Size/lifespan: Bearded dragons grow 18-24” long, and have a semi-robust build with a large triangular head, rounded body, slender tail, and a series of spikes along their jowls and sides. Scale texture is otherwise rough. Coloring can be tan, yellow, orange, red, or dark brown with a pale underside. With good care, they generally live 10-15 years, although longer is possible.

Do not house more than one bearded dragon per enclosure. Cohabiting bearded dragons is likely to lead to conflicts, which often leads to injury, and in a worst-case scenario can result in death.

Hatchling and juveniles: 24x12x16

Sub adults(6 months to a 1 year): 36x18x18

Adult: 4x2x2 or larger

Lighting

An Arcadia 12% or Zoo Med T5 HO Reptisun 10.0 is likely to work the best for a bearded dragon in a 2’ tall enclosure. The bulb should be roughly half the length of the enclosure, placed on the same side as the heat lamps, and mounted in a reflective T5 HO fixture like the Arcadia ProT5 or the Bio Dude Solar Grow light strip. The basking branch or platform should be placed 8-12” below the lamp if there’s a mesh top, and 14-16” below the lamp if there isn’t. This is because the strength of a UVB bulb’s output changes with distance. Your UVB bulb must be replaced every 12 months to maintain its output. Resist the temptation to use other, cheaper brands — when it comes to UVB, brand matters! Lights should be kept on for 12 hours/day, or cycled seasonally from 13 hours/day during summer and 11 hours/day during winter.

Heating

Bearded dragon temperature gradient:

• Basking surface temperature: 105-115°F / 40-46°C

• Cool side temperature: 70-85°F / 21-29°C

Feeding/water

Bearded dragons are omnivores, which means that they need to eat a balanced diet of insects and plant matter in order to be healthy. And like humans, bearded dragons’ nutritional needs change as they grow. However, unlike humans, they need to eat less as they get older — not more:

• Hatchlings (0-6 months old): Insects 2x/day, vegetables daily

• Juveniles (6-12 months old): Insects 1x/day, vegetables daily

• Adults (>12 months old): Insects 2-3x/week, vegetables daily

Hatchlings and juveniles should be allowed to eat as many insects they can in a 5-10 minute period at each meal. Subadults and adults should be offered as much as they are capable of eating in about 5 minutes. A portion of veggies, however, is going to be roughly the size of your dragon’s body. The key to success with bearded dragons (and most reptiles, for that matter) is to feed them as large of a variety of foods as possible!

Feeder insect options: crickets, dubia roaches, wax worms, black soldier fly larvae, mealworms, superworms, hornworms, silkworms, grasshoppers, butter worms

Vegetable options: collard greens, cactus pads, spring mix, arugula, kale, pea shoots, alfalfa, bok choy, carrot greens, spinach, dandelion greens/flowers, hibiscus leaves/flowers

Feeder insects should be no larger than your bearded dragon’s head. ALL FEEDER INSECTS SHOULD BE LIGHTLY DUSTED WITH CALCIUM SUPPLEMENT BEFORE FEEDING. Non- citrus fruits can be offered occasionally as treats, but due to their sugar content, they shouldnt be a frequent part of your dragon’s diet.

Please remember a lot of snake keeping is opinionated, we always recommend reading as many different sources as possible. The information we have gathered is what we have found to work for us in store and at home with our personal pets.

Size: Male ball pythons typically grow 2-3’ long while females grow to be 3-5’ long. Larger individuals have been recorded. These snakes reach adulthood in 3-5 years

Lifespan: 15-30 year lifespan in captivity

Natural Habitat: all pythons are a terrestrial species of constricting snake native to regions of eastern, central, and western Africa. In the wild they are most often found in semi-arid grasslands, sparse woodlands, and in farm fields, sheltering in burrows and hollow logs.

Tank Size: Tiny enclosures that prevent a ball from being able to full stretch out as needed promote obesity as well as decrease the snake’s overall quality of life. So the minimum enclosure size recommended for an adult is 4’x2’x2’ (about 75 gals), for hatchlings to juveniles 20-30 gallons. It’s best to choose a front-opening enclosure with a covered top, which makes accessing the snake much easier (and less startling for the snake). Ball pythons should not be housed together in the same enclosure as mature adults.

Temperature: The warm side of a ball python’s enclosure should be between 90-95°F, and the cool side should be between 75-80°F. The most accurate way to keep track of your terrarium’s temperature gradient is to use a temperature gun. They’re super reliable and essential for monitoring surface temperature, which is the temperature that your ball python will be feeling on the ground. We achieve these temperatures with heat lamps or heat pads. If using a heat pad it is crucial that it is regulated by a thermostat.

Humidity: they need an average of 55-65% ambient humidity, although areas of low humidity (40%) and areas of high humidity (80%) are perfectly acceptable as part of your enclosure’s gradient. To keep track of these levels a hydrometer is recommended. Having deep substrate made of coco fiber, moss, and cypress mulch with also aid in humidity.

Feeding

Here is a rough chart of how much and how often you should be feeding your ball python. We recommend feeding frozen thawed meals, live meals have the potential to bite back and when you start offering decently sized rats, their bites can lead to injury and bacterial infections. Here at the store, we remove snakes and place them in plastic containers smaller than their set up, preferably non transparent. Some believe this will also help with snakes understanding that its not feeding time, every time the door to their enclosure opens. There are some keepers who believe this method/theory is false and stresses the animal out, we do not agree with this and have found our feedings to be far more consistent when using this method and have 95% of our snakes on frozen thawed meals, even the picky eaters.

 rat fuzzy or small mouse every 7 days

 rat pup or adult mouse every 7-10 days

 weaned rat every 10-14 days

 small rat every 14-21 days

 medium rat every 28-56 days

Do not handle 24hrs before feeding and 24hrs after.

Shedding: As your snake grows it will shed its skin. You can tell when a shedding is coming by their eye turning a light blue and their body colors dulling/washing out. Having elevated humidity either in the tank as a whole, in one specific humid hide is important for them to be able to remove all of the skin in one piece. If the shed happens and it is in a bunch of tiny pieces this is an indication the humidity is too low. Check their body for stuck skin, if there is any, soak in warm tap water for 20-30 minutes to help loosen the skin. Roll the skin away from the head and towards their tail. We offer shedding aid appointments here at the store for 15-20$.

Let me start this off just by saying, if you think you’ve gotten an easy pet, you are very mistaken. Definitely a cute one though! This is just the basics ! Please continue your research at home !

Things you will need:

-20 gallon long aquarium (minimum)

-Filtration

-Air pump & stones

-Thermometer – temps must be kept under 72 at all times or they can get very sick.

-Freshwater test kit

-Biological bacteria – Cycle Biological Booster by Fluval or Stability by Seachem

-Water Conditioner – Prime by Seachem is best

-Decorations/places to hide (stay away from plastic plants, silk is best)

- VERY FINE all-natural sand, after the axolotl is over 5-6inches

-Tukey baster, longer the better

-Water siphon

What to know the day you take them home

If your tank hasn’t already been set up and gone through the Nitrogen Cycle, which can take anywhere from 3-6 weeks, the axolotl will not be able to go into it today. But no fear! You can do something called tubbing until your tank is ready.

What is tubbing ?

This is the process of keeping an axolotl in a plastic tub rather than the tank, and EVERY DAY the water gets changed with brand new cold dechlorinated water. We tub for a lot of reason, illness, a tank crash, water parameters dangerously high. When your tank is going through the nitrogen cycle your water will go through so many chemical changes, and this is dangerous to the lotls. So this is why its recommended to completely cycle your tank before getting one. But we all know sometimes that just isn’t the case.

How to cycle my tank

The old school way of cycling a tank is by adding a feeder fish and allowing their poop to start the cycle for you. Feeder fish are hardy, so this is why they will typically make it through the cycle, but lotls have very delicate skin, and when you get to the point that ammonia is elevated this will burn their skin. The safer method of cycling is with no animals in the tank and using a biological additive such as Fluvals Biological booster or Seachems Stability. Using these products will start the cycle for you, but this why its important to have a water test kit, the water will need to be tested frequently to see where you are in the cycle. This process can be pain staking and seem like its taking for ever, but please understand this can take 3-6weeks. During this cycling process do not change the water until your parameters read 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 20-30ppm Nitrate, and a Ph of 6.5-7.8. At this point you would do a 15-20% water change and its ready for the axolotl. I recommend watching a lot of video on the Nitrogen Cycle and Fish tanks. This is something you need to thoroughly understand to keep and maintain an aquarium.

Care once home

These babies will need to eat daily, some will even eat twice daily. Frozen blood worms and live black worms are the best options for now. As they grow you can start trying other options such as night crawlers. Suck out any uneaten food asap, suck out poop as soon as you see it(typically daily). This is what the turkey baster will mostly be used for, as well as feeding. As adults they’ll eat larger meals less frequently. We recommend testing the water weekly after the cycling process, and doing a 20% water change weekly to keep Nitrates down. Keep temps under 70 if possible, noting higher than 72 or this could start to cause illness.

Illnesses to look for

¬-Fungal infections

-bacterial infections

-not eating for long period of time

-skin abnormalities such as ammonia burn

All of these are so easy to occur and is typically related to water issues. So this is just another reason why its so important to have a water test kit.

Some Great Sources of Information

-Facebook groups for axolotl keepers

-https://youtu.be/hZzSbCCC3KM

-Reptile Magazine-Axolotl care sheet

Please keep in mind the keeping of any animal is always going to be subject to opinions, what works for some my not work for others. This is when you will get conflicting information.

Housing

A young gecko will easily thrive in a 10 gallon or 18” x 18” x 18” but after six months of age, upgrading will be recommended. A 20 gallon long, or 24” x 18” x 18” is recommended for a single adult, if you are attempting to keep a pair together at least a 24” x 18” x 24”, 29 gallon, 40 breeder or larger is recommended. Males can be very aggressive and territorial towards other males and will consistently attempt to breed with any female(s), which can cause undue stress on the female.

Decore/decorations

Leopard geckos do not do well in set ups that are bare. You want to provide at minimum two options to hide, one that should be dry, and one that should remain slightly humid. The dry one typically will go on the cold side, and the humid hide should go on the side with a heat source. It is also beneficial to provide branches/sticks, plants, slate rock, ect.

Humidity/temperature

When maintaining your terrarium, the ideal temperatures for your Leopard Gecko, a hotspot during the day/nighttime period should be provided at about 95 degrees F with a cool side of 70 degrees F on the cool end of the terrarium. Humidity should range around 25% ambient with a humid hide ranging between 65% - 85% respectively. To achieve desired heat, an under-tank heater can be mounted on the side, or a heat dome can be utilized. One hide in the enclosure should have the option to add wet moss, this is so the gecko has a humid hide to utilize when they go into a shed.

Diet

One of the most important aspects of keeping these geckos besides lighting and biome is their diet. In captivity these insectivores will readily accept crickets, dubia roaches, red runner roaches, silkworms, hornworms, meal worms, calci worms and other softer bodied insects. It is important to not only gut load your insects prior to feeding, but also dusting them with the appropriate calcium and vitamin supplements is key to proper development and homeostasis. When feeding your gecko, it is important to never feed an insect larger than the space in between their eyes. Baby geckos up to 6 months should be fed daily, adults can be fed every 3 days. All food should be dusted in a calcium powder that contains D3 and a multivitamin 1x weekly.

Shedding/Tail dropping

Leopard geckos will periodically go through what we call “sheds”. This means they are shedding their top layer of skin, and is typically a good indication that your gecko is growing ! Young geckos will shed more often than adults. A few days prior to them shedding their whole body will turn a light color. Leopard geckos typically eat their shed so you wont always see skin left in the tank. Its important to check toes and their tail when you know they’ve gone through a shed, if skin builds up around the toes and tail, over time this will cut off circulation, resulting in them loosing toes, loosing a tail, or developing a nasty infection. These guys will drop their tails if they feel threatened, have built up sheds, or if the tail is damaged or injured in anyway. The tail will typically will not grow back, or if it does will grow back slightly deformed.

For particularly rough sheds, a soak in some warm water is always beneficial. A wet q-tip is handy for those problem areas like toes and eye caps.

Morphs

Morphs is the term we use to describe leopard geckos that are different from the standards. It means their genetics are slightly different, dictating coloration, patters, eye color, skin texture. There is so much to pick from !

Housing: Hatchlings to four months old crested geckos can be housed in an 8x8x12 glass terrarium or similar plastic enclosures. In some cases, young geckos housed in large cages will not eat well. To avoid that we recommend that geckos less than 12 weeks old be housed in cages no larger than a 8x8x12 glass terrarium. Four month old to adult crested geckos should be housed in a 12x12x18 terrarium or larger. An adult crested gecko can be comfortably housed in an 18x18x24 terrarium. Keep in mind that regardless of what type of cage you use, that height is more desirable than length or width, particularly with adult geckos.

Temps/Lighting: Temperatures for crested geckos should be maintained between 70 and 78 degrees for most of the year. At temperatures of 82 degrees or warmer, crested geckos will become stressed, which could lead to illness or death. Cresteds can tolerate nighttime temperature drops down into the mid 60's but it is not necessary to provide this type of nighttime drop. It is unnecessary to use UVB lighting for crested geckos. Any lighting used should be on a 12hr on/off cycle. In most situations, room temperature is adequate for crested geckos, if the temperature stays within 70 to 80 degrees. Use a good digital thermometer with a temperature probe to monitor the environment.

Humidity: In most cases, this can be accomplished by misting the cage once or twice a day. A good hygrometer or thermometer/hygrometer combo meter is a valuable tool. Ideally, the humidity level should not drop below 50%. Crested geckos should get several hours of higher humidity (80-100%) every day to ensure that they shed properly. Misting heavily once or twice a day will achieve the required higher humidity levels. It is very important to allow the cage to dry to normal humidity levels in between mistings. If the cage is wet and humid all of the time, problems with shedding and bacterial infections can arise.

Diet/water: There are so many options for diets available ! We use and highly recommend Pangea powders. Just add water to their powdered diets so it is the consistency of apple sauce. They will also benefit from live insects, as this is a good source of protein and gives them something to hunt ! Hatchlings-6months old we feed powder nightly, preferably the diets that include insects. We also offer 6-8 small crickets 3-4 times a week. All insects are dusted in a calcium powder that contains D3. Food should be placed higher up in the cage using an elevated feeding ledge or by placing on wood/decor. It is unnatural for them to eat on the ground. They will “drink” their water off of the leaves, glass, and other decor when the tank is misted, which is why it is so important it gets done 2x a day. Some also offer a water bowl, but that should also be placed higher in the cage to be easily found.

Handling: Cresties can be very handleable! However babies can be quick and eager to go. Where ever your purchase from should teach you how to proper handle these guys to avoid accidental injury or tail dropping.

Tail Dropping: When cresties feel threatened they will detach their tail from their body. In the wild this survival tactic is so that a predator will hopefully eat the wiggling tail while the gecko has the opportunity to get away. Tails do not grow back, however a small nub may form where the tail was. If this does happen don’t panic! Its just like any other wound, keep it clean and dry. If using substrate in your main enclosure, it is a good idea to move them into something temporary so they can be kept on paper towel until the open wound scabs over. If at any point a smell or puss develops this is an indication of infection and a vet appointment would be required.

Life span: 15-20 years ! If cared for properly.

Size: Russian tortoise hatchlings measure about 1 inch in carapace length. As they mature, they reach a maximum length of 8 to 10 inches. Females are normally a little larger than males at full size. When females are about 6 inches long, they are large enough to begin producing eggs.

Life Span: 30-40 years with proper care.

Housing: Nothing smaller than 4ft long by 2ft wide, with at least a 12 inch height. They aren’t the best climbers however its always better to be safe than sorry. They are burrower and appreciate a thick layer of substrate to be able to dig and burry themselves when they need to. Coco fiber products such as eco earth and jungle mix are great options. We even add a layer of orchard grass to ours.

Temperatures/lighting: 68 to 80 degrees ambient. They should also have access to an area heated by an overhead light. This spot should be in the 90- to 100-degree range. Like most diurnal, herbivorous reptiles, they need a t8 or t5 UVB light in their indoor enclosures that covers at minimum 50% of the enclosures length. This bulb helps them properly process the calcium in their diets. UVB bulbs depending on the exact kind, will have to be replaced every 6 months as they become ineffective after this time frame of being used. These tortoises can handle nighttime temperatures into the low 50s without a problem. Keep lighting on a 12hr on/off cycle.

Water: A water bowl with the ability for them to get in and out of should always be available. They will soak themselves when necessary, however it is food practice to soak them at least once a week. They more often than not, will defecate in their water, so sanitizing bowls should be done regularly.

Diet/Supplements: As true herbivores, their diet is 100% vegetation. Feed daily in the warmer months, when they begin to slow down in the cooler months due to brumation, you can feed every other day. These guys are tenacious eaters, when making their salad be sure the pile is as wide as they are! Below will be a short list of the vegetables they can eat unlimitedly. We also recommend the Mazuri grassland tortoise pellet diet. We use it as a salad topper!

-collard greens -mustard greens -turnip greens -dandelion greens -red/green/yellow peppers

-green/yello squash - carrot -melon -berries -grapes -broccoli -baby spring mixes

All meals should be dusted with calcium powder w/out D3 for most meals, and a multivitamin powder 2-3x a month.

Vet care: It is very common for Russian tortoises to have intestinal parasites, so it is recommended to have them dewormed, just as you would any cat or dog.