Archive for the ‘Reptiles’ Category

You may have admired the unusual looking lizards at your local wildlife center, or perhaps a neighbor may have an iguana in their back room. If you have not raised a reptile before, let me suggest that you start with a leopard gecko. The leopard gecko has two very big advantages, and one of them is that it does not get very big. The other major advantage of a leopard gecko is that is has been kept and bred in captivity since the 1920s, and is among the healthiest lizards and easiest to
keep.

A juvenile gecko is quite active, but as they mature they become rather quiet and tame, and can be held and will take food from your fingers. The adult gecko does not get larger than nine or ten inches, and can be handled by older children. Even younger children can hold them, but make sure they are supervised to handle the gecko gently and to avoid picking them up by the tail, or holding the tail tightly. As with other lizards in the reptile family, their tails can break off. Actually, this might be an interesting occurrence for children, as the tail will be regrown, though it never looks exactly the same as the original tail

Leopard geckos are easily kept in an aquarium or other plastic cage, as long as each gecko has at least ten inches square of floor space. The cage should be a minimum of twelve inches high. Have a shallow bowl for water that doesn’t spill as the lizards crawl into or over it. The food bowl for the gecko can be something about the size and shape of the lid for a gallon jar, a larger flat area. You will be using crickets or other insects as food, and it is better if the food remains in the food bowl. The bottom of the cage should have some kind of paper toweling so that it can be changed in order to keep the cage clean.

Most of this information comes straight from the Reptiles pros. Careful reading to the end virtually guarantees that you’ll know what they know.

One really important point about raising reptiles is to keep the area sufficiently warm. Geckos thrive best when the daytime temperature is in the eighties, up to eighty-eight degrees. Nighttime temperatures can get to the middle sixties without causing any health problems. If your house is normally cooler than that, a lamp with a forty-watt bulb over the top of the cage should create enough heat to keep the gecko warm. There are also hot rocks that you can buy and put in the cage. Keep the cage out of direct sunlight (because it will get too warm) and have a screen cover for the top if you have small children or cats in your household.

Once you have the environment, go to a reputable pet store and select your geckos. Leopard geckos come in a variety of colors, and you can keep several in the same cage as long as there is only one male in the group (most geckos that are sold are female). They eat mealworms and crickets, and correct care and feeding should be discussed at length with the seller. A well taken care of gecko can live as long as twenty years.

Raising a reptile can be a fascinating hobby whether you are eight or fifty-eighty years old. Leopard geckos are among the easiest to raise, are easily tamed, and are always beautiful and interesting pets. Consider a gecko for your next pet.

Now that wasn’t hard at all, was it? And you’ve earned a wealth of knowledge, just from taking some time to study an expert’s word on Reptiles.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, proud owner of this top ranked web hosting reseller site: GVO

The following article covers a topic that has recently moved to center stage–at least it seems that way. If you’ve been thinking you need to know more about it, here’s your opportunity.

Many people think reptiles are cheap pets, easily accessible and easy to care for. However, after purchasing or being given a reptile several things can happen.

1. The reptile becomes ill and/or dies because of improper care.

2. The person becomes bored with their pet and leaves it unattended or lets it go in an unsatisfactory environment.

3. The cost of the reptile becomes overwhelming.

4. The responsible owner enjoys the companionship of the pet for life.

A reptile in captivity depends on its owner completely. While it may have defenses, it is still basically defenseless. Unable to care for itself, it is at the mercy of the caregiver and every element of its care is important.

Think about what you’ve read so far. Does it reinforce what you already know about Reptiles? Or was there something completely new? What about the remaining paragraphs?

To neglect responsibility as an owner can mean torture for the reptile. If you think it shouldn’t matter because a reptile is incapable of emotion, maybe you should refrain from acquiring any pet. Whether or not it does or does not show or experience emotion is irrelevant. There is still the element of pain and suffering to be considered should it be neglected.

Any living being deserves to obtain adequate care, especially one held in captivity. A reptile that has been provided for may not know how to adequately care for itself once it is put back into the wild. Maybe the reptile is released in an environment that lacks the right food sources or temperature. Protection from predators may be inadequate.

If you give your pet away or sell it, please make sure the person receiving the reptile has proper knowledge of what it takes to care for and shelter the animal.

If you decide to own a reptile for a pet and don’t practice the proper handling, you could be attacked. Who would be to blame? You.

Reptiles can be interesting as pets. The experience can be rewarding and educational. The responsibility lies in the hands of the owner. If you want a fulfilling and long lasting experience as a reptile owner, take the time and make the effort to learn about what’s involved before you purchase or accept a reptile.

If you choose a pet shop, choose a reputable pet shop. Don’t count on their expertise. Some pets unfortunately are sold merely as profit pieces. It’s often a wonder they even made it to the pet shop in one piece and alive. Exotic pet sales have gone through the roof, so many of these wonderful creatures are handled wrong right from the start. It pays to research how a healthy reptile should look before you make the commitment to purchase. Just having a license to sell a reptile does not make the management responsible people with consciences.

A responsible pet owner is not just someone who loves animals. It’s someone who makes the effort to care for the animals properly. There are many well-meaning people who call themselves animal lovers and still don’t have what it takes to be the right caregiver for reptiles. You may be the perfect match for a dog and far from the perfect match for a turtle or a lizard! Know your limits before you commit.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, proud owner of this top ranked web hosting reseller site: GVO

Let’s travel to Florida to meet one of the largest of reptiles, the alligator. Alligators live only in the southeastern states of our country, like Louisiana and Florida. Most of the time alligators are pictured in swamps, but many people in Florida have reported seeing alligators in the lakes near their backyards. Having a reptile the size of a lizard in the backyard is normal, but seeing an alligator in a pond is something to get excited about. For such a big reptile, you might be surprised to find that it often isn’t easy to spot an alligator in the water.

Alligators like to float just beneath the surface of the water, with only their eyes and nostrils breaking the surface of the water. The rest of their big body just relaxes underneath the water, legs spread apart and the huge tail hanging partway down. The alligator can float at exactly the right level by using his lungs as a kind of inflatable raft, and keeps just the right amount of air for only his eyes to stay above the water. An alligator stays mostly under water for one of two reasons.

The first reason is to keep his body temperature cool. Like other reptiles, the alligator’s body temperature depends upon the temperature of the air or water around him. The sun can get very hot in Florida, and since the alligator does not sweat, there has to be another way for him to keep cool. He first opens his enormous mouth, and that will cool him down a little bit. If the alligator is still too hot, he will go into the water to lower his body temperature even more.

Those of you not familiar with the latest on Reptiles now have at least a basic understanding. But there’s more to come.

The second reason that an alligator stays in the water is to hide himself and wait for lunch to come by. Alligators can catch an amazing variety of animals to eat, including birds, fish, turtles, and even deer. They are quite at home in the water, swim very quickly, and can dive underwater and stay submerged for an hour, or even more. An alligator usually catches birds sitting on the water, but can raise itself up with a few powerful strokes of its tail to snatch one flying near the surface of the water, or just taking off.

Female alligators use their formidable mouths for another reason, to protect her babies. Baby alligators can already catch their own food and swim, but they stay near their mother for a year or more in order to be safe from predators. Even before they are born, the mother alligator stays by the nest she dug in the dirt to keep others (like turtles) from eating her eggs. When the eggs are ready to hatch, the babies inside the eggs start making noises. Some babies come out of the eggs by themselves, but other eggs are taken into the mother alligator’s mouth, where she gently rolls them around until the baby alligator can come out of the hard shell.

This brief introduction to one of the most ancient and interesting of reptiles can be used as a starting place to assemble your own collection of alligator facts. Make sure to watch the next wildlife show about these big reptiles, and considering visiting one the next time you take a trip to Florida.

I hope that reading the above information was both enjoyable and educational for you. Your learning process should be ongoing–the more you understand about any subject, the more you will be able to share with others.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

Do you ever feel like you know just enough about Reptiles to be dangerous? Let’s see if we can fill in some of the gaps with the latest info from Reptiles experts.

Many people overlook that dinosaurs were reptiles, as are tortoises and turtles. Frogs are often lumped into the same category while they are, in fact, amphibians.

Reptiles evolved from amphibians because of their necessity to learn to adjust to life on land. This brought about the need for legs and lungs to breathe air. Yet snakes are legless, able to crawl along with their magnificent bodies. The scaly reptile skin was necessary to protect the bodies from the rough surface of the ground, much different from the smooth water the amphibians were used to.

Science has described over 7,000 species of reptiles, even going so far as to claim birds as a part of the reptile group because of the inherited characteristics such as their skeletons, internal organs, and DNA. There is a distinction besides feathers, though. Birds are endotherms, meaning they must have food for energy to keep warm. Other reptiles are ecotherms which need an outside heat source to help them retain proper body temperature.

Crocodiles are in the second oldest group of reptiles, perhaps resembling the dinosaur relatives more than any other reptile group. Although, the turtle is the winner of the oldest proven reptile group, even older than the dinosaurs!

There are two groups of turtles, one group fares best on land and the other in water. The one that fares best on land is the terrestrial tortoise.

If you find yourself confused by what you’ve read to this point, don’t despair. Everything should be crystal clear by the time you finish.

Success in keeping a reptile for a pet depends much on your climate. You can forget sticking your pet snake, turtle, or lizard outside in a cage or pen or aquarium if you live in a cold climate. Keeping the pet in a controlled temperature is essential to its survival. Digestion depends on the right temperature and so does the animal’s ability to move around successfully.

It may seem cute to see that little turtle basking in the sun on a log in a pond. But the reptile needs the heat to stay alive. Too much heat is also as bad as too little.

Maybe the turtle’s ability to live for so many centuries when other animals perished is because of its outstanding life span. A turtle can live to 100 years old if the conditions are right!

Old temples have been discovered in Africa with snakes carved into the walls, giving pythons a sacred quality over the many years of its existence. But the boas have been known to live over forty years at a time in zoos! Anacondas have been feared in South America for a long time. Any snake that can grow to over 35 feet deserves a wide berth!

An interesting reptile that’s been around a long time is a native of Madagascar. The chameleon exists in 120 different known types. Oustalet’s chameleon is about the size of a small cat. It would give a domestic feline a definite scare to walk upon one of those! On the other end of the size spectrum, the Dwarf Brookesia, also a native of Madagascar, is small enough to stand on the tip of a finger.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, proud owner of this top ranked web hosting reseller site: GVO

The best course of action to take sometimes isn’t clear until you’ve listed and considered your alternatives. The following paragraphs should help clue you in to what the experts think is significant.

Most common snakes kept as pets in the reptile category are the corn snakes and the Royal Python. Pythons do have teeth and will bite even though they kill their food by constriction. A python can possibly live to be 40 years old when conditions are right and has been known to be the longest snake on record, reaching well over 30 feet in length! While this is the exception to the rule, it should still be a consideration when choosing a snake for a reptile pet.

You must know the proper requirements for your snakes before you commit to keeping more than one in the same enclosure. All snakes are not the same! Feeding them together is discouraged as well. Some snakes eat other snakes, too, so be careful about your choices. There are people who live in the country who will keep the king snake alive simply because it is known to kill other harmful snakes.

There are different types of corn snakes and different types of pythons. Know your type before you purchase. Some make better choices than others for pets. Don’t touch your snake if it’s in the water bowl and has developed milky eyes. This could be a sign of shedding. Because the snake has limited vision, it could strike out at you in defense, not knowing you won’t intend to harm it.

There are things that could make your snake reluctant to eat. Force feeding is not a good idea. Illness, stress, shedding, temperature, humidity, and occasional fasting may make your snake’s appetite change.

The anaconda is not the longest snake ever known, but it is the heaviest. Although anacondas have been kept in captivity, it is not advisable. For one thing, it isn’t fair to the snake. Their natural environment is a river. Some people have gone so far as to keep venomous or dangerous reptiles for pets, including rattlesnakes. This is highly discouraged, especially in homes containing children or the elderly.

Those of you not familiar with the latest on Reptiles now have at least a basic understanding. But there’s more to come.

Wildlife shows make the adventures with reptiles seem fun and exciting. But most people should note that these people who interact with the snakes and other reptiles are experienced, trained professionals. They didn’t become enlightened overnight.

Scaled reptiles are classified as Squamata, which includes lizards and snakes. Detachable jaws are one of the fascinating talents of the snakes. The other qualification to inclusion as a Squamata is the scaly skin or shields.

Snakes are thought to have evolved from lizards—but most people are far more scared of snakes than they are of lizards! It’s ironic that the snake evolved from the lizard, yet lizards are one of the small animals the snake is known to eat.

Some snakes can climb trees to steal eggs from the bird nests. They’ve even been known to devour the unfortunate bird left guarding the eggs. Because the snake swallows its food whole, digestion is more complicated and tiresome for the reptile. This will cause the snake to regurgitate if disturbed during digestion so it can escape danger.

Yes, snakes can be interesting pets and interesting reptiles. Just make sure you know what you’re dealing with before you attempt to make contact!

Those who only know one or two facts about Reptiles can be confused by misleading information. The best way to help those who are misled is to gently correct them with the truths you’re learning here.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

In today’s world, it seems that almost any topic is open for debate. While I was gathering facts for this article, I was quite surprised to find some of the issues I thought were settled are actually still being openly discussed.

There is nothing wrong with wanting a reptile for a pet, provided of course you first arm yourself with knowledge. Education is the key to being a responsible owner. Of course, there are instances when you may not first get the chance. Suppose your well-meaning relative decided it would be a good idea to give you an exotic pet for a gift, not thinking of the reptile’s welfare should you be unable to care for it or uneducated about its care. But, of course there are always exceptions to the rule.

There are ways of choosing your pet when you do decide to obtain a reptile. You can choose to buy a pet to fit the cage you are able to get, or you can buy a cage to fit the pet you want. Either way you go, please make sure you take into account that the reptile will grow and must be able to fit into the enclosure as it gets bigger. Please refrain from purchasing the reptile if you will be unsure about being able to afford a larger cage later on or if you won’t have the space. There are plenty of other choices you can make that will fit into your budget.

A Leopard Gecko is a popular lizard choice for people who want a reptile that will be smaller than the Iguana. The Iguana has been known to reach 7 feet in length! A bigger lizard means a bigger cage and a bigger food bill. The Leopard Gecko only reaches 10 inches. There’s obviously quite a difference there. First time owners have more success when they start small and build up to the other interests. This lizard also stays active at night, so night owls may get more enjoyment from it than someone who wants to interact or watch their reptile during the day. The Leopard Gecko can live up to 15 years and is easy for a beginner to care for.

It’s really a good idea to probe a little deeper into the subject of Reptiles. What you learn may give you the confidence you need to venture into new areas.

A Bearded Dragon is a popular lizard choice. They’re fond of crickets, but they also need fresh vegetables and fruits like the Iguana. The Bearded Dragon looks fierce and beautiful when it fans out its spiky beard. These reptiles can grow to 20 inches. Blue skinks are known for their blue tongues. Skinks can grow anywhere from 12 to 20 inches, depending on which type you get. They enjoy a diet of earthworms. This may be easier to stomach than the diet of mice and rats a snake requires!

Another common lizard choice is that of the Green Anole, also known as the American chameleon. While it isn’t actually related to the chameleon, it is able to change colors from green to dark brown. This reptile only grows to 9 inches normally and eats insects.

Whatever your choice of lizard or other reptile as a pet, just make sure you do your research before you purchase. If you are given the animal as a gift, please educate yourself as quickly as possible to prevent unintentional harm to the reptile.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

The family of reptiles is made up of turtles, lizards, snakes, different kinds of crocodiles, and a small group in Southeast Asia called tuataras. Some people think that snakes and lizards are slimy, but all reptiles are covered with dry, horny scales. These scales might be hard to notice for animals like the turtle, whose large scales (or plates) have grown together into one hard shell. Not only have the plates grown together, but the turtle’s backbone has also grown into the shell!

All reptiles have to be really aware of how cold or hot they get, for their body temperature depends on the temperature of their surroundings. They spend much of their time doing two things: looking (or waiting) for food, and moving between sunny spots and shady (or wet) spots to warm up or cool off. If a reptile gets too warm, they can get very sick, and if it gets too cool, it is hard for the animal to have enough energy to move to a warmer spot. These warm spots are often the places that you find reptiles: turtles that come out of the water to sit on a rock or tree branch, and lizards that sit on a fence or sunny wall in order to catch the rays of the sun. Sometimes this search for warmth can dangerous, like the snakes that lie on a warm road at night.

If you find yourself confused by what you’ve read to this point, don’t despair. Everything should be crystal clear by the time you finish.

Reptiles have some interesting ways to communicate with each other. People communicate by talking, and reptiles also make all kinds of noises to each other. Baby alligators start chirping just before they hatch from their egg, in order to tell their mother that it is time to dig them out of their dirt nest and bring them to the water. Male alligators can make an enormously loud bellowing noise, kind of like a big engine! They also raise their heads and slap the water loudly with their chins in order to chase other male alligators away. Lizards also chirp and bark at each other, and some male lizards nod to each other, bobbing their heads up and down vigorously. Snakes are generally silent, and use their tongues not to communicate but only to smell. However, a frightened snake will hiss or rattle to as a warning.

How do reptiles defend themselves when they are frightened? The biggest alligators don’t have to defend themselves from anyone except man, but smaller alligators are defended by their mothers until they are more than a year old. Many lizards have tails that break off to let the lizard escape when it is in trouble, and another tail regrows later. One lizard even wiggles its tail, breaks it off himself, and the tail continues to wriggle for a few minutes to make the predator go after the tail rather than the lizard. Many frightened snakes will play dead until they think the threat has gone away. The Eastern Hognose snake is among the best at this playacting: when scared, it first flattens its head like a cobra and hisses loudly, then, if it needs to, rolls over, moves around as if it was wounded, sticks out its tongue, and plays dead.

These fun facts are just a glimpse into a whole world of fascinating behaviors and unusual animals in the reptile family. Find out more information about your favorite reptile at the local library, or on the Internet!

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

The only way to keep up with the latest about Reptiles is to constantly stay on the lookout for new information. If you read everything you find about Reptiles, it won’t take long for you to become an influential authority.

Snakes are probably the reptiles that fascinate and repel us the most. One of the most visited booths at any outdoor show is the reptile area, with the little kids standing around and squealing at one special area – the area where the rattlesnakes are kept. Milking rattlesnakes has been a popular sideshow item for many years at local fairs and county shows. There are about thirty different species of rattlers, and all of them live in America.

Let’s look at these wonderful reptiles and get to know them a little better. The two largest, on average, are the eastern and western diamondbacks. The average length of an adult eastern diamondback is around four feet, and the average length of a western diamondback is about three and a half feet. There are reports of diamondbacks that were more than ten feet, but facing a live rattler may add a few feet to the story. The largest ones that have actually been measured have been just under eight feet long. A six-foot rattler can weigh as much as 11 pounds.

Generally reptiles are not thought of as beautiful animals, but a rattler has many wonderful designs to look at. The eastern diamondback, with a general pattern of grey brown diamonds all along its body, has a raccoon-like black mask over its eyes. The Santa Catalina rattlesnake (found only on Santa Catalina Island) has markings similar to heavy eyebrows above its eyes. Another fascinating feature of a rattler is the pits seen on either side of the face. These are not related to the venom glands, but are organs that detect radiant heat. The snakes use these to detect things that are close by and are warmer than the general surroundings. In this way, the pits can help locate of small animals such as mice. Since these reptiles have poor eyesight, they use the pits and their sense of smell to determine where their next lunch is coming from.

How can you put a limit on learning more? The next section may contain that one little bit of wisdom that changes everything.

The most noticeable feature of the rattlesnake is the rattle itself, and rattles are not found on any other reptiles. The rattles are made of the same material that forms horns, claws, and our fingernails. The “fingernail” at the tip of the tail forms a rattle, and when the snake sheds its skin, this part does not come entirely off, forming a new rattle. A few snakes have been found that have as many as twenty-three rattles on their tail.

Reptiles, and snakes in particular, have very unusual ways to get around. A rattler can use the muscles in its body to push against small irregularities, or bumps, in the surface of the ground. As the snake goes by, each part of the snake pushes against the bump so that it looks like the standard snake “wiggle”. The bumps may not seem very visible to us, and it might just be a slightly thicker than usual clump of grass in a grassy field. But what happens if a western diamondback is caught on a flat rock with nothing to push against? In this case, it uses the scales on its belly, and uses them in the same way a multi-legged caterpillar uses its feet. This motion is much slower, but is also quieter, and is used by rattlers to silently get their prey within striking distance.

This is a short introduction into one of the most absorbing of the reptiles, the rattlers. Visit a rattlesnake exhibit at your local zoo or county fair, and look closely at them and watch their movements. You will be delighted.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO

People have all kinds of different pets. Some people only feel safe with what is considered “normal” pets. This usually consists of cats, dogs, hamsters, or birds. Country folks may have farmyard animals for pets. Horses, cows, goats, bunnies, and so on are typical.

Then you have the people who pride themselves on being “outside the norm”. These people may be the sort who likes to consider themselves and their pets unique. Or maybe they just love animals of all kinds and welcome any and all types as pets. Reptiles have been kept as pets for many years, but as the number of pet stores has grown so has the number of reptiles kept as pets. Sometimes this is bad news for the reptiles. If a dangerous reptile is chosen, it could be bad news for the owner as well.

Sometimes the type of pet a person has depends on the area in which they live. Availability may make the choice for them. Environment is also a consideration. In south Louisiana, a child may be raised thinking an alligator is normal to keep for a pet! It would be impractical for a child who lives in the midst of the city to own a pet cow.

Now that we’ve covered those aspects of Reptiles, let’s turn to some of the other factors that need to be considered.

What types of reptiles are popular as exotic pets? Snakes, lizards and turtles make the choices wide. There are some, however, of each type that makes some better choices than others. Unfortunately, these types of pets are also the most often abused and neglected simply because of failure to learn about their proper needs prior to ownership. Once the new wears off, they become forgotten. Because reptiles are often quiet and contained, it is easy to forget they are around.

Corn snakes are often chosen because they are known to be easier to care for. They are excellent escape artists, though, so great care must be taken to keep the latches tightly closed on their enclosures. It may seem funny in the movies to see a snake escape and scare the family or guests, but it can cause great harm to your pet in reality.

Boas are a well-known reptile pet, but people often underestimate their lifespan and their great size when grown. A snake kept in an area it has outgrown will not be a happy, well-adjusted pet. It may cause the snake harm and you as well, should he choose to fight back because of his discomfort.

Those cute little reptiles grow up and will need different requirements for food and housing as they grow. A responsible pet owner will be prepared for the changes and willing to accommodate. Can you recreate the natural environment and maintain it? Think of it as being a person from the country who moves to the city, unwillingly, and never learns to adjust because they just don’t seem to fit into the new surroundings. Except this person has the ability to move back to the country, while the snake is unable to make this choice on his own. The right housing makes a happier pet.

Is there really any information about Reptiles that is nonessential? We all see things from different angles, so something relatively insignificant to one may be crucial to another.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO

This article explains a few things about Reptiles, and if you’re interested, then this is worth reading, because you can never tell what you don’t know.

Large reptiles need large cages or other enclosures. They will also need bedding, a water source, tunnel logs, rocks, trees, steps, plants, a ground cover of some sort for the bottom of their enclosure, and more food than a small pet. The costs can add up before you realize it! But once you have taken care of the initial investment, the big worry lies in being able to provide the proper amount and type of food and bedding. Vet care should also be considered. If you can’t afford to have the reptile treated, you may want to pass on adding it to your home.

If you’re interested in keeping a snake for a pet, you may want to consider the cost and accessibility of the food necessary for the reptile’s survival. Do you have freezer room and a strong stomach for the little frozen mice and rats you’ll need to feed your pet? Mice and rats can cost up to $1.50 each, with the average snake needing 4 a month. Distilled drinking water costs from 58 cents to $1 per gallon and should last a month just for drinking. Of course, if you have a large snake, you’ll need a large source of water for its bathing.

You should plan on spending at least $100 for the corn snake aquarium, rocks, heat source, water dish, and two pieces of indoor/outdoor carpet for the floor. The carpet is the most economical investment for bedding as it can be washed and reused, keeping one piece clean at all times. The corn snake itself can cost from $20 to $350, depending on what type you choose.

Pet care books are available at local libraries. But if you can’t find the one you want, they cost less than $10 even in most pet stores and can be purchases at local discount stores. Filters for turtle aquariums can cost from $18 to $30. Food for iguanas can become costly as they need fresh fruits and vegetables on a regular basis in addition to food you can purchase in dried form. A 40 ounce container of Iguana Juvenile pellets costs around $16.

Now that we’ve covered those aspects of Reptiles, let’s turn to some of the other factors that need to be considered.

Bedding for all reptiles must be kept clean to avoid disease from overexposure to its own urine and feces. The cost can start at $2.50 and rise depending on where you purchase and what you prefer. Just keep in mind that not all bedding is safe for all animals. Replacement will depend on the size of the housing, the size of your reptile, and how many reptiles you own.

If you have a reptile that climbs, you may need a fresh air habitat with a mesh screen and water resistant bottom. The small ones can cost around $30 for one that stands 20 inches tall or $80 for one that stands 30 inches tall.

Lighting costs about $18 for a 10 inch clamp-on lamp that dims. A combination lamp can cost $48. An infrared heater can cost $23. There’s also the cost of the electricity needed to run the environmental equipment.

Other items you may need to price are huts for hiding, chemical additives for the water-dwellers, pumps, liners, netting, stands, bulbs, sterilizers, and algae scrapers. If it seems overwhelming, take your time to digest the information and make the best decision. It’s not fair to the pet to provide less than adequate housing and other needs.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO