Caring for hatchling snakes

Hatchling snakes can be very delicate and sensitive to changes in their environment. It is very important to know the temperatures required by the species you are keeping. To cold and they won’t want to eat as they need to be at the correct temperatures to digest their food. To hot and they will stress and become ill. A temperature gradient is important as they need to be able to move from warm to cool areas to control their body temperature.
Many species find large areas stressful and it can put them off their food if there isn’t enough shelter. Most species will be happier in smaller vivariums, but there are a few in my opinion that are better in larger vivariums, such as Indigo snakes and Womas, both of these are active and confident species.
Shelter is very important for the snake to retreat to if they feel threatened or scared by something, they should have a few options, some large, some small and hides in the warmest and coolest areas as well as in the middle.
When you purchase your snake it should be feeding enthusiastically and be fairly confident, settling in to the new vivarium within a few days. Sometime the change in environment can upset them, so it is important to give them time to settle.
Make sure you are providing what your snakes need, any doubts contact us.

Crested Geckos

Crested geckos were thought to be extinct until their rediscovery after a tropical storm in
1994. They are now one of the most commonly kept geckos in the world and export from their native New Caledonia is prohibited. Since their rediscovery there has been a huge effort to breed them in captivity, they're easy going nature and simple requirements have help them become one of the most popular pet species.

Selecting Your Gecko

When purchasing a Crested Gecko it is worth while going to a reputable reptile shop or breeder. They will be only too happy to let you see the selection of geckos they have available. The gecko should be confident with handling although hatchlings often jumpy at first and will take a minute or two to settle down. They should be bright and clean looking. If the geckos tail it is missing it is worth noting that this will not grow back as it would with other geck species.

Housing

Crested geckos require higher humidity and lower temperatures than most commonly kept reptile species, so a glass terrarium is a great choice for them. We recommend using a terrarium measuring 45x45x60cm (18x18x24”), this is a tall terrarium whisch suits there arboreal (tree climbing) life style. See our Crested Gecko Setup

Substrate & Decor

Coconut fibre substrates such as Zoo Med Eco Earth and Lucky Reptile Humus Brick are ideal for Crested Geckos as this can be kept moist (which helps keep the humidity high) without the substrate growing mold. As they geckos are nocturnal it is important to provide cover for hiding behind during the day, plastic and silk plants are great for this. Wood can also be provided for climbing on.

Heating

Crested geckos require a day time temperature range of 22c to 27c (72f to 80f) with the optimum being 24° c to 26° c (75° f to 78° f). At night temperatures can be allowed to drop as low as 13° c (55° f).Temperatures over 30° c (85° F) is dangerous for the gecko. Always use a thermometer to check temperatures.

Lighting

Crested geckos are nocturnal, so the lighting requirements are different from diurnal species but still very important. A 5% UV light should be used to help the gecko use the calcium from it diet. A 10-12 hour light cycle will be fine.

Feeding and Water

Crested Geckos are omnivorous meaning they eat live food and vegetation Their diet is high in small soft fruit (non citrus), along with whatever invertebrates that happen within striking distance. In captivity, fresh soft fruits (and baby food) like Banana, Peach, and Apricot, are relished by Crested Geckos, as well as Crickets and as a treat small locusts, mealworms and wax worms. Livefoods should be coated in a vitamin and mineral supplement such as Repton to ensure the Crested Gecko is getting the best nutrition possible. A special Crested Gecko diet food is now also available, mix this with water and pour into their food dish. Or alternatively mix with fruit baby foods and freeze in an ice cube tray to make a very easy to use diet. A bowl of drinking water should always be available and spray the enclosure daily with water, the gecko will drink the droplets and it will also raise the humidity.

Handling

Crested Geckos are a good lizard for handling. They should be treated gently, with love and care allowing it to sit on the hands. They natural get around by jumping from branch to branch so be prepared for it to jump up onto your shoulder. Never grab or pick up a Crested Gecko by its tail as they will shed the tail as a defence mechanism. It will not grow back!

Keeping Together

Males do not get on with each other as adults and will fight so only keep one per enclosure. Males can be kept with a group of females providing the terrarium is large enough to accommodate them. Females are ok to be kept as a colony. If you have males and females together, expect them to mate and lay eggs!

Maintenance

Regular spot cleaning of the terrarium should be performed to keep it hygienic for both the animal and the keeper. Dead live foods and the Crested Gecko's faeces should be removed when noticed. Change the substrate once a month or as required and clean the terrarium with a reptile safe disinfectant such as Medivet Vetaclean.

Acanthodactylus paradis - Leopard Fringe Fingered Lizards.

I have been asked to write this blog by Emma on Facebook and I like a challenge but this is a hard one!

Leopard Fringe Fingered Lizards are not a species I am familiar with, so I thought I would google it. Not a lot comes up, then I realised why Emma asked me to do this.

This is all the information that I did find.

Acanthodactylus is a genus of lizards within the Lacertidae family, commonly referred to as fringe-fingered or fringe-toed lizards They are native to a wide area in Africa and southern Europe; across the Sahara Desert, and up to the Iberian peninsula. Though the lizards prefer dry and sparsely-vegetated regions, it is not strictly tied to an arid terrain, so it is not uncommon to come across it in various environments. The Acanthodactylus's coloration and the pattern of its spots is extremely variable, so it is unsurprising that zoologists have, at one time or another, classified every variety as a separate species. Every saurian of this genus is very aggressive and gets continuously involved in skirmishes with other members of its species. The males strenuously defend the borders of their territories. The Acanthodactylus are oviparous. The number of eggs in a clutch ranges from 3 to 7. The length of an adult of the species is, on average, between 18 to 20 centimeters.

So what have I learnt about Leopard Fringe Fingered Lizards?

Not a lot!

Bearded Dragons

Bearded dragons make great pets; they have a lot of character and will learn how to get the best out of you. Demanding that you give them attention (and food) almost every time you pass their vivarium.
This has made them a very popular choice, appealing to people from all walks of life. When I first came across them, some 14 years ago they out shone all the other lizards I had worked with within a few days. They didn’t try and hide from me or try and scare me away. They wanted to see what I was doing.
They were fairly rare in the UK in those days and were fetching a lot of money compared to more common species. This was because there wasn’t any being imported from the wild, which was a good thing.

While I was traveling in Australia I was lucky enough to see a few species of Bearded Dragons, some while looking for them and sometimes while speeding along in a bus (well I think I saw them, its hard to tell for sure at 60mph!). It was great to see them in there natural enviroment.

Within a couple of years the numbers in the UK had increased and they became more affordable. Also more was learnt about their requirements and the importance of UV lighting, which made a big difference to their health and longevity.
It may be more expensive to set up a vivarium for Bearded Dragon than say a Leopard Gecko, but they are definitely worth it. Don’t get me wrong I really like leopard geckos too; they just aren’t as outgoing.
So would I recommend a Bearded Dragon to a new reptile keeper?
Quite simply YES!


Need more info on how to care for Bearded Dragons?

Please read my caresheet

Snake having problems shedding its skin?

Every now and again I hear of a snake that has had a problem shedding its skin. This is surprising as it is something very easy to solve with the use of a humid hide, which is basically a hide with damp moss inside. The snake will seek the humidity of the hide when it needs it. This is a safer option than making the whole vivarium humid, as this can cause respiratory problems if you get it wrong.
The humid hide is great for species like corn snakes, kings and milks. But isn’t so good for species such as Green Tree Pythons which are a more delicate species that require higher humidity all the time.

Click here to view our selection of hides

Why Reptiles?

The truth is I don’t know!
I have always just found reptiles fascinating, dragging my mother round the reptile house at the Zoo from a very you age. I can’t put my finger on why I just love them. I don’t know if it is because they are misunderstood and often hated by people and I felt drawn to them because of that.
I have always loved Crocodiles, snakes and Lizards but it wasn’t until more recently that I became interested in turtles and tortoises. I started reading up more on tortoise because it was my weak subject when I was working in a reptile centre and have found that the more I learn the more I want to learn. I have only kept one species of turtle, Razorback Musk Turtle, which I managed to breed on the first attempt. They have great characters and are very entertaining, running on the floor of the tank rather than swimming.
The young are about the size of my thumbnail but quickly and get more confident the bigger they get.
Turtles and tortoise can be very rewarding to keep, but make sure you look into which species is best for you before buying one.They all have different requirements, some are easier than others.

Tuatara

The Tuatara is a reptiles from New Zealand, it looks like a lizard but isn’t one. This link will tell you more about that. They are incredibly long lived and have slow a metabolism, taking 15 years to reach maturity and breeding every 2-5 years. Some experts think that 200 year lifespan is possible.
I have just read this article, and it states that the Tuatara is evolving 10 times faster than the average animal. This is very strange as the Tuatara has remained almost unchanged for 220 million years.
I imagine this is due to what has happened in more recent history. Polynesian rats have been introduced onto many of the island which the tuataras inhabit. The rats would not only compete with the tuataras for food by eating insects but will actually eat their eggs and young.
On many of the islands the rats have been removed, to help the Tuataras and this seems to be working very well.
I wonder if it is all this disruption that has made them evolve at such a rate.
I first saw Tuataras at Chester Zoo when I did some work experience many years ago, I found them interesting but I didn’t appreciate them until I went to New Zealand. Unfortunately I never got to see them in the wild but I did see many captive ones. Including Henry in Invercargill, who has recently become a father at the age of 111. Now that’s good going.