Pet Reptile

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Pet Reptile

Lizards

All lizards can and will bite. If bitten by a lizard, do not pull away until the lizard releases its grip. To avoid being bitten, hold the lizard behind the head with one hand and the base of the tail and hindlegs with the other.

Give lizards a good drink before transporting them, so that they do not dehydrate. When transporting a lizard long distances, place it in a calico ha4in a box, with absorbent padding between the bag and the box. Secure thebox firmly after making sure that it has adequate ventilation holes.

If transporting the lizard by any kind of public transport, label the bc xwith the name, address and telephone number of both the sender and tlitreceiver. Attach another label describing the contents of the box, and gi\-:-any special instructions for care during the trip.

Snakes

All snakes bite. When handling a snake, support the body evenly, and neve:-make any sudden movements near the head. When picking up a snakalways pin its head down with a forked stick, then grasp it behind the hea:from above. Remember, when a snake decides to strike and bite, it doeswith extreme rapidity.

If a snake wraps itself around your arm, unwind it while continuinghold the head. When releasing a snake, always let its head go last a::withdraw your hand quickly.

Snakes should be transported in the same manner as lizards.

Tortoise

When handling tortoises, beware of the sharp claws. Most small tortoises cambe picked up as you would hold a sandwich. To transport a tortoise, put it in a moist cloth bag or in a box lined witimoist towels. Avoid overcrowding. Always give the tortoise a good soakEli-before and after the trip to avoid dehydration.

Feeding

Healthy reptiles can fast for long periods without effect. In good condition,they may fast for several months. Reptiles are normally intermittent feeders.Snakes eat twice weekly or less. Lizards eat daily. Scent, particularly forsnakes, is important in food selection.

Feeding activity is temperature dependent, and sub-optimal conditionsare commonly the cause of fasting. To rectify the situation, increase theenvironmental temperature or give the reptile warm baths. Or change thediet, change the environment or increase the light. Temperature reduction,vibrations or disturbance of any kind will cause regurgitation.

For carnivores the best diet is a whole animal, since this reproduces theirnatural diet in the wild.

Tortoises

Lettuce, clover, grass, tomatoes, fruit and cucumber are suitable foods. Somewill eat raw fish and meat, which should be supplemented with calciumcarbonate at the rate of 1/2 teaspoonful (0.5 gram) per 100 grams of meat fed.Cereals, bread, Farax and tinned dog foods can be tried. However, breadand other cereals should not form the major part of the diet of land tortoises,as they might cause liver disease.

Termpins

Terrapins will eat chopped meat, heart, liver, fish (whole or in pieces), snails,shrimps, worms, insects, frogs, tadpoles, mealworms and baby mice. Veg-etables such as lettuce can be given on alternate days. As with tortoises, meatshould be supplemented with calcium.

Small Lizards

The usual diet is earthworms, grasshoppers, slugs, fly larvae and mealworms.

Large lizards

Feed young mice, small lizards, chopped meat, dog food and raw egg.

Herbivorous lizards

Provide lettuce, fruit, plants and insects.

Snakes

All snakes are carnivores, and most eat small vertebrates. Some will eat oni-4live prey.

Forces feeding

When force feeding is called for, use a small, 2-millimetre-diameter.polythene tube attached to a syringe. Gently introduce it into the mouth an:pass it into the food pipe. (It is impossible to go into the windpipe trymistake.) In this way you can feed pulverised whole animal, or canned doefood, minced with egg, or infant foods.

Housing

The type of housing you should provide for a pet reptile depends, of course,on the species you plan to keep. However, there are essential features com-mon to all.

Housing for reptiles must provide a healthy environment, enough spaceand ventilation for the type and number of specimens and it must be escape-proof. The enclosure must provide privacy and yet be easily accessible forcleaning. Provision should be made for heating and adequate lighting.

Most reptiles will live in an unadorned enclosure with absorbent -pape:the floor and a branch and a water bowl. However, if you do wish to a reptile's environment more natural, a wide variety of substances can !..eused—such as coarse sand, gravel, large pebbles, pieces of bark, leaf 1:7-_7_bracken, hollow logs or small branches (to provide privacy).‘Plants :LLTeither be growing in the enclosure or can be growing in pots outside it therefore can be rotated). Make sure plants are non-toxic. MonsteraPhylodendron are quite suitable.

Water containers should be wide based and of a depth appropriate toanimal. Keep the water clean and well away from the heat source.

Have on hand some implements for removing such things as dishes, fae-;'zsand uneaten food from the enclosure—such as long tongs or a scoop.

A glass aquarium is very suitable as a reptile enclosure and can be 1:-quired in various sizes to suit the smaller reptiles. Enclosures made of 1-:_tor wood are also suitable, though wood (including chipboard and ha.7.: -board) should be coated with a waterproof varnish for ease of cleaning.

An outside pit gives reptiles some variety. For snakes or monitors theshould be 1.5 metres high with a 30-centimetre overhang (of tin. example) projecting horizontally into the centre of the pit. The walls can bemade of any material that is escape-proof, such as bricks, concrete, metalor wood. They must be vertical and smooth. To prevent snakes or lizardsescaping by burrowing underneath, the walls should extend 60 centimetresinto the ground.

Always have a portable cage for quarantining new or sick animals.

Since most reptiles will bathe, the ideal situation is an enclosure contain-ing a large removable shallow dish that will accommodate the whole bodyof the reptile without overflowing. This may also provide drinking water.

Light Light is very important in the control of activity and physiological function,especially of reproduction, as is explained below.

Special Requirements for Amphibians

Most amphibians are small animals with smooth, moist skins which repro-duce by laying eggs in water or moist areas. The eggs hatch from their softgelatinous covering to a larva stage and later undergo metamorphosis to theadult stage. The commonly kept amphibians include frogs, toads, newts andsalamanders (axolotl).

The axolotl is actually the larval form of the Mexican salamander. 20 centimetres in length. It ranges in colour from pink to brownish-black.When purchasing an axolotl, ensure that it swims upright and that it usesits gills actively.

Most amphibians do not like to be handled and can be very slippery. Thebest way to handle them is to place your middle finger between the hindlegsand wrap the rest of your hand around the body. Axolotls should be graspedaround the head and forebody.

The skin of amphibians should be kept moist and the animal should haveaccess to water at all times. Many amphibians, especially toads, secretepoisonous substances, so it is important to wash your hands after handling.

If amphibians are to be transported it is important that they are keptdamp, and have plenty of space and adequate ventilation. Polystyrene boxescontaining dampened pieces of moss, grass or foam will retain the moistureand provide protection. Axolotls can be transported in a sealed plastic bagcontaining one-third water, two-thirds air.

Axolotls can be kept in an aquarium filled to a depth of 20 centimetreswith fresh water and kept at 23°C. The aquarium should also contain somerocks or vegetation to make the axolotl feel secure. Newts and frogs can bekept in the . same sort of environment, but it should also contain a halfsubmerged stone, piece of bark or sturdy vegetation for them to climb on.

Axolotls will only feed in the water. Axolotls and newts will eat worms,insects or dog food. Young ones will eat water fleas, white worms, tubifexand sometimes fish food.

Frogs and toads usually like their prey to be moving. They love insectsand worms.

A good supply of insects can be caught by hanging a light globe over afunnel which has been placed in a jar. The insects are attracted by the lightand fall into the jar via the funnel. (This method is particularly effective onsummer nights.)

Breeding

Breeding seldom occurs in captivity because the reptile never truly adai:1_Breeding activity is dependent on normal environment forspecies—light, correct temperature, absence of stress and balanced nutriticare all important.

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