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Reptiles - Pet Advice

Adopt a Green Iguana

October 23rd 2011 16:00


If you're thinking about getting a new reptile, and you fancy larger lizards, such as iguana, consider adopting one instead of going to your nearest pet store and buying a baby.

With younger iguanas, you do not know how their temperament will turn out. Even the sweetest green iguana baby with the best socialization can still turn out a tail whipper with a nasty attitude.


By adopting a green iguana, you know that the foster parents or rescue organization can tell you about the known previous care, as well as temperament of the animal.

There are plenty of green iguanas for adoption, as people tend to buy them as tiny babies, but when they grow to a few feet in length, they either toss them out or "donate" them to the nearest rescue.

So, if you're looking for a new green iguana, also keep in mind that they don't all have homes, and there are plenty of great green iguanas with wonderful temperaments that need your love.

Iguana Rescues

* The Iguana Den
* NC Iguana Rescue Association
* Green Iguana Society
* Iguana Rescue and Adoption

You can also check out petfinder.com to find local reptiles for adoption near you.



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Posted By: Whitney - Category: Lizards
   


Caring for Cave Geckos

November 23rd 2010 15:45
Cave geckos are not the most popular gecko in the reptile market, but they are gaining more popularity since they're easy to handle and care for. For the most part, they're a lot like leopard geckos.

Enclosure: 20 gallon long tank for one gecko
Substrate: tile, reptile carpet, or paper towels
Temperature: 68-77F
Lighting: not necessary, as the species is nocturnal
Decor: two hides and one humid hide

Diet: appropriately sized crickets, mealworms, superworms, roaches, etc.

Caring for Chinese Cave Geckos

Caring for Cave Geckos

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Posted By: Whitney - Category: Geckos
   


Caring for Chinese Tiger Geckos

November 19th 2010 15:25
This is a gecko that is fairly new to the pet market, but it is gaining popularity with more and more keepers. These geckos are related to the leopard gecko from Afghanistan and the African fat tail gecko, but these guys are from China.

They reach about 8-9 inches long, including the tail, and live about 15 years or so in captivity, although this hasn't been proven as they are still fairly new to keepers.

The Chinese tiger gecko is relatively calm, which makes them easy to handle.

When housing a Chinese tiger gecko, you want to remember that they are terrestrial, which means they need more land area than height, so a 20 gallon long tank would be a great minimum size for any one tiger gecko.

Stick with a hide on both sides of the tank, as well as a humid hide. Use an under tank heater to achieve a hot side of about 85F.

Tile, paper towels, and reptile carpet make great substrate that cannot be ingested. Try to avoid sand and dirt substrate. You can use a moss in the humid hide, but don't make the bulk of the enclosure a lose dirt substrate.

Chinese tiger gecko diet is similar to the leopard gecko. You want to offer crickets, superworms, mealworms, or roaches as a staple diet. Just make sure that the insect is appropriately sized

Stick with a good calcium supplement to dust the insects with. Also, try to provide a small bowl or bottle cap of calcium in the tank at all times.

You want to change the water daily, as you don't want growth in the drinking water.

VMS Herp Chinese Gecko


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Posted By: Whitney - Category: Geckos
   


Septicemia in Tortoises

November 16th 2010 13:31
If you think that you have a sick tortoise, you need to take it to the vet as soon as you can. Typically, pet turtles and tortoises do not show signs of illness until it is a more severe issue.

One of my red foot tortoises was treated for an ear abscess, and he ended up developing septicemia. I didn't pay close enough attention, and by the time I made it back to the vet, he was too severe that I just had to have him put down.

Septicemia is a blood infection, where a wound becomes infected. It is more common among turtles that are housed with other turtles.

Signs of septicemia can include, odd skin discoloration, lethargy, difficulty breathing, skin issues, and overall weakness.

Septicemia in Pet Tortoises

I just want to repeat that if you think your tortoise is sick, see a vet that is knowledgeable with reptiles so that you can start treatment sooner than later.

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Posted By: Whitney - Category: Turtles and Tortoises
   


Turtles Need Room to Grow and Exercise

November 12th 2010 13:04
If you have a pet turtle or tortoise, or if you're thinking about getting one, the most important thing that you need to do is evaluate how much space you have. No matter what species of turtle or tortoise you have, it's going to need room to grow and exercise. Even a Russian tortoise, which is a smaller pet tortoise species needs a fairly large outdoor enclosure for when the weather is nice.

You just can't buy a turtle and hope that it'll live in a small 10 or 20 gallon tank its entire life... If you do, the turtle won't live happily or healthily, and it certainly won't live very long.

Turtles are a huge commitment in terms of care and space. They're not the best pet for those who live in apartments because it is ideal that they get outside time.

If you don't have the time to sit and watch your turtle or tortoise walk around a yard, you'll need to build an outdoor enclosure for the tortoise, and turtle proof it so that the animal can't get out.

The following species are relatively common and popular, and when housing one outside, I've included basic minimums.
* Russian tortoises - at least 5' x 3' outdoor enclosure
* Greek tortoise- at least a 5' x 3' outdoor enclosure
* Redfoot tortoise- at least a 6' x 4' outdoor enclosure
* Box turtle- at least a 5' x 2' outdoor enclosure
* Sulcata tortoise- an entire yard that is turtle proof, as these guys get rather large and they can be quite destructive

There are many other pet turtles and tortoises that can be and are pet turtles, and depending on the size of the turtle you'll need to decide how much space it will need and how much space you can offer.




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Posted By: Whitney - Category: Turtles and Tortoises
   


Pet Turtles are a Big Commitment

November 9th 2010 18:02


I've always been into reptiles, but caring for pet tortoises is a newer thing for me. I did my research and bought two Russian tortoises. Shortly after I purchased a few baby Brazilian red foot tortoises. I've here to tell you that caring for pet turtles and tortoises is not the easiest feat, even for me


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Posted By: Whitney - Category: Turtles and Tortoises
   


Choosing a Beginner Pet Lizard

November 2nd 2010 13:03
When choosing a pet reptile, it's important to choose one that matches your skill level. If you're more experienced, a green iguana may be the pet for you, but if you're a beginner I'd stick with a beginner level reptile. There are many pet reptiles that you can choose from, but again just make sure that you do the research and match your experience with the reptile of choice.

Good options for beginners include the green anole, bearded dragon, blue tongue skink, and mali uromastyx. Even among these reptiles, you'll still find some are easier than another, but, in regards to temperament and overall skill level, these are known to be the best lizards for beginners to keep


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Posted By: Whitney - Category: Lizards
   


Iguanas Are Not Beginner Reptiles

October 26th 2010 12:33
Sean Halo
So many people go out and buy the baby green iguanas from the pet store, and hope that they'll be a great pet for their child or for whoever, but that's just not reality. Yes, iguanas are cute, but they are not the best pets for children, and they're certainly not the best pet for beginner reptile keepers.

Iguanas have teeth. Iguanas can be mean and territorial. Iguanas can bite. Iguanas can tail lash. Iguanas can hurt


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Posted By: Whitney - Category: Lizards
   


Cheap Reptile Hides - Homemade Gecko Cave

October 18th 2010 13:32
There are so many different types of hides that you can buy for pet reptiles, and the important thing to do when shopping around for reptile decor is to find something that is suitable for your reptile. You don't want tiny houses for a larger reptile, and you don't want something that's going to be too big for your enclosure. So, when shopping for a reptile house, make sure to check out all of the options before you purchase what you're going to use in your reptile tank.

The most common and popular choices for reptile hides include half log hides, as most pet stores have them in many sizes. Other popular choices may include a wide variety of caves


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Is Sand Safe for Pet Reptiles?

October 11th 2010 18:49
This is probably one of the biggest controversies with leopard geckos, bearded dragons, and a few other popular reptiles, is sand....

Sand is probably the most commonly purchased substrate for pet reptiles. The pet store employees always recommend it, and most buyers have no clue what's going on except for what the reptile specialist tells them


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