Are My Twin-Striped Plated Lizard Eggs Fertile?
If your lizard lays eggs, set up an incubator with a moist medium for the eggs. Make sure to leave them in the same position you found them when you transfer them to the incubator.
Beginner Questions
The Vet Report: Salmonella In Reptiles
In the 1970s, red-eared sliders were so popular in the pet trade that they were actually raised in human sewage ponds —hence the source of the Salmonella
Caiman Are For Expert Reptile Keepers
Caiman, even of the dwarf variety will grow very large, and as such are only to be kept by experienced reptile keepers.
Herp Queries: Difficulty Seeing Reptiles In Their Zoo Enclosures
If you can't see a particular reptile in its enclosure at the zoo, don't be shy to ask for help in spotting it.
When Will My Russian Tortoise Learn How To Mate?
Do you have any advice to share about a good way to tell if a successful mating has occurred?
Reptile Roadkill
Very few studies on herp road kill numbers exist, however, and they don’t exist for the U.S. as a whole.
Can A Reptile Be Partially Albino?
Gulf Coast box turtles and alligator snapping turtles are two turtles in which males sometimes lose pigment on their heads when fully mature.
Photographing Reptiles Behind Glass Enclosures
When photographing reptiles behind glass, let the flash strike it from an angle of 15 degrees off the perpendicular or greater.
Herp Queries: Reptile Shows And Germs
Have young ones wash their hands after touching herps, or any animals for that matter. Most all tables at the shows have antibacterial disinfectant for use.
Is There A Snake That Does Not Bite?
People entering the herp hobby via a pet retailer often assume that if it’s for sale to the public, then it must be tame. Don’t assume that any animal will never bite.
Are Gila Monsters And Chuckwallas Look-Alike Lizards?
Chuckwallas (Sauromalus ater) resemble Gila monsters (Heloderma suspectum) in appearance, although to what degree depends largely on your prior exposure to seeing both in real life.
Bearded Dragon Won’t Drink
Bearded dragons prefer to lick droplets off the walls of their enclosure rather than drink from a bowl.
Herp Queries: Photo Critique Concerns When Shooting Reptiles
If you post pictures in a public forum, I’m afraid you’re stuck accepting (not necessarily cheerfully) whatever comments accrue.
Herp Queries: Something About Skinks
Most skinks native to the United States are small (under 6 inches in total length) and tend to be of the long, slender body conformation.
Herp Queries: Use Good Judgment With Children And Reptiles
It’s necessary for kids to learn such things “gently” in order to dodge more serious ones that will surely come along later in life.
Reptile Medicine Behind Bars At The Monroe County Sheriff’s Animal Farm
The Monroe County Jail in Florida is home to a variety of animals, cared for by inmates.
Herp Queries: The 4-Inch Turtle Law
The law is aimed at curtailing commercial sales of small turtles, which often end up as pets of small children.
Field Herping For Snakes: Driving Or On Foot?
Walking through a herp’s habitat to find it offers the added pleasure of communing with nature up close.
The Scoop On Reptile Poop
Most herps’ droppings don’t last long out in the rigors of nature.
Herp Queries: Photographing A Venomous Snake
Never allow any part of your body to come within striking range.
Cruising Roads And Looking For Reptiles
Is the road surface considered to be a natural habitat for photos?
Herp Queries: What Kingsnake Closely Resembles A Corn Snake?
Reddish examples of the mole kingsnake (Lampropeltis calligaster rhombomaculata) of the southeastern U.S. strongly resemble corn snakes and sometime confuse people about their identity.
Herp Queries: Green Iguana Morphs
With several exciting new color variants slowly becoming more available, expect a gradual comeback of this magnificent saurian.
Herp Queries: How Powerful Is The Snapping Turtle Bite?
Common snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) quickly defend themselves out of water, but underwater, they are scaredy cats and opt to avoid confrontation if any avenue of escape exists.
