Reptile Care
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Questions I've Been Asked About Reptiles
Some of the things I've been asked about on my website. Hopefully, they'll help other people to care for their reptiles.
There are also hints and tips I've learned over a few years living with reptiles, and I'll probably add a bit about the mistakes I've made too!
There are also hints and tips I've learned over a few years living with reptiles, and I'll probably add a bit about the mistakes I've made too!
Topics In Care Of Reptiles
- Reptile Links
- Blessed By A Squidangel!
- How Often Should Snakes Be Fed?
- Keep Your Snakes Friendly
- Snakes Are Nearly Blind When They Are About To Shed
- Keep Your Reptiles Warm In Winter
- Why shouldn't I use sticky tape in the snake's cage?
- This Makes Me So Angry
- Should My Reptile Have A Water Bowl
- How Do I Know When My Snake Is About To Shed?
- Keep Your Pet Clean
- What Do You Feed Bearded Dragons?
- At What Temperature Should I Keep My Python ?
- Great Stuff on Amazon
- Reader Feedback
Reptile Links
Helpful Sites About Reptiles
- Jean D'Andrea's Reptile Site
- Information about reptiles, mainly pythons, book list, caresheets, stories, and more.
Suggestions welcome!
Blessed By A Squidangel!
Thankyou Squidangel Tipi for blessing this lens! How Often Should Snakes Be Fed?
Opinion is divided on this one. Some say your snake should be fed every week, and others feel that once a month is fine. Of course, a lot depends on the age of your snake, and the time of year.
Hatchlings need feeding more frequently than older snakes, perhaps as much as twice a week. As they grow, and eat larger meals, then the food can be offered at longer intervals.
Older snakes don't need to be fed so often, and in the wild, it is possible that they may go for several months without a meal. So long as water is available, they will survive.
Some people have been known to feed their snakes as little as possible, to ensure they do not grow very quickly. This is wrong, and could be classed as cruel - don't do it!
My pythons are fed every three to four weeks, occasionally more often, and are usually cooled down for a couple of months in winter. They are all perfectly healthy and friendly reptiles, who enjoy coming out of their cages and being handled.
It is really a matter of opinion, and how the snake seems to want feeding, as to how often your pet are fed. Use some common sense and watch the health of your snake, and you won't go far wrong.
Keep Your Snakes Friendly
If you've had your snakes for a while, it's probably that you don't handle them as much as you did when you first got them. This is a mistake, as they need to be used to your touch.Take them out of the cage sometimes, at least once a week, and get them used to being with you. Savage, the little python in the picture, really enjoys hanging around my neck when I'm doing jobs that she can join me for.
My Bredl's python is fond of having his cage left open a little when we're watching TV, and likes to lie with his head hanging out. Sometimes he comes right out, cruises over us for a few minutes, then returns to his favourite pose in his cage.
All of my snakes are sometimes taken outside, as a little sunlight is good for them, and it helps to keep their skin from becoming too dark. The Bredl's python in particular needs sun to keep his colour, although he'll never be as red as a wild relative.
Whatever you do, don't let your snakes become cage bound, so that they never come out at all - it makes for shy and timid snakes, which are more likely to bite than those who are handled more often.
Snakes Are Nearly Blind When They Are About To Shed
Did you know that snakes are almost blind when they are about to shed?The skin gets an oily coat underneath, which is meant to protect the new skin and help the old one to detach easily. The eyes of the snake can look really while, or milky when this stage of the shed is reached.
Usually, when my snakes have milky eyes, I know they will shed in about a week. When they are coming up to a shed, they stop defecating and will become quite unsociable, hiding away in their shelters. It's best not to touch a snake or other reptile at this time, as the new skin could be damaged by handling.
Once your snake has shed, it will probably rest for about a day before being really interested in food or socialising again.
Remove the shed skin from the cage as soon as possible, and don't forget to check it to see if the shed is complete. If any old skin is left on the snake, it could lead to health issues. (See further down the page "How Do I Know When My Snake Is About To Shed" for more information)
Here's a photo of one of my snakes with white eyes - the shed will be in about a week.
Keep Your Reptiles Warm In Winter
It's important to keep your reptiles warm in winter, because they can very easily suffer from respiratory infections, just like us. These can be fatal to your reptilian friends.
If you are cooling down your pet, in preparation for breeding, make sure you know exactly how to cool it, and stay within the recommended temperature range for the species.
Most reptiles will appreciate a basking light at this time of year, as with the Morelia bredli in the picture, enjoying the warmth.
Why shouldn't I use sticky tape in the snake's cage?
Reptile safety.
Some people use sticky tape to mend items, or hold them into position.
Did you know that this is an absolutely horrendous thing to do in any reptile cage?
Why? Because if the tape starts to unpeel, as it often does, the animak may catch its scales on the tape, and will have no way of getting it off.
This can cause tearing to the skin, and believe me, you don't want to see this type of injury to your much loved pet. It is very painful, and has even been known to result in death.
Please be careful, and keep those nasty sticky things out of your reptiles cages!
Did you know that this is an absolutely horrendous thing to do in any reptile cage?
Why? Because if the tape starts to unpeel, as it often does, the animak may catch its scales on the tape, and will have no way of getting it off.
This can cause tearing to the skin, and believe me, you don't want to see this type of injury to your much loved pet. It is very painful, and has even been known to result in death.
Please be careful, and keep those nasty sticky things out of your reptiles cages!
This Makes Me So Angry
Also very upset.........
Have seen a report on TV about reptile smuggling into Australia.Two suspicious parcels were x-rayed at Sydney Airport, and were found to contain two snakes. The parcels were taken to a secure quarantine area to be opened by a specialist reptile handler.
In each parcel was a mature and well fed green tree python, both in excellent condition.
What is so upsetting about this, as well as the risk to our native wildlife, is the fact that these beautiful pythons, which are on the CITES list, had to be euthanised.
What a waste of life! The poor innocent reptiles were sacrificed to some greedy person's whim. It's not as if these snakes aren't available in Australia, because they are - they're native to the North East of the country.
This isn't off topic for this lens, by the way - it comes under care of reptiles, on the national level!
Should My Reptile Have A Water Bowl
Simple answer: Yes.Some reptiles drink infrequently, but it's important for them to have access to clean water all the time.
There are some reptiles, such as the keelback, which spend much of their time in the water, and of course, they will need a tank in their cage, containing rocks and vegetation.
Keep your pet's water bowl clean and change the water frequently. It's a good idea to fill the bowl half full, in case the reptile gets in. This stops water overflowing everywhere.
You may never see your pet drink, but supply water for it anyway - it will appreciate it.
How Do I Know When My Snake Is About To Shed?
Reptiles may shed several times a year. Young ones, and those recovering from an illness or injury, will shed more often than healthy adult reptiles.
Before a snake sheds, it usually becomes very quiet and secretive, and may refuse food. Some snakes also become a little snappy at this time.
You will notice over a period of time that the reptile's skin is becoming dull and dark, and this is the first sign that a shed is on the way.
When the time is closer, you will notice that the animal's eyes take on a bluish tinge, or become almost white. This is when the snake will be at its most vulnerable, as it is blind at this time.
Once the eyes have cleared, the shed is imminent.
A shed should only take a few minutes, if all goes well, and the skin should be in one piece. If it isn't, check the cage to make sure all the skin has been shed, as a piece remaining on the animal can cause problems, and must be removed.
If you have a reptile, and it is having trouble shedding, you should ensure it has water, and also some rough articles in its cage to rub up against.
When the snake has problems, it can be placed in some warm water for about fifteen minutes, as this helps soften the skin, so that it is easier to shed.
Before a snake sheds, it usually becomes very quiet and secretive, and may refuse food. Some snakes also become a little snappy at this time.
You will notice over a period of time that the reptile's skin is becoming dull and dark, and this is the first sign that a shed is on the way.
When the time is closer, you will notice that the animal's eyes take on a bluish tinge, or become almost white. This is when the snake will be at its most vulnerable, as it is blind at this time.
Once the eyes have cleared, the shed is imminent.
A shed should only take a few minutes, if all goes well, and the skin should be in one piece. If it isn't, check the cage to make sure all the skin has been shed, as a piece remaining on the animal can cause problems, and must be removed.
If you have a reptile, and it is having trouble shedding, you should ensure it has water, and also some rough articles in its cage to rub up against.
When the snake has problems, it can be placed in some warm water for about fifteen minutes, as this helps soften the skin, so that it is easier to shed.
Keep Your Pet Clean
......and the cage too!
To see the full sized image, please Click Here
This isn't exactly the nicest subject, and it's not something I've been asked about, but it IS important.
Please keep your reptile's cage clean.
This means removing faeces and other debris, such as shed skins. Not a fun job, but if you want to keep pets, then you have to take care of them properly.
The cage should be cleaned out fairly regularly, but don't use strong detergents, or dangerous chemicals. Clean water is best.
It's also necessary to give your snake or lizard clean water, and wash their water container. Once a day isn't too often for this, especially if they swim or poo in their water bowls.
A large snake can make a terrible mess of a cage after a big meal. On one occasion, my largest python actually crawled through his faeces, resulting in my taking him to the bathroom and washing him to get rid of the smell! :-)
Since the snake had crawled over my partner as well, he also had to head for the bathroom, and was not impressed. Of course, I had to laugh - it's not often there's a lighter side to cage cleaning!
What Do You Feed Bearded Dragons?
To answer this question, I'm going to quote frommy website:-
Dragons are omnivores, and as such, will take a wide variety of foods. Adults may be fed about once a week and younger dragons two to three times a week.
The size of the food should be no larger than the space between the dragon's eye-sockets, as too large a portion can cause impaction and may be fatal.
Bearded dragons should have their food supplemented with calcium and vitamin D powder. This can easily be added to minced meat or other such food, or sprinkled on their meals.
Some of the items dragons enjoy include : crickets, mealworms, grasshoppers, worms, snails, pet mince, clover, lettuce (this is best chopped) bananas, clover. Also try green beans, peas, carrots, corn and broccoli.
There are sure to be many other items they will eat that I haven't mentioned, but these will give you dragon a varied and balanced diet.
Dragons like to drink water which is running down their faces in preference to that in a bowl, so you will need to mist them quite often. They also like to run through shallow water. Approximately 2-3 cm deep should be sufficient.
At What Temperature Should I Keep My Python ?
This depends on what species your python is, and where it comes from. Most pythons are tropical, and so require temperatures similar to those of their homes.
Of course, if you are living in a tropical area, then your python won't need heating, as it will be in its natural area.
For the most part, keep your cage at about 25-32C at the hot end, and about 18C at the cool end, if possible. Your snake will then be able to self regulate its temperature by moving about as it wishes. A little cooler at night is acceptable.
I'd recommend some research online, into the needs of your particular species of python.
Of course, if you are living in a tropical area, then your python won't need heating, as it will be in its natural area.
For the most part, keep your cage at about 25-32C at the hot end, and about 18C at the cool end, if possible. Your snake will then be able to self regulate its temperature by moving about as it wishes. A little cooler at night is acceptable.
I'd recommend some research online, into the needs of your particular species of python.
Great Stuff on Amazon
Books on Reptile Care
Reader Feedback
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Tipi
Mar 15, 2012 @ 4:52 pm | delete
- Fascinating information on snake care.
Some do make good pets, I know! :)
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jadehorseshoe
Dec 24, 2011 @ 12:30 am | delete
- Nice Informative Lens!
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Snakesmum
Dec 31, 2011 @ 6:21 pm | delete
- Thanks for visiting my snake lenses, jadehorseshoe! :-)
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Becca
Sep 16, 2011 @ 11:28 pm | delete
- I just wanted to say that all of this was very helpful! Thank your for taking the time go write it. I was a little worried that my terrarium wasn't the perfect temperature for my python, but reading your generalized heat gradient made me a lot more comfortable with the conditions inside.
Thank you so much. I'm glad you're so enthusiastic about snakes and other reptiles. Just wanted to take the time to thank you :)
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Snakesmum
Sep 16, 2011 @ 11:30 pm | delete
- Hi Becca, Glad to be able to help you. Snakes are beautiful animals. :-)
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by Snakesmum
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I'm a retired office administrator, and I share my house and garden with 1 cat and 4 pythons. There are also a number of goldfish, but it's a changeable...
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