Home Herpetarium

Around March of last year I noticed a funny whistling sound coming from the tank where my Ball Python Eva lived.  It didn’t happen all the time, but seemed to occur most often in the early morning or late at night.  I had never experienced this problem with my first Ball Python, Apophis, and wasn’t sure it if was a cold or a respiratory problem or had to do with the environment.  When I discussed it with my partner, he said it could be a humidity issue and I should remove Eva’s water dish for most of the day so that it wouldn’t cause more moisture in the tank.  I began trying this immediately, taking the water bowl out except for an hour or so a day, and within a few weeks the whistling seemed to disappear. 

This winter we had a new Ball Python, Esper, come up with some whistling, which quickly progressed into actually runny sniffling.  We moved her into a tank that did not hold in humidity to see if a drier climate would help but she just worsened.  When nothing we tried worked, and when her problem progressed to the point that she couldn’t eat or breathe without releasing a large amount of snot, we took her in to the vet. There we learned that Esper had a respiratory infection and the only way to get her better would be to inject her on a daily basis with antibiotics.  This was not an easy task, or a particularly pleasant one, but we managed to make it through all eight of the at-home injection treatments.  And now I’m happy to say that Esper is no longer sniffling, wheezing, or whistling.  

All reptiles are very different in their requirements for habitat, temperature, and humidity level.  If you have just one of these things off you could end up with a sick animal.  Be sure to keep track of the habitat your herp lives in, and if you see any signs of illness you need to speak with a reptile expert or a vet as soon as possible.    

Size means alot in the reptile world.  You will need animals that are the right size in order to breed them, or keep them housed together, or to keep them in certain types of enclosures.  You will also need to know what size your reptiles are so you can keep track of their growth (especially when they are still babies and juveniles) and in case you need to medicate them.  If you take one of your pets to the vet they will probably be weighed there, but it is also a good idea to purchase a scale for your home where you can weigh your animals whenever you feel it is necessary.  In most cases a gram scale will be best, as many reptiles such as geckos, baby tortoises, small snake, and lizards will not weigh more than a couple of pounds at the most.  My partner and I bought a relatively cheap scale from Bed, Bath, and Beyond that weighs items up to 6.6 lbs, weighs in gram measurements, and figures out how much an animal weighs even if we have to put them in something to get them to stay on the scale.  For some of our critters we weighed them on the first day we had the scale and haven’t weighed them since, as they are older reptiles and don’t seem to be having any troubles growing.  Others, such as our baby Sulcata Oliver, we are weighing at least once a month (and sometimes more.)  We are curious to see just how fast he is growing, so we keep careful track of his weight each time we take it.  We also measure his length along his bottom shell, to make sure he is growing properly that way as well.  To keep track of each weight taken as well as lengths measured, we keep a notebook with a page for each animal and their stats.  I also have marked down their species, gender, latin name, and the date they joined our “family.”  This way we have information that we can easily refer back to if needed.  Keeping this size information will come in handy when it is time to breed some of our snakes and tortoises, and will also be useful if we ever have a sick reptile and need to give details to our vet.  I highly recommend that every herp owner keep a log for their animals as well. 

When my partner and I decided that we wanted to breed Russian tortoises in the spring, we knew that we would have to bring home a suitable breeding pair as soon as possible to get the job done. Unlike most mammal species, with reptiles you need animals of a certain size, not necessarily a certain age, in order to breed. Female Russian tortoises must be at least 5″ (but 6″ if possible) in length, which is measured along the bottom of the shell - or the “plastron.” Males should be at least 4″ though do best at about 5″. Nadia, the Russian tortoise already living (and taking over) my home was still only about 4.5″ and not big enough to produce viable eggs, so we needed both a large female and a large enough male.So the hunt began for large enough Russian tortoises to breed.

We found a female rather quickly, and without really trying, at a local pet store. But forking over almost $100 for her was not the only obstacle we had to face in bringing her home. Many tortoises sold through pet stores are “wild caught,” meaning they are gathered in the wild and then sold through retailers. Because of this they can carry internal parasites and infections that could hurt other animals that they are placed with. If you purchase a tortoise that is wild caught it is a good idea to have them checked out by a veterinarian before putting them in with any other tortoises. Especially Russian tortoises, as they are one of the main carriers of the tortoise Herpes virus. It is also important to quarantine your new tortoise from any torts you already have in your home, as some diseases may not present themselves immediately and could be passed from one animal to the next before you are aware of them. We quarantined our new Russian, Pasha, for about six weeks before moving her in with Nadia. If she had shown any symptoms of illness -including runny eyes or nose or mouth - within that time we would never have let them live together. And of course we will have to start the whole quarantine process over again once we find our male to round out our happy little Russian trio. Hopefully we will be able to do that soon, as there are several more steps we have to take in order to ensure breeding happens next spring as we want it to.

While traditional pets such as dogs and cats can be great companions and friends, they are not the only animals that can move in to your home and steal a bit of your heart.  All it takes is one Russian tortoise rushing at you for food, or one Bearded dragon “snuggling” into your chest, and you will see that reptile pets can be just as interesting, amusing, and fun to care for as furrier companions.  But unlike similar breeds of cats and dogs that can be cared for in the same manner, each species of lizard, snake, tortoise, and turtle requires its own special level of care.

 As an avid fan of reptiles and other exotic types of pets, I will share some information and advice every weekday on caring for and keeping these wonderfully interesting animals.  From tips on how to give a medication shot to a Ball python with a respiratory infection, to how temperature effects exotic pets such as Mexican Redknee tarantulas, to what fresh vegetable mixes are best for Russian tortoises, I’ll share what I know to make reptile keeping a little more accessible and fun for others.