Red Eye Reptiles

Reptile Education, Keeping & Breeding 🦎

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Care Guide: Leopard Gecko

Leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius) can be very fun, fulfilling pets! They are full of personality and are incredibly simple to care for by reptile standards.  However, like all reptiles, there are a few key things to keep in mind when setting up a new home for your gecko. Understanding the basic rules of husbandry is important, though this is a very forgiving, beginner friendly species.  Here is everything you'll need to know before bringing your new friend home.

Housing & Substrate:

Leopard Geckos should always be housed by themselves. They do not get lonely; they are solitary animals that prefer their own space and territory.  Males will fight to the point of serious injury, if not death.  Some keepers have had success keeping females together, but this is very circumstantial, they are more likely to fight or stress each other out than they are to get along.  Male-female pairs should only be introduced for breeding purposes, and only once they have reached the acceptable age and size to breed safely. Breeding pairs should be separated immediately after pairing to give your female time to develop and lay her eggs in peace. Males have a habit of pestering their female partners, creating a stressful environment for both animals.  

These geckos can be housed in a lot of different styles of enclosures, whether that be glass terrariums, PVC cages, or bin cages.  With all of the style options available, the overall size of the enclosure should be a minimum of 20-gallons (long). Many keepers will recommend larger enclosures for a happier animal. The more space you’re able to provide, the more space you have for enriching décor as well.  Though, 20-gallons should be the absolute smallest for a single adult gecko.  These enclosures should ideally have more floor space than height, as the animal will spend a majority of its time on the ground, occasionally climbing around on the decorations at night. 

Regardless of the cage you choose, there should be at least three hiding places inside.  One hide at each end of the tank, so that the animal has coverage at both ends of the thermal gradient (*will discuss thermal gradients in heating & lighting section).  The third hide can be placed somewhere in the middle and lined with damp sphagnum moss or paper towel, this hide will function as a humid retreat for the gecko to utilize at shedding time.

Geckos are very curious animals. They don’t do much throughout the day, but at night they emerge from their slumber to party.  While primarily ground dwelling geckos, they would also appreciate large structures (like driftwood pieces, foliage and magnetic ledges) to climb and explore. They will use whatever you decide to include; they’re not picky, get creative. Leopard Geckos come from rocky, desert areas of Afghanistan (and similar regions) and are fully capable of climbing, despite their clumsy appearance. Try your best to mimic the native range of this inquisitive animal.  

There are many substrate options that are suitable to this species’ needs.  However, we would recommend completely avoiding Vita-sand, Calci-sand, or reptile carpet.  Despite how these products are marketed, they are highly unsuitable for Leopard Geckos, or any animal at all.  Vitamin and mineral enriched sands encourage your animal to ingest large amounts of substrate, inevitably leading to life threatening impaction issues.  Reptile carpet, although not ingestible, is very difficult to clean effectively.  Being so fibrous and hard to clean, they often harbor a lot of harmful bacteria.  Geckos also have a habit of getting their nails (and sometimes teeth) stuck in the fibers.  It can be a very frustrating product, and is best to be avoided entirely.

Some good, non-problematic substrate options include dry coco fiber, sand/soil mixtures, clay-based substrates (Exo Terra Stone Desert, Zoo Med Excavator Clay), or a custom mix of all of it.  You may also use non-adhesive shelf liner or paper towel (solid substrates) for very young or sick/recovering geckos. If you insist on using solid substrates long-term, make sure to include a “dig bin” of sand/soil in the enclosure.  

Impaction is a common topic (and non-issue); there are many people making claims that geckos ingesting any substrate at all will suffer health issues.  That’s far from the truth, and shouldn’t worry you at all if you have a healthy, well hydrated gecko kept at the correct temperature.  So long as the husbandry is correct, they will be able to pass just about anything (except aforementioned enriched sands).  Remember, these animals don’t live on paper towel in the wild, they live on dirt and rocky surfaces as they are designed to.

Diet & Supplementation:

Leopard Geckos are strict insectivores.  This means that they should consume a diet consisting entirely of insect prey.  They can eat any feeder insects available, staple diets often include crickets, superworms, mealworms or dubia roaches.  "Treat feeders" that are high in fat and should be offered sparingly include wax worms, butterworms, and hornworms.  Variety is important for any lizard species, try to mix it up when you can. Insects should be offered live, as the movement is what stimulates the animal to eat. Dried/canned insects are significantly inferior in nutritional content to their live counterparts.  Leopard gecko “pellets” are nutritionally bankrupt and are not an appropriate food source for this species.  

**Note: Do not feed your animal insects from outside, as they likely contain parasites or have been into herbicide/insecticides. Captive bred feeder insects are the safest thing to feed your gecko.

Hard shelled insects like crickets, superworms and dubia roaches should be of an appropriate size for your gecko to ensure they can digest it properly and reduce the risk of regurgitation. The way to tell if an insect is properly sized is to look at the space between the gecko’s eyes and choose a feeder that is approximately that long.  Soft bodied insects like hornworms can be about 2-3 times that length because they are easier to swallow and digest.  

Juvenile geckos should be fed daily, generally five or six appropriately sized insects each feeding.  Adults can be fed every three to six days, eight to ten prey items per feeding.  Monitor your animal’s weight to see how quickly they metabolize food; each individual is different and may require further adjustment to feeding schedule and amounts.  All feeder insects will need to be dusted with minerals and vitamins to ensure your gecko has access to everything it needs.  Incorrect or lack of supplementation can lead to health issues like metabolic bone disease (MBD), Vitamin A deficiency, gout and more.  Each feeding should be dusted with a reptile Calcium supplement containing vitamin D3.  Once a week you should switch the calcium powder with a Multivitamin supplement.  

**Note: Feel free to leave a small dish of Calcium without vitamin D3 in the enclosure for your gecko to access at will.  Doing so can allow them to manage their own calcium intake if they feel they aren’t getting enough, however, insects will still need to be dusted.  It is very important to make sure this dish does not have D3 in it as it can lead to overdose, only offer D3 at feeding time in regulated amounts.

Heat, Light & Humidity:

A Leopard Gecko will require one side of their enclosure to be heated and the other to be cool.  This gives them the opportunity to “thermoregulate” and move around based on their own comfort level.  Access to heat is very important for a Leopard Gecko; they use it to digest food and maintain proper bone density.  The basking spot on the hot side should be between 90 to 95-degrees F during the day.  This temperature can be achieved with a daytime heat bulb of an appropriate wattage for the size of enclosure.  A 20-gallon enclosure can usually be heated with 50 to 75 watts, though you will need to make your own adjustments based on the ambient temperature of your home. 

Under-tank heaters (UTH) or “heat mats” may be used supplementally. If using a UTH, be sure to install it in addition to a thermostat.  A thermostat (different from a thermometer), is designed to regulate the temperature of an under-tank heater, within 2 degrees of the temperature you set.  An unregulated heat mat can and will overheat, and has the potential to injure your animal while simultaneously increasing the risk of fire in your home.  UTH’s are commonly recommended for nocturnal species, but are entirely unnecessary in most cases. You can achieve more natural and safe heating with an overhead heat bulb.  

**Note: In any case, do not use a UTH as the only heat source unless the room temperature is above 78 degrees F.  A UTH will heat a surface, but will not be capable of heating the air inside the enclosure (as a heat bulb will).  A Leopard Gecko consistently breathing cold air is at risk of developing a respiratory infection.  

The cold side of the enclosure should stay between 75 to 80 degrees F during the day.  This will vary slightly with tank size, house temperature, wattage of heat source, etc. Lights should be shut it off at night so that your animal is able to understand when it is night time, this is often referred to as a Day/Night cycle.  At night, the temperature may drop as low as 65 degrees F.  If night time temperatures fall below 65, you may want to add a low wattage night time heat source that does not emit light, like a ceramic heat emitter (CHE).

Humidity should be relatively low in a Leopard Gecko enclosure. These are desert dwelling animals, and are built for dry environments.  If the humidity level is too high, this could lead to respiratory infections.  The only humid area within the cage should be the humid hide.  Aim to keep the ambient humidity around 30 to 40% to keep your gecko comfortable.  

UVB lighting is an option for Leopard Geckos. Being nocturnal animals, they don't require this type of lighting (simulated sunlight) to survive, though they can absolutely benefit from some exposure to low level UVB (5.0 Tropical bulb/6% Shade-dweller).  Should you choose to provide UVB, you will need to make a change to calcium/D3 supplementation.  UVB provides extra vitamin D3, too much D3 can lead to overdose.  This means you will need to use a calcium without D3 for regular feedings and a multivitamin with D3 once a week to ensure the gecko is getting the correct amount.

Handling & Interaction:

Leopard Geckos can be very personable and fun to interact with.  It is also important to know that they are capable of dropping their tails at will if they are stressed or if pressure is put on the tail.  This is most common with baby geckos, and much less common with adult specimens.  They are able to regrow their tails, although, it will look quite a bit different from the original (more bulbous, no ridges).  This adaptation is used as a defense mechanism in the wild.  If a predator catches their tail, they can let it go and keep running to escape.  The newly detached tail will even continue to wiggle around for a while to distract the predator to aid the gecko’s escape attempt.  Therefore, it is important not to grab the tail when handling your gecko or they may drop a valuable fat and nutrient storage vessel.  

Baby geckos can be flighty, they will calm with age and routine handling. Brand new animals should be left without handling for at least one week while they adjust to their new home.   After settling in initially, new geckos can be handled on a large bed, or very low to the ground to avoid fall injuries.  Don’t underestimate their speed, as they can be very fast when they want to be.  Over time, as your animal gets to know and tolerate you, they will move slower and be more relaxed in general.  Limit all handling sessions to a maximum of 15 minutes to ensure your cold-blooded friend stays comfortably warm and doesn’t stress out. Avoid grabbing your animal around the mid-section, they are small, fragile animals with delicate bone structure. Instead, scoop your fingers under the chin, this encourages the animal to step onto your hand.  

**Note: A good way to bond with new geckos is to introduce tong-feeding (or hand feeding if you’re comfortable doing so). This will allow your animal to get to know you, while still feeling secure in the safety of it’s enclosure.  

Overall, Leopard Geckos make sweet, quiet, interactive pets. As far as reptiles go, this is one of the easiest ones to care for, and take up the least amount of space.  They are, like most reptiles, long lived with an impressive 20-year lifespan. Due to how common these animals are, there are a lot of them available from rehoming situations and rescues. This is a long-term commitment, and not a disposable pet as many people seem to believe. If you’re a parent seeking a short-lived pocket pet for your child at Christmas, please consider a stuffed animal first. If you’re a parent who understands this animal has needs, like food, heat and vet care when necessary, a Leopard Gecko could be a good learning experience for a school aged child (with your assistance, of course).

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Care Guide: Savannah Monitor

Savannah Monitors (Varanidae – Varanus exanthematicus) or “Bosc Monitors” are what we would consider “expert level” pets, in fact, we would place most monitors in this category.  These robust, mini-Velociraptors are more than just a handful to care for.  Properly caring for a Savannah Monitor will take space, time, money and energy, a lot of it.  They get very large; roughly anywhere between 3 to 5 feet in length (depending on gender and genetics), and will need significant investment into creating their enclosure. Here is everything you’ll need to know and consider before deciding whether to bring this intelligent, chaotic and rewarding creature into your home.

Savannah Monitors are notoriously the most frequently neglected reptile in the pet industry, most do not survive their first year of life in captivity.  There is a mountain sized pile of bad care advice available online, and most of the reptile industry has greatly misunderstood these animals for half a century.  Luckily, there are also many exceptional keepers out there who go the extra mile, reading into scientific journals, speaking to geography and science experts, and sometimes even getting on a plane to go fetch the data themselves.  Those dedicated people have been vital in obtaining a detailed re-understanding of these fantastic, but complicated lizards.  

Feeding:

Perhaps the biggest thing the reptile industry got wrong for so long-- treating all monitors alike, though they are the furthest thing from equal.  Most large monitors do fantastic, even thrive on a diet of frozen-thawed rodents.  For a long time, Savannah Monitors in captivity were being offered a rodent based diet, and no surprise, most of them died.  We later learned just how susceptible Sav’s are to Gout and Fatty Liver Disease—FLD for short.  When a Sav is fed a rodent exclusive diet, it receives far³ too much fat to reasonably process.  When reptiles get fat, they don’t accumulate it under the skin (the way we do), they form fat inside their vital organs, limiting organ function to the ultimate point of failure.  This means that an obese Savannah is in real distress and its life is at risk.  

All that being said, Savannah Monitors do best on a diet of invertebrates, a lot of them. They will eat an assortment of insects like snails, crickets, superworms, grasshoppers, silkworms, roaches, giant mealworms, etc.  Feel free to use packaged or canned feeders too for some variety that you might not be able to access live.  ProBugs sells things like packaged scorpions, these can make a nice treat meal for your Sav and are safer to feed in comparison to the live counterpart. A baby Savannah monitor will need to eat daily, high calcium, low fat.  An adult can be fed as little as twice a week, provided they are offered enough food per meal, use your judgement and watch how your animal carries their weight.  Treat feeders can include hornworms, butterworms, waxworms, quail eggs, shrimp, etc.  Feel free to read more into their dietary requirements to balance calcium and phosphorus levels. There are a lot of wonderful resources available including the Facebook group “Savannah Monitor Group” where they have compiled countless files analyzing and encouraging Sav care improvement, check out this dietary note for more clarification.

When feeding your Savannah Monitor, it is also extremely important to supplement their diet with vitamins and minerals.  Each feeding, dust your feeder insects with a Calcium powder +D3.  Once a week, you can swap out the calcium with a multivitamin powder. Proper supplementation protects your animal from life threatening diseases like MBD (Metabolic bone disease), Vitamin A deficiency (vision and skin issues), Gout and more.

Housing, Substrate, Humidity, Water:

Savannah Monitors are LARGE, and will require an accommodatingly LARGE enclosure.  You will either need to commission a company/person to build something, or build it yourself, as these enclosures are not commercially available.  The ideal space for a single adult Savannah, is roughly 8’x4’x4’, babies and juveniles can be kept in 40-gallons to 3’x2’x2’ enclosures while you are building their final home.  

Furnish the enclosure with a couple of hiding places, ideally one on each end of the enclosure so that the animal has options depending on the temperature it feels most comfortable in.  You may decorate with large, stable pieces of driftwood or cork bark, large pieces of slate and fake foliage.  Though you can safely use real plants, monitors are not delicate movers and will most likely trample anything you decide to plant.  They’ll destroy fake plants as well; it just takes longer. Remember to diligently secure any heavy décor items you choose to include, as a burrowing Savannah Monitor has the potential to knock things over, risking injury.

The substrate you choose, should be able to hold humidity, be easy to dig in, and capable of holding tunnel shape.  The most popular mixture used with this species is a sand/soil mixture. However, there are many types available that you can mix and match to achieve a similar result.  We use a mixture of cypress mulch, soil, sand, coco fiber, peat moss and sphagnum moss and find it suits the needs of the animal well, while keeping mess to a minimum.  In the wild, Savannah Monitors live in African Sub-Saharan grasslands.  They often dig burrows to hide out in, these burrows can reach 100% humidity, this helps them to shed their skin effectively.  Aim to keep the enclosure around 60 to 80% humidity, fluctuating throughout the day.  You should be able to achieve this by misting the cage daily and/or pouring some water into the substrate. Generally, there should be a period mid-day, where the enclosure dries out, this will maintain the animal’s respiratory health.  Too much or constant humidity can be just as bad as too little humidity, finding the right balance and fluctuation is important.  

**Note: Savannah Monitors shed their skin in patches, and not all at once.  They shed pretty much constantly due to the length of the process.  Do not peel any skin off the animal, as you can damage its scales by doing so.  If you notice “stuck shed” that has been lingering for longer than the shed cycle, give your monitor a shallow, luke warm soak for about 20 minutes and wipe the softened skin away with a soft cloth.  If it does not come off this way, add some wet moss or wet paper towels around the inside of the enclosure for added humidity.  

Savannah Monitors usually always defecate in their water dish, it will need to be replaced once or twice a day to ensure your animal has access to clean, fresh water at all times.  When choosing a water dish, pick one that your animal will be able to completely submerge their body in.  For adults, this often means a large storage tub, as commercial ‘reptile branded’ water dishes are not large enough.  Use a water de-chlorinator like Reptisafe in your animal’s water to remove any harmful impurities often found in tap water.

Heat and Light:

As is the case with most Monitors, Savannah’s need a lot of heat to properly digest meals and form bones the way they should.  They will require a hot spot of around 130/140 degrees F, 120 F for juveniles.  The hot spot should ideally have some sort of rock or slate beneath to maintain the temperature and provide access to belly heat.  The ambient air temperature should be around 85 degrees F, while the coldest areas may drop as low as 75 degrees F.  Having this range of temperatures available will assist your animal with thermoregulation.  A hatchling enclosure can be heated with a single heat bulb, whereas an adult should be offered two heat bulbs on the basking site to disperse the concentration of heat.  Adults kept with a single heat bulb will not be able to effectively warm themselves under one bulb.  They often end up with back burns from sitting in the same spot, trying to warm their large, long body with a single heat beam.  

Savannah Monitors will also do best when kept under a high level of UVB, 10.0 Desert or 14%.  Many monitor keepers believe it is not necessary to use UVB lighting, due to the way they synthesize D3 and process calcium.  We disagree with this and believe that UVB is absolutely vital to our diurnal monitor lizards, due to the way it stimulates appetite, energy and activity, and vibrant scale colour development.  T5 bulbs (we like Arcadia) are the most effective UV lighting option available on the market, we strongly advise using them.  It is best to choose a bulb that offers full coverage to the length of the enclosure, these bulbs need to be changed every six months to once a year as they run out of the chemical that makes them effective.  As a cost saving measure (to avoid replacing bulbs when unnecessary), if you have the money to invest in a Solarmeter, we would highly recommend it.  They run about $300 CAD, and have become a staple tool for maintaining our collection.  

Taming, Sexing, Extras:

Savannah Monitors are highly intelligent reptiles, this makes them harder to bond with because they instinctively see you as a predator and are more than capable of defending themselves.  Their defence mechanisms include a full set of sharp claws, teeth designed to lacerate flesh and a tail they know how to whip with accuracy.  To get your animal to trust you will be a lengthy process, that can easily be thrown off track if you make the wrong move, but you can always restart. Trust building should be done gradually.  Get your Sav used to your presence, let them know you’re safe by maintaining consistency.  Have them slowly get used to you routinely bringing them food, changing their water, cleaning their enclosure, and speaking to them in a low voice.

There are many routes you can take from there, some use food as a motivator for contact.  Others like to target train feedings and keep handing contact separate to avoid accidental food response bites.  Whichever route you choose, take it slow and be consistent.  Your monitor will calm down and begin to regard you as a safe person they can trust over time. Try not to handle your animal while it is cold, they’ll be calm because they’re too cold to move, but they’ll also be terrified. If you focus on keeping them warm while interacting (in-cage interactions, brief out-of-cage interactions), they will feel safer knowing they still have the energy to defend themselves if they need to.  

**Note: Try to work with the animal a lot while it is young, and regularly as it grows to maintain your bond.  An animal that trusts you can easily turn to one who doesn’t if it isn’t handled for two months.  Get your Savannah to a point where it’s unlikely to bite you while it is still too small to do significant damage, an adult monitor bite is no picnic and can be very serious.

Sexing monitors is not easy, often you won’t actually be able to tell for sure until you see an adult hemipenal eversion while it defecates (usually in water).  Sometimes you can tell by the appearance of the adult animal by looking at the head shape (males have bigger heads, more bulbous foreheads, and larger nostrils), the sheer body size, or looking for male signifying grease patches on the underside of the back feet.  If you have no luck with any of that, blood tests performed by a veterinarian are the most accurate way to know for sure.  

You’ll find a lot of people online claiming Savannah Monitors are horrible pets, they’re really not.  They can make absolutely wonderful, fulfilling, intelligent pets for the right person.  You have to fully commit yourself to providing ample time, energy, investment and patience if you want it to work.  Once you have the husbandry down, and the taming under control, you’ll probably end up with a very personable, entertaining, dog sized lizard.  It takes a lot of determination but it’s so worth it to end up with the animal you’ll get in the end. We love our boy, and he tolerates us but loves food. If it’s affection you’re after, you might consider getting a dog instead.

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Care Guide: Bearded Dragon

Bearded Dragons (Pogona vitticeps), are a great moderate-difficulty pet to keep.  We wouldn't exactly call them a beginner animal, but a beginner could absolutely start with one, provided they have done ample research and are well prepared to take on the responsibility.   We preface with this because, although Bearded Dragons are extremely hardy and resilient, they require close attention to detail where their environmental parameters are concerned.  If a new reptile keeper goes into it with the mindset that Bearded Dragons are easy, we feel that they might not pay enough attention to the most important parts of their care.  Once you get the basic rules of husbandry established, they can be easy to maintain on a regular day to day routine.  Bearded Dragons can reach 15” to 18” (in rare cases 22”) in length and can live 10 to 15 years in captivity.  

Feeding and Supplementation:

Bearded Dragons are omnivores, this means that they eat a variety of insects and plant material -- a lot of them.  As juveniles, they need a lot more protein in their diet than an adult specimen would.   Babies & Juveniles: 80% Protein, 20% Greens Adults: 20% Protein, 80% Greens They will eat pretty much anything you offer; most dragons aren’t super picky.  Insect feeders to use on a regular basis will include: Crickets, Roaches, Superworms, Silkworms, BSFL (Phoenix Worms) and Mealworms.  Insect feeders to use as "treats" include; Hornworms, Waxworms, Butterworms.  These treat feeders, though very nutritious, are high in fat and will inevitably lead to obesity in fed in excess.  All prey items fed should be offered live, as the movement stimulates the animal to chase and eat it.  Live insects are more nutritious and hydrating than freeze dried or canned offerings. You may hear at some point that Bearded Dragons can be fed pinky mice.  This is not a good idea for a healthy individual, as it drastically shortens the lifespan of the animal by supplying an excessive amount of fat to the liver and other vital organs.  However, if you have an adult Dragon who is suffering serious health issues and refuses to eat very much, feeding one pinky every two weeks to a month can provide a large boost of protein, calcium and vitamins to assist in recovery.  Many also use this tip as a way to give an extra boost to breeding female animals who have just produced a clutch of eggs.  We would otherwise suggest skipping pinkies altogether for healthy Dragons.  Bearded Dragons do not require rodents in their diet by nature but they can be fed very sparingly to those who need extra supplementation.

   Aside from protein, Beaded Dragons should be fed a variety of greens.  Dragons can be fed most leafy greens like dandelion, arugula, sprouts, cilantro, kale (in moderation), collard greens, endive, radicchio, cactus pad (de-spined) etc.  Avoid spinach and beet tops as they can lead to mineral deficiencies later on.  You can also feed small pieces of other vegetables like shredded carrot, sweet potato, peas (in moderation), bell pepper, squash, etc.  Fruits may also be given in small amounts, no more than once a week as the sugar content is too high.  You may use blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, mango, papaya, etc.  Avoid acidic fruits like apple, and tomato.   When feeding your Bearded Dragon (Insects OR Greens), make sure to dust with the appropriate supplements so that your dragon can get everything it needs to thrive.  A Calcium powder supplement with Vitamin D3 should be dusted on all food items offered.  Once a week, a Multivitamin powder can be used to dust the food instead.  Without proper supplementation, your Dragon may develop Calcium deficiency, Vitamin A deficiency, or Metabolic Bone Disease.  These are serious health issues that can be challenging to treat if caught too late.

Heating and Lighting:

Bearded Dragons are Diurnal animals.  This means that they are most active throughout the day and get their rest at night, like we do.  Being a Diurnal lizard, they will need exposure to simulated sunlight (UVB).  UVB allows your animal to synthesize vitamin D3, they use D3 to process calcium and form their bones correctly.  Without proper lighting and supplementation, your Dragon could develop Metabolic Bone Disease.  MBD is a disorder that weakens the bones and forces them to grow in unnatural formations.  Some indicators of MBD are swollen limbs, poor movement of joints, sunken eyes, misshapen tails or limbs.  This can severely limit your animal's mobility and very seriously impact its overall health.  The correct UVB to use for a Bearded Dragon is a 14% or 10.0 Desert Bulb.  The wattage/or strength of the bulb ultimately depends on the size of the enclosure, too weak of a bulb will not reach the surface that your animal lives on, a bulb too strong can cause neurological issues.   It is always best to use a “strip lamp” or T5HO fixture for UVB, this provides the most coverage and the most effective light delivery.  Often, T5 fixtures can be expensive to purchase in the beginning, but they are the most cost-effective route in the end.  T5HO bulbs only need replacing once a year, by this time they will have run out of the chemical that makes them effective.  Another option for UVB lighting is Compact Fluorescent (CFL), this type is shaped like a lamp bulb that screws in.  CFL is widely considered the worse of the two, the UVB output on these bulbs is far less than that of a T5 blub, and they must be replaced ever six months. However, there is a time and a place for these bulbs.  If you start out with a baby dragon, you may have decided to use a smaller enclosure to be sized up gradually as your animal grows, ten or twenty gallons.  These tanks are short, often only about 12”.  The issue with using a T5 fixture on such a small tank is that the light concentration will likely be too powerful.  T5 blubs deliver effective light up to 24” below the blub, that’s twice the height of most small tanks.  In this case, we would recommend sticking with a CFL bulb for the short period of time your animal lives in that tank, as it will be more height appropriate.  CFL’s come in two wattages, 13W and 26W, the 13W will deliver light up to 9” below the bulb and the 26W reaches 18”, keep in mind that light delivered through a mesh lid will be reduced, adjust accordingly. Either way, make sure to be using a 10.0 or 14% bulb intended for desert species.

**Note: T8 UVB bulbs also exist, they are basically a middle-ground between T5 and CFL.  However, most manufacturers are doing away with them in favour of T5, making them harder to find. Moving on, heat is absolutely vital for a Bearded Dragon.  They will require a very hot basking spot of 100 to 115 degrees F.  This basking spot will help them to digest food correctly so that it does not rot in their stomach, it also prevents MBD and respiratory illness.  You will need to create a “thermal gradient” in the enclosure, this means a gradual change of temperature from one side to the other.  The “hot side” will be warmed by the basking bulb, and the cold side of the enclosure should stay around 75 to 80 degrees so that the animal may thermo-regulate and decide where to go and move around based on their comfort level.  Nighttime temperature drops are good (shutting off the lights at night) unless it drops below 65 degrees F.  If it gets colder than that, you may want to add a Ceramic Heat Emitter (CHE) to raise the ambient nighttime temperature, these are specialized bulbs that produce heat, but no light.   Given the use of UVB and a heat lamp, you won't need to add any additional lighting to achieve a proper day/night cycle.  Try putting your lights on a timer to help maintain a regular 12-hour light cycle.  Your Dragon should be exposed to 12 hours of darkness.  Never use infrared bulbs or “Red Bulbs” on your Bearded Dragon, they can see this type light as well as any other light and it will prevent them from sleeping.

Housing and Substrate:

The ideal enclosure size for an adult Bearded Dragon is 4'x2'x2' (roughly 120 gallons).   However, for many years people have kept them in as small as a 40-50 gallon enclosure with no real issue. This will be completely your decision, but 40 gallons should be the absolute smallest potential tank size for an adult.  Keep in mind, many countries have already enforced a 120 Gallon minimum for this species.  More is always better for any animal, but we will admit there are many ways of keeping an animal successfully. Bearded Dragons are solitary, territorial animals in the wild and thrive best when kept alone in captivity.  Males will absolutely fight without question and females have the potential to as well.  Male-Female breeding pairs should only be housed together when actively breeding, and should be separated the rest of the year to avoid injury, stressing your female out or over breeding.  Bearded Dragons do not get lonely, there is no need to cohabitate.  If you are, against advice, attempting to cohabitate for any reason; make sure to have a second enclosure set up and available in case an emergency separation needs to happen immediately.

Under the basking lamp, you should have some kind of platform for the animal to rest on while they absorb the heat.  This can be a piece of driftwood, hammock, large rock, or a hide, get creative.  In our experience, Bearded Dragons don't typically hide very often but one or two hiding places should be available within the enclosure should they choose to utilize them.   Substrate (the stuff on the bottom, sand, soil, etc.) is a hot button issue for many Bearded Dragon keepers.  During your research, you'll find a plethora of different and conflicting opinions on the matter.  While we won't tell you which direction (loose or solid substrate) to choose for your animal, we can provide you with some facts to help you decide.   Some solid substrates often used include; paper towel, newspaper, Repti-carpet, sand mats, non adhesive shelf liner, linoleum and ceramic tile.  The debate for using solid substrates is that your Dragon can't accidentally or intentionally ingest anything that could potentially get stuck in their digestive track, risking impaction.  Personally, we would steer you away from the use of repti-carpet and sand mats, as these two options tend to be very difficult to clean and generally harbor a myriad of bacteria not visible to the eye.  The remaining options are all very easy to clean and pose no physical threat to your animal.  

Some loose substrates often used for Bearded Dragons are; Repti-sand, Ground Walnut Shell, Excavator Clay, Desert Stone, Play-sand, Sand/Soil mixtures (various). The arguments for using loose substrates are that they are easier to clean, allow your animal to practice natural digging behaviour, and often aid in the process of digestion if small amounts are swallowed with food.  You can see how this contradicts other existing opinions.  So long as your temperatures are correct, and your animal is well hydrated, they will pass any ingested substrate.  If you have a sick animal, it is probably best to stick to paper towel. The only loose substrate option we would strongly advise against is Calci-Sand (or any other calcium/vitamin enriched sand substrate). Enriched sands encourage your animal to eat the substrate to make up for any missing supplementation.  Calci-Sand has the highest risk of impaction associated with its use, and has led to the death of many pet reptiles over decades.

Water and Humidity:

Being a desert dwelling animal, Bearded Dragons do not require significant humidity.  In fact, they are built to withstand very hot and dry environments and may suffer respiratory illness if kept too humid.  Bearded Dragons have water storage areas in the sides of their head and at the base of their tail.  This means that they don't require a water dish, they get most of their hydration from the greens and insects in their diet.  

Some keepers do choose to keep a water dish in the enclosure, and though the animal may eventually learn that there is water in it, most won't actually drink from it because it isn't moving.  It won't do any harm (if it doesn’t raise the humidity) to keep a water dish with your animal, but it isn't technically necessary for this species.  In the unlikely case you see that your animal is dehydrated, indicated by the depletion, or sinking appearance of water storage areas on it’s body, or are worried for any reason about its water intake, you may give your animal a shallow, luke warm bath once a week (they'll usually drink some of the water and will absorb some through their cloaca) OR drip some water onto their face or food.  

**Note: Pay attention to your animal when it is going through a shedding process.  Bearded Dragons shed in patches, not all at once, sometimes the process can take up to a couple weeks.  If you notice after a length of time that your animal has some retained or “stuck shed”, you may bathe it with the aforementioned method and use a soft cloth to gently wipe away the softened shed.  

Handling and Stress:

Handling your Dragon may be a little challenging if they are very young.  Baby Dragons are often quite squirmy, jumpy and quick.  Handling for 10 to 15 minutes daily will help your animal get used to your presence at first.  Adult Dragons, though fully capable runners who should not be underestimated, are usually very docile and seem to enjoy time spent with their owners.  A well socialized adult will usually be comfortable sitting on the couch or table for extended periods of time.  During lengthy handling sessions, be mindful of your animal's body temperature, they are cold-blooded ectotherms from hot climates, which means they can get cold quickly and easily.  It's important to return your Dragon to their enclosure at this point.  Hand feeding or tong feeding insects and greens can be a great bonding exercise for you and your animal, sometimes this can be a great way to introduce yourself before you begin handling sessions.  

They can also be taken outside (closely monitored) on warm days for some enrichment; harnesses and leashes are available for Bearded Dragons.  When bringing your animal outdoors, they may become nervous when birds fly overhead or if a shadow catches their parietal eye.  This is their "third eye," located on the top of their head.  This adaption has evolved to detect changes in light, in the wild it is used as a defence mechanism to alert the animal to any predators approaching from above.  Some signs of stress in Bearded Dragons include; inflated and darkened beard, head bobbing, waving and glass surfing.  Pay attention to your animal and locate the cause of any sudden behavioural changes. Overall, Bearded Dragons make absolutely wonderful pets.  They have so much personality and are very intelligent.  This is a fantastic choice for people who prefer handleable, interactive pets.  Unlike many lizards, their size, shape, temperament and inability to drop their tails make them perfect for people with children who might want to hold it under supervision from time to time.  These animals will become a beloved member of the family in no time, enjoy your new pet!

[redeyereptiles]

Exotic Veterinarians and Finding Reptile Assistance

When you get a dog or cat, you’ve probably already found a vet you’re planning to use.  When you get a reptile, you’re probably still looking or haven’t even considered it yet.  The more unfortunate part is that the likeliness of finding a vet suitable for your reptile and its unique veterinary care is very slim.  Exotic veterinarians are few and far between, especially in rural or suburban areas.  Though there are many standard veterinary clinics that agree to “treat” reptiles, it doesn’t necessarily make them a viable option.  

Exotic specialty vets are trained extensively in reptile husbandry and illness; traditional vets who just so happen to treat reptiles, aren’t. That is an important difference to remember, and it’s very important to stay vigilant when seeking assistance for your pet.   It is not uncommon for standard ‘cat-dog’ veterinarians to give out blatantly incorrect or outdated information pertaining to reptile husbandry and healthcare. Sometimes they do this to the point where it can actually be detrimental to your animal’s health and wellbeing.  I am certain there are vets out there who don’t do this, but it is unfortunately far more common than not.  The problem is that unless you live in a densely populated city, you’re probably not going to find an experienced exotic vet nearby unless you are very, very lucky.   Make no mistake, we are not claiming veterinary care is unreliable in general (at least not completely...)  Most vets, even standard vets are capable of performing fecal examinations, x-rays, ultrasounds, and prescribing antibiotics.  These are important procedures that in severe or simple cases, need accessing, and should be accessed when necessary.   In some cases, you may have acquired a wild caught or second hand “rescue” animal.  In those situations, you absolutely should be getting your pet into a veterinarian to assess the fecal parasite load and do a basic check-up to make sure you get off on the right foot.  In other cases, it’s not that easy, and though you think you’re doing right by your animal, it may actually make it worse. For example, we had a Leopard Gecko surrendered into our care.  The animal had been presenting with difficulty for over a year.  The previous owner did their absolute best trying to get the proper assistance.  It started with a spot on the edge of the mouth that appeared to be mouth rot, from an unknown source - likely a cricket bite that got infected.  After some time consulting with other reptile keepers on ways to improve the spot, another symptom appeared.  They noticed that the animal now had cloudy eyes – a typical indicator of Vitamin A deficiency.  At this point the animal was taken to several vets in the area, seeking help, second opinions, the works.  Five hundred dollars and a seemingly worse off gecko later, the owner had done the best they could and forfeited the animal.  

Apparently, none of the vets bothered to do a fecal examination, which was the first mistake made.  Had they done so, they would have noticed that the animal was suffering a parasite overload.  The first day the gecko came into our care, we could physically see the worms in his eyes, the next day he began anti-parasite treatment and an eye drop regimen.  The gecko ended up developing a severe eye infection after the first few rounds of anti-parasite medication, which was treated following completion of the first medication.  Since then, he has completely lost eyesight and had had to undergo surgery to have hardened abscesses left-over from the infection removed from behind his eyes.  He is still on the long road of healing, but slowly seeming to show progress.  If the vets had have done a fecal examination right off the bat, they would have determined the involvement of parasites, likely from an infected cricket.  Had they known this when he first visited the vet, they could have prescribed an anti-parasite medication immediately and the animal would not have had to endure all that it has, and probably would still have his eyesight.   We spoke to the previous owner early on about the development we had noticed in his eyes, and they expressed that all the work the vets had done between two offices, consisted of a few rounds of antibiotics and a vitamin injection (No other examinations).  The really outstanding part of this story is that they were about to deliver the vitamin injection into the Leopard Gecko’s tail. For those who don’t see the issue with this, Leopard Gecko tails are a fat deposit that can be dropped at will, an injection in this area would soon prove useless. This is one example, an extreme example with a severe health issue, but one that happens more often than you would imagine.  They have no problem accepting money to treat your animal, but they don’t actually know how to treat your animal, and that’s what’s frustrating about this industry.  An exotic vet would be the simple solution, but there just aren’t enough of them out there to meet the demand.  The next best thing you can do is to consult hobbyists, get advice, get opinions.  It might not seem like a reasonable option, but it is.  Many of the people you’ll speak to in the hobby really know what they’re doing, and if they don’t, they know who to direct you to.  When exotic vets are in short supply and standard vets are less than optimal, you’ll have to learn to troubleshoot most simple ailments on your own. A lot of folks in this community really know what they’re talking about and can help you out of a jam most of the time.

The reptile keeping community spreads worldwide.  As a group of people who share the same love of our under-appreciated animal friends, we are usually very supportive of each other.  Together we have collected a lot of valuable information over decades of learning, improving our care practices and producing these creatures.  There are thousands of blogs, forums and social media groups that have the ability to answer nearly any question you can think of.  Like most communities, there is a small percentage of people with poor attitudes, take those individuals with a grain of salt.  The majority of them are very helpful and knowledgeable.   The members of this community often face rude and ignorant people of the general public who think it’s okay to say degrading things to people who like reptiles. So naturally, some of the people in hobby can get pretty defensive, or condescending as a result of this.  They’re rude, but it’s coming from a place that just really cares about the animal’s wellbeing.  Don’t let those people discourage you, you are making the effort to research and ask for help. This is the right thing to do.  After a season of two of reptile keeping, you will come to understand how to navigate these sources without having to deal with negative people like that. It feels dumb to have to disclaim this, but the way I have seen some experienced keepers speak to newcomers has been offensive enough that I think it needs to be said as a word of caution.  Don’t let the gatekeepers scare you off of seeking help.

Keep in mind, when asking for help with your animal, you will need to have some important information ready. In most cases, people will ask some combination of the following questions: - What are the temperatures within the enclosure? Basking/Hot Side/Cool Side/Ambient - When did it last eat? - What is it eating and how much/how frequently? - When did it last defecate? - When did it last shed? Is it currently in shed? - What is the humidity of the enclosure? - What is inside the enclosure? (Substrate, hides, decorations) - What area of the home is the enclosure in? (Windows nearby, temperature of the room, foot traffic) - What size is the enclosure? - Do you have any other pets in the home? - Do you use air fresheners? - When was the last time or are you currently handling the animal? - Has the animal been physically injured? - What are the supplements you are using on your animal’s food and how often are you using them? (Calcium, with or without D3/Multivitamin with or without D3) - What lighting are you using, if any, and for how long each day? - What type of heating equipment are you using, if any? (Bulb, mat, thermostat??) - Is the animal wild caught or captive bred? - What are the animal’s genetics? Making sure you have the answers to all of these questions can assist others in leading you to a solution for MOST every problem your animal might encounter.  Usually, there is no need to panic.  Reptiles are resilient and can often be improved with a little research and minor husbandry changes, so long as you pay close attention, and notice any issues early on.  

There are several severe instances (ex. major physical injury, internal complications or conditions, necrosis) that you will have no other option besides taking your animal to see an exotic veterinarian.  Still, a large majority of problems can be handled by intermediate keepers and simple over the counter treatments (ex. Betadine, Neosporin, Cod Liver Oil, etc).  Take caution when utilizing any home remedies or treatments (especially with amphibians) and do thorough research before attempting anything on your own.  If you are ever feeling unsure about the advice you have been given and are not confident in the animal’s recovery, please do find a vet capable of helping you and your pet.  Do not attempt any surgical procedures at home, under any circumstances. We will touch on several home treatments in future posts and will link them here once they have been published.  Until then, keep learning.  Research is the best way to ensure your animal stays healthy in the first place.  Remember that most health issues are completely preventable, in any animal.  We are responsible for their protection the moment we decide to bring them into our care.

[redeyereptiles]

Care Guide: Crested Gecko

Crested geckos (Correlophus ciliatus), also called Eyelash Geckos (after their pointed, lash-like crests), are perfect beginner pets due to their ease/simplicity of care. Originally hailing from New Caledonia, this is a widely available captive bred species across North America. These small-bodied geckos typically reach 8″ to 10″ in length and live an average of 15 to 20 years in captivity. Here is everything you'll need to know about taking care of a Crested Gecko.

Diet and Feeding:

Crested geckos should be fed Crested Gecko Diet (CGD- powdered food that gets mixed with water) as their staple food source. This includes a number of different brands like Repashy, Pangea, Exo-Terra, Clark’s, Zoo-Med and Arcadia. Since these geckos tend to have a fairly picky palate, you may need to try multiple different brands before finding the one your animal prefers.  Often times, the animal will only ever eat the first brand it was offered, so be sure to ask the breeder/store you’re buying from. CGD contains a powdered fruit puree, ground insects, vitamins and minerals. Many brands offer flavours that don't contain insect protein, these can be used only as a treat to give your animal some variety. The flavours without insects should not be used as a staple diet unless you are heavily supplementing with insects. Tip: look for the words "Complete Diet" on the packaging.

Sometimes Crested Geckos can get fussy and refuse to eat their CGD altogether, in favour of live insects.  If this is the case with your gecko, stop feeding insects immediately until you get your animal to eat the CGD. Once it resumes eating the powdered food, you may slowly introduce live prey back into it's diet. If you are struggling to interest your animal in the CGD, try mixing the powder with apple juice (no sugar added) instead of water or add a small drop of honey to the water/powder mixture. Do so with caution as your picky gecko might get hooked on the sweetness and refuse to go back to its regular mixture. Only use these tips if absolutely necessary.  Try not to cave in too quickly, a Crested Gecko will almost never starve itself, you may not even notice the small amount it is eating when you aren't watching (especially babies!) If the animal is defecating, it is eating. Never feed your animal human baby food, despite what you may see in many online care guides, it is not species appropriate in any way.

Crested Geckos spend most of their life in low tree branches, so naturally, they will find their food quickly and easily with the use of an elevated feeding ledge. Small disposable condiment cups are a common option, these vary widely in size and can be found to fit any feeding ledge you choose. You can also opt for a reusable food cup, which is more environmentally friendly. Crested geckos should have CGD available to them at all times. You should change the food out for a fresh mixture every other day for adults, and daily for babies.

It is a commonly regurgitated myth that Crested Geckos can thrive on CGD alone, with no need for insect supplementation. This is not the case, they may survive on it, but they wont thrive.  Crested Geckos require insects in their diet, though less than fully insectivorous animals.  Your gecko will need insects one to three times a week to maintain a healthy protein intake.  You’ll want to be feeding babies more protein than you would an adult.  Live insects are also a way to provide your animal with enrichment and stimulation, a well exercised animal is a healthy one. Additionally, this is your opportunity to supplement with valuable minerals.  The insects can be dusted with calcium w/D3 (each feeding) and multivitamin (once a week). Five crickets (or equivalent other insect) is a reasonable amount per feeding. Once in a while, you can give your gecko a treat in the form of mashed mango, papaya, banana or other low-acidic fruits. Our geckos love watermelon.

Water and humidity:

Another long standing myth that circulates online care guides, is that Crested Geckos don't drink from a water dish, that they only drink from droplets misted on the decor. They will absolutely drink from a water dish, and one should be provided to ensure they stay properly hydrated. This can be provided on a feeding ledge, or at the bottom of the enclosure (or both), they will find it when they want it.  Our geckos have a bad habit of soiling their water bowls immediately, they really like to poop in water.  We’ve started offering two water dishes per cage to ensure they have access to clean, fresh drinking water at all times.

Crested Geckos require significant humidity because they live in tropical rainforests in the wild. This humidity can be achieved by providing a large water dish, and misting the enclosure daily or twice a day depending on the atmosphere of your home.  Ideally, you want the enclosure to have a chance to dry out mid-day, this fluctuation in air humidity is vital for the respiratory health of your gecko. Your substrate should feel lightly damp but not dripping if squeezed.  Misting options include hand misters (pressurized and pump designs), and misting systems (Mist King, ZooMed Reptirain, Exo-Terra Monsoon, etc). We recommend adding a water conditioner like Reptisafe to any water used in the enclosure to remove chlorine, chloramines and other impurities from tap water.

Enclosure and Substrate:

Crested Geckos are arboreal animals, this means that they spend most of their time in the trees. In the wild, they tend to stay between one and six feet off the ground. They will require a reasonable amount of height depending on the size and age of the animal. Adult Crested Geckos do well in 18″x18″x18″ or 18″x18″x24″ enclosures (If you can go larger, do it! They’ll use it). Hatchling Crested Geckos are happily housed in 5 to 10 gallon enclosures or a large Faunarium.  The reason you want to house baby geckos in smaller tanks is mainly so that they may find their food with ease.  Being young, and in a very fragile period of their life, getting enough food is the most important part of their care.

Within the enclosure, you'll want to provide lots of climbing decor like branches, foliage, hanging hides, etc. The more you add, the more enrichment your animal will have, keeping them feeling safe and happy. Bendable vines are a great addition to a Crested Gecko enclosure, they’re easy to shape and customize to fit your setup and have a great texture for your animal to grip. Don't be afraid to add decor to the bottom of the enclosure as well, the gecko will likely come down occasionally to hunt or dig. 

The substrate you choose should be able to retain some moisture. Coco Fiber, Reptile Soil, Cypress Mulch and Bark Chips are all great options. Because of the level of humidity, many people keep their geckos in bioactive enclosures to assist in preventing mold and bacteria buildup. Refer to our post on bioactive enclosures for building instructions. Hatchling Crested Geckos can be kept on paper towel or newspaper for easier monitoring of droppings. You will need to clean the walls of the enclosure frequently to remove any feces, hard water buildup or food smudges. Crested geckos can be pretty messy at times and have a habit of walking through their food. A buildup on the walls can sometimes prevent your animal from sticking to the surface when they want to climb, leading to falls and potential injury.

Crested Geckos are solitary animals, this means that they prefer to live alone and can be territorial in many cases.  Some keepers have had success keeping two females together, however, this is entirely dependant on the individual personalities of the animals.  Females can, and usually do, fight.  Male-Female breeding pairs should only be kept together when actively breeding, and should be separated right after.  Splitting them up will ensure that your female is able to lay her eggs, uninterrupted and unbothered by a pesky boy.  It will also help to keep your animals happy, not stressed and not overbred.  Breeding animals should have a long “down period” between breeding seasons.    **Note: Female geckos not introduced to a male will sometimes still lay infertile eggs, this is perfectly normal. When this happens, you will notice her digging around the bottom of the enclosure for a few hours to a few days before hand, try to give her some privacy (it can take a while) and remove the eggs when she has moved away from them. Feed your female gecko extra protein and calcium at this time. She will need it to recover some of what she has used creating the eggs.

Heat and Lighting:

Crested Geckos do not require a lot of heat. In fact, temperatures around 84 degrees F will likely kill your animal. Keeping them too cold will also cause lethargy and feeding problems. The ideal temperature for a Crested Gecko is around 75 to 78 degrees F. A nighttime temperature drop to about 68 degrees F is also perfectly fine for your animal. If your ambient home temperature is cooler than 70 degrees consistently, we recommend adding a low wattage blue “Night time” bulb to raise the ambient temperature throughout the day. Use heat bulbs with caution and always monitor the temperature of your animal's enclosure.

Like all animals, Crested Geckos (though they are nocturnal) will need a day/night cycle. This means that they receive about 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness. You may want to add an LED light on the enclosure with a timer. Keeping the animal in a bright room with a window is also sufficient. Do not keep the enclosure directly in front of a window or in the direct light of the sun. This will turn your animal's enclosure into an oven, we don't want that.

Many keepers use UVB lighting with their geckos. It is not required for nocturnal animals, however, it has shown some beneficial evidence, should you choose to use it. Many find their geckos are more active with the use of UVB lighting. Use UVB with caution if supplementing with D3 enriched calcium and consider switching to calcium without D3 as they will absorb some D3 from the lighting and can potentially overdose on the vitamin if they receive too much. Please research types of UVB lighting before making your decision.  Be sure to use an appropriate wattage, 5.0 tropical bulb or 6-7% Shade-dweller bulb as per the size of your enclosure.

Handling and Interaction:

Crested Geckos are small, delicate animals.  When picking up your gecko, try to use a scooping motion with one or two fingers underneath it's chin area. Picking the animal up this way should naturally cause them to grab onto you, eliminating any need to grab them from around the midsection. Since their skeletal structure is so small, try to avoid any handling where pressure is put on the sides of their body, and instead, let them hold onto you. Crested Geckos have tiny hair-like Setae on each of their toes, this allows them to stick to smooth surfaces like glass, they also have tiny little claws on the end of each toe to grip rougher surfaces and balance.

Limit handling sessions with your Crested Gecko to only about 15 minutes a day or less. Handling for too long may be harmful to your animal, as they need to stay about 10 to 15 degrees cooler than your natural human body temperature.  Crested Geckos, like many other geckos, have the ability to "drop" their tail. In the wild, they use this as a defence mechanism to escape predators who have grabbed ahold of their tail. In captivity, geckos can drop their tails if you somehow put too much pressure on it or if they become stressed. This is very common with hatchling geckos but not as common with adults. Tailless Crested Geckos are often referred to as "Frog-butts", due to the way their back-end looks after it heals off. Unlike other geckos, Cresties do not possess the gene that allows them to regenerate or grow back their tails once dropped. This will not affect the overall health of your animal but it may take them a couple of days to figure out their balance again, this is what they use it for the most.

When handling your gecko, try to read their body language for any signs of stress. Signs of stress may include a combination of symptoms like:

- Being "fired up" (in their darkest, or most vibrant colour phase)

- Gaping (opening their mouth at you)

- Hunching or arching their back in an effort to appear larger

- Heavy, fast breathing

- Running or trying to jump away from you frantically. (Do not underestimate their ability to jump away very quickly, they just might end up on the ceiling. They're very talented)

- Tail twitching or head shaking

- Squeaking/Screaming/Barking

If your gecko begins to show a combination of stress symptoms, discontinue handling and return them to their enclosure. Gradually attempt handling in shorter, more infrequent sessions over a period of time to make your gecko more trusting. Tong feeding insects to your animal is a great trust building and bonding exercise. Like most animals, Crested Geckos can have mood swings and off days. Get to know your animal and their unique personality.

Overall, Crested Geckos make wonderful pets. They come in a wide variety of colour morphs and are a spectacle to look at. Building a tropical themed enclosure for them can also be very fun, there are a lot of really creative ideas out there. Once you get the basics down, they are one of the easiest animals to care for. Enjoy your new, tiny pet dragon!

[redeyereptiles]

Wildlife, Captivity, and the Pet Trade

Bringing Wildlife Home: While it may be easy and tempting to grab a Garter Snake or Salamander from the backyard instead of buying or adopting a captive bred animal, there are a lot of reasons why you shouldn’t.  Removing an animal from the wild often has repercussions for you, the animal itself, native animal populations, the environment, and potentially even your other animals.

The first issue you’ll encounter is that parasites are very common in wild animals.  Given their free range, unmonitored diet and unknown travel history, the animal is most likely carrying something that will eventually be a detriment to its health.  That’s why captive animals tend to have double or triple the life expectancy of their wild counterparts, because we eliminate natural dangers.  Parasites and other potential reptile related diseases can easily move from one animal to another via fecal contact/ingestion, human interaction, and surface contact.  Not only could it cost you an expensive vet visit for one animal, it could lead to multiple.  Large parasite loads lead to a loss of appetite, regurgitation, swelling, loss of vital organ function, critical weight loss and death.  Not only are vet visits expensive, stressful for your animal, and time consuming, they’re also challenging for reptiles because legitimate exotic vets are hard to come by.  In our experience, vets who take reptiles aren’t always versed in reptile care.  You’ll often leave frustrated, having had more knowledge of your animal than the actual vet and having wasted that time and money. There are experienced, specialty exotic vets out there, they’re just hard to find in most areas.

The next problem you will face is feeding your wild animal.  In many cases, wild caught snakes will refuse to eat frozen/thawed rodents and will insist on only eating live prey because that is what comes natural to them.  This can be difficult for some new keepers to handle if they refuse to transition to frozen food.  Many people may not find an issue with feeding live, but it is something to consider. Insect eating animals can be challenging to feed as well, some may be accustomed to eating a specific type of invertebrate that you can’t get as a captive feeder option from a store.  It can be very challenging to keep the animal healthy and stress free when it instinctually sees you as a predator, which it likely will because you took it out of its home.  Getting your wild animal eating, parasite free and happy will be hard.  They can simply fail to thrive for you, they can still crash, even if you do everything “right.” Health complications aside, taking animals from the wild is illegal in many places as well.  If you aren’t familiar with your local laws and conservation acts, we would recommend not attempting it at all.  Keeping wild or even captive born native animals can lead to substantial fines and other consequences.  Even beyond that, there are far more reasons this is a bad idea.  Removing native animals from the wild can impact breeding populations (especially if it’s an adult animal), and contributes to endangering the species’ existence as a whole.  That’s a lot to be responsible for.  Human intervention in animal populations can affect more than that one species but all species, predator and prey, who rely on each other to balance numbers and contribute to a stable, functioning, biodiverse world.

Keeping animals for a short period of time before releasing them back into the wild is another issue.  If the animal you’re harbouring comes into contact with other animals in your home, they can contract new “captive diseases” and bacteria strains that you might not be aware of.  If new diseases make it into native populations, this can be a major problem.  Immune systems of animal populations change based on their environment and socialization, just like humans.  Wild populations might not have the antibodies to fight certain captive animal diseases and vice versa.  A rampant, foreign disease could be disastrous for native animal colonies. Wild Caught Animals (Pet Trade): Understanding the consequences, this information can be transferred to a specific area of the legal pet trade as well believe it or not.   It is expensive and specialized to breed reptiles. Therefore, captive bred reptiles are usually expensive to purchase (with the exception of easy to breed, common, hobby reptiles like Corn Snakes and Crested Geckos).  Chances are, if the price of an animal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Exotic animal “farming” is a massive, worldwide industry.  Farming means that animals are collected from outdoor pens or otherwise ‘cages’ once a year, after a male-female pair is placed there to reproduce.  The “farmers” may supplement food in years where food is sparse, but the animals are almost completely unmanned, and left to be “wild.” This is commonplace in areas like Florida (for its favourable climate), usually with species like Chameleons and Green Iguanas. After the babies are collected, they are wholesaled into the pet trade.  

Similarly, other more exotic species of animals are also collected in their native ranges for sale into the pet trade.  They are usually captured by locals, and sold and shipped to dealers in the North American market. After that, they are commonly sold to Wholesalers who then sell to major Pet Retailers to be sold one last time.  A long journey for the animals, as they are put into crates or bins where they are over-crowded and stressed out.  They often become dehydrated and emaciated in the process and have ample opportunity to contract parasites and disease on their travels.  They aren’t separated by gender or age, so they usually breed and fight under the stress of the experience.  They frequently end up in the pet store gravid, dehydrated, injured and full of problems. Some wild caught reptiles can adapt to their new living situation better than others, usually if they are very caught young.  This doesn’t apply to all of them, but for the most part a young animal can adjust better after receiving proper husbandry, medical care if necessary and a great deal of effort on the part of the keeper. Adult animals that are brought into captivity are significantly more challenging to readjust.  Understandably so, as they have been removed from their environment, put through a traumatic experience and placed into new living quarters that are completely different from what they’re accustomed to. 

While decades of reptile keeping experience have given us the knowledge to give an animal basically anything its species requires, it’s still going to be different to what a wild animal really experiences in its natural range.  It may technically have all its needs met and more, but it’s a different world altogether and they are very likely to crash from the stress and change.  This is very common for animals like Water Dragons, Anoles, Tokay Geckos, Uromastyx, Mountain Horned Dragons, Legless Lizards and exotic species of snakes like African Egg Eating Snakes. Always buy captive bred animals whenever possible and try your best to buy from responsible breeders and reptile expos over chain pet stores.  Whenever buying any animal, always get as much information as you can about the animal’s behavioural, genetic and feeding history.

Releasing Pets into the Wild: Now that we understand the problems associated with bringing wildlife into captivity, we should also look at what happens when captive bred animals are released into the wild.  When you take on the responsibility of a pet, you should be completely prepared for exactly what it is you’re getting into.  This responsibility includes;

- Knowing, accepting, and being able to fulfil its care requirements at every age. - Being prepared to care for the animal for its entire life, however long that may be. Most reptiles have exceptionally long lives in captivity. - Having a safe space for your animal to go in the case of a housing emergency. - Having money set aside for emergency vet trips. - Understanding that animals need time, and planning for personal future lifestyle changes to make sure you will always have time to take care of it, to the best of your ability. - Being able to afford any other unexpected expenses regarding the animal. (Equipment repairs, replacements) - Being absolutely sure this is the animal for you, to ensure you will not get tired of it a year later. - If a situation arises that is completely beyond your control and you can absolutely no longer care for your animal, despite all of your planning, make sure to re-home your animal to a responsible home or to a rescue.  Never release your animal into the wild under any circumstances. When irresponsible reptile owners release their animals into the wild, depending on the climate of the area, the animal will suffer a painful, undeserved death OR it can devastate native populations.  If a non-native animal is released and can withstand the climate of the area enough to breed there, it can become an invasive species.  In this situation, so long as the native animals pose no competition or threat to the newly introduced species’ survival, it WILL become an invasive population.  In some cases, these animals are predators who cause serious damage to the way an environment functions.   We’ve all heard of the seemingly never-ending problems faced by the Florida Everglades.  A hurricane destroys a breeding facility and releases a number of Burmese Pythons.  Those pythons, though not native to the area, thrive in the ideal climate.  They are opportunistic predators with a keen skill for camouflage and no predators in the area large enough to prey on them.  They are hard to find, and have the opportunity to breed at uncontrollable rates without intervention.  With the sudden explosion in predatory animals, Florida’s native fauna populations are steadily declining.  Burmese Pythons aren’t the only invasive species in Florida either.  The climate is virtually perfect for many non-native animals to thrive.  This includes several species of fish and plenty of Iguanas, which have been released from irresponsible pet owners who no longer wished to care for them.  Many of these invasive animals are out-competing native species for food, making native species into food, decimating natural flora, and infiltrating human occupied areas.

Our actions as pet owners have the ability to influence animal populations and ecosystems everywhere.  Taking animals from and/or releasing animals into the wild can have major consequences for everyone.  We need to remember this the next time we let our house-cat (an unmonitored predator) outside to run around as it pleases, killing rodents, reptiles/amphibians and birds at unprecedented rates.  We also need to remember this when we let our children bring home the frog from the pond down the street, as it could very well be an endangered or protected species.  The decisions we make regarding our animals have an impact on native wildlife populations. It is our responsibility to protect what needs protecting.

[redeyereptiles]

Feeders: Flightless Fruit-flies

Sometimes, the biggest challenge is size.  Very small reptiles and amphibians can be difficult to feed, mainly because it can be difficult to procure appropriately sized food. Some grow out of it, but some will continue to need tiny prey items throughout the duration of their lives.  Dart Frogs and micro-geckos (Yellow Headed Geckos, Mourning Geckos, etc.) are some examples who will need consistent access to very small insect feeders.  Animals that will need tiny food in the beginning of their lives, but eventually outgrow it, include: toadlets/froglets, hatchling chameleons, some salamander species, and some skink species.

Fruit-flies, one of the smallest insects available, have been genetically altered to make them into an appropriate feeder option.  Selective breeding and science have been able to produce flies that have either lost their wings completely or with wing muscles too weak to take flight.  This makes them more appealing feeders for the pet trade than their flying counterparts because they can't fly throughout the home and stay within a reasonable distance of your animal(s) when feeding. Fruit-flies are a staple or regular feeder for a very small handful of animals, this makes the demand very small.  For this reason, they aren't consistently in stock at most stores, and in some areas, are not sold at all.  Unlike common feeder insects (Crickets, Mealworms, Superworms, etc.), you usually won’t be able to just stock up on flies when you remember you're running low.  If you’re lucky, you can sometimes find independent sellers with Fruit-flies available on sites like Craigslist or Kijiji, but these sources are unpredictable and shouldn't be relied on for a constant supply.   If you intend to get an animal small enough that it needs to be eating flies on a regular basis, you are going to need to learn to culture them yourself.  Two of the most common species of flies available are Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila hydei.  The hydei are a little larger than the melanogaster.  Luckily, they're both cultured and kept the same way.

The tools you will need to culture your own Fruit-flies are as follows;

- 32oz Deli Cups - Fruit fly media of your choice - Excelsior - Ventilated Lids (or tools to make ventilated lids) - Starter culture of Fruit-flies - Time There are many companies selling premade Fruit fly media mixtures, a common and reliable choice is Repashy Superfly.  Most of the companies that sell fly cultures will have their own media for sale as well.  Optionally, there are a lot of inexpensive homemade recipes available through a quick google search.  In many cases, if you are using a homemade recipe for your media, you can usually make large batches and freeze it in portions to make it easier for yourself.

To prepare your cultures:

1. Add appropriately mixed fly media to the bottom of the deli cup, about 2 inches.  Allow to cool if using a hot water mix. 2. Add a handful of excelsior (or coffee filter/scrunched paper towel) to allow adequate surface area for the flies to perch on, without being heavy enough to crush them. 3. Get a ventilated lid ready, whether you’re opting for premade or homemade.  Make sure that the ventilation is plenty but small enough that the flies cannot get through, this is why many use poly-fabrics, coffee filters or .3-micron filters. 4. “Seed” the culture with 15 to 30 flies from an existing, booming culture. 5. Gently tap both cups to knock flies off sides before replacing the lids, this prevents escapes and casualties.   A “seeded” culture will begin to produce in two to three weeks depending on the species.  Following the first hatch, the cultures will continue to produce in generations.  Plan to discard cultures older than one month regardless of how many are left in the cup.  After a month, your cultures will likely become a hot spot for mites to reproduce, thriving off of the dead flies and rotting media.  Throwing them away at this time will protect your fresh cultures from developing an infestation early on.  In order to have a reliable, constant supply of feeders available, you’ll need to begin a scheduled regimen of seeding new cultures and discarding old ones.  Many choose to do this on a weekly basis, but it can be done bi-weekly for those will a smaller demand.  Always plan ahead when culturing your own feeders.  

Supply links (Canada): Excelsior:

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B008NWPO6M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_.YDgFbM7S18VW https://www.reptilesrus.ca/excelsior-60g-all-natural-undyed-hardwood https://www.uline.ca/BL_1972/Excelsior Deli cups: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07F7JNWR3/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_g1DgFbQ7ZXETV https://www.reptilesrus.ca/slightly-opaque-4-5-non-punched-deli-cup-32-oz-10-pack https://www.reptilesrus.ca/poly-fabric-4-5-deli-lid-50-pack Fly media: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00T887FDU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_d2DgFbJPF4JXG https://junglejewelexotics.com/product/fruit-fly-media https://www.reptilesrus.ca/insect-cups-lids-fruit-fly-supplies Fly Media Recipes: http://www.anapsid.org/fruitfly.html https://www.keepinginsects.com/general-care/breeding-fruit-flies https://sansvertigo.com.au/blogs/resources/sv-fruit-fly-medium-recipe

[redeyereptiles]

What is a Bioactive Enclosure?

A bioactive enclosure is, at its core, a self-cycling system containing multiple levels of life.  Bioactive enclosures are suitable, sometimes even the preferred method, for keeping animals that require higher humidity (Crested Geckos, Chameleons, Tree Frogs, etc.)  These enclosures can be designed with or without live plants, though it always looks better and is more complete/effective when you use plants.    

On the whole, bioactive enclosures must include Microfauna to be biologically ACTIVE.  The Microfauna (or “clean-up-crew”) can consist of many different species of Springtails, Isopods, Millipedes, Earth Worms, Beetles, etc.  There are a multitude of creatures that can be included depending which animals you’re intending to house in the enclosure, as this will determine the environmental parameters.  Dry or “Arid” enclosures can also be made bioactive, though they are quite a bit different and will be covered later in this article.  Most Microfauna (isopods, millipedes, worms) feed off of animal waste and decaying material.  While other species (mainly Springtails) feast on the mold and anaerobic bacteria that often blooms in humid setups.  Any waste produced by your “clean-up-crew” quickly makes itself useful by fertilizing any plant life you choose to include. **Note: The first thing to be sure of before beginning any build, is that the enclosure you are working with is water tight and leak proof.  The last thing you want is to spend time planning out and creating a natural masterpiece, only to have to dismantle and repair it shortly after it’s completion.   A Bioactive enclosure has layers, like onions, or ogres.  At the base, you’ll need to install a drainage layer.  This layer can be made from a variety of materials, most of which are commercially available and made for bioactive setups (Zoo-Med Hydroballs, Exo-Terra Bio-Drain). Alternatively, you can use lump wood charcoal (not briquettes!) or LECA balls from a garden centre.  The drainage layer will allow air to circulate the system and force excess water to drain down so that your substrate isn’t saturated with bacteria causing, stagnant water.  For the next layer, use a sheet of screen mesh or pond fabric to separate the substrate (above) from the drainage layer (below).  The separation is important because if substrate mixes with the drainage media, it will act as a sponge by not allowing the water to effectively drain out, rendering your drainage layer completely useless.  Ensure the mesh or barrier you choose to use is properly fitted to the shape of the enclosure so that the two layers never meet.  

The substrate layer is the one where you will have the most freedom to experiment.  Depending on the inhabitants you are keeping in the enclosure and whether or not you would like to include plant life, choose the appropriate substrate for your situation.  Some options can include a coco coir/sphagnum moss mixture, an organic potting soil/sand/peat mixture, coco husk, cypress mulch, orchid bark, etc.  Consider the unique habits of the animal you will be housing. For example, if it is a digging or burrowing species, you’ll want this layer to be quite deep to keep them from disturbing the screen mesh.   If you choose to plant your enclosure, select plants that mirror the environmental needs of your animal.  Making sure that the temperature and humidity requirements match up from the beginning will save you the headache of replanting down the road.  You will also want to ensure that the plants you select are safe and non-toxic, you can find a lot of lists online that suggest which plants to use and which to avoid.  Many choose to quarantine their plants in a grow out system for a period of time to avoid the transfer of any fertilizers, pesticides or pest insects into the final setup.  You may alternatively remove all of the soil that came with the plant originally and rinse well before placing into your enclosure.  You’ll want to allow the enclosure to fully cycle and grow in before introducing your reptile inhabitants anyways (usually a period of about six weeks).  Doing so will give your plants the chance to root in and your Microfauna the opportunity to begin reproducing and stabilizing their population before any animal interference occurs. 

After completing your final scape, it is time to introduce the Microfauna.  Many reptile stores, and online shops carry starter cultures of isopods, springtails and more (including us, check out our ‘For Sale’ tab!). Once they have established and stabilized their numbers, they will be able to manage their own populations based on the amount of food available to them.  It is a good idea to add a layer of leaf litter and twigs to the ground level of the enclosure, this will help to maintain the substrate moisture, allow your isopods to hide and act as a secondary food source for them.  Lighting your enclosure will depend largely on the needs of your animals and plants.  A great resource to use when learning all about how light works is “Vivarium Lighting 101” from New England Herptoculture.  Ultimately, you will probably need two to three types of light to keep your terrarium plants and reptile inhabitants happy and thriving. Now that your enclosure is complete, you may introduce your animal! Remember to keep a timer on your lights, water regularly and trim any plants as needed to prevent overgrown or unattractive “leggy” growth. 

Arid Bioactive is another type of ecosystem terrarium style specifically designed for desert reptile species who prefer a dry climate.  The basic principles of the two styles remain the same, multiple levels of life to balance a self-sustaining environment.  This includes Microfauna, plants if you wish and a main animal inhabitant.   To build this style of Bioactive enclosure, you will not need a drainage layer, as the involvement of water is substantially reduced.  Begin with a deep substrate layer, you can use a variety of different types of substrate, research to find the one most suitable to the needs of your animal and plants.  Having a deep substrate layer will ensure that any water in the setup drains far enough into the substrate that it is not going to evaporate back into the air quickly, keeping the humidity low.   Any successful arid bioactive must be maintained via “Micro-climates.”  This means that there will be moist areas throughout the cold side (not the hot side!) of the enclosure, most effectively placed beneath items like water dishes, rocks, logs, etc.  Having the moist areas in places that are inaccessible to your animal will ensure they stay protected.  The moist micro-climates will serve as nesting sites or retreats for your Microfauna.  All Microfauna, no matter how drought tolerant, need some amount of moisture to survive, which is what makes an arid bioactive setup so challenging to maintain.  The goal with this type of endeavour is to find the perfect balance between low humidity for your desert reptile, and available moisture for your Microfauna.  

Some Microfauna are better at surviving in an arid setup than others.  Species commonly used for this purpose include: Giant Canyon Isopods (Porcellio dilatatus), Powder Orange/Blue Isopods (Porcellionides pruinosus), Superworms and their beetles (Zophobas morio), Mealworms and their beetles (Tenebrio molitor), Blue Feigning Death Beetles (Asbolus verrucosus), and some species of arid Springtails that are near impossible to locate (we’ve tried, at this point we’re not actually sure they exist). Keeping plants in these arid set ups can also be a challenge.  When watering plants, be sure to use a gooseneck watering can for target accuracy and only wet the roots of the plant when necessary.  Most plants capable of surviving in an arid set up (cacti/succulents) won’t require a lot of water anyways, but you will want to take care not to water so much that the humidity becomes too high for your reptile’s health.  Alternatively, more control can be added by keeping your plants in pots, removing and replacing on watering day.      All in all, arid bioactive setups are possible! They’re just more challenging than traditional tropical setups because there are many more risks at play.  Make sure to do ample reading, talk to people in the hobby who have done it before successfully.  Be prepared before attempting! 

[redeyereptiles]

Care Guide: Corn Snake

Corn snakes (Colubridae - Pantherophis guttatus) are one of the most common pet reptiles. This is mainly because they are incredibly easy to care for, and are one of the best beginner species.  They are very friendly, handleable, and gentle creatures.  They can reach sizes from 3.5 to 5 ft and can live upwards of 20+ years in captivity with proper care.

Hatchling corn snakes are worm-small and can easily be kept in a 10-to-15-gallon enclosure for their adolescence.  You can keep them in a larger enclosure if you provide an over-abundance of hiding spots throughout the entire space (enough so that the animal can move from one side to the other without being seen), although they may be hard for the keeper to locate in such a comparably large space.  We would strongly recommend that small snakes be kept in smaller enclosures because wide open spaces make the animal feel less secure, and therefore, can become less inclined to eat.  A hatchling corn snake can be kept on paper towel for the first few weeks so that you are able to monitor their health and bodily functions. After you verify all things are happening as they should, you can change them to a substrate that they can burrow in. Feeding:

Try not to handle your snake 24 hours before feeding and for another 48 hours after feeding.  Holding prior to feeding may stress your snake out and they might then refuse to eat.  Leaving the snake alone after feeding is also important to make sure they can digest their meal fully and in peace.  This significantly reduces the risk of regurgitation.  If at any point your snake regurgitates its food, do not attempt to feed again for at least 2 weeks to give the animal time to heal their esophagus.  When snakes regurgitate, the stomach acid can strip protective layers from their system.  While regurgitation is more common in young snakes than it is in adults, you should still try to identify what may have caused it.  Insufficient heat is often the cause. Hatchlings should be given one pinky mouse once a week, live or frozen-thawed depending on what it is willing to eat.  It is more important to ensure your snake is eating consistently than it is to transition it to frozen-thawed in a time frame that pleases the owner.  Frozen-thawed prey items are always the safest route to take, however, when a snake refuses to eat it, they still need to eat something. Take this information and your own comfort level into consideration before bringing an animal home that you may be unprepared or unwilling to care for.

As your snake grows, the size of the prey items will also increase.  The general rule of thumb is to feed your snake one whole prey item that is 1 to 1 ½ times the width of the animal at its thickest part (don’t look at the size of the animal’s head to determine prey size, this will indicate nothing).  This rule will remain true for the duration of your snake’s life. Once your snake reaches adulthood, it will likely begin to eat weaned/hopper rats or very large mice, at this point you may need to adjust the feeding schedule depending on how quickly your animal metabolizes its food.  Paying careful attention to the way your snake carries its weight, you may in most cases, feed your animal every 10 to 14 days. Adjustments in feeding schedules can be made to suit your specific animal. It is not very common for Corn Snakes to reject food (especially after establishing a consistent appetite) but if it does, try again the following week.  If it still rejects food, don’t panic, healthy adult snakes can go a very long time without needing to eat. If your snake continues to reject meals for a concerning amount of time (around four weeks), there is likely something wrong with its environment. The first step is verifying that your husbandry is correct (temps, light cycle, hides, humidity, etc.)  Is your snake in shed?  Shedding snakes may lose their appetite throughout the process.  Is it a female / has it been near or in direct contact with a male? She could be about to lay a clutch of fertile/infertile eggs. Check the body condition of the animal, look for marks on the belly that may be indicative of scale rot or burns from an unregulated heat source.  Check the weight of the animal, is it losing weight? Is it lethargic or weak?  It may be time to take your snake to see an exotic vet. Housing:

Adult corn snakes can be housed in a 30-gallon-long enclosure at the bare minimum.  We recommend 40-gallons or larger for this animal as they are very curious and active.  The bigger the enclosure, the better (for adults).  They are semi-arboreal animals as, so giving them the opportunity to climb in addition to ample floor space is a good idea.  Top opening enclosures (with screen lids) are okay to use, but front opening enclosures are preferred.  Front opening tanks allow you to approach the snake from the side, as opposed to approaching from above, which can sometimes make your animal think you are a predator.  If using a top opening enclosure, be sure to mount screen clips on the sides of the lid to hold it down firmly.  Unsecured lids will always lead to a lost snake, don’t underestimate the talent they have for escaping.  Placing heavy items on the lid to hold it down will not help either, the clips are about five dollars, save yourself the headache.

Set your enclosure up with a “thermal gradient.”  This means that the heat is concentrated on one side of the space, leaving the opposite end cool.  This will allow your animal to move around based on its comfort level to regulate its body temperature.  There should be a hiding place in each end of the space. Whether you are using commercial reptile hides, boxes, cork bar hunks or otherwise, be sure that the animal can comfortably hide its entire body in or beneath the object.  The remaining space can be filled up with climbing décor, foliage, tubes, etc.  The more you add to the tank, the more enrichment your snake will have.  

You will also need to add a water dish on the cool end of the enclosure.  Your corn snake will need a dish is heavy enough that it can’t be tipped over, and large enough for the snake to fit all (or most) of its body into, should it ever decide to soak for shedding purposes.  We would also recommend adding de-chlorinator (like Reptisafe) to the water, and changing the water regularly, as it will quickly begin to accumulate bacteria.

Substrate:

There are a lot of options available when it comes to substrate.  The best types to use for a Corn Snake are the ones that stay dry, keep the humidity low, and aren’t dusty.  Things like shredded aspen, bark chips, dry mulch and dry coco coir are all acceptable choices.  Your snake will likely prefer something it can easily burrow in, so be sure to make it around two to three inches deep for an adult animal. Avoid the use of sand with any snake species, as it can easily end up stuck beneath belly scales and may damage eyes.   Substrate should be spot cleaned weekly (snakes usually only poop as often as they eat) or more as needed and should be completely replaced every one to three months, unless bioactive.  At this time, you should remove decorations to clean and sterilize, and disinfect the inside of the enclosure.  There are many reptile specific cleaning products available, as well as vet grade disinfectants like F10 and Chlorohexidine.  Do not use household cleaning products like Lysol as it is toxic and can harm your animal.

Heating, Lighting and Humidity: Corn snakes don’t require much humidity and will be satisfied by having a large water dish in their enclosure at all times.  They will thrive in a setup with 30 to 40% humidity.  At shedding time, you may need to increase the humidity to ensure your animal is able to properly soften the old skin.  This can be achieved by pouring a little water into the substrate and mixing it up so it may evaporate throughout the day.  This method doesn’t work with shredded aspen, as it is prone to molding. If using aspen, you may (only at shedding time) provide a “humid hide.”  This can be as simple as a Tupperware container with a hole cut in the lid, filled with dampened sphagnum moss.   **Note: Be diligent to remove the humid hide immediately after shedding and replace moss regularly as it can harbor harmful bacteria.  This bacterium can lead to respiratory infections, and much more commonly, scale rot.  If your animal experiences issues shedding, you may give it a shallow, luke warm soak in a container with holes drilled in the sides.  Leave the animal in the bath for around 20 minutes and take a soft cloth to gently wipe the shed away, directionally motioning towards the tail.  Always check that the eye caps have been successfully removed in this situation.  With the appropriate husbandry, your snake should not be having flaky, or broken sheds; always check for a cause and adjust accordingly.

Corn snakes are Crepuscular, this means they are most active at dawn and dusk.  In order to maintain their natural rhythm, they should be provided with a day/night cycle.  This means they are provided with 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness.  Using automatic light timers is the best and easiest way to achieve this.  While UVB lighting isn’t required for most snakes, some studies have found that it can be beneficial to them, specifically as a crepuscular snake.  If you are not using UVB, you should provide a consistent light source of some kind anyways (LED, daytime heat lamp, fluorescent).   Heat lamps are one of the best ways to give your animal access to both the light and the heat it requires.  The wattage of lamp you’ll need will depend on the size of the tank you are using, and the general temperature of your home.  Usually, 50W can work for a 10-gallon, whereas a 40-gallon may need around 100W to 150W, always speak to an employee about the specific brand and bulb style you’re choosing to determine what wattage will be best for your setup, and monitor temperatures very closely for the first day or two following installation (check the temperatures once a week after you have the initial adjustments made to ensure consistency).  You may need to raise or lower your lamp, or adjust wattage to pin point the correct range.  Ideally, get the hot spot to 85-90 degrees F, and the ambient temperature of the cold side between 75-and 80-degrees F.

Another heating option available are under tank heaters (UTH – often called “heat mats”).  These are okay to use in combination with over-head heating, but not sufficient as a sole heat source in most homes.  If you have a dedicated “reptile room”, or a room where the air temperature is naturally and consistently above 78 degrees F, a UTH will be sufficient as a sole heat source. If this is not your situation, stick to basic over-head heating, or even a combination of over-head and UTH. A UTH alone, in most homes, will not raise the ambient air temperature enough to maintain a healthy environment for your snake. Breathing in cold air can lead to respiratory issues.  In any case, if you do decide to use an under-tank heater at all, it absolutely must be hooked up to a thermostat, not to be confused with a thermometer.   A thermostat is a device that a heat mat can be plugged into to keep the element’s temperature within two degrees of whatever it is set to. They have a probe cord built in that is meant to sit inside of the enclosure, just above the heat mat (on the floor surface), this will measure the temperature and send readings back to the unit, signalling when it is time to turn the heat mat on and off to maintain a consistent temperature.  Thermostats are a vital piece of equipment, made to keep your animal safe.  Unregulated heat mats are highly unpredictable, they often overheat to extreme temperatures, this can lead to burns on the belly of your snake; they do not have the sense to move away from the heated area if the rest of the tank is too cold.  Unregulated heat mats are also a serious fire hazard, we have received tanks in rescue situations where the unregulated mat has heated to the point of corrosion.  Not only is it unsafe for your animal, it is unsafe for you and your home.  

We would generally recommend skipping a UTH altogether, and just using a basic heat bulb to warm the tank.  It’s safer, easier to notice equipment malfunctions, and ultimately cheaper to purchase.  With Corn Snakes being crepuscular animals, they genuinely enjoy coming out to bask under the heat.  In doing so, they will still receive valuable belly heat to aid in digestion from the surface that sits below the heat lamp, as well as a natural, familiar exposure to heat.  In the wild, if it gets too hot, snakes retreat to holes and hiding places to cool down.  It doesn’t make a lot of sense to heat the dark places, and is kind of unnatural if you think about it.   **Note: Always measure the surface temperatures with an infrared temperature gun to get the most accurate reading, analog thermometers stuck to the side of the tank aren’t going to tell you very much about your basking site temperature. **Note: Avoid the use “heat rock” products as they are extremely dangerous for your animal and your home.  Even when attached to a thermostat, they will almost always overheat or short out.  This risks serious injury or even death to your snake and exponentially increases the risk of fire in your home.  They should not be sold to anyone, yet they are still available and sometimes even come recommended in chain pet stores.

All said and done, Corn Snakes are a great beginner animal for anyone to have as a pet.  This species is a great introduction for anyone who might be a little nervous around snakes, due to their calm, friendly attitude.  Once you get down their basic care, they are really easy to maintain day to day.  Of all reptiles commonly available in the pet trade, this is what we would consider level 1, we can’t recommend them enough!

[redeyereptiles]

Care Guide: American Toad

American Toads (Bufonidae - Anaxyrus americanus prev. Bufo americanus) are funny little creatures.  They are filled with personality and are all around pretty easy to take care of.  In the wild, they live around 10 years, but in captivity, they can live up to 30+ years with proper care.  They are not very bright and aren’t particularly talented or exotic but they hold a special place in our hearts for what they are.  Despite how simple they may seem, if you’re becoming a pet parent to one of these animals, there is a lot you will need to know.

The Toadlet: (Feel free to skip ahead if your new toad is already an adult)

If your toad is no bigger than the size of a dime, congratulations on your new toadlet. As adorable these creatures are, remember that with small size comes big challenges. Perhaps the most challenging part of it all will be feeding your tiny toad.  Familiarize yourself with the wonderful world of flightless fruit flies.  If you plan on keeping toadlets, you will need to learn to “culture” your own flies.  Since flightless fruit flies aren't as readily available in pet stores as insects like crickets are, you don't want to count on the pet store having a reliable supply of food for your pet, you must learn to make it yourself.  This won’t last forever, as your toad grows, you'll be able to move him/her up to larger, more typical feeder insects. In the meantime, flies are about one of the only things it will be able to eat.

**Note: Don’t attempt to feed your animal wild caught insects, as they are likely to transfer parasites or chemicals (pesticides, etc.) into your toad, risking its health, potentially even it’s life.  Only feed your captive pets captive bred feeders.

Find yourself a starter culture of flightless Drosophila melanogaster flies. These are one of the smallest species you will be able to find, and therefore, will be the most appropriate size for your tiny toad. Later, you will be able to move the prey size up to the larger Drosophila hydei, and then eventually full-size crickets.  The starter culture you acquire should be able to "seed" your first batch of cultures and still give your toadlet something to eat in the meantime.

For more information regarding Flightless Fruitflies, please refer to our post here.

Feeding:

Toads of all ages will require supplementary minerals and vitamins added to their diet.  Purchase a calcium supplement with D3 and a multivitamin supplement, both of these supplements are commonly available in any pet store that carries reptile products.  These supplements are required in the diet of our captive animals to ensure they are able to form their bones correctly (prevents Metabolic Bone Disease – MBD, can be fatal), and avoid vitamin deficiencies that impact vision and skin problems.  We would recommend dusting feeder insect with the calcium every feeding, and then weekly, switching for the multivitamin powder.  Toadlets should be fed daily, whatever they can eat in 15 minutes.  Adults can be fed every 3 to 5 days, depending how active they are and how quickly they metabolize their food.  

Feeder insects should increase in size as your animal grows.  The rule of thumb is to feed them insects no bigger than the length of the space between their eyes, this applies to crunchy, staple insects like crickets, superworms, mealworms and roaches.  Soft bodied insects like hornworms, silkworms, waxworms and butterworms can safely be fed if they are a little bit larger than that because they are easier to swallow and digest.

Keep a wide, shallow water dish in your toad’s enclosure so that they may drink and soak. Like most frog species, toads like to soak in their dish at night time.  Unlike most frogs, they aren’t strong swimmers, and are more likely to drown in deep water.  Relative to their size, the water level should reach shoulder height of the animal.  Make sure the dish is easy to climb out of (low sides, rough surface).  Since toads are amphibians, they absorb toxins through their skin.  It is important to treat any water that enters the enclosure with a de-chlorinator (like Reptisafe).  

Housing, Humidity & Substrate:

Housing a toad is very simple.  A toadlet can be kept in a container about the size of a shoebox.  It should have ample cross ventilation to prevent mold and respiratory illness.  An adult toad should be kept in a 20-gallon long enclosure with a wire mesh lid.  You may keep two adults in a 20-gallon; however, males cannot live together or they will fight and hurt one another.  For every additional toad you add to the group, you will need to add an additional 10-gallons of size to their enclosure.  If you would like to give them more space, that is absolutely fine.  In fact, they will use all of the space you’re willing give them, mostly just when you’re not looking.  Toads are nocturnal animals and tend to do most of their exploring at night.  

Toads should be kept in a moderately humid environment, and benefit greatly from daily misting.  They are more capable of handling dry spells than most frog species, but feel much more comfortable with added humidity.  Aim to keep the enclosure around 60 to 75% humidity, fluctuating in waves from day to night, ideally drying out mid-day (important for maintaining respiratory health).  If you find your enclosure drying too much, too quickly, you can cover off ¾ of the mesh lid with aluminum foil.  

The best types of substrates to use are reptile soil, coconut coir, or a mixture of the two.  These kinds of substrate hold humidity and moisture, while also allowing your toad to burrow easily, which it will likely do for most of the day; re-emerging when the lights turn off.  Being such determined burrowers, toads require a pretty deep soil layer, about two to three times as deep as they are tall.  Better yet, feel free to mix in sphagnum moss and leaf litter for added benefit.  

**Note: Bioactive enclosures are highly recommended for this species, learn about it here.  Bacteria can form easily in humid enclosures, amphibians are more prone to bacterial infections than reptiles.

To furnish the enclosure, make sure to provide at least one hide (per toad) with an open bottom for burrowing.  Having a basic commercial hide gives your toad the opportunity to climb on top to bask or dry off whenever it needs to, keeping its skin healthy.  The rest of the enclosure can be decorated with foliage and driftwood, this will provide enrichment and mental stimulation.  Make sure to leave some open spaces throughout the soil surface for your toad to dig in.  

Heat and Light:

Toads are nocturnal animals, and therefore are most active at night.  While they don’t require UVB lighting for survival the same way a diurnal animal would, they definitely benefit from it somehow.  In our experience, we have noticed that they will come out to bask in low level UVB, showing an increase in pattern and colouration development.  Like all animals, toads have a natural rhythm that is dictated by the light.  They need at least 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness to understand when to rest and when to hunt.  This is known as the “day/night cycle.”  Having a window in the same room (not directly in front of the tank) will achieve this cycle.  Alternatively, you can provide artificial light like UVB, LED or florescent.  Light timers are a very useful tool to provide consistency to your animal’s daily rhythm.

Toads thrive at “room temperature” (depending where you live), about 65 to 75° F.  They should not be kept in rooms that get warmer than about 80°F.  If the temperature drops below 65, you may want to add a very low wattage (25-50W) blue “night time heat bulb” (during the day), these bulbs traditionally run at a much lower heat than red or white bulbs, and are the safest to use for this cooler temperature animal.  Keep in mind, your pet can overheat if they aren’t provided with cool, damp substrate for burrowing and plenty of hiding spots.  

Sexing:

Male toads are the only ones who chirp, female toads are totally silent.  However, they make any noise at all until they are sub-adults.  Males are significantly smaller than the females, and have dark coloured throats, while females have light coloured throats.  Females generally have denser, darker patterns on their backs and sides.

Facts you might not know before we wrap up: • Toads appear darker when they have been resting in moist substrate and lighter when they’ve been resting somewhere drier • Toads eat their own shed shin for extra protein • Toads are excellent climbers • Toads wiggle their toes when hunting • Toads hibernate underground, below the frost line during the cold season