Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles

Courtney and I enjoy hanging out at the beach with our friends, jumping waves, feeding sea gulls and watching for sea turtle signs. There are 7 different species of sea turtles, and 5 species nest right here on our beaches! The most rare and endangered sea turtle, known as Kemp's ridley,  is one species that nests here.  Sea turtles are endangered partly because they get caught in fishing traps and nets. Egg collecting was a problem until 1966 when the nesting beaches were declared "protected."   

There can be up to 100 eggs in a sea turtle's nest, and it takes about 55 days before the hatch-lings emerge. Nesting season started on April 1. Did you know you can help the sea turtles? Call 949-8173, extension 226, to report nesting turtles and eggs, stranded turtles,  dead turtles or hatch-lings. If you reach a recording, call the recorded pager #. It's important to report these findings immediately. Approaching a sea turtle could affect her health by scaring her. She may move away from her nest, so viewing from a distance is recommended. One way to tell sea turtles from fresh water turtles is that sea turtles can't pull their heads into their shells.  

In 2009, Brown Pelicans were finally removed from the endangered species list after nearly 100 years of hard work and dedication.  We can work together to make sure the Kemp's ridley sea turtle has the same success!  Let's just hope it doesn't take 100 years! Click on the sea turtle's picture for more information.   

                                                                      ~Erik  

 Tarantula Egg Sac 

Rose Hair Tarantula with Egg Sac

Erik and I learned how to breed tarantulas last summer during a tarantula club meeting in Arlington, Texas. Breeding tarantulas is tricky, because the male can be in danger. Female tarantulas will often eat the male, so our job is to guard him from the female and help him escape after breeding. We use special tongs to hold back the female tarantula. Our good friends, John and Sue Slaughter, visited us in January. We bred tarantulas during their visit. I bred my Red Concepcion tarantula, and Erik bred this Rose Hair tarantula. Last month, the Rose Hair "dropped sac." She is very protective of her egg sac. About 150 -200 slings (baby spiders) will emerge in June. I'm still waiting for my Red Concepcion to drop sac. Sometimes tarantulas wait months and months and months before they drop sac. Hopefully, I won't have to wait much longer. It can take up to 2 or more YEARS before the female decides conditions are just right for her egg sac.

                                                           ~Courtney 

       Earth Day - Bay Day          

Click here for the official Earth Day - Bay Day website!

Join Not So Creepy Critters at the 12th annual Earth Day - Bay Day celebration that will be held on April 16th (JUST 10 more days!)at Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi. We'll be introducing Reggie, our Blue-tongued skink, Fiesta, our Day Gecko, and Murphey, our Mexican Milk Snake. Douglas will be with us again, and we'll have a large collection of tarantulas on display with plenty of hands-on objects. 

Bug boxes and clip-on compasses will be for sale to help us raise money to build a pen and barn for fainting goats!  

                                                ~Courtney and Erik 

Bearded Dragon Eggs  

This is Eberle, one of our female  Bearded Dragons. Bearded Dragons are oviparous animals, which means they lay eggs. When a female Bearded Dragon is ready to lay her eggs, she digs a nest in soft sand. Females can lay between 15 and 50 eggs per clutch (the number of eggs produced at a single time), depending on the conditions and her age. It takes about 65 days before the babies emerge. Bearded Dragons are ready to produce eggs when they are about 18 months old. Eberle is only 12 months old, so she's too young to lay eggs.    

 ~Erik

Snake Eggs

This is a picture of Clementine, our female Honduran Milksnake. Milksnakes, Kingsnakes, Rat Snakes, Corn Snakes and all pythons lay eggs.

But Boas, Vipers (venomous snakes), and Garter snakes give birth to live young.

Milksnakes, like Clementine,  will produce about 10 eggs in each clutch. Eggs are laid in rotting wood, or under logs or rocks. It takes 2 months before the babies are ready to emerge.   

           ~Courtney