Shark amnesty in the UK

[Colin]

Got any worrisome sharks lying around the house? If so, you may soon be able to hand them in at your nearest Sea Life Centre. No questions asked!

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/item.php?news=91

 

[cthulhu77]

Has keeping sharks been outlawed there? They banned them here in the 70's...

 

[Colin]

No they are not banned... I'm not even sure if any of them are on CITES either??? any idea? I dont think they are?

Quite often i see Wobbegons and nurse sharks for sale and have even seen black tip reef sharks offered but mostly it is the small carpet/cat sharks like the bamboo sharks... quite often these are sold as eggs.

C

 

[cthulhu77]

Even though they are illegal here, they still show up in pet shops occasionally...mostly bamboos...our laws in arizona are horrific about what you can/can't have...not fun!

 

[Colin]

What sort of collection are you sitting with just now Greg? I guess that my animal collection is at its lowest for years and have been replaced with orchids and carnivorous plants...

One chevron tarantula, 2 budgett frogs, 2 bullfrogs, 6 Silurana (xenopus), about 50 freshwater fish and two dogs

 

[cthulhu77]

Hmm...not as big of a collection as I used to have...but then, you get tired of cleaning cages all day too!!!
I have an adult ornate bichir (I think you've seen pics of her), some juveniles (breeding down the road, maybe?), bearded dragons(4), boa constrictors (salmons)(2), tiger rattlesnakes(3), arizona black rattlesnakes(2), high white california kingsnakes (2), a ball python I bought for Shanlyn (aren't I the thoughtful one!), a cat, and future plans for more boa constrictors...this will probably mean getting rid of the vipers...oh well.
Not really too much...oh yeah, and I started cultivating amazon microswords ...really cool aquatic plant...Piglet (the bichir) loves the stuff! Sleeps in it in the afternoon sunlight.
We've talked about getting a dog, but will probably wait until Shanlyn gets her next degree (next spring) in Mortuary Science...as it is, she is hardly ever home (work, school, etc).
I sold my Reticulated Pythons to a local petstore...they were getting large enough to start to be a little too dangerous...especially with her cat being aroung!
Greg

 

[Melissa]

Colin, what kinds of orchids do you have? I don't have any now, but miss them. I can't have anything new until November (vacationing kills orchids) but I hope to see some in the wild on vacation.

Holiday will start with Dia de los Muertos in Mexico, in the Yucatan - I'm sure people here can tell me where to look for cephs. Then we'll head south to Belize and Guatemala to climb Mayan pyramids! That's where we'll see orchids.

Melissa

 

[cthulhu77]

When you are in Yucatan, be sure to hit a little town called Akumal...they have the best meat-filled pastries I have ever had in my life!!!! (good garlic shrimp, too!)
Tulum is a pretty cool little temple also, near the water caves...
I've never seen any cephs there, but lots of orchids!
Happy vacation...send us pics!
Greg
p.s. if you could smuggle back some Belonosox belizianus (pike topminnows) I would be most appreciative!!! oh yeah, and some of those pastries...

 

[Melissa]

Thanks, Greg!

I am looking forward to the orchids, and will make efforts to see octopuses off the plate, too! Must try the shrimp! and wonder how to ship pikeminnows...

Melissa

 

[Colin]

Sorry i missed this earlier Melissa

I have three species of phalaenopsis, three of Paphiopedilum and some crosses and hybrids. Nice flowers this time of year

 

[Melissa]

Colin, your plants sound lovely and we haven't even heard about the carnivorous ones! Now that we know about your collection, we'll call you Nero Wolfe.

Phalaenopsis, for others, are the orchids you are most likely to have seen, many have large flowers that look almost like a spray of butterflies. White, pink and purple blooms are common. Paphiopedilum (lady's slippers) are neat, too. I haven't tried to keep them.

My neighbors didn't realize that their dendrobium would flower again and tossed it. I took it in and had four of them from that plant, until I made the mistake of going away to Scotland last year. The orchids didn't get enough attention and died while I was away. I had a variety for a few years but leaving town is fatal to my plants. I cannot have an octo for just this reason.

Melissa