🦎 Stuff Every Reptile Owner Should Know: Training Guide

Good first species and species to avoid

Bearded dragons and leopard geckos are good beginner lizards. They still need the right habitat, food, and adult care. Chinese water dragons and blue tongue skinks are a step up in care.

For snakes, a corn snake is a good pet for teenagers. It stays a moderate size, is usually calm, and eats well. Ball pythons are also typically docile and often suggested for beginners.

Argentine tegus and savannah monitors need experienced reptile keepers. They grow about two to three feet, eat meat, and need large enclosures, warm temperatures, and special lighting. Water monitors can grow 7 to 9 feet long and weigh up to 30 pounds.

The worst reason to buy a lizard is because it is cheap. Some inexpensive species can be hard to handle. Nile monitors and tokay geckos can be very inexpensive but can be mean and hard to handle.

The real commitment

Reptiles are best suited to adults or older children who like to watch their pet. Most reptiles do best in a home that copies their natural habitat and then being left alone. Most reptiles cannot tolerate much handling.

A pet reptile takes just as much commitment as a bird or dog. It needs the right habitat, food, cleaning, and veterinary care throughout its life. Some species cost less effort and money to feed and house than others, so the species you pick matters.

Most reptiles are not highly social. Unlike guinea pigs or rats, many prefer solitary cages. Groups with more than one male can show aggression.

Before you buy a tiny hatchling, plan space for the fully grown adult cage. Baby reptiles grow, and many grow a lot. Think about how many years you will be willing to keep up and enlarge the habitat.

Captive bred, wild caught, and unsafe choices

Captive bred reptiles usually make better pets than wild caught ones. They are less likely to bite, more likely to accept the food you give them, and less likely to carry parasites.

Do not catch a wild turtle, snake, or lizard to keep as a pet. The CDC says to leave wild reptiles in the wild, and wild animals can carry parasites and struggle to eat in captivity. Corn snakes are protected in Georgia and South Carolina.

Do not keep venomous animals as pets. The CDC warns against venomous pets, and venomous bites need immediate medical attention. New York City bans front fanged venomous snakes even if their venom has been removed.

Lifespans of popular pet reptiles

A leopard gecko can live 20 years or more. A gecko bought for a 10 year old could still be around when that child is 30, so the whole family should plan for it.

Ball pythons often live 15 to 20 years in captivity, and corn snakes 10 to 15 years. Even a beginner snake is a pet you will care for through middle school, high school, and beyond.

Eastern box turtles can live 25 to 50 years. A box turtle bought for a child could still need care when that child has children of their own, so plan who will look after it.

Leopard tortoises can live 50 years or more, longer than any other pet on the Merck table. Old World chameleons have a shorter typical lifespan of 3 to 8 years, and green iguanas live 5 to 15 years. Reptile lifespans range from a few years to a lifetime.

Red eared sliders can live up to 40 years in captivity. The tiny turtle sold as a cute baby can become a decades long job.

Sulcata tortoises can live as long as 80 years and males can weigh more than 100 pounds. Owners need enough space for a full grown tortoise.

Adult sizes that surprise new owners

Adult male green iguanas can grow over 6 feet long including the tail, and females just over 5 feet. Plan space and housing for the adult, not the hatchling.

A ball python is about 2 to 4 feet long, and a typical adult corn snake is 3 to 4 feet. Some corn snakes can exceed 5 feet, so do not assume every snake stays typical.

Reticulated pythons and green anacondas can top 7 meters, over 23 feet. A snake that size is far beyond what almost any family can safely house.

Adult red eared sliders range from about 5 to 11 inches long. In slider turtles, females grow larger than males.

Why releases and poor housing happen

Green iguanas are fairly easy when small but become more difficult to keep as they grow. Owners become more likely to give them up, which is why Florida has wild iguanas today.

Boa constrictors often outgrow their owner's ability or outlive their owner's interest. Owning a giant snake is a difficult, long term, and somewhat expensive responsibility.

A myth about tank size causes people to keep turtles in small containers. Turtles do not remain small in a small container, and fishbowl type tanks are not good enough for turtles of any age or size. That myth can lead to bad care.

Enclosures and escape proofing

A pet snake enclosure must have a properly latched lid. Snakes can push through surprisingly small or weak openings, and corn snake hatchlings are especially skilled escape artists.

A corn snake can live in a 20 to 30 gallon aquarium. That size must still fit a hide, a soaking bowl, and a secure lid.

A leopard gecko enclosure must be large enough to include a temperature gradient, hides, and dishes. The gecko must turn around and travel between warm and cool zones.

Gravel in a turtle tank should be too large for the turtle to eat. Swallowed sand, gravel, or corncob can block a reptile gut, and rocks used for burrowing should be larger than the pet's head.

Heat, thermometers, and thermostats

Reptiles regulate body heat by moving. A corn snake enclosure should include 75 to 85 F, arranged across one end so the snake can choose warmer or cooler areas.

A heat source should be controlled by a programmable thermostat. The thermostat switches heat on or off as temperatures change, reducing the risk of dangerous overheating or chilling.

Use digital thermometers in a reptile enclosure. Stick on thermometers are inaccurate, and every enclosure should have at least two thermometers, one at the cool end and one at the warm end.

Never put a heat source, like a heat rock or mat, in direct contact with a lizard. Heated rocks can burn the lizard because a reptile may stay on the hot surface without moving away soon enough.

Merck lists leopard geckos at a preferred zone of 77 to 86 F. The enclosure still needs warmer and cooler areas so the gecko can choose.

Humidity, shedding, and substrates

Ball pythons need 50 to 80 percent humidity, while leopard geckos need low humidity, about 20 to 40 percent. Measure humidity with a hygrometer and keep the species in its range.

Corn snake humidity should be 30 to 70 percent, but it needs to increase during shedding. A humid retreat can add moisture without soaking the whole enclosure.

A humid hide gives a leopard gecko extra moisture for shedding. It can be a plastic box of damp sphagnum moss with an entry hole cut in it.

Cedar and pine shavings should not be used. They release aromatic oils that may cause breathing and neurologic problems in reptiles.

Even arid species need a humid area. High humidity microclimates can reduce shell pyramiding in tortoises and help leopard geckos shed.

Lighting, UVB, and turtle habitats

Corn snakes and ball pythons have no special lighting requirement, but broad spectrum light is recommended. Bearded dragons are different: broad spectrum UVB is essential for them.

Indoor turtles and tortoises need UVB light. UV light lets many reptiles make vitamin D3 in their skin, and vitamin D3 lets them absorb calcium from food, which keeps bones and shell strong.

Sunlight through a closed window does not give a reptile the UV it needs because most glass or plastic blocks almost all UV. Indoors, use a UV bulb near the basking spot, within 18 inches of resting or basking areas.

A mercury vapor lamp gives a reptile both heat and UV light. Ceramic and infrared heaters only give heat, so those setups need a separate UVB bulb. Heat lamps should be used with extreme caution because overheating is common.

Many turtles live mostly in water, while tortoises live only on land and do not swim. A tortoise never belongs in a deep tank.

Aquatic turtles need water to swim in plus a dry basking spot. They must be able to swim and fully submerge, but they also need a dry area where they can climb out completely to bask and warm up. Use a submersible heater to keep water at the right temperature.

Feeding snakes

Pet snakes eat whole animals, usually thawed frozen mice or rats. This is not for the squeamish, so think about it before you buy. Lizards like leopard geckos eat live insects instead.

Frozen thawed whole prey is safer for most pet snakes. It cannot fight back and injure the snake, and whole prey supplies nutrients from bones and organs, not just muscle.

Never leave live rodent prey unattended with a snake. A rodent may bite a snake that does not eat immediately, and a snake does not use constriction as a defense against an attacking rodent.

Frozen prey must be completely thawed and warm before offering it. A frozen center is not ready to feed, and warming helps the snake recognize it as food.

Prey should be no wider than the snake's thickest part. Oversized meals can be harder to swallow and digest.

Many adult snakes need feeding every 7 to 21 days. Young snakes in the same guide generally need shorter intervals of 2 to 7 days.

Feeding lizards

Bearded dragons are omnivores, meaning they eat both plant and animal foods. A typical omnivore lizard diet is about 60 percent plants and 40 percent animal food.

Gut loading feeder insects means feeding the insects nutritious food first. Unfed store crickets have little nutritional value, so feed insects before offering them to a bearded dragon or leopard gecko.

Leopard geckos are insect eaters. They eat suitable insects rather than salads, and insectivores are a subgroup of carnivores.

Feeder insects for a leopard gecko should be about half the gecko's head size. Appropriately sized insects are easier and safer to capture and swallow, and insects for insect eating lizards should be offered daily or every other day.

Feeding turtles and tortoises

Tortoises are generally herbivores, plant eaters. A tortoise diet should center on dark leafy greens like dandelion and mustard greens, and hay or roughage can help large land tortoises digest food.

Most pet turtles are omnivores. UC Davis suggests about 60 percent plants and 40 percent meat, with dark leafy greens leading the plant part. Squash, carrots, pumpkin, and bell peppers are good red, yellow, or orange vegetables.

Fruit should be fed sparingly to pet turtles and tortoises. Vegetables, especially dark leafy greens, should make up most of the diet.

Supplements, water, and foods to avoid

Most reptiles benefit from extra calcium, even on balanced diets. UC Davis suggests dusting calcium powder on a turtle or tortoise meal once or twice a week, and use only calcium products made for reptiles. Ask your vet before adding vitamin D3.

Many nutritionists say do not feed cat food to pet reptiles. High protein cat food can give reptiles too much protein and vitamin D3, and too much protein can cause gout, a painful buildup of uric acid.

Clean water must be available to all reptiles, even land tortoises, to avoid dehydration. A tortoise bowl should be big enough to soak in and shallow enough to climb out, and change the water daily because many tortoises poop in their water.

Handling and behavior

Chameleons are more likely to be stressed when touched or picked up. Bearded dragons, box turtles, green iguanas, king snakes, and boa constrictors are among the species more open to being handled.

Hold a nonvenomous snake by supporting it with enough hands. Support distributes the animal's weight and helps it feel secure, and the number of supporting hands depends on the snake's size.

Avoid handling a snake for a day or two after feeding. Handling too soon can disturb digestion, and large boas may need four or five days to digest a meal fully.

Shedding and normal anatomy

Cloudy blue eyes in a snake often mean it is nearing a shed. Vision becomes limited, and the snake may also look dull and stop eating before a shed. Leave it alone so it feels safer.

A snake starts a shed by rubbing against a firm surface. Make sure the shedding object cannot topple, trap, or scratch the snake. Snakes normally shed in one piece from nose to tail.

A turtle's or tortoise's shell is bone, part of the skeleton. It is made of many bones covered by scales called scutes and attached at the spine, so a turtle can never leave it. The shell grows by swapping old scutes for larger ones or enlarging existing scutes.

Vet care

No vaccines are required for reptiles, but a yearly health check is a good idea. An annual check helps make sure your pet is well fed and free of disease and parasites. Budget for a vet visit every year.

A newly bought reptile should see a vet soon after you get it for a checkup. That first visit records what your pet looks like when healthy, and that healthy record is valuable if medical problems come up later.

Find a reptile vet before you bring a reptile home. Most veterinarians do not treat reptiles, so ask a vet about their experience with reptiles and choose one with real interest in them.

Recognizing common health problems

Metabolic bone disease causes soft or deformed shells and weak bones in reptiles. Too little calcium or vitamin D3, often from poor UVB light, leads to weak, deformed bones. A healthy shell has no white, oozing, pitted, or eroded spots, and bacterial shell infections like SCUD need a vet.

A respiratory infection may show as open mouth breathing and discharge or bubbles from the nose. Poor temperatures and unsanitary conditions can cause these infections, and a vet usually treats with antibiotics plus a warmer, cleaner enclosure. Swollen eyelids in many pet turtles can mean vitamin A deficiency, and box turtles are most at risk.

Mites look like tiny black, brown, or reddish specks that move. They gather around the eyes, face, or neck folds, and a vet can recommend safe treatment. Internal parasites are also common, so remove droppings promptly and get a yearly fecal exam.

Egg binding in reptiles usually develops slowly, over weeks or even months. A female may hold eggs for weeks or months, and a vet uses x rays or ultrasound to check. Reptiles are rarely spayed, so reproductive problems remain common.

Reptiles cannot run a true fever. A sick reptile moves to a warmer spot to create a behavioral fever, so keep a sick reptile near the upper end of its preferred temperature range. A reptile must be well hydrated before antibiotics, or kidney damage may result.

Salmonella and hygiene

Do not kiss or snuggle a turtle or tortoise. Germs like Salmonella can reach your mouth, and holding one close to your face can scare it and lead to a bite. Make sure a reptile sees you before you pick it up.

Even baby turtles with shells under 4 inches and certified Salmonella free are illegal to sell in the US, because they can pick up the germs later. Tiny turtles are still sold illegally, especially in tourist areas, so buy only from a trusted pet store and avoid roadside or temporary vendors.

Tiny pet turtles under 4 inches pose a higher risk of spreading disease, especially to children. The US has banned selling them since 1975.

Federal and local laws

Under the Lacey Act, the US listed the reticulated python as injurious in 2015. That bans importing them into the United States without a permit to stop more giant snakes from getting loose. Burmese pythons, yellow anacondas, and northern and southern African pythons were listed under the same law in 2012.

Hawaii makes it illegal to transport or possess snakes. Snakes have no natural predators in Hawaii and could harm native birds. The state provides an amnesty option for surrendering illegal animals.

New York City bans keeping any member of the python family, which includes ball pythons. The same New York City rule also bans green iguanas.

Since 2021, Florida no longer allows green iguanas, tegus, Burmese pythons, and other high risk reptiles to be acquired as pets. People who already had them needed a free permit and a microchip tag to keep them.

Before bringing a reptile home to an apartment or rental, check whether your lease and landlord allow it. The CDC says some reptiles might not be allowed in apartments or rental homes, and you should check state, local, and property rules.

Never release and invasive species

Never release a pet reptile, even a native species. Most released reptiles die, and some harm wildlife. Rehome it through a humane society, rescue, or pet store instead.

Burmese pythons became established in Everglades National Park because captive pets escaped or were released. Studies link them to sharp drops in mammals, and once established they are very hard to remove. The park's message is Don't Let it Loose.

In California, released red eared sliders compete with native western pond turtles for food, egg laying spots, and basking sites. They can also spread parasites and Salmonella. Florida says red eared sliders are the most rehomed pet in its Exotic Pet Amnesty Program and the hardest to place.