Exotic_animals_official

08/11/2021

The main group was shut down as a lot of people were buying and selling in the group.

Which is against Facebooks terms and conditions.

😑

18/04/2021

11/04/2021

SETTLING IN YOUR NEW PET REPTILE
So you’ve done your research, you’ve chosen your new pet. You’ve bought the equipment you’ll need, you’ve set it all up and decorated it to your satisfaction. You’ve run the heating and lighting and you know your temperatures. You’re as ready as you’ll ever be, and so you set off for the reptile shop to collect your new pet.

It’s a tremendously exciting time; one of the most rewarding aspects of our job is seeing the sheer delight on someone’s face when they collect their new pet, whether it’s their first reptile or a species they’ve been hankering after for a while.

Off you go, new pet safe and secure in a box or bag, advice buzzing around your head like so much meaningless noise. You can’t wait to get home and start building that essential bond between pet and owner – STOP

Excitement notwithstanding, there are a few vital points to remember at this stage.

Point 1
Point 2
Point 3
I know it may seem like we’re being terrible killjoys when we advise you not to touch or stare at your new pet, but to keep any contact light and calm for the first week (and possibly longer, for some species). But truly, we’ve seen more problems caused by an over-enthusiastic welcome than we have from just about any other cause; most animals will very quickly figure out that the best defence is a good offense if they’re forced to. And then there are the truly sad ones where an animal simply shuts down in fear, hiding away and refusing to feed, until it becomes sick or even dies. It’s rare, but it does happen.



So how to avoid causing yourself and your new companion any undue stress on ‘moving day’?

Firstly, we’ll give you as much information as possible about your new pet. We get to know our residents pretty well, and will be able to give you individual advice on how to settle that particular animal in. All animals are individuals, so even if a species is normally very bold remember you may have a shy one!

The bag or box that we will give you to transport your new pet home is sufficient to keep them comfortable and secure for the several hours it will take you to get home and make sure their new house is all ready for them. Taking them out and stuffing them back in again is going to give them a stressful experience they may never get over, so put them somewhere warm and quiet and leave them alone.

When the time comes to put them in their new home, that’s when you can take the time for a little bit of a cuddle. They’re having a stressful day as it is, so a quick five minute handling session isn’t going to do them any harm – but keep it short!

The next bit is definitely the hardest. This is where the mistakes get made and the damage is done, so it’s very very important to try your very hardest to get it right.



The next bit? Patience.

A little bit (or perhaps a lot!) of self control here will pay dividends in the long run. Yes, you want your new pet to respond to you. You want to see it eat, you want to interact with it – and all of these desires are fine. But back off a bit. Give your new pet a chance to observe the new sights and sounds and smells and figure out for themselves that they aren’t threatening, which most will do pretty quickly. If we say three days, we mean it; yes, there are animals that will settle in much more quickly, and will be demanding attention from the first night (bearded dragons are most often like this!), but most will take a little bit of time. We come up with the figures based on our past experience of the species, and our current knowledge of that particular animal – some are shy, some are bold, some are nosy.

Just check they’ve got access to water and food, make sure their temperatures are OK, then leave them alone. If you’re worried you can always call or email us



Follow these few simple guidelines, and you should get your relationship with your new companion off to a flying start. Remember – patience!

11/04/2021

Emperor Scorpion
Pandinus imperator
The Emperor Scorpion (Pandinus imperator) was for many decades the commonest scorpion by far within the pet trade. It is impressively large – up to 20cm (7.8”) and achieving a weight of 30g – glossy black, with intimidating looks but very simple to provide for as well as having a generally good natured temperament. Due to a combination of over collecting and habitat loss the export of wild specimens was banned in 2013, making them much less common as pets. However, many more are now being captive bred so the species is making a comeback as a pet.



This species makes a really good pet for several reasons. In the wild they are found in a vast range of habitats, from wet rainforests to dry savannah, which means that they are tolerant of lots of different conditions and are adaptable. Although they do have a venomous sting – as all scorpions do – the toxin itself is no more harmful than a bee sting. However, if you are allergic to bee stings it would probably be a good idea to keep a different type of pet!



Emperor scorpions can be kept in groups if given plenty of space and lots of food, and need a fairly deep substrate in order to be able to build their burrows. There are several different soil based substrates on the market that will hold a burrow, and one of these should be used. Keep one side slightly more damp than the other so that your scorpions have a humidity gradient. Heating can be provided either with over tank heat bulbs such as ceramic heaters or deep heat projectors on a thermostat or with heat mats; if using mats, these must be attached to the side of the terrarium instead of underneath as scorpions will burrow if they are too warm, and run the risk of overheating if the heat source is underneath.



Housing size depends on several factors. If keeping a lone scorpion then the housing should be at least 20cmx40cm to give them enough room to move around once fully grown. Allow extra space if keeping several, remembering to make sure that there is a good depth of substrate as well as decor to hide under. They can be kept in bioactive systems with live plants, although caution should be used when choosing isopods, as they have been known to nibble on scorpions to use the calcium for their own shells. If using live plants then extra lighting will be necessary to keep the plants alive, so make sure that your scorpions have plenty of cover as well as substrate for their burrows. Live plants, deep soil and a good thick layer of leaf litter will give your scorpion a very natural looking home!



Feeding is simple. In the wild emperor scorpions will eat any arthropod, insect or even other scorpion that wanders by their burrow, but in captivity will eat any of the commonly available feeder insects which do not need to be dusted with supplements but should always be gut loaded. A varied diet of locusts, crickets, cockroaches, mealworms and even the odd waxworm will keep your emperor scorpion happy and healthy. They are not big eaters; two or three feeder insects a week should be enough to keep them in top condition. If they immediately race to eat the prey when it is introduced then increase feeding frequency or prey size, and if they seem reluctant or refuse to eat then leave slightly longer between feedings. Any prey item still running around the habitat the morning after feeding should be removed.



Scorpions, much to many people’s surprise, make excellent mothers! After mating they are pregnant for seven to nine months, and give birth to perfect little miniatures of themselves. These ‘scorplings’ ride on their mothers back until their first full moult when they climb off and disperse to begin independent lives of their own.



Emperor scorpions are, without a doubt, the best species to begin your scorpion keeping career. Large and impressive they are also accommodating and calm – what’s not to love?

Animal Information
Common Names: Emperor Scorpion, Imperial Scorpion
Scientific Name: Pandinus imperator
Location: West Africa
Habitat (wild): Forest, woodland edge, savannah
Captive environment: Tropical forest/woodland floor terrarium
Preferred temperature range: Ambient temperature of 20 to 25°C with a hot spot of 29°C to 30°C. At night the temperature should drop to around 20°C.
Lighting: Not generally regarded as necessary
Ferguson Zone: Unknown
Lifespan: 7 to 8 years

11/04/2021

Red Rump And Red Leg Tarantula Care
Brachypelma species
Brachypelma spiders are tarantulas, which is to say that they are a group of species that belong to Theraphosidae family. ‘Tarantula’ originally meant the wolf spider Lycosa tarantula, native to the Mediterranean region and named after the Italian village of Taranto. New World Theraphosids (from the Americas rather than Europe or Asia) all possess urticating hairs that can be kicked off if the spider is feeling threatened; these have no toxins on them, but will shatter like glass and stick in the skin, causing intense itching and burning. If inhaled they can cause damage to the delicate membranes of the mouth and nose, and if they lodge in the eyes it can cause serious damage.



Generally, they are amiable and simple to keep in captivity; like all animals, they can be nervous as babies and somewhat prone to hair flicking but tend to grow out of it. The hairs are only replaced when the spider moults, so if your spider has a bald bottom it often indicates an irritable nature!

Mexican-Red-Knee-2.16a-1
Mexican Red Knee (Brachypelma hamorii)


Whilst this entire group are recommended as good spiders for the beginner keeper, the one that makes the best pet would have to be the curly hair, Brachypelma albospilosum. They take calm and docile to another level, which makes them much easier to manage even if you’re a little unsure. Of course, even if they are as calm as the curly hair we do not recommend that you handle any spider. Should they fall from your hands and become injured they bleed to death very rapidly – they do not have blood like we do, or even blood vessels – not to mention the risk to you of those itchy hairs.



Brachypelma spiders are very popular as pets due to their large size, calm nature, and often bright colours. Common species are Brachypelma albiceps (Mexican Golden Red Rump), B. annitha (Mexican Giant Orange Knee), B. auratum (Mexican Flame Knee), B. emilia (Mexican Red Leg), B. hamorii (Mexican Red Knee), B.smithi (Giant Orange knee)

These spiders below were moved from Brachypelma to Tliltocatl in 2020

Tliltocatl albospilosum (Curly Hair),T. klaasi (Mexican Pink), T. schroederi (Mexican Black Velvet), T. vagans (Mexican Red Rump), and T. verdezi (Mexican Rose Grey).

Red Leg �- Brachypelma emilia
Mexican Red Leg (Brachypelma emilia)


As a group they are terrestrial and live in burrows, with an entrance just a little wider than the spider itself leading to two chambers, one of which is used for moulting and one that is used for resting and feeding. The Brachypelma species are mostly found in Mexico, with four species found further South in Central America.



The eighteen species that make up the Brachypelma genus are divided into two groups, red rump and red leg, with the red leg group in most need of further conservation in the wild. Although all species of Brachypelma are protected across their native ranges, and trade is controlled under CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species), habitat loss is an enormous problem that is not easily solved.

Juvenile Curly Hair Tarantula Tlitocatl albopilosum
Juvenile Curly Hair Tarantula (Tliltocatl albospilosum)


Like all spiders, Brachypelma tarantulas are venomous. This venom is not regarded as ‘medically significant’ like that of many of the Old World tarantulas (those from Africa, Asia and Europe) but it does cause pain and swelling. The best way to avoid a bite is not to handle your spider, which also keeps you safe from the itchy hairs!



Lifespan is very variable, with the females living significantly longer than the boys. Maturity is reached by the age of 10, and in the wild females will live another 10 years, although the males will only live for a single breeding season. In captivity females have been recorded at over 20 years, with the longest living male only getting to 3.

Animal Information
Mexican Golden Red Rump (Brachypelma albiceps)
Mexican Giant Orange Knee (Brachypelma smithi)
Mexican Flame Knee (Brachypelma auratum)
Mexican Red Leg (Brachypelma emilia)
Mexican Red Knee (Brachypelma hamorii)
Mexican Pink (Brachypelma klaasi)
Curly Hair (Tliltocatl albospilosum)
Mexican Black Velvet (Tliltocatl schroederi)
Mexican Red Rump (Tliltocatl vagans)
Mexican Rose Grey (Tliltocatl verdezi)

11/04/2021

How to care for your Australian Barking Gecko
A small, hardy gecko that originally hails from Australia, the barking gecko is a delightful little creature that is as simple to keep as any of the arid habitat geckos.

Populations of barking geckos are found in a range of habitats, including wet coastal low-woody vegetation; shrubby, sclerophyll (leather-leaf) forests; rocky arid scrubland; and hills in eucalyptus woodland in the southern coastal regions of eastern New South Wales, and throughout southern Australia to western Australia.

Smaller than a leopard gecko, 120 to 140mm in length, these geckos are often found crowded together in quite large groups during the day. It’s thought that this is to slow down the heating and cooling process, and conserve energy.

Housing
Glass terrariums or wooden vivariums are both fine to use for these little geckos, although a minimum length of 60cm/24” is advisable. As they are active and can live in groups, they will tend to use as much space as they are given – so bigger is always better.

Heating
Like all reptiles, barking geckos cannot regulate their body temperatures internally as we do, and so they rely on their environment to provide the temperatures they require. Barking geckos are quite happy with slightly cooler temperatures than many of the more desert based species.

They require a temperature gradient from 30º to 32ºc/86º to 89ºf in the warm end, to 20º to 23ºc /68º to 74ºf at the cool end. They do appreciate a slight temperature drop at night, and in most centrally heated homes they will need no additional heating at night.

It is very important to know what the temperature is, so check regularly with an accurate thermometer. Do not guess or take temperature by hand (if it feels warm or cold).

Lighting
A simple 12 hour day/night cycle is absolutely fine for this species. UV lighting is essential, although this does not need to be as strong as the UV provided for any of the diurnal (day active) species. Lower levels of UV and lots of cover are ideal for barking geckos. Read our blog on UV lighting for nocturnal geckos, snakes and amphibians

Water
It is important to provide your gecko with fresh water daily, in a shallow bowl to enable livefoods – and geckos – to climb out should they fall in.

Hides and Décor
The gecko will require a few hides in the vivarium so that it can feel secure. By having 3 or more (preferably more) in different areas of the vivarium the gecko will be able to choose the one that is at the best temperature. A humid hide is also recommended. These are hollow hides with damp moss inside; geckos will often use these when they are shedding their skin.

Plastic plants are also good to use, as these look very attractive in the vivarium as well as offering privacy.

Feeding
Barking geckos are insectivorous, and eat a variety of insects including crickets, mealworms, wax worms and locusts.

It is important to feed your gecko the appropriate sized foods, roughly half the width of their head. Crickets and locusts are to be used as the main foods as they are lower in fat than wax worms and easier to digest than mealworms. Vitamin powders are very important to prevent problems such as Metabolic Bone Disease, which is a calcium deficiency, and can be a serious problem and happen very quickly with young geckos that are growing quickly. It is easy to prevent with the regular use of vitamin powders.

Don’t forget to feed your livefood, this will extend the life and nutritional value

Maintenance
Unlike leopard geckos (which use one area as a toilet) barking geckos will toilet wherever they happen to be when they need to go, so the habitat must be spot cleaned daily.

Clean and disinfect the water bowl on a weekly basis. Depending on cage conditions, remove all substrate & cage furniture and completely disinfect using safe disinfectant. Rinse the enclosure thoroughly and allow to dry before replacing cage furniture and your gecko.

Shedding
Geckos shed their skin as they grow, they generally shed at night and eat the skin. If the gecko has trouble removing the skin it is usually because in the vivarium they don’t have access to a humid hide, or it may be a vitamin deficiency. Try putting a humid hide in the vivarium, if this doesn’t solve the problem call us or a reptile vet for assistance.

Conclusion
As easy to keep as the more popular leopard gecko, these little guys are an absolute delight. Their appearance is endearing – their big eyes and calm temperaments make them an excellent pet species, and they appear to be just as happy in a group as they are living alone. If you would like a terrestrial gecko like the leopard but fancy something a little bit different, give this species a try – you won’t regret it!

Animal Information
Common Name: Australian Barking Gecko

Scientific Name: Nephrurus milii

Natural Habitat: Varied habitats across western and southern Australia, mostly arid but not desert.

Lifespan: Unknown, but should be 8 – 10 years.

Adult Size: Medium. Up to 20cm/8” in total length.

Temperament: Calm and confident once settled, a little shy to begin with.

Housing: 60 x 45 x 45cm/24” x 18” x 18” minimum for a single gecko, although they appreciate extra space.

Temperature Range: 30º to 32ºc/86º to 89ºf in the warm end, to 20º to 23ºc /68º to 74ºf at the cool end.

Lighting: A small basking light to provide a hot spot, and low to medium levels of UV – a 6% tube or a compact (changed at the recommended intervals) is absolutely fine.

Feeding: As insectivores, these geckos should be offered suitably sized insects, dusted and gut loaded. A wide variety (locusts, crickets, calci worms, mealworms etc) is ideal.

Substrate: The newer soil based substrates are excellent, but beech chip works just fine as well. Avoid moist substrates, or very fine sand – they’re not a true desert/sand living species.

Décor: Lots of secure places to hide! Make sure that they always have somewhere to go so that they don’t have to choose between being hidden and being the correct temperature.

Multiples? This species do appear to be quite happy to live in groups, although two males together would be, at best, unwise. More hiding places than geckos is always a good idea!

11/04/2021

Caring for African Fat Tailed Geckos
The African Fat Tailed gecko
(Hemitheconyx caudicinctus) is a medium sized terrestrial gecko found across West Africa, from Senegal to Cameroon. Their colouration reflects their savannah and forest edge homes; they are light brown to tan, banded with dark brown with a lovely velvety sheen to their skin. Some individuals have a thin white line that runs from between their large, dark eyes to the end of their tail. Popular within the pet trade, there are now several variations available including hypo, albino, and patternless.

They are renowned for their calm, even temperaments, and their willingness to be handled. They do make an excellent pet, and are easy to care for well. Males can reach up to 20cm, with females being slightly smaller, with a more slender head and less obvious femoral and pre-anal pores. Like their cousins the leopard gecko, they have true eyelids and can blink to keep their eyes hydrated – they don’t have to lick them like many other gecko species!



Although they do come from dry, arid climates, they like to hide away in more humid areas – under logs, rocks, leaf litter and down unused rodent burrows. Their vivarium should be furnished with a dry substrate but it must be provided with a humid hide; we tend to avoid sphagnum moss as we have had some geckos eating it when they shed, although this is quite a rare occurrence. They do very well in a semi-arid bioactive setup, where the live plants raise the ambient humidity a little.



They require a hot spot of 32ºC (90ºF), dropping to 25ºC (77ºF) at the cool end. Night time temperatures can go down as far as 20ºC (68ºF), although they must not drop below this.



Often described as nocturnal, like many other geckos the fat tail is crepuscular – active at dawn and dusk. Because of this, any captive habitat must include UVB light, either 5% or 7% tube or compact. Tubes are more efficient, and last longer, but compacts are fine in the short term. UV light allows the gecko to metabolise the calcium in their diet at a rate that suits them, rather than forced conversion with oral supplements alone.



Like all lizards, they benefit from the use of a good multivitamin/multimineral supplement twice weekly, and a plain calcium supplement every day. They are insectivorous, and will cheerfully consume any of the regularly available livefoods of locusts, crickets, mealworms and waxworms. All food should be gutloaded and dusted before it is offered to the gecko, and the larger variety you can offer the better.



Still often available as wild caught adults, it’s worth taking the time and effort to find some captive bred youngsters. Not only are they calmer and more happy to be handled, but they are very unlikely to be carrying the parasite load that many wild lizards harbour. Generally they prefer to live alone, although if you want to keep more than one in a vivarium then you should aim for a group of one male to two or three females. A glass vivarium of 60 x 45 x 45cm is fine for a single animal, although bigger is always better. For a group, the minimum should be 90 x 45 x 45cm, with multiple basking spots and hiding places.



If you like leopard geckos but are seeking something a little different, give the African fat tail a try. These charming lizards have bags of personality and are easy to keep – what more could you ask for?

Animal Information
Common name: African Fat Tail
Scientific Name: Hemitheconyx caudicinctus
Location: West Africa
Habitat (wild): Dry savannah/woodland edge
Captive environment: Arid vivarium, with at least one damp hide. Overall more humid than a desert setup
Preferred temperature range: daytime hot spot of 32ºC under the basking light, background ambient of 30ºC, cool end of 25ºC. Temperature can drop to 20ºC at night.
UVB Lighting: 5% or 7% UVB strip lamp
Substrate: Soil/coir based
Lifespan: 15 to 20 years

28/02/2021

28/02/2021

28/02/2021