greentrees
Lori, I think a lot of us are interested in figuring out the needs of dbt’s, so my response is not meant to be argumentative or authoritative (I don’t believe in experts altho I can be argumentative), but to the intent of understanding by discussion and sharing, so…… What do you base these claims on? I would have given them a life expectancy of under a year not too long ago. I knew of almost no one able to keep wild caught dbt’s alive for any extended period of time. I had given up trying to keep them after watching the ones I had acquired whither and die. I think only recently have most of us had success in keeping them alive, let alone breeding them. This appears to be the same argument people made for many species. I’m thinking of chameleons in particular. I have always hated the wholesale collecting and wholesale dying, but I am grateful that some people kept working with them until they found species that adapt to captivity, until people uncovered many of their needs, and that we seem to be developing domesticated herps. Your statement that they live 4 times longer in the wild is based on what? And compared to what? Wild caught animals kept in aquariums? Ponds? Captiveborn kept in aquariums? Outdoor ponds? Indoor ponds? I hope this doesn’t come across as accusatory or anything like it. I like the discussions possible in groups like this, but hope not to be setting up for flames and emotional attacks. -Rick Rick, Please reread my article. Diamondback need salt to remain healthy. Last study I read mentioned that the average life expectancy in captivity is only 12 years. This is very upsetting as they live 4 times that or more in the wild. Something has to be missing and I guarantee that thing can be found in the sea. Yes, I have seen CB animal adapt better to a life without salt than WC ones. Actually WC animals do very poorly in general when changed over to complete fresh water. I know this is controversial but after seeing them in the wild and handling the problems so easily treated by salt I would never keep them in fresh. They aren’t pond turtles. They shouldn’t be treated as one. Lori greentrees wrote: