08/13/2025
🦎Thinking about getting a reptile?🦎
There’s a few things you should research and prepare for. ⬇️⬇️⬇️
1️⃣ Find an exotic animal vet near you and check out the pricing because like any animal, reptiles need veterinary care as well. Today I spent $91 on Kasatka to be seen and get antibiotics. A few weeks ago I spent around $300 for Oscar to be seen and get X-ray.
2️⃣ Proper enclosure size, lighting, temperatures (ambient and surface), humidity, substrate. All these things contribute to proper husbandry. Google is not your friend. Experienced and seasoned owners are.
3️⃣ Reptiles are solitary animals. They do not like to be accompanied by other reptiles. They do not have any bond, love, or liking towards eachother. What may seem like cute, cuddly, and relaxed nature is often times very aggressive behavior and can turn deadly in a matter of seconds. Relations between male and female are aggressive, dangerous, and for strictly breeding only. And please don’t breed your bearded dragons, leave that to the professionals.
4️⃣ Diet is super important. Variety in bugs, veggies, and greens is vital. Fruits are never okay. Some will tell you every once in a while is okay but bearded dragons specifically do not posses the enzymes in their gut to break down sugars. It causes teeth and mouth rot. Their teeth are connected to their jaw bone. Once an infection sets in to the jaw it becomes fatal. Why chance that for an occasional treat? Bugs are also not cheap. Superworms are considered the cheapest and most convenient one to feed. But they’re super high in fat and can cause major health issues.
5️⃣ Reptiles need calcium, vitamins, and other supplements. Researching which kinds, how often, and what they’re good for is something else to consider.
Reptiles are not a cheap, easy, and convenient pet. They have complex needs, bulb replacements, proper UVB, immediate cage cleaning, and can be time consuming. Now don’t get me wrong, I love all my reptiles and they make super awesome pets and companions. But they do require a lot of work, time, and observations. And I’m not talking about holding them because they really couldn’t care less if you did or didn’t.
This post is to educate you on what you are potentially getting yourself into. I have been there, done that, and experience it all. What I’m trying to do here is make everyone aware of the choices they make because reptiles or any animal for that matter are a commitment. Not just something you half@ss and give up on for someone else to nurse back to health. Oh, and did I mention they eat bugs? Get ready to like bugs. 😁🪳🐛🦗
