Pick A Pet Reptile

Are you thinking of a pet that is not the usual dog or cat? If so, a reptile may be your perfect pet, but choose carefully.

They have very unique dietary, handling, and environmental requirements. Some of the more popular reptile pets are turtles, snakes, and lizards.

When you pick a pet reptile these animals are a long-term commitment.Turtles can live for 30 years or more, pythons for 15 years or more and lizards such as Bearded Dragons for up to 20 years. These are not animals that you bring home and then set free if you change your mind, these require your care for their lifetime.

These are cold-blooded animals and therefore need special accommodations. They can grow larger than people expect and usually require heating systems. Unfortunately the animals are relatively inexpensive, but the supplies to properly care for them are not. And each of them are not recommended for very small children because many of them carry salmonella.

Turtles need a tank that is at least 40 gallons, with separate water and land areas and a sun lamp that the turtle can keep warm under. The tank and water temperature need to be monitored and kept at a certain temperature. For part of the year they need a ‘hide box’ to hibernate in. A young turtle needs to be feed daily, with a diet of fruits and vegetables and at least 50% protein which can include earthworms, crickets, grasshoppers, and slugs/snails.

Snakes are popular pets but many require being fed whole pre-killed prey such as mice or rats. You must be willing to buy and kill these for your pet snake. It’s important to wash your hands every time after handling your reptile pet. Up to 92% of snakes can carry Salmonella bacteria.

 

A captive-bred Bearded Dragon is very friendly, easy to handle, and social. They are considered good pets for beginner reptile owners; however, they have fairly complex environmental and nutritional requirements. They can grow up to two feet long and will therefore need a fairly large enclosure. They need special equipment and someone must be willing to spend a good amount of time to properly care for them. These pets can live 10 to 20 years, but are prone to illness. You will need to have a veterinarian who handles reptiles to help you care for your reptile pets.

 

Pick A Pet Reptile Stores

How To Books

Reptiles can have special temperature, humidity, or dietary requirements and can live a long time. May reading some of these books about reptiles help you decide if these would make a perfect pet for you. You and your kids will love reading them together.

Story Books

There are classic and newer books for children with touching and comical stories where reptiles are the heroes. It’s great to have books to read aloud to children or have them read to you. There are even a few reptile books for adults.

Stuffed Animals

Here you’ll find cuddly stuffed animals that can be held by a child while you read them books about reptiles. Customers rate these highly as great companions for children to play with during the day and to sleep with at night. These are great gifts for parents and grandparents to give to go with a book.

Fun Things And Gifts

This reptile store has a fun things for you, whether you are a new or veteran reptile parent. You’ll find games, puzzles, calendars, puppets, books, and so much more. So browse around and find the perfect gift for someone you know who loves reptiles, which may be you!

Feel free to go to our ‘About’ page and let us know which books, stuffed animals, or gifts are your favorites. Did we leave any out of the stores that you think we should add?