Reptiles As Pets

Hope you are all doing well.

We continue with some of the most commonly asked question I get in regards to keeping our precious reptiles.

Q. Is it important to have a heater cover?

A. The answer to this is Yes. All heat sources should be made safe for your reptiles. Snakes specially love to wrap themselves around any warm spot to absorb the heat needed for them to perform certain functions. If your heat source is a ceramic emitter or even incandescent light your snake will get burnt. Although we may think that they know better, the reality is snakes are slow to react to heat and severe wounds are not uncommon.

I always say, prevention is better than cure and it is up to us as keepers to protect them from any harm.

Q. Why do I need to use a thermostat with my heat sources?

A. This question comes up very regularly. As far as I am concerned thermostats are a must. See, most of the heating sources, be it heating bulbs, heat mats ,heat rocks and heating cords all product unregulated heat. What this simply means is that the temperature given out is not set at the required level. One time it can be too low and at other times can be to high. Under normal conditions the heat source may seem to work fine without regulating. But what happens under varied situations ?

Varied conditions refers to the uncontrolled conditions affecting the heat in and around your inclosure. In the summer months when the weather gets hot many people fail to turn the heat source off causing extreme heat in your enclosure and the possibility of cooking your reptile.

Please, before purchasing heating sources, first check for compatibility with thermostats. I know in

Australia of a product called Oz Brite Globe that needs to be regulated differently to normal globes,

due to internal ballast capable of exploding if used with the thermostat.

Well that concludes today’s posting I hope you get something out this and remember, a healthy

reptile is a happy reptile and a sign of a good keeper.

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I have 2 boys that also love keeping reptiles and comming from a small rural town, the news spread fast the fact that we actually keep and breed snakes. Well, that wasn’t such a bad thing.

As a result of all this, I was asked by one of my sons schools if I would bring in some snakes and do a talk. Well, you did not have to ask me twice. What better way to spread the word and help change peoples perceptions about these magnificent animals than starting with our future, our kids.

Since that day, there has been a lot of interest by both young and the not so young in wanting to know more about reptile keeping. With the interest has come a lot of questions, so I have decided to dedicate several posts to answering some of these questions
and hopefully help you some of your decisions.

One of the most common questions I get asked is.

Q.   What type of snake is good for a beginner?

A. Before deciding to purchase a snake one must take the following into consideration.

1.   How much room do you have to house your new snake? When considering this please look at the overall picture. At this stage many people say to me. I am looking to buy a Juvenile ( baby snake) so I won’t need much room. Well, this may be true but, what about when they grow up?

2. What size snake will you be comfortable keeping? You will be surprised on how many people don’t take this into consideration. This reason here is probably one of the most important decision you must make. There are so many people purchasing animals on impulse that they forget that some snakes grow to be quite big and hard to handle.

These pets then become unwanted and if they can’t sell them, they are often released into an unnatural environment. This causes problems not only to other people but to the animals themselves.

3. Are you after something visually eye catching? This really comes down to personal choice. If you are anything like me, colour is of no importance. All Snakes are beautiful but not all have the same temperament. My advice for someone starting out is to choose for temperament first. That’s not to say that you can’t find a visually beautiful snake with a good temperament.

4.  How much money are you willing to spend? This is something only you can answer. Do your research and speak to different breeders and dealers. Don’t be afraid to ask questions

Remember, Your careful decisions now, will greatly affect your new pets well being and enhance your enjoyment with them for years to come. Once you purchase the snake, their future is in your hands.

Take care of yourself and your animals.

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Reptiles As Pets was created with the intention to provide both the novice and established keepers with information required to keep your reptiles in a healthy and happy state.

As a reptile lover and keeper, I feel the responsibility to share my knowledge and experiences with people interested in reptiles or people looking to get into this magnificent hobby.

Reptile keeping is growing worldwide, providing a fascinating experience the whole family can get involved with and also provides an alternative to keeping of the more traditional pets. Some of the advantages of keeping these magnificent animals are:

1. Relatively little space is required. This does not mean you can put them in a box and left in
a corner.

2. Accommodation for your pets can be very pleasing to the eye. With a little imagination your
pets inclosure can blend into any room, yes, even something your mother could be proud off.

3. The reptiles themselves are clean, quiet and non demanding subject to basic requirements.

For these very reasons, the keeping of reptiles has become very popular with people living in more confined spaces like units, apartments and townhouses.

I keep and breed Snakes and Lizards. I have found that these two class of reptiles are the most commonly kept and therefore will dedicate most of my time in providing my readers with articles, tips and recommendations in these subjects.

I welcome any feedback so if you have questions or would like to contribute please leave a comment and I will answer it as soon as possible.

Remember. A healthy reptile is a happy reptile and the sign of a proud keeper. We bring these beautiful animals in to our home. It is therefore our responsibility to provide them with the best care and attention we can give them. In return, they will provide you with years of excitement and fascination you may otherwise never experience.

Take care of your animals and yourself.

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