Reptiles Leopard Geckos

A common mistake ferret owners make is assuming their ferret is naturally inclined to use a litter box like a cat does. This is not true. Ferrets are separated from their mothers at an early age and never receive the stage at which mama ferret teaches them to use a litter box.

With that said ferrets are intelligent, trainable animals. Generally, the easiest way to train a ferret is with positive reinforcement. Simply put, by offering them a reward for performing a behavior you desire.

First: If you don't have a cage, get one. It is very important that your ferret have a place to sleep, eat, play and use the litter box.

Initially, keep your ferret confined to the cage with a litter box. The ferret needs to get used to a small confined area, and become comfortable using his litter box before you can expand his play and roam areas.

Make sure the litter box covers two sides of the cage and secure it so your ferret cannot move or tip it over. The front lip of the litter box should be low enough to allow your ferret easy access. There are several commercial brands made specifically for ferrets.

Use a dust free litter. I like Marshall Ferret Liter. It is made from specially processed recycled newspaper that stops odor. Avoid scented and clumping sand litters. Because ferrets like to dig, the litter can get caught in their nose or throat. Perfumed litters can harm a ferrets sensitive nasal passages or cause allergic reactions. Never use wood shavings in a ferrets cage. Respiratory problems could develop over a period of time. If you run out of regular litter, shredded newspaper or paper towels are recommended.

At first your ferret may think of his litter box as a place to play. To correct this place some of his feces and urine soaked litter in one corner of the litter box. Ferrets rely on smell to find their toilet, so by smelling their feces and urine in their litter box they will realize this is where they should go to the bathroom. When cleaning the litter box, always put a little feces back in the box until litter training is complete.

Because ferrets have a small digestive tract food will pass through their bodies in just 2-3 hours. Upon waking in the morning your ferret will usually have to use the facilities within five minutes. You may have to place him in the litter box facing the used litter. Only let your ferret out of his cage after he has used his litter box.

Things to remember when litter box training your ferret:

1) Always secure the litter box to the cage. If you don't your ferret will move it, tip it over and potty behind or next to it.

2) If your ferret starts using other areas of the cage to potty put his water and foods bowls in the spots you don't want him to go. Also, place bedding in specific areas of the cage. Your ferret will associate these as eating and sleeping places and won't potty there.

3) Use positive reinforcement - reward your ferret with his favorite treat when he uses the litter box.

4) If your ferret does have an accident move the stool into the litter box. Your ferret finds his litter box by smell. Smelling his feces in the litter box will ensure your ferret will use it again.

5) Never yell or hit your ferret. This is counter productive and will only confuse him. Never discipline your ferret for going outside the litter box after the fact. If you dont witness the act, punishing your ferret later will not help. He just wont understand what hes being punished for.

6) Scoop out the litter box on a daily basis, and wash the litter box on a weekly basis. Remember to keep a little piece of stool in the box.

After a short time it will become habit for your ferret to use the litter box. Patient and consistent training will produce a ferret with good litter habits, which in turn makes for less cleanup time for you and more time for you to enjoy your boundless bundle of joy.

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Science textbooks usually present cavemen as very primitive people who were barely able to utter a few monosyllables. However, as additional data about stone age men are unearthed, the picture becomes considerably more complex. The more we get to know about them, the more modern traits they seem to acquire.

A recent study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science suggests that cave dwellers wore shoes. Erik Trinkaus and Hong Shang of the Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri studied the toe bones of a skeleton found in a cave near Beijing. They compared these with the toe bones of modern Americans, Inuits and Native Americans from the time before the advent of the European conquerors. Shoes alter the wearer's toes. People who regularly walk barefoot tend to have strong and large toes while those wearing shoes do not. Trinkaus and Shang concluded that the Chinese cave dwellers regularly wore shoes.

The obvious conclusion is that cavemen were less primitive than we had thought. This same trend can also be seen in how Neanderthal man is presented. First specimen was discovered in 1856 in the Neander Valley in Germany and named after the place where it was found (Tal is valley in German). They were initially described as virtually subhuman missing links. With the passing of time, however, scientist have had to discard their previous notions about them. It is now known that the Neanderthals made musical instruments and efficient weapons, buried their dead and even used toothpicks.

It thus seems that the neat progress from primitive to modern man does not exist. The cave dwellers were by no means primitive people.

Joel Kontinen is a translator and novelist currently living in Finland. His background includes an MA in translation studies and a BA in Bible and Theology. He likes to keep up-to-date on science news and often comments on creation/evolution and origins issues.

Blog: http://joelkontinen.blogspot.com/

Unlike how it might sound, a popcorn science fair project can actually be quite interesting. One can learn a number of facts from the data that a popcorn science fair project can supply regarding the kinds of food that we consume in our day-to-day lives. The following is a very simple popcorn science fair project, which explores the reason as to why and how popcorn pops the way it does.

The materials required are quite simple and easily available at any store keeping laboratory supplies. The basic materials required are as follows:

* Unpopped popcorn kernels

* A clean and dry beaker

* A stand for mounting the beaker

* A Bunsen burner to heat the beaker

* A closed glass box with one small outlet for performing the experiment.

* A source of light for illuminating the background

The apparatus for the popcorn science fair project may be set up quite simply. The underlying principle is that the popcorn pops when the water vapor inside the kernels heats up and bursts the seed coat. The inner parts can then expand.

First, place around 50 kernels of popcorn inside the beaker and mount it at an angle to the vertical. Let the background near its mouth be illuminated by a light source. Place the burner underneath the beaker, keeping it at a distance of at least ten centimeters from the base of the beaker. Place the entire set-up inside the glass case.

The experiment for the popcorn science fair project can be initiated by lighting the Bunsen burner at a very low rate, letting the flame impinge lightly upon the base of the beaker. Illuminating the light source will show a steady stream of steam coming out of the beaker. Eventually, the popcorns will start popping and the stream of steam will become more prominent.

If the steam is allowed to impinge on a cold surface, water droplets will be formed immediately. All the components used in the popcorn science fair project (except the kernels) would be perfectly dry. This demonstrates that the steam originates from the water present inside the kernels.

This popcorn science fair project might sound simple, but precautions must be taken:

* The beaker should not be allowed to overheat, otherwise it might crack.

* The box should have at least one outlet for the air expanding inside it due to the heat.

* Adult supervision is recommended in the handling of burners and light bulbs.

Jordan Matthews is a High School Math and Science teacher who has worked as a judge and a coordinator of many science fairs. Check his Science Fair Project ideas website for some more ideas and information.

You may have admired the unusual looking lizards at your local wildlife center, or perhaps a neighbor may have an iguana in their back room. If you have not raised a reptile before, let me suggest that you start with a leopard gecko. The leopard gecko has two very big advantages, and one of them is that it does not get very big. The other major advantage of a leopard gecko is that is has been kept and bred in captivity since the 1920s, and is among the healthiest lizards and easiest to keep.

A juvenile gecko is quite active, but as they mature they become rather quiet and tame, and can be held and will take food from your fingers. The adult gecko does not get larger than nine or ten inches, and can be handled by older children. Even younger children can hold them, but make sure they are supervised to handle the gecko gently and to avoid picking them up by the tail, or holding the tail tightly. As with other lizards in the reptile family, their tails can break off. Actually, this might be an interesting occurrence for children, as the tail will be regrown, though it never looks exactly the same as the original tail

Leopard geckos are easily kept in an aquarium or other plastic cage, as long as each gecko has at least ten inches square of floor space. The cage should be a minimum of twelve inches high. Have a shallow bowl for water that doesn't spill as the lizards crawl into or over it. The food bowl for the gecko can be something about the size and shape of the lid for a gallon jar, a larger flat area. You will be using crickets or other insects as food, and it is better if the food remains in the food bowl. The bottom of the cage should have some kind of paper toweling so that it can be changed in order to keep the cage clean.

One really important point about raising reptiles is to keep the area sufficiently warm. Geckos thrive best when the daytime temperature is in the eighties, up to eighty-eight degrees. Nighttime temperatures can get to the middle sixties without causing any health problems. If your house is normally cooler than that, a lamp with a forty-watt bulb over the top of the cage should create enough heat to keep the gecko warm. There are also hot rocks that you can buy and put in the cage. Keep the cage out of direct sunlight (because it will get too warm) and have a screen cover for the top if you have small children or cats in your household.

Once you have the environment, go to a reputable pet store and select your geckos. Leopard geckos come in a variety of colors, and you can keep several in the same cage as long as there is only one male in the group (most geckos that are sold are female). They eat mealworms and crickets, and correct care and feeding should be discussed at length with the seller. A well taken care of gecko can live as long as twenty years.

Raising a reptile can be a fascinating hobby whether you are eight or fifty-eighty years old. Leopard geckos are among the easiest to raise, are easily tamed, and are always beautiful and interesting pets. Consider a gecko for your next pet.

Further articles like this can be found by going to my website at reptilecaretips.com.

William Milton is a married man with 2 children and a dog called Swizzle. He enjoys all things reptillian and has a marvelous website dedicated to helping these exotic pets have better informed owners. Go to http://www.ReptileCareTips.com William lives near London, England.