#oh a ball python once he was a baby and being playful

[pawshapedheart]

As a Vet Tech i wish there was a 5th option of "Yes, its complicated".

If you said yes to the first 3 please explain in the tags what animal it was and what was the damage

[creaturepost-emporium]

Welcome!

Creatures abound in the Emporium, and I hope you find them educational and fun! I wanted to make a pinned post to set a few disclaimers and describe how the blog is set up, since there are a few categories of things I post and definitely some recurring cast. We can start with the disclaimer though.

Disclaimer

I am employed as a Naturalist and have had many years of experience handling animals as well as ID. On occasion I may post photos of me handling wildlife - this is only done when necessary and only when I know how to properly handle that animal. I do not recommend anyone who does not have that experience handle wildlife. Admire only with the eyes whenever possible!

That being said, if I do make an ID mistake, or could be handling an animal better, wild or otherwise, feel free to let me know in a constructive way.

If you start picking a fight about animal cruelty, you will be blocked immediately Oh and don't repost my photos either, they are mine.

What I post

There are a couple categories of creaturepost out there, all tagged accordingly.

Wildlife This includes wild animals, fungi, and maybe some plants. Emphasis on fungi - they are a photography muse of mine and I'm just starting to work on ID. Any wild creature will be tagged #wildlife.

Environmental Information

I couldn't be the person I am and not talk about this to a degree. Anything of this sort will be tagged #environmental education.

Coworkers "Coworkers" refers to the captive animals I work with at jobs or volunteering. There are a lot of them, and they will certainly make repeat appearances. So that's why I'm going to list them out for you at painstaking length! And yes, they will be tagged #coworkers.

Current Naturalist Job (animals are not allowed to have "real names" due to management. Boo.)

Painted - a Painted Turtle. She has three emotions: excitement, terror, and rage.

Leuc - a leucistic Red-eared Slider. A little shy, bit of a biter. Getting better.

Red - a Red-eared Slider. Chill and underrated. Big girl.

Musk - a Musk Turtle. Fleshy little guy.

Spotted - a Spotted Turtle. Likes to nap and stand on his hind legs in the water like a man.

Deeby - a Diamondback Terrapin (DBT). Very friendly and extremely excited about food. Eye Contact.

Cooter - an Eastern River Cooter. Huge guy. Patient man. King of naps.

Mud - an Eastern Mud Turtle. Eye Contact. God's pickiest little soldier.

BTM - an Eastern Box Turtle. He is 104 and very active. Doesn't look a day over 78.

Wood - a Wood Turtle. Loves swimming and getting amorous with a rock.

BTF - an Eastern Box Turtle. A mess. We call her crustmuffin.

CSF - a Corn Snake. Beautiful and she knows it. Very inquisitive.

Eastern - an Eastern Rat Snake. More wary of people. Loves a good climb.

On occasion I work with the birds, but I haven't been trained on it. I will add them if I start working with them more.

Old Camp Job

Rosie - a Corn Snake. The sweetest girl on the planet. Loves my hat.

Sadie - a Ball Python. Got a bad rap as a biter. Only bit me once! Nicer than they give her credit for.

Nellie - a Diamondback Terrapin. Very friendly. Begs for treats. Common DBT theme.

Samson - an Eastern Box Turtle. Kinda grumpy.

Dolphin Volunteering

I do volunteer with Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, but I cannot post pictures to social media, only talk about it. I will also not use their full names, since they can be googled.

C - the matriarch of the group. Everyone wants to hang out with her. Sweet overall.

S - playful, attached to C at the vestigial hip. She loves toys, and can be a little brat about it.

By - the baby of the group, C's daughter. Energetic and vocal, looooves praise. The most likely to hang out with J.

J - spends most time alone, swimming at a brisk pace like she's on a jog. Athletic and enjoys trainers' attentions - a people's dolphin rather than a dolphin's dolphin.

B - dominant male of the two boys. You wouldn't know it though - he spends all of his time chilling and watching everyone else do stuff.

F - the younger male. Energetic and markedly horny. Huge thing for C and trails after her even as she ignores him.

Anything not in these categories will be tagged #not a creature. I hope you find what you're looking for in the Creaturepost Emporium!