Exotic animals can be wonderful pets but many need special care and conditions to survive. Below is a list of some of the pets we care for here at Treasure Valley Vet Hospital and some information on how to care for your pet.
Indigenous to Australia, Bearded dragons live in the arid, rocky, semi-desert regions and arid open woodlands. They are adept climbers, spending time on branches and in bushes, even found on fence posts when living near human habitation.
They also bask on rocks and exposed branches in the mornings and afternoon. These diurnal (having a day (light) and night (dark) cycle) lizards are omnivores, voracious eaters of invertebrates and small vertebrates alike. They also forage for soft plant matter, including greens, fruits, and flowers. Like most desert dwellers, dragons spend the hottest part of the day in underground burrows and are well adapted to the cool desert nights.
The dragons blunt arrow-shaped head is typical of the agamids. The scales along the skin of the throat and the side of the head have specialized into spiny points. The scales along the sides of their bodies also carry these pointy extensions. When threatened, the dragons flatten out their bodies, making themselves look wider. The "beard" in the dragon's name comes from its flared-out throat, done to scare off con-specifics and potential predators. This threatening vision is enhanced by a gaping mouth. Such behavior is rarely seen in captivity, however, as these lizards adapt so well to their human caretakers. The most one usually sees is a flattening of the body and a small flare to the black "beard."
Dragons are social animals, which is one of the reasons they are engaging and interested in their surroundings in captivity. They frequently become very secure in their environment and soon stop displaying their beard. The young especially perform a distinctive "wave" as a way of communicating nonaggression. Dragons also use their tongue to check out their environment.
Handling
Gently scoop up your dragon with your hand under its belly. Dragons tend to be very trusting and will not necessarily hold on as will other lizards, so always take care to support your dragon. They do not like being firmly held; let them rest in your palm with your fingers gently curled over the back. Dragons are inquisitive animals, so create a controlled space in which it may do some exploring.
Housing
Despite their relatively modest size (adults to 50cm [20in]), bearded dragons are still considered by many to be a "giant" lizard and they require generous space. As adult beardeds will cheerfully eat animals smaller than themselves, hatchlings should not be housed with juveniles or adults. Males tend to be territorial, making even 50-gallon tanks too small for them. Overcrowding, too, can lead to aggression and stress, compounded when the subordinate animal has no place to run off to hide. Such conditions also cause injuries, including lost toes and tails, and loss of appetite, not uncommon.
An enclosure should be large enough to provide a wide temperature gradient both horizontally and vertically. Beardeds can be surprisingly quick (trotting with their bodies raised well off the ground), making top-opening enclosures a must. A top to the enclosure is required; this will keep the dragon from taking off on its own and will keep the crickets inside the tank. Tanks must be well-ventilated, yet able to retain heat. Tanks with parts of their top or sides made of screen often work well. Make sure the tank top is large enough and sturdy enough to hold a full-spectrum/UV light and a fixture for supplemental heating.
There is some debate about the best substrate. In their native environment, beardeds live in sandy desert areas. Decomposed granite or large grained sand (available as playground sand in hardware stores, as well as in pet stores and nurseries) is often used, though there have been reports of intestinal impaction. Other substrates include gravel and aquarium rock (which are more difficult to clean and disinfect), outdoor carpeting (trim loose threads), butcher paper, unprinted newsprint, paper towels, and terry towels all making suitable substrates, though there is no question that the proper sand layered thickly on the bottom of the tank, with branches for climbing and basking, and rocky, ceramic, or wooden caves, and perhaps even some non-prickly succulents, make for an attractive and relatively easy to maintain vivarium. Do not use corn or walnut cob, alfalfa pellets, kitty litter, or wood shavings.
Beardeds have a very active metabolic rate, so plan on frequent cleaning. As their fecal pellets are dry and compact, if sand is used a kitty litter scooper may be used on a regular basis, with the tank undergoing a thorough cleaning and disinfecting several times a year. Regular replacement of the substrate assures the environment remains as healthy as possible for the dragon.
Beardeds need both basking and hiding areas. Ideally, the tank should be big enough to have a hiding place at both ends of the temperature gradient, plus a basking area closer to the heat source. Provide, at least, a hiding area on the cooler side, with branches and logs for climbing and basking on the warm side.
Heat
Although bearded dragons are primarily desert dwellers, they do spend the hottest part of the days in relatively cool areas; as with all desert animals, too much heat can be just as dangerous as too little. The temperature gradient during the day should range from 76°F (24°C) on the cool side to 86°F (30°C) on the warm side, with a basking area ranging from 90°-100°F (32°-37.7°C). Nighttime temperatures can drop no lower than the low to mid 70s (21°C) on the cool side. An undertank heating pad under the warm side of the tank will gently heat the substrate. A basking light or heating element should be positioned above so that there is a vertical gradient, with the warmest end at the top.
To give yourself as much flexibility as possible to cope easily with changing ambient room temperatures throughout the seasons, consider hooking your heating element or basking light to a thermostat. There are several models available, ranging from those that are hardwired into the tank to plug-in ones with simple dials. An even easier method is to plug the heating element or basking light fixture into a table lamp dimmer switch. Check around for a model that gives you many setting options; some have only three (off-dim-bright) which may be too limiting for your needs.
If using a ceramic heating element, you should use a porcelain light socket, as the socket part of the fixture can get very hot; the last thing you want is meltdown or fire. If using high-wattage light bulbs, make sure that the light fixture you are using is rated for the wattage of the bulb; some fixtures can safely handle bulbs up to 150 watts, which could be a problem if your bulb is over 200 watts.
Use at least three thermometers to check your temperatures: one on the cool side, one on the warm side, and one in the basking area. Place them where the animal spends its time, not just where it is convenient for you.
Light
Beardeds need daily access to a UVB source, either being regularly exposed to direct sunlight, or to UVB-producing fluorescent tube such as Duro-Test's Vita-Lite or Vita-Lite Plus, Zoo Med's Iguana light or similar UVB-producing fluorescent tube. Incandescent lights, while suitable for use as heat sources, do not provide the full spectrum required by reptiles, including no UVA and never any UVB. Plant lights and many aquarium lights are wide-spectrum rather than full-spectrum lights, and so should not be used other than as supplemental lighting or heating in addition to the full-spectrum lighting. The term "full spectrum" is incorrectly used by incandescent light manufacturers whose lights are suitable only for producing heat and light; they do not produce the UVB required for calcium metabolism.
A UVB-producing tube that also produces white light may also be paired with a fluorescent BL black light (not a screw-in Halloween or so-called poster light) to provide additional UVB, the wavelength that essential in the metabolism of vitamin D3. Some herpetoculturists feel that it is beneficial to provide additional UVB to desert lizards. Make daily lighting easy for you. By plugging the light fixture into an appliance timer, such as those made for table lamps, you can set the light to go on and off automatically. When you use a timer, your lizard won't be left in the dark all day or in the light all night if you work late or have to go out of town for a day.
Never use a white light of any sort at night, for lighting or for heat. This will stress your animal, eventually affecting its ability to thrive through the resultant lack of sleep, loss of appetite, and other stress-related symptoms. If you need to provide supplemental heat at night in addition to the undertank heating, use a ceramic heating element or a nocturnal reptile bulb; the former produces no light, while the latter produces a dim bluish-purple light.
Water
Always provide fresh water for your dragon. It should be in a bowl or dish shallow enough for your lizard to see easily into and drink out of; deeper bowls can be half-sunk into the substrate. Due to the corrosive action of hot water on copper pipes in hard-water systems, use only cool or cold water if using tap water for drinking water. Your bearded will enjoy a shower now and then: a light misting with water will also help keep the skin humidified to make it easier to shed. The tank, however, should never be damp.
Food
Warning! You must feed very small prey to baby bearded dragons. While the rule-of-thumb for feeding lizards says that it is generally safe to feed prey that is 2/3 the size of the lizard's head, this is not advisable with baby beardeds (0-4 months). When fed prey that is too large for them, serious physical problems often result: partial paralysis, seizures, ataxia (loss of motor control), inability to self-feed, gut impaction, and even death. Start with feeding pinhead crickets and tiny, freshly molted worms, moving only slowly and gradually to larger sizes, phasing in day-old pinks when they are ready for them. Despite the fact that most stores sell animals that need them, most don't sell pinheads, so you will have to order them directly from a cricket breeder; you can order mealworms from them at the same time.
The bearded dragons are omnivores, with plant foods comprising about 20 percent of their diet. Since these lizards consume a wide variety of invertebrates and small vertebrates in the wild, a variety of protein sources must be offered in captivity. Prey items such as appropriately sized cultured crickets, cockroaches, mealworms, king worms, and wax worms can be fed, along with pink mice. Make sure the invertebrates are freshly molted to reduce the amount of tough, indigestible exoskeleton the dragon will ingest; exoskeletons can cause intestinal impaction so the least amount ingested the better. As the dragon grows, it is better to feed him mice (pinks, fuzzies, crews, young adult) rather than mostly insects. Whole rodent prey is more nutritious - and will not cause the impaction that insect prey can.
Feed your invertebrate prey before feeding your dragon. Prey animals bought from pet stores are generally in dire need of a good meal, having subsisted on cardboard or bran for several days at least. Sprinkle or dust prey with a calcium supplement just before feeding them to your lizard 3 to 5 times a week (more for baby and pregnant dragons), and use a multivitamin supplement 2 to 3 times a week (more for babies and pregnant females). Prepare an enclosure for your crickets, furnishing it with pieces of egg crate or cardboard cores from paper towels and toilet paper. Pieces of fruits and vegetables, as well as food such as high-protein baby cereal mixed with reptile vitamins, tropical fish flakes, and rodent chow, all make suitable foods. Since smaller crickets are more nutritious than larger crickets (proportionately less exoskeleton) it is better to feed out more of the smaller ones than fewer of the big ones.
Plant matter includes a variety of shredded or torn vegetables and fruits such as green beans, orange-fleshed squash, carrots, escarole, parsley, mustard, dandelion and collard greens, raspberries, mango, and cantaloupe.
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Wild green iguanas are found naturally in southern Mexico, Central America, and most of South America. In their native habitats, green iguanas are found mostly in the rainforests, although some do live in drier, costal areas. They tend to limit themselves to lower altitudinal regions, where temperatures are warm enough for their ectothermic lifesyle.
Green iguanas are generally arboreal, meaning that they live in trees. Their long claws are superb adaptations for this lifestyle. Although they may appear to be quite clumsy as they tip over your furniture, knock things off shelves and fall off of perches, they are quite good climbers. They spend the majority of the day high in the forest canopy, and venture to the ground only to move from tree to tree, to mate, and to lay eggs. They are also good swimmers and jumpers.
Keeping an iguana in a too-small enclosure at any age intensifies their reaction to their territory being invaded, even when the "invader" is your hand and arm putting in fresh food and water. Start with at least a 60-gallon US tank with a secure lid. While a 60 gallon tank may seem huge for a baby iguana, a properly cared for hatchling will outgrow that enclosure by the end of its first year. Enclosures not suitable for iguanas are those that are primarily mesh, as mesh does not hold in the heat. Place enclosures where iguanas can look out of a window when there are no humans around and they can watch people doing relatively quiet things when they are home.
Choose a suitable substrate that is safe for the iguana and easy for you to clean. Hemmed or well-trimmed artificial grass, indoor/outdoor carpeting, butchers paper or paper towels can all be used. If using the artificial grass or carpeting, always have one or two pieces cut to fit in reserve. Be sure to trim any frayed edges and strings. Newspapers should be avoided: the inks gets into the reptile's skin and the out-gassed fumes, undetectable by most people, when inhaled at close range by the iguana, may cause health problems.
Provide a hiding place, such as a half-log or an empty cardboard box. The box or log should be big enough for the iguana to hide its entire body inside; it does not have to cover the entire length of the outstretched tail. Iguanas love to climb, so provide one or more branches, ropes and/or towels for the iguana to climb and bask on. Make sure they are anchored securely so they don't fall with your iguana clinging to them. The width of the branches is important for two reasons: your iguana is going to keep growing wider as well as longer and taller, and he will need to turn around when he wants to move to the other side of the enclosure.
If you use branches collected from the wild, you will need to treat them first to assure that you do not introduce into your home any critters that belong outdoors. First, clean off any dirt and loose bark. If the branches are small enough to put in your oven, bake them at 200° to 250° F (94° to 120° C) for 2 to 3 hours. Let them cool completely. If the branches are too big for the oven, place them in a tub of bleach-water solution (1/2 cup [118 ml] household bleach per gallon [3.8 l] of water), and soak for 24 hours. Safely dispose of the solution, then refill the tub with fresh water, and soak again for a day. Let them dry in the sun for 2 to 3 days before use.
The iguana environment needs to be functioning independently of your own environment when it comes to temperatures and humidity. It must be 75° to 88° F (24°-31° C), with a basking area of 88° to 95° F (35° C) during the day, and 70° to 84° F (21-28° C) at night, in the iguana's environment.
Iguanas operate on a daily cycle that includes a distinct dark period, night and light period, Since our iguanas are tropical lizards, they should be on a 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark cycle. If the lighting is incorrect, it will affect the iguanas stress levels, immune and endocrine function, digestion, growth and development, and more.
If we cannot get iguanas exposed to natural (not filtered through glass or plastic) sunlight throughout the year to enable them to develop the D3 they require, then you need to supply the UVB through safe artificial means. To be effective, UVB-producing fluorescent lights must be no farther than 18 inches from the iguana; 10-15 inches is better. The UVB-producing fluorescent light should be on a 12-hour on/12-hour off period. The UV radiation emitted by the UVB-producing fluorescents eventually degrades to the point of uselessness long before the fluorescent tube burns out and stops emitting visible light. These tubes should be changed whenever black bands appear around the ends of the tubes, about every nine to twelve months.
To properly stimulate appetite and digest their food, iguanas must have access to a basking area that remains between 88° to 95° F (31°-35° C) for at least 12 hours a day. The rest of their enclosure must sustain a thermal gradient, that is, a specific temperature range from cool to warm. Owners rely mostly on providing the required temperatures by use of regular household incandescent bulbs or properly installed ceramic heating elements for daytime heating. Iguanas need supplemental heating at night with no light. Examples include an infrared heating device such as a ceramic heating element (CHE), an infrared panel, or a nocturnal/nighttime light bulb made for reptiles.
Ceramic heating elements produce heat by emitting infrared wavelengths. They produce no visible light (which can make it difficult to tell if they are turned on or not). They are very useful in smaller enclosures because the bouncing wavelengths ultimately warm up the tank and you can establish your thermal gradient. In large enclosures, they are only useful to provide the basking area heat. You must use porcelain light sockets if you are going to use a CHE.
Hot rocks and sizzle stones do not heat up anything but themselves and what ever happens to be plastered to them. All too often, their internal temperature regulator fails, and the rock becomes hot enough to severely burn, sometimes fatally, the iguana. Iguanas in warm-to-hot climates generally do well with a heating pad made for humans. Placed under one-half of the tank or in the basking area of a larger enclosure.
Don’t guess about the temperature inside the enclosure. Any regular thermometer can be securely taped to the enclosure; these are often found at reduced prices at biological supply houses and inexpensive ones at hardware stores. Make sure the iguana cannot get at glass thermometers as they may be knocked or clawed down and broken. Get at least two - one for the cool side and one for the warm. Ideally, you need a third one at the basking area.
Feeding your Iguana
It had been thought for many years that Iguanas are omnivores, eating both fruits, vegetables and meat, but new research has shown that Iguanas are strictly herbivores and more correctly, folivores, leaf eaters. What this means is that Iguanas should not be getting any animal protein in their diets. Green Iguanas are herbivorous from their very first meal because their digestive system is structured to process a high-fiber diet, and to extract much, but not all of their water needs form the foods they eat. While Iguanas know instinctively which foods to eat in their natural habitat, in captivity it is up to the owner to choose a proper diet for them.
The best foods to feed your Iguana are fresh vegetables with lots of variety. Your Iguanas basic menu should consist of one green and one orange vegetable, parsnip and alfalfa (for protein and color), and a fruit. a calcium and multivitamin supplements should be added. Served with this basic diet your Iguana should also be eating green leafy vegetables. If at first your iguana ignores the Basic Salad and eats only the greens, try withholding the greens until he starts eating the Basic Salad. Once he is eating the salad without hesitation, then you can reintroduce the greens.
Green Vegetable: ?For the green vegetable, use whole fresh green beans, snap peas or snow peas, that is, the peas and their edible pods. Wash the pods well then chop them by steel-knifing them in the processor or chop by hand. Remember to process or hand-chop until the pieces are small enough to be easily swallowed by a lizard who gulps food rather than chews it.
To vary the flavor and smell, you can occasionally throw in a small amount of broccoli, bok choy, brussels sprouts.
Orange Vegetable: For the orange vegetable, concentrate on the winter squashes. Winter squashes include acorn, banana, delicata, Hubbard, kabocha, pumpkin, spaghetti and turban. These squashes are called "winter" squashes because, when kept in dark, cool, dry places, they will stay fresh for several months. Those harvested during the mid- to late summer will stay fresh throughout the winter months when kept this way. This makes it easy for most of us to stock up on fresh pumpkins when their price falls just before Halloween and feed fresh pumpkin throughout the winter to our iguanas (and baked pumpkin for ourselves!). If you need to, microwave the harder squashes until they are just soft enough for you to peel and cut into lengths that will fit through the feed tube of the food processor or other shredder, or comfortably hold while you chop or grate by hand.
Some owners have reported that kabocha squash brings out blue accent skin colors on some iguanas, more so than other winter squashes. All squashes are high in carotenoids which in other species, are known to bring out some latent coloring. Crookneck and scallop, both summer squashes, are fine to use in season. They have the soft skins that are cooked and eaten along with the flesh and seeds. The two squashes that are not suitable for use as anything other than an occasional treat are cucumbers and zucchini. Both are poor, nutritionally speaking.
Carrots and sweet potatoes can also be fed, but they do contain oxalates, so use them occasionally, sticking to winter squashes as your primary orange vegetable. Yams are okay occasionally; they contain oxalates as well as saponins, so should be used less frequently than the carrots or squash. These vegetables should be shredded. If you are also using a parsnip, the parsnip can be shredded at the same time as the orange vegetable.
Other Vegetables: Your iguana may enjoy some of the following vegetables that may be used in small amounts. These should be considered as flavorful additions to the Basic Salad, not a replacement for the more nutritious vegetables. Try mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, green onions, other root vegetables, cactus pad, star fruit, asparagus, okra, and just about anything you see in the produce department that looks interesting. Some of these vegetables have oxalates and other chemicals that you don't want too highly represented in your herbivore's diet, so do go easy on them.
Fruit: Fruit is used more for color and moisture than it is for its nutritional contribution to the overall salad. Just as some vegetables are more nutritious than others, so too are some fruits better than others in this regard.
Many types of fruit are suitable for the salad. Listed in descending order in terms of nutritional contribution: raspberries, blueberries, mulberries, strawberries, pears, plums, mangos, papayas, cherries, apricots, cantaloupe, dates, prickly pear cactus and kiwi (both skinned) are all good fruits. As you may have noticed, most of these represent the most expensive fruits found in the market, or are only available seasonally. Fortunately, most markets keep a year round stock of frozen blueberries, strawberries and cherries, and you can sometimes find frozen mango at specialty stores such as Trader Joe's.
Figs are the highest in calcium, with dried figs highest of all. Unfortunately, fresh figs are rather expensive unless you are lucky enough to have a tree. Dried figs are available in grocery stores during the November-December holidays, but can often be found throughout the year at health food stores. Dried figs must be soaked in water (either cold water overnight in the refrigerator, or about one-half hour in hot water) to rehydrate them before feeding them out.
Fruits should be steel-knifed or finely chopped, then mixed in with the vegetables.
Fruits suitable for occasional treats include banana (high in phosphorous), carambola (star fruit - high in oxalates), melons, berries, and grapes and soaked raisins. Hard fruits should be shredded. Berries, melons, grapes and reconstituted raisins should be chopped into smaller pieces.
Do not feed the melon skin, banana skin (unless you buy organically grown bananas - all others are treated with a fungicide to retard mold growth on skin). Do not feed papaya, pear, apple, plum, peach, nectarine, or other seeds. The tiny seeds in berries, grapes, and banana are fine. Some iguana keepers have reported that their hatchlings became impacted after several weeks of eating fruits with lots of tiny seeds, such as figs and raspberries. Along with making sure that all dried fruits are thoroughly reconstituted, alternate these seeded fruits with ones from which you can easily remove the seeds.
Alfalfa: Additional protein, fiber and calcium is provided by alfalfa. The best forms to use are the powders or leaf teas packaged for human consumption. These are preferable to the small mammal alfalfa food pellets and crumbled alfalfa hay, as discussed above.
If you are using pellets or tablets, they can be ground in the food processor (use the steel knife), nut grinder or coffee grinder--if your ears can stand the noise. The pellets may also be left whole and mixed with the vegetables where they should be broken down rapidly by the moisture in the salad. If they are not, add some water to the salad, or soak the pellets briefly before mixing into the salad. If they still don't soften enough to fall apart on their own, stop using that product and switch to another brand or, better, a powder or leaf product made for humans.
Health Care
All new iguanas, whether they are hatchlings you bought from a store, or someone else's pet you've taken in, should be seen by a reptile veterinarian. It can take a long time for iguana owners to recognize signs of illness and disease in their lizards. Iguanas, even long-term captives, are still wild animals and will hide, as long as possible, any signs of weakness. Don't bet on your new iguana's life by skipping the veterinarian visit. An initial visit that includes fecal tests and treatment for worms and dehydration should be included as part of the total cost of your iguana. If you can't afford the veterinarian, you can't afford the iguana.
Pet trade iguanas are always highly stressed, usually dehydrated, have high levels of internal parasites, and sometimes external parasites (reptile mites or ticks). Since they haven't been fed properly, or maintained at proper temperatures, they are also malnourished. When you bring them home, their stress levels increase for several weeks until they start getting used to you and their new home. Getting them treated for dehydration, parasites and any infections will help enable them to better deal with all the new things in their life.
Iguanas should be alert and move with smooth motions, whether they are speeding across the room or checking out a new object. If your iguana spends most of its time sleeping and is relatively non-responsive, then tell the veterinarian this; lethargy is a symptom of several disorders.
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RED - EARED SLIDER
Red-eared Sliders (Trachemys scripta) are found throughout the United States east of the Rockies. The subspecies T. s. elegans, yellow-bellied slider, is the one most often sold in pet stores here and abroad. These fresh water turtles spend much of their time in the warm waters of their native habitat. While they are strong underwater swimmers, these sliders spend much of the warmer hours of the day hauled out on logs or rocks (or, when very small, on marsh weeds and other aquatic plants) basking in the sun. All of the sliders are omnivores, eating both animal protein and vegetable/plant matter. Younger turtles need up to 40% of their food from protein sources; adult turtles feed more heavily on vegetation. In the wild they begin by eating tiny fish and amphibian larva, water snails and a variety of plants growing in the water and on land.
As with all wild-caught reptiles, the animals found in pet stores have been under stress for some time. As a result, they are most likely suffering from protozoan and bacterial infections, including Salmonella, which is easily transmitted to young children. Additionally, they are usually emaciated and dehydrated due to long periods of time without food or water or being held in areas too cold to stimulate the appetite; many of these turtles will not eat when they are stressed or frightened, and cannot eat when they are too cold. As soon as you can after you take your turtle home, scoop up a fresh fecal sample and take it and your turtle to a reptile veterinarian. While the feces is being tested, the vet will check out your turtle for signs of nutritional deficiencies, topical bacterial or fungal infections, beak overgrowth, respiratory and eye infections - all very common in wild-caught animals (and in captive turtles who have not been provided with the proper environment or diet). Make sure your turtle is given all the medication prescribed by the vet. If you have trouble administering it yourself, take your turtle back to the vet to have it done. If maintained at the proper temperatures, fed a healthy varied diet and kept in a stress-free active environment, your turtle may outlive you: some individuals have lived more than 100 years.
Creating the Proper Habitat
All sliders need both a warm, dry area and a large pool of warm water. In the wild, they chose water that warms up quickly in the sun each day. You will need to provide a warm enclosure with both heated water and a warm place for your turtle to climb out and dry off. The water must be kept clean; rotting bits of food mixed with feces will combine to make an unhealthful habitat and a sick turtle. Turtles are messy eaters and defecate in their water, so cleaning will be an almost daily routine.
Tank: Start with at least a 20-gallon glass aquarium (see the section on water before you rush out and buy that 20-gallon aquarium you saw on sale!). If you are not interested in actually being able to watch your turtle swimming around under water, you can use an large opaque plastic container such as a large plastic storage box bottom, concrete mixing bin or deep kitty litter pan. You can use clean aquarium rock and gravel to build a slope up from the wet end (the pool) to the dry end (the land). You can silicone together pieces of plexiglas to make a moveable platform onto which your turtle can crawl onto to rest. Floating or anchored cork rafts or logs are another alternative. Rough rocks must not be used as they can scratch turtle shells, which allows bacterial and fungal infections to get started and penetrate into the turtle's body.
Water: The water must be at least 1.5 to 2 times your turtle's total length (called carapace length, or CL) in depth, with several extra inches of air space between the surface of the water to the top edge of the tank to prevent escapes. The tank length needs to be at least 4 to 5 times the CL, and the front-to-back width should be at least 2 to 3 times the CL. So, for a turtle who is 4" CL, your enclosure water area must be at minimum 6 to 8 inches deep, 16 to 20 inches in length, and 8 to 12 inches in width. If you are going to have a land area at one end, this means you need something larger than a 10-gallon tank. Keep in mind that if your turtle is not yet full grown (and, if he is not yet as large as a dinner plate, he is not full grown), you not only need to provide room in the tank (water and land) for him as he is now, but to allow for future growth.
Water Filter: Proper water filtering systems are necessary to keep the water fairly fresh between your weekly changes. If you have a powerful filter system and you feed your turtle in another tank, you may be able to get away with replacing 25% to 50% of the water each week for 2 or 3 weeks, emptying and cleaning out the tank thoroughly every third or fourth week. Remember to replace the water with warm water. Talk to your aquarium shop about the following types of filters that are suitable for red-eared sliders: canister, undergravel, sponge, and power filters. You will also need some type of automated siphon for the partial changes of water between the overall heavy-duty changes and cleaning.
Water Heater: The water temperature must be maintained between 75°-86°F. If you buy a submersible pre-calibrated heater, test it first and make sure the water is the proper temperature before you put your turtle in the water. Too cold and it won't eat; too hot and you'll cook it. Buy an aquarium thermometer and monitor the temperature regularly.
Area Heating: If the room the turtle is being kept in is always over 75°F, then you will only need to heat up a basking area. Using an incandescent light or spot light, allow the area closest to the light to reach 85°-88°F. Make sure there is absolutely no way for the light to fall into the water or for the turtle to come into direct contact with the light bulb. Be aware that the light will heat up the water to a certain degree so be sure to monitor the water temperature. Young sliders, and any sick turtle, should be kept warmer (water temperatures between 82°-85°F) than the average healthy adult. Sustained low temperatures (between 65°-72°F) will cause turtles to stop feeding and respiratory infections may result. If the room is not warm enough to provide the turtle with the proper air temperature gradient, you will need to supplement the heat, providing another source of heat, which may be used day and night in addition to the basking light. One alternative is to use one of the new ceramic heat elements; these screw into regular incandescent sockets (preferably porcelain sockets), come in a variety of powers, and last a very long time.
Special Lighting: On sunny days when the outside temperatures are warm, feel free to put your turtle outside for a while for some sunshine. Either move your turtle tank outside (so long as it is not a glass enclosure, which can overheat to the point of causing fatal hyperthermia), or set up a secure outdoor enclosure for your turtle to sun and soak in, or set up an indoor enclosure complete with a UVB-supplemented basking and a swimming area. The latter will be required if you cannot regularly get your turtle outside or otherwise safely exposed to sunlight (not filtered through plastic or glass), or live where the amount of natural UVB is not sufficient year round to enable your turtle to make the amount of pre-vitamin D it needs to ensure adequate calcium metabolism. Exposure to full-spectrum lighting such as a Vita-Lite® is recommended by some turtle experts, and is considered mandatory by others. Full-spectrum light is an essential part of the calcium metabolization process, and calcium deficiencies are very common in captive turtles. Many herpetoculturists use full-spectrum lights as, in addition to their importance in mineral metabolizing, they may have subtle psychological benefits such as improved appetite.
Electric Shock Hazard: As with tropical fish, there is a danger of electrical shock--to you and to the turtle--when using electric filters, water heaters and lamps in and around the tank of water. All electrical cords should be connected to a ground-fault interrupter that shuts off the current if anything happens. Buy one at your local hardware store. Do not use bulbs with higher wattage than your light fixture is rated for (no 100 watt bulbs in 60 watt fixtures). Turtles will investigate and knock things about; secure your water heater behind an immovable wall or partition - turtle-proof it.
Feeding Your Turtle
To ensure proper nutrition, strong growth and a healthy long-lived turtle, feed a varied diet to both adults and juveniles. Just remember that adults eat less animal protein and more vegetable matter. Juveniles must be fed every day; adults can be fed once every 2 to 3 days. Do not feed more than they can eat; the excess food will go to waste and foul the water. Feed a combination of the following foods:
Commercial diets: (No more than 25% of total diet) Trout Chow, commercial floating fish, reptile or turtle food (pellets, sticks or tablets). The pellets and sticks have the advantage of being formulated specifically for reptiles and don't decompose in the water as fast as other foods.
Animal Protein: (No more than 25% of total diet) Live feeder fish--do not feed frozen fish; they are deficient in thiamin and excess consumption will cause a thiamin deficiency in your turtle. Earthworms--buy them from a reptile or aquarium store; do not feed the ones from your yard as they may contain bacteria, parasites and pesticides against which your turtle has no immunity. Finely chopped raw lean beef, beef heart and cooked chicken; raw chicken is too often riddled with salmonella. High quality dog kibble can be offered occasionally--dog and cat foods tend to be too high in fat and additives and so should not be used as the main source of protein.
Plant Matter: (50% or more of total diet) Offer leaves of dark leafy greens such as collard, mustard and dandelion greens. Offer shredded carrots (and carrot tops), squash and green beans. Thawed frozen mixed vegetables may be used occasionally, but care should be taken as some frozen green vegetables develop thiaminase which destroys that all-important B vitamin. Fruit can be offered raw; shred hard fruits like apples and melons, chopping soft fruits such as berries. To help keep their beak in trim, let them gnaw on pieces of cantaloupe with the (well washed) rind still attached.
Vitamin supplements should be added twice a week. Use a good reptile or turtle multivitamin. Turtles must also be supplied with additional calcium; they often enjoy taking bites out of calcium blocks and gnawing on cuttlebone, so always have some available to them.
Acclimation and Handling
After bringing home and placing your turtle in its already-established tank, let it get used to its new surroundings for several days. It may spend the first couple of days closed tight in its shell, or may quickly withdraw when it sees you looming overhead or approaching the enclosure. During this time, put fresh food out every day and make sure the water stays warm and clean. After a while, the healthier turtle will begin to explore its surroundings, and may begin to watch the goings-on around it. When you pick up the turtle, support its body with both hands. Turtles feel more secure when they can feel something beneath their feet; "swimming" in air is stressful to them. Let them feel your hands or fingers beneath their feet, not just their plastron (bottom shell). A two-handed carry will also help ensure that they will not suffer a potentially crippling--or fatal--fall.
When your children's hands are big enough, teach them the proper way to hold and carry the turtle and to wash their hands after handling the turtle. If they have been playing with any other animals before they go to handle the turtle, they should wash their hands before handling, too.
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LEOPARD GECKO
Leopard geckos are among the largest geckos with adults attaining a length of around 8 or 9 inches. Most leopard geckos have a yellow background with brown spots covering the adults. Juvenile geckos have a predominantly striped pattern that fades to the spotted pattern with age. They also have a very obvious outer ear and differ from many geckos in that they have eyelids and lack adhesive lamellae, meaning they can’t walk up vertical surfaces.
Housing
An aquarium is a perfect home although many people have success with plastic sweater boxes. Since they are a terrestrial species, a long aquarium is better than a high one. A 20-gallon long aquarium is adequate for 3 or 4 geckos. Make sure that you only have one male per enclosure, as males will fight each other. The substrate can be anything from sand to newspaper. Rocks and logs can make the terrarium more natural looking and they provide our lizards with places to climb and get exercise. A hide box is also recommended for each lizard.
Lighting and Temperature
Leopard geckos are a nocturnal species so no form of UV lighting is necessary. A simple spotlight with the appropriate wattage bulb can provide light and heat. Temperatures in the aquarium should be in the 90’s during the day and in the 70’s at night. With an ambient room temperature at ~70’s, turning the spotlight off at night and keeping on during the day should provide sufficient warmth in the aquarium. Heating pads and hot-rocks are NOT recommended. Use thermometers to measure the temperature do not try to guess!
Food and Water
Crickets, wax worms and mealworms make a good diet for geckos. Adults can occasionally be fed pinkie mice. Juveniles need to be fed every day and adults every other day. Vitamin supplementation is a must for geckos. Juveniles should be supplemented at every feeding and adults at every other feeding. Gravid females should also be supplemented at every feeding to make up for the large nutritional depletion caused by egg laying. Both calcium and a multivitamin are needed. An appropriate vitamin/mineral powder should be available at a pet store specializing in reptiles.
A shallow water dish should be provided at all times and changed daily to stop bacteria and fungus growth. Allowing leopard geckos access to a moist area is a good idea that aids in shedding. Even though they come from arid climates their burrows tend to have moderate humidity. People can supply this humidity by SLIGHTLY moistening the area under their hide boxes. Make sure the overall cage is not wet or overly humid as this will lead to shin infections.
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BALL PYTHONS 
Ball pythons (Python regius) are found at the edges of the forest land of Central and Western Africa. They are equally comfortable on the ground and in trees. They are crepuscular, active around dawn and dusk. Called royal pythons in Europe, here in the United States we call them "balls" due to their habit of curling themselves up into a tight ball when they are nervous, their heads pulled firmly into the center. Like most pythons, ball pythons are curious and gentle snakes.
Ball pythons typically reach 4 feet (1.2 m) in length; occasionally there are specimens that reach 5 feet (1.5 m). When properly fed, their bodies become nicely rounded. Like all pythons and boas, ball pythons have anal spurs. These single claws appearing on either side of the vent are the vestigial remains of the hind legs snakes lost during their evolution from lizard to snake millions of years ago. Males have longer spurs than do the females; males also have smaller heads than the females.
Ball pythons, like all pythons and boas, devour a variety of prey in the wild - amphibians, lizards, other snakes, birds and small mammals. They do not eat mice in the wild, however, and do not recognize the mice we offer them as being something edible. Thus, imported wild-caught ball pythons tend to be very picky eaters, at least initially, and drive their owners to distraction in their attempts to get them to eat something.
Ball pythons are reputed to be able to go for extended periods of time without food; wild-caught ball pythons have gone for a year or more without food until finally enticed to eat lizards and other snakes. This is not a healthy trait and must not be a reason for selecting this species. This should also make you suspicious when a pet store tells you that their ball pythons are eating well.
Buying captive-born ball pythons reduces the stress on the threatened populations in the wild and helps ensure you will get a healthy, established eater and a snake already used to contact with humans. Buying from a reputable breeder will ensure that you will get the help and advice you need to assure that your ball feels comfortable and secure enough to eat after you bring it home and let it get settled for a week or so.
With the increased popularity of reptiles as pets there is increased pressure on wild populations. In addition to the more than 60,000 ball pythons that are imported annually, ball pythons are killed for food and their skin is used for leather in their native land. For some reason, despite their low reproduction rate, wild ball pythons are the least expensive pythons on the market, generally wholesaling for under ten dollars. Imported ball pythons also harbor several different types of parasites that may go unnoticed by the novice snake owner. All around, it is better to buy a captive-born hatchling or an established, well-feeding juvenile, sub-adult or adult than an imported ball of any age.
In captivity, young ball pythons will grow about a foot a year during the first 3 years. They will reach sexual maturity in 3 to 5 years. The longest living ball python on record was over 48 years old when it died. Egg-layers, female ball pythons encircle their four to ten eggs, remaining with then from the time they are laid until they hatch. During this 3-month period, they will not leave the eggs and will not eat.
Getting Started
Selecting Your Ball Python: Choose an animal that has clear firm skin, rounded body shape, clean vent, clear eyes, and who actively flicks its tongue around when handled. All ball pythons are naturally shy about having their heads touched or handled by strangers; a normal reaction is for the ball to pull its head and neck sharply away from such contact. When held, the snake should grip you gently but firmly when moving around. It should be alert to its surroundings. All young snakes are food for other, larger snakes, birds, lizards and mammalian predators so your hatchling may be a bit nervous at first but should settle down quickly.
Selecting an escape-proof enclosure: Select an enclosure especially designed for housing snakes, such as the glass tanks with the combination fixed screen/hinged glass top. All snakes are escape artists; ball pythons are especially powerful and cunning when it comes to breaking out. A good starter tank for a hatchling is a 10-gallon tank (approximately 20"L x 10"W [50 x 25 cm]). A young adult requires a 20-gallon tank, and full adult may require a 30 gallon tank (36" x 12"W [91 x 35 cm]).
Select a suitable substrate: Use paper towels at first. These are easily and quickly removed and replaced when soiled and, with an import, will allow you to better monitor for the presence of mites and the condition of the feces. Once the animal is established, you can use more decorative ground cover such as commercially prepared shredded cypress or fir bark. Pine and aspen shavings should not be used as they can become lodged in the mouth while eating, causing respiratory and other problems. The shavings must be monitored closely and all soiled and wet shavings pulled out immediately to prevent bacteria and fungus growths. The utilitarian approach is to use inexpensive Astroturf. Extra pieces can be kept in reserve and used when the soiled piece is removed for cleaning and drying (soak in one gallon of water to which you have added two tablespoon of household bleach; rinse thoroughly, and dry completely before reuse). Remember: the easier it is to clean, the faster you'll do it!
Provide a hiding place: A half-log is available at pet stores. An empty cardboard box or upside-down opaque plastic container, both with an access doorway cut into one end, can also be used. The plastic is easily cleaned when necessary; the box can be tossed out when soiled and replaced with a new one. The box or log must be big enough for the snake to hide its entire body inside; you will need to eventually replace it as your snake grows. Ball pythons prefer dark places for sleeping and, as they are nocturnal, they like the dark place during our daylight hours; they also like to sleep in something that is close around them, so do not buy or make too big of a cave for its size. Place a nice climbing branch or two in the tank with some fake greenery to screen part of it; your ball will enjoy hanging out in the "tree."
Keeping it warm
Proper temperature range is essential to keeping your snake healthy. The ambient air temperature throughout the enclosure must be maintained between 80°F to 85°F (27-29° C) during the day, with a basking area kept at 90°F (32.5°C). At night, the ambient air temperature on the coolest side may be allowed to drop down no lower than 73° to 75°F (23-24°C) only if a basking area of at least 80°F (27°C) remains available.
Special reptile heating pads that are manufactured to maintain a temperature about 20 degrees higher than the air temperature may be used inside the enclosure. There are adhesive pads that can be stuck to the underside of a glass enclosure. Heating pads made for people, available at all drug stores, are also available; these have built-in hi-med-lo switches and can be used under a glass enclosure. You can also use incandescent light bulbs in porcelain and metal reflector hoods to provide the additional heat required for the basking area. All lights must be screened off to prevent the snake from burning itself.
All pythons, especially ball pythons, are very susceptible to thermal burns. For this reason do not use a hot rock. New on the market are ceramic heating elements. They radiate heat downwards, do not emit light, and are reported to be long lasting. Plugged into a thermostat they will enable you to adjust the temperature inside the tank as the ambient room temperature changes with the seasons.
Buy at least two thermometers - one to use in the overall area 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the enclosure floor, and the other 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the floor in the basking area. Don't try to guess the temperature - you will either end up with a snake who will be too cold to eat and digest its food or one ill or dead from overheating.
Humidity
Ball pythons are native to generally temperate to arid areas. Depending on where you live, they may be fine with the ambient humidity. If there are any problems shedding, or feces are dry when deposited or there is straining to defecate, check the humidity with a hygrometer and get it up to 50 percent. When shedding, they will need higher humidity: increase enclosure humidity to 60 to 65 percent, or mist daily during the shed. If you bathe them in a warm bath the day their eyes clear, they should shed completely within 24 hours.
Lighting
No special lighting is needed. Ball pythons are nocturnal snakes, spending their days in the wild securely hidden away from possible predators. To make it easier to see your ball during the day, you can use a full-spectrum light or low wattage incandescent bulb in the enclosure during the day. Make sure the snake cannot get into direct contact with the light bulbs as ball pythons are very prone to getting seriously burned. Respect your ball's needs, however, and be sure to provide a hide box, and expect them to use it!
Feeding
Allow your snake to acclimate to its new home for a couple of weeks. Start your hatchling (about 15" in length) off with a single pre-killed 1-week to 10-day old "fuzzy" mouse. A smaller sized hatchling may require a smaller mouse; try a pre-killed 5-day old. Older ball pythons may be fed larger pre-killed mice or pinkie rats. If your new ball has gone several months without eating and is beginning to noticeably lose weight, take it to a reptile veterinarian or contact your local herpetology society and ask to speak to someone who is knowledgeable about ball pythons and feeding problems.
Water
Provide a bowl of fresh water at all times. Your snake will both drink and soak, and may defecate, in it. Check it daily and change when soiled. Soaking is especially good just before a shed. When they eyes clear from their milky opaque, or "blue" state, soak the snake in a tub of warm water for ten minutes or so, then lightly dry it off, and return it immediately to its tank; it should shed cleanly within twenty-four hours.
Health Problems
Routine veterinary care for newly acquired snakes is essential. Many of the parasites infesting ball pythons and other reptiles can be transmitted to humans and other reptiles. Left untreated, such infestations can ultimately kill your snake. When your snake first defecates, collect the feces in a clean plastic bag, seal it, label it with the date, your name and phone number and the snake's name, then take it and your snake to a veterinarian who is experienced with reptiles. There it will be tested and the proper medication given if worms or protozoan infestations are found.
Common problems encountered in captivity include retained eye shed (spectacles) and mites. When snakes shed their skin, the layer of skin over their eye is also shed, and can be clearly seen when looking at a piece of head shed. Always check your ball's head shed to assure it has shed the spectacles. If one or both spectacles have been retained, bathe the snake again in warmish water for about ten minutes. Before returning it to the enclosure, place a dab of mineral oil on that eye with a cotton-tipped swab.
Mites are a sign of poor environmental conditions. Adult mites are tiny reddish brown dots barely bigger than the period at the end of this sentence. You may first notice them swarming over your hand and arm after you have handled your snake (don't worry--they are harmless to humans) or see them moving around your snake's body or clustered around the eyes. Mites are harmful to snakes, especially ones that have not been kept properly. On the positive side, they are easy and relatively inexpensive to get rid of, although the process is time-consuming. Snakes, including ball pythons, should routinely shed in one piece, from snout (including spectacles) to tail-tip. If a snake does not shed cleanly, it is a sign that something is not right, either with the snake or with its environment. Newly acquired snakes may not shed properly for the first month or two as they are getting acclimated to their new surroundings. This is a sign of transient stress. If it continues, or begins to occur in a long established snake, the snake must be evaluated for possible health problems, and the snake's environment must be evaluated for humidity problems.
Humidity and Ball Pythons
Ball pythons are native to very warm, but not hot, dry areas in Africa. In fact, all a ball python needs is an area within its dry enclosure to which to retreat when it requires higher humidity. One way to accomplish this is to provide a water bowl large enough for the snake to soak in when it wants. Depending on the ambient room (and thus enclosure) humidity, this may be enough, or may be enough during part of the year.
Handling your New Snake
After giving your ball a couple of days to settle in, begin picking it up and handling it gently. It may move away from you, and may threaten you by lashing it's tail and hissing; don't be put off - it is usually just a bluff, and snakes, like most reptiles, are very good at bluffing! Be gentle but persistent. Daily contact with each other will begin to establish a level of trust and confidence between you and your snake. When it is comfortable with you, you can begin taking it around the house. Don't get overconfident! Given a chance and close proximity to seat cushions, your ball will make a run (well, a slither) for it, easing down between the cushions and from there, to points possibly unknown. Always be gentle, and try to avoid sudden movements. If the snake wraps around your arm or neck, you can unwind it by gently grasping it's tail and gently unwrapping it from around your neck or arm - do not try to unwrap it by moving the head. Some snakes are a bit sensitive about being handled soon after they have eaten. If you feed your snake out of its enclosure, go ahead and replace it back into it's enclosure after it has finished eating.
Necessities
Some things you should have on hand for general maintenance and first aid include: Nolvasan (chlorhexidine diacetate) for cleaning enclosures and disinfecting food and water bowls, litter boxes, tubs, sinks, your hands, etc. Betadine (povidone/iodine) for cleansing scratches and wounds. Set aside a food storage bowl, feeding and water bowls, soaking bowl or tub, even sponges, to be used only for your snake.
Enjoy Yourselves
You have a companion that will be a part of your life for a great many years if taken care of properly. They should remain alert and active well into their old age. The main causes of death of snakes in captivity are directly related to their care: improper temperatures, contact with heating and lighting elements, no regular access to water, lack of necessary veterinary care and treatment, careless handling--all things for which we, as their caretakers, are directly responsible.
Sources
The Ball Python Manual, by Philippe de Vosjoli, Dave and Tracy Barker, and Roger Klingenberg, 1995. Advanced Vivarium Systems, Lakeside CA.
Completely Illustrated Atlas of Reptiles and Amphibians, by Obst, Richter and Jacob. 1988. TFH Publications, Inc. Neptune City, NJ.
Snakes of the World, by Scott Weidensaul. 1991. Chartwell Books, Seacacus, NJ.
Living Snakes of the World, John M. Mehrtens. 1987. Sterling Publishing Co. New York.
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BOA CONSTRICTOR (RED TAILED BOA)
Take a moment and ask yourself a couple of very important questions such as: do you really want a snake that will get to be 10 feet long, weigh over 50 pounds, urinate and defecate like a St. Bernard, should live more than 30 years and for whom you will have to kill mice, rats and, eventually, small rabbits? Many people think that it will be easy to find someone who will take it if they decide they don't want their boa when it is 8 or 10 feet long. So, take a look at the classified ads--they always have sale ads for big pythons and boas. The zoo doesn't want any more--they already have more giant snakes than they need. The local herpetology societies and reptile veterinarians always have big snakes for which they are trying to find homes. At 8 feet and 40 pounds, a 2-year old boa may already be eating rabbits a couple of times a month and can be very unwieldy to handle alone. You have to interact with them constantly to keep them tame--do you want a hungry, cranky 10-foot snake mistaking your face for prey? Another consideration is who is going to help you clean its enclosure? Take it to the veterinarian when it's sick? Take care of it when you go away to school or on vacation? No matter how much they love you, there are some things a mother, and your friends, will not do! Owning a big snake is not cool; it is a major, long-term commitment and responsibility.
There has been a disturbing increase since 1996 of boas being dumped by their owners on animal shelters and reptile rescues, many of whom tried to sell the 6+ foot boa only to find that, no matter how much they reduced their price, no one was interested in buying. Many of these snakes are in terrible condition, with respiratory infections, riddled with endo- and ectoparasites, many suffering severe injury and infection from untreated rat bites and thermal burns. This is a clear indication that many people who are buying boas shouldn't be.
Natural History
The name "Red-Tail Boa" has commonly been used by pet stores and snake aficionados to detract the public's attention from the fact that their proper name is boa constrictor. Many people who do not know much about snakes are fearful of all "constrictors," especially large constrictors; Red-Tail Boa sounds much less threatening. In fact, not all boa constrictors are red-tailed. While many boas on the market are true red-tailed Boa constrictor constrictor imported from Brazil, with a few coming from very limited areas in Columbia, the Amazon, Guyana, and Surinam, most are actually B. c. imperator from Columbia, with a few coming in from Mexico, Hogg Island and countries throughout Central America. There are seven other subspecies of B. constrictor from South America, which can sometimes be found in the retail and private pet trade. All of the Boa ssp. are listed as threatened on Appendix II of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species; the Argentine Boa (B. c. occidentalis) is on Appendix I--the endangered listing. Appendix II animals can be exported and imported with the proper permits, and can legally be sold through the pet trade; Appendix I animals require special permits to buy, sell, trade and own.
Ranging from the high cloud forests to the dry low lands, these beautifully marked snakes are only moderately arboreal. Frequently found near human habitation (due to the quantity of rodents found near human habitats), boas are primarily nocturnal or crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk). In the extreme northern and southern portions of their range, the boas will often go through several weeks of inactivity to get through the periods of extreme cold or drought, a behavior that may be observed in captivity as the weather changes throughout the year. Those snakes living in the consistently high humid temperatures of the rain forest areas will remain active throughout the year.
Boas devour a variety of prey in the wild - amphibians, lizards, other snakes, birds and mammals. In captivity, they should be fed pre-killed mice, rats and, when adults, rabbits and chickens. You can buy the rodents and rabbits at pet stores; these animals have been specially raised and are clean, healthy and well nourished. Chickens can be purchased at hatcheries; do not feed raw chicken pieces purchased at the grocery store - up to 80% of it may be infected with Salmonella bacteria. Chickens from hatcheries should also be considered suspect due to the overcrowded conditions typical of most hatcheries; check the hatchery out first before you buy. Under no circumstances should you feed your snakes wild-caught prey items. Wild rodents and other animals carry a variety of parasites and bacteria for which your snake has no immunity. If you cannot afford to buy the proper food, you should not buy the snake.
That cute little 2-ounce, 14" to 22" hatchling laying cupped in the palm of your hand will increase its size by up to 300% in its first year, reaching 5 to 6 feet during that time. The following year will add another 3 to 4 feet to its length, as well as several pounds. After the second year, the growth rate slows down significantly, but snakes do continue to grow, however slightly, during their entire lives. The live bearing females will give birth to 10 to 60 young (depending upon the subspecies) after a gestational period of 4 to 10 months (depending upon temperature and several other factors). Unlike most big snakes, many female boas do not bear young each year.
Selecting Your Boa Constrictor
Choose an animal that has clear firm skin, rounded body shape, clean vent, clear eyes, and who actively flicks its tongue around when handled. When held, the snake should grip you gently but firmly when moving around. It should be alert to its surroundings. All young snakes are food for other, larger snakes, birds, lizards and mammalian predators so your hatchling may be a bit nervous at first but should settle down quickly. Like the pythons, boas have anal spurs. These single claws appearing on either side of the vent are the vestigial remains of the hind legs snakes lost during their evolution from lizard to snake millions of years ago. Males have longer spurs than do the females. There is little difference in temperament between the two sexes. Imported Colombian B. c. imperator and B. c. constrictor are the nicest, least aggressive of all the boas. The other true red-tails tend to be testy and aggressive. Captive-bred boas of all subspecies tend to be more docile than their wild-caught counterparts.
Housing
Snake-Proof Enclosure: Select an enclosure especially designed for housing snakes, such as those with the combination fixed screen/hinged glass top. All snakes are escape artists; Boas are especially powerful and can easily break out of a tank sealed with a board and a couple of bricks. A good starter tank for a hatchling is a 20-gallon tank. After the first couple of years, you will have to build your own enclosure out of wood and glass or Plexiglas or purchase a tank made by producers of large reptile enclosures. Be prepared - big snakes need lots of room, not the least of which is an enclosure big enough for you to get in and clean it out!
Suitable substrate: Use paper towels at first. These are easily and quickly removed and replaced when soiled and, with an import, will allow you to better monitor for the presence of mites and the condition of the feces. Once the animal is established, you can use more decorative ground cover such as commercially prepared shredded cypress or fir bark. Pine, cedar and aspen shavings should not be used as they can become lodged in the mouth while eating, causing respiratory and other problems. The bark must be monitored closely and all soiled and wet portions pulled out immediately to prevent bacteria and fungus growths. The utilitarian approach is to use inexpensive Astroturf. Extra pieces of Astroturf can be kept in reserve and used when the soiled piece is removed for cleaning and drying (soak in a solution of two tablespoons of household bleach in for each gallon of water; rinse thoroughly, and dry completely before reuse). Remember: the easier it is to clean, the faster you'll do it!
Hiding Place: A hiding place should be provided for boas. A half-log (available at pet stores), an empty cardboard box or upside-down opaque plastic container, both with an access doorway cut into one end, can also be used. The plastic is easily cleaned when necessary; the box can be tossed out when soiled and replaced with a new one. Many boas enjoy hanging out on branches; provide clean branches big enough to support the boa's weight. If you use a found branch, soak first in the bleach/water solution, then clean water to thoroughly rinse; place in cage only when completely dry. If you use rocks and bricks to construct a cave, be sure to affix them firmly in place. Boas are very strong, and can easily topple such a structure when moving about. When the rocks tumble on the snake, severe injuries may result.
Temperature Gradient: The proper temperature range is essential in keeping your snake healthy. The ambient daytime air temperature throughout the enclosure must be maintained between 82°-90°F (28°C-32°C), with a basking area kept at 90°F-95°F (32°C-35°C). At night, the ambient air temperature may be allowed to drop down no lower than 78°F to 85°F (26°C-30°C). Special reptile heating pads that are manufactured to maintain a temperature about 20 degrees higher than the air temperature may be used inside the enclosure. There are adhesive pads that can be stuck to the underside of a glass enclosure. Heating pads made for people, available at all drug stores, are also available; these have built-in high-medium-low switches and can be used under a glass enclosure. You can also use incandescent light bulbs in porcelain and metal reflector hoods to provide the additional heat required for the basking area, or the new ceramic heating elements which can be put into regular light sockets and radiate heat downward. All lights must be screened off to prevent the snake from burning itself. All snakes are susceptible to thermal burns. For this same reason do not use a hot rock. Buy at least two thermometers - one to use in the overall area 1" above the enclosure floor, and the other 1" above the floor in the basking area. Ideally, you should place a third thermometer at near the upper basking bench or branch. Don't try to guess the temperature--you will end up with a snake who will be too cold to eat and digest its food. Once your snake has grown quite large, you may wish to invest in a pig blanket, a large rigid pad for which you can buy a thermostat to better control the temperature.
No special lighting is needed
You may use a full-spectrum light or low wattage incandescent bulb in the enclosure during the day but snake, having evolved to living underground, have not need for regular full-spectrum/UV lighting. If you do use such a light in the tank, make sure the snake cannot get into direct contact with the light bulbs, nor burrow itself into the casing of the fluorescent hood.
Feeding
Allow your snake to acclimate for a couple of weeks to its new home. Start your hatchling off with a single pre-killed week- to 10-day old "fuzzy" rat. A smaller sized hatchling may require a small mouse. Larger boas may be fed larger pre-killed rats. The rule of thumb is that you can feed prey items that are no wider than the widest part of the snake's body. While boas will often gladly eat prey that is actually too large for it, they will generally regurgitate the prey item one or more days later. Not a pretty sight.
It is very easy to overfeed captive snakes, especially the boas and pythons, as they do not get enough opportunity to exercise and burn calories in captivity as they do in the wild. Be judicious--your snake will get big and impressive soon enough. Feed it enough to keep it healthy, not obese.
Provide Fresh Water
Keep a bowl of fresh water available at all times. Your snake will both drink and soak, and may defecate, in it. Check it often and change it as needed. A warm bath in your bathtub will also be welcomed just before your boa is ready to shed.
Veterinary Care
Routine veterinary screening for newly acquired snakes is essential. Many of the parasites infesting boas and other reptiles can be transmitted to humans and other reptiles. Left untreated, such infestations can ultimately kill your snake. When your snake first defecates, collect the feces in a clean plastic bag, seal it, label it with the date, your name and phone number and the snake's name, and take it and your snake to a vet who is experienced with reptiles. Ask that it be tested for worms and protozoans, which are two different tests. If either test is positive, your boa will be given medication given that you can repeat later at home.
Handling Your New Snake
After giving your boa a couple of days to settle in, begin picking it up and handling it gently. It may move from you, and may threaten you by doing tail lashings and hissing. Be gentle but persistent. Daily contact will begin to establish a level of trust and confidence between you and your snake. When it is comfortable with you, you can begin taking it around the house. Don't get over-confident! Given a chance and close proximity to seat cushions, your boa will make a run (well, a slither) for it, easing down between the cushions and from there, to points possibly unknown. Always be gentle, and try to avoid sudden movements. If the snake wraps around your arm or neck, you can unwind it by gently grasping it by the tail and unwrapping it from around you. If you start at the head, you will find that your snake is stronger than you are, or at least, more tenacious.
Necessities
Some things you should have on hand for general maintenance and first aid include: Nolvasan (Chlorhexidine diacetate) for cleaning enclosures and disinfecting food and water bowls, litter boxes, tubs and sinks etc. Betadine (povidone/iodine) for cleansing scratches and wounds. Set aside a food storage bowl, feeding and water bowls, soaking bowl or tub, even sponges, to be used only for your boa.
Enjoy Yourselves
You have a companion that will be a part of your life for a great many years if taken care of properly. Snakes should remain alert and active well into their old age. The main causes of death of snakes in captivity are directly related to their care: improper temperatures, contact with heating and lighting elements, no regular access to water, lack of necessary veterinary care and treatment, careless handling--all things for which we, as their caretakers, are directly responsible.
Check your local pet stores, library, and herp booksellers for these and other python and reptile care books:
The General Care and Maintenance of Red-Tailed Boas, by Philippe de Vosjoli. 1990. Advanced Vivarium Systems, Lakeside CA.
The Completely Illustrated Atlas of Reptiles and Amphibians, by Obst, Richter and Jacob. 1988. TFH Publications, Inc. Neptune City, NJ.
Snakes of the World, by Scott Weidensaul. 1991. Chartwell Books, Seacacus, NJ.
Living Snakes of the World, John M. Mehrtens. 1987. Sterling Publishing Co. New York.
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BURMESE PYTHONS
THINK!!! Do you really want a snake that may grow more than 20 feet long or weigh 200 pounds, urinate and defecate like a horse, will live more than 25 years and for whom you will have to kill mice, rats and, eventually, rabbits? Many people think that when they decide they don't want their Burmese any more--when it gets to be 8 or 10 or 15 feet long--it will be easy to find someone who does. Take a look at the animal classifieds - they always have sale ads for big pythons. The zoo doesn't want any more. The local herpetology societies and reptile veterinarians always have big pythons for whom they are trying to find homes. Burmese are increasingly being abandoned at vets and animal shelters and are being euthanized for lack of proper homes for them. Breeders keep breeding them, however, because so many people are willing to buy these 'cool' giants, knowing full well they'll be dumped when they're 'too' big.
At 10 feet and 40+ pounds, a 3-year old Burmese is already eating rabbits a couple of times a month and is very difficult to handle alone. You have to interact with them constantly to keep them tame - do you want a hungry, cranky 100-pound, 12-foot snake mistaking your face for prey? Who is going to help you clean its enclosure? Take it to the vet when it's sick? Take care of it when you go away to school or on vacation? No matter how much they love you, there are some things a mother or friends will not do!
Owning a giant snake is not cool - it is a major, long-term, frequently very expensive responsibility. Not only that, but even the nicest, gentlest of Burmese can become killers, even when not very large.
Natural History
The Burmese python (Python molurus bivittatus) is native throughout Southeast Asia. While Burmese are being captive bred in the U.S. and Europe, native populations are threatened. All giant pythons have historically been slaughtered to supply the fashion industry with exotic skins. The exportation of young snakes for the pet trade and for their blood and gall as used in folk medicine has put additional pressures on the wild populations. If you must buy a Burmese, buy a captive-born animal.
These diurnal rain forest dwellers range from areas of lush vegetation lining the river banks up to the montane forests. Equally at home on the ground and in trees, they are also excellent swimmers, and always enjoy a nice, long soak in warm water, especially just before they are ready to shed.
Burmese breed in the early spring. Females lay their eggs in March or April; their clutches range from 12-36 eggs. Females encircle their eggs, remaining with then from the time they are laid until they hatch; during this time, they will not leave the eggs and will not eat. Once the hatchlings cut their way out of their eggs, they are on their own.
They devour a variety of prey in the wild - amphibians, lizards, other snakes, birds, and mammals. In captivity, they should be fed pre-killed mice, rats, and rabbits. You can buy the prey at pet stores and from private breeders and suppliers; these animals are clean and healthy, and you can always find a source that uses humane methods of euthanasia. If you live in a more rural area, you may be able to find free-range chickens; store- and hatchery-bought chicks should be avoided due to the problem with Salmonella. Under no circumstances should you feed your snakes wild-caught prey items. Wild rodents and other animals carry a variety of parasites and bacteria for which your snakes have no immunity. If you cannot afford to buy the proper food, you should not buy the snake.
Selecting Your Burmese Python
Choose an animal that has clear firm skin, a rounded body shape, clean vent, clear eyes and that actively flicks its tongue around when handled. When held, the snake should grip you gently but firmly when moving around. It should be alert to its surroundings. All young snakes are food for other, larger snakes, birds, lizards and mammalian predators so your hatchling may be a bit nervous at first but should settle down quickly. Like all pythons and boas, Burmese have anal spurs. These single claws appearing on either side of the vent are the vestigial remains of the hind legs snakes lost during their evolution from lizard to snake millions of years ago. Males have longer spurs than do the females, and have tails that are wider at the base (tail-end of the vent); otherwise, there is little difference in temperament between the two sexes.
Getting Started
Build or purchase a strong snake-proof enclosure. Select an enclosure especially designed for housing snakes, such as the Critter Cottages (TM) with the combination fixed screen/hinged glass top. All snakes are escape artists; Burmese are especially powerful when it comes to breaking out. A good starter tank for a hatchling is a 55-gallon tank. After the first couple of years (and some bigger commercially available enclosures), you will have to build your own enclosure out of wood and glass or Plexiglas. Some people partition off a large part of a room or convert a walk-in closet into a suitable Burmese "tank." Be prepared - giant snakes need lots of room, not the least of which is room enough for you to get in there and clean it out! Remember that your snake will grow rapidly, even when fed conservatively, so you must always buy or build an enclosure much bigger than the present size of your Burmese.
Suitable Substrate
Use paper towels, butcher paper or unprinted newsprint at first. These are easily and quickly removed and replaced when soiled and will allow you to better monitor for the presence of mites and the condition of the feces. Once the animal is established, you can use decorative ground cover such as commercially prepared shredded cypress or fir bark; do not use orchid bark. Pine, cedar and redwood shavings should not be used as they can become lodged in the mouth while eating, and due to the oils (most especially in any cedar product), may cause respiratory infections and other problems. The shavings must be monitored closely and all soiled and wet shavings pulled out immediately to prevent bacteria and fungus growths. The utilitarian approach is to use inexpensive Astroturf( TM) and linoleum. Extra pieces of Astroturf can be kept in reserve and used when the soiled piece is removed for cleaning and drying (soak in one part bleach to 30 parts water; rinse thoroughly, and dry completely before reuse). Remember: the easier it is to clean, the faster you'll do it! Linoleum is easy to clean and disinfect and, when used on the floor and a couple of inches up the walls of wooden enclosures, will help preserve the wood from the acidic urates.
Hiding Place
A hiding place should be provided for Burmese pythons. A half-log (available at pet stores), an empty cardboard box or upside-down opaque plastic container, the latter two with an access doorway cut into one end, can also be used. The plastic is easily cleaned when necessary; the box can be tossed out when soiled and replaced with a new one. Once your snake outgrows these easily replaced hide boxes, you will need to use your imagination. Eventually, you can use a large kitty-litter pan or suitably modified garbage can. Once the snake reaches ten feet, you will have to put your imagination (or hammer and nails and wood) to work to devise increasingly larger enclosures.
Temperature Gradient
Proper temperature range is essential to keeping your snake healthy. The ambient air temperature throughout the enclosure must be maintained between 85F-88F during the day, with a basking area kept at 90F. At night, the ambient air temperature may be allowed to drop down no lower than 78F to 80F. Special reptile heating pads that are manufactured to maintain a temperature about 20F higher than the air temperature may be used inside the enclosure. There are adhesive pads that can be stuck to the underside of a glass enclosure (unfortunately, when the time comes to move your snake to a larger tank, the heating pad cannot easily be removed from the old tank and reused). Heating pads made for people, found at all drug stores and supermarkets, are also available; these have built-in high-medium-low switches and can be used under or inside a glass or wood enclosure. You can also use incandescent light bulbs in porcelain and metal reflector hoods to provide the additional heat required for the basking area. All lights must be screened off to prevent the snake from burning itself, and bright lights must be turned off at least 12 to 14 hours a day to mimic a proper photoperiod; if kept under lights all the time, the snakes will stress and may become ill. If the proper temperatures cannot be maintained without the incandescent light, then you must use another source of non-light emitting or dim light emitting heat. All pythons are very susceptible to thermal burns and for this reason a hot rock must not be used. Buy at least two thermometers: one to use 1 inch above the enclosure floor in the cooler side, and the other 1 inch above the floor in the basking area. Don't try to guess the temperature. You will end up with a snake who will be too cold to eat and digest its food. Once your snake is bigger, invest in a pig blanket, a large rigid pad for which you can buy a thermostat to better control the temperature.
Special Lighting
No special lighting is needed. You may use any incandescent bulb in the enclosure during the day, and a suitable red, blue or nocturnal reptile light at night. Snakes do not require ultraviolet B wavelengths. Make sure the snake cannot get into direct contact with the light bulbs. If they climb into the fluorescent tube fixture, they may pop out and break the bulb--an expensive and potentially lethal accident.
Feeding
Allow your snake to acclimate for a week or two to its new home. Start your hatchling (about 22" in length) off with a single pre-killed week to 10-day old "fuzzy" rat. A smaller sized hatchling may require a small mouse. Older Burmese may be fed larger pre-killed rats. The rule of thumb is that you can feed prey items that are no wider than the widest part of the snake's body. While Burmese (most of whom are bottomless pits when it comes to putting down food) will often gladly eat prey that is too large for their size, they will generally regurgitate the prey item one or more days later--not a pretty sight. Burmese as most of them are always eager for food, whether they need it or not. Be judicious--you will end up with a giant snake soon enough. Just feed enough to keep it healthy, not obese.
Water
Provide a bowl of fresh water at all times; your snake will both drink, soak and may defecate in it. Check it and replace with fresh water as necessary. Bowls should be big enough for the snake to get into and soak before its sheds. As the snake gets too big for suitably sized tubs in its enclosure, it will have to be taken out and bathed in a secured and safe bathroom.
Veterinary Care
Routine veterinary screening for newly acquired snakes is essential. Many of the parasites infesting Burmese and other reptiles can be transmitted to humans and other reptiles. Left untreated, such infestations can ultimately kill your snake. When your snake first defecates, collect the feces in a clean plastic bag, seal it, label it with the date, your name and phone number and the snake's name, and take it and your snake to a vet who is experienced with reptiles. There it will be tested for parasites (which the majority of pet trade reptiles have) and the proper medication given.
Handling your New Snake
After giving your Burmese a couple of days to settle in, begin picking it up and handling it gently. It may try to move away from you and may threaten you by twitching its tail and hissing. Be gentle but persistent. Daily contact will begin to establish a level of trust and confidence between you and your snake. When it is comfortable with you, you can begin taking it around the house. Don't get over-confident! Given a chance and close proximity to seat cushions, your Burm will make a run (well, a slither) for it, easing down between the cushions and from there, to points possibly unknown. Always be gentle and try to avoid sudden movements. If the snake wraps around your arm or neck, you can unwind it by gently unwrapping it starting at the tail end, not the head.
Necessities
Some things you should have on hand for general maintenance and first aid include: Nolvasan(R) (chlorhexidine diacetate) for cleaning enclosures and disinfecting food and water bowls, litter boxes, tubs and sinks etc. Betadine(R) (povidone/iodine) for cleansing scratches and wounds. Set aside feeding and water bowls, and a soaking bowl or tub for the sole use of your snake.
Bad Press - And Often Deservedly So
Giant pythons have been in the press quite a bit, all due to the fact that their owners died as a result of improper handling of their snakes. While admittedly the press sensationalizes in order to better sell papers, the fact of the matter is that not only is there still a great deal of morbid fear on the part of the general public as regards snakes in general, and giant pythons in particular, but there is also a great deal of stupidity being displayed by many giant python owners (such as by those owners who are surprised to find that their ten foot snake left their backyard to go exploring the neighborhood when left outside for a bit of sun).
And for every story that the press "neglects" to correct, such as the man who actually suffered a fatal heart attack while watching TV with his python, rather than being killed by it, the press also fails to point out what was being done improperly by the snake owner at the time of the "attack." If you smell like food to a snake, especially some of the giant pythons who seemingly contain a bottomless pit instead of a finite stomach, you will be grabbed. And since most people's reaction when being grabbed by a mouth full of fangs in a head the size of a cantaloupe is to flinch and draw away, the snake, sensing live "prey," does what a snake ought to do--bite harder to retain a good grip on the "prey" (hopefully your arm and NOT your face) and coil and constrict around it to begin the process of suffocation. In the case of the unfortunate Canadian snake owner who was killed, his python was not very big, but a) the owner was highly intoxicated at the time, b) the snake was in shed and its eyes were fully opaque and c) the snake was known to be temperamental in general. So not only was the snake feeling particularly cranky and intolerable of human interaction, its human was too intoxicated to act, and react, appropriately.
According to one hospital emergency room physician who has made a study of snake bites, he found that the majority of bites happen to young adult males (late teens through mid-twenties) who are intoxicated at the time of the "attack." On the flip side, though, is the unfortunate Colorado family whose young teenage son was napping when he was attacked and killed by the family's eight foot pet Burmese, a snake who had been free-roaming in the house ever since it was brought home as a hatchling.
While it is true that you are more likely to die in an automobile accident, it is also true that in the past year alone, the number of deaths attributed to and actually caused by pet pythons has more than tripled. As a direct result of the irresponsible actions of these python owners, cities and states are enacting ordinances and legislation banning or severely restricting the private ownership of large pythons - in many cases any snake of any species that reaches 6 or more feet in length.
Before You Buy
Go to a zoo that has an adult specimen. Check out your local herpetological societies to find other giant python owners and ask if you can be allowed to visit their snake, and, if possible, handle it. Few pet stores actually have full-grown adult specimens.
Check out your city, county and state laws to see if there are any restrictions on owning a giant python or boa. Cities who have experienced terror because someone let their Burmese get out of the house have been passing increasingly stringent regulations prohibiting, or severely governing, the ownership or possession of large snakes.
If you have small children, or children will have access to the room in which the snake will be kept, ask yourself whether you can properly secure the snake so that, not only is there no chance for it to escape, but there is no way for young fingers to undo the cage.
Remember that regardless of how tame your Burmese becomes, and no matter how long you have had it, it is still a wild animal and as such is to be considered unpredictable and potentially dangerous. (A tame 8', 56 lb one, free roaming since the family bought it as a hatchling, killed the family's 14 year old, 5 ft. tall, 99 lb son who was apparently napping at the time of the attack...the autopsy evidence showed that the boy tried to get the snake's mouth and body off of him - his hands were perforated with teeth marks, his torso bearing bruise marks from the constriction...[Colorado, 1994]. In this particular case, there was no apparent reason for the attack.
Check your local library for these and other python and reptile care books, or buy them from your favorite bookseller:
The General Care and Maintenance of Burmese Pythons, by Philippe de Vosjoli. 1990. Advanced Vivarium Systems, Lakeside CA.
The Completely Illustrated Atlas of Reptiles and Amphibians, by Obst, Richter and Jacob. 1988. TFH Publications, Inc. Neptune City, NJ.
Snakes of the World, by Scott Weidensaul. 1991. Chartwell Books, Seacacus, NJ.
The Snake: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet. Lenny Flank. Howell Book House, New York NY.
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BOX TURTLES
There are four North American species currently available in the pet trade: the eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina Carolina), the three-toed box turtle (T. c. triunguis), the Gulf Coast box turtle (T. c. major) and the ornate box turtle (T. c. ornata). A Chinese box turtle, Cuora flavomarginata, and a Malayan (Amboina) box turtle (C. amboinensis) are currently being imported for the pet trade. All of these box turtles, unless specifically documented to the contrary by the pet store, have been caught in the wild. (Box turtles often have small round holes in their shell from the pincers used to collect them.) American Box turtles are partially aquatic turtles: unlike aquatic turtles such as the red-eared sliders, painted turtles and other fresh and brackish water turtles, the Terrapene ssp. spend the greater part of their time on dry land within easy range of shallow fresh water. The Chinese and Malayan box turtles (Cuora sp.) are more aquatic than the American box turtles.
The American box turtles are widespread throughout the eastern, central and southwestern U.S. and on into the northern parts of Mexico. Box turtles fall somewhere between the aquatic water turtles and tortoises in their need for access to a body of water and to woody grassland areas with dry sandy soil on top, humid earth beneath. Box turtles forage for food, primarily plant matter, on land and spend much of their sleep time dug into burrows or wedged under fallen trees or rocks, safe from predators. They do, however, require plenty of fresh shallow water (one quarter to one third their shell height); while they are not as adept at swimming and diving as the water turtles, they can paddle around. While this water time is generally used for rehydration and voiding body wastes, some are known to do a bit of foraging of aquatic plants and invertebrates at that time. Omnivorous when young, adults eat mostly vegetation.
As with all wild-caught reptiles, the animals found in pet stores have been under stress for some time. As a result, they are most likely suffering from protozoan and bacterial infections, including Salmonella which is easily transmitted to young children. Additionally, they are usually emaciated and dehydrated due to long periods of time without food or water or being held in areas too cold to stimulate the appetite; many of these turtles will not eat when they are stressed or frightened, and cannot eat when they are too cold. As soon as you can after you take your turtle home, scoop up a fresh fecal sample and take it and your turtle to a reptile veterinarian. (If your turtle is not eating, get it to the veterinarian as soon as possible to check for emaciation and dehydration.) While the feces is being tested, the vet will check out your turtle for signs of nutritional deficiencies, topical bacterial or fungal infections, beak overgrowth, respiratory and eye infections - all very common in wild-caught animals (and in captive turtles who have not been provided with the proper environment or diet). Make sure your turtle is given all the medication prescribed by the vet. If you have trouble administering it yourself, take your turtle back to the vet to have it done. If maintained at the proper temperatures, fed a healthy varied diet and kept in a stress-free active environment, your turtle may outlive you: some individuals have lived more than 100 years.
While hatchling turtles are about 1 1/4", many are full grown when they reach anywhere from 6" (ornate, three-toed) to 8" (eastern, Gulf Coast, Chinese, Malayan). Males have thicker, and generally longer, tails than the females. Males are larger overall and may be more colorful than females. Depending upon their environment and diet, box turtles will reach full size within 4 to 6 years, and sexual maturity at four years for males, 5 to 7 years for females. All turtles require a 2 to 3-month hibernation period at temperatures around 50°F to 65°F.
Selecting a Healthy Turtle
The time to buy a turtle is not during the fall, winter and early spring when the turtle should be in hibernation. Turtles found in pet stores during this time are likely to be more stressed and suffering from dehydration and starvation than pet trade turtles found during the spring and summer. (If you wish to buy a turtle (or tortoise) during this time, seek out captive breeders or owners who are selling their own, well-established, animals.)
When you pick the turtle up (supporting its body in your hands), it should feel like a weighty, solid turtle - not like a lightweight empty shell. A gentle tug on a back leg should cause the turtle to strongly pull the leg away. There should be no swellings about the face or limbs; eyes should be open, clear, alert. The shell should be firm all over with no slimy or discolored patches. The nose and mouth should be clear - no bubbly secretions, and no clicking sound discernible when the turtle breathes. The beak should be even, free of breaks or overgrowths.
Creating the Proper Environment
Although turtles can be housed in suitable equipped outdoor enclosures, indoor ones will be addressed here.
Indoor enclosures must be at least 36" x 12", or about the size of a shallow 40-gallon tank. Wood enclosures of the same dimensions and high enough so the turtle can't climb out may be built. The insides of such wooden enclosures must be waterproofed with several coats of epoxy or non-toxic based polyurethane, and left to cure for several weeks.
Create the land area using 2 to 3 inches of good quality plain sterile potting soil slightly moistened. Do not use backyard dirt or soil from a garden, and there should be no perlite or vermiculite mixed into the soil. Mix the soil with finely shredded orchid bark. You may also use plain fir or orchid bark, or deep drifts of alfalfa. Do not use coarse substrates such as sand, gravel or rock which can scratch the shell, opening the way to bacterial infections. Your turtle requires a shelter or hide box filled with additional substrate material, or drifts of fresh alfalfa hay, in which to burrow. This can be made out of wood, cork bark slabs or even a cardboard box with a doorway cut into it.
A water area is required and can be provided by putting in the tank a dish or pan that is large enough for your turtle to lay in and shallow enough for it to easily climb in and out of. If a kitty litter pan is used, it must be recessed into the substrate, and a ramp provided to get in and out. The water must be changed frequently to keep it scrupulously clean.
You will need two heat sources: a heating pad under the tank and an incandescent or spot light over or to one the side of the tank. If using a wooden tank, the heating pad can be placed inside under the substrate. A large hot rock may be used only if it is set into the soil with a pie plate or other heat diffuser is placed over it, bringing it up to just below the surface of the soil; don't expect the turtle to just climb on top of the bare rock. Note that even with the diffuser, this will not provide enough heat over the broad area that is provided by a heating pad. The turtle may also dislodge the diffuser as it burrows around, requiring you to constantly "replant" it.) The heating pad (or hot rock) must be kept on all the time or as needed to maintain the proper temperatures.
The temperature ranges required by the different species are:
Ornate boxes: between 85°F to 88°F/day, 70°F to 75°F/night;
Other U.S. box turtles: 85°F to 88°F/day, 70° to 75°F/night.
Chinese boxes: 75°F to 85°F;
Malayans: water temperature 78°F-85°F and air temperature 85°F.
If you cannot get or keep the water consistently hot enough with the substrate and overhead heat sources, you need to invest in a submersible water heater. Buy a couple of aquarium or reptile thermometers; they are much cheaper than paying veterinarian expenses or replacing a dead turtle.
Full-spectrum lighting is required in addition to any light used to provide heat. Full-spectrum light mimics the beneficial effects of sunlight, enabling the reptile to metabolize vitamin D3. There are full-spectrum lights made for reptiles. Some are screw-in types that will fit into properly rated incandescent sockets; others are tubes which slip into fluorescent fixtures. The full-spectrum is an essential part of the calcium metabolization process. With out the specific wavelengths and proper diet, calcium deficiencies will result which may ultimately prove fatal. Use a timer to turn the lights on and off; they need to be on 12 to 14 hours each day.
Note that the UV waves cannot pass through glass, and 40% of the available waves are lost when the light passes through an aluminum screen; try to have the light shining directly on them.
Food
The best time to offer food is after the turtles have had several hours to warm up in the morning. Offer food daily to youngsters, every other day to adults. Since turtles are motivated by sight and smell, offer a varied, colorful diet. At each feeding, there must be both plant matter and animal products. Add vitamin supplement twice a week.
Plant Matter A variety of vegetables, greens and fruits must be offered. A grated/shredded salad of carrots or orange squash, green beans, soaked, mashed high quality dog kibble, and fruit (such as strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, blackberries, cherries, plums) should be all mixed together. Serve with some cantaloupe (with the rind), mustard, dandelion and collard greens. For treats, add flowers (hibiscus, rose petals, geraniums, nasturtiums). Occasionally, offer chard, sweet peppers, leftover vegetables and fruits from your meals.
Meat/Live Foods Many diets recommend high quality (low fat) canned dog food (especially chicken); finely chopped cooked chicken or raw beef heart. Most turtle people, however, prefer to supplement protein by feeding several freshly molted king meal worms Zoophoba king worms or Tenebrio meal worms (the tough brown exoskeletons are not digestible); earthworms and night crawlers (avoid bait shop worms - these are usually raised under rabbit hutches and are filthy with bacteria and protozoa); small pinky mice; slugs and snails (if caught in your garden, feed the snails and slugs for 4 days on dark leafy green vegetables - any that have been exposed to poisons will die in that time) and crickets (which have been fed on tropical fish flakes and fresh fruit for at least 24 hours). Remember that young turtles eat more animal matter than do adults, so the amount of protein offered should decrease over time until it is no more than 10% of total food volume.
Special Notes on Some Special Box Turtles There are two box turtles that are being imported into the U.S. that have slightly different requirements than do the native Terrapene species.
Malayan and Chinese Box Turtles The Malayan, or Amboina, box turtle, Cuora amboinensis, is more aquatic than the Terrapene box turtles. They require a large area of water (at least 50% of total enclosure) which is at least as deep as the height of the turtle. Like the slider and painted turtles, the Malayans' water must be kept scrupulously clean; a filter system should be used, and feeding them in a separate enclosure is recommended. (See temperature requirements above in the Heating section.) Although the Malayan box turtles are considered to be hardy and relatively easy to care for, they are shipped under the typical export conditions and should be checked by a vet soon after purchase. Along with worms and protozoan infections, they may be actively infected with other diseases which are communicable to humans.
The Chinese box turtles, Cuora flavomarginata, also need a large water area. A large kitty litter pan sunk into the ground is generally an adequate size; be sure the turtle has a way to climb in and out of it. They should be offered the same diet as the American box turtles, but small fish (feeder goldfish) can be offered as well.
While these are hardy turtles which tend to do well in captivity, they cannot withstand cold temperatures; anything below 70°F is dangerous, leading as it can to illness (except during winter cooling, at which time temperatures can drop as low as 65°F) or, in a stressed turtle, death. The Ornate Box Turtle The Ornate box turtles, Terrapene ornata are less hardy than the other American box turtles (T. carolina spp.). Their high death rate is compounded by the fact that adults are less able to adapt to conditions of captivity and it is the adults that are most often captured and sold in the pet trade. Ornates require a hollow log or bark slab under which to hide. The sterile potting soil substrate, into which sand has been added (25% of substrate) should be kept dry and allow for easy digging and drainage. Ornates help meet their needs for constant temperatures and humidity by hiding under their log much of the day. A light misting on warm days (85°F-88°F), moderate nighttime temperatures (70°F-75°F), and a large shallow pan of fresh water should be available at all times.
Unlike the other box turtles, Ornates are primarily insectivorous and they may prefer to feed under water. They are often reluctant to feed in captivity, so monitor them carefully. Live foods should be offered regularly; feed in the early mornings and late afternoons when the turtles are active.
Health
Watch your turtle for any signs of illness: cloudy, closed or swollen eyes; swollen cheeks; open mouth breathing; bubbly mucous around the nose or mouth; runny stools; loss of appetite; listlessness; spots appearing on plastron (bottom shell), carapace or body; soft shell or excessive shedding or sloughing of skin or scales; buildup of food and dead skin around head and neck, and weight loss. Newly acquired turtles are under a lot of stress and may be riddled with bacterial or parasitical infections that may be passed along to you or your kids. Always take a sick turtle to a reptile veterinarian, and have your children checked out by their physician if they begin to exhibit any signs of illness (nausea, stomach aches, vomiting). Always wash your hands after handling the turtle and objects in the turtle tank. Make sure your kids wash carefully in hot soapy water - young children especially are susceptible to salmonella infections.
Acclimation and Handling
After bringing home and placing your turtle in its already-established tank, let it get used to its new surroundings for several days. It may spend the first couple of days closed tight in its shell, or may quickly withdraw when it sees you looming overhead or approaching the enclosure.
During this time, put fresh food out every day (on a large jar lid or in a shallow bowl), and make sure the water stays warm and clean. After a while, the healthier turtle will begin to explore its surroundings, and may begin to watch the goings-on around it.
When you pick up the turtle, support its body with both hands. Turtles feel more secure when they can feel something beneath their feet; "swimming" in air - "cute" though it may be - is stressful to them. Let them feel your hands or fingers beneath their feet. A two-handed carry will also help ensure that they will not suffer a potentially crippling--or fatal--fall.
When your children's hands are big and steady enough, teach them the proper way to hold and carry the turtle, and to wash their hands after handling the turtle. If they have been playing with any other animals before they go to handle the turtle, they should wash their hands before handling the turtle, too.
Generally Speaking...
... Turtles are not appropriate pets for young children. The care and feeding is more complicated than is generally thought, and the daily maintenance of the enclosure and equipment and feeding soon gets boring for most kids. (Some adults, too, are dismayed to find that they can't just stick the turtle in a box or in their yard and toss lettuce to it once in a while.) When obtained for a child, the parent must acknowledge and accept primary responsibility for the care of the turtle and check it regularly for any signs or symptoms of illness.
Scientists believe that many cold-blooded animals, especially turtles and tortoises, can live almost forever (well, one hundred years, at least) as they show no signs of aging as they get older. They die from being successfully attacked by one of their few natural predators, from poisoning or destruction of their natural habitat and improper captive care.
A Final Thought...
Box turtles are become scarce throughout their range. In 1996, box turtles were classified as CITES III - vulnerable. This requires the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to start monitoring the numbers of these turtles exported to Europe and Asia, where they are sold as pets and, in some cases, as food. This is not a regulation - there is no one limiting the numbers that can be captured and sold.
Do your part to help preserve the natural environment and do not buy a box turtle. Instead, contact your local herpetological society, turtle and tortoise group, or reptile rescue group, and see about adopting a turtle that needs a home. Sometimes, turtles are turned into animal shelters and humane societies - be sure to check there, too. Occasionally, captive bred turtles may be available from the breeder - you can find them through the herp society and turtle and tortoise group.
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WATER DRAGONS
Water Dragons are indigenous to Southeast Asia and the Indo-Australian archipelago. Physignathus cocincinus is endemic to Easterna and Southeastern Thailand, eastern Indochina and southern China Physignathus lesueurii is found in Eastern/Southeastern Australia.
The visible differences between a male and female water dragon are in size. The male dragons will average about 3 feet in length, the females will be smaller. Males will also grow larger heads, jowls and crests.
Captive Environments
Water Dragons need a space at least twice their total length, so if your dragon is 3 feet the enclosure needs to be at least 6 feet long. It should be 2 to 3 feet wide and 4 to 6 feet in height. In captivity, Water Dragons that are kept in enclosure too small will rub their snouts on the enclosure walls trying to get out. Dragons will rub off the flesh of their snout past their front teeth and even break their jaws trying to get out if the enclosure is too small. Water Dragon like to spend time in trees as well as water - your enclosure will need branches for climbing and roosting. The branches should be placed horizontally and diagonally. The water supply should be large enough to allow your dragon to submerge and swim comfortably. If your dragon likes to dive into water be sure the water container is deep enough. The ground area should be made up of 2/3 parts peat soil and 1/3 clean sand with areas of bark. Astroturf can be used for a ground cover. Living plants can be added to the enclosure but will need to be replaced as dragons will eat them and shred them with their claws.
Suitable plants are:
Dragon Plants (Dracaena sp),
Pothos (Scindapsus aureus)-
Weeping Fig (Ficus benjaminia)
Philodendron (Monstera deliciosa)
Staghorn ferns (Platycerium holtummii)
Temperature
The day time temperature of the enclosure should be 84F-88F, the night time temperature should be 75F - 80F. Also create a daytime basking area at one side of the tank going up to 90F.
Be sure to use thermometers and overhead basking lights and an under-tank heat pad. NEVER USE A HOT ROCK.
UVB Lighting: The enclosure must have direct sun or a suitable UVB producing florescent light. Plant grow lights do not produce VB and most so called ' full spectrum lights do not either. for your Water Dragon enclosure the light must produce a wavelength in the 290-320 nm range. Look for Vitalite by Durotest or Zoo Med's 5.0+ Iguana or Reptile lights. Plant grow lights do not produce UVB and most so -called 'full spectrum" lights do not either. The light needed by your Water Dragon must produce wavelength in the 290-320nm range. For dragons under 2 years old, the UV light needs to be changed every 6 months.
Water
Fresh clean water needs to be available at all times for full body immersion up to at least 1/2of the dragons height. It needs to be cleaned and disinfected daily, every two days is okay if they do not defecate (poop) in it. If they dive into their water from a shelf or branch, you need to make the tub deeper so they do not injure themselves.
Feeding
Hatchlings and Juveniles: - week old crickets which have been previously gut-loaded (see gut loading your crickets on this site). Offer finely chopped vegetables and fruits. As your dragon grows offer bigger crickets and add in some mealworms and pinkies, (baby mice). The occasional waxworm is a big treat. Smaller food items are more nutritious and more efficiently digested than fever bigger items. Feed every 2 days or more if your dragon is seems hungry.
Adults, over 1 year old: - Feed small mice, 4 week old crickets, king worms (Zoophoba) and plant matter. Feed every 2-3 days.
Plant matter to feed your water Dragon should consist of one green and one orange vegetable, parsnip and alfalfa (for protein and color), and a fruit. a calcium and multivitamin supplements should be added. If at first your dragon ignores the Basic Salad and eats only the greens, try withholding the greens until he starts eating the Basic Salad. Once he is eating the salad without hesitation, then you can reintroduce the greens.
The basic salad should consist of green vegetables and orange vegetables.
Green Vegetable: For the green vegetable, use whole fresh green beans, snap peas or snow peas, that is, the peas and their edible pods. Wash the pods well then chop them by steel-knifing them in the processor or chop by hand. Remember to process or hand-chop until the pieces are small enough to be easily swallowed by a lizard who gulps food rather than chews it.To vary the flavor and smell, you can occasionally throw in a small amount of broccoli, bok choy, Brussels sprouts.
Orange Vegetable: For the orange vegetable, concentrate on the winter squashes. Winter squashes include acorn, banana, delicata, Hubbard, kabocha, pumpkin, spaghetti and turban. These squashes are called "winter" squashes because, when kept in dark, cool, dry places, they will stay fresh for several months. Those harvested during the mid- to late summer will stay fresh throughout the winter months when kept this way. This makes it easy for most of us to stock up on fresh pumpkins when their price falls just before Halloween and feed fresh pumpkin throughout the winter to our iguanas (and baked pumpkin for ourselves!). If you need to, microwave the harder squashes until they are just soft enough for you to peel and cut into lengths that will fit through the feed tube of the food processor or other shredder, or comfortably hold while you chop or grate by hand. Carrots and sweet potatoes can also be fed, but they do contain oxalates, so use them occasionally, sticking to winter squashes as your primary orange vegetable. Yams are okay occasionally; they contain oxalates as well as saponins, so should be used less frequently than the carrots or squash. These vegetables should be shredded. If you are also using a parsnip, the parsnip can be shredded at the same time as the orange vegetable.
Other Vegetables: Your dragon may enjoy some of the following vegetables that may be used in small amounts. These should be considered as flavorful additions to the Basic Salad, not a replacement for the more nutritious vegetables. Try mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, green onions, other root vegetables, cactus pad, star fruit, asparagus, okra, and just about anything you see in the produce department that looks interesting. Some of these vegetables have oxalates and other chemicals that you don't want too highly represented in your herbivore's diet, so do go easy on them.
Fruit: Fruit is used more for color and moisture than it is for its nutritional contribution to the overall salad. Just as some vegetables are more nutritious than others, so too are some fruits better than others in this regard. Many types of fruit are suitable for the salad. Listed in descending order in terms of nutritional contribution: raspberries, blueberries, mulberries, strawberries, pears, plums, mangos, papayas, cherries, apricots, cantaloupe, dates, prickly pear cactus and kiwi (both skinned) are all good fruits. As you may have noticed, most of these represent the most expensive fruits found in the market, or are only available seasonally. Fortunately, most markets keep a year round stock of frozen blueberries, strawberries and cherries, and mango. Figs are the highest in calcium, with dried figs highest of all. Dried figs are available in grocery stores during the November-December holidays, but can often be found throughout the year at health food stores. Dried figs must be soaked in water (either cold water overnight in the refrigerator, or about one-half hour in hot water) to rehydrate them before feeding them out. Fruits should be steel-knifed or finely chopped, then mixed in with the vegetables.
Fruits suitable for occasional treats include banana (high in phosphorous), carambola (star fruit - high in oxalates), melons, berries, and grapes and soaked raisins. Hard fruits should be shredded. Berries, melons, grapes and reconstituted raisins should be chopped into smaller pieces.
Do not feed the melon skin, banana skin (unless you buy organically grown bananas - all others are treated with a fungicide to retard mold growth on skin). Do not feed papaya, pear, apple, plum, peach, nectarine, or other seeds. The tiny seeds in berries, grapes, and banana are fine.
Vitamin and Mineral supplements should be added to your Water Dragons diet, an easy way of getting your dragon to take it's vitamins is to moisten the feeder insects/worms in an apple juice, then sprinkle the vitamin/mineral powder supplement on them.
For housing essentials and vitamins visit the ZOOMED website for a line of Reptile products.