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

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 observations.

In addition to allowing space and opportunity for a wide range of behaviors, outdoor aviaries promote good health and reproduction by exposing pets to sunlight, natural day/night and weather cycles, and dietary variety in the form of wild invertebrates. My first crude outdoor pen, populated by green frogs and spotted turtles, provided, even to an unskilled 10-year-old, a first peek at herp reproduction and hibernation.

An outdoor aviary equipped with a can provide a lifetime of enjoyment….if you focus on native species, your workload will be minimal and breeding a very real possibility. Although unenclosed ponds also have great potential, many frogs wander and predation by dogs, raccoons, herons and other animals is an ever-present concern. Our outdoor aviaries will keep your pets safe and contained. They are available in 5 sizes, ranging from 3.5′ x 4′ to 9′ x 5′, and with bars spaced ½ inch and 1 inch apart.

Certain reptiles, such as adult green and rhinoceros iguanas, spur-thighed (“Sulcata”) and other large tortoises, tegus, and larger monitors are almost impossible to keep properly indoors. Others fare far better when given outdoor access for at least part of the year…success with chameleons, for example, nearly always soars once they are introduced to well-planted outdoor cages. They and other species are often stimulated to breed by a change in environment as well. Mixed species displays and many arboreal animals are also far easier to accommodate in large outdoor quarters.

A spacious aviary can also allow for the keeping of multiple-male colonies of territorial lizards, which will give you a unique view of display and reproductive behavior. I have worked with groups of sungazers, red-headed Agamas and various dabb lizards set up in this fashion…I learned a great deal in the process and enjoyed myself immensely.

Further Reading
For more information on keeping herps outdoors, please see my articles on Red-Eared Sliders in Outdoor Ponds and Bullfrogs in Outdoor Ponds.

With spring finally here, my thoughts are turning to growing food plants and collecting insects with which to feed my collection.  Happily, these two activities are intertwined – plants attract insects, and insects pollinate plants.  Garden-grown plants provide minerals and trace elements that are often difficult to supply otherwise, and their fiber content is usually quite high.

Your pets’ enthusiastic attacks on novel foods will leave no doubt as to their value in stimulating appetite and behavior.  Tortoises and iguanas will spend hours happily picking through piles of fresh greens…more so if they can forage in outdoor pens atop growing plants.

Tortoises

Tortoises of all types, especially those maintained on a limited number of food items during the winter, invariably improve in condition when offered wild plants.  During the warmer months, natural forage can account for up to 85% of the diets of most species.  A pair of spur thighed tortoises, each of which weighed in at 80-90 pounds, fared very well on such a regime during the years that they were under my care at the Prospect Park Zoo.

If your tortoise or iguana is maintained on natural foods for a portion of the year, the balance of the diet can be comprised of a high quality commercial tortoise or iguana chow.

Herbivorous Lizards

Green, rhinoceros and desert iguanas, Uromastyx spp., chuckwallas and other herbivorous lizards become very excited as soon as novel fresh foods are offered.  It is difficult to get across just how much they change in demeanor but, once seen, their reactions will quickly convince you of the value of your efforts.

Aquatic Turtles

Don’t forget your aquatic and semi-aquatic turtles – cooters, American and Asian box turtles, wood turtles, Amazon side-necks and a host of others relish greens, fruits and vegetables.  Actually, painted turtles and red-eared sliders should be gradually switched to a plant-based diet as they mature.  This may take some time and creativity, but is well-worth your efforts.

The Ever-Abundant Dandelion

April and early May is dandelion-blooming time in the northern half of the USA, and nearly every herbivorous reptile relishes its leaves and, especially, the bright yellow flowers.  You can harvest this nutritious plant nearly anywhere…just be careful around homes as it is considered pest (a phenomenon that has baffled me since childhood!) and is often attacked with herbicides.

I have long used dandelion flowers to spur activity in zoo exhibits…by placing them in out-of-the-way locations, I was able to induce a great deal of interesting foraging behavior.  This was of such obvious value to the animals that I continue to freeze dandelions for winter use in my own and public collections.

Hardy Self-Starters

A number of plants that readily colonize bare patches of earth, and which need little care, are also highly valuable additions to reptile diets.  Especially hardy are clover (Trifolium), honeysuckle (Lonicera), thistle (Sonchus), bramble (Rubus) and various wild grasses.

Other types of browse that produce tasty stems, leaves and roots include various mallows (Malva), cat’s ears (Hypochoeris), Clamatis and Sedum.

Further Reading

Please see my article on Toxic Plants  for some cautions.  It was written with birds in mind, but is a good general reference.

Wild-caught insects and other invertebrates are valuable, and often essential, additions to the diets of many captive reptiles and amphibians.  During the warmer months, I have utilized them for 50-100% of the diets of many animals in my own collection, and for those under my care in zoos.

Beating the Bushes for Insects

One of the simplest and most effective collecting techniques was developed by entomologists (insect scientists) who needed to sample large habitats quickly.  Here it is: a white, un-patterned sheet is spread below a bush or tree, and the foliage is then beaten with a stick.  That’s it!

An incredible assortment of caterpillars, beetles, ants, tree crickets, katydids, spiders and other tasty morsels will rain down upon the sheet, where they can be easily collected.  The majority will be arboreal species – healthful additions to the diets of tree frogs, flying geckos, smooth green snakes and other tree-dwelling creatures, and to all other insectivorous herps.

Identifying Potentially Troublesome Species

Do not collect fireflies, “hairy” caterpillars (please see photo), and brightly colored insects that you cannot identify (due to possible toxicity).  Unless you are well-acquainted with local spiders, it is best to avoid them as well…harvestmen, or “daddy long-legs”, however, are harmless.

Use our plastic tongs to handle any specimens that may bite or sting.  A Peterson or Audubon Society field guide will help you to learn about the innumerable interesting creatures that you will encounter.

A World of Possibilities

You’ll have quite a selection to choose from, wherever you live.  Over 2,000 types of insects live right within New York City, and it is estimated that 30 million species inhabit the planet.  A single tree in Panama has yielded 130 species of beetle, 100 of which were new to science!

Last summer I was pleasantly surprised to find the spectacular eyed click beetle (Alaus oculatus) pictured below in my haul (this fellow was released).

Insect Traps and Canned Insects

The Zoo Med Bug Napper is another very useful insect-collecting tool.  An alternative means of introducing variety to your pets’ diets is through the use of canned invertebrates.

Further Reading

An amusing story involving the “bush beating” technique is given in fabulous book To the Zoo in a Plastic Box (Newmark, 1965; Random House).  A hilarious and informative account of two brothers’ adventures collecting insects and herps for the London Zoo, the book is a true gem…please read it if possible.

Please see my other insect-collecting articles as well – Leaf Litter Invertebrates and Building a Termite Trap.

Panther chameleons (Furcifer pardalis) carefully regulate exposure to sunlight in accordance with their Vitamin D3 levels, states an article published in the May/June issue of Physiological and Biochemical Zoology.

Nutrient Levels Affect Behavior

Chameleons with high Vitamin D3 levels (achieved through a diet of vitamin-supplemented crickets) limited their exposure to the sun, while those maintained on a vitamin-poor diet maximized basking time.  Further analysis showed that, as regarded individual Vitamin D3 levels, the lizards were “…as effective as mathematically possible” in achieving optimal sun exposure.  Vitamin D3 receptors in the brain are believed responsible for accessing vitamin needs and controlling basking behavior.

Basking or Diet?

I was most interested in this article because, although this point was not specifically addressed, it established that panther chameleons can be provided with adequate Vitamin D3 (at least in the short term) through dietary means.  I have long questioned my observations that certain reptiles, typically thought to be entirely dependent upon UVB radiation (basking) for Vitamin D synthesis, are none-the-less sometimes able to obtain sufficient Vitamin D3 from their diets (please see the article referenced below).

Some Cautions

Information of the type established by this research has a way of taking on a life of its own once spread via the internet, so a few words of caution are in order.

Please bear in mind that the Vitamin D and UVB needs of reptiles vary widely from species to species, and perhaps even within populations of the same species.  This research applies to a single species housed outdoors with access to full sunlight, and should not be used as other than a baseline for further experiments as regards other animals.

For now, it remains important to provide the heliothermic (basking) reptiles that you keep with an appropriate UVB bulb  (or natural sunlight) and to use vitamin/mineral supplements  judiciously.  This is a quite important topic, and one fraught with misinformation…please write with questions concerning individual reptiles.

Further Reading

For information on an outstanding UVB bulb and recent tests concerning its output, please see my article on Zoo Med UVB Lamps.

I have written about related experiences with day geckos and red-eared sliders… please see my article Has Anyone Observed This?  for further details.
Image referenced from Wikipedia and originally posted by Tom Junek.

Surinam toads are well known for their bizarre reproductive strategy (please see article below), unusual appearance, large size and unique habitats.  They make very interesting pets but, as most in the trade are wild-caught, present a few problems when first introduced into the aquarium.  Last time we took a look at establishing the new Surinam toad and helping it to make the adjustment to captive life (Surinam Toads (Pipa pipa) as Pets: Acclimating New Animals and Special Considerations).  Today I’ll take a look at their dietary needs.

A Live Food Specialist
Surinam toads will take live food (or food moved before them as if alive) only.  Their favorites are earthworms, blackworms and small fishes such as guppies, platys, swordtails, mollies, minnows and shiners.  Use goldfish no more than once each month, and vary the species fed as much as is possible.

Feeding Techniques and Cautions

You can leave fishes in with the frog, as it will likely feed only at night until it has acclimated.  Be sure to adjust the fishes to your aquarium’s water temperature (float bag for 20 minutes) so that the frogs do not contract Ick or other diseases that might be transmitted from stressed fishes (also, fishes are more likely to be consumed if they swim about normally).

When using earthworms, introduce them to the tank at night (foe newly acquired frogs).  Worms usually survive for 8 hours or so underwater, but add only 1 at first and make sure to remove it in the AM if uneaten.

As mentioned in Part I of this article, Surinam toads often swallow gravel while feeding and are best kept in bare-bottomed aquariums.  This is a special concern when using earthworms, which are taken right off the substrate, and blackworms, which burrow into it.  If you use substrate, avoid feeding blackworms and offer earthworms from a plastic feeding tong.

Introducing Canned Shrimp and Snails

Well-habituated Surinam toads will consume prawn and other non-living food items that are dropped so as to land directly in front of their mouths.  Start your frog off with live food, but after awhile try using canned shrimp and snails to provide dietary variety.

Composition of the Diet

I have kept and bred Surinam toads for a number of years using a diet comprised of approximately 75% fish (platys, guppies, mollies, minnows, shiners and occasional goldfish) and earthworms, with the balance of their food intake consisting of blackworms and shrimp.

Further Reading
Please see Breeding A Skin-Brooding Amphibian: the Surinam Toad (Pipa pipa)  to read about captive reproduction of this fascinating animal.

You can learn about the other aquatic species in the family to which this frog belongs (Pipidae) at

http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/names.php?taxon=&family=pipidae&subfamily=&genus=&commname=&authority=&year=&geo=0&dist=&comment=.