Reptiles are not cuddly animals: Who dog, cat, mouse seem too boring, often decides for the exotic contemporaries. Their dazzling colors and their often unusual physique conjure up a primeval feeling in the living room, but who decides to buy reptiles, should inform themselves in detail about the attitude of the animals.

Reptiles are easier to care for than many other pets, but they require some specific living conditions that vary from species to species. Therefore, with the help of specialized literature, you should study in detail beforehand the reptile that you want to get. But before that you should make sure that keeping a reptile is the right thing for you in general.

Observing Instead Of Cuddling

A reptile owner should have no interest in a cuddly animal friend. Reptiles should only be taken out of their terrarium if absolutely necessary, for example due to a visit to the doctor. They are often very sensitive and direct sudden contact with humans and the outside world can frighten them very much and in the worst case even cause sudden death.

If you want to get a reptile, you should be interested in learning a lot about the animal’s lifestyle and characteristics.

Caution With Children

Reptiles are not playmates. Reptile owners with children should make clear arrangements with the little ones so that the terrarium is not suddenly empty in the morning. Younger children should therefore be denied access to the terrarium.

In addition, bacteria, such as samonella, are very easily transmitted by reptiles. This can happen through contact with the feces, but also by simply touching the animal. Since children under the age of five do not have such a developed immune system, they should be deliberately kept away from the reptile and its terrarium. So if you are a family person, you should think carefully about whether you really want to buy reptiles.

Buying A Terrarium – A Science In Itself

The main focus of keeping reptiles is on the furnishings and equipment of the terrarium. The environment should resemble the natural habitat of the animals. Above all, it is important to simulate the tropical climate with the help of heating devices and special lamps. So, if you want to get a reptile, you should be aware that the care of the terrarium is in the foreground. Basic cleaning must be done twice a year. Individual stains, as well as the feces, of course, must be removed more often. Even though each reptile species requires different conditions, there are some criteria that should always be considered:

1. The Size Of The Terrarium

Each species of animal requires a different size space. While small amphibians or spiders need less free space, you should plan for quite a large terrarium for snakes or iguanas. So, it is important that you decide for sure on a reptile species before buying a terrarium.

2. Different Types Of Terrariums

Not all terrariums are the same. Depending on whether the reptile prefers water, forest or desert, a suitable terrarium must be purchased. A distinction is made between:
⦁ Dry terrarium, desert or stone terrarium.
⦁ Rainforest terrarium or tropical terrarium.
⦁ Forest terrarium.
⦁ Aquaterrarium.

3. Material Of The Terrarium

Again, there are four different options that vary from animal to animal:

⦁ Glass terrarium: probably the most popular material. Here you can observe the animals day and night, cleaning is relatively simple and especially it is suitable for animals that need humidity or moisture. However, many reptiles do not like it when they are permanently observed. In addition, glass is not a good heat accumulator and thus higher energy costs are incurred for heat sources.

⦁ Wooden terrarium: the material is suitable for insects and spiders, which often inhabit desert landscapes. Heat can be stored better here than in the glass terrarium, but it is not suitable for humidity and moisture.

⦁ Plastic terrarium: plastic is the perfect heat accumulator, is very stable and can not mold. However, this terrarium is much more expensive than the others.

⦁ Aluminum terrarium: this terrarium is very hygienic, light and stable. However, it has very poor thermal insulation, and still plays in a league with the plastic terrarium in terms of price.

4.Terrarium Equipment

The reptile feels completely at home only with the right terrarium utensils. These help to imitate the atmosphere, climate and vegetation of its natural habitat. Several criteria are important here as well:

The Flooring

Depending on the reptile species, different types of flooring are recommended, such as sand, chip or hum.

Light

Special UV lamps are necessary for reptiles, on the one hand to simulate day and night, and on the other hand to provide heat.

Heat Sources

Reptiles are cold-blooded animals. This means they absorb heat from the immediate environment. Their body temperature is therefore determined by the outside temperature. Therefore, most reptiles need additional heat sources, for example in the form of infrared lamps. Again, find out which temperature is best for your species.

Air Conditioning

Many reptiles need a very high humidity. This should be generated by certain equipment, such as compressed air sprayers.

Control Equipment

To ensure the perfect climate, you will need equipment to control the temperature and humidity in the terrarium on a daily basis.

Timer

Especially for nocturnal animals it is very important to use a timer and the light devices to adjust day and night. This way the animal knows when it is bedtime and daytime and also feels as if it is in the wild.

Terrarium Back Wall

By equipping the back wall, you can provide ground-dwelling reptiles with a place to climb and create another resting spot. Overall, this gives the animals more room to move around the terrarium. Additionally, it is good to cover the glass panel as the reptiles will mistake it for air and not understand why they can’t move on.

Plants

Plants help make the environment look more like the reptile’s home.

Hiding Places And Caves

Reptiles are very shy animals. They are happy to have a place to retreat, incorporated into the nature of their terrarium.

Feeding Utensils

Water bowls and drip troughs help make it appear to the reptiles as if they are drinking from nature.

5. The Door

Not all doors are the same, either. Usually choose a sliding door, but it should be lockable. For poisonous animals a trap door is recommended. This way you can quickly get your hands to safety in an emergency. However, trap doors are more recommended for smaller terrariums.

Also note that some reptiles (e.g. bearded dragon) like to dig. Therefore, you should choose a higher door for this species and accordingly do not choose too high a substrate.

Which Reptile Species Should You Choose As A Beginner?

If you want to buy reptiles as a beginner, you should first start with a relatively low-maintenance animal.

Different Species

To give you a first introduction into the diverse world of reptile species, you can find a list of subgroups here. Of course there are also many differences within the animal groups. Thus, there are carnivores and herbivores among the turtles, harmless and highly poisonous snakes.
⦁ Agamas.
⦁ Amphibians.
⦁ Chameleons.
⦁ Lizards.
⦁ Geckos.
⦁ Iguanas.
⦁ Turtles.
⦁ Snakes.
⦁ Spiders.

Reptiles That Beginners Should Avoid

Several exclusion criteria can help determine which species to get:

⦁ Avoid venomous animals: A few species of reptiles, such as some tarantulas, are poisonous and should definitely not be purchased as a beginner.

⦁ Consider food: Before you start buying reptiles, you should look into the animal’s diet. Namely, most snakes are carnivores and, consequently, need to be fed with other live animals. First of all, it is not everyone’s cup of tea to feed rabbits or mice to a hungry snake, and secondly, these animals must also be provided with a species-appropriate diet before being fed. In general, reptiles have a very exotic diet, some even eat ants. If the provision of the right food can not be guaranteed, you should leave the purchase alone.

⦁ Recommendable species: chameleons and monitor lizards are very costly to keep and therefore not a good introduction to the world of reptiles. Beginners should also keep their hands off poisonous snakes.

Recommended Species For Beginners

The following species are relatively easy to care for and are therefore recommended for beginners:
⦁ Lizards: bearded dragon, green water dragon, fringed fingered lizard.
⦁ Iguanas: small Anolis species, terrestrial iguanas, masked iguanas, green iguana.
⦁ Geckos: leopard gecko, large Madaskar gecko, dwarf desert gecko.
⦁ Tortoises: Spur-thighed tortoise, Greek tortoise (but need an outdoor enclosure in addition to the terrarium).
⦁ Spiders: Tarantulas (nocturnal, note the difference between arboreal and ground dwellers when setting up the terrarium).
⦁ Adders: corn snake

⦁ snakes: Boa constrictor (grows up to two meters long).

You can find out exactly what you should consider when buying snakes here!

Tortoises are good for beginners[/caption ]

Time Requirement

How much time do I have to take for such an animal anyway? Reptiles are relatively low maintenance, as they don’t need to be walked and mothered. They don’t need physical and emotional closeness, unlike dogs and cats. They are also much less demanding than mammals when it comes to food: they often need food only once a week. In return, a lot of time goes into terrarium care.

Buy Reptiles

Attention Species Protection

Be careful when buying reptiles! Many reptiles are protected species and are smuggled into Germany. If you buy such an animal without the appropriate permit, you are also liable to prosecution as a buyer. To avoid such illegal purchases, you should never buy or order reptiles from abroad.

Before buying you have to find out if your reptile is species-protected and you should get certain papers from the seller. On pages of animal protection organizations, such as WWF, you can find the exact regulations and also a list of endangered species. It also helps to read customer reviews about the seller in advance and to inform yourself about him/her on the web. This way you will find a reputable buying partner who can additionally inform you about the species-appropriate keeping of your animal.

Costs: How Much Money Do I Have To Plan For My Reptile In The Future?

With the purchase the costs are not finished yet. Besides the terrarium and its equipment you should include money for food, electricity, water, repair of electrical parts and possible visits to the doctor. The latter is not so unlikely, because reptiles are highly sensitive.

Hobby Instead Of Pet

If you feel that the above conditions are right for you, there is nothing standing in the way of your purchase. Remember to inform yourself in advance about your new roommate. Also start with the setup of the terrarium before your purchase. This should be fun and not just a means to an end. As you have probably noticed while reading, reptiles are more suitable as a hobby than as a child-loving pet. Then all that remains is to say: Have fun becoming a reptile expert!