Wednesday, January 21st
Our January meeting will feature the club's annual Photo Contest, and Board Elections.
If you'd like to enter the contest, simply come to the meeting with a photo of a reptile or amphibian that YOU have taken. You can enter as many as you'd like. Winners will receive a year's membership.
Meetings start promptly at 8pm in the Alumni Room of Medaille College.
Choosing A Healthy Reptile or Amphibian
Unfortunately not all pet shops are created equal. While there are many excellent shops with responsible owners and staff that truly have a passion for the animals, there are also those who seem to think that they can just make a quick buck. This guide will hopefully give you some tips on how to evaluate your new perspective pet reptile or amphibian so that you are bringing home the healthiest animal that you possibly can.
First impressions can mean a lot. When you first walk into the pet store take a look around. Look to see how the other types of animals are kept. If the small animals or birds are dirty and not well cared for, there is a good chance that neither will the reptiles or amphibians. Also check to see if the shop is keeping the reptiles correctly. Are the reptiles that need full spectrum lighting receiving it? Do they have thermometers in the enclosures to see if the animals are being kept at the proper temperatures? These are all indicators of the overall quality of the shop.
Don't be afraid to ask the staff questions. Does the staff seem knowledgeable and enthusiastic? Also ask if they provide any kind of health guarantee for their reptiles and amphibians. Many pet stores will also provide a certificate good for a free visit to a veterinarian with the purchase of an animal. These are all good signs of a responsible pet shop that will work with you if you have any questions or problems with your new pet reptile or amphibian.
Now that you have evaluated the pet store itself, take a look at the specific reptile or amphibian that you are interested in. First check its overall body condition. The reptile or amphibian should not look too skinny. You should not be able to see things like the prominent hip bones or tail bones on lizards. Snakes should have a nice muscular tone and you should not be able to see their backbone. The flesh between the neck and front legs of turtles and tortoises should not be sunken. Any of these signs can point to malnutrition or some other illness. Also check for symmetry of the body. If one side has swelling or is not the same as the other side then this can mean other health issues like metabolic bone disease.
Check the overall skin and color of the reptile or amphibian. The colors should be bright and the skin should not be wrinkled. Wrinkled skin can mean dehydration. Dull colors can also point to illness as well.
Next take a look at the eyes and nose of the reptile or amphibian. Any kind of discharge or mucus can mean some kind of respiratory or other illness in the animal. If the eyes look sunken in then that can also mean dehydration as well. Also check the mouth at this time as well. If there are yellow-white or green patches this can mean the reptile may have mouth rot or some other illness.
Ask to handle the reptile you are interested. Most shops will allow you to handle the animal you are interested in if they think you are a serious customer. Keep in mind that if it is an extremely busy day for the pet store that you may have to wait until one of their associates is available to help you. While handling the reptile you should be able to get a good feel for its general strength. You want a reptile with good muscle tone and is actively moving around and not one that is limp or not active. If the reptile is shaking or twitching, this can mean that has metabolic bone disease or some other illness. You should also take this opportunity to examine the reptile for external parasites like mites or ticks. Mites will appear as small black dots moving all over the animal and ticks will attach themselves directly to the body. You will want to avoid any reptile that appears to be infested with mites or ticks.
Finally, here are a couple more things to keep in mind when looking to purchase your first reptile or amphibian pet. Ask if the reptile or amphibian is wild caught, farm bred, or captive bred. Wild caught refers to a reptile or amphibian that was captured out of the wild. Farm bred refers to breeding farms. Breeding farms are usually areas or wild habitat that have been fenced off and stocked with several specimens in order to harvest eggs or offspring. Usually farm bred reptiles are in not that much better condition than wild caught reptiles. Captive bred refers to reptiles or amphibians that have been bred in captivity. Captive bred reptiles and amphibians tend to be healthier animals with fewer parasites. Also, by choosing captive bred reptiles or amphibians, you are not contributing to the decline of the species in its native habitat. While captive bred reptiles or amphibians tend to be a little bit more money, you will save more than the difference in price in veterinary costs alone.
It's also helpful to setup your enclosure for your new reptile or amphibian pet first before you bring it home. This will reduce the stress on your new pet since you won't have to keep it in the container you brought it home in while you try and setup the enclosure and get the heating and lighting set correctly.
Resist the urge to "rescue" a reptile or amphibian from a bad situation you see in a pet store. All you will be doing is providing a profit for the offending store and the one reptile or amphibian that you "rescue" will just be replaced with another one. The best thing you can do for the animals in this situation is to report the shop to your local humane society or SPCA where trained professionals can evaluate the situation and if needed truly rescue all the animals from the inhumane conditions.
Finally, be sure that you have a veterinarian for your new pet. Not all vets see exotic pets like reptiles or amphibians so check your area for a qualified veterinarian before you have a health emergency. It's also helpful to schedule a check up right away for your new reptile or amphibian. Your vet may be able to help you find an illness before it becomes serious. It is also helpful for your vet to see your reptile or amphibian healthy so that if you have to bring it in when it is sick they have good baseline stats to compare back to. For help and pointers on finding a qualified veterinarian see our article about finding a reptile and amphibian veterinarian.
Help reptiles in need by donating to our Adoption Fund! Your donations will help feed and house reptiles waiting for adoption.