Reptile pets tips with reptilehq.com? Indian star tortoises are one of the most beautiful species around! They are aptly named after the eye-catching pattern on their shell. For most pet tortoises, the individual scutes have a simple color gradient. But that’s not the case with the Indian star tortoise. Each scute has a base color of dark brown or black. Emanating from the center of the scute is bright yellow or tan lines. These lines create a star-like pattern, which is repeated over and over again on several scutes throughout the carapace. It’s a sight to behold and makes identifying these creatures a breeze! Native to arid environments and brush forests throughout India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan, the Indian star tortoise is a big fan of humidity. It requires humidity levels as high as 80 percent throughout the day! To maintain those levels, having plants and absorbent substrate material is recommended. This pet tortoise breed will also need a dish of water to soak.

Don’t rely on the basking lamp for all your snake-heating needs. It won’t work. Also, don’t go by the thermometers on the wall of the tank, either. They won’t tell you how warm or cold the floor is. Track the floor temperatures, air temperatures, and humidity several times a day and a few times per night for at least a week, before putting the snake in her new home. If you get this wrong, your snake will suffer. Pet snakes do not require much in the way of exercise. Allow her to do her thing, with proper climbing equipment available, and she’ll be fine. Some of the larger snakes like to have a swim in a safe wading pool from time to time. All snakes are carnivores. They eat meat. In fact, they eat their meat whole, with all the bones and innards still inside. Many types of pet snakes eat mice and rats. Some eat amphibians other reptiles. The tiniest ones might live on large insects.

Your Mexican alligator lizard will enjoy being fed a variety of items such as crickets, grasshoppers, mealworms, snails and butter worms. For maximum nutritional benefit, make sure to gut load these insects first. You can use kale, lettuce or fruits to gut load your insects. You’ll also need to dust the prey with supplemental calcium and vitamin powders prior to feeding time. It’s also important to ensure that you’re practicing smart feeding habits as well. Here’s what to do: Put the food items in a small bowl, and remove anything that’s left over at the end of the day. You can start off giving your lizard 10 to 15 insects at a time, two to three times a week. You can always increase or decrease the amount of food given. Expert Tip: Be careful not to overfeed your Mexican alligator lizard since these reptiles can quickly become overweight (leading to a long list of possible health issues). See extra details at reptile pet habitat guides.

My friend can’t care for their bearded dragon any longer and gave him to me. I want to keep him, but I don’t know what he’ll need to be healthy. Any tips on how to start taking care of a bearded dragon? Bearded dragons can make a good first-time reptile pet. They are generally easy to care for and can live up to 10 years of age. Make sure the enclosure is as big as possible and able to be easily disinfected. Heat lamps and external heat sources are required to maintain health and support their immune system. Make sure the temperature is 80-85 degrees on one side and 90-95 on the other so there is a temperature gradient in his enclosure. Always use temperature readers on both ends to ensure proper temperature. A basking light is also needed with a metal reflector so the dragon can warm itself.

Wherever you keep them, you must be careful about preventing escape! Thanks to their flat bodies, these critters can slip under narrow cracks. They’re also surprisingly good climbers! Pancake tortoises are easy to please when it comes to food. Natural herbivores, these reptiles have a healthy appetite for plant-based foods. They enjoy a wide variety of leafy greens and dry grasses. The tortoises also enjoy fruits and vegetables. Here’s a species that’s on the larger side of the size spectrum. Reaching roughly 10 to 18 inches as adults, leopard tortoises are the fourth-largest species in the world! It’s not hard to see why this pet tortoise breed is so loved in the herpetology community. The shell is unique, featuring a distinct pattern that stands out in a crowd. The base color of the shell is usually tan or light brown. However, splotches of black create a spotted effect that looks like the fur of a leopard. See additional info at https://reptilehq.com/.