Correct Temperature for Keeping a Snake?

King snakes are happiest at temperatures between 24°C and 29°C. The smaller your snake is, the faster it will lose heat, so it’s best to keep young king snakes at the upper end of this temperature range. Keep a thermometer inside your snake’s enclosure (not pressed against the glass, as …

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What Documentation do I Need for my Tortoises to Travel?

France allows private individuals to import a maximum of 5 pet reptiles, per family – provided that they are not put up for sale or sold, under any circumstances and that they are accompanied by a health certificate which has the signature of an authorised veterinarian from the country of …

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Can Bearded Dragons Eat Beetroot?

Bearded dragons are omnivores which means that their natural diet includes both “meat” (in their case, mostly insects) and plant material. Therefore, at least half the diet of a captive/pet Beaded Dragon should consist of insects such as crickets, grasshoppers and cockroaches, as well as mealworms and mealworm beetles as …

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Do Tortoises Excrete a Substance that Causes Illness?

While healthy tortoises do not excrete a specific disease-causing substance, as such – like all reptiles, they do often carry the Salmonella bacterium which can cause Salmonellosis, a serious disease which can have potentially fatal consequences if untreated, especially in children. This bacterium is not easily destroyed through the normal …

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Can an Electronic Mouse Repeller Harm my Frog?

The electronic mice repellers on the market are designed to specifically target rodents – this includes all members of the rodent family, such as rats, hamsters, guinea pigs, ferrets, rabbits, squirrels – and yes, gerbils. All reputable products come with clear warnings not to place the repeller in the same …

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Is it Normal for a King Snake to Stop Eating?

King snakes in the wild eat a variety of prey, from rodents to birds, amphibians to lizards and even, frequently, other snakes! In fact, they will eat each other if kept together so these snakes must be kept alone in their cages. Pre-killed mice or baby rats are usually the …

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Why Has Our Tortoise Turned Aggressive?

Well, that rather depends on your point of view! Although it’s impossible to be 100 per cent sure from a distance, it sounds like perfectly normal behaviour – but for a true pair of tortoises, rather than a couple of females (though I suppose all things are possible). If what …

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Monitor Lizard: Should Heat Lamp Be Off at Night?

The answer to your question really depends on the type of set up you’re using. If the heat lamp is the sole source of warmth, it wouldn’t be advisable to switch it off – no matter how much he seems to favour the cool end. However, assuming you have other …

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How Can We Help Our Timid Corn Snake?

An interesting question and one which opens up some important areas for snake-keeping in general – handling and housing. I’m assuming that there isn’t any obvious reason for the timidity, that the snake is eating normally, and this behaviour was “inherited” along with the snake – it hasn’t suddenly started …

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Should I Leave the Heat Bulb on Overnight?

It really depends on the overall heating arrangement in your bearded dragon tank. If your heat bulb is only providing a hot spot for basking and there are under tank heat mats, ceramic heaters, hot rocks or similar providing a general warm background temperature then, yes, it probably can be …

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