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Pet Turtles : Care of Aquatic Turtles as Pets

Most of the aquatic turtles that people keep as pets are mud turtles or red ear sliders. Set up an aquatic turtle’s habitat by buying a properly-sized tank with tips from a reptile specialist in this free video on turtle care. Expert: James Dix Bio: James Dix is the founder and owner of Reptile Rescue Service in Salt Lake City, UT. Dix has been working with reptiles for 37 years. Filmmaker: Michael Burton

Caring for Frogs & Reptiles : Care of Albino African Black Clawed Frogs

African black clawed frogs can be albino or gray and can be cared for in a tank with fish and soil. Raise healthy pet albino African black clawed frogs with tips from a herpetologist in this free video on frog care. Expert: Tim Cole Bio: Tim Cole is the owner of Austin Reptile Service, and has been keeping reptiles for over four decades. Filmmaker: MAKE | MEDIA

Iguana Supplies – Giving Your Iguana The Best Habitat Possible

There are a few things that an iguana habitat must provide in order for you iguana to survive: controlled temperature and humidity, proper lights for heat and UV rays, and of course enough space for your iguana to be comfortable. But these are really just the basics for survival – to really thrive, your iguana will need a few other things for it’s comfort and health. If you want your iguana to have the healthiest possible life, you’ll need to accessorize it’s habitat with the following:

1) Substrates – are the material used to when covering the habitat floor and surface. When you choose a material for the substrate, your most important consideration should be your pet’s safety. You don’t want to use anything that the iguana might ingest and get sick from. Like snakes, iguana’s use their tongue to test their surroundings by flicking it around them. Small particles of sand, gravel or wood chips can stick to the tongue and can be accidentally ingested, causing illness or death.

In choosing a substrate, you might want to try newspapers with non-toxic ink. You could also try to use other types of paper, as long as they are not toxic to animals when ingested. Some people prefer to use pieces of indoor and outdoor carpeting as substrates for their iguana habitat.

2) Climbing and basking supplies – In the wild, arboreal iguanas spend the majority of their time in trees, and in order to feel comfortable, it’s best that this type of environment is duplicated for them. Provide branches for them to climb on, and shelves that are wide enough for them to lay comfortably.

If you include branches in your iguana habitat, you should provide some that are big enough for your iguana to lie on comfortably. You should also cover them with some sort of material that will help them in climbing. One option is to cover the branches with carpeting. The branches will also serve as basking places for your iguana. These spots are where your iguana will go to in order to relax.

3) Food and water bowls – Iguanas need to have dishes provided for their food and water. While iguanas don’t typically drink water often, it is still necessary for you to provide clean, fresh water for them every day.

Iguanas love to soak in a water dish, so you should provide one that’s just the right size for your pet. It should be big enough so that the iguana won’t tip it over when getting in and it should be shallow enough so that the iguana won’t drown. You should also realize that after soaking, an iguana usually likes to poop in the water. This means that you will have the responsibility to change the water in the dish and sanitize it regularly.

4) Hiding places – there are times when an iguana likes to be alone and unobserved. This means that you have to provide a suitable hiding place in your iguana habitat. You could place a log, a rock, or anything which your iguana could hide behind. Just like people, iguanas need privacy too.

When you add these accessories to your iguana habitat, you can be sure that your iguana will be living in a very ideal enclosure. This means that your iguana’s health and well-being will be secured.

If you’d like to know more about what iguana supplies you should have for your green iguana, come check us out at IguanaAsPet.com, and while you’re there, sign up for your FREE report on how to care for your iguana!

Enclosures For Green Iguanas – Building Custom Reptile Cages

If you’re interested in building a large reptile cage for your iguana, first look around your house for an appropriate spot. For an adult iguana, you’ll need a large space, so you may need to use part of a guest room or garage. For juvenile to mid size iguanas, an unused closet in your house can be a perfect solution.

It’s important that iguanas have lots of room to move about freely, and because they like to climb, they do best in a tall cage. Iguanas need a structure that is at minimum one and half times as long as the iguana, and the depth of the cage should be equal to the iguana’s length. Adult iguanas should have a cage that’s six feet high at minimum, to allow them that room to climb. It’s also important that the habitat be kept at the proper temperature and humidity, and of course, it should be secure against escape.

It’s relatively uncomplicated to enclose a closet for use as a habitat for smaller iguanas. All you have to do is take off the front door and make a screen frame to fit over the opening. It’s also acceptable to go with a Plexiglas front cover, but in this case you’ll want to be certain that you allow for ventilation to avoid any overheating. Because the area is enclosed, it’s easier to manage the temperature and humidity. The upper area can be closed off with a wire panel, and basking lights and UV lights can be affixed above.

If your iguana is more than four feet in length, you may be best off building him an outdoor enclosure. As long as you live in a warmer climate, iguanas can do quite well outside, but if they will need to be protected from low temperatures when the the weather gets colder. It may help to have an indoor area, like a garage to use in cooler months. An advantage of outdoor enclosures is that it allows your iguana the opportunity to bask in natural UV rays from the sun, which is so important for it’s health.

If you use your imagination, you can find many other solutions for providing a habitat for your adult iguana. These are just a couple of ideas to get you started, remember there are plenty of ways to make your pet comfortable with your own customizing ideas. Don’t forget that your pet will live a longer and much healthier life if it has a proper habitat.

These tips for providing a home for your pet iguana are just scratching the surface. If you’d like a home for a smaller iguana, you can check out our page with iguana cages for sale and to learn even more about proper care for iguanas, visit our website, Green Iguanas as Pets.

Learn About Green Iguanas – Information About Your New Pet

The common pet iguana, known as a green iguana (or technically, the Iguana Iguana) is a reptile that comes from the tropics of Central and South America. They do well as pets, if they are fed and housed properly, and can grow up to a length of 6 feet, with half of that being their long tail.

Despite the name ‘green iguana’, the color of your iguana as it grows may actually change. Although typically a brilliant emerald green when young, their color can change to a duller green or even a grayish or brownish-red color. You may also notice black stripes on them. The amount of sun your iguana receives will affect the color of its skin.

The green iguana is an arboreal creature, meaning they live in the trees. This is for two reasons – they eat leaves, flowers and fruit from the trees they live in, and also being up in trees gives them safety from predators that would like to have them as a meal. Their bodies have adapted to their tree-top lives in several ways. First of all, as mentioned above, they have greenish-brown coloring which helps to camouflage them among the leaves. If you take a close look at an iguanas feet, you’ll see that they have very long ‘fingers’ and claws which help them to grasp and climb easily, and they’ve developed a long tail to help them balance while up high in the trees.

Despite their fearsome appearance, iguanas are vegetarians that are hunted as prey by other animals. They have developed keen senses that allow them to avoid predators. With their keen senses of hearing, smell and sight, they can often detect predators long before the predator knows the iguana is around.

One of the iguana’s best defense mechanisms is it’s tail, and it can use it in various ways to protect itself. Not only does it help with balance as the iguana jumps from branch to branch, it can be used as a weapon. Iguanas will swing their tails like a whip when cornered or if they feel threatened. Also, iguanas are very good swimmers, and can use their tail as a rudder when making their getaway.

Despite being adept climbers, iguanas do occasionally fall from trees, or have to jump to avoid being captured. But the green iguana is a tough lizard, and often survive falls from quite high. You’ll also notice that males have a large flap of skin under their chins. This is a called a dewlap, and can swell up to make the iguana appear larger and more dangerous to an attacker. It’s also used to impress female iguanas during mating. Iguanas can also store fat around their neck and chin; this fat will be used to survive during times when food is hard to find.

Lots of people keep iguanas as pets without understanding that they originate in tropical areas, and have specific housing, food and lighting requirements to survive as pets. If an iguana as pet isn’t cared for properly, they can die very slow and painful deaths. If you are considering getting an iguana, please start by learning about it’s care.

Caring for Frogs & Reptiles : Gecko Pet Care

Caring for pet geckos requires knowing if the pet gecko needs a UV light or heated light sources. Raise healthy pet geckos with tips from a herpetologist in this free video on gecko care. Expert: Tim Cole Bio: Tim Cole is the owner of Austin Reptile Service, and has been keeping reptiles for over four decades. Filmmaker: MAKE | MEDIA

Frogs & Toads : Care for Wood Frogs

Wood frogs grow to be about two or three inches, and they are typically kept in an aquarium with a moist bottom. Learn about the wood frog’s ability to adapt its blood to freezing temperatures with help from a veterinarian in this free video on frogs and pet care. Expert: James Talbott Bio: Dr. James R. Talbott is a staff veterinarian at Belle Forest Animal Hospital and Kennel in Nashville, Tenn. Filmmaker: Dimitri LaBarge

Keeping Boa Constrictors

If you are considering purchasing a boa constrictor as a pet then you need to be aware of a number of things before you go ahead. Whilst boa constrictors are regarded as the most desirable of all boas, it is important to appreciate that they are very powerful animals which can be potentially harmful. Because of this, there are two key issues you need to be acutely aware of:

Size: The most common variety of boa constrictor, the boa constrictor imperator can grow as long as eight feet in length and if that fails to impress, perhaps the fact that the red tailed boa constrictor can grow even larger than ten feet or more will make you realise just how large and powerful these animals are. A fully matured snake that has managed to achieve this size will require a considerable amount of space, not to mention a regular supply of large prey such as rats or even rabbits.

Lifespan: Even with a conservative estimate being used, a boa constrictor in captivity can survive to around the 20 year mark, which is an extremely long period of time to set aside for the care of a pet. You may find that the long term logistics involved in the care for a boa constrictor is just too hard to manage. After all, whilst most people maybe happy to look after your pet goldfish for a period of time whilst you are on holiday, they may think twice when presented with a 10 foot snake!

Now that we have addressed some of the burning issues concerning the adoption and owning of a pet boa….we need to know consider the million dollar question: are they actually worth all the hassle, and are they worth your time, money and energy?

Unfortunately, the only person who can ever successfully and accurately answer the question “do boas make good pets” is you. Only you will know whether or not you can spend the requisite amounts of time and patience caring for them. One thing is for sure, a snake, irrespective of what type it happens to be, is an exotic and highly unique animal and which can bring an incalculable amount of happiness to the owner. I speak from personal experience, over the years I have had the pleasure and privilege of owning several snakes and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience each and every time. Of all those snakes, it has always boas which have given the most joy due to their natural beauty and elegance, but also due to their generally docile nature and tolerance to regular handling.

Whilst there can be no denying that boas require a very specific regime of conditions, and a very carefully controlled environment, once you have these basic needs sorted you have a very low maintenance pet to fend for. You do not need to take your boa for walks in the park in the middle of a storm, nor do you need to worry about allowing your boa out to urinate when the urge takes them. Dogs are vocal about what they want and frankly speaking, will not stop whining until they get what they want. The boa on the other hand accepts what they get with good humour and grace, and will not pester its master for anything else, but of course that means you must be vigilant since you won’t get reminded if you forget to clean or feed your snake!

In summary, boas do require a certain amount of work, patience and commitment to keep in good health. However, if you are both able and willing to invest the requisite amounts of time required to keep them happy then you will be well rewarded for your efforts with a loyal and exotic pet who will be your faithful companion for a number of years. Before you make a decision as to whether they are the right pet for you, then make sure you read up on the subject, speak with other boa constrictor owners and get their opinion on the matter. They can help provide invaluable insight into some of the common pitfalls that a boa constrictor owner will need to contend with.

For more information on boa species and snake keeping, try visiting http://www.boa-care.com, a popular website that provides tips, advice and resources on caring for boas and other large snakes, and a guide to the common boa.

Are Turtles Good As Pets ?

Turtles are an order of reptiles. They are known to have 313 species and 200 sub species. They have no external ears and their skin is covered with scales. This doesn’t only protect them, but also helps in thermoregulation. Most turtles live in tropical areas and many of them are endangered.

Can land turtle be more interesting companion than a water turtle? Many people decide on the basis of the cost. But it is not a good criterion to judge. They acknowledged their error later. A lot of those people now prefer the water turtles as better pets then the land turtles. Some turtles can give the dogs a tough competition. They have been known to respond to their owners and do everything what you want a pet to do.

You can’t guess the sex of a turtle by a casual look. You need some special knowledge to differentiate them. The male turtles have long curved claws and the shell covering them is of concave shape. In case of females, the claws are short and straight, while their shell is of a concave shape. The male turtle has a longer tail than the female.

A temperature of 30 to 32 degree Celsius should be maintained during the day time inside the aquarium. At night a temperature of around 5 to 10 degree Celsius is suitable during autumn and spring. You can also use sun beds for the water turtles.

It is important to provide the aquatic turtle the kind of natural diet they eat like the raw fish, shrimp, land snails, insects, liver. As for plants, choose foods with high levels of Calcium to Phosphorus like dandelion, water hyacinth and watercress. To ensure adequate intake of nutrients, crush the eggshells before placing them in the tank.

They do not have a body temperature as high as ours and they can bask in the sun and cool off in water. They do not need all the energy that we do, therefore it is unnecessary to feed them every day. If treated well, then turtles make excellent pets.

Find out more interesting facts about aquatic turtles

The Amphibians

Amphibians are more than just frogs. They are some of the most colorful pets that you can imagine, and watching them can provide hours of fun. Not only is the amphibian pet enjoyable, but you can also plant the terrarium to make it an attractive feature. And one positive is that these animals are very easy to keep.

Before any mammals ever set foot on planet earth their were amphibians slithering, crawling and leaping all over it. These amazing creatures are an important step in the evolution of man. Their name is from the fact that they can live on both land and in water: Amphi is Greek for life, and bios is the Greek word for both. Typically amphibians spend most of the first part of their life cycle in water, and the second part of the life cycle on land.

Amphibians are ectotherms which means that they rely on the external environment for warmth. So if you keep one as a pet you may need to provide a heat mat or lamp, depending on the species. In the wild amphibians hibernate to avoid cold temperatures. Their amazing range of colors is for the purpose of camouflage, and to ward off predators. The moist skin of an amphibian is shed/sloughed from time to time, and they generally eat their old skin. Tropical pets like amphibians exhibit some interesting characteristics!

All amphibians are vertebrates, which means that they have full skeletons, from their skulls, right down to their toes. Generally amphibians eat by swallowing so they don’t always have teeth, and the bigger species that do have teeth tend to use them to hold their prey, rather than to chew.

Amphibians reproduce by laying thousands of eggs, of which less than one percent survive into adulthood. This is because amphibian eggs are a rich source of nourishment for predators, and the amphibians all lay their eggs in the same place which makes them easy to find. Sometimes they are laid on leaves overhanging water, but most of the time it is in the water.

These are just a few basic pieces of information about these exotic pet amphibians. You will learn more if you decide to keep them. One final interesting fact is that they both breath and drink through their skin. So make sure you provide them with good quality water as this water-permeable skin makes them very sensitive to their environment.

For more information on the wonderful world of tropical pets then why not look at with site http://www.squidoo.com/amphibians-exotic-pets. Good luck!