python, Burmese

Snakes Alive
Snakesgiving
Snakesgiving II
Misc Snake Pix
Misc Snakes II
Misc Snakes III  

Turtles/Tortoises
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Box, USA
Races
Snapping
Spiny

Sulcata
Water
Western Painted

Live Foods
Blackworms
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Br Shrimp I
Br Shrimp II
Crayfish 1
Crayfish 2
Crayfish 3 
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Grindal Worms
Infusoria
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Microworms
Rosy Reds

Super Worms

Wax Worms
White Clouds

Decorating
Bubbles
Driftwood
Gravel
Plastic Plants
Rocks
Slow Growing Plants

Miscellaneous
Bob's Acclimation

How to Start
How to Add New Fish
How to Keep Healthy
Which Fish Get Along?
10 Questions to Ask
What is Ich?
Under Gravel Filters

Sponge Filters
Cloudy Water
Cool Water Tanks
Gravel Vacuums
Preventing Disease
Feeding to the Max
Frozen Foods
Green Water
Nasty Chemicals
Overfeeding
Power Filters
Rift Lake Salts
Quarantine Tank
Mini-Tank
2nd Av Bait

Pet World Visit
Dandelions

Aquatic Plants
Amazon Swords
More Swords
Sword Plants III
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Anacharis
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A. boivinianus
A. fenestralis
A. ulvaceous
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Bunch Plants II
Cryptocorynes
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Dwarf Lily
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Hygrophila
Lace
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Java Fern III
Java Fern IV
Java Moss
Moss Balls
Onion
Vermiculite
Watersprite
Different Watersprite

 
Local Clubs
Cat-N-Around Cat Club 2006

Cat-N-Around Cat Club 2007
Hawkeye State Cat Club 2004
Hawkeye State Cat Club 2005
CIWGA -- Central Iowa Water Garden Association
Iowa Herp Society
MACBS -- Mid America Caged Bird Society
Iowa Aquaria Association
IAA 02.05.05
EIAA -- Eastern Iowa Aquarium Association
MAS 75th Ann. Show
MCA Expo 2006 -- the Fish
MCA Expo 2006 -- the People

LA
Jeweled curly tails just arrived.  Not much color.  We haven't seen these guys for a while.

LA
Later from the same batch -- probable male.

LA
No curling tails in this batch of seven jewel curly-tails

ID-ing Species.  I have zip clues as to what species these particular curly-tails belong.  These particular "jeweled curly-tails" do not curl their tails like most species.

LA

In the Meantime.  Haiti went thru some economic problems and various exporting embargos that put some serious crimps in the availability of Haitian curly-tails.  In the meantime (as we said not that long ago), reptile availability and interest increased exponentially.  With all the fancy new saurians available, curly-tails mostly disappeared.  Well, they seem to be back these days.  At about twice the price, but still not pricey.  Curly-tails make an excellent "starter lizard" -- maybe a step or two above your anoles, house geckos, and long-tail grass lizards.

LA
Probable female.

LA
Probabe male.

LA
No signs of animosity.

They're Back.  Most people will like curly-tails because they're easy to keep (and very active).  By the way, you won't want to mix them with the three starter lizards mentioned earlier.  Curly-tails will probably eat them.  At the very least, they'll intimidate and certainly stress most other lizards.  Curly-tails have "invaded" southern Florida and enjoy eating the native lizards in Florida.  They like small lizards.  Anti-lizard Floridians control them with B-B guns and hungry housecats.

LA
Whassup in the food bowl?

Other Foods.  Considered insectivores, curly-tails scamper right after crickets.  They'll also learn to eat mealworms and superworms from your fingers.  You can give them other insects like wax worms which they love but tend to over eat.  Roaches, houseflies, or any arthropods bugs that accumulate around your porch light make a nice change of pace.  And the price is right.

LA
They're checking out the food for their neighbor -- a uromastyx.

LA
Applesauce plus some secret ingredients -- powdered bird pellets.

More Other Foods.  Take a stroll down the baby food aisle.  Think twice about the bananas.  We gave some banana baby food to six baby bearded dragons and glued three of them to their cage wall.  Curly-tails are more powerful than three-week-old beardies, so they can probably overpower bananas. Then again, bananas are not good for some lizards.  Skip the bananas.  Anyway, applesauce works great.  The best thing about baby food?  You can add a Calcium/Vitamin D supplement to it.  Much easier than dusting crickets (which start cleaning it off the second it gets on them).  Curly-tails will also eat bits of leafy lettuce.  Uneaten crickets in their cage will also eat the fruits and vegetables you offer your lizards.  After 20 or 30 minutes, move the uneaten fruits and vegetables to your cricket ranch.

LA
Pick your own substrate.

Substrate.  Curly-tails could not care less about their substrate.  Since they are mostly brown, they will tend to blend into brown.  As some of the eagerest eaters, they also might ingest a bit of substrate when they grab their prey.  It doesn't seem to bother them.  Change their litter as needed.  Some substrates hold humidity better than others.

LA
Checking out the local pool facilities.

Speaking of Humidity.  We see various % humidity requirements recommended for curly-tails.  We just give them a water bowl and let the humidity take care of itself.  They can adapt to humidity changes with the weather.  If you Google "Florida weather," you'll get a specific humidity (60% today).  "Palm Beach weather" says 66% (today).  It jumps around.  Humidity changes all the time.

LA
Curly-tails love to bask in the "sun."  They like the heat.

Lighting.  Curly-tails worship the sun.  In the wild, they climb atop rock piles and rock walls to get warmer (from the sun and the rocks).  They will prefer a good lizard light with UVB.. If you use an incandescent heat bulb, be sure to add one of the Ca/D₃ powders to their intake.  You can dust your crickets, and/or the fruit puree you feed, or your cricket's food.  You won't need a great deal of supplement, but you will need to "dust" occasionally. 

LA
They prefer the ground but will climb looking for potential exits.

LA

LA

LA

Terrestrial Beasties.  You don't see curly-tail lizards leaping thru the trees.  They prefer Terra Firma..  That's beneficial for the anoles which are more arboreal (and tastier).  But they will climb out (fast).

LA
He is wiggling, wiggling, wiggling as he tries to wiggle his way out.

Powerful Little Dynamos.  When you pick up try to pick up one of these little bug eaters, prepare for a struggle.  They exert mucho energy attempting to extricate themselves.  Careful.  You may lose a tail in the process.  On average, they're better off left alone.

LA
Everybody hanging out at the cave entrance.

Caves, Crevices, Crannies.  Little critters realize big critters eat little critters.  They like to find hiding places when they feel threatened or even stressed -- from you or their cage mates.  Provide more than one hidey hole.

LA
On top of a cage containing baby dubai day geckos -- inside the big cage for warmth.

"Loves Turrets."  In spite of living on the ground, they like to climb to high observation posts such as rock piles and rock walls.  Since they do climb, keep them covered.  Critter Cages with the sliding screen tops work great.

LA
Stout, strong body.  Probable male about 7 inches.

LA
Less colorful probable female to the left.

Breeding.  After the shorter days of winter, curly-tails get the urge to merge in the spring.  You may want to mist them a bit in the spring to encourage them.  They lay eggs in late summer.  Provide a diggable area for the eggs.  Careful, males like to argue.  The males are larger and have a bigger head.  If you see no difference between the two, it probably does not matter.

LA
No curl in the seven tails of this batch of curly-tails.

LA
Alert little guys.  You won't sneak up on a curly-tail.

LA
Not a good set up.  When dropped in here, the curly-tails instantly ran up and out.  Both ends.

LA
We grabbed them and returned them to their temporary living quarters.

LA
Eventually they relaxed enough to bask on the wood decor.

LA
Meanwhile, back at the ranch ...

LA
Also pretty.

Last Words.  As mentioned earlier, curly-tails make a great starter lizard -- even the ones with non-curly tails.  They're virtually trouble-free and easy to keep.  LA
 

Jaguar Spawning II
Jewel Fish
Keo's Flowerhorns
Keo's Flowerhorns II
Kribensis
Odd Couple Spawn
Oscars 1
Oscars 2
Oscars 3
Oscars 4
Oscars 5
More Oscar
More Oscar II
More Oscars III
More Oscars 2007
More Oscars 2007.5
Oscar Spawn
Peacock Bass
Red Devils
More Red Devil
Red Parrots
Red Parrots Spawn
Red Parrot Spawn II
Pikes
Pink Tilapia
Rams
Red Bay Snooks
Red Bay Snook Spawn
Roger Stephen's Cichlids
Severums
More Severums
Severums III
Tanganyikans
Texas Cichlid
Texas Spawning
Texas Spawn II
Uarus
Misc Cichlids I
Misc Cichlids II
Misc Cichlids III
Misc Cichlids IV
Misc Cichlids V
Misc Cichlids VI
Misc Cichlids VII
Misc Cichlids VIII
Misc Cichlids IX

Livebearer  
Guppies
Half-Beak
Mollies
Moons/Platys
Swordtails

Minnows/Tetra 
Barbs
Barbs, Black
Barbs, Gold
Barbs, Rosy
Barbs, Tiger
Barbs, Tinfoil
Danios
Danio Egg Saver
Distochodus
Fathead Minnows
Headstanders
Killies, Econ.
Killies, Golden
Killies, Peat
Killies, Plant
Misc Mini-Fish
Pacús 
Piranha, Black
Piranha, Red
Rainbowfish

Rainbowfish, Dwarf Neon
Rainbowfish, Irian
Silver Dollar
Tetras, Larger
Tetras, Smaller
Tetras, Spawn
Tetra, Vampire
White Clouds

Pond Fish
Carp
Channel Cat
Gold. Comets
Gold. Fantails
More Fantails
Gold. Oriental  
Gold Oriental II 
Gold. Spawn
Kloubec Koi Farm
Koi
Koi II

Koi III
Oranda Spawn
Plecostomus
Shubunkins

Oddballs  
Af. Butterfly
Af. Lungfish
Af. Mudskippr
American Eel
Archer Fish
Arowana
Bichirs
Borneo Suckers
Brackish I
Brackish II
Brackish III
Brackish IV
Brackish V
Michael Troung's Pix
Butterfly/Wasp
Chameleon Fish
Chromides
Chin Alg Eater
Crazy Fish
Crocodile Fish
Datnioides
Dojo
Dwarf Puffers
Electric Cat
Electric Eels
Elephant Nose
Exodon paradoxus
Flounder
Gars  
Glassfish
Goby Bumble
Goby Butterfly
Goby Dragon
Goby Misc.
Half-Beak
Knife African
Knife Clown
Knife Ghost
Loach Botias
Loach Clown
Loach Kuhli
Loach Weather

Longear Sunfish
Moray Eel  
Peacock Gudgeons
Polypterids
Puffers
Ropefish
Scats
Siam Algae Eater 
Spiny Eels 
Snakehead
Stingray
Stonefish
Wasp Fish
Wolffish
Wrest Half-Beak
Misc Mini-Fishes
Misc Odd
Misc Odd II
Misc Odd III
Misc Odd  IV

Misc Odd V
Misc Odd VI

Sharks  
Bala
Black
Bull
Chinese Hi-Fin Banded
Iridescent
Red-Tail
Siam Algae Eater

Pond Info 
Blank Park Zoo
Bob Humphrey's Ponds
Cattails
Maffett Reservoir
DMACC's Pond
D.M. Botanical Center
D.M. Water Works
Dr. Ervanian's Garden
Duckweed
Dwarf Lily
Ewing Park "Pond"
Jan & Chris's Water Garden
John McDonald's Pond
Hall's Four Acres
Klines' Water Garden
Landscaper Effects
Mini-Pond Pics
Pioneer Corn's Pond
Pond Fish Predators
Pond on 38th Street 
Pond Pics
Pond Plants
More Pond Plants
Pond Plants III
Reiman Ponds
River Scenes
Riverview Island
Selin's Water Gardens
Selin's Japanese Garden
Tom's Used Cars Pond
Urbandale Duck Pond
Water Hyacinth
Water Lettuce
Wild Ponds