Welcome to ReptiFiles, where better reptile care begins!
I understand if you’re a bit skeptical. After all, a lot of people will tell you not to get your reptile care information from the Internet, and readily write off any information that comes from “Google.”
That’s why I started ReptiFiles, actually — so people would be able to find reliable, high-quality reptile care information from the convenience from their computer or smartphone. You might notice that some of the care advice and articles provided on ReptiFiles are a bit different from other sources that you’ve read and advice you’ve received. That’s because a lot of the advice out there is outdated, minimalistic, or based on a misunderstanding of how reptiles work.
We don’t do that here.
As a reptile husbandry researcher, I work every day to determine the most up-to-date, factual, and science-based methods of reptile care by comparing keeper and breeder experiences with natural history data. As a consultant, I help individuals and businesses across the reptile industry raise the standard of modern reptile husbandry.
Some say that ReptiFiles is a biased source of information. If you consider promoting optimal reptile welfare a bias, then yes, I am biased! Because that’s what our pets deserve, right?
As part of my effort to promote a higher standard of reptile care (especially in the USA), ReptiFiles’ core mission is to replicate the conditions of each reptile’s natural habitat in captivity. This is because reptiles are not domesticated animals like cats, dogs, horses, etc. — they are still very much wild animals at heart, and have the same needs in captivity as in the wild.
What do wild reptiles need, then? They need the elements of their natural habitat. Each species of reptile evolved slowly over the course of literally millions of years to thrive within a very specific habitat, utilizing everything that habitat had to offer in order to maximize their chances of survival. My research has led me to conclude that re-creating the conditions of each reptile’s natural habitat (light, temperatures, humidity, shelters, plants, etc.) and supplementing that with enrichment is the key to promoting optimal physical and mental welfare for reptiles in captivity.
(For more info about how I create ReptiFiles care guides, go here.)
Join me on this journey — there is so much yet to do, and the end is nowhere in sight! Together we will raise the standard of reptile care and pave the way to a world where reptiles are no longer just throwaways or hidden in the basements of weirdos, but embraced as the beautiful, incredible, unique creatures that they are.
Yours,
Mariah Healey
Reptile Husbandry Researcher and Consultant
Owner/Author of ReptiFiles.com
Meet the Collection!
Do you have a question?
You can get in touch with me directly at mariah@reptifiles.com!
Hi there! I recommend a 2″ drainage layer just as a safeguard.
Hello Mariah,
I have a quick question for you. I am getting close to setting up for my boa constrictors cage. The DIY mix you recommend with a soil/sand/and zoomed reptisoil mix, should I use a drainage layer with that? I have 6 inches deep to work with. Thank you Ashley Dobbs
Thank you for notifying me. Can you send a link to the post to mariah@reptifiles.com so I can investigate?
Please check on fb the spanish group “Geckos crestados mexico ” your gargoyle gecko guide is being sold there
Hi there, My name is Rae, I’ve owned exotic reptiles/amphibians for a little under a decade now,
I just want to say that I LOVE the amount of detail for these guides, I check back often for my boas to make sure I’m doing the right things and find something to improve my enclosures every time! I recommend the website to every single beginner exotic pet owner when I can, and a lot of the reddit/facebook reptile communities that I’m a part of will agree!
Would it be possible for you to make a complete guide for Giant Suriname Marine Toad? (specifically the Rhinella marina species, not the common cane toads found in florida- they are very different from each other in both size, behavior and habitat requirements!)
I have 3 big females, all weigh over a pound and are about 9 inches head to tailbone! Two are recovering from injuries they came with and are almost ready to leave quarantine, so wanted to find a guide with the best and most solid info on their care. Since I already know that your site is my go-to, it would make sense to use a guide on my toads from it instead of sketchy info from random toad owners.
I’d love to one day have guides for both my boas and my toads so I can print them out and keep them on my reptile shelf, in case I can’t get access to the internet that day or the power goes out etc!
I sent this same text in an email but in case you dont get it, you can reach me at Navajo9420@yahoo.com
Glad to hear it! I strongly recommend adding an automatic mister and nighttime fogger. It’s a lot of equipment, but it really seems to be the key to maintaining a hydrated and healthy cham.
Mariah, your advice on putting a dehydrated chameleon in a plant placed in the shower with the water facing the wall has, I think, saved my chameleon’s life. She already has a dripper, and I was misting her more often to get her hydrated. I just recently put a water fountain in her enclosure, too. Nothing was helping and she was beginning to shut down. I needed something immediate. That shower mist gave her enough get-up-and-go to start drinking from the fountain. Thank you!
First, thank you! I really appreciate your taking the time to comment. Unfortunately I know essentially nothing about exotic mammal husbandry — ironically, my grad program does have a course on the topic, but because I’m pursuing a Master of Sciences rather than a Master of Arts, I don’t get to take the class. My inclination is to research the the species’ native range and climate as much as possible, then apply the principles of wild re-creation used in reptile husbandry where relevant.
Hi Mariah — I SO appreciate all of the care information and further readings you’ve compiled here. My sister is a shark husbandry specialist, so I am all too familiar with how research-backed care/handling is often at odds with other “expert” sources (eg. shark dive tours). That is not to say that they don’t share researchers’ concern for animal welfare, nor is it to discount the fact that non-academic communities have made significant contributions to said research through experiential/cultural knowledge, citizen science, and breeding practices. However, it reveals that there’s a spectrum of biases that can pit exotic pet owners against researchers in the field (especially when there is so much money to be made through misinformation in the pet supply business!), and make it feel like thankless work at times.
So I just wanted to say THANK YOU! I have three spiny mice (A. cahirinus), and your information on arid ecosystems has been incredibly helpful as I consider a bioactive build for them. Of course, reptile husbandry looks very different than that of other exotic pets. Are you aware of any evidence-based literature or reliable resources/experts on suggested bioactive setups for arid-dwelling, small mammalian exotics?
That’s up to you and what you feel comfortable with. Personally I do not sterilize prior to use and I haven’t experienced any issues to date.
Mariah,
I’ve noticed in several of your care guides you recommend organic topsoil and play sand from the hardware store. Do you recommend sterilizing this before it goes into the enclosure?
Thank you for your help!
Ryan Stice
rtstice@outlook.com
I’m so glad to hear it! Amphibian and invertebrate resources will be coming in the future once I find the right people to collaborate with. Out of curiosity, which college?
What a hugely helpful resource, our college has just opened it’s own animal care unit so the information found here is superb in leading best practice for how we set up and manage our species. Would love to see amphibians and inverts included in the future.
I’m so glad you’ve found my guide helpful! It has been my most time-consuming project by far. If you have questions, please direct them to my email at mariah@reptifiles.com.
We are new to this site, but not new to Red-Eared Sliders. So far, what we have seen in the first three pages is spot-on. Our girls are now over 14, we received them when they were both five (children’s Teacher desperate to get away from the growing duty of growing reptiles!) Was shocked to learn they will out live us, with age spans of 50 to 70 years if well treated. Made plenty of mistakes, would have saved much money if this site was available to us at the beginning. That being said, aquatic turtles are not cheap at all. No store will tell you the truth, so impressed so far with what we see here. Have only females, will keep it that way, as the world does not need more ‘pet’ sliders, only wild ones. While we are not experts, can validate the entire egg laying page including the egg-binding problems. One of our girls can dig, lay and cover up to 13 eggs at a time in the back yard. The other has been x-rayed and induced three times due to binding, and laid all the other clutches only in the water, destroying 200 gallon tank environment. No hard rules with turtles. Will add lingering questions later.
That’s wonderful to hear! Thank you so much for commenting — I love success stories!
Hi Mariah. Thank you so much on your advice on substrate. My husband and I adopted a corn snake, Winnie, from a friend who could no longer take care of her (we had both fallen in love with her long before that.) Naturally, we thought the shallow wood chip substrate she came was the correct one. The outdated book we were given even suggested it as one of the best options. Being new snake owners, we never knew any different. But she almost never moved during the day unless she had to (food, water, scared, shedding, etc.), and never burrowed. I thought the wood chips were too hard for her, but didn’t know what was the correct substrate.
So imagine my panic frantically looking up substrate options in the pet store when I was confronted with 5 options to choose from. Your article was the first to come up and validated all my suspicions about the wood chips (Edna Mode: No Wood!). The loose coconut husk was such a huge texture difference, I immediately felt guilty about her spending months (possibly years) on the equivalent of needles. The only change I would like is listing how much substrate to buy for a given common tank size. I knew I needed about 3in depth, but didn’t know how much in quarts that was and had to look up a calculator and take a gamble.
We just changed her substrate this morning and can confirm she’s definitely happier. She immediately started burrowing and has been more active in the past 20 minutes than I’ve seen her in 4 months! This site has really been a Godsend. ❤️
Haven’t heard of that one! I’m only familiar with vermiculite as an egg incubation medium. I can’t see why it would perform better than sphagnum moss or just moistened substrate, though.
Do you know about vermiculite in humid hides? Supposedly its been linked to magnesium poisoning?
I’d like to one day, but 2024 probably won’t be the year.
My eight-year-old daughter and I have endeavored into Corn Snakes (My wife is just watching from afar, LOL). We have utilized a lot of the excellent published material that Mariah has posted on her site; there is so much great information at your fingertips. I also reached out to Mariah via email with other questions, etc. She quickly responded and clarified our (2) setups more clearly by providing great feedback. We are now making significant changes to improve what we have done so far. Thank you, Mariah, for researching and providing such great facts and science-based information; it is a beautiful resource!
Hello Mariah! I love your site! I’m glad I came across it. I live in Daytona Beach, FL the home of the largest reptile breeding expo in the world. The last one was just a few weeks ago. Do you plan to be there in 2024?
Thanks for the heads up, but unfortunately since it’s published on the Bio Dude’s blog, I have no control over the content after it’s been published.
Not sure if this is something you can address/edit, but in the “All Water Is Not Equal” article, there seems to be duplicate text under the “Reverse-Osmosis Water” and “Distilled Water” water sections.
Oops, thanks for letting me know!
Just FYI, there is a typo for the Kenyan Sand Boa care guide under the supplements section. The first sentence starts with Rosy Boas instead of Sand Boas.
I am looking for someone who would be interested in being interviewed about ball pythons – your page looks every interesting and I was wondering if you would be willing to join my family friendly podcast? Please email me at ourballpython@gmail.com. Thank you.
Larry B.
Does it really? I used the fire skink sheet for a formatting template – looks like I missed one of the mentions. Thanks for the heads up!
Your new viper gecko article says fire skinks in the lighting section.
I’m glad you’ve found ReptiFiles helpful! My preferred dimmer for use on just one lamp is the Lutron Credenza (affiliate link). The trick with dimmers is to wait two hours after the heating device has turned on, then dim it to your preferred temperature. However if you have variable temperatures in your home that make overheating a possibility, it’s safer to use a proportional thermostat programmed to maintain the minimum target temperature (this is actually standard practice in the UK). I prefer the Herpstat 1. Dimming thermostats are pricey, but fortunately if you have a lightless heat source like a ceramic heater, you can use an on/off thermostat instead like Inkbird (affiliate link) (note: this doesn’t work for heat projectors).
Hello I am working on getting some heat radiant for my crestie what are some dimmers you recommend with the heat bulbs and supplies that you suggested? Thanks again I love your website. Tons of amazing husbandry tips.
Don’t lose heart! It’s very normal for young snakes to be nippy and flighty since they perceive you as a predator. With consistent effort they will become calmer and most trusting over time.
Hi, thank you so very much for the advice for new owners of baby Boa’s.
After just 3 weeks of welcoming our Boa to our family I was starting to believe I had made an error of judgement. She’s quite feisty and snappy especially with my face but your article makes so much sense.
I think I know the best approach to taming and training her now thanks to you. I’m looking forward to many years with her together with our other Royals and Corns.
Thanks for catching that! I’ll give that a fix.
From what I understand, permethrin is the active ingredient in Nix lice treatment, and this product is commonly used as a DIY snake mite remedy. I haven’t heard of any complications resulting from this treatment (assuming appropriate dosage and strictly external use), so it does seem that permethrin is safe for hognose snakes.
Howdy! just wanted to let you know of a misspell in “Bad leopard gecko substrates” when it talks about VOCs, volatile is spelt “volitile” but it’s actually “volatile.” Nothing big but just wanted to let you know in case you think of misspells as something huge to be fixed.
Hi Mariah, do you know something about the damage can cause permethrin on hognose snakes? I have heard a lot of stories but there’s no mucho scientific information
I’m not a big fan of peat moss since it can be incredibly dusty when dry, even more so than coconut fiber. My go-to approach is to simply wet down whatever substrate you’re already using in the area under the hide and keep it moist but not soaking.
What substrate should I use for my Leopard Gecko’s humid hide? Peat moss?
Hi Brandon — First things first: Have you read the ReptiFiles Ball Python Care Manual? If not, that’s a great place to start, as having the right information is essential when troubleshooting. It will also be helpful for making sure you have the right temperatures and equipment to keep your new pet comfortable. That out of the way, my first guess is that your new pet is simply adjusting to her new home. Snakes, and particularly pythons, can go a very long time between meals (even when they’re young). Avoid handling her for now and let her settle in — ball pythons can be very sensitive to change, so it can take them a bit to start eating again after coming to a new home, especially if they’re getting interrupted frequently. Just keep offering food 1x/week, and make sure that the prey is warmed to body temperature (~100°F) so she can “see” it well. If she still isn’t eating after a month or so, and your husbandry parameters are consistent with what I’ve outlined in the ReptiFiles care manual, then I’d talk to the breeder and/or an experienced reptile veterinarian to see if there’s something else going on.
Mariah,
I need your professional advice for my banana ball python. I now have had her for two weeks, and I have always wanted a snake. Her habitat/terrarium is ideal but she will not eat. Today I purchased a ceramic heat source, as I was researching and know that improper temperature can affect their appetite. We spend a lot of time together. She is docile and so gentle (her name is sprinkles). Should I change the lighting? Can that be having a huge impact on her appetite? I had a night bulb, blue, but unfortunately, I just dropped it moments ago and it broke. As we speak, I have a Ceramic bulb on and a ceramic framed bulb on. I also moved the meters down near the floor surface of her terrarium to capture a more accurate temperature read. I would love to also email you a photo of the terrarium to get your feedback. She loves it, she is always exploring and climbing. When I get near the terrarium she just is hoping to come out and hang with me (I like to believe they are affectionate).
I want the best for my little girl, but I need some help as it has been 14 days since she last ate, since bringing her home. I hope you can help me!
Brandon
Sounds very interesting! I don’t have the bandwidth for any more projects at the moment, but I’m interested to see your progress.
Hi Mariah,
Congrats on your new moves into primate husbandry…It can be challenging but most rewarding and full of love and amazement as well!!!
I didn’t know the best way to reach your for possible interest in a long term project of both a book and now I’ve been told should be a video channel I’m trying to develop over the next 3 years either alone or in collaboration with someone of “like mind,” on designing and constructing “actual bio active” biome enclosures that use only natural materials and not the often too noxious and often “experimental” toxic industrial materials so may DIYer hobbyist are promoting and employing in the hobby…
This has garnered about a 50% positive interest from many forums members I have presented the question to with about the other 50% justifying (rather aggressively?) the use of all these chemicals as being necessary and part of the hobby/profession…of which I strongly disagree after 40 plus years in this and other professional industries…I reach out on LinkedIn as well…and will post my other links below should you be interested in this and/or care to screen my credentials. Email is best for me, and then maybe a chat on the phone if interested?
Blessings,
j
about.me/tosatomo
I’m glad you’ve found the RES care manual helpful! A lot of love and work went into that one.
If you already have heat and UVB provided appropriately in the topper, than it’s safe to simply use a ~6500K daylight bulb in the other fixture.
As for cleaning your turtle’s substrate, yes, you can still use a siphon/gravel vacuum with sand substrates. Here’s one example of a YouTube video that shows you how to do it:
.
Hi Mariah! Congratulations on your new four legged little one! I’m not sure if you’re taking questions yet but I see you’ve been answering questions here. If there is a better way to ask questions, please let me know.
I have a RES who lives in a 75 gallon tank with a basking topper. I have a UVB bulb and heat bulb over the topper. I also have a 48″ reflector that sits on top of the tank, next to but below the topper, so it only illuminates the tank. What kind of bulb should I use in the reflector, UVB or daylight? Also, my tank is bare bottom and I’d like to add a substrate. You recommend sand but how would I remove the turtle waste that collects? Currently I use a siphon to remove it which I assume wouldn’t work with sand. Thank you for all of the invaluable information you provide here. I feel much more confident knowing it’s coming from someone with the knowledge you have.
Yes, the same applies to blue tongue skinks. Many lizards will close at least one eye when you’re bothering them and they want you to leave them alone.
Hello Mariah thanks for all the great information! I see varied opinions on lizards with parietal eyes, I understand beardy’s have the closed eye stress response but is it the same for blue tongues do you know? Thank you!
For a bearded dragon with gout, you’ll want to provide insect prey only 1x/week, avoid fruit, and prioritize hydration by making sure that both greens and feeders are well-hydrated. Misting your dragon’s salads with a bit of water isn’t a bad idea. Be sparing with bee pollen supplementation, and in terms of greens, it’s best to provide high-fiber, low-protein “weeds” often used for feeding tortoises (believe it or not, most salad greens from the grocery store are surprisingly high in protein from a leafy greens perspective). You will most likely have to grow these yourself, but it’s worth the effort! Arizona Tortoise Compound’s Edible Weed Mix and Tortoise Supply’s Broadleaf Testudo Mix are a good place to start.
Hello. What is considered a low protein diet for a bearded dragon with gou?
Great info, and I appreciate the quick reply!
Thanks for the suggestion! That would definitely be a good topic to address. As for your question on vacation care, the nice thing about reptiles and particularly snakes is that they don’t necessarily need a petsitter to come by daily, and boarding is usually unnecessary unless in the case of very long trips. For a 2 week vacation I would recommend installing a wifi camera aimed at the enclosure to keep an eye on things, and a surge protector to help protect against electrical fires if you don’t have one already. Have someone come by every few days to refresh the water and check on things, but otherwise daily interaction/feeding/etc. isn’t necessary. I like to just get a housesitter who’s comfortable with reptiles so they can check on my animals when they come by to collect my mail and packages.
I appreciate all the work you’ve put into these guides, it’s been very helpful in preparing for a rescue boa I’m adopting. One thing I’d love hear your opinion on and even see a section added is about vacation care. Boarding care vs house sitter, duration of absence, etc. If I took a 3 day vacation and had a dog I know I’d need to probably board it, but if I had a cat I know I could probably just leave it food and water and a clean litter box and have a friend check on it. Take a 2 week vacation though and you’ll want to board the cat. Any insight would be appreciated!
Congrats on your new pet! Lack of feces and trouble shedding could be a hydration problem. Thoroughly check the entire enclosure for poo, and make sure your humidity levels are staying between 40-60% during the day, with higher at night. Nightly mistings and pouring water into the substrate can help with this. Your snake should also have plenty of fresh water available for drinking – changing it out daily can encourage your snake to drink.
As for cleaning, make sure to check for waste every day and replace any contaminated substrate, but the entire substrate itself should be replaced every 4-6 months, depending on how good you are about keeping it clean.
Hi. I’m so happy I found your site… Thank you.
I’m in Cape Town South Africa and purchased my first ever reptile 2 months ago today.
She is a blue eyed Leucistic ball python aged about 15 months.
She is super relaxed with I think a lovely nature.
She us eating well
Her first shed about 4 week’s ago was not in 1 piece and I was told it was an humidity problem which I think it’s how sorted… Hope so and hope she has a successful all in one shed this time around..
I’m concerned because I don’t seem to find any poop in the tank….. Now for a while anyhow
How often should I remove the full substrate of cocoa mulch and fibre and lay new batch?
Thanks for catching that! I’ll fix it right away.
Hi, I was reading through your boa guide for handling and noticed you accidentally referred to them as pythons a couple times. Here’s the link
https://reptifiles.com/boa-constrictor-care/boa-constrictor-handling/
Not trying to nitpick just noticed a minor simple mistake and thought I’d help in the process of perfecting the amazing info you’re sharing with everyone. Hope this finds you well. And enjoy your weekend
I am glad to hear it! Feel free to send an email if you have questions.
Hi Mariah. Thank you for writing everything on this site. I took home my first ball python yesterday and it has been very helpful.
First, it’s important to consider that 14 years is a fraction of what boas are capable of living to. Since you have read the ReptiFiles Boa Constrictor Care Guide as well as this page about ReptiFiles’ mission and philosophy, what do you think my thoughts are on your statement?
Hi, Mariah
my name is Art and have a question , back in the day 40 years ago I did not have a heating pad or lights for my BOA and it did fine for 14 years. my question now is i have two BOA’s in a 4x2x2 enclosure with 2 vents 1 on each side two light vents on top for my lights and a hole for my humidifier, my temp does fluctuate between 72/79 daily and my humidity ranges 60/68 with being said would they be fine if i pull the lights and heating pad out and just leave the humidifier. According to the info i read on your blog they really don’t need the bulb or pad. Your thoughts.
Thank you for all your experience and knowledge that you give us.
Hi Thorton, I don’t know where you’re getting your information, but there is quite a bit of scientific research demonstrating the benefits of UVB exposure to reptiles, and that body of evidence is only growing. Here’s a short list to get you started:
If you need help breaking them down, there’s lots of discussion on this topic on the Reptile Lighting group on Facebook, which is led by published reptile lighting expert Dr. Frances Baines.
To address your other statement, in the wild, temperatures naturally decrease at night because sunlight (which is what provides heat in nature) is no longer present. Of course, there are other factors, and nighttime temperatures vary based on geographical locations. For example, nighttime temperatures tend to be warmer in the tropics than at high altitudes, in deserts, or at higher latitudes. This means that it’s important to research the average nighttime temperatures in a reptile’s natural habitat, account for the nighttime temperatures in your own home, and choose your heating equipment accordingly. For example, low nighttime temperatures as cool as 50°F/10°C are a necessity of keeping Jackson’s chameleons (Trioceros jacksonii) healthy, but Chinese water dragons (Physignathus cocincinus) need high nighttime temperatures of 75-77°F (24-25°C) to stay healthy. So a Jackson’s chameleon may need an evaporative cooler as part of its array of life support equipment, while a Chinese water dragon may need a lightless heat source such as a radiant heat panel.
You do know that there is no scientific proof that isn’t based off a blog or article in the news a UV bulb gives any benefits to an animal besides a light tan, except for a chameleon. Also, when you turn off the lights at night any temperature gradient you did have when that light was on isn’t there any more, which isn’t exactly safe especially in winter, it’s the equivalent of sleeping without a blanket in the cold.
I’m so glad to hear it! Congratulations on your new pet, and I wish you many happy years together.
Thank you so much for your fabulous site! I’m a new ball python owner, and my head has been spinning a bit as I’ve researched temps, lights, mats and humidity–so many differing opinions, and many failing to take into account a home’s temp and humidity levels. I have found your care guides and articles to be extremely helpful, and within a few days have been able to get all of our temp/humidity levels on track, and we just got a nice clean shed! thanks again!!
Hi Gabrielle, thank you for the tip, I will take it under consideration. Prolapse is generally a topic covered in the Health sections of newer care guides, but it’s not covered in the leopard gecko guide because it seems that hemipenal prolapse is not a particularly commmon issue with that species.
Hi Mariah, I’ve had my leopard gecko for a little over 5 months now and I’ve noticed there is not a lot of information concerning seminal plugs, femoral pores/clogged femoral pores, and hemipene prolapses in male reptiles. I was only able to find one really well written article (http://www.anapsid.org/seminalplugs.html) and YouTube video (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2gD0WcXchg0) covering these topics. As a beginner owner myself I believe this information would be very helpful to include in the care guides.
Great question! As far as I can tell, yes, ReptiFiles still gets a percentage of the purchase if you use Amazon Smile.
If I use your affiliate link through Amazon then use Amazon Smile (charity donation) do you still get a percentage of the purchase?
That’s very kind of you! I’m glad you’ve found it helpful.
This website is an amazing resource. Thanks so much for making this available!
Hello Kile, please see this article from the ReptiFiles blog: Does Loose Substrate Cause Impaction in Bearded Dragons and Other Reptiles? for the answer to your question. Pertaining to aquatic turtles, sand does not usually cause impaction – this problem is more often observed as a consequence of gravel ingestion. Stone ingestion does not seem to be a common occurrence in wild turtles and those kept in outdoor ponds, so I speculate the behavior may be a vice derived from lack of enrichment.
Where is the proof that sand doesn’t cause impaction? This article is a fucking lie if aquatic turtles can get intestinal impaction from sand.
If you suspect that your leopard gecko may be impacted (which I honestly doubt is the case if your gecko has not had a bowel movement in only a few days), make sure to get in touch with an experienced reptile veterinarian. Then, while you’re waiting for the appointment, re-evaluate your husbandry parameters and practices with the ReptiFiles Leopard Gecko Care Guide.
So our male leopard gecko Dexter hasn’t pooped for a few days. After some research online I am almost positive he is impacted. However he isn’t like our female D’vorah where I can pick her right up no issues. He’s the complete opposite. He’s more difficult to handle. So my question is is it possible or a good idea to put a drop of the vegetable oil on a cricket and feed it to him? He eats just fine.
Hi Garnet, Coleonyx variegatus is very similar to leopard geckos. Think of them as North American leopard geckos, essentially, so it should be safe to use the ReptiFiles Leopard Gecko Care Guide as your baseline. As with leopard geckos, make sure your western banded gecko always has access to a humid retreat, and that will help mitigate any potential shedding issues.
Couldn’t find care info on Coleonyx variegatus. Could use advice, just adopted my first gecko, have cared for turtles and frogs before.
Was wondering what the start of their shedding cycle looks like? After just picking him up, he looks like he has dry skin.
Hi there, thank you for your concern. I will take another look at it.
Hi, Love the mission but I couldn’t help but notice your brumation page for western hognose is a bit of an outlier from other sources, specifically multiple top breeders, and it looks very much like how I would brumate an unevaluated northern species rather than being dialed in to the needs of a specific species. If you have sources to cite for those conditions, I would love to see them, but that page may be due for an update since people have been experimenting with different brumation conditions and refining the care a lot the last decade or so. It may also be worth noting on it that brumation needs could vary depending on what population the animal is from. Most of the captive ones are southern, but i could see northern population animals needing a more intense brumation.
Hi Brad. Most starter kits are inadequate for meeting reptiles’ needs, and often need to be partially or even wholly replaced to achieve good husbandry. For more information, I recommend reading ReptiFiles’ article, “Why Reptile Kits Are a Useless Waste of Money.” Meanwhile I recommend housing your anole in no smaller than a tall 18″x18″x24″ front-opening terrarium, as these are a fairly active, arboreal species.
Hi Mariah, just curious if a Temperate Reptile 10 gallon Starter kit would be fine to use for 1-2 Female Green Anoles? I have no intention of putting a snake or a different species in this tank, only 1-2 Green Anoles
Hi Gavi, I have sent a reply to your email address.
My leopard gecko’s life was diagnosed with only 6 months to live with MBD that was almost 2 years ago. TODAY he’s Healthy an gained weight. However he decided about 2 weeks ago to stop eating I have given his Worms to him he’ll occasionally have 1-2 every few days. I’m not sure if it’s his way of saying that he only wants crickets (those are treats). What do you suggest before I begin force feeding him I’d rather not do that to Titan he has always been a good eater.