Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.  Please see Part I of this article for a description of UVA light, information about its importance to reptiles and amphibians and its role in their captive husbandry.
Light and Heat
In addition to promoting natural behavior and improving the appetites of many captive reptiles and amphibians, ( Part I), the light emitted [...]

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. Please see Part I of this article for tips on using oyster shell for desert dwelling lizards and tortoises. Today we’ll explore the use of rabbit pellets for herbivorous reptiles and their important role in preventing leg deformities in hatchling tortoises.
Rabbit Pellets for Hatchling Tortoises
Rabbit pellets? Yes…surprisingly, rabbit pellets are useful [...]

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.  Small, shrimp-like marine crustaceans known as krill have long featured prominently in the diets of aquarium fishes.  I’d like to relate here some personal experiences that point to their value as food for turtles, tadpoles, newts and salamanders.
Krill as Turtle Food
Some years ago a herpetologist of my acquaintance, noting that krill [...]

While reviewing the outdoor aviaries that were recently added to out line of bird cages, it struck me that these large, sturdy enclosures could be put to good use by reptile and amphibian keepers. Outdoor pens, both at home and in zoos, have given rise to some of my most enjoyable times and memorable [...]

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 [...]

Click: Caring for Reptiles and Amphibians: Useful Products from the Aquarium Trade – Using Frozen and other Foods for Turtles, Aquatic Salamanders and Tadpoles – Part 1 to read the first part of this article.
Frozen Foods for Tadpoles
Tetramin Staple Diet Flakes  and spirulina flakes have long been used by hobbyists and zookeepers as foods for poison frog [...]

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.
Many items marketed for tropical fish are of great value to reptile and amphibian enthusiasts. Please see: Caring for Reptiles and Amphibians: Useful Foods, Medications and other Products from the Aquarium Trade – Introduction and Feeding Accessories for background information and notes on other products.
Frozen Foods for Turtles
Frozen silversides, krill, beef heart, sand eels, [...]

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.
The Influence of Hobby and Food-Species Research
As compared to the aquarium hobby, the keeping of reptiles and amphibians in captivity is a relatively new development.  Far more time and research has gone into the development of products designed for fish and aquatic invertebrates than is the case for herps, and we know [...]

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.
Browsing the pages of Herpetologica and other journals over the years, I several times came across field studies indicating that certain populations of savannah monitors consumed diets composed entirely of invertebrates.  In certain seasons, the lizards gorged on either locusts or land snails exclusively for months on end.  When some captives fed [...]

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.
Plastic turtle docks and basking platforms are wonderful innovations that I have found very useful both at home and in public exhibits that I have designed.  The models I mention here look quite natural right out of the box, and when covered with some live algae and surrounded by live or artificial [...]