How to Understand the Crested Gecko

The Crested Gecko was thought to be extinct at one time but is today one of the most popular lizards in homes as pets. This lizard is very easy to care for, but of course, you will need to learn how to care for a lizard properly if you want a happy and healthy pet.

Your lizard and origin

The origin of the Crested Gecko is the islands of New Caledonia, which are found between Fiji and Australia.

Types of Crested Gecko’s

There is only type of crested gecko even though in the family of geckos there are several different species. The crested gecko family includes leopard geckos, skunk geckos, fat tailed geckos, Tokay geckos, house geckos, golden geckos, day geckos, and Madagascar ground geckos.

Size and color

The crested gecko can grow to around 17 inches long and is mainly green with very noticeable ridge with pointed scales beginning above the eye and going down the crown onto the back.

Living environment

For one gecko, you will need a ten-gallon aquarium. If you have more than one of course, you will need a larger environment. The lid should fit snugly and the bottom should have a substrate such as dried leaves. They do enjoy hiding so make sure you have plenty of things for them to hide inside even an old box will do. The temperature of the aquarium should be 72 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit with humidity around 70% to 80%.DietGeckos need a balanced diet of plants and animals in order to stay healthy. On their own they eat a variety of figs, insects, snails, birds, rodents, small lizards, berries, and flowers. Geckos are natural hunters so they will certainly enjoy crickets, but also like baby food which may be the best way to give them the fruits they a balanced diet. A few great baby foods items to provide your gecko would inlcude banana, peach, papaya, chicken, and turkey.

Compatibility with other lizards

Male geckos are territorial and will no do well with other male geckos, but females do well living together.

Health issues and life expectancy

Crested geckos are prone to dysecdysis, which is the inability to shed, metabolic bone disease, and diarrhea. In most cases, dysecdysis is due to dehydration or low humidity whereas the bone disease is brought on by lack or dietary supplementation, and diarrhea is also brought on from their diet. Life expectancy is normally more than 15 years when cared for properly.

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How to Understand the Egyptian Mau

The Egyptian Mau is a breed of cat that at one time was worshipped as deities, protected by laws, cherished as pets, and even mummified and mourned for at their death. This was in ancient Egypt where you can find the history of these cats depicted on the walls in paintings dating back more than 3,000 years.

The only difference between the Egyptian Mau’s of today and their ancestors is their origin. The Egyptian Mau’s in North America were imported by the exiled Russian princess, Nathalie Troubetskoy in 1956.This breed is a beauty with striking features that show us the reason the ancient Egyptians fell in love with this cat.

Height and Weight

The Egyptian Mau is a medium size cat at adulthood. Adult males weigh between 7 and 12 pounds and females weigh between 6 and 8 pounds.

Colors and Coat

The coat of the Egyptian Mau is fine, short, dense, silky, and resilient. Coat colors can be silver, smoke, or bronze. The forehead is market with the M pattern.

Temperament and Living Environment

This breed of cat does better living indoors, remember their royalty ancestry. They are very intelligent and very loyal. They will follow their family to the deepest jungles and protect them if at all possible. They enjoy being held, sleeping on laps, and doing whatever else the family wants to do. The Egyptian Mau bonds strongly with their human family and are quite shy around strangers. This breed is also a selfish cat and does not want to share his or her toys with anyone. You may hear a growl if you think it is time to put away the toys. They are talkative but they speak with chirp more than a meow.

Grooming

The Egyptian Mau does not necessarily need to be groomed. He/she may like the attention if you wish to brush their coat with fine toothed comb once in a while. The ears will need to be cleaned as well.

Diet and Care

Diet should be well balance.

Health issues and Life expectancy

A few Egyptian Mau’s have allergies to certain foods that may cause hot spots or itchy skin. This breed may have two sets of teeth until the permanent teeth come in and the baby teeth fall out. This can make their mouth very sensitive until the baby teeth fall out. This occurs between four and seven months of age. Life expectancy is 18 to 20 years of age.

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How to Understand the Cretan Hound

The Cretan Hound can be traced to the Greek Island of Crete with writings dating back 3500 years. Some believe the ancestors of the Cretan Hound may have been from Africa but this is more than likely the oldest dog breed in Europe. The Cretan people had many enemies trying to take over their land; they became very suspicious of strangers. The people were proud and were not very happy to share any of the unique species of animals found on their island. The Cretan Hound was often hidden away from the eyes of strangers. The dogs of course were discovered and are now considered not only awesome hunting dogs but great family pets as well.

Height and Weight

The Cretan Hound males stand around 27 inches and weigh around 44 to 66 pounds. Females stand around 19 inches and weigh about the same as the males.

Colors and Coat

The coat is fine, short, and close to the body. Coat colors include pure white, cream, sandy, fawn, grey, black or brindle, bi-colored or tri-colored.

Temperament and Living Environment

This breed is a hunter above all else. He not only has a keen sight and scent but he is known for grounding scenting and tasting the air as well as sucking the scent from the stones. Once the Cretan Hound has the scent, his tail moves in a circle and his body becomes rigid.

He is a clean elegant fellow that does will with children and is very affectionate. He is a bit shy around strangers. He can live in a family with domestic animals, but not cats or other smaller animals that he may think are prey. Remember, above all else, he is a hunter at heart. Not huge on barking, unless a stranger approaches.

He needs room to exercise. He will not be happy with city life or an apartment.

Grooming

The Cretan Hound enjoys a good brushing once in a while with a firm bristle brush. You can bathe him with dry shampoo or mild soap when necessary.

Diet and Care

He is a very active dog breed that will need to be fed a well balanced diet. For care, ensure he gets enough exercise. A long daily walk will do wonders for this guy. When possible let him run free.

Health Issues and Life Expectancy

The Gretan Hound is a healthy breed and does not have any health issues. The life expectancy is 10 to 12 years.

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How To Understand The Great Dane

The Great Dane is a large breed dog that is very gentle. The breed is one of the tallest domestic dogs on record. He has a noble and regal appearance that makes everyone stop and stare. The Great Dane is often referred to as the Apollo of all dogs originating in either Germany.

Height and Weight

On average, the Great Dane males are 30 to 34 inches tall and weigh around 120 to 200 pounds. The females are 28 to 32 inches and 100 to 130 pounds.

Colors and Coat

The Great Dane coat is short, thick, smooth and has a glossy appearance. The colors of the fur can be black, blue, brindle, fawn, harlequin, mantle, and merle.

Temperament and Living Environment

The Great Dane loves everyone and is especially great with children. He is gentle, sweet, and affectionate. He must be around people to truly be happy. Even though he is not big on barking, he is a good watchdog and will bark when it is necessary. Apartment life can be fine for the Great Dane; however, a small yard is best, as he will be able to get the exercise he needs.

Training

The Great Dane may be a gentle breed; however, he will need consistent and firm training in order to know his place in the family. Those that are not trained may become the leader of the pack, so to speak, which can lead to aggressive behavior. Grooming The Great Dane is easy to groom, due to his short hair. He should receive regular brushings with a bristle brush and only bathed with dry shampoo when necessary. The nails should be trimmed regularly.

Diet and Exercise

You should feed your Great Dane a high quality dog food. After he/she is full-grown, they should be placed on a low protein diet. At the age of six months, your Great Dane should be fed three to four times daily. At full growth, he should be fed at least twice per day or even three to four according to his activity. The Great Dane needs plenty of exercise and long walks on a daily basis are necessary. It is best not to jog with your Great Dane until he is one year of age as he can injury his legs until he is fully-grown.

Health Issues and Life Expectancy

The Great Dane is prone to a health problem known as bloat, hip dysplasia, congenital heart disease, dilated cardiomyopathy, and tumors. The life expectancy of the Great Dane is around 8 to 10 years; however, some have lived longer with proper health care and breeding.

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How to Understand the Carolina Dog

The Carolina Dog is one that you may not see around much as he is a rare breed. When you first see the Carolina Dog, you may think he is just a dingo as his appearance is similar.

The Carolina Dog was discovered in Georgia by Dr. Michael Valenzuela. The Carolina Dog is still not fully domesticated but can make a great family dog.

Height and weight

Both male and female Carolina Dog’s at adulthood are 17 to 24 inches tall and weigh 30 to 44 pounds.

Colors and coat

The coat on the Carolina Dog is short and straight with a thick dense undercoat. The color of the coat include with spots such as tan, beige, desert sand, yellow, orange, ginger red, and red sable.

Temperament and living environment

The Carolina Dog is use to being on their own but with training, they are great family pets. They are gentle, kind, and devoted. He is very good around children and does well with other pets in the family as long as they are introduced while they are still in puppyhood. He does have a tendency to howl at noises that are unfamiliar or just at the moon.

The Carolina Dog does not like apartment living as he needs to outside. He does best with a large yard, but cannot stand cold temperatures.

Training

The Carolina Dog is use to living in packs with one leader. As a trainer, you must be firm and consistent. Once he realizes you are the leader he will obey and learn quickly. He is not the friendliest breed with strangers as he is more inclined to stay with his pack or human family.

Grooming His coat is pretty much self-grooming, but it is nice to brush his comb and give him a bath with necessary.

Diet and exercise

He should be given a well balanced diet according to how active he is during the day. You can learn how much he will eat on his own and watch his weight. If he is not active enough, he may become overweight.

He will need plenty of exercise, thus the reason for a large backyard. He should also be taken on long walks.

Health issues and life expectancy

At this time, there are no records of any health issues with the Carolina Dog. His life expectancy is 12 to 14 years of age.

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How to Understand the California Spangled Cat

Origin

The California Spangled Cat can be traced back to Tanzania, Africa in the 1970’s by way of Paul Casey, a Hollywood scriptwriter. Mr. Casey could not believe the poaching that he witnessed while in Africa of leopard for their skins. He was motivated even more by Louis Leakey, an anthropologist and chose to develop a breed that would look similar to these wild cats with the hopes of generating more awareness of protecting these spotted cats in the wild. His thoughts were that if a person owned a spotted cat, they would not wish to wear clothing made from other spotted cats. It took Mr. Casey until of the 1980’s to develop the California Spangled Cat with several different breeds contributing to the result including American and British Shorthairs, Abyssinians, Angoras, Manx, and Siamese. Today, the sad news is that there are not many of this purebred breed of cats remaining.

Height and Weight

The California Spangled Cat is a medium sized cat with males weighing around 12 to 15 pounds and females weighing around 8 to 10 pounds.

Colors and Coat

The coat is short, velvety and looks similar to the fur on a leopard. The colors range from bronze, gold, blue, brown, charcoal, red, black, silver, and white. The spots are dark, rounded or blocked and well defined. Tabby stripes are common on the head, chest, throat, legs, and tail.

Temperament and Living Environment

The California Spangled Cat is one that is very affectionate, curious, and extremely social. He/she is devoted to their human family and shows them this love with kisses. He does have a high energy level, loves hunting, and will pounce on just about anything that moves.

This breed is a bit different as they savor on eye contact. Along with wanting love and affection, they also want to know what is going on at all times. If at all possible, this cat will ride around on your shoulder on day.

Grooming

Little grooming is needed. You may want to keep an eye on their ears and their claws.

Diet and Care

A well balanced diet will work the best. They do need quality food, as they are very active.

Health Issues and Life Expectancy

The California Spangled Cat has no known health issues with a life expectancy of 12 years. california spangled cat for sale, california spangled cat price, california spangled kittens, california spangled cat 101, california spangled cat breeders, california spangled cat size, california spangled cat for sale uk, german rex

How to understand the Exotic breed of cat

Your Cat and Origin

Exotic is a family of cats that include the Bengal Cat breed and the African Serval Cats breed. Both of these breeds are considered exotic after their dotted coats resembling the coats of their ancestors, the Asian Leopard and the African Cheetah respectively, although these are just their appearance as both belong in the group of felidaes.

Height and Weight

Exotic African Serval cats can grow as much as 18 to 24 inches in height, while the Cheetah is as tall as about 53 inches. The average weight of African Servals is 18 to 45 pounds. Bengal cats, in the other hand, are a little larger than African and weight around 7 to 20 pounds.

Colors and Coat

These exotic cats are easy to identify for their coats with the colors and dotted patterns that you can see in their ancestors with fine, short furl. Asian Leopards and African Cheetahs as said before, but Serval has larger ears.

Temperament and Living Environment

African Serval cats are wildcats that became domestic cats so they keep some of the characteristics of Cheetahs, but they are playful and make good companion since they do not turn aggressive as they mature. Bengal cats like to hunt and run being destructive pets that may ruing your furnishing if you do not take care of them.

Grooming

A weekly brushing a combing routine is enough to keep these exotic cats well groomed.

Diet and Care

Despite these are breeds of exotic appearance and origin, none of them requiring special diet or care, and contrary to their ancestors, they prefer grass, fruits and vegetables.

Health issues and Life expectancy

Bengal cats can live up to 15 years while African Servants can live 20 or more years, and their health problems are often associated to emotional issues.

How to Understand the British Shorthair

When you first see the British shorthair, you may confuse him with a large variety of different breeds as he has characteristics and colors that might be confusing. He is a stout looking fellow that is very popular in Britain, but is a rare breed in the United States.

The origin of the British Shorthair is of course Britain; however, it was the Romans that began the breed. The wild native cats were bred with Persian cats to help create a thick coat that is one of the prides of the British Shorthair.

Height and weight

This breed of cat is medium built and of average height.

Colors and coat

The British Shorthair coat is short and comes in a variety of solid colors including white, black, chocolate, lilac, and red. White coats will have deep sapphire blue or deep gold, orange or copper eyes. All other coat colors will have deep gold, orange or copper eye colors. There is also a Tabby British Shorthair with a tabby trademark of the M on their forehead.

Temperament and living environment

The British Shorthair is a very loving breed that is great with children and other animals. They can lie alone and sleep the day away or get in the middle of the action. They are not very curious and are not prone to wandering away. They are very content to be indoor cats and be a part of the family.

Grooming

They do not have any grooming needs, besides watching their ears to ensure they are clean.

Diet and care

You will need to feed your cat a well balanced diet, but watch this breed, as they do tend to overeat and become obese. Fixed British Shorthairs tend to put on more weight. Remember, they look hefty so you can go on the way they look; you will need to keep an eye on their actual weight.

Health issues and life expectancy

The British Shorthair is a healthy breed with no none health problems. Their life expectancy is at least 15 years.