I love critters. All kinds of critters. Though I love furry critters like the next person, I'd rather have more--ah, shall we say--unique pets than the usual dog or cat. (Besides, I'm not a dog person, and half of my family is allergic to cats. Oh, and scratches on furniture = bad.) Despite the odd looks and threats of disownment from friends and family, I have started to collect an odd plethora of other fun critters....

Zathras

It was rather lonely the couple weeks after Big Dude--my last Leopard Gecko--passed away. However, one of the amazingly nice people who work at the vet (and who took a liking to good ol' Big Dude), hatched some Leos spring 2006 and was still trying to find a good home for one of them. She called me up after learning of the loss of Big Dude and offered one of her geckos to me. I was floored...and incredibly grateful. Thank you!

Zathras is a feisty gecko--a nice mix between Big Dude and Stumpy. He's large like Big Dude and skittish like Stumpy. It's hilarious watching him eat crickets. He'll chase them all over the tank, and get all excited when he corners one, wiggling the tip of his tail before pouncing.

Aneira
(aka Huggybear McCuddlekins)

I've always wanted a Mack Snow leopard gecko due to their beautiful colors--they have almost no yellow pigment, if any at all. (I think the most beautiful ones are those entirely black and white.) Anyway, I found this cutie in the reptile store I frequent, and she was too cute to resist.

Starbuck

Starbuck is the name I gave the leopard gecko of a friend of mine from church when I kept her for a week while her owner went home for Christmas. I fell in love with her, and when my friend mentioned he wanted to switch her for a bearded dragon, I offered to take her off his hands.

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Leto and Ghanima

Due to my own laziness and ignorance about bearded dragons, I hadn't thought much about getting one. But after hearing and reading about them, all that changed. Again, my friend Kim came to the rescue. She accidentally had a clutch of beardies last year (2007), and she'd offered me one or two babies shortly after they were born. I declined. But, like usual, after a few months, I couldn't resist, so I asked if she had any left that needed homes. Sure enough, she had two: a brother and sister.

Irulan

Ever since I was little and tortured Mom by proudly showing her the random garter and bull snakes I'd find outside, I've wanted a pet snake. This, of course, wasn't exactly possible with my phobic Mom, so I knew I'd have to wait until I moved far away from home. After a year of being in Arizona, I discovered the joys of reptile shows...and this little bundle of ball python joy.

Madagascan Hissing Roaches

I've had a fascination with these crazy things ever since I was introduced to them in sixth grade. A friend gave me some babies (two females survived to adulthood), and then I found two males in a pet store. Let's just say I won't need to buy any ever again. o.O But hey, free lizard food!

Feel free to contemplate my sanity for a few moments.