Reptiles

Enclosure & lighting

Reptile enclosures must support a thermal gradient and species-appropriate UV. A bearded dragon needs a 4'x2'x2' enclosure with a basking spot, a cool side, and a 10-12% UVB tube spanning two-thirds of the length. A leopard gecko in the same footprint needs no UVB but does need multiple hides at different temperatures.

Temperature & humidity

Most husbandry failures come down to temperature. Use a digital thermometer with a probe at the basking surface — not a dial gauge stuck to the glass. Different species have very different humidity preferences (40% for a leopard gecko, 70%+ for a crested gecko); look up your species before you set up the enclosure.

Diet

Reptile diet varies enormously: insectivores (geckos, most monitors) need live, gut-loaded, calcium-dusted insects; omnivores (bearded dragons) need a shifting balance of insects and greens that changes with age; obligate herbivores (most tortoises) eat dark leafy greens and species-specific weeds. Never assume.

Handling

Many reptiles tolerate handling but few enjoy it. Keep sessions short, support the body fully, and learn the species' stress signals (gaping, tail-thrashing, rapid breathing). Snakes recently fed should not be handled for 48 hours. Always wash hands before and after — both for your safety and theirs.

Common mistakes

• Substituting heat rocks for proper basking lamps — they cause severe burns
• Skipping UVB for diurnal species, leading to metabolic bone disease
• Co-housing reptiles that are solitary in the wild (most snakes, most monitors)
• Feeding insects that weren't gut-loaded with calcium and a varied diet
• Underestimating adult size — that cute baby iguana becomes a 6-foot animal