Ball Pythons 

Description:

They are considered to be gentle and curious snakes. They reach between 4 - 6 feet ( 1.2 - 1.5 meters ) with females growing larger. They reach sexual maturity in three to five years. Female will lay 4 - 10 eggs and remains with them without feeding until they hatch. The eggs hatch after about 3 months. They will become active and explore at night, and although they feel comfortable climbing staying high up in branches is not their favorite activity. They prefer small tight places where they can feel safe and comfortable.

Lifespan:

hey live on average more than 25 years. 

Diet:

In the wild they eat amphibians, lizards, other snakes, birds and small mammals, but in captivity feed mostly on mice and rats. Many people prefer feeding their ball pythons frozen or prekilled rodents, but there is also a large number that feed their snakes live food. In such case the snake should never be left alone with the mice or rat. Leaving it unsupervised may lead to the snake being bitten, severely injured or even killed.

Red Foots Tortoise

Life Span:

Red footed tortoises live up to 50 years, possibly longer.

Size:

Red footed tortoises often reach a length of 10-14 inches, although they can be larger (16 inches or more). A slightly smaller "dwarf" variety is also being sold, commonly called the cherry-head that only attains a length of 10 - 12 inches as an adult. They can reach weights up to 30 pounds.

Feeding:

In the wild, red footed tortoises are omnivores and eat a wider range of foods than many other tortoises. It is important to not overfeed animal protein, though; one very small serving of moistened low fat cat food or lean meat (e.g. 1 ounce for a full grown red foot) every 1-2 weeks is enough. A variety of fresh leafy greens (dandelion greens, endive, mustard greens, escarole; not lettuce, spinach or kale), vegetables, and fruits should also be fed.

Housing:

Outdoors-This species is tropical and prefers a humid climate. A sturdy escape-proof enclosure can be provided, and a sprinkler or mister can be used to increase the humidity if needed. A muddy wallow will be used by this tortoise, as will a pan of water. An area densely planted with vegetation provides a cool retreat.

Indoors-A large enclosure is needed - 4 feet by 6 feet or larger. Cypress bark as a substrate helps retain humidity, although paper will work and is easy to clean. A UVA/UVB is necessary indoors, and the enclosure should be heated, with a basking spot of 95 F (35 C) and a gradient from about 80-90 F (27-32 C). Nightime temperatures can drop to about 75 F (24 C). A pan of water should be provided and the enclosure should be kept humid. A hide should be placeed at the cool end of the enclosure.

Savannah Baby

 Uromastyx

General Characteristics:

Some can be shy, while others can be quite tame.

Social Behavior:

Most lizards are territorial, which means that the male and sometimes the female will defend an area from members of the same species, or even other species. Often, in captivity, two male lizards will fight openly. Even if aggression is not overt, the submissive male can be adversely affected.  Uromastyx males should always be housed separately.

Caging:

Cages can consist of glass aquariums, metal stock tanks, or wooden boxes. Sand, dirt, and newspaper are often used for substrate. Utility mats can also be used; these are inexpensive and convenient, because they can be machine-washed when soiled. Rocks or other objects should be placed in the cage to allow climbing and basking sites. Any heavy objects, such as rocks, must be securely anchored, or the lizard will burrow underneath--causing the rock to fall and crush it. Hide boxes provide the animals with a sense of security, and are especially important for gravid females.

Temperature:

These lizards are adapted to hot desert conditions. The cage should have a daytime hot basking spot where the temperature exceeds 120ºF.  However, the lizard must be able to retreat to areas in the low 90's. Incandescent spotlights can provide hot basking spots. The wattage selected depends upon the size of the cage.  Nighttime temperatures should be less that the daytime highs. Temperatures should be allowed to drop into the mid 60's F.

Lighting:

Ultraviolet light is believed to be important for most lizards. Unfiltered sunlight (i.e. not through glass) is the best sources of ultraviolet light, and lizards should always be exposed to sun whenever possible.

Diet:

Young animals will more readily accept insects such as waxworms, crickets, and superworms, which should be offered three or four times per week. The following vegetables should be offered: kale, collard greens, mustard greens, sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, corn, and green peas. In addition, dandelion greens, alfalfa, grass, and flowers can be added to the diet. Beans such as split peas, lentils, navy beans, and others should also be provided. Some of these beans can be sprouted prior to feeding. Bird seed should also be mixed in with the salad. A reptile vitamin containing calcium should be sprinkled on the salad, or sprayed on the lizard externally.

Lifespan:

Leopard Gecko

Description:

The leopard gecko is a cream to yellow colored lizard with black spots and/or stripes similar to the markings of a leopard attaining a total length of 6 to 9 inches. However, selective breeding in captivity has produced different color morphs, including high yellow, tangerine, striped, patternless (no spots or stripes), lavender, blizzard (which are solid white or gray), and albino (no black pigments in markings) in addition to some captive specimens measuring 11 or more inches in length.

Diet:

Leopard geckos are primarily insectivorous, feeding on insects, spiders, crickets, grubs, and worms. They will also eat smaller lizards, small snakes (although rarely) and even pinky mice(baby mice) if the gecko is large enough.

Lifespan:

The Leopard gecko has a life span in captivity of 10 to 15 years.

Cage & Habitat:

Baby Corn Snakes

African Tiger Leg

Description:

The tiger leg leaf frog gets it’s name from the Asian tiger stripes all around it’s legs.  One may have taken its name from an African cat since its markings look a lot like leopard skin.

Diet:

Small crickets are the staple diet.  They are dusted and offered after dark, during the frogs active period. 

Housing:

Tomato Frog

Description:

When threatened, a tomato frog puffs up its body. If a predator grabs a tomato frog in its mouth, the frog's skin secretes a thick substance that gums up the predator's eyes and mouth, causing the predator to release the frog to free up its eyes. The gummy substance contains a toxin that occasionally causes allergic reactions in humans. The allergic reaction will not kill a human and the frog secretes it only when frightened. Females are larger than males and can reach 4 inches in length. Males can reach 2 to 3 inches in length.Most females range from reddish-orange bright dark red. The bellies are usually more yellowish, and sometimes there are black spots on the throat.

Lifespan:

The lifespan of the Tomato Frog can be from 6 to 8 years.

Diet:

Adult frogs should be fed every other day. They will eat large crickets, meal worms, meal worm beetles, earthworms, small pinkie mice and fly larvae. Adults can eat from 9 - 12 crickets in one feeding. Young frogs should be fed every day. They will eat small crickets, fruit flies, small sow bugs (pill bugs ) and freshly shed small meal worms.

Housing:

Poison Dart Frog

Description:

Most poison dart frogs have brightly colored skin which is used as a warning sign to predators. These frogs can be very small, ranging from one to six centimeters in length, depending on the age, sex, and the species of the frog. They are mostly common in tropical humid environments. Poison dart frogs excrete alkaloid toxins through their skin. Most species are not lethal to their predators, but rather taste foul enough that frogs are released immediately. Dart frogs also do not synthesize their poisons. The alkaloids are sequestered from prey items, such as ants and mites. Because of this, captive bred animals do not contain significant levels of toxin.

Lifespan:

Estimates range from 3 to 15 years in the wild and up to 20 years in captivity.

Diet:

 Hermit Crabs

Description:

Most species of hermit crabs have long soft abdomens which are protected from predators by the adaptation of carrying around a salvaged empty seashell, into which the whole crab's body can retract. Most frequently hermit crabs utilize the shells of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks. Hermit crabs live in the wild in colonies of 100 or more, and do not thrive in smaller numbers.

Lifespan:

Hermit crabs potentially may live 10-30 years with proper care.

Diet:

It is also smart to feed your hermit carrots which helps maintain their exoscheletons. But be careful of how much you feed them because you might turn them orange! They eat both plant and animal materials. Commercial hermit crab diets available are considered appropriate for feeding your hermit crab. Do not overfeed your hermit crabs and removed any spoiled or moldy food. Offer some fresh vegetables and fruits as treats, but remove any uneaten portions by the next day to prevent spoilage.

Cage Setup:

 Iguana 2'

Fat Tail Gecko

Fat Tail Gecko-

Bearded Dragons

Diet:

Baby bearded dragons require a lot o food to support their rapid growth rate. Between the first 3-6 weeks, feed your baby dragon about 2-3 times a day. Cricket, veggies, and greens can be used while watering can be done once or twice daily. It is rule of thumb that the food you will feed them must be about half the size as the distance between his eyes.

Housing:

The recommended size is a 10 gallon aquarium for a newly hatched dragon, while a 20 gallon tank is needed in the next six months due to your baby dragon's speedy growth. When your bearded dragon reaches adulthood, the size should be changed to a 50 gallon tank to provide enough space for basking, exercise and growth.

Temperature:

Provide temperature control in your baby dragon's tank. This can be done by using a temperature gradient. There should a spot warm enough for the baby dragon to bask and lie in and there should be a spot humid enough to answer to the dragon's need for water. Baby bearded dragons need water both as a drink and in the air to aid their growth in the first months of their life. Lack of humidity in the air can actually cause your baby dragon to shed.

Lighting:

Provide UV light. The light should imitate the one given off by the sun as this helps in your baby dragon's digestion. Working in a way much like photosynthesis, UV light encourages healthy digestion in your dragon.

Handeling:

Handle your dragon daily. This will develop their trust towards humans and build their bond with you. Just make sure that you are gentle in handling them and that you never pick them up them up with their tail. They dislike this and will make them thrash about, which is harmful for your baby dragon. You may choose to scoop them up with your cupped hands.

Descriptions:

Bearded Dragons have broad triangular heads and flattened bodies, with adults reaching approximately 18 to 24 inches head-to-tail.

Lifespan:

Dragons live about 10-15 years with proper care in captivity, though some can live up to 20 years old.

Personality:

Red Tail Boa

Description:

Red-tail boas top out at a theoretical 12 feet.  We usually see adults that average 6 to 8 feet long.

Lifespan:

On average 20 - 30 years.

Housing:

Select an enclosure especially designed for housing snakes, such as those with the combination fixed screen/hinged glass top. All snakes are escape artists; Boas are especially powerful and can easily break out of a tank sealed with a board and a couple of bricks. A good starter tank for a hatchling is a 20 gallon tank. After the first couple of years, you will have to build your own enclosure out of wood and glass or Plexiglas or purchase a tank made by producers of large reptile enclosures.

Diet:

Jackson Chameleons

Description:

These are small to medium sized chameleons. Their adult size is 12 inches (30 cm) in total length. They have a saw-tooth shaped dorsal ridge. There is no gullar crest. They attain maturity after five months. The colouring is usually bright green, with some individual animals having traces of blue and yellow, but like all chameleons it changes quickly depending on mood, health, and temperature.

Diet:

Jackson's chameleons live primarily on a diet of small insects. Commercially raised insects such as crickets or Madagascan roaches may be fed daily. Occasionally you may want to feed wax worms or mealworms. It is important to vary the diet because chameleons can become bored with the same diet and may refuse to eat if fed the same diet over a period of time. The babies may be fed pinhead crickets and fruit flies. The babies should be misted four to five times a day. All insects should be dusted before being fed and just like the adults the young should be provided a basking spot and this may be achieved with a clamp lamp and a sixty watt bulb over the enclosure.

Lifespan:

Yellow Belly Turtle

Description:

Male 5 to 8" long, Female  8" to 13" long.

Lifespan:

up to 38 years in captivity.

Diet:

Yellow bellied sliders are omnivorous, eating aquatic plants, fish, insects and carrion, although adult females are largely herbivorous and young and adult males are more carnivorous. In captivity, you can use small feeder fish as well as commercially bred insects such as meal worms, wax worms and crickets as treats. Commercial turtle food and chopped vegetables round out a nutritionally complete diet along with the treats.

Housing:

Rose Hair Tarantula

Description:

Rose hair tarantulas are a fairly slow growing species, taking up to 4 years to reach maturity. Adults will range in size, but the average leg span is 4 to 5 inches, with the occasional female getting slightly larger.

Lifespan:

As with all tarantulas, females outlive their male counterparts considerably. When males reach sexual maturity (indicated by the presence of physical sexual characteristics after a final molt) their life is nearly over. Unfortunately males of this species seldom live more than 4 or 5 years. Females however, can easily live to be 15 years old, and 20 year old rose hairs are not unheard of.

Diet:

A small, shallow water dish should always be present. Some sources indicate that standing water is not necessary, as the tarantulas will ignore it. Rose hair tarantulas will eat a wide variety of invertebrate prey, as well as the occasional pinky mouse. Crickets, mealworms, waxworms, and roaches should all be included in a balanced diet for this species. Additional supplementation of the prey items is not required, but the food items should be gut-loaded prior to being fed off. These tarantulas will eat 3 to 5 large crickets a week, or a similar amount of other prey items. Food should be offered at least twice a week, and uneaten prey should be removed after 24 hours. Some rose hairs will eat more, and some will eat less. It is not uncommon for them to gorge themselves for several feedings and then to fast for up to a month.

Housing:

Small plastic “Kritter keepers” and 2 to 5 gallon glass terrariums are ideal. Glass enclosures are more desirable due to the ease of heating them during cooler months. Lighting is not necessary for tarantulas. In fact, most species shun bright light, and are more likely to be observed doing natural behaviors if the lighting is gentle and dim. Rose hair tarantulas do best when kept around 80 degrees, but a few degrees warmer or cooler is fine. If the room where you intend to keep your pet is cooler than this, then the use of an under tank heat pad is recommended.

Handeling:

Many people do handle their rose hair tarantulas, and as long as it is done carefully, respectfully, and infrequently, no harm will come to the animal.

Pac Man Frogs

Description:

Can grow to 8 inches. The females are larger than the males.

Lifespan:

Normally around 6 years. Have lived up to 12 years in captivity.

Diet:

Not real picky.  If it moves, Pac Man frogs will try to eat it.  If it will fit in their cavernous mouth, they will swallow it.  For this reason, we prefer to use smaller gravels or sand as a substrate, since they eat gravel when eagerly grabbing their prey.  They can pass the smaller gravel through their digestive system more easily.  Most try to spit out any gravel accidentally ingested.  Others try to scrape it out with their front feet.  And remember, Pac Mans eat other Pac Mans. You can dust their crickets or earthworms. If you feed them an occasional goldfish or small rodent, you probably don’t need supplements. Provide enough water to keep your frog wet (or at least moist).

Housing:

Room temp okay 80 or better. Most Pac Man frogs appear on the market about the size of a quarter -- some as small as a nickel.  Within half a year, they can grow to 5 or 6 inches.  Give them a 10-gallon tank.  Since they cannot jump very far because of their heavy weight, you will not need a cover.

Handling: