Patricia Bartlett

Cheat Sheet / Updated 07-07-2023

Reptiles and amphibians make unique pets. They have few emotional demands, but they do have precise physical needs. And because pet reptiles and amphibians are in cages and can't seek food on their own, they depend on you for the right nourishment. Some reptiles and amphibians have considerably long lives, so be prepared for that. (Reptiles and amphibians are also known as herps, from herpetology — the study of reptiles and amphibians.)

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Seeking a koi in top-notch health should be foremost in your mind, even ahead of color and pattern. This requirement becomes especially important if the fish must be shipped by air or ride in a vehicle for several hours to get it home. Such handling, even at its best, can quickly stress out a healthy koi for several days. If the fish is below par to begin with, the trip can be fatal. Of course, even generic koi should be free of malformations. Examining koi in a group Before you pick out a particular koi from a group in a quarantine tub or a dealer's show tank, look at them as a whole. Consider the following characteristics about the group: Are they oriented vertically in the water? Fish that are ill may list (tilt) from front to back or side to side. Unless they're feeding, the head shouldn't be oriented toward the bottom of the tank. Do they seem to move easily through the water with no jerkiness? Skeletal malformations, swim bladder problems, and a host of other conditions can disrupt normal swimming patterns. Are the fish rubbing themselves on the bottom of the tank or against objects within the tank? If so, they may be trying to dislodge parasites. Are the koi swimming about in a frenzied fashion, or do they seem unusually listless? Both behaviors can indicate water quality problems or disease. Are the koi gasping or gulping air at the surface of the water? This behavior can indicate low oxygen levels (which eventually stress the fish) or water quality problems. If the answers to the preceding questions raise any concerns, ask to see another batch. Better yet, resist your impulsive urge and find another source. However, if the koi pass the group test with flying colors, you're ready to take a closer look. Assessing a single koi Select the fish that interests you the most and ask to have it placed in a bowl. Take a few minutes to study it close up. Before you fall in love with its color or its pattern, get steely-eyed about its health. Expensive or not, buying an unhealthy fish makes no sense. As you give the koi a good inspection, ask yourself the following questions. If you answer "Yes" to any of them, move on to another fish, tank, or supplier. Does the fish have any rough spots? Do its scales seem to puff out away from the body? Koi whose scales stand out from their body like a bas-relief may be exhibiting pinecone scale, a symptom of an overall internal infection, or enteritis, which causes such pressure from within that the fish actually bloats, pushing the scales out. This symptom is a very bad sign. Is it missing part of a fin or part of its tail? Looking at the overall proportions of the fish, do you notice any stubby parts? Is its mouth asymmetrical or its snout sharply pointed? As the fish swims past you, is one side of the body wider or more curved than the other, rendering the fish asymmetrical in appearance? Does the tail curve up or wiggle to one side only? Are the eyes cloudy or protrude abnormally? You can also ask the dealer to bag the fish. When it's in the bag, you can examine the koi's mouth, underside, and tail. Signs of infection, such as fuzzy, grayish, or white patches, may appear on the lower aspects of the koi and aren't otherwise easy to see. Fish that look healthy may still carry external parasite eggs that won't hatch until conditions are right. Be aware that transferring the fish to a new pond may give these eggs the opening they need to proliferate, particularly if the fish has been in a cool pond and is moved to your warmer pond. This problem doesn't mean you bought an unhealthy fish or that the vendor's a crook. No treatment kills external parasite eggs.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Cotton wool or cotton ball disease is a charming name for Saprolegnia — a nasty fungus that grows when bad water quality stresses your koi. Expect to find it when the water contains quantities of uneaten food and when the pond has too many koi for its size. Fungus can attack any weakened portion of a koi, from the skin to the gills. It usually takes hold opportunistically, when the koi are stressed. Be sure that you always check for the presence of fungus when your fish suffer an unrelated trauma or illness. When a koi has cotton wool fungus, the fish develops what looks like a fine-textured fur coat over its body that's actually mold growing on the skin. Sometimes the fungus looks like a pale-orange or ivory-colored layer. As the disease progresses, the fungus grows longer, cotton-like tufts. Treat this disease by correcting the conditions that lead to the outbreak: Decrease the number of koi in the pond. Improve water quality via partial water changes; an upgraded filtration system; an ammonia remover like AmQuel Plus or Zeolite; and increased aeration. You can also use medication against the fungus. Adding methylene blue (a dye commonly used as a fish medication and available at most pet stores) to the pond at a rate of 1 teaspoon per 700 gallons helps kill the fungus, but individually treating each affected koi in a quarantine tub stops the progression of the disease much faster. Either sedate the koi or hold it so you can remove the patches of fungus with a cotton swab. Then dab the affected spots first with malachite green (a fungicide) and then with propolis (an antibiotic and topical treatment). Return the fish to the quarantine tub and watch closely to make certain no secondary fungal or bacterial infection sets in.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Sometimes, being a herp owner seems to require more knowledge upfront than you might have. You can discover a lot, however, about what to expect from your herp by watching him as he feeds, sleeps, moves about his cage, and interacts with you. Becoming familiar with herp behavior is a learning curve, but it's not a steep one. Here's a quick list of symptoms that you ought not to try to correct on your own. Your veterinarian is your best friend, and she or he can help your herp and, in so doing, help you. Rasping breath and wheezing Typical symptoms of a respiratory infection are wheezing, bubbles visible at the nostrils, and a gaping mouth. Your reptile has the equivalent of severe pneumonia, and he's distinctly uncomfortable. By the time you see these symptoms, your herp has passed the point of being able to get rid of this infection on his own. Snakes have only one functional lung, so they have no backup at all. Take him to your vet, correct your pet's day/night cage temperatures, and (for arid-land species) perhaps decrease the humidity in the cage. Swollen limbs Puffy arms and legs are one sad symptom of metabolic bone disease (MBD). With MBD, the bones in the body become weakened because there isn't enough calcium in the diet, and the herp hasn't been able to sun. In an effort to restore strength in the weakened limbs, the body adds fibrous tissue to the muscles. This extra tissue puffs up the limbs, and they look chubby. With UV, calcium supplements, and a proper diet, the strength can be restored to the bones, but certain deformities, such as a curved spine and shortened jaw, are there to stay. Take your herp to the veterinarian, buy some UV lights, read up on this disease, and provide a better diet. Prolonged failure to feed Some herps are reluctant feeders, and this habit can drive their owners right up the walls of their own caging. Temperature and seasonal changes may affect feeding habits. If, during warm weather and a natural long day cycle, your pet fasts for a long time, take it to a vet. Follow these guidelines: A snake fasts for more than a month A lizard for more than three days A turtle/tortoise for more than a week A frog or salamander from a temperate area for more than two weeks A frog or salamander from tropical areas for more than a week Mechanical damage Sometimes, a body part on a herp breaks, due to trauma. Damage can be as minor as a broken toenail or as serious as a broken back. The good news is that with proper medical care and a good diet, recovery is rapid and complete. Cracked shell on a turtle: This problem can be a real sleeper. Turtles can sustain considerable damage to their shells and survive. On the other hand, they can suffer a hairline crack and die from an infection. From the outside, you can't tell what sort of damage has been done inside. Don't take a chance. Take the turtle to your veterinarian; he or she has a host of ways to repair broken turtle shells. Burns: Herps can be burned by lying against exposed light bulbs or exposed heating elements, or by a hot rock that gets too hot. Their skin doesn't react to burns the way mammalian skin reacts. Your vet will treat the burn and deal with threatened infections. (Burn-damaged skin shouts "Welcome!" to bacteria and other infectious agents.) You'll need to locate the equipment that caused the problem and remove it or shield it against your herp. Bites: Reptiles bite each other. They tend to get lively ("Get that thing off my leg!") during breeding season. Males fight, shoving each other around and adding biting to the action when shoving doesn't produce a clear-cut winner. Males hang on to the females with their teeth before and during copulation — when you don't have hands, you gotta make do. Intended prey can bite herps. For example, a chick designated as food may peck a herp, or a mouse or rat left in the cage may nibble a herp, which is why prekilled prey is recommended. Bite damage can be extensive, particularly if it occurs on the head or in an area of limited circulation, such as the tail. Infection is a typical result. Your veterinarian will assess the damage and fix what can be fixed; surgery may be needed. Broken limb or tail: Captive lizards, larger lizards in particular, may break a limb in the day-to-day routine of their lives, but this injury should not occur under your safekeeping. If your lizard has broken a limb, take the animal to the veterinarian and assess the diet you've been using. Your pet may be suffering from metabolic bone disease (MBD), which weakens the bones and makes them subject to breakage. Fungus on an amphibian or turtle Fungus spores are everywhere. Like salmonella, fungus is an opportunistic infectious agent. If the skin of an amphibian is damaged or breached, or if turtles are kept in dirty water that isn't changed regularly, the spores are right there, ready to move in, hatch, set up housekeeping, and pop out thousands and thousands of their own tiny spore babies to populate their new home. Cleanliness is critical, so keep all herps that live in water under very clean conditions. Any signs of external fungus (you don't know what's going on inside the animal) need prompt evaluation and treatment. Swollen eyes on a turtle Swollen eyes are usually an indication of a vitamin imbalance and/or starvation. Clean the caging, offer fresh food and sunlight, and get an evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment plan from your veterinarian. External parasites Ticks and mites are an irritant and can be dealt with by using anti-tick and anti-mite medications. If the problem is severe, or if your methods don't end the problem after two weeks of use, talk to your veterinarian. Ticks can harbor diseases that other animals can contract, so don't mess around with this problem. Remove and kill every tick, and if the problem is mites, treat your animal appropriately. Unresponsiveness Herps that are unresponsive are close to death. If your herp sleeps a lot, if he doesn't pull his leg back from you when you take it in your fingers and give a gentle tug, if he lies in his cage without moving or feeding, you get moving. The cause may be any of the following: Starvation: Either the herp hasn't been fed, or he's been offered the wrong foods and refused to feed as a result. Avitaminosis: Your herp is lacking one or more vitamins. Temperatures that are too cool: The animal literally cannot move; his muscles are shut down until he gets warmer. Dehydration: The herp has too little moisture in his body. Either he hasn't been offered water he can drink, or he can't drink because he's been too cold, too long. Whatever the cause, if your herp is unresponsive, take him to the vet pronto!

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

In the wild, reptiles and amphibians (collectively known as herps) tend to be wanderers, moving about during their active time. (Some herps are active at day, some at dawn and/or at dusk, and others during the night.) Herps are pretty basic creatures; when they wander, they're either looking for a spot to thermoregulate (warm up so they can have normal body function, or more rarely, where they can cool down because they're already just a bit too warm); to procreate (if it's breeding season); or to find food. Reptiles and amphibians: Food preferences The food that reptiles and amphibians prefer depends entirely on its type — carnivore, herbivore, or omnivore. These three commonly applied terms indicate the feeding preferences of animals and, in this case, of reptiles and amphibians. The terms give you some basic guidelines on what to feed your pet. Carnivores eat flesh (or meat). Typical herp carnivores are all the snakes, tegu lizards, monitors, and crocodilians. Typical dietary items are mice, rats, birds' eggs, insects, and fish — all eaten raw, of course. Herbivores consume only (or primarily) plant materials. Green iguanas and some tortoises are examples of the vegetarian herps. They eat foods such as chopped collard greens, romaine lettuce, chopped squash and bananas. Omnivores consume both meat and plant material. Bearded dragons and many aquatic turtles are examples of omnivores. Typical food items include crickets, mealworms, earthworms, chopped veggies, and romaine lettuce. Occasionally, you see more specific terms in place of carnivore or herbivore, including the following: Folivore: An animal that eats leaves. Iguanas are good examples of folivores, and in the wild, they roam the treetops of the forest, noshing on whatever leaves look the most tempting. Insectivore: An animal that eats insects. A chameleon is a good example of an insectivore, as is the anole. Their diets consist basically of crickets and mealworms. Piscivore: An animal that eats fish. Crocodiles are piscivorous, although not exclusively. The matamata turtle, called by its original South American name, lies in wait until its fish prey swims by and then it inhales and slurps in dinner. For captive herps, bait-store minnows fill the bill (er, the mouth). Before you bring home a reptile or amphibian, think about what kind of food you're willing to feed it. For example, someone who's squeamish about feeding rabbits to a snake shouldn't buy a Burmese python. Burmese pythons start out pretty and small and you may have to feed it mice or rats, but they don't stay small. As they grow, they need bigger and bigger food items. Insectivorous herps need live insects, specifically crickets or mealworms. Most people are probably comfortable offering that menu. Piscivorous creatures eat fish, meaning bait minnows or perhaps goldfish. Again, serving those items probably wouldn't bother most people. Carnivorous herps need to eat meat, and for snakes this generally means rodents (or birds, to a lesser degree). But you don't have to feed your snake or other herp live food. Tegus, snakes, turtles, and larger monitor lizards will thrive on a diet of prekilled mammals or birds. And you don't have to do the killing. How much to feed reptiles and amphibians The amount of food you offer will vary, based on the size of your pet and its natural feeding patterns. For insectivorous herps, give as many insects as they'll consume in a half hour, repeated twice daily (for chameleons) or daily/every other day (for frogs and salamanders). The good news is that you don't have to stand there and watch your herp eat the crickets or mealworms — you can tip them in or put them in a small dish and put the dish in the cage. Of course, crickets will crawl all over the cage, but the herp will follow and slurp them up. When feeding earthworms, start with one earthworm, neatly nipped apart into head-sized pieces with your fingernails; when all of those pieces are gone, you may need to offer a second. For herbivorous lizards, offer a pile of chopped veggies as long as the animal's body and twice as wide, and check later that day to see how much remains. Veggies don't have a lot of protein, so your herbivorous lizard will eat a lot. For snakes, tegus, and other carnivorous herps, offer a prekilled mouse or food item no larger than the animal's head. If it's readily eaten, offer a second. Feeding prekilled animals to reptiles and amphibians What are the advantages of using prekilled rodents instead of live prey animals? Prekilled rodents are often more readily available, easier to store, easier to use, acceptable to almost all (yes, a very few snakes do still insist on live food) rodent-eating herps, and sometimes cheaper. Using prekilled prey accomplishes several things, all of them good. The majority of herps readily feed on prekilled prey. Using prekilled prey removes the disgust that many people feel tossing in a live creature, only to have it devoured by another creature. No one enjoys seeing an animal in terminal distress. The prekilled animals available in your pet store are humanely killed and then frozen. They don't suffer, and neither will your herp. The process of offering prekilled food is pretty simple and painless: 1. Thaw the mouse or rat (or rabbit, nutria, chicken, or quail) in warm water for half an hour or so. The larger food items need longer to thaw, up to an hour with a water change every 20 minutes or so. 2. Blot it dry. 3. Put it in your pet's cage. You may want to wear gloves when you do this, in case your herp lunges toward the food item. By feeding your snake/tegu/herp prekilled food, you remove the risk that your pet will be injured by its intended prey. Why is it important not to offer live food? Offering a live rodent to a captive snake in a small cage can be very different from a snake or a monitor ambushing and overcoming a rodent in the wild. In the latter case, the herp is already in an active hunting mode, is probably well camouflaged, and will be the one to pace its encounter with prey. In the cage, if the prey rodent (or bird) happens to turn the tables by darting toward and startling the supposed predator, the predator will probably shy away. And, following that, if the prey and predator are left alone for any length of time, the intended prey is apt to start chewing or pecking on the snake or lizard. Every veterinarian has had an instance where an owner has brought in a grisly remnant of what had been a perfectly healthy snake or lizard that now has no eyes, displays exposed ribs, or is missing a tail. Can you feed live food to your snake? The answer is yes, but only if you check the snake every 15 minutes and then remove the food item if it isn't killed and eaten within 45 minutes. But you need to examine your motives here. Why would you want to feed your snake live food when a chance of injury to your pet exists?

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

You have to use your own judgment in selecting your reptile or amphibian, no matter where you buy it. Choose one with bright eyes, an alert demeanor, and no visible injuries; and if you can see the animal eat a food item you can readily obtain, choose that one. An animal that refuses food may not be hungry, may be too stressed to eat, or may have something seriously wrong with it that you can't see. Wild-caught versus captive-born Whenever possible, buy or adopt captive-born animal as opposed to those that are caught in the wild. Those that are captive born won't affect any native populations. You aren't removing anything for any wild gene pool, and wild populations aren't affected at all. Captive-born young are already acclimated to life in captivity. Snakes, for example, that have been raised in a rack system, where each cage is as deep as a dishpan and the lighting comes through the ends of the translucent pans, not from above, are used to these surroundings. They feed and breed quite well in them. Captive-bred animals are often much easier to feed. For snakes, they're already used to prekilled lab mice or lab rats. If the mother snake is accustomed to an odor of her food, or even if she's accustomed to the odor of a food item she won't eat, her young consume that food more readily. Is there any other difference between wild-caught and captive-born herps? Sometimes the captive-born animals cost more. It seems odd that you can buy a ball python caught in Africa and imported into the United States for less than a captive-born ball python, but both care and money have been involved in producing that cute little U.S.A.-born baby. The U.S. breeder has paid his or her U.S. taxes and electric bill, and paid for his car. That person has also spent a lot of time coaxing his ball pythons to eat, cleaning cages, cycling the snakes so they'll breed, and incubating eggs. Male versus female Is there a difference between a male and a female pet herp? None that most folks have ever been able to see. Sometimes, one gender is a different size than the other. Sometimes they may be different colors. As a general rule, however, one sex doesn't seem to make a better pet than the other. The only time that gender may make a difference is with green iguanas. The adult males can become aggressive toward their female keepers, and that's "leap off a branch and repetitive biting" aggressive. Adult versus hatchling Buying an adult herp puts you on the fast track in terms of maintaining that herp and possibly breeding it. The animal is adult, which means it has survived the mortality period of youth. (No matter where you get a herp, hatchlings have a high mortality rate. Not every one of them survives to reproduce.) Once acclimated, an adult animal can reproduce, which means that you won't spend two years or so caring for it until it's physically large enough and capable of reproducing. Buying an adult herp doesn't mean that you won't have any problems. You have no guarantee that your adult herp will accept whatever foods you offer him. For example, our stubborn friends, the ball pythons, are one very good example of "I won't eat and you can't make me," whether adult or hatchling. You also have no promise that the animal will breed, even once you acclimate him. If you can get your adult herp to eat, however, feeding him is easier than feeding a hatchling. For example, some hatchling snakes are so tiny that they can eat only pinkie legs or anole tails, and snipping off the legs of frozen pinkies and tails off anoles is way down on anyone's list of fun things to do. Some dart frog tadpoles eat only infertile dart frog eggs, a real challenge for even the most devoted herper. Young salamanders eat blood worms or tiny bits of pinched-apart earthworms. (There's just no other way to divide an earthworm into 1/8- or 1/4-inch frog- or salamander-mouth-sized pieces other than pinching them apart with your fingernails. Earthworms are just too slippery and wiggly to cut apart with a paring knife.)

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Collectively, reptiles and amphibians are referred to as herps. That term comes from the Greek word herpes, which literally means crawling things. The term is applied equally to reptiles and amphibians. From herp comes herpetology, the study of crawling things. A person with formal training in herpetology is a herpetologist. Someone who likes herps, keeps them, and works with them but lacks the formal training is a herper. If you like damp environments (or if you want a pet who likes things wet), then an amphibian is right for you. Because they breathe partially through their skin, amphibians must have moist, clean caging, which requires careful monitoring and frequent cleaning to avoid ammonia buildup or a bacterial bloom. Otherwise, your pet dies a nasty death. The following list explains some factors to consider if you want a pet amphibian: Caging. Amphibians need caging that can hold moisture but also can be easily cleaned. In most cases, this means an aquarium, usually a 15- to 20-gallon size. Moisture is provided through water (the tank itself or a container within it is filled with water), or the substrate in the tank (sphagnum moss or dampened paper towels) is moistened. You can supply additional moisture with a hand-held sprayer or a misting system. You'll want to add a screen top to the terrarium/aquarium, but you don't need to worry about adding lighting or keeping the tank or its inhabitants warm. Amphibians like it cool; the tiger salamanders, for instance, trudge through snow as early as February to reach the ponds where they hope to meet a mate, which says something about amphibians' tolerance of cold temperatures and their sex drive. Because amphibians are quiet creatures, they won't tear up an elaborately planted terrarium the way a lizard or snake might. The smaller amphibians, like the brightly colored dart frogs, look like animated jewels in a fern- and moss-bedecked tank. Cleaning an amphibian tank is an important aspect of keeping these creatures alive. The smaller the amphibian, the less waste it produces, and the less work it is to maintain the tank. You have to tear down and reconstruct a 20-gallon dart frog enclosure maybe twice a year (although the water dish will need to be cleaned daily). In contrast, a bullfrog's enclosure needs daily water changes or filtration and twice-a-week partial water changes, and the moist sphagnum in a tiger salamander's cage needs rinsing at least every other day. Feeding: Amphibians eat insects, small fish, and earthworms. All are readily purchased from bait stores or pet stores; the insects and earthworms can be mail-ordered. Crickets need to be housed in an extra aquarium. You can toss a few into each amphibian's cage as needed. Mealworms come packaged in a plastic container with a snap-on lid; store them in your refrigerator or move them to their own hideaway filled with oat bran and rolled oats — at last there's a way to use up that oatmeal! — with a few slices of apple for moisture. You can buy earthworms in lots of 500 from a hunting/fishing supply firm and store them in a refrigerator. Size: Amphibians that are generally seen in pet stores are usually beautifully colored and fairly small. You can certainly go out and find big amphibians. Some of the aquatic caecilians, for example, will easily reach a 2-foot length, but few people want a retiring pet with the animation and appearance of a gray rubber hose. The pet store amphibians range in size from the fist-sized horned frog to the 3-inch-long red-spotted newt to the thumbnail-sized dart frog. You can certainly find more exotic amphibians. Your store can order them for you, or you may want to see what an expo can offer. Their easy-to-handle sizes mean the animals require less food. Amphibians don't require the amount of food that a larger, more active creature, such as a green iguana, needs. Cost: Amphibians are inexpensive. The dart frogs as a group run about $40 to $60 each, but this is at the high end for all amphibians. The more unusual horned or tomato frogs cost around $50, but the majority of amphibians range from $15 to $20 each. Amphibians breathe, to a lesser or greater degree, through their skin. This is why they need moist, very clean caging, why the cages must be cleaned so frequently, and why you must wash your hands before handling them. Most skin diseases in amphibians are fatal. As a rule, amphibians are retiring and nocturnal, which means they aren't as responsive to a human as is a tortoise. Amphibians tend to lay massive numbers of eggs; if you plan to breed your amphibian, you'll need to plan how you'll raise up to a thousand young, or you'll need to dispose of the excess eggs.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

When you're confident that your new koi are healthy after a three-week quarantine, you can finally introduce them to their aquatic castle, whether it's an aquarium or pond. Koi can go directly from quarantine tub to pond if the pH values and temperatures are close (0.2 range for pH, and a 5 degree Fahrenheit difference for temperature). If you're using an outside pond, keep in mind that the water must be 70 degrees F or higher. Adding a new fish to a too-cold pond shuts down the fish's immune system exactly when he needs it the most. If the water isn't warm enough, leave your koi in its quarantine tub until warmer weather arrives. The pond temperature is likely to be different from your quarantine tub's temperature. Take a few precautions to avoid stressing your fish: 1. Turn off the heater in the quarantine tub and let the tub reach room temperature overnight. You want less than a 10-degree difference between pond and tub temperatures so your fish aren't shocked. 2. The next morning, if the tub and pond temperatures are more than 5 degrees apart, you need to bag and float your koi in the pond. • Use your koi net to bowl your koi (take the handle extension off your net if you're inside). • Pour the bowl into a waiting and partially submerged poly bag or lift your koi into the bag. You want just enough water in the bag to cover the fish so the bag isn't too heavy. Rubber-band the bag closed and lift the bag out of the tub. 3. Carry the bag to your aquarium or pond, ease it into the water, and let it float for 20 minutes to equalize the temperatures. Keep an eye on the bag(s). Don't let them heat up in the sun. 4. Open the bag, lift out your koi, and release it.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Do your homework before buying a reptile or amphibian. Consider the following: Do you have the time and money to feed and care for it? Do you have allergies? Reptiles and amphibians are low-risk, allergy-wise, but not risk-free. Will children be around the pet (some herps are poisonous)? Probably the best-known herp disease risk is salmonella, which reptiles and amphibians carry on the body. If you handle a herp and then eat something straight from your hand, touch your lips, or kiss someone on the lips, you risk infecting yourself or that person. To prevent spreading salmonella, simply wash your hands after handling your herp to minimize any risk of salmonella infection. Other safety considerations when purchasing a herp include his temperament, his response to humans, and whether he's likely to escape from his cage: Safety factor Turtle Snake Lizard Frog Salamander Speed of movement Slow Fast Fast Fast Slow Ability to escape caging Low High Medium Medium Low Calmness of temperament Calm Medium Medium Nervous Calm Positive response to humans High Neutral Medium Neutral Neutral

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Before you bring home a reptile or amphibian, consider the kind of food you're willing to feed it. The food preferences of reptiles and amphibians fall into three general groups: carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores. So if you'd feel squeamish about feeding a rabbit to a snake, then don't get a python. Foods for Herbivorous Herps Alfalfa Escarole Papaya Apple Grated root crops (such as carrots and beets) Peaches Avocado Grated or chopped yellow or zucchini squash Pear Berries Greens (turnip, collard, mustard, beet) Romaine lettuce Bok choy Hibiscus blooms and leaves Rose petals Broccoli stems and leaves Melons Squash (chopped) Cabbage (dark green) Nasturtium Tofu Dandelions Okra Tomato Foods for Carnivorous Herps Chicken (bite-sized cooked cubes) Mealworms Cockroaches (giant or hissing) Mice or rats Crickets Prepared reptile carnivore diet (canned or frozen) Earthworms Rats Locusts Waxworms