Care guide

Caring for reptiles and amphibians

Reptiles and amphibians depend on you for their heat, light, humidity and food every day, and many live for decades. Set up and test the enclosure before your pet arrives, and find a reptile vet.

Set up before they arrive

Have the enclosure running for a few days first, and check temperatures and humidity with digital thermometers and a hygrometer. Every species' page lists the ranges it needs.

Reptiles need a temperature gradient: a warm end with a basking spot and a cooler end, so they can move to the temperature they need. Put every heat source on a thermostat.

Many species need UVB lighting to use calcium; without it they develop metabolic bone disease. Replace UVB bulbs as often as the maker says, even if they still light.

Feeding

Feed the right foods for your species: gut-loaded insects dusted with calcium, fresh greens, or frozen-thawed whole prey. Never feed live rodents to snakes; they can injure them.

Ask the seller what and when your pet has been eating, and keep to it at first.

Hygiene and salmonella

Reptiles and amphibians can carry salmonella without looking sick. Wash your hands after handling them or anything in their enclosure, keep them out of the kitchen, and take extra care around young children, older people and anyone with a weak immune system.

Health

See a reptile vet for a check-up soon after your pet comes home, and yearly after. A fecal test checks for parasites.

Not eating for longer than normal for the species, a swollen mouth, wheezing, stuck shed, soft bones or a sunken look all need a vet.

Never release a pet

Released pets usually die, and those that survive can spread disease and harm native wildlife. If you can't keep your pet, contact the seller or a reptile society.