Keeping Gharials

The gharials (also called Indian gharial or ghavial) are one of the crocodilian-type reptiles and usually found in India. Although not normally kept as pets gharials are nevertheless mercilessly poached and hunted, while their habitats are being destroyed through human encroachment and pollution. It is not surprising, therefore, that they …

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Keeping Caimans

Baby caimans with their large, round eyes and gently smiling jaws, have become a popular feature in the pet trade with many people succumbing to their appeal and the persuasive pet store talk, without any real understanding of this reptile’s characteristics, needs or potential danger involved. Cute as they may …

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The Fake Lizards: Salamanders and Newts

Although often mistaken for a type of lizard due to their similar body shapes salamanders and newts are in fact members of the Amphibian family. They originate from the Americas and the temperate regions of North Africa, Asia and Europe – and in many cases, the terms “salamanders” and “newts” …

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Frequent Questions About Venomous Snakes

Nothing seems to provoke quite such discussion amongst reptile fans and reptile haters alike as snakes and their venom. Admit to liking reptiles and it’s only going to be a matter of time before someone brings the conversation round to venomous snakes. As reptile lovers, we can scarcely be surprised; …

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Frequent Questions on Heating, Lighting and Your Reptile

With all the advances over recent years in heaters, lighting tubes, bulbs and controllers, it’s never been easier to create an ideal environment for your pet. Never-the-less, with so many excellent products on the market, it can sometimes be a little difficult to know how best to go about doing …

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How Much Do You Know About Reptiles?

With over 300 million years of history behind them, it’s hardly surprising that reptiles have a few unexpected secrets tucked away and today’s versions are every bit as intriguing as any of their prehistoric forebears. Sixty million years on from the extinction of the dinosaurs, reptiles still occupy just about …

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Sex Determination in Reptiles

Is it a boy or a girl? It’s a simple enough question to answer you’d suppose, but if you’re talking about reptiles, you might need to think again! A mammal’s sex is usually defined by a fairly straightforward matter of chromosomes – the familiar XY for male and XX for …

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The Tuatara: A True Living Fossil

For most reptile fans, the prospect of being able to see a real-live dinosaur wouldn’t be something to miss – from a safe distance, of course! While that’s obviously not really going to happen, at least not until someone does get round to some pretty clever Jurassic Park-style cloning, it …

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