Your Exotic Pets

The Leopard Gecko is the most well known member of the Eublepharidae family of lizards. It originates from Western Asia and is a terrestrial lizard, mainly of desert areas. It is a robust and well-marked lizard, the coloration typically consisting of black markings over a tan to pale yellow base colour with a banded black and white tail and white underside. The usual adult length is 15cm but males have been recorded to reach a length of nearly 25cm. Males have a larger, more robust shape especially in the neck region, pared swellings at the base of the tail and a row of pre-anal pores. The Leopard Gecko is the easiest of reptiles to care for and breed.

Housing

A purpose-built vivarium is the best enclosure for maintaining Leopard Geckos although a glass aquarium may also be used with a suitable lid. At least half of the lid should consist of fine wire mesh to allow adequate ventilation. A vivarium housing an individual gecko should be a minimum of 50cmx30cmx20cm (20”x12”x7”). A small group of 2-4 animals require a larger vivarium of at least 90cmx38cmx30cm (36”x15”x12”). Males are highly territorial and aggressive when mature and should be housed separately or with a small harem of females.

Temperature

Leopard Geckos are primarily desert lizards but adapt remarkably well to a variety of captive environments. They require essentially dry conditions and thrive in a temperature range of 24-30^oC (75-86^oF). Being nocturnal animals these lizards do not appreciate bright light, so heating should ideally consist of non-light emitting sources. A heater mat may be used and should be positioned to one end of the vivarium, covering only half the floor, thus generating a thermal gradient. If an aquarium is being used, the heat mat should be placed underneath the tank, which should be placed on a polystyrene frame such that the tank is 5mm above the mat, preventing overheating. Ideally, the daytime air temperature should be 28-30^oC (82-86^oF) with a basking temperature of 35^oC (95^oF). A drop to 24-27^oC (75-80^oF) at night is advisable.

Lighting

Leopard Geckos, being nocturnal, do not rely upon ultraviolet radiation for vitamin D₃ synthesis and calcium metabolism (as do many other reptiles) and often hide from bright light conditions. A reduction in the light intensity within the vivarium may be used to encourage diurnal activity. Additional lighting is not required in all glass vivaria, but a low watt bulb or red light may be installed to permit better viewing in a wooden vivarium.

Substrate

Silver sand is an ideal substrate on which to keep adult Geckos because it closely resembles the lizards’ natural environment. For a young Gecko, newspaper is the substrate of choice, in order to remove all possibility of gut impaction caused by ingestion of sand. Shelters and a water dish into which the geckos can walk should also be provided. In order to avoid skin shedding problems (dysecdysis) a simple humidifying shelter should be provided, consisting of moistened, horticultural fine-grade, vermiculate, or sphagnum moss that has been sterilised by immersion in boiling water, placed inside a small shelter such as a margarine tub with a hole cut out at one end. The shelter should be cleaned and the vermiculate or moss changed every week.

Nutrition

Leopard Geckos are insectivorous and there are many suitable insects commercially available, such as crickets, tebos, mealworms and small locusts.  The insects should be dusted with a vitamin and mineral supplement such as Minerall, prior to feeding. If the crickets are to be kept for more than a couple of days before feeding, they must be ‘nutrient loaded’ by feeding them with crushed breakfast cereals, dog/cat biscuits or fish pellets, with one teaspoon of nutritional supplement for every 8 of cricket food. A Gecko that is deficient in minerals may begin to consume large quantities of floor substrate in an attempt to satisfy their mineral requirements. This may occasionally lead to gut impaction.

Leopard Geckos should be fed once daily with as much food as they are able to eat within a few hours or overnight. Excess insects should be removed from the vivarium.

Diseases

Leopard Geckos are insectivorous and there are many suitable insects commercially available, such as crickets, tebos, mealworms and small locusts.  The insects should be dusted with a vitamin and mineral supplement such as Minerall, prior to feeding. If the crickets are to be kept for more than a couple of days before feeding, they must be ‘nutrient loaded’ by feeding them with crushed breakfast cereals, dog/cat biscuits or fish pellets, with one teaspoon of nutritional supplement for every 8 of cricket food. A Gecko that is deficient in minerals may begin to consume large quantities of floor substrate in an attempt to satisfy their mineral requirements. This may occasionally lead to gut impaction.

Leopard Geckos should be fed once daily with as much food as they are able to eat within a few hours or overnight. Excess insects should be removed from the vivarium.

Veterinary Care

Leopard Geckos are insectivorous and there are many suitable insects commercially available, such as crickets, tebos, mealworms and small locusts.  The insects should be dusted with a vitamin and mineral supplement such as Minerall, prior to feeding. If the crickets are to be kept for more than a couple of days before feeding, they must be ‘nutrient loaded’ by feeding them with crushed breakfast cereals, dog/cat biscuits or fish pellets, with one teaspoon of nutritional supplement for every 8 of cricket food. A Gecko that is deficient in minerals may begin to consume large quantities of floor substrate in an attempt to satisfy their mineral requirements. This may occasionally lead to gut impaction.

Leopard Geckos should be fed once daily with as much food as they are able to eat within a few hours or overnight. Excess insects should be removed from the vivarium.

Freshwater turtles are a diverse group of reptiles which make interesting, long-lived pets and are relatively easy to keep. However, they are frequently inadequately maintained and many die in their first couple of years due to inadequate captive care. It is therefore important that careful consideration is given to correct husbandry of these species before they are purchased. Of all the species commonly offered for sale not all are suitable as pets. Among the most suitable species to be kept as pets are the Red-eared terrapin (Trachemys scripta elegans), the Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) and the mud turtle (Kinosternon sp.). Other species not recommended as captive pets include the Common Snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) and the Softshell Turtles (Trionychidae), due to their large adult size and aggressive temperament!

General hygiene

Reptiles, and in particular turtles, are often implicated in the passing of Salmonella to humans but with appropriate handling and sensible hygiene the risk is very small and no greater than catching a disease from a dog or cat. However, you should always wash your hands with soap after carrying out maintenance tasks on terrapin tanks or after handling any terrapin (or indeed any animal).

Housing

Terrapins and turtles may be housed in a variety of aquaria or plastic containers. However the most important requirement is space, clean water at the correct temperature and depth for the species being kept. You should also provide a land area and heat source under which they can bask. This set-up can be achieved cheaply using a large plastic container or all-glass aquarium, a piece of cork bark or rock as a basking area and a spot light for heating. Without a filtration system the water will need to be changed every week. However, many good aquarium filters are available which minimise water changes without compromising water quality. External canister filters such as those manufactured by Eheim or Fluval are the most effective, but are expensive. Undergravel biological filters are cheaper and can also be used to good effect with small specimens. When using these filters it is a good idea to attach a power head to the airlift tube in order to improve water flow through the gravel.
Whichever filtration method is used the water can be further purified by connecting an aquarium (not a pond) UV steriliser to the filter outlet, which utilises UV-C to kill bacteria and algae. With any filtration system it is still necessary to periodically change the water, monitor water quality and clean filters, gravel etc.
Heating, if necessary for the species concerned, may be achieved using an aquarium heater with combined thermostat. The heater needs to be protected f rom damage by the turtles. As well as the spotlight over the basking area it is also important to provide full-spectrum lighting such as the ZooMed Reptisun 5.0. Such lights should be on for 12 hours each day and replaced every year.
All terrapins will benefit from an outdoor summer enclosure. Enclosed shallow ponds with basking areas (and preferably no fish) make excellent summer holiday homes for these animals, and give them the opportunity to eat the odd wild insect of grub.

Feeding

Hatchlings should be offered food daily; adults can be fed every two to three days. Many freshwater turtles are omnivorous in the wild, eating a large variety of plant, animal and insect food, and it is important that their captive diet has similar variety. Many commercial turtle foods (e.g. Pretty Pets Aquatic Turtle Diet) make an excellent staple diet, and can be supplemented with insects (crickets, mealworns etc) which should be gut loaded, i.e. fed a high calcium nutritious food before they are offered as food. Earthworms and small frozen fish may also be fed as occasional treats. Many terrapin and turtle species accept green leafy vegetables which should be regularly offered.

Species information

Red-eared Terrapin (Trachemys scripta elegans). This species is native to the USA. Adults can reach a carapace length of 10-12” (30cm) and are omnivorous. Water temperature can be kept at 25-29^oC (78-85^oF).

Painted turtles (Chrysemys picta sp.) are North American turtles that have a black or olive carapace with red/orange markings on the edge of the shell. The head, neck, legs and tail are striped with yellow and red. These turtles grow up to 10” (25cm) long and are omnivorous.

Mud turtles (Kinosternon sp.) are small, unremarkably coloured predominantly aquatic turtles. Adults are omnivorous, aggressive and are likely to bite. There are at least 20 species recognised and their husbandry requirements vary, so a more detailed reference should be consulted for details on individual species.

Diseases

With appropriate care and feeding, terrapins and turtles are remarkably resistant to disease. Vitamin A deficiencies caused by too little vegetable material in the diet can cause eye problems, and high protein meat diets can cause renal and liver problems. Occasionally females suffer from egg retention and may need surgery.

Veterinary care

All reptiles benefit from a thorough yearly veterinary check-up. Fecal screening for parasites can be discussed with your veterinary surgeon.

For further information, I would recommend the ‘Practical Encyclopedia of Keeping and Breeding Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles’ by A.C. Highfield (published by Carapace Press).

The Lampropeltis snakes are medium sized snakes found in North America, which include various species of kingsnakes and ratsnakes. The Elaphe group of ratsnakes is a large group found in America, Europe and Asia. These two groups have similar basic husbandry as outlined below. However, some species are more difficult to keep than others. Basic husbandry is described below.

Housing

As a rough guide, the vivarium in which the snake is housed should be as long as the snake with a height and width of half that dimension. For most species, a vivarium measuring approximately 120 x 50 x 50 cm should be sufficient. A substrate such as newspaper or artificial turf is best although wood chips can be provided to a depth of about 5cm if they are replaced weekly. Woodchip does provide the benefit of added security and an opportunity for burrowing while also absorbing waste fluids which can then be removed, but it is more expensive and their is a tendency for it to be changed infrequently. A medium such as newspaper or paper towel is recommended for small hatchlings. The vivarium should also contain hiding places such as pieces of cork bark or boxes. These snakes are terrestrial in the wild so branches are not essential, although often utilised.

Heating

In order for these snakes to be kept at the correct temperature range, additional heating is required and is best provided by an undertank heat pad or screened ceramic heater and thermostat. The heater should be positioned at one end of the vivarium, and the thermostat used to provide a thermal gradient of about 26-30^oC (80-88^oF). A screened spotlight can also be used to boost the temperature at one end of the enclosure during the day to create a higher basking area, up to 34^oC (94^oF). Such lights must be switched off at night and never be used for 24 hours a day. This heating system should create a temperature gradient along the length of the cage, which is important, as it allows the animal to choose its own thermal comfort zone or preferred body temperature. Hide boxes should be placed in various positions within the vivarium, i.e. throughout the temperature gradient. The vivarium should NEVER be placed in direct sunlight – lethal temperatures can be reached in minutes.

Feeding

The majority of these snakes are easy to feed and have good appetites. Freshly killed or thawed out and warmed lean mice are probably the best food. Care should be taken when two or more snakes are housed together as they may begin to consume the same mouse, so ensure that there are enough mice available to keep all the snakes happy. Beware of housing two kingsnakes together, especially if they are of greatly differing sizes…the large one may eat the smaller one!
Young hatchlings should be fed with small dead pinkies (baby mice). If the hatchlings are unwilling to feed, try placing the snake in a container with the pinkie and a damp paper towel to increase humidity. Hatchlings should be fed every 4-5 days, juveniles every week and adults every 1-2 weeks depending upon age, size and breeding status. Arkvits can be used routinely.
The snake should be provided with a bowl of clean water large enough for the snake to submerse itself without causing the water to overflow. The water should be changed every couple of days or sooner if contaminated.

Handling

Give your snake a couple of weeks to settle in and start feeding properly, before you begin regular handling. It is also extremely important that you wash your hands after handling any snake (or any animal for that matter).

Disease

With appropriate care and feeding, snakes are remarkably resistant to disease. Respiratory problems, and skin disease are usually due to poor hygiene and inadequate temperature and ventilation. Obesity is not uncommon in non-breeding adults, and females can become egg bound and require surgery.

Veterinary Care

All reptiles benefit from a thorough yearly veterinary check-up. Faecal screening for parasites can be discussed with your Village Vet.

The inland bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) is native to Australia. The bearded dragons live in arid rocky semi-desert and the bordering open forest areas. Adept at climbing, the dragon spends time both in trees and bushes, on fence posts, and on the ground.  After spending the early morning hours basking on rocks, fence posts or exposed branches, these omnivorous dragons begin to hunt for invertebrates and a wide range of small vertebrates. They also forage for soft plant matter, especially fruits and flowers. Although they are diurnal reptiles, they will spend the hottest part of the day in deep, cool burrows in the warmer parts of their range. Bearded dragons range in size from four to five inches when hatched to just short of two feet snout-tail length (STL). The colour of their bodies range from browns, greys and reddish orange with lighter spots along their sides.  When threatened, their colour can darken considerably, especially the throat pouch.

Bearded dragons reach reproductive age at one to two years of age. Older females lays up to sixteen eggs in the early summer in a shallow “nest” she has dug in sandy soil. Juveniles, which may weigh as little as 2.1 grams at hatching, are often banded and may have an orange strip near their eyes on the side of their head. As they age, the patterns become less distinct. When mature, the beard on the males darken somewhat. During breeding season, the beards turn black. Males can further be differentiated from females by their pre anal and femoral pores.
The bearded dragon has a blunt arrow-shaped head. The scales along the skin of the throat and the side of the head have specialised into spiny points. The scales along the sides of their bodies also carry these pointy extensions. When threatened, the dragon flattens out its body to make it look wider, and, by using its hyoid bone, flares out the throat pouch. In captivity, these social lizards adapt well to their human caretakers so much so that they general stop giving threat displays, signalling their displeasure only by flattening their bodies.
Dragons are social animals which is one of the reasons they are so engaging and interested in their surroundings in captivity. They frequently become very secure in their environment, and so soon stop displaying their “beard.” They perform a very distinctive “wave” which is a way of communicating non-aggression and, similar to iguanas, signal their recognition of other beings in their environment by flicking out their tongues.

Housing

Hatchlings should be housed individually as they sometimes will nip others housed with them. Adult beardeds have been known to eat young beardeds, so young must be housed separately from adults as well. Beardeds can be very quick, making an enclosure which opens at the top a better choice; this will also reduce the chance of crickets escaping. Enclosures must be well ventilated; screen-topped tanks or glass fronted wooden vivaria with ventilation panels.

Substrate

Astroturf (trim loose threads), newspaper or paper towels all make serviceable and easily cleaned substrates.  Shavings, sand, corn cob or food pellets should be used carefully because there are dangers if these materials are eaten. Respiratory disease can develop from the dust that certain substrates produce. Gravel and rocks are difficult to clean and disinfect properly, and beardie enclosures need to be cleaned frequently.

Furnishings

Beardeds need basking and hiding areas. They also need branches for climbing and basking. A secure branch can be angled up toward the basking light, making that side of the tank the warmest. Hide logs or boxes should be positioned throughout the vivarium, in both warm and cool sites.

Heating and lighting

The temperature gradient during the day should ranged from 29-32^oC, with a basking zone ranging from 30-40^oF. Night time temperatures can drop no lower than 27^oF.  Use an undertank heat mat under the warm side, and 75 – 100 watt spot light as needed to boost the during the day.  If you have to use a light bulb to keep temps up at night, use a blue or red bulb, not white. Overhead ceramic heaters are more effective heat sources, and all heaters should be controlled by a thermostat. As with other diurnal lizards, beardeds require at least 12 hours a day under a full-spectrum/uvb light such as the ZooMed Reptisun 5.0. Make sure that the lizards cab bask within 12” of the light and that it is replaced every  6-12 months.

Food and water

Beardeds are omnivorous lizards, and so require a varied diet of prey and plant foods. The plant foods (60-65% of diet) include items such as lettuces, carrots, cabbage, greens, water cress etc. Prey (35-40% of diet) include appropriately sized crickets, mealworms, king worms, mouse pinks, locusts, waxworms and even cockroaches. If your dragon goes after the prey and ignores the plant food, feed the salad an hour or so before you offer the prey. Be sure to nutrient-load the prey (except pinks) for several days before feeding and use a high calcium supplement such as Nutrobal to dust onto all food items. Young dragons should be fed five days a week, adults three to four times a week. Always have an easily accessible bowl of fresh water available.

Veterinary Care

All beardies will benefit from a once yearly check up and females can be spayed to prevent unwanted breeding and egg binding problems. Blood and faecal screens should also be discussed with your Village Vet.