Today's blog post is about Q&A, what questions are most
asked about reptiles. I have researched on the Internet and came up with the
following questions. I will do my best to answer them in this post. Of
course if anyone can think of any questions that they would like me to answer,
please comment below and I will add them into my next post.
1.
Are reptiles slimy? This is a question that I
have been asked frequently and the answer is no, reptiles are not slimy.
Reptiles have scales that reflect light and therefore makes them appear to look
slippery when in fact they are not like eels. They feel soft and dry and can be
a joy to handle. I highly recommend going to your nearest reptile shop and
holding one of their animals and find that you will be pleasantly surprised.
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| Indigo Snake |
2.
What will my reptile eat and
how often do I need
to feed them? All reptiles are different and depending on what your intending
to buy depends on what their food requirements are. Snakes for example will eat
frozen or live rodents and lizards will feed on vegetables and live insects. Time
between feedings can vary depending on your animal and size and weight need to
be considered. For example, most adult snakes will eat one large rodent every
10-14 days, whereas lizards need fresh vegetables daily and insects every
few days to build up their protein. All reptiles are different so it is highly
important to conduct your research. A valuable source of information regarding
feeding is care sheets and these can be found on many different websites. The
welfare of your animals is vital and a proper feeding regime should be adhered
to, so don't listen to ridiculous stories that snakes will only need fed once
per month.
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| Large Locust for lizards |
3.
Do reptiles make good pets? Yes and no. It really depends
on what reptile you are keeping or intend to buy. Some animals enjoy being
handled and others do not. I personally believe that all animals make good pets
as long as they have responsible owners who meet all their care requirements.
Also try to ensure that your reptile is captive bred as wild caught animals can
be more aggressive and harder to care for. Always research thoroughly before
purchasing any animal.
4.
How many types are there? According to the EMBL Reptile
Database there are approximately 8,240 species throughout the world. These are
divided in to 4 main groups. The CROCOPYLIA which has 23 types of species,
CHELONIA (turtles) with 307 species, SQUAMATA (lizards) with 4930 species and
SERPENTS with 2,978 different species. This does not include sub species and
tuatara.
5.
How did I start keeping
reptiles?
From a really young age, I have always admired reptiles especially snakes since they
can move with no arms or legs. I remember always watching programmes about
rattlesnakes and loving the noise that they made. I first held a reptile just over
a year ago after visiting a local reptile shop and they allowed me to hold a Burmese python and now I have three snakes and hope to add more to my
collection.
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| Example of a rack |
6. Where
do I keep a reptile? The
most common way to house a reptile is in a vivarium with a heat source. There
are many available on the market from wooden vivariums, rack systems to plastic
boxes and specialised glass tanks. There are also many different ways to add
heating which is vital for a cold blooded animal, and can range from heat mats
to cable and ceramic bulbs. It is important to research your animal to see what
size of housing you require and what is an ideal way to heat it. For example,
heavily bodied snakes may be better housed in a large vivarium with ceramic
bulb. Also check what bedding your animal needs and also what temperature is
required. A thermostat such as made by Microclimate is also important for regulating
temperatures to ensure your animal does not get too cold or overheat.
7. Do
snakes sting with their tongues? No snake tongues are forked so that they can fit into a
special organ called the Jacobson's organ and this allows the snake to smell by
flicking it's tongue. No snakes sting, although some are venomous and the venom
is injected via fangs. Not all snakes are venomous and many are harmless to be
around.
8. Is
an anaconda bigger than a reticulated python? While retics hold the record for being the longest breed of
snake, anacondas (the green anaconda) holds the record for being the biggest.
Reticulated pythons are the longest breed of snake with some reaching over 9
metres. Although the anaconda are more heavily bodied as they eat larger prey,
in fact everything about them is big! The largest specimen of anaconda was
recorded to be 11 metres which is impressive. Bare in mind an 11 metre
reticulated python can be dwarfed by an anaconda of the same size.
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| Green Anaconda |
9. What
is the biggest snake to ever live? Titanboa lived approximately 60-58 million years ago and is
the largest and heaviest snake ever to be discovered. Estimated to reach a
maximum length of 12-15 metres (40-50ft) and weighed 1,135kg (2,500lb). Found
in South America.
10.What
is the difference between reptiles and amphibians? Reptiles and amphibians are
two entirely different types of animals although do share some similarities.
Different types of reptile live on land or on both land and water. Amphibians
are born in water and spend most of their lives in water and also form larvae,
although when they grow into adults they usually live on both water and land.
Young amphibians breathe through gills whilst adults use lungs although some
adults may have both. Amphibians do not have scales like reptiles, they
generally have smooth bodies some species may be rough and leathery. Reptiles
are normally larger in size and include four groups of animals: snakes,
turtles, crocodiles and tuatara. Amphibians have three groups of animals:
frogs, toads and caecilians. Amphibians also undergo metamorphosis.
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| Toad |
For further information about reptiles, please look at some
of my previous posts. Click on the following links at the bottom of this post
to take you to the page. Also feel free to add your questions below and I will
answering them in upcoming Q&A posts.
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