{"id":3363,"date":"2020-08-06T13:04:00","date_gmt":"2020-08-06T17:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dupontvet.com\/blog\/?p=3363"},"modified":"2020-08-06T13:04:00","modified_gmt":"2020-08-06T17:04:00","slug":"the-skinny-on-the-scaly-the-best-in-basic-reptile-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dupontvet.com\/blog\/the-skinny-on-the-scaly-the-best-in-basic-reptile-care\/","title":{"rendered":"The Skinny on the Scaly: The Best in Basic Reptile Care"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dupontvet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/iStock-144235407-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3367\" width=\"400\" height=\"267\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dupontvet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/iStock-144235407-1.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.dupontvet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/iStock-144235407-1-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Reptiles are fun, interesting, unusual, and intelligent. While not as fluffy or playful as other household pets, snakes, lizards and turtles can bring a lot of joy to owners of various experience levels.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For many people with allergies to feathers or fur, reptiles offer a great alternative to traditional pet ownership. Plus, when done right, it can be gratifying to take part in reptile care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reptile care can be challenging but gratifying. It is highly specific and requires close attention to detail.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s what any new or prospective reptile parent needs to know on basic reptile care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Being Realistic About Reptiles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Reptile care presents certain challenges to inexperienced caregivers. Each reptile species is a little different, but the following components generally apply:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Habitat \u2013 <\/strong>Most reptiles need a certain amount of clean, dry space to call their own, while some reptile species are aquatic. As they grow you may have to upgrade their housing to accommodate them. Some snakes can grow several feet during their lives, and their enclosure is an important aspect to the long term health. Also, do not place your reptile\u2019s cage in a place where the temperature will fluctuate, as many reptiles have specific temperature needs.&nbsp;<\/li><li><strong>Temperature \u2013 <\/strong>Since they cannot regulate their body temperature, heat and humidity must be carefully balanced in a reptile enclosure. There are some great kits that help reptile owners thermally control their pet\u2019s habitat that include special UVA and UVB bulbs.<\/li><li><strong>Nutrition \u2013 <\/strong>Depending on your reptile, you may have to supply live diets, such as crickets or mice. Some reptiles are strictly vegetarian, in case feeding live animals to your pet isn\u2019t for you. Also, specific requirements in their diet must be carefully monitored to ensure they receive all their vitamins and minerals.<\/li><li><strong>Cleanliness \u2013 <\/strong>Top notch hygiene is mandatory in reptile care. Unfortunately, because they can be asymptomatic carriers of Salmonella bacteria, it\u2019s critical that their cage or habitat is washed regularly. Always disinfect your hands thoroughly afterwards.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Special Handling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Some reptile owners have worked closely with their pets in order to be able to hold them for long periods of time. As a general rule, many reptiles don\u2019t appreciate this and it can be downright dangerous if you hold them high off the ground. Limited touching or holding may be accepted over time, but only when they don\u2019t feel frightened or threatened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Reptile Care, All Day Long<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Always do the research on your reptile&#8217;s specific requirements before purchasing the animal and seek a qualified veterinarian to examine the pet as soon as you bring it home. We are happy to provide the highest caliber of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dupontvet.com\/wellness-care\/exotics.html\">reptile care<\/a>. Please <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dupontvet.com\/#contact-footer\">let us know<\/a> if you have any questions regarding your scaly pet\u2019s health, hygiene, diet or home. We\u2019re always here for you at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dupontvet.com\/\">Dupont Veterinary Clinic.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Reptiles are fun, interesting, unusual, and intelligent. While not as fluffy or playful as other household pets, snakes, lizards and turtles can bring a lot of joy to owners of various experience levels.&nbsp; For many people with allergies to feathers or fur, reptiles offer a great alternative to traditional pet ownership. Plus, when done right, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[271,214],"tags":[269,375,376],"class_list":["post-3363","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-exotic-pets","category-pet-health-wellness","tag-exotic-pet-wellness","tag-reptile-care","tag-reptile-health"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Skinny on the Scaly: The Best in Basic Reptile Care | Dupont Veterinary Clinic<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dupontvet.com\/blog\/the-skinny-on-the-scaly-the-best-in-basic-reptile-care\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Skinny on the Scaly: The Best in Basic Reptile Care | Dupont Veterinary Clinic\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Reptiles are fun, interesting, unusual, and intelligent. While not as fluffy or playful as other household pets, snakes, lizards and turtles can bring a lot of joy to owners of various experience levels.&nbsp; For many people with allergies to feathers or fur, reptiles offer a great alternative to traditional pet ownership. Plus, when done right, [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.dupontvet.com\/blog\/the-skinny-on-the-scaly-the-best-in-basic-reptile-care\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Dupont Veterinary Clinic\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-08-06T17:04:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.dupontvet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/iStock-144235407.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Dupont Veterinary Clinic\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Dupont Veterinary Clinic\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dupontvet.com\/blog\/the-skinny-on-the-scaly-the-best-in-basic-reptile-care\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dupontvet.com\/blog\/the-skinny-on-the-scaly-the-best-in-basic-reptile-care\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Dupont Veterinary Clinic\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dupontvet.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2a149393fa10716f5f5b1c1cd4305f4a\"},\"headline\":\"The Skinny on the Scaly: The Best in Basic Reptile Care\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-08-06T17:04:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dupontvet.com\/blog\/the-skinny-on-the-scaly-the-best-in-basic-reptile-care\/\"},\"wordCount\":487,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dupontvet.com\/blog\/the-skinny-on-the-scaly-the-best-in-basic-reptile-care\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.dupontvet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/iStock-144235407-1.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Exotic Pet Wellness\",\"Reptile Care\",\"Reptile Health\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Exotic Pets\",\"Pet Health &amp; 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