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Symptoms of Metabolic Bone Disease in Reptiles

Metabolic bone disease is an unfortunately common disease in reptiles. Though it is most often seen in iguanas, it can arise in any pet reptile. The disease is most often caused by poor care and diet, and can be easily corrected in the early stages. The symptoms of metabolic bone disease can vary depending on the severity of the case and the length of time over which the disease developed. Most of the symptoms are related to bone and muscle effects, as calcium is key for bone formation and muscle function. You may see a reptile with metabolic bone disease … Continue reading →

Tank Care For Newts and Salamanders

Salamanders and newts have very porous skin — it makes them very sensitive to changes in environment (just like frogs and other amphibians). If you aren’t careful in your tank care, your pets can become seriously ill or injured. First things first — all tanks need water. Even terrestrial tanks have water trapped in the mossy substrate and/or in shallow pools. Don’t use distilled water to fill your tanks. You can use tap water or rainwater — but either one may need to be treated or left standing to allow chemicals to dissipate. Tap water should be treated with dechlorinating … Continue reading →

Iguana Care: Light, Heat, and More

In the wild, reptiles tend to spend a lot of time basking in the sun. Iguanas (and other reptiles) are cold-blooded or ectothermic, meaning they depend on an outside source of heat to regulate body temperature. Why is light important? Sunlight and/or UV lights allow your iguana’s body to create vitamin D — just like sunlight helps a human body produce vitamin D. Natural sun exposure and a basking light will help ensure good health for your green iguana. Not enough D puts your green iguana at higher risk for certain types of metabolic bone disease. Natural sunlight is great, … Continue reading →

Iguana Care Basics

Adding a lizard to the family? Green iguanas are a popular choice — they’re one of the most popular pet lizards out there! But if you’ve only had furry friends, you’re going to need to know a few things about your new scaly pal. Start your reptile education here: Reptile Basics Reptile Basics: Heat and Light Make sure you pick a veterinarian who treats iguanas. If your current vet doesn’t do much work with reptiles, you may want to ask for a referral to someone who does. It’s important to get an initial check-up when you bring your iguana home; … Continue reading →

Reptile Basics: Heat and Light

Reptiles are ectothermic — that means cold-blooded! Cold-blooded doesn’t mean that reptiles like cold weather. It means that reptiles rely on external temperature to regulate body temperature. If you’ve ever seen reptiles in the wild, you may have seen them sunning themselves on a rock for warmth, then moving into the shade to cool off. You need to provide your pet reptile with a temperature gradient in their living space. This will allow the reptile (be it a snake, lizard, or turtle) to choose the appropriate temperature. Temperatures that are too high can overheat your reptile; temperatures that are too … Continue reading →

Reptile Basics

Before you make a decision about adding a reptile to your family, be sure you know whether or not reptiles are allowed where you live! Many areas have laws pertaining to dangerous reptiles, including constricting snakes and venomous snakes. Pick a captive bred reptile whenever possible. Wild reptiles that have been tamed are not as used to human handling as captive bred reptiles are. At the pet store or breeder, be sure you pick out a healthy reptile. Look for a reptile with clear, alert eyes and no visible sores or lesions. Make sure your reptile seems to be generally … Continue reading →

Rare Pets: Geckos

Geckos are great pets for both reptile lovers and for those just starting to think of keeping cold-blooded animals as pets. One caveat: if you’re thinking of obtaining a gecko because the animated one in the Geico commercials is cute, think again. Pet purchases should never be made on the basis of media representations, especially not for less common animals. If you are seriously interested in having reptiles for pets, however, geckos are a great start. They’re easy to care for and rather social, for reptiles anyway. In fact, geckos are so social that it’s best to keep at least … Continue reading →

Bearded Dragons

The bearded dragon is also known as the inland bearded dragon or the central bearded dragon. This large lizard hails from Australia. Compared to the Chinese water dragon, you might think the bearded dragon is small — a fully grown adult has a length between 16 and 22 inches. (By comparison, male Chinese water dragons reach around three feet in length!) Bearded dragons are still considered large reptiles, and will need plenty of room to move. The tank base should be two feet by three feet (or more). House your bearded dragons in a glass aquarium with a screened top … Continue reading →

Chinese Water Dragons

Like their name implies, Chinese water dragons love water. Don’t be surprised to see your Chinese water dragon spending a ton of time in the water! These lizards hail from Southeast Asia — Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, and China. To mimic these warm climates in your lizard habitat, keep the daytime temperature between 83 and 88 degrees Fahrenheit. You should also provide a basking spot at around 90 degrees Fahrenheit so your Chinese water dragons can thermoregulate. Overnight temperature should be between 75 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep the lights and heat on a twelve hour cycle for most of the … Continue reading →

Blue Tongued Skink

There are several species of blue tongued skinks that are available in the pet trade. The most popular is the eastern blue tongued skink. Blue tongued skinks are on the large side for a beginner’s lizard. When fully mature, a blue tongued skink can reach twenty inches in length — around eight inches of that is tail. These lizards have a flattened, elongated body and can look somewhat snakelike. These lizards are ground dwellers, so you don’t need to worry about branches for climbing. That doesn’t mean you can skimp on tank size! Give your blue tongued skink a large … Continue reading →