Learning topic: Provide advice on housing and shelter
Housing reptiles and amphibians
Incorrect housing and environmental control is one of the main predisposing factors to disease and injury in captive reptiles and amphibians.
Temperature
It is very important to have adequate temperature control and the temperature should only fluctuate over a narrow range of 5 °C. The preferred body temperature for the species should be in the centre of the range.
Species / Preferred Body Temperatures (PBTs)Common long necked tortoise / 26
Saltwater crocodile / 33
Children's python / 30-33
Carpet python / 29-33
Water python / 34
Diamond python / 29
Common tree snake / 32
Blue tongue lizard / 2 -32
Methods of providing heat
The cage temperature should be monitored constantly using a maximum/minimum thermometer and heat sources thermostatically controlled to prevent overheating.
The following list shows disease and injury problems related to temperature:
· Sudden decreases in temperature—eg blackouts, cold snaps in outdoor enclosures—can cause pneumonia.
· A constant temperature with no gradient is very stressful and will lead to disease.
· Too low a temperature will cause anorexia.
· Drops in temperature within 1-2 weeks of eating can cause digestion to cease and food present in the gut to either be regurgitated or decompose.
· Thermal burns from being in contact with the heat source can be seen in snakes that coil around light bulbs.
· Electrocution from faulty heat sources can also cause injuries.
Cage rooms in cold climates can have the environment further controlled using a reverse cycle air conditioner. Each individual enclosure also has a heat source to provide the temperature gradient. The digital readout measures the room temperature at 26.4 °C and the relative humidity at 50%. The humidity in this room was provided by a bucket of water that was allowed to evaporate.
Humidity
The ideal humidity ranges from 35% to 75% depending on whether the reptile is an arid or tropical species.
Methods of providing humidity
· Arid-temperate species: Dry cage with a shallow dish or pond for bathing. The dish should be large enough for the animal to sit in it completely without it overflowing. More humidity can be supplied by a bucket of water in the cage room if the whole room is heated as well as the individual cages.
· Tropical species: Thick foliage which should be mist sprayed twice a day. The reptiles themselves should be kept as dry as possible by keeping the floor and perches dry.
If the humidity is too low, this can lead to:
· problems with shedding the skin
· chronic dehydration which can lead to gout caused by an increase in the concentration of uric acid crystals in the blood and then in the joints. This is because there is not enough water to allow the kidneys to work properly.
If the humidity is too high and the cage floor constantly moist, this can cause:
· skin conditions, eg bacterial and fungal infections of the skin and shell.
Light
The photoperiod (periods of light compared to darkness) controls activity, reproduction and physiology in reptiles and amphibians.
As our captive reptiles are mostly Australian natives, we should be able to match the diurnal (daily) and annual rhythms of the species' natural environment as closely as possible. You should:
· use blue or red lights as heat sources so that the reptile is not exposed to full light for 24 hours
· use a light source that is either unfiltered, natural sunlight or a full spectrum fluorescent light to supply the UV rays needed by the skin to manufacture vitamin D—see the notes on nutrition for the importance of this vitamin.
The following is list of disease problems related to lighting:
· 24 hour light is very stressful and will predispose the animal to disease.
· Lack of UV light will cause a vitamin D deficiency leading to skeletal problems, especially in young, growing lizards and chelonians.
Photoperiod
This is important for snakes, and captive snakes should be provided with as close to normal photoperiod as possible. Constant light is very stressful so light bulbs used for heat should be coloured, either red or blue.
Sunlight or UV light must be supplied as it is used in the manufacture of vitamin D which is very important for the uptake of calcium from the diet. Glass filters out UV so just having a glass fronted cage in a sunny room is not enough.
When reptiles that are normally kept indoors are placed in direct sunlight they will often become aggressive and active. Rain can also produce a sudden burst of activity.
A tortoise in the sun
Enclosure type housing
The decision whether to house your animal inside or outside depends on a number of factors:
· whether it is aquatic, terrestrial or arboreal
· where it came from and where you wish to keep it. For example, keeping a tropical species outside in Southern Tasmania would not be suitable and would probably result in its death in the first winter.
· security and value of the animal(s)
· space and money available.
A reptile enclosure
Terrestrial reptiles
Here are some housing options with considerations that should be taken into account:
Glass aquarium with a mesh lid
The heat lamp should be suspended over or through the lid. One disadvantage is that they tend to lose heat through the lid and glass walls which makes it difficult to maintain a constant temperature gradient.
Wooden box with glass/perspex front hinged lid
They should be varnished or painted for waterproofing and hygienic reasons (see picture below). Heat can be provided by thermostatically controlled heat lamps or underfloor heat mats.
Outdoor pits
These open topped enclosures have smooth, free standing walls that the reptile cannot climb or burrow under. There is usually no artificial heating so these sorts of enclosures should only be used for reptiles from similar climates unless a heat source is provided. Artificial heat can be provided using 'hot rocks' or heated 'houses' for reptiles. The enclosure should have areas where they can bask in the sun and shelter areas too.
Predation by birds and cats can be a problem. The hiding places do make it difficult to see the reptiles on a daily basis to check on them.
Chicken wire must never be used as reptiles tend to rub their noses on it which can result in severe injuries.
Aquatic reptiles and amphibians
Glass aquarium with lid
These should be set up with water on one end that is deep enough for the animal to submerge completely and with turtles so that they can turn themselves back over if upside down. They also need a land area at the other end that is large enough to walk around on and dry out completely. What do you think of the tank in the photo below?
Water quality maintenance is a prime consideration and the water should be changed two to three times a week, with all uneaten food and faeces removed daily. Filters do help but are not designed for the large volumes of faeces produced by aquatic reptiles.
Heat is provided by an aquarium heater—the ideal water temp = 22-25 °C) and a light globe over the basking end. The temperature below the globe should be 25-30 °C.
Housing together
To minimise stress, reptiles should be kept out of sight of the same or similar species, if possible. All reptiles should be provided with some sort of hide box. Providing a snake, lizard or chelonian (turtle or tortoise) with a secure, dark place to hide is ideal for making them feel secure.
Snakes should be housed alone. They should only be placed together for breeding. Larger snakes may consume smaller ones. Two snakes in the same container could both strike at a prey item and both may start eating it from opposite ends, with the larger snake ending up eating the smaller one along with the prey item.
Geckos are an exception regarding housing. It’s common practice to house a group of females with one male, for breeding purposes. But, it’s still poor practice to house several males together as they can fight and cause injury to each other.
Water turtles may be housed together successfully if they’re all close to the same size and a few aren’t nipping at the others. A general rule is that all the residents’ shells shouldn’t exceed 25% of the cage floor surface. Aggressive species should only be housed with similar species of the same size.
Land tortoises can often be housed in groups of similar species. If several are kept together, the cage should be as large as possible. Land turtles and tortoises are usually quite gentle and don’t harass each other. However, observe them closely for any signs of negative interactions and remove the aggressive ones.
Water
Fresh drinking water must always be present. This can be provided in a shallow dish or bath that is cleaned and refreshed daily as many reptiles will use the dish to lie in on hot days. Some species will only lap water off vegetation so for these you must supply foliage and mist spray it twice a day. Gout can occur if reptiles do not have adequate access to water.
Producing your own food
The live foods that can be produced easily by a reptile keeper are rodents, earthworms and insects like wood roaches, crickets, mealworms and maggots.
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© NSW DET 2007