#eclectus-mom

[flock-talk]

Hi! One of my friends went to a ‘parrot island’ and fell in love with macaws. He has never had a bird before. I think I have successfully convinced him not to impulse buy a macaw, but would you have any further advice on the reality of owning such a big parrot that I could use to hammer the point home? I like parrots but definitely am not an expert and also decided in preliminary research that it wasn’t for me at this time, so I didn’t dig too terribly deep once I arrived at that conclusion. Thanks, and your birds are cute. 💕

Honestly sounds like you’ve done a great job!

Your best resource would actually be talking to people who own big birds! They can give you a much more realistic glimpse in to how hard and challenging it is than any article could.

I’ll redirect you to @parrot-parent who owns Merlin the macaw, cusita the African grey, and Holly the eclectus. Who may be willing to share some of the more realistic struggles of big birds!

#I keep typing eclectus-mom first #that’s still your name to me lmfao

[zkyeline]

Some Garthy O’Brien I did for @eclectus-mom !!! ‘Tis was an absolute joy 😌

My commission is closed, for now!!

#dimension 20 #fantasy high sophomore year #garthy obrien #fhsy #d20 #fan art #art #commissioned #big BIG thank you for giving me an excuse to draw them XD!

[onenicebugperday]

@eclectus-mom​ submitted: The girls are munching!

Girls brunch!! That broccoli looks delicious I hope they enjoyed it

#animals #insects #bugs #submission #mealworm #beetle #darkling beetle #congregation

[the-puffinry]

a new video of Vaiya making sounds for @lormythology, who asked for sounds!

This the aftermath of her listening to @eclectus-mom 's Merlin talking, which she (who normally doesn't much respond to bird videos) was wild about. Didn't catch that because those excited sounds happened on my shoulder. 😁

#parrots #lineolated parakeet #petblr #linnie #birds #PLEASE tell me my tiny bird doesn't have a crush on a macaw??? hello???

[raptorsandpoultry]

Do you have any more info on choanal papillae? Specifically, pics of healthy vs unhealthy would be awesome! I haven't had any luck just googling it :/

Yes! (I am s l o w so for those of you who aren't familiar, this was in response to a post I reblogged many weeks back, so here's a quick little intro):

When avian veterinarians examine a bird's mouth, there is a slit-shaped opening in the roof of the mouth called a choana, and it connects the nasal and oral cavities. Mammals have one as well, but it's mainly in birds that this opening is narrow and slit-like, as opposed to wide and rounded. Bird choanae have small serrations on either side called choanal papillae, and blunting or shortening of these is a sign of vitamin A deficiency due to an improper diet. Not all species will have very obvious choanal papillae, however! For example, most pigeons have naturally short/barely visible choanal papillae, and that's completely normal.

Some healthy lookin pointy bois (Photo from Hagen Avicultural Research Institute)

Pointy bois have mostly disappeared in this birb, likely because they were fed too much seeb (Photo from avianmedicine.net)

Hope this helps, thanks for the ask (and for the long wait sdfkljalsfzkd)!

#anatomy #ornithology #veterinary medicine #ask #eclectus-mom #original post

[omg-snakes]

How can I tell the difference between "stressed and trying to escape the situation" zoomies and "excited about all the new smells and textures" zoomies? I want to do right by my corn snake, like enrich her by maybe taking her outside sometimes, but I mostly just leave her to her own devices since I'm not confident I can recognize stress in her.

Unfortunately, there’s no “excited zoomies” in corn snakes. A corn snake that is excited about a new smell or texture will fixate on it, sometimes freezing in place to thoroughly examine every millimeter of the new thing.

The only way to get her used to adventures is to have adventures, so start small and keep adventures sweet and short. Sniffing a reptile-safe houseplant inside is a good way to explore in a safe space. End on a high note, when she’s calm and seems relaxed. Over time you can increase the duration and adventury-ness of the excursion. 

Stress will be recognizable if she’s panic-flailing (not just being wiggly go-snek but like throwing her body around) or if she starts defense posturing or shakey tailing. If she’s just nyooming around or sniffing things, then she’s okay.

#snake #snakes #reptile #reptiles #reptiblr #corn snake #corn snakes #snake behavior #snake husbandry #corn snake behavior #corn snake husbandry #eclectus-mom

[followthebluebell]

submitted by: eclectus-mom

My nasty boy Biscuit was doing a tiny blep

-------

before the court can accept this document, we require further evidence on why this Biscuit is deemed to be a ‘nasty boy’. 

#eclectus-mom #submission

[dromaeocore]

Do you know of any websites where one might buy a small, real fossil? Idk you seem like you'd know this and I don't want to get ripped off with a fake.

I actually have no idea - I just know that you might have more luck with more common invertebrate fossils like ammonites and trilobites as opposed to vertebrates.

Can any of my followers help them out?

#paleontology #paleoblr #i'd also advise against collecting rarer fossils since i personally believe they belong in museums and for scientific study :) #but common ones are fine 😌 i personally have a trilobite and used to have an ammonite #and replicas are cool too :) #ask #eclectus-mom

[solsticexolos]

Could you make a list of different comb types? Maybe with picture examples??

Chicken combs are super cool and there are a lot of little genes that influence how they appear, so there is a massive variety of shapes and sizes that they come in. However there are some typical varieties that can be distinguished. I’ve (badly) illustrated them for you! (Don’t ask why the eyes are forward facing...it was rushed.)

Single: Single combs are the classic comb, and are what junglefowl have. This is a single-row, tall comb with vertical spikes and usually a back lobe. Breed example: Leghorn.

Pea: Also called “triple combs” sometimes, the pea comb is a short, bumpy comb characterized by 3 distinct rows of numbs. Breed example: Brahma.

Rose: Rose combs are linked to infertility! This is a short, bumpy comb that make or may not have a back spike. Fun fact, when met with a tassle/crest, the rose comb splits into three prongs at the end. Breed example: Wyandotte.

V-Comb: A comb characterized by spikeless blades, looking sort of like horns or a V. Most crested breeds have this. Breed Example: La Fleche.

Walnut: A result of both pea and rose comb genes being present, the walnut comb is a very bumpy, wide comb. Lots of mutations result in variations of the walnut comb that are, genetically, still walnut. Breed example: Silkies.

Cushion: A very small, smooth, flat comb known for being very cold hardy. Breed example: Malay.

Buttercup: A delightful mixture of several interacting genes, the buttercup comb forms a round crown of spikes. Breed example: Sicilian Buttercup.

Duplex: Responsible for both buttercup and v-combs, the duplex comb causes a split of two blades. Breed example: Augsburger.

Strawberry: A small, low comb with many little bumps, like a textured cushion comb. Usually with an indent in the center. Breed example: Russian Orloff.

Breda Combless: A comb characterized by not existing. Related somehow to the v-comb. Breed example: Breda.

Carnation: A rarely seen comb that is a single comb with multiple lobes or spikes sticking out sideways at the back. Breed example: Penedesenca.

There are a lot of other weird variations that exist, this is digging just a bit below the surface, really. Single, duplex, and strawberry are my favorites!

#ask #eclectus-mom #chickens #chickenblr #chicken genetics #poultry #combs #art

[draconym]

Does Ripley have any behaviors/words that he knows mean yes/no? So he can answer simple questions? If so, how did you teach that?

Oh, sure. As for “can he answer simple questions,” it definitely depends on what the question is. If you hold out a food and ask if he wants it, he knows what you’re asking, and he’ll answer you. He also knows how to answer “what is it?” for most foods. He knows the names of a lot of objects and colors, too, but he doesn’t like being asked.

He almost never says the word “yes,” but he does often say “yeah,” usually in response to us asking if he wants or likes something. He also occasionally says “no,” but not to answer a question--”no” is almost always used to scold us, as in, “you’re doing something I don’t like.” More often, if he’s feeling uncertain, critical, or riled up about something, he’ll click his beak. I’ve heard that this is a pretty universal African grey sound, though different birds make it under different circumstances. More patient birds might click in irritation where Ripley would probably growl. If you ask Ripley “can I touch you?” and he’s not in the mood, he’ll turn his head away and click, which is always a definite “no.” (If he leans toward you, purrs, or says “ohhhhh” then that’s a definite “yes” to being touched.)

Ripley doesn’t particularly like being asked complicated questions, as I think he can tell that something is being asked of him, but he can’t usually understand what. He does like to interject answers on other people’s behalf. He’s picked up conversational words just by listening to us talk--he likes to participate, and he’s at his most talkative when there’s a lively conversation (or a D&D session) happening in the room.

#ripley parrot #eclectus-mom

[the-tribe-fr]

Do you have a tutorial on how you do cry/face? I've never seen those genes portrayed so accurately without being gaudy or overbearing!!

While I don't specifically have a tutorial on drawing cry/face, I can offer some tools I use as well as a few tips. :)

Lexreons tutorial is absolutely excellent for figuring our shadows, which is the hardest thing to make cry/face look 'right'. You want to think of your dragon like a carving, or a multifaceted gem. I often use the polygonal lasso tool on photoshop this way, to carve out my straight lines in a selection, then just fill it in. Lots of diamond shapes!

Then, for the actual crystal magic, I use the tutorial from the official artist of cry/face to break it all down!

https://fablepaint.tumblr.com/post/116326546796/i-promised-so

This will save you heaps of time in learning what to do. It is mainly for photoshop so I am not sure about its translation to other programs.

I hope this helps! :)

#flight rising #fr art #Tutorial #Cry/face tutorial #Eclectus-mom #Art

[onenicebugperday]

I'm not sure where else to ask this, but the odds seem better with your followers: are darkling beetles inclined to climb? I want to use them for my corn snake's bioactive, but she has a foam-based fake background and the mesh of the roof is wide enough to allow beetles out. I don't need a beetle infestation in my room 😅

They can climb a rough surface and if given an escape route I would count on them getting out. Maybe not en masse but at least a few will figure it out I'm sure. You can buy rolls of finer mesh online or at hardware stores for quite cheap to cover it so they can't escape though! I bought a squeeze tube of silicone and a roll of mesh to cover the larger mesh on my millipede tank lid to keep pests out and it was maybe $12.

#eclectus-mom

[tricktster]

What tail type is Quipper? I love the look but I can never remember what it's called.

He’s a plakat! Plakats are essentially the fin type of betta splendens that exists in the wild, and they tend to be highly aggressive and extremely active, while the longfinned bettas (like Darkmantle) are both less active on account of lugging around all that fin, and more docile on account of many many many generations of being bred Only For Looks with ample available mates and resources.

These days, breeders are also concerned about plakat looks because, you know, they actually Look Cool As Hell, so there’s now some special color morphs in the plakat lines as well. Quipper, in fact, is supposed! to be a super black plakat like this boy

But it turns out, like with so many bettas, that you get him out of the little sale bowl at the store and into his own big space and he’s... you know, he’s just a blue betta. 

I swear to god the only betta I’ve ever had who’s stuck with the color they were sold as being is Darkmantle, who is not even a proper copper betta, but is just as much of a iridescent stunner of a fish as he’s ever been. Just fucking gorgeous, and like all veilteils, lazy as all hell, 

unlike Quipper, who this very moment as I am WATCHING HIM, IS DESPERATELY TRYING TO SWIM INTO THE FUCKING FILTER OUTFLOW PIPE

#eclectus-mom

[taysanimaladventures]

Do you have any parrots at your work? If not, could you tell us a bit more about Correy?

I don’t unfortunately, we are a native species zoo so nothing exotic. 

I will tell you all about Correy though. He is an asshole that pecks everyone who steps into his enclosure. He even managed to get my relief keeper on the forehead! He will also bully the vultures, a much bigger bird, if they get too close to him. Doesn’t seem to care too much about the tortoises. With me since I am the main person feeding him he doesn’t do that to me anymore and instead tries to seduce me with his dancing and offerings. Lately he has been working on his nest, but he happens to collect the nasty leftovers from the vultures and put it in there so I’m on the lookout daily for bones and jerky in his nest to remove. He is target trained (it took months to get him to do it) and he’s undergoing crate training right now. He makes these “coo coo coo” noises, pterodactyl noises, and “tchtchtchtch grrrrrr” noises. When he’s mad he will make more of a quick clacking noise. He gets hundreds of people going “meep meep” at him every day. He is the only roadrunner at our zoo and I love him.

#tay answers #roadrunner #eclectus-mom

[the-adventures-of-dave]

11, 21, and 31 of the ask game!

11. What is your cat’s favourite toy?

Dave loves his webkinz horses! They used to be my favourite toys when I was little, and Dave claimed them as his pretty quickly after I first brought him home. I’d really rather he didn’t play with my cherished childhood toys but either he bites them or my arm. So with Dave my horses stay. RIP Brownie and Chocolate.

21. What are your favourite colours/patterns of cats?

I love grey cats! Particularly solid grey cats, though tabbies are nice too (I may be biased). I think snow and charcoal bengals are also quite beautiful! 

31. What do other people think of your cat? 

People who meet Dave and don’t know him very well love him. He does tricks for people and doesn’t hide from guests so that makes them like him more. Anyone who knows him better ranges from tolerance to fear. I’ve had someone tell me before that they wanted a cat since they were little until they met Dave. Now they don’t want a cat. Whoops.

#thanks for the ask! #ask #ask game #eclectus-mom #dave the cat #photo

[fimbry]

Do you have a list of all the species you keep? Seems like every time I get on your blog I find one I've never seen before!

I have a list of my reptiles here! I just updated it with the fish scale geckos and made more of the links work. :P

For fish, I have the cruciatus loaches, rummynose rasboras, endler’s, plus Ferdinand the Japanese Dragon Moray. I also might start breeding mollies as feeders for him, since he still refuses to eat anything dead. He’s being super stubborn. I’ve never had an eel stuck on live food before.Then various inverts- beetles, isopods, millipedes.And of course Tobiko, my cat!

#pet talk #snake talk #cat talk #bug talk #eclectus-mom