Not tortoises, but... Eastvale (Riverside), CA

[Floof]

They aren't turtles/torts, BUT these guys need as much help as they can get. I've passed the ad around a couple other communities, and I know there's quite a few SoCal members here... Anyone here up for rescuing a couple lizards, or maybe a frog??

This person has 3 Jackson's chameleons, 3 long tailed lizards, 6 geckos (2 are arid climate), a milk snake, a frog (looks like a Dumpy from the pic), and a couple betta fish all housed TOGETHER in a 40 gallon tank. And that's just what he has listed in the ad. From texting him, I've learned there is also a wildcaught Western Fence Lizard in the enclosure.. And there is what appears to be a small monitor or similar lizard in the water dish in a couple of the pics.

I'm in contact with the guy trying to get the milk snake and a couple geckos out of there, but it's not looking good. The guy is convinced his stuff is worth gold... BUT the good news is, he seems willing to part out the animals separately, which is better than nothing.

http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/pet/4332593142.html

 

[Laura]

they all Look Healthy... ?

 

[Floof]

"Look" doesn't always mean "are," just as can be observed with chelonians... As one example, he revealed to me over text that the skunk gecko not pictured in the ad is missing its tail and regularly bolts around the cage "screaming"--he finds it funny, I take it as a response to regular, heavy bullying from the more dominant lizards.

The species mix overall is dangerous, no matter what size cage they're in... They're all from completely different areas of the world (he has at least 4 continents represented there!), and most those geckos (and the long tail lizards) are almost exclusively Wildcaughts in the pet trade. Most of them have completely different care needs from the next. All those gecko species except maybe the leopard and skunks are infamous for being highly aggressive to other geckos, even of their own species and even between females.

 

[sageharmon]

Do we know if he has gotten rid of them?

 

[Floof]

Sage, he has. An acquaintance from a rescue network picked them up. Not very good hands it turns out, but better than nothing. Last I checked, the chameleons all died. The snake and golden gecko were doing okay. The two tokay geckos that were supposed to be in the group mysteriously fell off the face of the earth, as did the frog and long tailed lizards. I talked her into letting me take 3 of the geckos when it became clear she wasn't doing them justice.

I got the 3 in my care a month after she rescued them. All three very skinny, not quite emaciated but close. Skunk geckos were covered in battlewounds. They've all fattened up and are doing beautifully now. The two skunks are actually up for adoption now.. Still working on a couple things with the white spotted gecko.