Christina's Reptile & Animal Sanctuary

Christina's Reptile & Animal Sanctuary We are a 501c.3 Public charity focused on educating the public and to reptile rescue including providing a home and a good quality of life for the unwanted.

We also adopt out animals into forever, knowledgeable homes.

03/20/2025

Gubby.

He’s such a creeper 🤣
03/20/2025

He’s such a creeper 🤣

This 26 year old, female red ear slider named Rodney came in today.
03/20/2025

This 26 year old, female red ear slider named Rodney came in today.

Letting varanids crawl all over will result in happiness, messy hair, blood and dirt 🤣
03/20/2025

Letting varanids crawl all over will result in happiness, messy hair, blood and dirt 🤣

03/20/2025

During spring, we see an influx of tortoise injuries caused by dogs. As tortoises wake up from brumation (also called hibernation), dogs have the opportunity to harm them before their owners notice. If you have turtles or tortoises alongside dogs, please stay alert and protect your shelled companions. ⚠️

You can protect your tortoises by not leaving your dogs — even the nicest dogs — unsupervised around your tortoises!

If you have a tortoise or any other exotic pet daytime emergency, please give us a call. 📞

Mesa: (480) 275-7017
Phoenix: (623) 243-5200
Tucson: (520) 305-0055

03/19/2025

Porkchop just had a big meal; he’s tucking away to digest; and I went in the enclosure and he started twitching. Don’t fret though, this just means he wants to be left alone after his meal. Understanding body language with reptiles is very important. Many people misread what they are trying to communicate to us. There’s always a reason behind their actions

03/19/2025

Frozen thawed feeding video*

Slinky our legless lizard enjoying quail today.

This female yellow ear slider had a long drive today as well. Her name is Baby and is roughly 8 years old.
03/19/2025

This female yellow ear slider had a long drive today as well. Her name is Baby and is roughly 8 years old.

Salmon; being curious.
03/19/2025

Salmon; being curious.

Clifford, our ten pound Brazilian red iguana.
03/19/2025

Clifford, our ten pound Brazilian red iguana.

This 4-5 year old male red ear slider, named Duce, just came in from Baltimore.
03/19/2025

This 4-5 year old male red ear slider, named Duce, just came in from Baltimore.

Uv hog
03/18/2025

Uv hog

Slinky; our legless lizard staring me down.
03/18/2025

Slinky; our legless lizard staring me down.

Our snowflake dumpy.
03/18/2025

Our snowflake dumpy.

03/18/2025

Speechless, in a good way, today. I’m sure many of y’all know that Sonic here is and has always been, intolerable to any kind of human interaction. Today I was able to pet him and slowly scoop him up a bit from underneath. Granted; for the first part of the video he is inflated and eyes closed (eyes closed a sign of stress - to reduce visual stimuli). But towards the end; he had his eyes open and was accepting.

Turtles/tortoises are always eager to eat whether they should or shouldn’t be eating something. Please be sure to know ...
03/18/2025

Turtles/tortoises are always eager to eat whether they should or shouldn’t be eating something. Please be sure to know what foods are not healthy and toxic to your shelled friends. You can even download the Tortoise Table app to your phone.

Let’s do a short talk on humidity in enclosures:There are species of reptiles that obviously do require higher humidity....
03/18/2025

Let’s do a short talk on humidity in enclosures:

There are species of reptiles that obviously do require higher humidity. Depending where in the world you live, maintaining good humidity can be hard with the colder months especially, and naturally having more dry air.

Chameleons are one good example. The debate continues what enclosure is best for them. All screen or glass with a screen top? All screen will give great ventilation, but not hold humidity. All glass with a screen top will allow for better humidity, but not great ventilation. While many species of chameleons do require higher humidity, they also need excellent ventilation. Many species require higher humidity at night versus during the day.

Other reptiles, such as green iguanas, should have a pretty high humidity range during the day as well. We are talking roughly 85% during the day for green iguanas. If you are able to achieve that; great. However, one important thing to remember is not to have STAGNANT humid air. This is a breeding ground for bacteria to grow and respiratory infections to set in. So keep this in mind when keeping tropical species (including your rainforest red footed tortoises), you need to make sure you have adequate ventilation so you’re not having stagnant humid air.

Not being able to maintain proper humidity for those species that require it; will eventually lead to medical issues; some irreversible and can even cause death down the road. Many people tend to get confused as to what humidity is. They say “well we have a water bowl in the enclosure”. This is not humidity, this is just a water source for drinking or soaking. Humidity is moisture in the AIR. This helps vital organs to function properly; among other things.

I do not own these pictures.

If you ever wondered just how turtles/tortoises retract their heads into their shells: here are some excellent images. ...
03/18/2025

If you ever wondered just how turtles/tortoises retract their heads into their shells: here are some excellent images. Most tortoises retract their heads straight back; which allows their neck vertebrae to bend in a U shape. Other species the neck vertebrae can curve into a C shape sideways. one species, like box turtles, can close all extremities within their shell - fully protecting any and all vulnerable parts. Isn’t anatomy just amazing?

Address

339 Lehigh Avenue (corporate Headquarters)
Palmerton, PA
18071

Telephone

+16103901655

Website

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Videos

Gubby.

Porkchop just had a big meal; he’s tucking away to digest; and I went in the enclosure and he started twitching. Don’t fret though, this just means he wants to be left alone after his meal. Understanding body language with reptiles is very important. Many people misread what they are trying to communicate to us. There’s always a reason behind their actions

Frozen thawed feeding video* Slinky our legless lizard enjoying quail today.

Speechless, in a good way, today. I’m sure many of y’all know that Sonic here is and has always been, intolerable to any kind of human interaction. Today I was able to pet him and slowly scoop him up a bit from underneath. Granted; for the first part of the video he is inflated and eyes closed (eyes closed a sign of stress - to reduce visual stimuli). But towards the end; he had his eyes open and was accepting.

Mango is a beast.

Meatball, as well as the other tegus, had some whole Portuguese sardines today.

Sonic enjoying collard greens and butternut squash today.

Taco LOVES his quail eggs.
Taco LOVES his quail eggs.

Taco LOVES his quail eggs.

Unfortunately this was the first, for this, that happened today. We had this boy set to come in today and the owners had a pretty far drive. This post is not to attack anyone; however used for a reminder to please be careful using hot pads or hot hands while transporting reptiles. For transports; you don’t need high heat; car heat is just fine (even low 70’s). Unfortunately the snake was dead upon arrival due to high heat and no where to escape from it. He was in a pillowcase, in a small cardboard box with the hot hands in the box, in an insulated lunch carrier. This retained too much heat of course as well as the surface temperature he was sitting on in the box had reached up to 120 degrees. Please, please, please, be careful when transporting reptiles with heat. I know we instinctively want to keep them warm because they are cold blooded; however you don’t need high temperatures esp for transporting. Please check the temps before doing this. Accidents happen and we are all very saddened that he had died during transport due to this. This was 100% preventable. So please use this as a learning tool and be careful how you transport your reptiles.

Basil
Basil

I think the music fits. lol. Basil usually can’t see Otto; unless she’s at the one front door. Well he was extra territorial today. Never saw him wiggle his tail before.

Izzy enjoying some whole Portuguese sardines today.

Slinky
Slinky

Slinky, our legless lizard eating a FT mouse fuzzy today.

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