Reptile pet tips? With a lifespan as long as that, creating the perfect home is a must! Luckily, these pet tortoises aren’t super picky about decor. They prefer to have edible plants, a burrow-friendly substrate, and some hide boxes. As long as you have those essentials, these reptiles can live happy lives without a care in the world. While not as popular as some of the other best pet tortoises, the Hermann’s tortoise is deserving of your attention! These docile creatures make wonderful pets. They can be a challenge to care for, but the hard work is well worth it!
Bringing your first snake into your family requires preparation, and the certainty that everyone else in the family will be comfortable with the newcomer. Is there anyone in your family who might be afraid of snakes? Are you renting a home? If so, check with the landlord about whether pet snakes are permitted. Snakes are carnivores that eat their prey whole. Will the storage of the food items be a problem? Think about these things before deciding on a pet snake. A pet snake needs an enclosure, and a hidey-home inside the enclosure. Unlike enclosures for fish, hermit crabs, birds, and horses; bigger is not better for a snake enclosure. Small snakes become anxious when faced with a home that is too big. Generally speaking, arboreal snakes need tall enclosures and ground-dwelling snakes need wide ones. Choose a variety of snake before shopping for a terrarium, but buy and set up the snake home before you buy the snake. You’ll see why in a moment.
Your Mexican alligator lizard will enjoy being fed a variety of items such as crickets, grasshoppers, mealworms, snails and butter worms. For maximum nutritional benefit, make sure to gut load these insects first. You can use kale, lettuce or fruits to gut load your insects. You’ll also need to dust the prey with supplemental calcium and vitamin powders prior to feeding time. It’s also important to ensure that you’re practicing smart feeding habits as well. Here’s what to do: Put the food items in a small bowl, and remove anything that’s left over at the end of the day. You can start off giving your lizard 10 to 15 insects at a time, two to three times a week. You can always increase or decrease the amount of food given. Expert Tip: Be careful not to overfeed your Mexican alligator lizard since these reptiles can quickly become overweight (leading to a long list of possible health issues). Discover additional information on reptile pet habitat guides.
Accurate thermometers and thermostats are essential. We recommend using dual probe digital thermometers to monitor the warm part and the cool part of the tank. A source of ultraviolet light, either through exposure to unfiltered, natural sunlight, or an artificial UVB light will help prevent metabolic bone disease. Remember to replace the light regularly (every 6-12 months) as it will lose UV strength, even though it still emits visible light. The enclosure should be large enough for your bluetongue to move around freely and a clean, good quality substrate, replaced regularly, will encourage it to burrow. Be careful of woodchips, coarse sand, kitty litter and tanbark as they often get eaten by mistake and cause impactions. We recommend newspaper or butchers paper as a safer option.
The red-footed tortoise comes from Central and South America. It’s steadily gotten more popular in the reptile trade. Thanks to its active nature and unique appearance, this type of pet tortoise is quite popular among collectors and beginner reptile fans alike. These tortoises get their common name from the distinct coloration of their skin. The legs feature several brightly colored scales. The red scales are sporadic, creating a spotted appearance. You may even see some tortoises with red along the face and head. The carapace is more muted. The raised scutes are typically dark brown, black, or gray. However, the raised center usually features a splash of light tan. Red-footed tortoises are long-lived creatures. With proper care, most will live anywhere between 30 and 50 years in captivity! See even more info at https://reptilehq.com/.