Relating to keeping a reptile as a pet; housing, feeding, care. No generalised reptile questions.
Any type of reptile that is kept as a pet, and only questions relating to keeping that particular reptile as a pet.
Questions tagged [reptiles]
184 questions
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1 answer
Found this skink in my tomato plant bucket. Is he trapped? Or could he leave if he wanted?
I've been growing some tomatoes in a 5 gallon bucket. About 4 days ago, I found this skink sitting there in the dirt. .
Since he's been there, he's been happily just burrowing around in the dirt and (probably) eating some bugs. He's totally welcome…
nick
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How can I clean the shell of my tortoise?
The top and bottom of my tortoise's shell tend to get messy from wet substrate, waste, etc. How can I safely clean the shell, without damaging it in any way?
jonsca
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My pet snake seems to have some sort of bugs crawling on its face; do I need to worry?
There are tiny little white things crawling across my pet snakes face, and even on its eyes.
What are they, and what should I do about them? Are they harmful?
Beofett
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16
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1 answer
Counterbalancing air flow and humidity in a tortoise enclosure
I'm in the process of designing a new enclosure for my Redfoot tortoise. As a South American breed, she needs a lot of moisture, which at present I am providing via moistening her substrate (sphagnum moss). I am thinking of changing her substrate…
jonsca
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How can I gauge a vet's experience with reptiles?
It's come to my attention that not all vets are trained to treat reptiles.
Other than the obvious "Do you have a vet trained in treating reptiles?", what are some pertinent questions I can ask a veterinary practice to determine how well qualified…
starsplusplus
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15
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2 answers
What is the importance of UV radiation to pet reptiles?
I have no experience with reptiles. I was reading Would putting a thin layer of plexiglass over a UV-B fixture in a reptile enclosure filter out a significant amount of light? and I would like an explanation as to why a special UV-A/UV-B bulb is…
JoshDM
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Why does my tortoise make a peeping or whistling sound while breathing?
I'm not asking for health-related advice, as I've had the vet following this for many years to make sure it's not respiratory-related, but this is more of a "does it fit the animal's natural history" question.
I have a Redfoot tortoise that tends to…
jonsca
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14
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My leopard gecko sometimes has trouble shedding. How can I help?
Sometimes, when my gecko sheds, not all of the skin comes off and I find flaky white patches left behind. I know you shouldn't pull at them to help them come off, so what should you do instead?
starsplusplus
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What are the safe materials for an aquatic turtle aquarium?
What are safe materials for inside an aquatic turtle aquarium? I've seen plans using PVC, concrete, lumber, etc. but am concerned about chemicals.
Timtech
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Snake not interested in food
So I have a female Californian king snake and I'm starting to get worried about her not eating.
First of all, she has not eaten in 4 months. It's winter at the moment and I know they do not eat at winter, as it happened last year with her not eating…
AaronParkes
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1 answer
How do I determine when my tortoise is sated?
How do I determine when my tortoise is sated and, if there's no way to tell when she is, are there any long-term effects of (mildly) overfeeding her?
I've given my tortoise a lot of food, she'll often "put some aside", but more because she wants to…
jonsca
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13
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How much calcium and vitamin D₃ supplementation is beneficial to an adult tortoise who may be deficient?
I have a 10 year old redfoot tortoise. Her natural origins are in South American, so she's not desperately dependent on UV-B radiation to survive like an African species is. She gets plenty of vegetables and has a 5.0 UVA/UVB light that I change…
jonsca
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13
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2 answers
How do I tell the sex of a bearded dragon?
I have a bearded dragon and I want to know whether it's a boy or a girl. I don't see any parts down there, so how can I tell?
Spidercat
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What types of food and vitamins are appropriate for a leopard gecko?
My partner and I have had many reptiles over the years (bearded dragons, snakes of various sizes etc) but our latest additions are 2 leopard geckos - we're not sure exactly what breed, but we think the younger female is a hypo, if that means…
Reno79
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Is there a substrate for a Redfoot tortoise that won't retain excess moisture?
I have a South American tortoise (a Redfoot) that lives on sphagnum moss bedding. I have given some thought to switching her to a topsoil-based substrate, but I'm concerned that such a base will retain too much moisture.
Are there reptile-safe…
jonsca
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