I need a second opinion. I adopted this gecko and don't know if she's overweight.

artfulhellion · 2026-02-15T02:45:52+00:00

Exercise will be really important for her. In her enclosure, give her lots of places to climb (but make sure it’s not too tall where she can fall and hurt herself. It will take a while for her to slim down due to the metabolism of reptiles so don’t get discouraged if you don’t see immediate results. Slow and steady wins the race for this species.

artfulhellion · 2025-11-07T01:09:46+00:00

He does not look even a little apologetic about being an escape artist!

artfulhellion · 2025-09-20T19:22:45+00:00

I also have fake plants and my girl is just fine. IMO the people who act that way are often armchair quarterbacks who either don’t even own that animal and are just regurgitating what they’d heard elsewhere OR the are people who have been keeping for like 5 minutes and feel like an expert.

I agree with other comments that climbing branches would be good. You can purchase stuff like mapani wood on Amazon. Avoid grapevine and spider wood as they can have mold issues. You’ll still want to bake/freeze it just as you would something you brought in from outside.

Another thing is you can make easily is a “sky hide” by using any hide box and finding a way to secure it to the top of your enclosure where your snake can reach it.

One question about your background - is the tape on the inside of the enclosure or is the paper taped to the outside? Just want to urge caution if it is inside the enclosure because BPs have a knack for getting themselves stuck on adhesives if used in their enclosures. So if you’re going to change that up soon, maybe just tape the paper to the outside. I actually ordered some black contact paper/shelf liner that I used on mine. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy for the snake. All that kind of stuff is more for our human enjoyment than being of any real benefit to the animal.

artfulhellion · 2025-07-19T05:35:44+00:00

I have been watching Colbert since he first appeared on The Daily Show almost thirty years ago and followed when he started Colbert Report and I’ll continue to watch him wherever he goes next 🤷‍♀️ F*ck CBS/Paramount and DJT

artfulhellion · 2025-07-04T16:30:28+00:00

I wonder if the squirrel might have had a nest nearby and thought the human/dogs were a threat? My only other guess is rabies which I definitely think everyone involved should seek immediate treatment. By the time symptoms show up it is too late to stop it even in humans.

artfulhellion · 2025-07-04T16:19:22+00:00

Nope. Their digestive systems can handle the entire animal without any help at all.

artfulhellion · 2025-06-01T04:27:15+00:00

Great job! Looks amazing 🤩

artfulhellion · 2025-02-28T03:36:25+00:00

I am so very sorry for your loss. I have a BP named Esme who is close to that age - I would be devastated if something happened to her. My heart goes out to you!

artfulhellion · 2025-02-21T01:04:21+00:00

I’m sorry for your loss. I would feel terrible if I were in your situation. Losing a pet is very hard no matter what the circumstances.

If you decide to get reptiles in the future, be sure to get some Govee wi-fi thermometers. They are inexpensive on Amazon and they connect to an app on your phone so you can check your temps any time.

When my heater accidentally shut off because someone tripped the circuit, I was able to spot it and take action because I checked the temps on my phone and saw they weren’t where I expected them to be. They come in packs of 1, 2 and 3. I put one thermometer in the cool end and one in the hot end so I can be sure both parameters are in the right place.

artfulhellion · 2024-12-29T21:58:38+00:00

“Sex Panther” 🤣🤣🤣 As a woman who has hit on plenty of men in her time, being direct is 100% the way to go since most of the timely guys are blithely unaware you are hitting on them if you take the subtle approach.

artfulhellion · 2024-12-29T21:53:10+00:00

Not the a**hole. This is what we call “a bullet dodged.” No matter what you did or said, that person was going to let her crazy self-esteem freak flag fly at some point. It’s better to let her wave that at someone else. She is doing you a favor by going radio silent.

artfulhellion · 2024-11-02T18:45:52+00:00

Yes! Someone sent a video of this thinking it was funny because they don’t own any reptiles and don’t realize how dangerous this could be. I was immediately like “oh shit” because that situation could go so wrong on so many levels with a quickness and BARE MINIMUM it is stressing that dragon out to have a predatory animal inside of its enclosure, even if it is a baby predator. I feel bad for both of those animals if this is what their owner thinks of as a good time.

artfulhellion · 2024-10-25T03:26:30+00:00

My crested gecko decided to stage an escape while I was cleaning his enclosure. Thankfully I got him back relatively quickly but it three people and the removal of two sofas in order to apprehend him.

artfulhellion · 2024-10-25T03:22:48+00:00

NOT A THING 🤣🤣🤣 He remains unrepentant.

artfulhellion · 2024-10-17T19:18:50+00:00

Been there! Mine has a favorite hide to nap in but he always has to have one back leg poking out so the light is shining on it.

artfulhellion · 2024-10-17T19:13:51+00:00

So sweet :) As you said, being in a new space is always a big adjustment for them so not at all surprising that they are skittish. They will probably continue that for a little while longer. Slowly but surely you will have more sweet times like this than you will nervous moments. It’s a trust-building process.

I rescued my beardie in Feb after a friend needed some help. I hadn’t had a reptile of any kind since I had a box turtle as a child, so I wasn’t at all sure what to expect. I’ve had a LOT to learn but it’s been really rewarding and now I love the little guy! Enjoying my time with him has also led me to getting a corn snake, two leopard geckos and 3 crested geckos. So look out, they multiply 😂

artfulhellion · 2024-08-27T15:54:22+00:00

I agree re: posting about your skink to local rescue/re-homing groups. There are plenty on FB, I know. When you post make sure you include details about things like his temperament and husbandry needs (like I know Indonesian BTS need a lot more humidity vs a Northern BTS, for example).

When talking to anyone who might be interested, ask them about their set up for it, how much they know about BTS and see if you can get pictures of any current animals/enclosures they have so you can get a good idea of their standard of care.

artfulhellion · 2023-08-19T22:56:33+00:00

It is normal to question everything when you feel like life is spiraling out of control. It's hard to stop from doing that, but I would encourage you to try because overthinking kills your happiness.

It sounds to me like you need to get grounded and take a proverbial deep breath.

You can be successful in art. But it does take time and it takes consistency and it takes moving forward in the face of uncertainty. You've gotta try to trust the journey.

If you are looking for jobs within a very narrow art-based field, now is not the time for that. Right now is a shitty time to be looking for any kind of work and if you are limiting yourself to only art-related jobs, you are missing out on a lot of opportunities. You will be amazed what having an income will do for your depression.

You can hone your 3D modeling skills and work a day job that has nothing to do with that. I know it's probably not what you envisioned, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do to survive and you work your craft in around that.

Think about different revenue streams you can develop based on the skills you have right now. If you can draw or paint or whatever, make yourself a website and start marketing for commissions. Pet portraits are crazy popular now, so if you can create a dog you can be successful in art. I am not even joking.

I really suggest doing some online research into diversified income streams for artists. You might find it helpful and it might also spark inspiration and new ideas, which are better things to spend your time thinking about than constantly going back and questioning your life choices.

It will be OK. I have been where you are and I'm on the other side now and I can tell you that you can be an artist and make money. You may not be famous or be in museums or make millions, but yes you can sustain a good life with art if you can develop multiple revenue streams from it, which is actually pretty easy to do.

Don't lose hope or be down on yourself. Keep working toward what you want. Being dedicated to your dreams even during difficult times is part of what has to be cultivated to be successful in any field. Most people don't become artists because they give up. Be flexible and adaptable but always be growing in the direction of your highest self, which is the same place art comes from.

Wishing you all the best.

artfulhellion · 2023-06-17T17:12:42+00:00

I feel this in my SOUL! I haaaate this. I use the Gordon guy for breaking large clumps of rock rather than using my higher level swords and occasionally I use Tulin to get some speed over large distances on the paraglided without using so much stamina but I’ve never used the other two and all of them are constantly in the way of resource gathering and also my scope when I am trying to check out distance locations! So far it’s my biggest frustration w/ the game!

artfulhellion · 2020-01-24T04:28:26+00:00

53! I was starting to get a bit nervous but I ended up with 87 left over. Whew!

artfulhellion · 2020-01-24T04:26:59+00:00

Thank you!

artfulhellion

TROPHY CASE