HOW TO TAKE CARE OF A NEW REPTILE PETS (FOR BEGINNERS) - REPTILENESIA

chameleon

How to take care of your new reptile.

What do I do, my gecko just won't eat?

1 common mistake people who are new to reptiles or have come from owning a hamster is that;

first off they think straight away their reptile should eat. This is incorrect, when you first get a reptile you should always let them by themselves without any interference from you or your other pets as reptiles are very delicate creatures and need a few days so they can de-stress from their journey. After you have waited a few days you should try feed it. You have to dust your crickets.-for more info on this check my post on what supplements to use. You should start off by putting some calcium in a dish so that your reptile can take some if they choose so. When you try to feed your gecko for the first time try putting some calcium on your finger to try get it to lick it off. Now get a cricket dust it with calcium and let it run past your reptiles hide.

What stuff do I need for my reptiles cage?

First the most important thing for your reptile is heat. Now I have a leopard gecko so I will be referencing her in this paragraph (the following info is only for leopard geckos not any other reptile). 

So you NEED A HEAT MAT AND A THERMOSTAT. For my leopard gecko I have an exo terra heat mat which should COVER HALF THE CAGE and I also have a thermostat the one I use is a hat mat thermostat. 

You need at least 3 HIDES 1-to have over the heat mat 2-to have on the cool side of the cage and 3- a moist hide full of sphagnam moss for when your gecko is shedding.

NEED PAPER TOWELS. So for beginners or a new gecko you need paper towel as a base so you can check if your gecko is pooping and also to reduce the risk of impaction. When I first bought echo I used paper towels until she was steadily eating then I started to use eco earth, NEVER USE SAND AS A SUBSTRATE, becasue eco earth is easily digested and also leopard geckos love to dig so its better for them but now I am using arcadia earth mix arid for my leopard gecko.

FOOD, WATER AND CALCIUM DISHES- this is pretty obvious.

THERMOMETER AND HYGROMETER to check cage temp and humidity to keep it at a safe level.

My Reptile not shedding properly or there is stuck shed, what do I do?

To help your gecko she get a tub fill it with lukewarm water up to your reptiles leg and let them sit in it for 5-10 minutes depending on severity and also how long your reptile can be out the cage

Get shedding aids like Repti-shed by Zoomed which you spray on your reptile once a month between or just before a shed and rub in.

Also try mist down you reptiles whole cage down lightly to slightly increase humidity this helps the reptile shed

What extra stuff can I get for my reptile?

Well you can get shedding aids to help your gecko shed,

you can also buy reptile safe plants I have bio active setups for both my geckos and they work wonderfully well. I found the cacti very usful for my gecko to rub off at shedding time.

 For leopard geckos I recommend getting some rocks from a store and sterilizing them then putting them in the cage to add enrichment as these geckos come from rocky terrain in Kazakstan  Pakistan and Northern India. DO NOT USE SAND THEY ARE NOT FROM THE DESERT.