REPTILE MANAGEMENT

General Considerations Habitat Food Regulation

Vivarium sand or soil water – think fish dechlorinate filter temperature shelter

REPTILES chelonians lizards snakes tuataras crocodiles amphisbaenians – worm lizards

Chelonians turtles tortoises terrapins

TURTLES spend most or all of their time in water leatherback turtle – Dermochelys coriacea largest turtle, endangered

TORTOISE spend most or all of their time on land Aldabra tortoise – Geochelone gigantia 2nd largest tortoise, CITES protected

TERRAPINS spend significant time on land and in water

TERRAPINS - Red-Eared Slider Southern U.S. omnivorous 75 ° F Red-Eared slider – Trachemys scripta elegans

LIZARDS habitats - desert to marshes diets - herbivorous, omnivorous, carnivorous, insectivorous temperature requirements - widely varied bottom line - do your homework

horned toad (a lizard - really!) Phrynosoma platyrhinos –

SNAKES habitats - desert to marshes diets - herbivorous, omnivorous, carnivorous, insectivorous temperature requirements - widely varied bottom line - do your homework

SNAKES - smooth green snake habitat - open areas diet - insectivorous non venomous bright green yellow or cream belly smooth green snake – Opheodrys vernalis

SNAKES - sand boas many species habitat - sandy, semi-arid (for many) diet - small rodents non venomous brown patterns some have orange females - 18 inches, 200 gm males - 15 inches, 70 gm Desert Sand Boa – Eryx miliaris

SNAKE CARE Research - different snakes have different needs Vet - find one experienced with snakes Housing tight cage as long as the snake  reduces lung infections

SNAKE CARE Substrate sand wood chips - NOT cedar absorbent Water bowl sunk into substrate needed for shedding much of requirement comes from prey

SNAKE CARE heat lamp or ceramic heater gradient 80-95° F don’t use hot rocks Accessories tree branches for climbing snakes hiding places - flower pots, plantings

SNAKE CARE activity diurnal nocturnal other quarantine food - mice, weekly, diameter of snake

SNAKE CARE handling hook - best tong - harmful to snake sack exit can - for dumping snake from sack

SNAKE CARE temperament always bad never bad inbetween more anxious when shedding and feeding other characteristics musky constrictors

SNAKE CARE public health venomous snakes -don’t cage must be locked responsible for bites Salmonella

SNAKE CARE breeding live bearers - boa constrictors, water and garter snakes, and rattlesnakes & egg layers cool down - may require several months incubation  ° F  ~ 2 months

SNAKE CARE sexing size of snake length of tail from cloaca hemipenis “cloacal pop”

SNAKE CARE sexing “cloacal pop”

SNAKE CARE sexing - copperhead hemipenes

SNAKE CARE sexing by probing

SNAKE CARE sexing by probing male female

TUATARAS habitat - small islands around New Zealand diet - carnivorous temperature ~54 ° F cm; up to 1 kg living fossils

AMPHISBAENIANS – worm lizards Florida worm lizard – Rhineura floridana