REPTILEMANAGEMENT

General Considerations

HabitatFoodRegulation

Vivarium

sand or soilwater – think fish dechlorinate filter temperature

shelter

REPTILES

chelonians

lizards

snakes

tuataras

crocodiles

amphisbaenians – worm lizards

Chelonians

turtlestortoisesterrapins

TURTLES

spend most or all of their time in waterleatherback turtle – Dermochelys coriacea largest turtle, endangered

TORTOISE

spend most or all of their time on landAldabra tortoise – Geochelone gigantia 2nd largest tortoise, CITES protected

TERRAPINS

spend significant time on land and in water

TERRAPINS - Red-Eared Slider

Southern U.S.omnivorous75° F

Red-Eared slider – Trachemys scripta elegans

LIZARDS

habitats - desert to marshesdiets - herbivorous, omnivorous, carnivorous, insectivoroustemperature requirements - widely varied

bottom line - do your homework

horned toad (a lizard - really!)

Phrynosoma platyrhinos –

SNAKES

habitats - desert to marshesdiets - herbivorous, omnivorous, carnivorous, insectivoroustemperature requirements - widely varied

bottom line - do your homework

SNAKES - smooth green snake

habitat - open areasdiet - insectivorousnon venomousbright green yellow or cream belly

smooth green snake – Opheodrys vernalis

SNAKES - sand boas

many specieshabitat - sandy, semi-arid (for many)diet - small rodentsnon venomousbrown patterns

some have orange

females - 18 inches, 200 gm

males - 15 inches, 70 gm

Desert Sand Boa – Eryx miliaris

SNAKE CARE

Research - different snakes have different needsVet - find one experienced with snakesHousing tight cage as long as the snake

reduces lung infections

SNAKE CARE

Substrate sand wood chips - NOT cedar absorbent

Water bowl sunk into substrate needed for shedding much of requirement comes from prey

SNAKE CARE

heat lamp or ceramic heater gradient 80-95° F don’t use hot rocks

Accessories tree branches for climbing snakes hiding places - flower pots, plantings

SNAKE CARE

activity diurnal nocturnal

other quarantine food - mice, weekly, diameter of

snake

SNAKE CARE

handling hook - best tong - harmful to snake sack exit can - for dumping snake from

sack

SNAKE CARE

temperament always bad never bad inbetween more anxious when shedding and

feeding

other characteristics musky constrictors

SNAKE CARE

public health venomous snakes -don’t cage must be locked responsible for bites

Salmonella

SNAKE CARE

breeding live bearers - boa constrictors, water and garter

snakes, and rattlesnakes

& egg layers cool down - may require several

months incubation

78-84 ° F ~ 2 months

SNAKE CARE

sexing size of snake length of tail from cloaca hemipenis “cloacal pop”

SNAKE CARE

sexing “cloacal pop”

SNAKE CARE

sexing - copperhead hemipenes

SNAKE CARE

sexing by probing

SNAKE CARE

sexing by probingmale

female

TUATARAS

habitat - small islands around New Zealanddiet - carnivoroustemperature ~54° F

50-80 cm; up to 1 kgliving fossils

AMPHISBAENIANS – worm lizards

Florida worm lizard – Rhineura floridana