Introduction to Reptile Keeping

Just Starting Up? Not sure which reptile is for you? Do not worry, you will find lots of help here, both on what you need to have and what you need to do to keep your new pet happy and healthy.

Selection

What makes a particular reptile right for depends a lot on what you want, how much you want to spend and how much space you have. Feeding may be an issue; almost all snakes eat rodents, if you do not want to deal with this then get a lizard or tortoise.

Most people know beforehand what they want, a snake, a lizard or maybe a tortoise. What they may not know is the specific species. While not an absolute, some recommended choices are given below; they typically are affordable, low maintenance. I have recommended a couple of larger species; these should be obtained as babies so you can gain experience as they grow.

Snakes (Medium)

Corn Snakes
King Snakes
Royal Python

Snakes (Large

Indigo Snake
Boa Constrictor

Lizards (Small)

Leopard Gecko
Bearded Dragon

Lizards (Med/Large

Bosc Monitor

Note: Iguanas are not recommended to any but the most experienced keepers

Tortoise

Hermans

Housing

Different reptiles need different cages. Small, fast lizards require cages many times their length, the length plus the width of cages for snakes should be larger than the size of the snake. Research the reptile you want to keep and find out the cage size you need. Remember, baby reptiles grow quickly!

As a minimum you need the following:

Escape proof Vivarium
Heat Source: Reptiles require an external source to maintain their body temperature
Light Source: Reptiles need a photoperiod of daylight and night-time
Thermostat-This device turns the heating device off and on to maintain the correct temperature
Water Bowl: All reptiles need a constant supply of drinking water
Hiding Box: Most reptiles like to be able hide
Substrate: The bedding that goes on the floor of the Vivarium, what you use depends on personal choice and the species of reptile

You may need:

Full spectrum light: Some reptiles (mainly lizards) require a full spectrum light source for their health and well being
Branches: Arboreal or tree climbing reptiles may need to be able to climb branches in the Vivarium

Purchasing

It is always better to buy a captive bred reptile, but with some species this is just not possible. However, always try to buy your pet from a shop or private keeper who has a reasonable understanding of reptiles. Usually this is obvious, if the shop has a few skinny looking snakes and lizards with no waterbowl in their cage then avoid them.

Do some research, talk to who you are buying from and try and get an understanding of how well they know the animals that they are selling.

Feeding

The food type that you supply to your pet depends on the animal. Most snakes eat rodents and most lizards eat insects. Some lizards (such as iguanas) eat mainly fruit and vegetables you need to know what is the typical diet for your pet and if you have a plentiful supply available.

Lizards usually require supplements to be added to their food supply, these are available through this site. Adding the supplement to the diet is easy, every second meal, dust the insects that you are feeding the lizard by placing a small amount of the supplement in a bag containing the insects. Shake the bag and then place the insects in the lizards cage.

Snakes usually eat rodents in captivity, it is important to get ice or rats of the correct size, usually about 30% bigger than your snakes head.

Always feed dead rodents to your snake, these are available frozen from most reptile shops, or online in large quantities.