Q: What's a FAQ?
A: Frequently Asked Questions are provided here as an informational service. They are not intended to replace veterinary or other professional advice. They are a starting point for further research. Your mileage may vary...Q: My iguana won't eat. What can I do?
A: First, check the temperature. Iguanas must have a body (cage) temperature
of 88 degrees F to function optimally. Second, look for swelling in the
back legs or bottom jaw. These indicate a low calcium level. (Often associated
with an unsupplemented diet.) Third, look for sources of stress in the
environment. A new dog, a recent move, or high noise levels can impact
appetite. Finally, is she pregnant? Well-fed, unmated females can produce
(infertile) eggs in quantity and stop eating a few weeks before laying.
Q:I've heard that iguanas carry a disease that people can get. Is it safe to keep one?
A:Iguanas, along with most other reptiles, and most other animals (including
dogs, cats, birds, hamsters etc.) can carry the Salmonella bacterium, which
causes a type of food poisoning. People with weakened immune systems
(children under five, the elderly, HIV infected individuals, those on immuno-suppressant
drugs) are at a greater risk for contracting this disease. Even healthy
individuals should practice good hygiene (wash your hands) after
handling any animal.
To become infected, a person must get bacteria
from the animal's digestive tract into his own. To be very graphic,
this means getting fecal material into your mouth. Keep cages clean
and wash your hands!
Q:My dad bought me an Asian House Gecko.And I would like to know how to take care of it correctly. Would you please tell me what they eat besides crickets if they do, what you need for housing purposes, all I have is the terrarium moss that was used for my green tree frog. Do I need to mist it every morning?
A:You should keep house geckos much like other small lizards in a glass or plastic tank with a screen lid and a heat lamp over one end. They need to have a place in the tank that reaches 80-90 degrees so they can properly digest their food. Keep the floor of the tank covered with long-fiber sphagnum moss or reptile bark and mist the cage at least once a day, both for humidity and because these small lizards prefer to drink from water droplets as opposed to a water bowl. Feed small (1/2") crickets at least twice a week (every day is ok). If you coat the crickets with a vitamin and calcium supplement or feed the crickets a vitamin-loaded food your new lizard will stay healthier, longer. You can save money by catching wild insects, but you should be aware that they may have been sprayed with poison and/or be carrying parasites like roundworms or tapeworms.
Q: What do South American Firebelly Toads eat besides crickets?
A: Firebelly toads, Bombina orientalis and other Bombina are actually Asian (not South American) despite what some part-time reptile dealers might say. Crickets (along with vitamin and calcium supplements) make up a good basic diet. You can also feed other captive raised feeder insects such as waxworms/moths, houseflies and (sparingly) mealworms. Some firebellies will also eat feeder fish such as guppies and small goldfish. A few will learn to take Reptomin (a prepared diet made by Tetra) when dropped onto the surface of the water.
Be extremely careful about using wild-caught insects, as they may have been exposed to poisons and they frequently carry internal parasites that may harm your pets.
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