Reptile Care


Caring for our reptiles is our priority and something we enjoy.


It's important that you research a reptile and it's needs before you take it home. Please remember that reptiles require species specific care and can have a long lifespan.


There are care sheets available online, which can be helpful as long as they are reputable and up to date, there are also forums where you can ask questions or search previously asked questions that relate to what you are looking for. Better yet, ask the person you are looking to buy the reptile from.


However as much as any of us do to avoid it...Reptiles can become poorly, just like any pet can and there are times when a vet visit is warranted. It's important to know where your local reptile vet is and to be aware of cost.


We wouldn't tell you how to keep your reptiles, but we can offer advise as to what we have learnt over the years. If that is useful to you then great, but it's also okay to have your own way. Whats important is the safety and well-being of these reptiles.

Crested geckos can make great pets whether it's simply to watch them or if you wish to interact with them also.


This is a little information about how we care for our reptiles.


Crested Geckos

Humidity & Hydration

Crested geckos require high humidity so we mist them 2 times a day with the occasional dry out session, misting once a day. Humidity is kept between 70-90% with it falling to 60% on the dry out session.

Some of our geckos drink water from a bowl, while most prefer to drink the droplets off the decor. Either way, we provide water bowls for them all.


Habitat

We currently use Exo Terra enclosures for our adult geckos. They have great ventilation, easy to clean, looks great and allows for UV.

My only downfall is the mesh can hurt Cresties if they jump too high or if fixtures are too close to the top so can be some wasted space.

For baby/juvenile crested geckos we use large shoe boxes, not your typical shoe boxes! They have plenty of ventilation and we can see into the enclosures without opening them. These are great because of their size, they can be stacked and can still be bio-active plus the roof is not mesh.

Only downfall is they aren't big enough for adults and UV is not an option with these.


Enrichment

Our geckos live in bio-active enclosures and although I recommend it (more info below as to what we do), it's a great enrichment, but it's not a necessity and not for everyone.

Crested geckos require enrichment just like most reptiles. Enrichment is also good for their health.

Our geckos have plenty of climbing and hiding options, it's not only great enrichment, but it also helps to avoid FTS (floppy tail syndrome). I often make my own bridges and I love to use coconut hides.

Insects also provide enrichment as crested geckos can be great hunters, we are careful with leaving them in with our geckos as they can injure geckos.


Heat & Lighting

It gets a little cold here at night in the winter so we use heat mats on the outside of the enclosures for a warm area, however they will not warm the air temperature so we also use an oil filled radiator (as we have so many geckos) for those extra cold nights.

We're hoping to find a more energy efficient alternative.

Summer temperatures can get as high as 29°C and winter temps can go as low as 16°C on occasion, we prefer to keep them at around 19-23°C as much as possible.

UV is provided for most of our Geckos, however I am unsure if it is a must. I have tried to research information about it, yet I am still unsure and there are many different opinions about it.

Either way, we like the look the UV has on the enclosures during the day.

We do not use lights at night.


Food

Our Crested Geckos are fed a variety of CGD (Crested Gecko Diet) placed into bowls on the side of the enclosure daily or every other day, placing the food off the ground helps to prevent impaction.

We have a few fussy eaters that won't eat insects but most of them have insects 2-3 times a week.

We use locusts, dubia roaches and occasionally wax worms as a treat.

All insects are dusted with calcium d3 and gut loaded.


Handling

Regular handling is great. We try to handle our geckos as often as possible to help keep them calm.

Baby geckos have more energy and are usually harder to handle than adult geckos.

When handling our crested geckos we tend to do so for about 15 minutes a day and occasionally with plants nearby so they have the option to jump or climb further. Most are happy going up our arms and from one hand to the other, whether it’s jumping or climbing.


Snakes

Habitat & Enrichment

Our baby Royal Pythons are kept in homemade racks to allow for easy maintenance of their enclosure as well as limit their stress level, which we feel encourages feeding response.

They all have suitable hides and freshly filled water bowls.

Our adult Royal Pythons currently live in vivariums as this allows for vertical as well as horizontal space. This allows us to put in logs, hides and fake plants as enrichment, which is great but not a necessity and not for everyone.

All our royal pythons have regular handling and exploration of the reptile room.

We use coco fibre as a substrate in the vivariums as it maintains humidity whilst also making it easy to spot-clean. They have fake plants along the cooler side and hides on the warmer side for plenty of coverage, we also offer climbing options such as logs.

Only downside with these vivariums is that they have a little too much height and it doesn’t get used by most of our snakes, which is why we want to find an in between of racks and vivs.


Heat & Lighting

It gets a little cold here at night in the winter so we use ceramic lamps in the vivs and heat mats in the rub racks, however heat mats will not warm the air temperature so we also use an oil filled radiator (as we have many snakes) for those extra cold nights.

We're hoping to find a more energy efficient alternative.

Summer temperatures can get as high as 32°C (90°F) and winter temps can go as low as 28°C (82°F) on occasion, we prefer to keep them at around 31°C (89°F) as much as possible.


Humidity & Hydration

Our royal pythons humidity is kept at approximately 50% with an increase to 60-70% during shed. We provide water in ceramic bowls to ensure they do not knock them over.


Food

Our Royal Pythons are fed weekly on frozen/thawed Mice and African Soft Furred Rats.


Handling

Regular handling is great. We try to handle our snakes as often as possible to help keep them calm. We also allow them to explore the reptile room on occasion.

We do not handle our snakes for at least 2 days after feeding to ensure they don’t regurgitate their food.

Bio-active


What is a bio-active enclosure?

Bio-active enclosures are fantastic, which is why all our Crested Geckos are kept in them. It's a little work to first set up, but means that we don't need to clean as often, other than the glass of the terrariums and spot cleaning.


Bio-active enclosures include several different elements, below is a list of what our bio-active enclosures are made up of:

  • Hydroballs

  • Hydro Fleece Drainage Layer

  • Coco fibre

  • Bark chips

  • Sphagnum moss

  • Activated charcoal

  • Leaf litter

  • Clean up crew - we mostly use Springtails and woodlice from reputable shops

  • Logs / Branches / Cork Bark (cleaned)

  • Live Plants (cleaned)

  • Natural or UV light (dependent on plant)

Alternatively if we haven't had the time or space to make our own mix we have used already mixed reptile specific substrate.

Here are some of the bio-active enclosures we have & some geckos enjoying them

Here are some plants we have growing on

Please be aware, some plants are harmful to reptiles so please do your research before you place them in with your reptiles.


We mostly buy small plants from local garden centres or reptile websites and grow them at home. We thoroughly wash the plants and place them into our own soil (the bio-active mixture above) regardless of where we have purchased them from, therefore no chemicals can harm our reptiles. There are several plants suitable for reptiles, below is a list of a few we have successfully used:

  • Begonia Sp

  • Birds Nest Fern (Asplenium Antiquum)

  • Creeping Fig (Ficus Pumila)

  • Devil's Ivy Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)

  • Dwarf Umbrella Tree (Schefflera Arboricola)

  • Earth Star (Cryptanthus Sp)

  • Flamingo Flower (Anthurium Sp)

  • Garden Croton (Codiaeum Variegatum)

  • Peace Lily (Spathiphyllium Sp)

  • Wax Plant (Hoya Carnosa)

  • Weeping Fig (Ficus Benjamina)

  • Polka Dot Plant (Hypoestres Sp)

  • Prayer Plant (Calathea)

  • Rattlesnake (Calathea)

  • Mother In Law Tongue (Dracaena Trifasciata)

  • Dragon Tree (Dracaena Fragrans)

  • Violet Inch Plant (Tradescantia Zebrina)

  • Pink Quill (Tillandsia Cyanea)

  • Snake Plant (Sansevieria)


Do reptiles require bio-active?

This is more of the reptile owners choice. We prefer bio-active as some plants have been known to clean air by absorbing toxins, produce oxygen and increase humidity. Plants have been known to help us humans by reducing stress and boosting our moods. So if plants can help us, maybe they can help our reptiles.


We have been working on bio-active vivariums for our Royal Pythons, however it has been trial and error as they use different light and heat, plus the Royal Pythons have enjoyed destroying the plants we put in.


While we do recommend bio-active homes for reptiles, this page is about introducing the idea and about what we do...others may do theirs differently. Should you wish to turn your reptiles home bio-active, please do your research first!