Reptiles

Green Iguanas 101

by Kristen Seymour (Subscribe to Kristen Seymour's posts): Mar 11th 2010 @ 10:00AM Filed Under: Exotic Pets, Reptiles, Small Pets

Name: Green Iguana

Personality: In the wild, the green iguana is social, according to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park. However, males can be territorial and aggressive, making it difficult to keep them in social groups in captivity.

Care: In addition to specific housing requirements (including the enclosure, heating, lighting and humidity), you'll need to trim your iguana's nails regularly, bathe them occasionally and monitor their poop and appearance, says the Iguana Pages.

Common Health Issues: According to ReptileChannel.com, green iguanas can live up to 20 years or so in captivity with proper care, though it's more common for them to live closer to nine or 10 years. Green iguanas are susceptible to parasites (both internal and external), tail loss (not serious -- it's designed to break off, but you still should never grab it), burns (if an improper heat or light source is used), nose abrasions (from repeatedly trying to get out of the enclosure) and other wounds and abscesses from being active, reports The Iguana Pages.

The same source lists common health issues as bladder stones, egg binding, mites, burns and

Training Tips: If your green iguana isn't properly tamed and trained, it can be aggressive and very dangerous, says the Green Iguana Society. The source outlines a number of steps in making your lizard comfortable and stress-free -- both very important when training it to be handled. With patience and consistency, you should be able to train your iguana to be handled and even give it some freedom outside its enclosure!

Green Anoles 101

by Kristen Seymour (Subscribe to Kristen Seymour's posts): Mar 3rd 2010 @ 10:00AM Filed Under: Reptiles, Small Pets

green anole Clicksy, Flickr

Name: Green Anole

Personality: Skittish, not terribly social (though small groups of females with no more than one male can work well). Males can be territorial.

Care: This is a fairly low-maintenance reptile according to About.com Exotic Pets, which also states that an aquarium of proper size (at least 10 gallons, larger for groups) is required, and the daytime temperature should remain around 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit with 70 percent humidity. You'll need to mist their enclosures a couple of times a day in order for the green anoles to hydrate. They lap water from their surroundings rather than drink from a dish. Plants and branches should be provided. A diet of live crickets (gut loaded and supplemented) will keep them healthy.

Common Health Issues: Green anoles are hardy, so they don't have many health problems, says allpetinc.com. Providing proper full-spectrum lighting and branches for basking will keep your lizard unstressed and healthy. However, green anoles are susceptible to metabolic bone disease, mouth rot, respiratory ailments and shedding.

Training Tips: This isn't the friendliest pet out there, but with consistent, calm attention, you might have luck with training your green anole to be handled. Don't be heartbroken if it doesn't happen, though.

Best For: This is a great "beginner" reptile because it doesn't require a huge commitment in terms of time or money. Of course, you still need to be prepared to care for the green anole for its full life, which will likely span around four years but can be longer than eight years with proper care according to About.com Exotic Pets.

What Green Anole Owners Say: Nick Brown of Portsmouth, R.I. tells Paw Nation, "I bought green anoles as a Christmas present for my son two years ago and we have enjoyed having them as pets. Our favorite part is feeding them live crickets because of the excitement seeing them hunt and eat a cricket when it is still alive. It's also cool to see them puff out their red throat sacs in the summertime."

Chameleons 101

by Kristen Seymour (Subscribe to Kristen Seymour's posts): Feb 10th 2010 @ 10:00AM Filed Under: Exotic Pets, Reptiles, Small Pets

LaertesCTB, Flickr

Name: Chameleon

Personality: Like being alone, are easily stressed.

Care: Creating the right environment for chameleons can be a challenge as they have very specific temperature and humidity requirements and trees are their natural habitat. Additionally, they need UV access (natural sunlight is ideal), plenty of privacy and a drip system or consistent mistings. (They don't drink water from a bowl.) A varied diet is best. Gut loading meal worms, crickets, wax worms and the like will help your chameleon get the proper nutrition.

Common Health Issues: Stress is a major problem for chameleons, but the right environment will help avoid this. In addition to proper temperature and humidity, be sure to keep the chameleon's cage clean, as diseases can spread quickly. Metabolic bone disease, parasites and respiratory problems are all common health issues for chameleons. Keeping a close eye on your chameleon and watching for any signs of distress (unusually sleepy, not eating) will help you detect problems before it's too late to treat them.

Training Tips: Some experts say that chameleons are better off with no direct human contact (or as little as possible), while others argue that, by handling your chameleon, you'll help it become less stressed at the sight of you. Try not to force it to do anything it doesn't want to do. Hand-feeding foods it loves is a good way to build trust.

Bearded Dragons 101

by Kristen Seymour (Subscribe to Kristen Seymour's posts): Feb 9th 2010 @ 10:00AM Filed Under: Reptiles, Small Pets

bearded dragon Flickr/poplinre

Name: Bearded Dragon

Personality: Generally docile and gentle, though the extent to which they enjoy human interaction varies.

Care: Bearded dragons require a large tank with a screened top as well as proper lighting and temperature control (95–105 degrees Fahrenheit for hatchlings, 88–95 F for adults). They also need areas where they can hide in order to feel safe. They eat a varied diet, including crickets and worms, veggies and supplement powders for calcium and vitamins. They need clean, shallow water dishes, and you'll want to change the water daily.

Common Health Issues: This is a fairly hardy pet, but not entirely without health problems. Compaction, metabolic bone disease, mites, tail rot, and coccidia are all possible afflictions for which you'll need to watch.

Training Tips: The most important aspect of training is to teach your bearded dragon to be handled. While many are docile from the beginning, some can be more aggressive. Make sure that you're not always reaching into their enclosure with food in your hands. If your lizard associates your hands with food, he'll start treating your hands like food. Adults can be trained to sit calmly for long periods of time. Bribing them with treats, like wax worms, can be very effective.

Box Turtles 101

by Kristen Seymour (Subscribe to Kristen Seymour's posts): Feb 5th 2010 @ 10:00AM Filed Under: Reptiles, Small Pets

Flickr/audreyjm529

Name: Box Turtle

Personality: These reptiles are often considered personable.

Care: Box turtles need a safe outdoor enclosure (protected from raccoons and other wild animals) or a large indoor enclosure. If kept indoors, it's best to have opaque sides on the enclosure, as some box turtles will obsessively try to reach the area on the other side of a glass wall. These turtles require spaces where they can hide and feel secure such as logs or boxes. In addition to needing a pool of water, their environment must be very humid. Box turtles will eat almost anything, but you should provide a varied diet of fruits, fungi, veggies, greens, mollusks, worms and insects.

Box turtles are endangered in many states, and you should never take them from the wild. Not only is it bad for that turtle, it could dangerously diminish the local box turtle population. Only buy them from reputable breeders, and check the laws in your area before you bring a box turtle home to make sure you that you will be keeping this pet legally.

Common Health Issues: Most health problems box turtles face stem from malnutrition; mouth rot, swollen eyes, anemia weight loss and abscesses all can occur. Additionally, box turtles can suffer from respiratory disease, internal infections, organ failure, bot fly and maggot infestation, shell disorder and overgrown upper jaw.

Training Tips: This is a pet you're better off watching and enjoying. They're not well known for being trainable.

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