Collecting Insects as Reptiles & Amphibian Food: Traps & Tips

[findi]

Hi, Frank Indiviglio here. I’m a herpetologist, zoologist, and book author, recently retired from a career spent at several zoos, aquariums, and museums, including over 20 years with the Bronx Zoo.
Although it’s below freezing here in NY, my thoughts are straying to a favorite warm-weather activity – collecting insects for my herp collection. Invariably, I find species that are new to me, and others that I wind up keeping alive in small terrariums. Drawing on a lifetime of collecting for my pets and the animals under my care at the Bronx Zoo, I’ve written articles on capturing, using, and breeding many invertebrates, including sap beetles, leaf litter dwellers, “meadow plankton”, earwigs, sow bugs, grasshoppers, and many others. In this article, I’ll summarize my favorite collection techniques and traps. Links to articles containing further information are also included. As I and other herp-keepers have barely scratched the surface of this topic, please be sure to post your own thoughts and experiences below. Read the rest of this article here Collecting Insects as Reptile Pet Food - Tips | That Reptile Blog [FONT=&quot][/FONT]
Please also check out my posts on Twitter http://bitly.com/JP27Nj and Facebook http://on.fb.me/KckP1m

My Bio, with photos of animals I’ve been lucky enough to work with: That Pet Place welcomes Zoologist/Herpetologist Frank Indiviglio to That Reptile Blog | That Reptile Blog

Best Regards, Frank

 

[NiRD]

Hi Frank. It's nice to know that I am not the only person who works with both birds and reptiles.

 

[findi]

Hi Frank. It's nice to know that I am not the only person who works with both birds and reptiles.

Hi,

Thanks..I've been very lucky, have wide interests and entered zoo field at a time when it was possible to indulge them (hard to do that today); worked with ants to elephants, literally, but preferred birds, herps and inverts. little guy in photos is my nephew..he's doing the same, it seems! Best regards, Frank

 

[Kiwibird]

I think my love for running through leaves has been killed forever after reading that (3 tons of bugs an acre? EEEK!). Leo the leopard gecko has always gotten whatever creepy crawlies happen to get into the house that I can catch for him (except spiders, never knew if those were poisonous or not). He's eaten beetles and those big green "leaf bugs" as big as his head. Probably why the old guy is still kicking at 18 years of age!

Nird- I think you'd be surprised how much birds and reptiles live in the same homes. I think it takes a special kind of person to have either, and if you can recognize the exotic, beautiful looks of a parrot, you notice the exotic, beautiful looks of reptiles as well.

 

[NiRD]

I actually started with reptiles long before I started in birds. I have been keeping reptiles for fifteen years now. I got my first bird, a blue and gold macaw, after graduating from college. See, I went to school for animal behavior. I took in this bird because he was highly aggressive and had caused serious bodily harm to his previous owner's guests. After about six months with this bird, I had him eating out of anybody's hand and stepping up on to anybody. At the time, I had no intention of keeping him, so I adopted him out to another educator that does free flighted bird shows in my home town.

Fast forward three years. I had moved to another state and got pretty heavy into falconry. I love my hawks, and have even gotten to work with owls and eagles (though not my own), but I started thinking about getting a cuddly bird. See, most of the animals I keep want to kill me (reptiles and hawks, even the geese, with the exception of those I keep for education). Enter the Quaker parrot. I got her on accident while looking for a Nanday conure. I've been addicted ever since!

I still prefer my not so cuddly birds (raptors and corvids), but now I can't see myself without a parrot or two in my life.

Ah shucks, I should probably post this in the introduction area, huh?