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Herpkeeping Dos and Don'ts
There are basic rules to herpkeeping that all hobbyists should follow.
| Herpkeeping Dos |
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- Do research any animal you’re thinking about buying, to be sure you can care for it properly.
- Do have the enclosure set up before bringing a new herp home.
- Do quarantine new specimens before adding them to an enclosure containing other animals.
- Do set up a temperature gradient for reptiles, so they can thermoregulate.
- Do provide hiding places for your herps; this makes them feel secure. |
- Do pay attention to the cleanliness of your reptile enclosures, especially aquatic turtle tanks.
- Do try to find a reptile-knowledgeable veterinarian in your area.
- Do know how big an animal will be when full grown, especially if you’re thinking about buying a baby.
- Do provide UVB lighting for reptiles that are active in the daytime.
- Do consider joining a herp club or attending a herp expo. They’re fun!
- Do be sure your herp enclosures are escape-proof. | | |
| Herpkeeping Don'ts |
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- Don’t buy a reptile (or any animal) on impulse.
- Don’t try to scare people with your reptiles, especially if you own snakes. Act responsibly.
-Don’t handle all herps too often; many, such as day geckos, are better as display animals than pets that you should handle.
- Don’t keep animals that require different habitat types in the same enclosure.
- Don’t keep animals illegally.
- Don’t neglect your pets. Give them the attention they deserve by performing routine maintenance chores, such as cleaning their enclosures, feeding the proper foods, etc. |
- Don’t overfeed your animals. This can be unhealthy for them.
- Don’t release pets into the wild.
- Don’t keep more herps than you can reasonably care for. Avoid “collector-itis” if keeping many reptiles will mean they are neglected.
- Don’t purchase sick animals thinking you will take them home and make them well. Start out with healthy animals.
- Don’t handle reptiles, especially snakes, too soon after they have fed. | | |
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Herpkeeping Dos and Don'ts
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