Welcome to the Bailey Zoo

Within these pages are the creatures that have captivated the hearts of myself, my children, and many a friend. Come explore and meet our wonderful, often exotic, sometimes neurotic companions.

A bit of history... I've always been fascinated by animals and had pets as far back as I can remember. My parents were very cool about letting me have small animals as a child. In highschool I started working at PetsMart and brought home virtually everything! The trend has continued well into adulthood, especially as my children have grown and expressed their own interests. I wanted them to have their own experiences with a wide variety of animals. Even when I've made attempts to pare back the numbers or types, I inevitably end up with a zoo again. Seems it is my destiny.

Puppers

Orla

Orla as a puppy

Orla, was adopted as an Emotional Support Animal for my youngest kid. My kids had her name picked out before we'd even begun the paperwork to adopt her. Her name is Gaelic and means "Golden Princess". She is a mix-breed rescue, originally from the Four-Corners area of Colorado. We've had her since she was an 8 week old puppy. Orla is extremely intelligent and trainable. She knows sit, down, shake, other paw (shake with the other paw), catches treats out of the air, place (laying down in a set spot in the kitchen, out of the way), down, bang! (finger gun, and then she plays dead LOL), stay, up-up (to get up on the bed or into the car), trade (when she has something she's not supposed to have), and several other minor commands.

Talion, a rust colored dog with general shepard features, one brown eye and one ice blue eye, staring intently at the camera

Talion, the day we adopted him

Talion, a rust colored dog with general shepard features and a curled tail standing in the snow. He has one brown eye and one ice blue eye and a stripe of
snow on the muzzle of his face

Talion, being goofy in the snow

Talion is a wonderful mix-breed also from the Four-Corners area of Colorado. He was adopted at around 6 months old. My exhusband fell in love with his blue eye from a distance. Even though I really wasn't ready for another dog at the time we got him, he has completely stollen my heart. He is now my Emotional Support Animal and my buddy. Who spends most of the time hanging out with me. One of his nicknames is OBT (Orange Bitey Thing) due to his coloring and the fact that he is still a bit nippy due to his excitable nature. He's not the brightest dog I've ever owned, in fact he's probably tied for the dumbest, but he is one of the absolute sweetest I have ever owned.

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Kitties

A green-eyed, grey tabby cat laying on a purple blanket staring at you

My green-eyed Monster

A very tiny grey tabby kitten being held on a lap

Baby Monster!

Monster Kitteh, was originally a present for my youngest. Who named her Peppermint. However over time she earned the moniker 'Monster' by being a fairly obnoxious cat. She would get into things and torment me while I was trying to sleep or do things around the house. Over time Peppermint/Peps was dropped and she's become Monster and my cat fulltime. She wakes me daily between 5:30 & 6:30 to be fed by jumping on my desk and is fat and not graceful at all. Even if there's food in her bowl, I have to get up and shake it to prove there's food and if she wont follow me I must carry her to it. For should I make the mistake of going back to bed without her fully acknowledging the food, she will just jump back on my desk acting like I didn't feed her. When I was crocheting she would insist on being in every photo I took of finished products, earning herself the title of 'QC Kitty'. Monster is now 9 yrs and becoming a grouchy ol' lady cat. She meows about everything and nothing.

A slender, grey tabby cat with greenish-yellow eyes, sitting on a lap glaring off to the right of the screen

Yennefer, giving her patented glare

A very tiny grey tabby kitty curled up on a purple blanket, looking directly at the camera

Baby Yen, so very tiny!

Yennefer, is my eldest kiddo's kitty. She's almost 5 and no longer a tiny kitty, just a regular size tabby cat. She had quite the adventurous start to life! She was given to us by someone we were previously acquainted with who was the project manager on a construction site where Yen and her family were discovered. Yen was the first one found because she had fallen down the storm drainage pipe after getting separated from her mother and siblings. They located the rest of the litter and homes were quickly found for them all. The mother was much tougher to catch having been a feral cat for sometime. Eventually they got her as well, she was healthy and feisty. Yen loves climbing EVERYTHING we own. I have found her on top of the china cabinet, the kitchen cabinets, the fridge, anywhere she can get to. She also loves harassing the tarantulas whenever she gets a chance; the enclosures are completely off limits and are kept in my clothes closet so she can't open them (it's happened, thankfully no one escaped). Yen and Andromeda, one of the ferrets, play very well together and often are seen tussling under general supervision.

A grey Siamese cat with blue eyes perched on top of white kitchen cabinets over a silver finished refrigerator

Aoife giving her very best gargoyle impersonation

A tiny grey Siamese kitten with very blue eyes, stares concernedly up at you

Baby Aoife aka Itty-Bitty

Aoife, is the second Siamese I have owned. She was a gift to myself post divorce. I had to give up my other Siamese, Ashura, whom I loved dearly when I was pregnant with my eldest due to living circumstances. I have regretted it deeply, and wanted another Siamese ever since. When this opportunity came up I couldn't pass it by. Aoife's name is Gaelic and pronounced ee-fuh, it means "Beautiful or Radiant". To me with those eyes she really is. And she is the softest kitten ever! Even at over a year old now she is still as soft as rabbit fur. I love when she comes to cuddle and nurse on the blanket up by my head or shoulder. It's also pretty funny to hear her wander the house yelling for others and if you call out for "Itty-Bitty" she will come running to investigate. Though traveler beware! Everything is fair game for climbing, whether you have appropriate clothing on or not.

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Limousine Mice

A slightly blurred photo of a white ferret being held up in front of a zebra striped curtain

Andromeda posing for her 80's album cover

A white ferret with a dark grey tail staring intently at a large red kong toy on the floor

Andromeda vs. the Red Demon

Andromeda, is one half, of a pair of ferrets, whom my eldest son and I acquired during the pandemic. We drove from Westminster, CO all the way down to a closed Denny's in Pueblo, CO to meet up with the previous owner and pick them. Andromeda is known as our "big polar bear". She's our largest, roughest, toughest ferret and the only one that has ever put Yennefer in her place. Her favorite past time is to sneak up and bite your ankles. Though she has recently taken to drawing naughty pictures in the snow too.

Gaia, a light sable colored ferret looking up at you from the floor. Above her head is a field of black, in gray it states: Mistress Gaia, beloved adventurer,
rogue of crinkle trinkets. Spring 2019 to February 2024. You left us far too son, and stole our hearts in the process, may your adventures continue amongst the star dear heart.

Gaia, giving her best "I'm not a troublemaker face"

A split shot of two ferrets. The left has BEWARE across the top in an unlit neon light, with Gaia beneath it. While the right has Andromeda held up in front
of a DANGER poster of a open-mouthed T-Rex

Beware the Dangerous Ferrets! hehe

With heavy hearts we announce that our beloved Gaia met an untimely end in February of 2024. She was such a wonderful ferret and an absolute escape artist which proved to be her downfall. Gaia, was the second half, of the pair of ferrets, obtained during the pandemic. While we met the previous owners in Pueblo, CO. I believe they came from New Mexico. So they are quite the traveled little critters compared to the rest of our zoo. Gaia was definitely the smartest, most determined of our carpet snakes. She had figured out escape route from several locations of several iterations of cages that we had built and kept us on our toes. She very much enjoyed stealing things that crinkle, especially ring pops that are still in the wrapper or other objects that are similar size. Under the bed usually contained quite the treasure trove of goodies that she had amassed during her time running around the rooms.

Lyra, a dark sable ferret with a bald tummy, being held up wearing a homemade sweater made from an old black and white fuzzy sock

Lyra, fashionista

Lyra, is an absolute sweetheart that loves to cuddle with everyone, partially because she needs help keeping warm. She has a skin condition that has caused her to loose a significant amount of her fur. Lyra and her partner, Zoe, came to us from a dear friend of mine who became overwhelmed with life and was worried they weren't getting the attention they deserved. Since we already had two Finn and I decided, hey, what's two more? We've already dedicated a room to the ferrets. Thus our number of ferrets doubled overnight.

Zoe, a mostly cream colored ferret with some grey streaking, attempting to escape from the open door of her cage

Miss Zoe

Zoe and Lyra, the ferrets, peak out from a hammock in their cage

Zoe and Lyra saying hello

Zoe, is Lyra's partner in crime and can be a bit shy until she finds her footing then she's all about being a troublemaker. As she's a bit of a loner pics of her are harder to come by. She likes hiding and sneaking instead of running around with the other three. Zoe is also the softest of the ferrets, so nice to cuddle up to and just snuggle.

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Sneks

A ball python with a photoshopped arm holding paintbrushes, there's a paint pallette on his coil, and an easel in front of him. He's coming out from a log hide.

Young Zuko, artist

A ball python coming very curiously head first towards you, wood chips on the ground and some artificial leaves on his right

Zuko

Zuko, is the first ball python my eldest ever got. He's a great snake, aside from being a brat about eating sometimes, he's always been super chill, easy to handle and has gorgeous markings. We've owned a few other ball pythons that were massive trouble makers but it's been so nice to have such an easy going first one to make the beginner experience a great one. The photo I included is one that I created cause I was bored one day and I used it to cheer Finn up cause he was having a rough day at school. Nowadays it's more difficult to get photos of Zuko as he's much larger, at least three feet long and he likes to keep himself buried under the bedding in his enclosure.

baby ball python, with light colored markings, being held on an arm, head in hand

Sweet Baby Orthoclase

After owning a few female ball pythons and realizing how temperamental they are and that we just don't care for their attitudes. Finn decided to get another male, Orthoclase, is the result. We met the breeder for pick up at a Target parking lot and swapped money for a bag with a snake in it, the whole transaction was very clandestine. Orthoclase (Ortho for short), was named for the mineral of the same name due to his coloring matching it almost exactly. It took quite a long to decide on a name for him. He too is now quite a large boy and is difficult to photograph due to size and his love of roaming the couch cushions whenever he is out and about.

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Spooders

Tarantula, black and white striped legs, red haired body, facing left, in an enclosure with a bottle top and a fake ivy leaf

Roxanne, freshly molted

Tiny baby spider with words Nhandu chromatus across the bottom

Roxanne as a Sling

When I first started volunteering at the Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster, Co. I had virtually no experience with tarantulas. I knew my cousin, Bonnie, had one as a kid but that's about it. So I signed up for 'Rosie Handler' as well as the regular 'Animal Ambassador' position. The Rosie Handlers, are the people who help guests hold the Rose-haired tarantulas and educate the guests on the tarantulas and how important they are for our ecosystems. Animal Ambassadors do similar with educating the guests about the importance of the invertebrates interactions in our ecosystems, and not just tarantulas, but all invertebrates. The Rosie Handlers get a bit more in depth specifically on the tarantulas. Long story short, I decided I wanted tarantulas and the least expensive slings I could get my hands on that were New World species were a Nhandu chromatus and a Tliltocatl albopilosus. Thus Roxanne and Sharon Needles were acquired from a breeder that lives near Durango, CO. Roxanne has beautiful coloring and extremely long legs. He is the only tarantula I own with the sex confirmed. He hooked out, meaning he fully matured and the hooks needed for keeping the female's fangs at bay during mating have matured on his front legs. Known to occasionally "drum" around his enclosure trying to attract a mate, he builds extensive sperm webs, which look like flat blankets of webbing in the enclosure.

Roxanne passed away at the age of 5 1/2 years which is not unusual for a mature male tarantula. Eventually I may get another but currently my home is a bit small for hosting any more tarantulas.

large, furry tarantula staring up at you from an enclosure

Mattie

Mattie, named after Mattie Lemmon, a brothel worker in the late 1800's from Denver, CO. Convicted of poisoning her patrons and later of first degree murder, seemed appropriate since all tarantulas are venomous and deadly to their prey. Mattie is known by the common name "White Striped Knee Tarantula" or the scientific name Aphonopelma seemanni. Originally a species from Costa Rica. She is by far my pickiest tarantula, she will only eat crickets. I have tried several other "bugs" for her but she refuses them all. Aphonopelma are a genus that grow much more slowly and as a result tend to live longer lives so she is currently my largest and most likely oldest tarantula in the grouping.

Mako

Younger Mako

Mako, is a Davus pentaloris, sometimes referred to as a "Guatemalan Tiger Rump Tarantula". Something that sets them apart from other New World (NW) tarantulas is the fact that unlike the majority of NWs they do not have the urticating hairs found on most. Instead their defensive mechanism is speed. They are not as fast as the "teleporting" genus of Poecilotheria but they are still speedy AF! I'm quite thankful I've never had to chase this bad boy down. He sure is pretty to look at though!

A small tan spider with a dark brown spot on the abdomen

Lady Bunny

Lady Bunny, named after the outspoken drag queen of the same name. She is an "Arizona Blond" or scientifically Aphonopelma chalcodes, an extremely slow growing species of tarantulas. I have had her for over two years and she's hardly grown in size at all. This is a typically long lived species, mainly due to the fact that they spend much of their juvenile years buried beneath the sandy ground. The photo I shared isn't recent, because of this very fact. I only see her due to the fact that her tunnel system buts up against the edges of the tiny 3"x3" enclosure she's in. So periodically I'll view a leg or two in a tunnel. She's also quite plump so there's minimal need to feed her and until she molts again I most likely wont be feeding her as overfeeding is a concern.

A tiny rose and grey colored tarantula approaches a plastic bottle cap full of water

Rosie

Rosie, is a Grammostola rosea or porteri. Both are known as "Rose-haired Tarantulas". Should you visit The Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster, CO, you could hold either species. They are extremely difficult to tell apart, especially as slings, which mine is, and will be for quite some time yet. They often don't reach sexual maturity until around 10-12 years of age. The females can live well into their 20's.

A furry black and red tarantula on a plastic ivy leaf looking to the upper right corner.

Valentina

Valentina, my lovely lady in red and black! She looks so pretty after a molt, and then often buries herself in her burrow again. She is a Brachypelma emilia or "Mexican Red Legged Tarantula". Brachypelma is another slow growing family but the benefit is you get a long time to enjoy them. Several years, if not a couple decades.

A brown tarantula covered in blonde, wavy, slightly kinky hairs

Sharon Needles

A very fuzzy, tiny, spiderling facing right with the words Tliltocatl albopilosus across the top in green

Baby Sharon, the sling

Sharon Needles, named after the drag queen on RuPaul's Drag Race, was one of my first tarantulas, alongside Roxanne. She is a Tliltocatl albopilosus - Honduran variety often called a "Curly Haired Tarantula". A moderate speed grower, it's been quite fun to watch her grow. Even though she spends most of her time deep in a burrow, which she's dug it in the corner of her enclosure and I can see her hiding out in her underground "cave".

A cream and black tarantula with a bald spot on it abdomen

Presently No Name

My eldest got me "No Name" as a belated Christmas gift and I just haven't found the perfect name for her yet. She's actually red and black, this photo doesn't do her justice but it was taken the day after I got her and she was still fairly stressed from extensive travels to get to our home, hence the bald spot. That happens from them kicking hairs off in self-defense. She'll get more with her next molting. She's also in the Tliltocatl family like Sharon, however, her species is vagans and she wont grow the longer curly hairs. Instead she'll be known for a striking red abdomen and velvety black cephalothorax.

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Bugs

My four adults gathered together. You can see one male, one the left, his horns on his head fairly distinct. The two in the middle are females, larger and very plump with
babies. The other male is a bit hidden under the females only his body visible on the right hand side. A few random babies peeking out of the litter here and there.

Adult Hissers - Male on left, Females in center, other Male hiding on right

An adult hissing cockroach over looking a clutch of baby hissers in a bed of wood litter

Daddy Hisser and baby bugs!

Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches are fascinating insects. As the name implies they do originate from the island of Madagascar of the coast of Africa. They grow to be about 5-7.5cm long and live in leaf litter, eating detritus, aiding in the breakdown of old plants and animals in the forests. They make a loud hissing noise by expelling air through their exoskeleton as a warning to scare off predators. It's completely harmless, and I'll admit I still jump occasionally when they do it. They have the craziest, stickiest pads on their tiny, clawed feet, they can climb just about anything. As a precaution to keep them from escaping their enclosure I wipe a healthy layer of vaseline around the top edge of the enclosure to prevent them reaching the lid or the upper most edge. They give "live birth", it's not actually live birth, the eggs are incubated in the mother between her and her exoskeleton. Then released once hatched, but it appears much like live birth because there's no eggs laid and suddenly there's little babies all over. If they like their environment, they are healthy, rapid breeders. Personally I find them fun to handle and entertaining to watch. Ideally I want to get some of the more exotic varieties like the Emerald Green ones from South America. Presently I do not have a colony but perhaps I'll get another one going at some point in the future.

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