Reptile Wellness

They are very quiet and have virtually no odor. The space needed to house them varies depending on the pet. It can be an area smaller than a flower pot or as large as a room.

Reptiles and amphibians are easy to take care of with a minimum amount of cleaning. You can even miss a feeding occasionally and not worry about it. In nature, herptiles don't get to eat constantly and they have to be much more active in collecting their food than they do in captivity.

Cage decor is very important for your pet. It provides their sense of security through shelters and camouflaging. It also includes maintenance things, like food and water dishes and heating devices.

After a few days, gently pick the animal up, but keep it in the cage and close to the floor of the cage in case it decides to jump. Once you are both comfortable with this, you can try taking it out of the cage. Some reptiles will be happy to sit with you, others will want to explore.

Some snakes eat 3 or 4 times a month. Other reptiles can eat every day while others eat every other day and some once a week. Each animal has its own unique needs and if you are getting one it is your responsibility to learn them PRIOR to purchase. Remember, they are digesting bones and teeth and stuff that takes a while. Don’t rush them.

To much food can block them up and stick inside their intestines. I’ve lost several savannah monitors I tried rehabilitating due to the prior owners overfeeding them. Too little food is bad too. Some believe they can keep their reptile small by underfeeding; this is animal cruelty and will not stop their growth.

Reptiles, birds and mammals all require exposure to certain portions of natural or artificial sunlight in order to produce vitamin D. Ordinary fluorescent lamps do not produce the needed light waves and even light passing through a window pane looses some of its effectiveness. D is a perfidious vitamin. Too much of it is as bad as not enough and it is very hard to know how much to add to an animal’s diet. Vitamin D is involved in the laying down and taking up of mineral within the body. It is stored in the liver for a long time, so problems are slow to show themselves. When too little D is present, the animal’s bones become soft and subject to bending and fracture (rickets). Many of these changes are irreversible.