In contrast to birds and mammals, reptiles have evolved as ectotherms – animals who regulate their body temperature to suit the temperature around them. They are not poikilothermic (cold-blooded) as most people commonly believe i.e., while their body temperature is dependent upon external heat sources rather than internal heat production,…
Are reptiles the right pet for me? Reptiles are fascinating and wonderful animals, but they are not ‘low maintenance’ pets. There is a lot of work involved in keeping them healthy and you should carefully consider whether a reptile is the right pet for you. For information on what to…
No form of handling of your reptile should ever be taken lightly, as each restraint has some effect on their behaviour, life, or other activities. Confidence, knowledge – and often assistance – is required when handling them. Not only can reptiles hurt you (by biting and scratching), but you can also…
As many of you with reptilian pets would know, they can be challenging to read sometimes! Signs of illness can be very difficult to spot – because often there aren’t any! Reptiles are very adept at hiding any evidence that they are sick, often until they are severely compromised and…
Water quality Turtles live in an aquatic environment. This simple statement reflects the importance of water quality to the health of turtles. They move through the water, they consume their food in the water, and they eliminate waste into the water. Nearly every disease problem in captive turtles is related,…
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…