Tortoises

Today's post is all about tortoises and why they make great pets. Tortoises are hard shelled reptiles that grow large and live for a very long time. The typical size of a tortoise depends on the breed but expect this to be between 6 and 26 inches although they can grow larger than this. You should take this into consideration when purchasing a tortoise as, even though they grow slow, they do grow the most within the first 5 years after birth.

As with all reptiles, tortoises can become stressed, especially after just being introduced to a new home. This should last around a day and they may go off their food within this time period. In order to make the tortoise feel more at home, soak the reptile in warm water.

African Spur Tortoise

Enclosure

If you live in the UK, the chances are you will want to keep your tortoise indoors to avoid the cold weather. Enclosures will need to be considered in this case. A baby tortoise would be happy with 3 square feet of space. Furthermore, consider the type of enclosure you are getting: if it is a glass tank then you may want to place a piece of paper over the lower front of the glass as the tortoise will not realise it is glass and will persist to try to walk through it. Glass that is 'foggy' or frosted works well while still being aesthetically pleasing. An alternative would be a tortoise table which is essentially an open top enclosure that has a hide and a 'run' for the tortoise to get exercise. The walls for this type of enclosure seem low but a baby tortoise will not be able to climb over it.

Yellowfoot Tortoise

Substrate

When it comes to substrate, you must take into consideration the breed of tortoise you have as they all require different humidity and therefore, different substrate. If your tortoise requires mid to high humidity, you can choose substrate such as coconut coir, sphagnum moss, and peat moss. If your tortoise is more used to a desert environment, select a substrate such as dry hay or grass clippings. Shredded paper can also be used if you wish to be economical. Many people use flat paper and while this would be a cheap option for the keeper, it would not stimulate the animal as well as some other substrate. Avoid using sand as there is a risk of the tortoise ingesting it.

Tortoise Table

Lighting and Heating

Like some other reptiles, tortoises require a UV-B source. This provides the tortoise with the tools needed to process and absorb it's food. They also need a spot bulb to give the tortoise heat. Temperatures would depend on the species but a 40w - 60w bulb would be fine for a 3-4 square foot enclosure. Take in mind, you do need to drop the temperature for night time and if the enclosure is within direct sunlight, try to mimic what the temperature would be as the sun goes down. Make sure the temperature does not drop less than 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Enclosure Decorations

'Furniture' for the enclosure can be purchased but unlike lizards and snakes, tortoises do not require tunnels etc, but instead, prefer rocks for them to walk around and climb on. You can also use rocks as a sort of pavement in order to file the tortoises nails down. Also, ensure large and heavy objects are on the floor of the enclosure with the substrate placed around it, to avoid the tortoise injuring itself if it goes digging. Do NOT get fake plants or greenery as the colour will attract the tortoise to the artificial plant as a food source. 

Horsefield Tortoise

Hides

Tortoises require hides in order to feel secure. A humid hide should also be placed in their enclosure as this will keep their shell growth smooth and will prevent 'pyramiding' of their shell. It is recommended that you provide fresh water for the tortoise so it does not dehydrate. Baby tortoises should also be bathed in warm water at least twice a week. 

Diet

A tortoise will eat a mixture of leafy greens that you can purchase from a supermarket. Babies especially require calcium added to their diet to aid the growth of bones and shell. Ensure you do your research into the dietary requirements for your species of tortoise.

A Tortoise Enjoying a Meal

If you find that your tortoise is acting odd, check the conditions of their enclosure, in particular, the humidity and anything that could be stressful for the reptile. Don't forget, they count on you to stay alive.

Adult Sulcata Tortoise

 

Starter Snakes

When you have an interest in snakes and wish to purchase one, you may come across conflicting information about what is the best snake to start with. Many reptile keepers will advise you to get corn snakes or a royal python. I will try my best to make this post unbiased.

Firstly I would advise going to your local reptile shop and try handling various snakes to see what you feel most comfortable with. For anyone nervous or slightly scared of snakes, I would recommend holding something smaller, for example, a sand boa or corn snake. Don't be shy about asking to hold different sized animal. Some people may find larger snakes easier to handle as they are not as quick.

Kenyan Sand Boa

Secondly I recommend doing some research. There are many ways to conduct research, from reading blogs, looking at care sheets online and even buying books/lending from your local library. It is vital to know what size your snake will grow to and what housing requirements they have. There have been many cases of people buying a snake such as a reticulated python and then dumping it because it has become too large and hard to handle.

Burmese Python

After finding out more information about various snakes and their requirements, it should be easier to make a decision to what will suit you. Also, try talking to different reptile keepers and breeders as the information and help they provide is invaluable.

Blue Beauty

A few snakes that I would recommend holding are: royal pythons, corn snakes, sand boas, rat snakes, milk snakes, blue beauties, red tailed boa and burmese pythons to mention a few. There are so many options to choose from as well as colours and morphs. It is really important to find what suits you as an individual. 

Red Tail Boa

 

Corn Snake

Corn Snakes

The second post for the day focuses on corn snakes. For me, corn snakes are simply adorable. My first snake I got was a snow corn and she is beautiful who brings me so much joy. They're easy to handle and make great starter snakes that do not require a lot of care.

An adult corn snake reaches around 5-6ft in length but unlike pythons, corns are thinly bodied. This means that when you consider how you will heat their vivarium, a heat mat would do the job. They are native to North America and are related to the Rat Snake. Don't forget to ensure that the heat mat is roughly one third of the total floor space of the tank. Females can be housed together although not everyone would agree with this.

Crimson

The most popular form of bedding for corn snakes is aspen shavings. This should be around one inch deep in the vivarium. Ensure that the heat mat is protected by either glass or perspex, assuming the vivarium is wooden. They require a temperature at the hot end of 30 - 32⁰C and a humidity reading of around 50%, increasing this when they are in shed if needs be. Clean water daily is essential for corns as it is with all snakes. Adding to the vivarium requirements: hiding areas are also needed for the snake to feel secure. You should place at least 2 hides in your viv, one at the hot end and one at the cold end. 

Snowy

Unlike royals, corn snakes do not typically have problem sheds. If they do, it is due to stress. The most important parts to check after a shed is the snake's head and tail tip. If they do have a problem shed, raise the humidity in their viv and give them a bath in luke warm water. This will soften the shed and make it easier to come off.

When it comes to feeding, corn snakes are not fussy and will eat mice. These prey items need to be thawed at room temperature and I wait two hours for them to thaw out before offering them to my corns. Offer the food to the snake by dangling the mouse in front of the animal using tongs. This usually insights interest almost instantaneous and will provoke a feeding response. Please see below for videos.

 

Corn snakes make great pets because they are very easy to look after. They also handle well, reluctant to bite and are very forgiving for beginners if you make a mistake. Furthermore, they come in a wide range of morphs and colours to choose from. They're great to show off to friends and family.

Royal / Ball Pythons

After noticing yesterday that I have not explained thoroughly about the types of snakes that I own and work with daily, I think it is time to do two posts: one about royals and the other corns. This should be an easy post as I will not have to do much research!

Royal Pythons make impressive pets for owners that do not wish to work with one of the larger breeds of python. They generally max out at around five feet but are heavily bodied animals and can weigh around 1600g+. Females grow bigger than males due to egg laying. Alongside being a great size of snake to work with, ball pythons come in many colours and there are hundreds of morphs available.

Pastel Royal

Setting Up

The setup needed for a royal python consists of a vivarium that should be the correct size for the animal as a too large of space will add stress for the animal. My royal python Blaze is currently 300g and about 2ft in length and I have him in a 24 x 15 inch enclosure. Generally adults will require a vivarium around 3ft x 1ft. You can also keep your animals in a rack system and this is generally made of wood and the enclosures are plastic boxes, like vivariums they need to be sized accordingly for your reptile. 

All reptiles need a heat source to regulate their body temperature. There are a few different methods for heating a reptiles enclosure. One of the most common is a heat mat, which is used for lots of snakes, mostly colubrids. This is what I use alongside a Microclimate thermostat. Other heat sources include: heat cable and ceramic heater. Ceramic heaters are commonly in bulb form, so therefore could not be used with a rack system. Always ensure that you control all heat with a thermostat and that you use the correct heating method for your reptile.

Super Chocolate Royal

Royals are native to Africa and therefore need high temperatures and high humidity. I keep my royal's hot spot at 32⁰C. The humidity has to be around 50%-60% although this will need to be increased when the snake is in shed to around 70%. I would strongly recommend having a digital temperature and humidity reader in your vivariums.

Lemonblast Royal

A place for a royal python to hide is essential for making the animal feel secure during the day. I have two placed in my tank, one on the hot spot and another on the cool side. During shed use the cool hide to house sphagnum moss in order to raise the humidity. As pythons have trouble shedding due to their heat pits. Furthermore, they need a fresh water source that should be changed as often as possible. Be aware that sometimes ball pythons have a habit of going to the toilet in the water dish. If this happens, wash and sterilize the water dish thoroughly before refilling with clean water. 

Angel of Death Royal

Feeding

When it comes to feeding, royals are notorious for problem feeds. This is more prominent during the breeding season and shedding process. Some pythons are just darn right fussy! In order to properly prepare the food item for a royal, steps need to be taken. You need to thaw the frozen rodent (usually a rat) in warm water for an hour. Once the hour is over, place the rat into hot water but not overly hot nor boiling. You should be able to put your hand into the water without hurting yourself. Leave the rat in there for around 10-15 minutes. Dry the rat off (if required) and offer it to the python. To avoid injury to yourself, you can use tongs or forceps to grab the rat. 

The method of feeding is also important. It is very important not to irritate the snake with the prey item so do not slap the rat against the snake's head! Simply dangle/move the rat in front of the snake in order to provoke a strike. See the video below as a reference.

There are many ways to coax a fussy eater into eating:

1. Braining the rodent by making incisions into the head of the prey item. The scent of the brain can increase the royal's appetite.
2. Feeding in the dark provides a royal with extra security. Pythons are nocturnal and hunt at night so by providing a dark environment for them to eat will simulate natural conditions. 
3. If you use a separate box to feed your python in, try placing one of the hides into the feeding box. Again, this provides extra security for the python.
4. Leaving the rodent overnight in the snake's vivarium, on the heat mat, may increase the appetite by allowing privacy for the animal.
5. By dipping the rat into warm chicken broth, you provide a scent that may excite your snake, therefore making them want to eat. For some reason, they like the scent of chicken. 
6. You can try changing their food item to the likes of mice or gerbils, etc as the snake may simply become bored of it's food.
7. If your snake continues to be stubborn and not feed for three weeks or more, this is the time period to begin to worry. In the circumstance that your snake is losing weight drastically, you may need to consider assist feeding. This is more common in baby royals and should be undertaken by a professional. Not recommended personally.
8. The last resort is live feeding. Some reptile owners have reported that their snakes ONLY eat live food. This is a center of some controversy as live prey items can injure the snake or even kill the snake. I personally, would refuse to feed my snakes live food and believe that with the right method, all snakes will eat frozen thawed prey.

Pastel Candy Royal

Handling Your Balls

When it comes to handling, it is vital that the royal knows you are not prey. To do this, I use the 'tapping' technique which involves lightly stroking the snake a few times before lifting them from their vivarium. Always ensure you lift the snake from behind and not from in front as royals are head shy. Once you have them lifted, avoid touching their head. Placing your hand too close to their head will cause them to dart back/away from you. Think of how you would feel, if a giant were to pick off your home's roof and lift you high in the air. 

Personally, I find royals a joy to keep. They are impressive snakes and don't grow too big so they are easy to handle. I must admit, I am very tempted to get more royals. You can view these previous posts that you may find useful;

Different Morphs 

Feeding Guide 

Heating Information