The potential impacts on both reptiles and insects should be considered when making the difficult choice of whether you should feed your reptile with live insects. There are a number of serious welfare and ethical considerations regarding the feeding of live insects to reptiles to be aware of, that should…
Most, if not all, reptiles carry Salmonella bacteria in their intestinal tract and intermittently or continuously shed these bacteria in their faeces. Salmonella bacteria usually do not cause any illness in reptiles but can cause serious illness in people. It is the same kind of bacteria often associated with food…
If you’re thinking of owning a reptile, there are a few things you need to be aware of to ensure you’re ticking all the appropriate legal boxes. It is illegal to keep exotic (non-Australian) reptiles. This includes Red-Eared Sliders (an American turtle), European or American tortoises, and corn snakes (an…
Feather damaging behaviour (FDB) is damage to, or destruction of, a bird’s feathering by the birds themselves. It can include a number of behaviours including: Feather chewing – the bird chews at the ends of their feathers, damaging the vane. Feather barbering – the bird chews along the entire length…
Birds can carry a large number of external parasites (ectoparasites) – fleas, ticks, mites, and lice. This isn’t as common as people sometimes appear to believe and is greatly overrated (over-treated) as a cause of feather damaging behaviour and feather loss. See these articles for more information on feather damaging…
Advances in recent years have shown us that feeding an all-seed diet is not just a bad diet, but one that actively contributes to the death of thousands of pet birds every year. Did you know? That sunflower seed contains 49% fat – three times as much fat as the…
Birds gather together in a flock which serve primarily as a protective unit for the birds. The relationship the birds have with one another is essential to the survival of each individual. The need for social interaction between the birds, although extremely important, is secondary to the instinct for survival….
One of the main reasons for having a pet is to bond with them in some fashion. Ideally, birds and owners interact as flock members, but not as mates. When the behaviour of a parrot causes this bond to be severed, the results can be devastating to the owner and…
Many bird owners like to groom their birds, i.e., trim their wings, nails, and beaks. This has to be done carefully, as your bird may be injured if the correct techniques are not used. Often these procedures are best done by a veterinarian experienced with birds. Wing trimming Wing trimming…
Although aviculturists want their birds to lay eggs, pet bird owners face a dilemma that is the exact opposite – they want to stop, or at least limit, the number of eggs their bird lays. Left unchecked, some birds, especially cockatiels, will lay one egg after another until they are…