by Ava Marin

Created on: March 20, 2007   Last Updated: July 04, 2009

This title is something of a misnomer. Reptiles don't entirely make the best pets. This is the reason that the Florida Everglades are being invaded by Burmese Pythons not indigenous to the area. When reptiles get too big and hard to care for, unfortunately, many of their owners simply let them go into the wild.

Still, adults and children find these creatures interesting and amazing and truth be told, they are at times. Iguanas are probably one of the most popular pet reptiles. Of all the reptiles, they probably have the most "personality." Having worked for a veterinarian office whose patients were exclusively exotics, I recall iguanas coming in on a daily basis. Some iguana owners would talk about their pet as if it were a dog. One client told of how her iguana loves to watch TV and sits on the couch with her. She was well educated as to the unique needs of iguanas and hers was a healthy one. Cases like that were few and far between in my experience at this very busy exotic pet hospital.

Anybody interested in purchasing a reptile for themselves or their children should consider these factors:

Reptiles are cold-blooded and need heat for their bodies to function. They won't want to eat and they cannot digest without reaching the proper temperatures. This means the owner must provide a heat source underneath the reptile and a heat lamp above. The lamp above needs to be turned off at night so the reptile can have a sense of day and night. This is also important to it's body's rhythms.

Some reptiles eat only meat which means buying crickets and worms for it regularly or some owners may choose to raise their own crickets which is more cost effective. The reptiles who eat greens, fruits and veggies need to have a fresh "salad" prepared for them on daily basis. This can be a pain. If you don't like making a salad for yourself everyday, you may not enjoy doing it for a reptile.

The substrate beneath the reptiles needs to be very specific. Sand is usually not a good substrate for any animal; even the ones who live in sand in the wild. It can get ingested and clog up their digestive systems usually resulting in death. The best substrate is a piece of indoor/outdoor carpet with a hiding place and some sphagnum moss or a piece of Tupperware turned upside-down with a hole cut in the side for lizard to crawl in. Obviously as the reptile gets bigger, and it will, the size of the enclosure has to increase as well. Some folks who are really dedicated to their reptiles have had to build large elaborate enclosures for their pets as they grew.

Many smaller species of lizards only grow to a certain size and those are probably the best ones to start with if one plans on becoming a reptile enthusiast. All reptiles need heat and real sunlight as well. An ultra-violet light is a nice substitute but there is nothing like the real thing. Reptiles should be allowed to bask in the sun if it is feasible outside the home environment. Sunlight coming through the windows doesn't count. The most common reptile health problem seen by exotic veterinarians is, without a doubt, calcium and phosphorous deficiency. This is a serious problem that can cause the reptiles bones to weaken and even fuse the spine into a crooked appearance.

It is sad to see this and a sure sign that the pet was not well cared for because the owner wasn't well informed. I hope this little article will help folks understand all that's involved in caring for reptiles. There is so much more to know. There are different signs of illness for turtles and tortoises. There is debate whether to feed snakes live or killed food. There is so much more to know so please get informed, talk to people, talk to vets, and read, read, read.

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