Snakes are well known for their abilities to survive long fasts – up to 2 years in some cases – without ill effect.  Working with ball pythons, diamondback rattlesnakes and various rat snakes, researchers at the University of Arkansas have recently shown that fasting snakes slow their metabolisms by up to 80%, and yet continue [...]

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.
In both captivity and nature, chameleons (Family Chamaeleonidae) stand alone – unique in so many ways, they are truly marvelous creatures to know and care for.  Today I would like to highlight a few unusual facts about these favored reptile pets.
Cultural Significance
Chameleons have long drawn our attention…in fact, their fossilized remains [...]

I frequently promote the use of canned insects as a means of providing a balanced, varied diet to amphibian and reptile pets…in my experience, very little is as important as this one factor.  Free living reptiles and amphibians consume dozens, and in some cases hundreds, of prey species, and rarely fare well on a captive [...]

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.
My first contact with the strikingly marked red-tailed ratsnake came many years ago, when they were rarely seen in the pet trade.  It was a wild caught adult and showed up, unexpected, in an order sent to an animal importer for whom I worked at the time.  She would eat only birds, which, [...]

Iridescent coloration is exhibited many snakes, but in none is it as spectacular as that featured by the rainbow boa (Epicrates cenchria cenchria).  The “glow”, of its brilliant coloration, caused by microscopic scale ridges that refract sunlight, have long made this species a pet trade favorite.
A rather plain colored (and less expensive!) subspecies often disappoints [...]

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.
Chameleon fanciers are indeed fortunate that the chameleon best suited for captivity, the veiled or concave-casqued chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus) is also among the most beautiful and interesting of the group (it is also pathologically anti-social, but so are most of its relatives!).  Turquoise, emerald green, yellow and tan, each in many shades, [...]

What would the world be like without pets? A new bill proposed in House could make this a reality. All pet owners should be aware of a pending federal government resolution. HR669 stands for House Resolution 669 which is designed to change the way the government classifies non-native species. If passed into law it will [...]

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.
Note:  Please see Scorpions in Captivity – An Overview of Popular Species, Part I for general natural history and captive husbandry information.
Asian Forest Scorpions, Heterometrus spp.
Several species that superficially resemble emperor scorpions are sometimes available in the trade.  Known collectively as Asian forest scorpions and hailing from Southeast Asia, the most commonly [...]

Lengthening days and warmer temperatures are beginning to register on amphibian pets nationwide, stirring long-dormant breeding urges.  Last week I was please to find that a 2 year old female axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) which I paired with an older male had produced eggs for the first time.  A week or so earlier a reader informed [...]

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.  ReptoMin Floating Food sticks have long been recognized as a valuable dietary staple for many aquatic reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates, and are used in zoos and private collections worldwide.  A new version, ReptoMin Select-A-Food, contains the original food sticks as well as freeze dried plankton and shrimp.  The size of the [...]