BASICS OF REPTILE HUSBANDRY
by Karen Guillen - 12 December 2001
There are two keys
to good reptile husbandry.
-
Observation
- know your animal.
If your reptile starts to behave unusually find out why.
-
Imitate wild
conditions as much as possible.
If your reptile is happy in captivity there will be few health
problems.
HANDLING
Reptiles are shy, quiet and private animals.
Just because your reptile doesn't look bothered doesn't mean it isn't.
Learn to be sensitive - if the animal is puffing up, hissing,
wriggling - it is uncomfortable.
Excessive or rough handling can cause stress.
Stress can cause ill health or even death.
Always handle the reptile gently and securely.
HYGIENE
Change water daily and any time the water is dirtied with skins, faeces
etc.
Remove faeces and sloughed skins from the cage as soon as possible, remove uneaten food at least daily.
Wash hands before and after handling your reptile.
HOUSING
Find out as much as you can about the animal in the wild and replicate
where possible.
Cage must be appropriate for the reptile you are keeping - a blue tongue
lizard needs plenty of floor space and not height, a long necked turtle
needs a large deep water area and small land area, a python needs height
and not much floor space.
THE CAGE
Needs to be secure - the reptile cannot escape and no other animals
can get in.
Must have no abrasive or sharp surfaces.
Needs to be of a design that is easily cleaned.
SUBSTRATE - (the floor covering)
Appropriate for the type of reptile. A blue tongue lizard likes to bury
in leaves but a bearded dragon doesn't. Some substrates can cause problems
- sand near the water dish may be permanently wet and increase health
risks. Gravel, small pebbles and small bits of bark may cause digestion
problems for some reptiles if picked up accidentally, usually with food
items.
Make sure any substrate used is clean. Collect leaf litter from recently fallen branches and allow drying first. Make sure rocks, stones and pebbles you collect are cleaned well.
Various substrates are available commercially. Appropriate (claws can’t get snagged) indoor/outdoor carpet or mats can be used, cut in sections allowing easy removal for cleaning (removal of faeces etc).
FURNITURE
Appropriate for the type of reptile. Make sure furniture can not
collapse on your animal.
Provide branches for climbing reptiles such as geckos, pythons and dragons.
Hollow logs or rock piles are good for skinks.
Provide a basking site that is always dry for a long necked turtle.
Make sure any branches/logs are clean - that they don't carry unwanted
insect visitors such as ticks and mites. Ask for advice on how to safely
clean branches and logs.
Make sure the reptile has something to hide in or under, away from light
if it wants to.
LIGHT
DAY/NIGHT LIGHT
The basking light which gives out heat, also serves the purpose of lighting
the cage.
Imitate daylight hours with the basking light - Spring/Autumn 10 hrs,
Summer 12 hrs and Winter 8hrs.
Do not leave a light emitting white light on at night - the reptile
needs a day/night cycle.
UV LIGHT
Most reptiles need UV light to facilitate the production of vitamin
D3, which is essential for healthy growth. This can be provided by allowing
the animal to bask outside regularly or by providing a light that emits
UVA and UVB in the correct ratios.
HEAT
A thermal gradient is critical to a reptile's health.
Heat must be correct for species being kept - if not, the animal
won't eat and/or can't digest.
Gradient should be at least 5C, preferably a maximum of 10C with a "hot"
and a "cold" end.
Never allow sunlight directly on a cage of any type, even through
a window as the cage will quickly overheat and your reptile will
die.
Make sure the heat source is appropriate and accurate.
Use thermometers to check all heat related equipment including thermostats
& rheostats are correct.
For accurate monitoring of heat especially winter nights or summer days a minimum/maximum thermometer is best - you will be able to know the lowest/highest temps in a period.
Most of the diurnal (active by day) reptiles are baskers and must be provided with an overhead incandescent heat source. Make sure the light source eg. Reflector globe provides heat that spreads - "hot spots" will burn. An underbody heat source on its own is not sufficient for reptiles that bask.
Underbody heat sources are good for nighttime heating especially over winter nights, and as additional heat for cold days. Underbody heat is needed particularly in tall cages.
Warning - make sure concentrated heat
sources such as ceramic lamps, incandescent lights and spotlights can
not be accessed by the reptile. Severe burning will result.
FEEDING
The exact amount to feed is hard to suggest as depends on species,
activity, age etc. Seek advice.
Do some research to find out what the animal eats in the wild, provide
variety and keep the diet natural.
For most reptiles food size should be bite size - length of food not
more than width of animal's head.
Supplements of calcium, minerals and vitamins can be provided if necessary.
This will depend on species of reptile, access to UV light, age of animal
& variety of food provided.
Warning - make sure your animal can not pick up any substrate with
its food.
If necessary place the food in a dish, feed the animal outside of its
cage or do whatever is necessary. Ingestion of bark, sand, stones etc
can lead to death.
SLOUGHING
Different species of reptiles slough (shed) their skin differently.
Snakes usually do it in one piece and within an hour.
Smooth skinned lizards take a day to a week or so to slough.
Rough skinned lizards will slough in patches over a few weeks.
Turtles slough skin on neck, head, feet and legs regularly and the scutes
(shell sections) irregularly.
Lizards and snakes will look very dull just before sloughing - don't
handle your reptile during the sloughing process - while it looks
dull or as it is sloughing - as you can cause damage to the new skin underneath
If your reptile hasn't sloughed completely within the normal period
seek advice.
Unsloughed skin can cause serious problems. In particular check
fingers and toes.
Some reptiles may need a bowl of water to soak in or to be sprayed with
water to aid sloughing.
HUMIDITY
Needs to be appropriate for the species being kept - misting and spraying
are needed for some species.
Wrong humidity levels can cause health problems.
The water dish needs to be suitable for the animal.
HEALTH PROBLEMS
Most common are:
Respiratory - wet hissing, wheezing, keeping head up, mucous in mouth/nose - cold/damp conditions.
Incomplete sloughing - wrong humidity levels or lack of rough
surfaces to aid sloughing.
Obesity - cellulite look, no muscle definition - incorrect diet.
Emaciation - hip bones and spine are obvious, saggy skin - incorrect
diet.
Dehydration - sunken eyes, saggy skin, bones obvious - insufficient
water supply/humidity levels.
Burns - reddish area, blisters - inaccurate heat sources or accessibility
to concentrated heat sources.
Scale rot - reddish area that is usually the belly area - incorrect
humidity, wet substrate.
HIBERNATION
Don't hibernate animals under three years of age.
Be careful hibernating animals that are not locally occurring.
Don't hibernate a reptile if it is unhealthy or underweight.
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