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

Please see Parts I and II of this article for information on growing terrestrial and aquatic food plants for reptiles and amphibians.

Aquatic Invertebrates

A startling variety of aquatic invertebrates will likely establish themselves in almost any body of standing water, be it a backyard pond or a container of water on a fire escape in the heart of a busy city (the adults of most aquatic insects are winged, and quickly locate new breeding sites).  Ranging in size from tiny Daphnia to quite large dragonfly nymphs, all are fine food items for insectivorous herps, and make wonderful aquarium subjects as well.

You can also use an outdoor pond to breed snails, guppies, crayfish and other useful food animals.

Terrestrial Invertebrates

Your reptile garden will, in addition, attract numerous terrestrial insects.  All are interesting to observe and many can be collected to feed to your collection (a Bug Napper Insect Trap situated near a garden will provide a great nightly haul).

Flowering gardens are also important as feeding sites for pollinating insects, many of which are in serious decline.  Over 80% of the world’s plants and 90% of US food crops rely upon insect pollinators.

A Bonus…Observing Garden Visitors

You are sure to come across some interesting finds, as invertebrate diversity, even in temperate areas, is astounding.

An acre of Pennsylvania soil, for example, can host 425 million individual invertebrates (including 2 million tasty earthworms!) and New York State is home to 4,125 species of beetles.  Over 11,000 different types of moths may be found in the USA, and new species are constantly being uncovered in the most unlikely of places…be sure to check those captured in your Bug Napper carefully before popping them into a terrarium!

Further Reading

The leaf fall that gathers below your plants and trees will quickly become populated by an unbelievable assortment of millipedes, springtails, sow bugs, beetles and other creatures.  Many of these, especially the smaller invertebrates, are vital foods for tiny poison frogs and other small herps.  For information on collecting and using this free food source, please see my article on Leaf Litter Invertebrates.

Image referenced from Wikipedia and originally posted by Alvesgaspar

Reptile and amphibian keepers are fortunate to have at our disposal a huge array of substrates, many of which are formulated for specific animals (burrowing frogs, large snakes).  However, there are still a few situations, usually involving especially sensitive species, where we may need to improvise.  Today I’d like to relate my experiences using “alternative” substrates for desert-dwelling reptiles and hatchling tortoises.  I have long used both while working with animals in zoos, but have noticed that neither is well-known in the pet trade.

The Immune Systems of Desert Dwellers  

Reptiles hailing from desert and semi-desert habitats are often very sensitive to molds and fungi.  Having evolved in unique, relatively pathogen-free environments, their immune systems are usually unable to adapt to attack by microorganisms commonly encountered in captivity.

Potential Problems with Sand

Many of the substrates traditionally used for such creatures, including most types of sand, harbor molds and fungi when damp.  Although not a problem (in limited-contact situations) for all desert animals, some are especially sensitive and quickly succumb to skin and respiratory infections.

Chief among these in my experience are Egyptian tortoises (Testudo kleimanni), padloper tortoises (Homopus signatus, the world’s smallest tortoise) and several of the whip-tailed lizards (Cnemidophorus spp.).

Using Oyster Shell

Oyster shell (available at garden and poultry supply stores) does not support the growth of fungi or mold, is benign when swallowed in small amounts, and can be easily spot-cleaned and discarded when fouled.  I cannot recall any skin or respiratory problems in desert-dwelling reptiles maintained on oyster shell.

Further Reading

You can read more about fungal and other respiratory ailments in tortoises at: http://www.azeah.com/Care-Sheets.asp?id=125

Tortoise photo referenced from Wikipedia and originally posted by Stefano Alcini.

Please see Part I of this article for further information.Last time we took a look at the amazing diversity of tiny invertebrates that inhabit leaf litter, and their importance as food for small terrarium animals such as poison frogs, dwarf leaf chameleons, and young frogs, lizards, mantids and scorpions.

Collecting Leaf Litter Invertebrates
As mentioned in Part I of this article, the springtails, ants, mites, millipedes and other creatures inhabiting a single acre of fallen leaves can add up to an astonishing 3 tons in weight! So how do we harvest all of this free food?

A technique borrowed from professional entomologists (insect scientists) works quite well. Simply place a handful of leaf litter into a funnel, suspend the funnel over a jar and position a 100 watt bulb about 6 inches above the leaves. The heat will drive the resident invertebrates down the funnel and into the jar. A damp paper towel placed at the bottom of the collecting jar will assure that the more delicate animals survive.

Using Wild-Caught Invertebrates
Remove potentially dangerous animals such as biting ants and centipedes, and dispense the rest to your poison frogs, baby anoles and other such creatures. Their reactions to this novel food will convince you of its worth – most terrarium animals become noticeably excited and feed ravenously each time they are presented with novel prey species.

Use Petri dishes if you prefer to keep your pets’ meals confined to one area. Springtails, sowbugs and others may colonize the terrarium substrate if allowed to disperse, which is also useful in some cases. You can also place small piles of leaves directly into the terrarium (after checking for dangerous species) – its great fun to watch frogs and other creatures search through them for tasty snacks.

Zoo Experiences
Others far more inventive than I came up with this technique, but I have long championed it in my articles and books…usually without much luck! Even among my zoo co-workers, my pleas fell on deaf (if amused!) ears.

So, upon touring several zoos in Japan recently I was thrilled to learn that several keepers, after reading about the topic in a book that I wrote some years back (Newts and Salamanders, which for some reason is popular in Japan), tried it out. Their results were so positive that the technique is now a regular part of the husbandry regime in several collections!

Trapping Tiny, Flying Insects
The Zoo Med Bug Napper, a very effective insect trap that I rely upon throughout the warmer months, will attract tiny gnats, moths, beetles and flies along with larger insects. These too make fine foods for your smaller pets.

Further Reading…Meadow Plankton
“Meadow plankton” is a term given to the myriads of insects and other invertebrates that can be gathered by sweeping a net through tall grass in fields and in overgrown areas along roads, farm edges, parks, etc. These creatures can also be fed to smaller reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. Please look for my future article on this topic.

Until then, a partial species list of insects that might be encountered in a typical temperate zone meadow, along with other information, is available on the website of the Invertebrate Conservation Trust.

Please see Part I of this article for information on our prepared box turtle diets.

Natural Food Animals
Live mealworms, waxworms or earthworms mixed into canned or pelleted food should encourage your turtle to take a bite. Earthworms are a box turtle favorite and a highly nutritious food in their own right…they can comprise 25% or so of the diet. An occasional pre-killed pink mouse is usually a great hit with box turtles, but is not a necessity.

Canned Snails and Insects
Canned insects and invertebrates offer an excellent means of increasing dietary variety while adding to the attractiveness of commercial turtle foods. Box turtles avidly consume snails and slugs in the wild…canned snails are nearly always well-accepted by pets. Canned silkworms, grasshoppers, crickets and mealworms should also be offered.

Fruits and Vegetables
Commercial diets should also be supplemented with a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, including apples, pears, berries of all kinds (berries are a favorite, but should form only a part of your pet’s salad), cucumbers, carrots, mushrooms and others. Sweet potatoes are usually a favorite. Avoid bananas, as turtles often eat these to the exclusion of all else, and they are not a natural food item.

Vitamins, Minerals and UVB Light
A vitamin/mineral supplement should be provided once weekly for adults, three times weekly for youngsters.

Box turtles should always be provided with a source of UVB radiation (via a fluorescent or mercury vapor bulb ) so that they can properly utilize the calcium that is contained in their diets. Please see my article on Reptisun UVB lamps  for further information.

Wood Turtles

Wood turtles can be fed as described above; although some individuals can be picky feeders, they tend to accept a wider range of foods than do most box turtles.

Further Reading
Please see my article Providing a Balanced Diet to Reptile and Amphibian Pets for further information on reptile and amphibian nutrition.

You can read about ongoing field research projects involving box and wood turtles in the Northeastern USA at http://www.turtleconservationproject.org/projects.html.

A surprising number of largely carnivorous lizards, especially various geckos and anoles, consume sap, flower nectar and overripe fruit in the wild. Providing a substitute in captivity is a good way to increase dietary variety. Also, as many find sweet liquids irresistible, by mixing in vitamins and minerals you can help ensure a nutritious diet.

Sugar Water to Nectar Mix
Well, we’ve come a long way since the anole “sugar water days” (the recommended diet for green anoles sold at circuses in the 1960’s). Following is a mix that I and others have found useful for anoles, geckos, basilisks, skinks and others.

1 jar of fruit-based baby food (papaya, banana, apricot or mixed)
1 tablespoon of honey (alternate with molasses)
1 dropper of Avitron Bird Vitamins (although formulated for birds, Avitron is a tried and true ingredient)
1 teaspoon Repti Calcium (without D3)
Water should be added to achieve a consistency favored by the species that you keep – i.e. nearly solid for New Caledonian giant geckos, watery for Jamaican anoles.

Additional Notes
Some folks add bee pollen, which seems not to affect palatability, and may add useful nutrients.

Experiment with different flavors, as some species are quite particular. Try also adding some mashed, overripe bananas, oranges, mangos and other fruits to the mix (for giant geckos, this is a must).

Nectar for Beetles, Roaches and Moths
If you are like me and favor invertebrates as well, you’ll find this mix very useful in keeping Hercules, goliath, rhinoceros, stag and other tropical and native beetles.

Most roaches devour it eagerly. I have used this and similar mixes to quickly nutrient-load roaches destined to be fed to delicate captives, and for Cuban green and other species in zoo exhibits.

As a side note, if you enjoy observing moths, or collect them as food for your animals, try smearing a tree trunk with honey or molasses. This old insect-collector’s trick has yielded me huge, spectacular Cecropia and polyphemus moths right in the heart of New York City!

Prepared Nectar Mixes
Nectargold for Lories and Lorikeets is a highly nutritious multi-fruit nectar mix. It is supplied dry, and so can be stored until needed. Many creatures will accept it as is, or you can tweak the recipe with honey or other favorites.

Further Reading
Some anoles take nectar so regularly that they may actually function as important plant pollinators. For more information, please see the following note in Herpetological Review

Rhacodactylus leachianus image referenced from Wikipedia and originally posted by Alfeus Liman.