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

From simple, easily-cleaned habitats to complex environments, herp enthusiasts have many options when it comes to setting up terrariums for reptiles and amphibians.  Today I’ll cover everything you’ll need to create an ideal habitat for semi-aquatic, basking turtles, including Red-Eared Sliders, Painted and Map Turtles, Cooters and others.  With a bit of modification, your set-up can also accommodate largely-aquatic species such as Musk, African Mud, Snapping and Soft-shelled Turtles.  I’ll also mention money-saving alternatives to certain products, along with non-essential “extras” that can be added if you wish.

Enclosure

Surface area, to allow for swimming and bottom “prowling”, is a more important consideration than water depth for most species. Read More »

North America is home to a great diversity of ratsnakes, many of which have long been bred in captivity.  One of the more unique species to have become established in the trade is the Trans-Pecos Ratsnake, Bogertophis (formerly Elaphe) subocularis.  Despite wide availability, its life in the wild remains largely unstudied.  Today we’ll examine what is known of its natural history, and move on to care and breeding in Part 2.

Description

The Trans-Pecos Ratsnake ranges in color from almost pure yellow to yellowish-olive or tan, and is one of the few snakes clad mainly in this color.  It is further distinguished by dark-brown to black “H” shaped blotches between 2 long dorsal stripes and by unusually large, bulging eyes (a likely adaptation to its nocturnal lifestyle).  Light or “blond” and dark phases occur naturally, and at least 18 color varieties have been produced in captivity.  Adult Trans-Pecos Ratsnakes measure 3 to 5½ feet in length. Read More »

I’ve recently observed several frogs and toads to develop difficulties in feeding (American Bullfrogs, Gray Treefrogs, Southern Leopard and Green Frogs; several readers have written to me concerning difficulties with American Toads).  It starts with what looks like “bad aim” and progresses to the point where the frogs cannot catch insects at all and must be force-fed.  I’ve looked into the problem and found that a Vitamin A deficiency, leading to Short Tongue Syndrome, may be involved (please see this article by Dr. Kevin Wright of the Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital for details).  I’d like to request that readers send me their own observations, so that we can learn more about this serious amphibian health problem. Read More »

Several newly-discovered lizards and unexpected lizard facts made herp headlines in 2010.  From a female-only species to a 6-foot-long, brightly-colored new monitor, each gave us pause to wonder…”what’s next?!

Two Large Monitors

Undiscovered animals tend to be small and non-descript, but not so with Asia’s new contributions to the lizard role call.   The Northern Sierra Madre Forest Monitor, Varanus bitatawa, described last year from northern Luzon in the Philippines,is both large – to 6 feet in length – and colorful.  Actually, it remained undetected only to herpetologists…local people have been eating it for quite some time.  The newly described giant is arboreal and feeds largely upon fruit. Read More »

While usually sold as a decoration for tropical fish aquariums, driftwood that has been anchored to a slate base also makes an excellent sub-surface platform for those herps that do not usually

leave the water completely when resting or basking (i.e. Musk, Softshelled and Mud Turtles, Snappers, Newts, African Clawed Frogs).  It also serves well as a “staircase” for hatchling turtles, many of which weaken quickly when force to swim to the surface for air in deep aquariums.  Please see Part 1 of this article for detailed information on these topics.

Using Driftwood

Driftwood can be used on bare-bottomed tanks (this simplifies the cleaning of turtle aquariums) or those with a gravel substrate and, unlike most woods, will not stain the water by leaching tannins.  An endless array of shapes and sizes is available, so most any tank depth or species can be accommodated.  Read More »