That Reptile Blog – Reptile, Amphibian and Exotic Pet Care and Information

Please see Part I of this article for information on the natural history of the Sunburst or Marbled Diving Beetle (Thermonectes marmoratus), the Green Diving Beetle (Thermonectes sp.) and related insects.  These wonderfully interesting aquatic beetles sometimes appear in the pet trade, and they and related species are also rather easy to collect.  Today we’ll take a look at their captive husbandry.

Habitat

The beetle aquarium should be tightly covered, as all species can and do fly, especially at night.  The tank should be stocked with a variety of live aquatic plants (i.e. Elodea, Anachris, Water Hyacinth) and sticks…despite being strong swimmers, Diving Beetles need to take frequent breaks by clinging to submerged objects; egg deposition occurs on live plants. Read More »

I cannot imagine why aquatic insects have not attracted more interest from invertebrate enthusiasts.  Thousands of species, many of which are large and active by day, may be kept in relatively simple aquariums.  Aquatic insect exhibits that I have established in zoos and museums are invariably very popular with visitors.  From Dragonfly Larvae that flick out extendable “lips” to snare prey to Giant Water Bugs that can tackle small turtles, these other-worldly beings are fascinating to observe, and most are simple to collect.  Today I’d like to cover the natural history of 2 species that are sometimes available in the pet trade, the Sunburst or Marbled Diving Beetle (Thermonectes marmoratus) and Green Diving Beetle (Thermonectes sp.). I’ll discuss their captive care in Part 2. Read More »

Bark, moss, sand, coconut husk, wood chips …selecting the proper substrate for one’s pets can be a difficult task these days (in contrast to years ago, when we were limited to newspapers, earth or gravel!).  Please check out our extensive line of Reptile and Amphibian Substrates to see examples of what is available.

Factors to Consider

A number of factors – some obvious, some not – must be taken into consideration when deciding upon a substrate.  Some of the most important are as follows: Read More »

I’m often contacted by Arachnid and millipede owners who are concerned about the tiny white “specks” that they notice crawling about their terrariums and on their pets.  In almost all cases, the little beasts turn out to be relatively harmless Mites.  Mites are actually Arachnids, related to spiders and scorpions, and are unique in the incredible diversity they have attained – over 45,000 species have been described, with many more than that likely remaining to be “discovered”.  Read More »

The world’s 250,000+ fly species figure importantly in the diets of a wide range of smaller creatures…this makes sense, as approximately 1 in every 10 animal species is a fly!     

My first attempt at culturing Houseflies began with a fish-baited jar and ended with a house full of buzzing flies and an enraged mother!  I quickly learned to chill the little beasts before using them, and was soon happily involved in fly-farming (I fed them moist dog biscuits, evaporated milk and orange juice, instead of the less-agreeable foods they preferred!). Read More »