A Tale of Unexpected Tortoises
Caring for my diverse group of tortoises, which includes four different species, is a constant challenge. I make a conscious effort to keep the sexes apart, as I don’t want to deal with the responsibility of finding homes for their offspring. The winter months bring another set of challenges, as I need to bring most […]
The Omnivorous Adventures of My Red-Footed Tortoises
Many tortoises are vegetarians, but my red-footed tortoises are a unique bunch. They roam free throughout my house, enjoying the heat lamp and UVB basking light I’ve set up for them. They seem to have a sixth sense for when I’m preparing a meal in the kitchen. The three red-footeds (Myrtle, Gladiola, and Rose) make […]
Choose Another Corner!
I live in a good-sized house. It has four bedrooms and two large living room areas with many corners. Having corners is very important to my family. This makes more sense when you know that most of my family members are reptiles: lizards, turtles, and tortoises. Free to Roam (and Fight) The tortoises are free-roaming. […]
Fast Food: Roadrunner Edition
After writing a couple of books about reptiles (Don’t Call Me Turtle! and Don’t Make Me Rattle!), I wrote a book about roadrunners. I’m not sure why I was so inspired, except for their impact on the reptiles, as significant predators. I delight in the variety and numbers of lizards (and snakes) that have chosen […]
Celebrate Snakes!
Snakes often make the list of least understood and disliked animals. But since World Snake Day is on July 16. I think it’s time we celebrate these amazing reptiles around the world! One Good Snake Living as I do in the Sonoran Desert, many people here (and in other places), feel that the only good […]
Tortoise Emergency? Max to the Rescue!
When a friend needed help with her dog, I offered to foster him as long as he got along with my reptiles. I was very pleased when Max and my free-roaming tortoises easily accepted each other. Good thing since it’s looking like Max, a Chihuahua mix, is going to be a permanent member of my […]
Turtles and Tortoises Don’t Age?
Recently, one of my iguana companions died. Ezra, a green iguana (Iguana iguana), finally succumbed to old age. A green iguana, a very common pet lizard, Ezra had lived with me for 20 years after coming to my iguana rescue in New Jersey as a full-grown adult. He must have been at least 5 years […]
Mornings Are Never Long Enough
Are you a night person, like the yellow-crowned night heron (Nyctanassa violacea)? Or are you a morning person, like the green heron (Butorides virescens)? Personally, I like getting up in the pre-dawn darkness and looking out at the dark world. Although sometimes with a full moon, it isn’t very dark. So what does this green […]
Life with My Rascally Reptiles
Home sweet home. What do you think of when you think of home? Family? Safety? Danger? Well, maybe not danger, but there are so many things to trip over while going about one’s daily routine. Parents often complain about their children’s toys lying about on the floor, rug edges, strewn clothes, etc. My house is […]
Shell-a-Brate World Turtle Day!
If you are familiar with my writing, you’ll have noticed that turtles are a frequent topic. But wait, you may say, I thought you usually wrote about tortoises? I hate to admit it, but tortoises fall into the category of turtles! Please don’t tell Myrtle, my red-foot tortoise. I wrote my first rhyming picture book, […]
Having Fun with Shadows!
Do you enjoy shadows as much as I do? As a child, I fondly remember making shadow puppets with my family, creating animals out of our hands. My shadows were always very simple and I admired people who could make more complex animal shadows. Little did I know that shadow puppetry is an ancient form […]
A Bite of a Blog: Feeding my Scaly Family
There’s a lot of talk about eating. People are encouraged to eat mindfully. Set the table and concentrate on your meal. But, I prefer to eat in front of my laptop. I like to spend most of my free time putting words onto pages. I enjoy writing books and blogs. So, when I get hungry, […]
The Life & Legacy of Krinkle
When I lived in New Jersey, I ran an iguana rescue and adoption program. If an iguana’s life was in danger, I would always have room for it. All of the iguanas I took in were green iguanas, Iguana iguana, but I really wanted one another type of iguana, the spiny-tail iguana, Ctenosaura similis. C. […]
Booger Warning! The Science of Sneezing
Do you think about sneezing? I mean daily. Not just when you have a cold or allergies. You probably think about sneezes when you’re in a group and trying to decide if you can hold your sneeze in, risking an eardrum explosion, or let it out and offend everyone in proximity. Well the scientist in […]
You Say Hibernate, I Say Brumate
During the summer, two of my desert tortoises are allowed to roam outside. Zoe is a Sonoran desert tortoise, Gopherus morafka, and part of Arizona’s desert tortoise foster program. Cantata is a Sulcata tortoise, Geochelone sulcata. Native to sub-Saharan Africa, sulcata tortoises can reach 200 lbs. They’re also known as spur-thighed tortoises due to the spurs on […]
Meet Calliope, the Muse of Long Poetry
Most of the iguanas in my life have been green iguanas, Iguana iguana. However, not all green iguanas are green. Through the years I’ve cared for green iguanas who were various shades of green, orange, blue, and even one that was black and white. Like any animal, they all had different personalities. Some liked to […]
Ecdysis: It’s Time to Grow!
Reptiles are characterized by having scales covering their bodies. That means when a reptile needs to grow bigger, it must shed the scales. The process of shedding the old skin is called ecdysis. One of my lizard family members has the best ecdysis. This is my red tegu, Rascal. First, the red skin takes on […]
That Shell Might Not Look Comfy to You and Me, But to Ezra?
I have a suspended heat lamp that the tortoises like to use. They gather together underneath to share in the warmth. The tortoises chose their spot, then sit down and bask for a while. Recently, Ezra Green Iguana was out for a stroll and happened across the non-creeping creep of tortoises. Ezra pulled himself up […]
Lights! Camera! Action! (and Scratches!)
With the pandemic, my reptile talks have moved to video, instead of live, presentations. I talk about reptiles every Thursday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. MST at my Facebook page, Elaine Powers. I hope you’ll join me tomorrow for my Reptile-Side Chat, when the green iguanas and I talk about color, chromatophores, and so much more! […]
A Creep or a Convergence?
With Spring, the tortoises wander about more actively. The brumating species, like the Sonoran Desert and Sulcata tortoises, emerge from my bedroom to join the now more ever-wandering red-footed tortoises. I have a heat lamp set up in the front room where the tortoises can sit and bask. Usually, one or two will be utilizing […]
February 20th is NATIONAL LOVE YOUR PET DAY
Almost 70% of families in the US have pets. I suspect with the pandemic that percentage may have increased. I, of course, have a household filled with pets. Mine don’t have fur, like the more familiar cats and dogs–they have scales. Yes, my pets are reptiles. In addition, I have two pets that I’m not […]
January 28th is NATIONAL HAVE FUN AT WORK DAY
Working from Home with our Pets January 28th is National Have Fun at Work Day and with the pandemic, many people who would go to work in an office or at least away from home, are now telecommuting or video conferencing. We find ourselves trying to convince our companion-animal family members to maintain professional boundaries. […]
The Box-Tortoise
Photo Above is Amarillo the Redfoot Tortoise (Chelonoidis carbonaria) In some of my books and videos, I mention box turtles, genus Terrapene. These are amazing turtles that, because of a hinge on their bottom plate–the plastron–can fold up to protect their heads and limbs. No predator can grab an arm if it’s tucked inside a […]
The Mystery of the Cleaning-fiend Tortoises
Above image is of Cantata, an African Spurred or Spur-thighed Tortoises (Geochelone sulcata) and a member of my family Is this a species thing? I have several species of tortoises roaming about my house. Tortoises are not potty-trained, so every now and then I have to mop to clean the floor. After sweeping and spraying […]
You’ll Never Guess What the Latest Pet Is!
With social distancing and domicile isolation, people are turning to animals for companionship. Dog adoptions have increased and even I bought a second horse. However, new family members haven’t been limited to limited to the usual animals, like dogs, cats, birds, or fish. The newest fad pet is a SNAIL. These mollusks are showing up […]
Ever Set a Pumpkin on Fire? In Your Kitchen?
My reptiles like hard squash, so I cook pumpkin, butternut and acorn squash until they are soft and squishy. The easiest way to cook them is whole in the microwave. I don’t bother to cut off the stem. I rinse off the outside, plop it in, and cook until it is soft. I was cooking […]
Sweet Iguana Dreams, My Friends
Every night I say “Sweet Iguana Dreams” to my iguana family members. Some people would think that is a silly thing to say, since iguanas are said not to dream. But I think they do. Iguanas are diurnal, active during the day and they sleep at night. In fact, they can sleep very soundly. I’ve […]
It’s a Climbing-the-Walls Kind of Time
Here, my youngest iguana, Twizzler Spiny-tail Iguana, is demonstrating that he is literally climbing the wall. by Elaine A. Powers If you’re like me, you’re spending more time at home than usual. Of course, this should help my writing output, but I often get distracted by the news of the world. Fortunately, I live with […]
Ophidiofomophobia. Say, what?
I’m always learning new words. I thought someone who liked reptiles was a “herpephile.” I found out lately it is actually “herpetophile.” There really is a word for people like me who like reptiles and enjoy studying them. Then I read about “ophidiofomophobia.” I had to look it up, but, unfortunately, it isn’t a real […]
It’s National Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Day by Curtis Curly-tail
Image courtesy of マサコ アーント (Aunt Masako) from Pixabay Hello, friends! It’s Curtis Curly-tail, star of Curtis Curly-tail Speaks! I hope you are all staying safe and that you are ready to share or receive some zucchini squash. That’s right—August 8th is National Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Day! If you have ever […]
