3 Ways to Heat a Reptile Vivarium

As reptiles are cold-blooded, they rely on their environment to keep them warm. This means they need an outside heat source to warm themselves, which is why keeping their vivarium heated is vital. The type of heating used will depend largely on the type of reptile as it is important to try and replicate the native environment.

Hot rocks

These rock-shaped heaters are ideal for ground-dwelling lizards in particular, such as bearded dragons, as they allow the reptile to lounge on the rocks and absorb the artificial heat. Just as they would in their natural environment, soaking up the warmth from the sun, heat rocks mimic this to warm the vivarium. To ensure the reptiles don't burn themselves, however, a thermostat should always be used to regulate the temperature of the hot rocks.

Heat mats

Thin mats are a great way of adding extra heat to a reptile vivarium, and should be used on cold winter nights or when additional warmth is needed. The heat mats are placed underneath a section of the vivarium and complement the main source of heat. By placing only in one part of the vivarium, the reptile can move to a cooler area when needed. There are different types of heat mats available, including ones designed to mimic warm sand beds of the desert.

Light bulbs

Lights bulbs come in different shapes and sizes to suit the vivarium and are designed to emit heat but not disturb the reptile's sleeping patterns. Different bulbs are available including blue ones that imitate moonlight and give off just a small amount of heat, and ones designed for desert-dwelling reptiles which have a higher UVB output. Both a thermostat and barrier are needed to keep the heat constant and ensure the reptile can't come into contact with the bulb.

Aquapet supply a full range of glass reptile vivariums with metal mesh removable tops and front sliding glass doors to match all budgets and requirements.

The Bearded Dragon Manual (Advanced Vivarium Systems)

Common Behavior From Bearded Dragons

All reptile lovers and even non reptile lovers are bound to be fascinated by the bearded dragon's behavior. This Australian lizard is awake during the day and this means that owners will be able to spend their waking hours observing their reptile friends. Through observing your pet you will become more familiar with their behavior patterns and their sometimes unusual habits.

Dragons are social creatures and although much of their time is spent basking on hot surfaces, other common characteristics of the desert living lizard include tree climbing, bonding, napping and hunting. By nature the bearded dragon is very docile and although they are active hunters they spend much of their time together and in some cases actually sitting on top of each other. As with most other species, male and female dragons display different behavioral patterns and these differences become very evident during mating season.

With the need to impress and attract female admirers, a dominant lizard will bob their head to indicate their readiness and willingness to mate. In return a lady dragon will be happy to wave her arms and bob her head at the male counterpart. Strangely the arm waving is also a common behavioral pattern of the male species and in fact, this unusual 360 degree arm waving ritual was used to first name these creatures. A bearded dragon was originally referred to as the "Tata Dragon" or the "Goodbye Dragon". The arm waving behavior is not a greeting and although part of the mating process the peculiar wave is performed by the native Australian lizard to lower their body temperatures. Considering these guys live in the scorching hot deserts, one may expect a lot of arm waving when in their natural habitats. Owners have also noticed that the pace of the wave flapping may also be an indication of the mood of the dragon whereby slow waving movements indicates a calm relaxed mood, while rapid arm flapping is a sign of aggression.

Brumation is the term used to describe the bearded dragon's hibernation period and even though they do not sleep as the word hibernation suggests the lizards rather 'shut down' their systems and go into hiding. Hibernation tends to last for around four weeks and while in this state of shut down, dragons consume less and this will result in severe weight loss. Hibernation is a natural phase for dragons in their yet pet owners keeping them in captivity should not encourage this behavior by stimulating the winter period, unless they intend to breed the dragons.

Burrowing and digging are other common behaviors of this fascinating reptile and burrowing can be a sign of various things. A female bearded dragon will dig a burrow when she is ready to deposit her eggs, while both male and females will burrow to take a nap or to turn in for the evening. Those who keep the lizards will also discover that burrowing can also be an indication that their pet is stressed and needs some time out. If burrowing continues for a long period of time, owners should be alerted that their pet is stressed, or may be ill.

Biting is part of the bearded dragon's normal behavior pattern and they will bite for any number of reasons. Mating females often bite their male suitors during energetic mating. Biting will also occur if the lizards are hungry, threatened, taunted or scared. A self-defense behavior pattern or mechanism is to wave their arms furiously, open their mouths while emitting strange hissing type sounds, followed by a fast dashing motion and trying to make their bodies as flat as possible.

In general, bearded dragons are passive and social creatures and if they are cared for well and never taunted, these arm flapping, head bobbing lizards make for extraordinary pets. As opposed to many other ordinary pets, dragons will need to receive continual care and attention and if received in the right dosage, pet owners in turn, will be rewarded with the opportunity to witness the somewhat peculiar, yet enlightening behavior of the bearded dragon.

The Bearded Dragon Manual (Advanced Vivarium Systems)

Treating Your Chameleon for Coccidia

So you have a chameleon and everything is going great. That is until one day you notice that your little friend is not eating as much. There is a chance that he/she has coccidia. So how do you treat for this? There are several steps that should be taken in the treatment of coccidia.

First, you are going to want to take your chameleon to the vet. The more experience your vet has with chameleons the better. Let them take a look at it to confirm that it is coccidia. To do this they will need a fresh fecal sample. Get a plastic bag and a paper towel. Grab the sample with the paper towel and place it in the bag. Get as much air out as possible and place it in the fridge until you are able to go to the vet.

Once they have confirmed that it is coccidia it is time to get the medication for treatment. There are several different medications out there to treat this sickness. However, not every one of these is suitable for a chameleon. Albon, for instance, is used by many to treat coccidia. Although it is popular, it is not the best choice. If you use this you will find that by the second or third day your chameleon is no longer eating at all. Medications, such as albon, can cause more harm than good.

There is a medication out there that is perfect for treating coccidia. It is called ponazuril and is the best at its job. Most of the other medications will only decrease the number of coccidia present, but ponazuril will actually kill them. There are usually no side effects of this drug and it is fairly cheap to purchase. Usually it is used on horses and therefore it can be expensive. Just tell your vet that it must be specially compounded to be able to use for your chameleon. Don't take anything else that is recommended to treat coccidia. You will be able to both take care of the problem as well as shorten time of treatment by using ponazuril.

So now that you have the drug it is time to use it. There are two ways of doing this. The first way is to allow the chameleon to climb onto you. You will take the syringe and measure the directed dose. You must now get the chameleon to open its mouth. This can be tricky at times. You can try squirting it into the mouth when it is eating food or just inject the food itself with the medication. If you choose to inject the food you will need to make sure that the bug itself is large enough. Larger silkworms and larger crickets are great for injecting into. There is actually a third way of getting the chameleon to take the ponazuril. By getting it to hiss and open its mouth the medicine can easily be delivered into the open mouth. However, I would not recommend this technique because of the stress it can cause.

While the chameleon is being treated, it is important to make sure the area in which it is being kept is constantly clean. Any fecal matter that you see needs to immediately be cleaned. Once a week you should empty the entire enclosure and clean everything thoroughly. For this step, you will need to purchase a forty volume clear developer solution. This can be purchased at your local beauty supply shop. Poor into a spray bottle and spray everything down outside with the solution. Let it sit in the sun for ten minutes. After it is done sitting, scrub and rinse. Continue these steps as much as desired...the more the better. It may make the cleaning process easier by having just the basics in the enclosure. Something to climb on and a place to hide as well as a basking spot. By doing this you will decrease the time it takes to clean the enclosure as well as the amount of areas that could possibly house the coccidia.

After about two treatments, take another fecal sample back to the vet to see the progress that has been made. There may need to be continued treatments, but coccidia can usually be taken care of by two good treatments with ponazuril. After the coccidia is gone continue the cleaning steps for another month or so. You will be surprised what these simple steps can do for the health of your chameleon!

The Bearded Dragon Manual (Advanced Vivarium Systems)

Leopard Gecko Information About Origination, Care, And Morphs

Perhaps the most popular type of gecko in the world, the leopard gecko is known for being very easy to care for. Both beginners and experts have found that handling them and caring for them is more of a joy than a responsibility.

One aspect that makes these creatures so popular is that they come in a variety of vibrant and unique colors. These colors have been changing through the years of breeding.

There are also different morphs that they have, which include carrot-tail, tangerine, tremper albino, Las Vegas (rainwater) albino, bell albino, reverse stripe, stripe, red stripe, giant, jungle, APTOR, RAPTOR, line bred snow, patternless, mack snow, enigma, blizzards, and eclipse. These morphs have been successfully bred together by breeders to create all the different variations. Each one has such a unique look that it is very simple to see why they are so majestic in the world of lizards.

Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India are the regions from which these geckos originated. They can grow up to 12 inches long and weigh over 100 grams when in captivity. The babies are normally about 3 inches long and weigh about 3 grams.

They are terrestrial, which means that they like living in the ground. Leopard geckos are also nocturnal, which means they hunt and are active at night. These animals can live for up to 20 years if they are properly cared for. In order to keep your lizard thriving as it would in the wild, you need to provide some essential things in your lizard's life.

Geckos need a very humid habitat, so that they can shed their skin properly. Also, you may provide your leopard gecko with a shed box. This is a box that has damp sphagnum moss in it. The dampness will help aid the gecko in shedding.

Your leopard gecko also needs to have a nutritious diet. Any extra fat they carry is stored in their tails, because they might need it in case of a shortage on food. Healthy leopard geckos have fat tails.

Another thing that leopard geckos need is light and heat. A temperature gradient is necessary for it to live. This means that part of the cage is warm and part of it is cool so that the lizard can change its body temperature on its own.

Leopard geckos do carry diseases and also salmonella, so you should always keep your hands clean and washed after holding your gecko or touching its environment. Geckos are becoming very popular and are continuing to be one of the most kept reptiles as pets. Breeders are also continuing to breed new and different specimens.

The Bearded Dragon Manual (Advanced Vivarium Systems)

Ball Python Genetics 101 - 2

Advanced Genetic Definitions
Allele - either of the two paired genes which can affect an inheritable trait (one from the father, one from the mother). A wild type allele, together with another wild type alleles, produces a normal individual. A changed, or mutant, allele can block or divert a biochemical pathway to produce a phenotype that is different from the wild type.

Locus - a gene or allele's position on a chromosome (plural: loci) Most mutations appear on separate Locations of the chromosome. Allowing multiple mutant allele to be in place at once. Allowing for Double, Triple and perhaps endless combinations of genetic traits.

Amelanistic - having no melanin. (Albinos)

Axanthic - having no yellow color. (Axanthics)

Hypomelanistic - an animal having less black and/or brown color than a wild-type. (Ghosts)

Leucistic - a pure white animal with dark eyes. (Leucys)

Melanistic - abnormally dark, especially due to an increase of melanin. (Sables)

Xanthic - having more yellow color than wild-type. ("Caramel" Albino)

Super Form- commonly used Ball Python term for the (homozygous) dominant form of a co-dominant mutation. Super Cinnamon, Super Pastel, Super Phantom, Super Enchi Pastel

P generation - two unique animals that begin a breeding program.

F1 generation - first generation offspring of a P generation breeding.

F2 generation - second generation offspring resulting from orginal P generation breeding. The offspring of two F1s.

F3 generation - third generation offspring resulting from orginal P generation breeding. The offspring of two F2s.

So there are the most popular breeds out there right now. These babies come with a high price most of the time as well, so get ready to shell out if you want some.

The Bearded Dragon Manual (Advanced Vivarium Systems)

Leopard Gecko Feed - How to Do It Properly?

Leopard gecko feed is one of the most challenging parts of caring for this exotic pet animal. Geckos are one of the most docile, intriguing, challenging, and pretty colorful reptiles and feeding them properly will definitely impact on their overall health and appearance. Don't get intimidated! Let me show you how.

Feeding them is quite amusing and informative as well, it is not the simple fill-a-bowl type. Although there are numerous nutritional and complete diet commercial pre-packed leopard gecko food in pet stores it is best to provide them with a variety of food. Feeding them is not just to satisfy their hunger but most importantly is to meet their natural instinct to hunt for food or catch prey for food.

So, what are the foods leopard's desires? They love to eat crickets. Purchase the crickets from a pet store and not from the outside garden that you commonly found. Who knows where those crickets have been, they might have gone to yards with fertilizers, weed killers, or even pesticides. If given geckos with this kind of meal, the poisonous chemicals they have consumed may transfer to your pet and may affect their health. The crickets I was referring to are the specially bred ones that are in captivity and are raised solely as reptile food.

When purchasing the cricket in your favorite reptile store, make sure that it is the correct size. How to determine the correct size? Just look at your gecko's head. Leopard gecko feed on crickets that are not wider than half the width of his head. For the young leopard's they prefer the pinhead crickets while the adult gecko can devour the full size adult cricket.

Preparing the feeding time - Do not just feed the crickets yet, there are preparations that needs to be done first. With a plastic bag, place the desired number of crickets for feeding. We will "gut load" the crickets one day before the scheduled feeding. What is gut loading? It is the adding of calcium and other nutrients to your crickets to make them very nutritious to your geckos. How to gut load? Inside the plastic bag, dust the crickets with calcium powder, close the plastic and shake it until the crickets are coated all over. After which these crickets may also be served with grated carrots and water to feed them as well during the 24 hours of gut loading. Calcium powder is an essential element for your pet's bone.

Quantities may vary depending on the age of your pet however, a start of 5-6 crickets per meal is sufficient. If ever geckos cannot finish all just decrease the number next time around. Baby leopards must be fed daily while the adult may be fed once for every two days.

The next day your leopard gecko is ready to feed on the gut loaded crickets. Just place them inside the tank they are not appropriate for bowls since it is in their nature to be jumping around. More so, that is the purpose why crickets are fed to your geckos in order to stimulate their hunting instinct for food. Your gecko will be just happy and satisfied in catching their food.

The Bearded Dragon Manual (Advanced Vivarium Systems)

The Real Origin of Bearded Dragons

Bearded dragons make great pets and well cared for, they last for a decade or so. Once you have decided to take a bearded dragon home as a pet, the environment you provide for him needs to closely reflect the habitat he is accustomed to.

Beardies originate and currently live in the deserts and woodland of Central Australia. They spend much of their time in trees and bushes as well as on rocks, basking in the hot sun. When the weather is very hot and reach near 100 degrees Fahrenheit, dragons bury themselves underground to cool down. Being cold blooded, they frequently need to find a balance in temperatures to keep their temperature constant.

The origin of these dragons have exposed them to blinding heat full of UVA and UVB sunlight as well as cooler places to rest such as beneath rocks, under leaves or underground.

For this reason, you need to mimic their natural environment by giving them a source for hot, bright light and cooler sections in their enclosure. Having been accustomed to very little water in the dessert they have originated from, too much water in their enclosure will not be very good for your beardie. Misting or droplets falling form leaves are best for helping your dragon stay hydrated.

These dragons are both omnivores and diurnal. They forage for food like small lizards, insects, mammals, flowers, fruit and other plants in the daytime. Wild beardies are accustomed to catching wild, live insects that have not been exposed to insecticides and small mice themselves.

Nowadays, bearded lizards are bred in captivity worldwide. This is because exporting them from Australia are illegal and for some species, very limited. Bearded pets that are bred in captivity are just as healthy as wild bearded dragons. If you are not a native of Australia, you will be able to find a beardie at your nearest pet shop or online.

Beardies are also called the yellow-headed bearded dragon or he central bearded dragon. Belonging to the genus pogona, this pet is scientifically named the pogona vitticeps or amphibolurus vitticeps.
Physical Characteristics:

Yellow or tan in color, bearded dragons are called "bearded" because they have a "flaring out" ability in their skin throat area when threatened. The word "dragon" comes from the Australian word for "lizard." A flat body, this "beard" becomes quite pronounced when the dragon is feeling alarmed. There are spines on the side of the wedge-shaped head, the side of the body and a tail that is almost as long as its body.

It is not easy to distinguish the females from the males when the beardies are hatchlings. In adults, however, sexual differences are apparent. Males can be distinguished form the females because of their femoral pores, larger heads and darker beards.

A well-cared for bearded dragon in captivity can live about eight to twelve years. There have been reports of "beardies" living up to fifteen years old, however.

The Bearded Dragon Manual (Advanced Vivarium Systems)