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BLUE TONGUE SKINKS Tiliqua scincoides Overview Blue Tongue Skinks are native to Australia and make great pets! They are docile, tame, and friendly and don’t cause allergies like some house hold pets. They are also easy to maintain and to setup. Description: Blue Tongues are a large terrestrial lizard measuring up to 40 centimetres long and 700 grams in mass. It has a stout body and short legs they can be variable in colour but generally has a banded pattern, they get their name from the cobalt blue tongue they have wic they stick out if threatened. They are diurnal, active during the day. and ovoviviparous, (the eggs hatching inside the female's body);usually having 5 to 25 live young per litter. They can live over 30 years. Enclosure : As Blue tongue Skinks get fairly large when they reach full size. At 60cm when fully grown they need a big enclosure. But since they grow quite slowly they can be kept in smaller enclosures to begin with. Number / Body length / Enclosure length x width x height 1-3 / Juveniles - 0mm-160mm / 600 x 300 x 300 mm 1-3 / Sub Adults - 200-300mm / 800 x 500 x 400 mm 1-2 / Adults - 300mm + / 1000 x 600 x 600 mm Substrate Blue Tongue Skinks can have a wide range of substrate, what you choose depends whether you are going to be feeding your Skink in its enclosure or out of it. Aspen - This substrate is quite good and their burrowing habits are met and is a relatively safe substrate, the only drawback is a bit of dust, use aspen not pine or cedar as this can kill your Blue Tongue Skink. Sand - Is okay but not the best if you want to feed in the enclosure since Skinks can also eat the sand, this isn't good as it can cause impaction. Don't use man made sand, be careful with calcium sand as they can overload on calcium. Bark – Is a good option as it looks natural and they can burrow. Usually they cannot accidentally eat it since it is too big, Artificial grass - I recommend this substrate as it is totally safe and is easy to clean and you can feed in the enclosure, just ensure the edges have no loose fibres they can ingest (I usually use a lighter to melt it). Coir coconut fibre - this is a good substrate as it is digestible and Blue Tongue Skinks can burrow into it, but it is quite moist. Plants Plants make the vivarium more natural for the Blue Tongue Skinks, use fake plants as Blue Tongue Skinks tend to eat real plants and they could be poisonous or dangerous. Decor Rocks and logs look nice in your Blue Tongue Skinks vivarium but make sure they are sterile, this can be done by boiling for a few minutes, don’t use any chemicals. Make sure they are not sharp and can’t fall on your Blue Tongue Skinks. Make sure your blue tongue has a cave, have one on the cool end and the warm end. Lighting Blue Tongue Skinks are active during the day so they must have uvb/uva light! There are special reptile lights that mimic the sun and give out these rays, an ordinary bulb wont do! One of the most commonly used bulbs is the “repti glow” they have a range of U.V ray wave lengths, these range from the weakest to the strongest 2.0, 5.0, 8.0 and 10.0 the higher the number the more U.V rays. Since Blue Tongue Skinks live in the forest the 5.0 is best but it depends what type of Blue Tongue Skinks you are keeping. UV bulbs need to be replaced once a year. Make sure you read the manufacturers guidelines and warnings Heating Eastern Blue Tongue Skinks need a temperature gradient of around 29-24 c and the basking temperature 35 c, make sure there is a cool and warm end so they can regulate their own temperature. For heat sources you can buy special heat lamps from pet stores they get really hot they must have a ceramic fitting since they will melt an ordinary lighting fixture. Heat mats are not necessary as they can get all their heat from their heat lamp and they can cause a serious fire hazard I had one that was sitting on a tile and it still burnt through the plastic, cracked the glass tank bottom, and turned the carpet underneath to ash. Water and Humidity Clean water should always be accessible in an appropriate water dish. Blue-tongued skinks are not good swimmers and must be able to easily exit the water bowl or be able to tip the bowl over. As they are from semi-dry areas and require low humidity with adequate ventilation. Humidity levels ranging between 25 and 40 percent use a hygrometer to monitor humidity levels. Diet- A blue tongues diet should consist of 50% veggies, 40% Protein (meats and insects), and 10% fruit. Veggies: you can use puha(water cress), broccoli, tomatoes, zucchini, peas,mustard greens,grated butternut squash and dandelions (should be mixed with other veggies). Protien: you can use-tinned dog food, dog chow, crickets, snails (no need to take the shell off), mice (don't leave in at night or unsupervised as they are known to bite as a defence or gnaw on lethargic reptiles the same applies for crickets and locust) ,mealworms, earthworms, tiger worms, cockroaches, lean red meat, mince, and raw or boiled egg. Fruits: you can use, apples, strawberries, bananas, pear, figs, melon, plums, kiwifruit and raisins. - Avoid citrus, avocado, eggplant, rhubarb and high-sodium canned meats/foods. - Calcium supplements with vitamin d3 are great for your reptile but DO NOT OVER DOSE AS IT COULD BE FATAL! Handling and Temperament While many reptiles do not like to be handled at all, and some merely tolerate it, blue-tongued skinks are very personable and often seem to enjoy being scratched on the head or chin. They seem to enjoy the attention. Habits Blue Tongue Skinks are active during the day but tend to sit in their caves a lot. You can encourage them out by removing their caves for an hour or so each day. They each have their own personalities and their own tastes and what they like and dislike. Unless you ave a really large enclosure Blue Tongue Skinks should not be kept with other reptiles, feeding habits and enclosure requirements make them incompatible. Some like to be handled but some don't also always wash your hands before and after handling as all reptiles have the posibility to carry salmonella. Keeping blue tongues together can be good or bad. Blue tongues in groups to me,tend to be more active alert and entertaining but there is a downside. Blue tongues skinks are solitary by nature usually only coming together to breed, thus they aren't friendly to each other two males put together can create territorial problems and they will fight. Also having mixed sized blue tongue skinks meaning the heavier,fatter and larger ones may crush small innocent blue tongues. It is really up to you but if you see any aggression i advise you separate them

.This article is compiled from a care sheet on Water Dragons by Reuben Anderson on the Aquarium World forums. Australian or Eastern water dragons Intellagama lesueurii, formerly Physignathus lesueurii And Intellagama lesueurii howittii Gippsland Water Dragon subspecies .This article is compiled from a care sheet on Water Dragons by Reuben Anderson on the Aquarium World forums. https://aquariumworld.nz/forums/topic/41043-australianeastern-water-dragon-care-sheet/ Eastern water dragons are stunning, prehistoric looking lizards that make great pets that are native to eastern Australia from Victoria northwards to Queensland, the ones we have in NZ are mostly leseurii .but some have genes from the subspecies howitii in them. They are the longest reptile available on the market with some males close to 1 metre long and a kg in weight, they have lots of personality and are very active lizards. They don't take much effort to care for, are easy to set up. With a lifespan between 15 and 28 years. Males generally have a much thicker and shorter head, a more dominant crest to and a red underside with the black/grey bar behind their eyes Housing Water dragons can be kept outside all year round in most places in New Zealand. An outdoor enclosure provides many advantages and you will probably get to see more of their natural behaviour. You are also usually able to build a much larger enclosure which makes a happier lizard. The size of an outdoor enclosure should ideally be a minimum of a 2m by 2m by 2m. This could happily house a small group and gives you lots of room to build ponds, plant shrubs etc. An outdoor enclosure enables you to build or purchase a much larger pond or similar. Just like the indoor enclosures you want to keep the water clean. Investing in a pond filter will save a lot of time cleaning. For substrate there are the indoor options or you could do a mixture of substrates to mimic their natural habitat. In an outdoor set up I would use bark or mulch as you don’t need to worry so much about the mess and it looks very natural. You want to still have many branches and hollow logs etc. You can create waterfalls and place large rocks here and there to help mimic their natural environment. Remember water dragons are an arboreal reptile and like to rest on high branches and bask so they will spend a fair bit of time perched up on branches and logs, a branch over hanging the water is also good. It is usually advised that you keep your dragon indoors for the first and maybe second winter depending on size. Many experienced keepers keep them outside from the beginning as this can help with fertility and makes a much hardier lizard however it is good practice to leave your dragon inside for the first year or so. If you don’t, you may find he will freeze during the winter and not come back out of hibernation and die. - Hatchlings (pair) an enclosure measuring 900mm by 450mm by 450mm (L,W,H) - Yearlings from 1-2 years (pair) an enclosure measuring 1200mm by 600mm by 600mm (L,W,H) - Adults 3 years plus (pair) an enclosure measuring 1800mm by 600mm by 800mm (L,W,H) Water dragons being active lizards need lots of room to run around so these dimensions should ideally be the minimum. As they say, the bigger, the better. Water Water dragons weren't given their names for nothing! They require a large pool of water to swim and soak in - the water should be deep enough for them to fully submerge themselves in as they retreat to the water if they feel threatened or scared. They may stay under the water for several minutes and adults even sometimes over an hour! Make sure they can get out of the water with ease if they need to, a piece of wood or a rock emerging from the water is perfect - its also somewhere they can cool off without actually entering the water. Make sure to either provide a filter for the water or regularly change the water as they defecate in it. It is important to not heat the water as if the water is too warm, you may find your dragon will spend too much time in there and may not hop out to bask. If they stay in the water too long they run the risk of fungal infections. It needs to be kept cool as the water is their main way to thermo regulate, ie to cool off. The water area should be at least 1/4 of the enclosure floor. Adding an air stone or pump to the water may encourage them to enter the water if you find they don't like to go into the water. Substrates- There are many substrates you can use in your vivarium. Outdoor turf - This is a very common substrate used by many hobbyists. It is easy to clean, many different colours available, safe for your lizard, and it’s also quite appealing to the eye Tip: purchase two pieces that cover the entire floor so you can wash one while you use the other one. Paper towels can also be used but are a bit of an eye sore. Sand - This is okay but can be very messy. You also run the risk of impaction if you feed on the substrate. If you use sand I would highly recommend you feed in either a large dish or separate feeding enclosure. Bark/mulch/aspen - This looks quite effective and is cheap but can also be quite messy. Avoid products made of pine or cedar as it has a very strong smell which is not liked by the dragons at all! Stones/pebbles - I would stay away from these as small pebbles can be ingested and can cause impaction. They are also very cold and hard. Sterile potting soil - This can look really nice and you can grow live plants in it but is also very messy, you will be constantly changing the water dish and wiping the front glass etc. These are the most popular substrates but there are more being used. My favourite is outdoor turf because of the above reasons. Plants You have the option of live or fake plants, fake plants can be easily cleaned and now look very realistic, they can be pricey though however once you have them they can be used for years. Live plants are more aesthetically pleasing but quite a few are toxic to reptiles and it can be hard to know which ones are and which aren't, of the ones to use a few examples are; bromeliads, types of ferns, grass, small shrubs and palms. These can be planted straight into the ground. It’s also beneficial to grow edible plants in the enclosure. You can grow strawberries, blue berries, dandelion etc., all parts of the dandelion and they are easy to grow. Lighting and heating This is a fairly simple aspect to the care of EWDs but many people are often confused about this topic. Water dragons are diurnal lizards so they need UVB/UVA light. A 10.0 UVB bulb is recommended but a 5.0 will do if there are branches close to the light. Tubes are usually preferred over compact bulbs but both do the job - make sure you follow the manufacturers directions as there is a fine line between too much UV and not enough! REMEMBER TO REPLACE THE UVB BULB EACH YEAR! A basking spot is also required to keep the enclosure at a stable temperature and to create hot and cold ends withing the enclosure. There are many types of lighting to create basking spots. For example; basic spot lights, ceramic heat emitters, infrared bulbs, metal halide bulbs and many more. I prefer just basic spot lights as they are cheap and do the job while still providing light. Stay away from bulbs which claim to provide both heat and UVB as usually this is not the case. Using these bulbs by themselves can lead to lack in calcium absorption which can cause MBD or metabolic bone disease which can permanently damage your lizard and can leave it with major back problems and weak bones. Always purchase a safety cage to cover the bulbs as water dragons are excellent jumpers and can get burned if they touch the bulb. Heat mats are not needed as water dragons in the wild get all their heat from above. Don't use heat rocks as these have been known to cause serious burns to your reptiles. Temperatures in the enclosure should be: cool end - 20-25C, hot end 25-30C and basking spot 35-40C. Lighting and heating is not needed in an outdoor set up. A basking bulb can be used but not necessary. You may want to fix a UVB tube to the roof of the enclosure as if you have used clearlite or something that will reduce the amount of UVB rays that get in. Diet Water dragons should be offered a wide variety of foods for a healthy diet. Some good foods are; - Mealworms, Crickets, Wax moths, Locusts, Low fat cat food - the casserole type, not pellets or jelly meat, avoid types with fish. - Ox heart with fat and sinew removed. - Shredded greens like dandelion - the whole plant can be used, not just the flowers, rocket and clover - Fruits like strawberries, grated apple, raspberry, banana, and grated squash - a good and healthy way to bulk up salads It is important to offer a mixture of fruit/vege and meat/insects at each meal time. A juveniles diet should be 60% meat/insects to 40% fruit/vege. An adults diet should be 60% fruit/vege to 40% meat/insects. It's a good idea to add vitamins and calcium to their food. You can purchase vitamin and calcium powder from pet stores. This helps them get all the vitamins and minerals they need to stay healthy. Make sure you follow the manufacturer’s directions. Too much can be harmful!

Here is a care sheet for leopard geckos. Created by Perpin and copied from (Eublepharis macularius) INTRODUCTION Leopard gecko’s are without question, one of the easiest lizards to keep as a pet. The reason being that they are very hardy and require little specialized care and equipment. They are relatively small and adapt well in little spaces (although the bigger the better). They are nocturnal which means that they are active in the evening (when you are most likely to be at home). The leopard gecko is native to dry, rocky habitat in Pakistan, India and Afghanistan. Leopard geckos can live for up to 20 years, some sources have reported up to 25 years! Adults can weigh anything from 50-100g. Generally, females are smaller, averaging 55g, 18-24 cm (but can get bigger), while the males averages 70-90g, 23-28 cm. Adult size (lengthwise) should be reached at around 1 year, by which time the leopard gecko should also be sexually mature. Once the adult size has been reached the leopard gecko may fill-out, continuing to gain weight for another year or so. Leopard geckos can be quite feisty when they are young. They have to get used to being handled! They often scream at you as hatchlings! This can be quite a shock but not to worry as they do settle and learn to trust you. Leopard geckos do not mind living together. You can have four or five females together with one male. Never put more than one male together, they will fight and can cause serious injuries. Also bear in mind the size of the geckos. They should be more or less the same size or bullying can occur! CAGING Since leopard geckos are small (compared to other lizards kept as pets) and not too active, their habitat/vivarium can be relatively small. They are nocturnal animals so you will not need to worry about adding any lighting! Just make sure that the temperatures are warm enough. UV Lighting and Leopard Geckos The old Leopard geckos and UV lighting debate: Recent studies have shown that “The results of this study demonstrate that short duration exposure to UVB light can lead to increased circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 concentrations in leopard geckos.” , For a good website on using UV lighting visit http://www.uvguide.co.uk/ From Frances Baines on http://www.geckosunlimited.com/community/leopard-geckos-husbandry-housing-and-heating/84556-uvb-lighting-debate.html “The Arcadia 8 watt MINI UV light Kit 2.4% UVB is an extremely low-level source of UVB. It's ideal for use in very small vivariums or those with very shallow depth, even inside tubs for snakes. For shade-dwellers with low UVB requirements the max UV Index you need is round about UVI 0.5 - 1.0. You can get UVI 0.5 at a distance of only 4 inches away from the Mini UV 2.4% Kit when the reflector is fitted. So I think it's use is very limited for a leopard gecko in an ordinary viv, where even if he climbs to the top of his hides, is still 8 - 10 inches below the tube. I use Arcadia T8 (1" diameter tube) Euro Range 5%UVB, or T8 ZooMed Reptisun 5.0 or Arcadia T8 D3 6%UVB tubes, with no reflectors, about 8 - 10 inches above them. (No mesh between tube and gecko). This gives me about UVI 0.5 at gecko closest point. The tubes are on throughout the daylight hours. If they come out during the day, or leave their tails sticking out of their hides, etc., they are getting a little UVB every time they do it. Seems to work well for them.” They also have calcium carbonate powder (no added D3) in small dishes in each viv. And I dust every other feed of livefood with a very small amount of multivitamin/ mineral powder with D3." THE VIVARIUM Leopard geckos can live in glass tanks or wooden vivariums, provided there is enough ventilation. The best size for one leopard gecko is a 2 ft vivarium and a 3 ft vivarium would be ideal for 2 or 3 leopard geckos. Glass tanks are thought to be better as you can easily clean with hot water. You will also need a vivarium style lid with glass tanks. HEATING You will need a source of heat but be careful what you use as you could end up burning your little friend! The best source of heat is a heating pad. Put a heating pad at one end under the vivarium and not on both ends. This way your gecko can choose if it would like to be in the warm end or the cooler end. This is very important as leopard geckos cannot regulate their own body temperatures. Geckos soak warmth up through their bellies which aids digestion and will often lie directly on top of the warm patch. Leopard geckos need a daytime temperature of between 26 to 30 degrees and a night time temperature of between 21 to 23 degrees. If you really want lighting in the vivarium so that you can see them better at night, a red bulb is the best. PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO TURN THE LIGHT OFF AFTER WATCHING THEM! The vivarium could get too hot. Likewise, never place the vivarium where direct sunlight can shine on it. This too can push the temperatures up too high! SUBSTRATE You have to be careful of the substrate you use as many of them can cause impaction (blockages!). Baby’s and juveniles are at most risk of impaction as their digestive tracts are much smaller. Kitchen paper towels – This is the best substrate to use for babies and juveniles. Its great for adults too but you might prefer a more natural look. I find this to be the best as it is easy to clean up the “messes”. As soon as you notice a “mess” simple remove that piece of paper towel and replace it! Another pro is that it is relatively cheap. Sand – This must not be used for hatchlings as there is a risk of impaction. It looks natural. It cannot be washed and used again so can become expensive. Slate tiles – these are also a good option. These can be lifted and cleaned. Make sure they are secure so as not to cause any injuries. Astro-turf – This is safe to use and can be washed and re-used. Be sure to leave it in the sun to dry completely before returning to the vivarium, as it will rot if left moist. With all substrates you should consider the ease of removing waste and whether or not the feeder insects can hide away in it making it difficult to remove uneaten insects! WATER A shallow water bowl should be provided. Tap water is fine but if you can filter the water, even better! The water bowl should be cleaned and the water replaced every second day to avoid bacterial growth. HIDES Hide boxes are very important as geckos like to feel sheltered. They will spend most of there time in them. For a simple setup you can use a 2 litre ice cream tub with a doorway cut out of it. Sphagnum moss or organic peat is great for bedding. There should be one at the warm end and the cool end of the vivarium. This way the gecko can choose to be warm or cool. The hide over the heating pad should be the moist hide. This aids the gecko with the shedding of skin. With a moist hide, simply ensure that you add a little water to dampen (not soak) the moss. Check it every second day. DÉCOR Many people like to add branches etc to make the vivarium look more realistic. This is fine. Just make sure that everything is secure so that nothing can fall on your gecko and cause injuries. FEEDING You can feed leopard gecko’s mealworms, superworms, silkworms, crickets, locusts and waxworms. They will only eat live (wiggly) food. Mealworms and Superworms Mealworms and superworms are an excellent source of fat and energy so can often be used to get your reptiles weight up. It has been said that mealworms and superworms can eat their way through the belly of a leopard gecko. This is not true. Some would say that mealworms are not a good food source. I disagree. If your mealworms are well fed they are an excellent food source. I have raised many leopard geckos on mealworms and superworms without any health issues. Silkworms Silkworms are thought to be the best meal for leopard gecko. There nutritional value is excellent. The problem is getting the leopard gecko to eat them as they are not very wiggly. Once they do try them they will happily continue to eat them. Crickets Crickets would often be described as the ideal food for leopard geckos. They are the closest things to the gecko’s natural food and the gecko tends to enjoy chasing down the crickets. You will need to remove any uneaten crickets as they are known to nibble on the geckos! Some breeders leave food in the vivarium for the crickets to eat so that they do not bite the geckos. Personally I prefer to remove uneaten crickets. Better safe than sorry. Calcium and Multi Vitamins In addition to feeding you will need to supplement your gecko with calcium and multi vitamins. This is very important as they need supplementation to maintain healthy bones and for the formation of eggs. Geckos can develop a disease known as Metabolic Bone Disease if they do not get enough calcium. The first sign is bendy and flexible limbs. The jaw also becomes slack. Leave an upturned plastic lid in the vivarium with some calcium powder in. Leopard geckos will normally eat it straight out of the lid. If so, you won’t have to worry about dusting their food. If yours will not eat the calcium out of the lid, it is important to “dust” their food. The best way is to put the crickets or whatever you will be feeding them into a small packet or plastic Tupperware. Pour a little calcium powder in and gently shake until the food is covered and then feed it to your gecko. Dust the feeder insects once a week with multi vitamins. Size of food The rule is that whatever you are feeding your gecko should not be bigger than the width of the geckos head. This prevents choking and impaction which can happen when they have eaten food that is too big. Frequency of feeding Offer your gecko food everyday when it’s still a juvenile and every other day when it is an adult. Bear in mind that every gecko is different. Some like to eat everyday and others will eat every three days. You will soon learn what works for your gecko. As long as the tail is nice and plump, there is nothing to worry about. SHEDDING Every couple of weeks your leopard gecko will shed its skin. It is very important that all of the skin comes off. Most of the time the gecko will remove all the skin on its own. They eat the skin. They will need moisture to shed properly which is why the moist hide is so important. It is especially important that the skin comes off of all the toes properly. If shed skin is left on the toes it can dry up and constrict the toes and they might fall off! If, for some reason, the gecko does not remove all the skin properly you will have to help it. Just place your gecko in a shallow bowl with warm water in it. Let it stand in there for a while. You can also spray some warm water on it with a spray bottle. Be careful not to let the gecko get too cold. Gently begin removing the skin that the gecko could not get off. The gecko might not enjoy this but it is necessary. THE TAIL The leopard geckos tail can be “let go” just like any other gecko! It is important never to pick up your gecko by its tail. If your gecko does drop its tail, separate it from the others and keep the wound clean until it has recuperated. The tail will regenerate but will not look like it originally did. It normally grows back a slightly different color and shape and will be shorter than before. BREEDING Leopard gecko’s can be sexually mature as young as 7 to 8 months but it is not recommended to breed them before the age of 1 year. If the female is too small you run the risk of egg binding and can lose your leopard gecko. Leopard geckos will breed in the warm summer months. A healthy female will lay 2 eggs every 2 to 3 weeks. Incubation varies between 30 and 60 days depending on the temperature they are incubated at. HATCHLINGS The hatchlings must be removed from the incubator and placed in a tub with a lid on. The tub must have moist paper towel in it and ventilation holes and placed in a warm vivarium. The hatchling must be kept moist until the first shed which usually happens around day 3. After the first shed you may begin feeding the hatchling on baby mealworms or pinhead to small crickets (remember a good guide to food size is that the length of the insect must not be longer than the width of the baby leopard gecko’s neck). The hatchling can then be moved into a tank that is identical to the adult’s setup. Do not keep adults and hatchlings in the same setup as the adults may try to eat them or bite their tails! Hatchlings must be fed every day. TREATING MBD I have personally used this slurry recipe with great success to rehabilitate sick gecko’s which people have given up on and I have taken in. In a blender combine the following: 1 Small can of Hill’s A/D (available at most Vets’) 1 teaspoon calcium powder with vitamin D3 ½ teaspoon herp vitamin powder 3 handfuls of mealworms Blend until completely smooth, pour into ice cube trays and freeze. Store in zip lock bags until ready to use. Thaw one cube at a time for use. Using a medicine dropper, place a drop on the gecko’s nose (careful not to get any in the nostrils!). The gecko will lick it off of its nose. Do this twice a day. Only in extreme situations should you force feed a gecko.

Bearded Dragon Pogona vitticeps and Pagona barbata. Bearded dragons make a great pet lizard. They don’t get too large, eat a wide variety of foods, are active during the day, and are gentle animals. Bearded dragons in New Zealand are captive bred, have limited care requirements, readily available, and now fairly inexpensive. Pogona vitticeps– Central (or Inland) Bearded Dragon, Males are larger than females, up to 22" a stocky lizard with prominent spines along its sides and a large, triangle-shaped head. Around the snout is a spiny jaw pouch which, when swollen, looks like a beard, mature males have dark "beards". The general colour can range from shades of brown, gray, and reddish-brown to bright orange. RANGE AND HABITAT: Central Australia, semi-arid to arid woodland, on the ground and in trees. Pogona barbata – Eastern bearded dragon, closely resembles the vitticeps but is slightly larger. Usually a grey-black colour but can be found in brown or dark brown colouration The adult males grow to about 24 inches (60 cm), and females up to 20 inches (50 cm). The adult males display a dark grey or black beard also. RANGE AND HABITAT: most common in eastern Australia around the Cape York area but has been found further inland, semi-arid to arid woodland, on the ground and in trees. HOUSING: A large aquarium or terrarium with a ventilated lid. Minimum of 1.2 metres x 50cm wide for 1 bearded dragon, though bigger is better. Floor space is more important than height for indoor setups, though Pogona barbata are more arboreal, than vitticeps. A UVB fluorescent bulb or tube a maximum 30cm away from lizard, an under floor heat pad and or a ceramic heat emitter. A good Temperature range is 30 - 40c at the basking spot and the low 20 - 25c at the cool end, night time temps best not to drop below 15C. Barbata’s prefer a slightly lower temperature range. Substrate for the bottom of the tank, grass carpet, tiling (for young Dragons), bark or fine sand can be used for adults. A cave or hiding area for your bearded dragon and a branch, log, driftwood or rocks for a basking or vantage spot. Food bowl, a smooth insect and vegetable bowl, and a water dish. Aggression issues can arise when housing 2 males together as they mature, housing a pair can also present problems with the male hassling the female too much when wanting to breed. If housing indoors, during summer you can have an enclosure outside for your lizard to have access to natural sunlight. A Rabbit hutch or similar will suffice so long as it is cat or dog proof, just make sure they can get out of the direct sun if need be, and provide a water dish as per normal. DIET: They are omnivorous and in the wild eat many types of insects, small vertebrates, vegetation, fruits and flowers. In captivity they can be fed Crickets, mealworms, Locusts, Slaters, Grasshoppers Etc, Frozen mixed vegetables: beans, carrots, peas, fresh vegetables: carrots, Grated pumpkin, dandelion greens, rock melon, Pawpaw, strawberries, Kitten cat food (rabbit or chicken) once or twice a week and Calcium & vitamin D3 supplement powder can be lightly sprinkled once or twice a week on food. Salad tip; make enough for 3-4days, store in ziplock bag in fridge. Feed out as needed, Its good practice to take the salad out at night. Good site for greens http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html Also the balance between phosphate and calcium intake is important http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutritionframeset.html Care must be taken to provide your reptile with a well-balanced diet, over feeding or feeding too much of one type or a rich food can lead to obesity and possibly metabolic bone disease. Feeding baby dragons Young dragons need a lot of live food, but in smaller frequent meals, basically what they will eat within 15 minutes. Put in a bug or 2, if they eat them add more, if not offer some more later in the day. It is best not to leave live food roaming with your pet, Crickets at night especially, as they can nibble the toes/tails/eyes of your dragon, having a water source for the crickets, i.e. salad or even just the BDs water bowl will help minimise this. No live food bigger than the space between their eyes. Good food will be small crickets, small mealworms, and wax worms. The insects can be gut loaded and dusted with vitamin, calcium and mineral powder every second day. Chopped up vegetables should be offered every day, the vegetables should be finely chopped and in small quantities. You will have to be careful not to overfeed the baby bearded dragons. Large mealworms are capable of biting young beardies and too many can cause constipation as they are harder to digest and full of phosphates. As they get older Juvenile bearded dragons can eat more vegetables and fewer insects. They should be offered vegetables every day. Once they are around nine months old insects can be fed only 2 – 3 times per week and calcium supplements can be reduced to every other day and vitamin supplements to once a week. Supplements Calcium – 5 days a week for young, 3 days a week for adults, 5 days for laying females Multi vitamins once a week, less if feeding a good varied diet? Supplements can be dusted onto salads and or live food. Try not to feed anything 2 hours prior to lights out, this just gives them time to digest what’s in their stomach prior to lights out/temps cool off. General care and handling: Please remember that your Reptile has the potential to carry Salmonella. WASH YOUR HANDS AFTER HANDLING YOUR REPTILE, or when cleaning the enclosure or feed dishes. Keeping your dragons skin healthy is important for when they shed, which should be approximately every six weeks for a healthy animal, misting with a spray bottle of water can help this, mist every day for young, mist every few days for adults, A bath once a month (not essential), warm water about 25-30C an inch or 2 deep is enough for young, increase with age. ALWAYS supervise when they are in the water. Bathing also helps stimulate number 2's and is a good way to hydrate a lizard. BREEDING: Sexual maturity is reached at 1 – 2 years of age. Clutch size 7-16 long leathery eggs, the eggs are laid in sandy soil, incubation 3 months. Handling: Getting your Lizard used to being handled is important for visits to the vet or examination etc. but always be aware too much interaction can be stressful for some reptiles. Illness and health problems Calcium & Vitamin D3 Deficiencies can cause seizures, stunted growth, deformities, poor bone growth, and brittle bones. Vitamin D3 and calcium problems can be solved by making sure your bearded dragon receives proper lighting and dietary supplements. Overfeeding baby and juvenile bearded dragons can cause paralysis in the hind quarters and is usually fatal. It results from the pressure of the food ball on the spinal nerves. Bearded dragons have no discs in their spinal column and prolonged pressure can cause a break or bend in the joints. Therefore, do not overfeed the young lizards and do not give them insects that are too large. Respiratory Infection Signs of respiratory infection are gaping, noisy breathing, and mucus discharge from the nose and mouth. It is usually caused by low temperatures, high humidity, or both. You should keep your bearded dragon warm and at a relatively low humidity. See a veterinarian. Gastrointestinal Infections Signs of gastrointestinal infection are weight loss, lack of appetite, and foul smelling diarrhoea. See a veterinarian. Constipation can some times be dealt with by a good feed of greens or a nice warm bath. Fungal Infections Fungal infections are caused by a warm, damp environment. The infection occurs in a cut or scrape on your bearded dragon Use an anti-fungal ointment. Impaction Impaction is caused by a blockage in the dragons’ digestive tract, this can be caused by various things. Hard or too large food items, too low an enclosure temperature slowing down digestion, a warm bath can help get things going again. Seek Veterinary help. http://www.beardeddragon.org/articles/impaction/ http://pets-lovers.com/blog/2010/04/bea ... -avoid-it/ Egg Binding Can be caused by calcium deficiency, being under or overweight, or the bearded dragon can’t find a suitable egg site. Have a deep, soil substrate for your lizard to dig a nest. If egg binding is caused by a different reason, you will need to take the animal to the veterinarian. If your female stops eating for days and keeps running around the enclosure it maybe looking for a place to lay its eggs. Metabolic bone disease – there are a number of conditions that fall under this name but usually caused by imbalances of minerals such as magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, or vitamin D3 leading to bone problems that can be reversed in mild cases once the animal is treated. This is mostly caused by an inadequate or unbalanced diet and incorrect lighting, A website on the subject - http://www.anapsid.org/mbd.html Vets recommended by forum members for treating reptiles Auckland - Lynfield vets Palmerston North - Brett Gartrell at Massey University Wellington - Seaton Butler at Kelburn Vet Practise Christchurch - Shirley Vets in Marshlands Road, Hornby Vets specialise in Turtles and do other reps as well Brumation. A state of hibernation that worries most reptile keepers, some reptiles go into this when food supplies dwindle in the wild, at the onset of autumn or winter your lizard may refuse to eat for long periods of time, or become increasingly inactive and lethargic, how and where they brumate can be varied for different individual reptiles within a species. Brumation can last anything from one week to 4 or more months, during this period their metabolism slows right down and some may wake have a drink and go back to sleep again. Don’t try to force water or food on the reptile during this period and try to minimise disturbing it also, though a quick check to ensure it is alright is okay. Let your animal decide what it wants and needs, youngsters often times do not brumate the first year but adults do,, once they wake up they may take a couple of days to get back to their normal behaviour and eating. http://www.beardeddragon.org/articles/brumation/?page=1

Axolotl. Ambystoma mexicanum https://www.caudata.org/ Axolotls are amphibians that come from 2 lakes in Mexico City, Mexico, they live their entire lives in water, never emerging onto land. First brought into NZ in 1956 then released to general public through efforts by FNZAS members in 1963. So long as basic requirements for keeping are met they are hardy, easy-to-care-for amphibians that reach a maximum size of 30cm but are generally about 25cm as adults, expected life span can be over 20 years with them reaching sexual maturity at about a year old. Axolotls have a skeleton made up of mainly cartilage and are soft-bodied amphibians with permeable skin. As such, axolotls should not be handled unless absolutely necessary. They breathe air and use their external gills to absorb oxygen into their system. Housing A 40 litre aquarium is the minimum recommendation for a single adult axolotl and a filter will be needed as they produce a large amount of waste from feeding, in the wild they are solitary animals so are okay on their own but if you want to house more together you will need a larger aquarium. Young axolotls tend to bite off the legs and gills of their tankmates if not fed well or given plenty of space Substrate The ideal substrate for axolotls is sand as Axolotls have a bad habit of ingesting gravel and mouth-sized objects from their action of sucking food in so gravel or small stones can be ingested leading to gut impactions and the death of the axolotl. Anything the size of an axolotl’s head or smaller can and will be consumed! Many keepers use no substrate at all which may not be pleasing to the eye in a display aquarium but tiles maybe used to give more grip for the aquariums inhabitants. Pieces of driftwood, plastic plants and ornaments such as caves can help your axolotl feel safer in the aquarium. Water Tap water is fine for axolotls so long as it is pre-treated with aquarium water conditioner to remove chlorine and chloramines, though they are far more forgiving than aquarium fish either regular water changes or a good filter should be used. The best choice is an external canister filter with a low flow as axolotls do not tolerate distinct water flow, too much flow can cause lack of appetite and forward-curled gills. Ideally, a new aquarium and filter should be allowed to cycle for a few weeks prior to the introduction of axolotls to let the water conditions settle and filter bacteria develop. Be sure to keep an eye on water parameters using the water test kits sold at aquarium stores. Lighting Axolotls do not require lighting and some individuals may be shy if kept under bright lighting, though they will become accustomed to it if provided with some hiding places. Lighting is generally for the benefit of aquarium plants you may have put in the tank so choose a plant- bulb, such as those sold for freshwater aquarium fish, remember that many lighting fixtures often generate a lot of heat and this can be detrimental to axolotls. Temperature Axolotls are poikilothermic, that is, their body temperature is determined by the temperature of the environment. Ensure that they maintain a temperature range of 10–25 degrees Celsius (°C). The optimum temperature is 14–18°C.Temperatures above 25 degrees will invariably lead to heat stress, fungal infection loss of appetite and quite often death. If you have temperature problems, consider buying an aquarium chiller for the warmer parts of the year, temporary measure to cool the water such as freezing bottles of water and then floating in the tank may help reduce temperatures temporarily. Diet Good staple foods are earthworms, mealworms, insects and frozen bloodworm, shrimp, prawns (shells removed), tuna and lean chicken or beef (all fat removed), avoid live food such as feeder fish because of the risk of parasite, disease transmission with uneaten fish often eating the gills off the axolotl. With a good varied diet they have no need of vitamin/mineral supplementation. Axolotls will eat until full and asults may just need feeding once a week whereas growing youngsters will require feeding once a day. Albino Axolotl

Care sheet / Guide for the: Green and Golden Bell Frog. By Matt Maney Scientific name: Litoria aurea. Also have Litoria raniformis the Southern bell frog in NZ (very similar). Distribution: Litoria aurea mainly found in the upper North Island. Litoria raniformis lower North Island and South Island. Description: Green and golden through to brown. L. Raniformis often has bumpier skin and at times a green stripe down the center of its back. Mix between arboreal/tree frog and aquatic/ground dwelling frogs. These are good at both climbing and swimming making these frogs rather unique. Like to bask in sunlight. Generally hang out near the waters edge or slightly above ground level in low branches or foliage. Status: Abundant in North of NZ. Endangered in Australia. Size: Males up to 8cm and generally slim build. Females up to 11cm and often more plump especially when in season and full of up to 10,000 eggs. Largest recorded spawn is 11682 eggs. Average a few thousand eggs at a time and can do this many times a season. Metamorphs: 1.5-3.7cm. Average size 2.4cm Diet: Live crickets, locusts, flies, mealworms, slaters, moths and so on, also known to predate other frogs including its own kind, but generally only if food is scarce. Tadpoles graze on decaying plant matter. Tip - place crickets in a container with raised sides (5-10cm will suffice) and the frogs will come to. Thus keeping most of the crickets contained and you can monitor who is eating. Crickets can also be released weekly throughout enclosures however you ought to take careful consideration of the terrariums landscape. For example works best with minimal water and easy access out of water to achieve best results with this method. No nibbling on frogs ever witnessed and Insect Direct has raised hundreds if not thousands now. Mealworms ok occasionally - place in a dish. Locusts just release and or hand feed (watch to make sure they don't drown). I try and feed them at least every other day. If a frog is skinny, offer food daily. If getting fat, flies are good exercise. Enclosures: Aim for about 1/3 water area and at least deep enough for them to fully submerge. Easy access out of water is essential - especially for young frogs - also helps any stray live food escape. Roughly speaking: 60x30x30cm MINIMUM (ok for two frogs) 100x45x45cm GOOD (upto 5/6 frogs?) 120x60x60cm GREAT (Colony of frogs 10+) Bigger the better when comes to frogs / most reptiles. Lighting & Heating: Reptile bulb or tube to replicate the sun. Heat lamp or ceramic heat emitter to encourage basking. Basking temp 25-30C, I aim for 26C. At 30C it’s a bit like they are on steroids and become very active, almost bouncing off the walls, with a ravenous appetite. Nighttime these can handle down to 15C possibly less however I aim for no less than 20C. Can heat the water area with an aquarium heater or heat mat placed under the tank. Southern bell frogs more cold tolerant. Substrate: River sand and or river stones work well. Hardwood branches add to the aesthetics. Bare bottom tanks full of driftwood work well for breeding and or general living - really makes for simplistic upkeep also. Filtration: Makes vivarium maintenance much easier, more stable water conditions equating to happy frogs. Canister filters are great. Under gravel filters (UGF) are OK as to are small internal filters. However small internal filters will likely need to be rinsed every week or two. Do so in old tank water not chlorinated tap water. Never clean thoroughly as will kill off the good bacteria that helps the filter keep the water clean and stable. Water changes: At least 20% once a week is probably a good base line. Temperature: 22-26C seems to be a good temp. Breeding Bell Frogs: Rewarding - easy to breed.. Breeding is stimulated by a raise in temperature and an abundance of food. Much like the frogs experience in the wild when spring and summer come to town. Rainfall is also a cue however not necessary. Winter shut-down is helpful for breeding and fertility however not needed for this species. Would only advise if having problems with fertility. 22-28 degrees Celsius is suitable for breeding. Lower temperatures are OK for winter shut-down. Careful consideration and planning is a must if opting for winter shut-down/brumation. Recordings of bell frogs croaking (available online) can be played back to the frogs to help start the breeding process but generally not needed if frogs are fed good food and kept in ideal conditions. Males will call until females submit and are mounted then the female will deposit upto 10,000 eggs (2000-3000 more typical in captivity) in the water whilst the male fertilises them. This amount of tadpoles will require some serious room and quality water to have any chance of success. Breeding is the easy bit - good luck and happy herping from Insect Direct! Brown Tree Frog (Litoria ewingii) The Brown Tree Frog is a slender species characterised by a dark brown to sandy grey-brown upper surface with a broad darker brown patch flanked by a darker brown to black stripe running the length of the back. The under surface is white. The adult female reaches 45 mm, the male reaches 37 mm. HOUSING These frogs like to utilise the height of the available cage and so a minimum enclosure of 45cm height x 30cm x 30cm is recommended to house 2-3 adults. These frogs like to climb up the glass and the height of the cage is far more important than the floor space. The base of the terrarium should be kept moist at all times and have a good supply of water as these frogs like to sit in a shallow edge rather than swim (which they do ocassionally) an area about 10cm x 3cm deep will be sufficient. To create more bio active environment a layer of gravel to 3cm topped with another 4cm of dirt may be used, as the frogs don’t like dirt cover it with sphagnum moss, add rocks and branches for them to climb on Pot plants or ferns can be used just ensure the pot plants are safe for amphibians. A good indicator of good conditions is if the moss is thriving, Spray the enclosure in fine water mist daily and the frogs will enjoy it. Temperature / Heating Brown Tree Frogs should be kept indoors to protect them from the exposure of extreme temperatures. No heating is required for this frog but can be added if temperatures fall below 10 Celsius. Ideal temperature range for this particular species of frog is a minimum of 10 Celsius and a maximum of 25 Celsius. Lighting Brown Tree Frogs are nocturnal in the wild but can be quite active during the day in captivity. No UVB lighting is required but you will require one if you want to keep live plants in your terrarium. An 8 hour light cycle is recommended. DO NOT EXPOSE THE HOUSING TO SUNLIGHT. Water Maintaining water quality is an important part of keeping your frogs healthy. Chlorine will need to be removed from your tap water and the best way is with some Repti Safe. Your water should be changed regularly which will depend on how much water you have and how many frogs you have. A small filter, running water and some aquatic plants will all help to keep your water clean. Only change up to 50% of the total water volume at any one time and do not use hot water from the tap. Although Frogs can easily climb glass, it is important to provide numerous escapes from the water especially in the corners where young frogs tend to get trapped. Small frogs are often too weak to break the surface tension of the water when they have nothing but slippery glass to cling to. Part of or all of your tank may be covered in water. Feeding In nature most frogs are almost totally insectivorous. In captivity the tendency to use substitute foods is one which must be avoided. The most common dietary problems seen in frogs are related to lack of calcium or too much protein in the diet. Calcium powders are available from o ur store and should be mixed in equal quantities with a multivitamin powder then dusted on food before feeding. Place your food insects in a plastic bag with a pinch of calcium/multivitamin powder and shake it till the food is well coated. By doing this about 1/2 the times you feed your frogs, calcium deficiency will be avoided. Feed your frog a variety of insects and invertebrates and you should have few diet related problems. Juveniles will happily eat flies, moths, small crickets and cockroaches, and should have food available to them AT ALL TIMES. Adults will eat almost anything that moves and fits in their mouth, they should be offered about 10-20% of their own body size in food spread over 2-3 feeds each week. During winter or when your tank temperatures are reduced your frogs will need less food. It is important to increase and reduce food in both quantity and frequency with the changing temperatures of your enclosure. Remove drowned insects so as not to foul the water, or feed your frogs individually by holding the insects on some feeding tongs. Breeding Breeding occurs in early spring and autumn. Small eggs are laid in several clusters, totalling 500 to 700 eggs. Eggs hatch four to six days after laying. The larval stage lasts for up to seven months in colder waters. Tadpoles reach 60mm before metamorphosis occurs in spring, summer or autumn. Sexual maturity is reached within a year. Chytrid Fungus. Using temperature treatment to reduce chytridiomycosis infection Key message. Four of five studies (including four replicated, controlled studies) in Australia, Switzerland and the USA found that increasing enclosure or water temperature to 30–37°C for over 16 hours cured frogs and toads of chytridiomycosis. One found that heat treatment at 30–35°C for 36 hours did not cure northern leopard frogs. Background information and definitions Treatment of chytridiomycosis is vital to ensure the success of amphibian captive-breeding programmes. Also to reduce the risk of spreading the disease when animals are moved between captive or wild populations. The chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is very sensitive to temperatures above 32°C. At 37°C the fungus is killed within four hours and at 47°C within 30 minutes (Young et al. 2007). A study found that the probability of infection by chytrid in the wild decreased strongly with increasing time spent with body temperatures above 25°C in three frog species (Rowley & Alford 2013). A study in captivity also found that fewer frogs became infected and died when exposed to the chytrid fungus if they were housed at 27°C rather than 17°C or 23°C (50 vs 100% mortality; Berger et al. 2004). Increasing temperatures within amphibian housing may therefore provide a treatment for chytridiomycosis. Berger L., Speare R., Hines H.B., Marantelli G., Hyatt A.D., McDonald K.R., Skerratt L.F., Olsen V., Clarke J.M., Gillespie G., Mahony M., Sheppard N., Williams C. & Tyler M.J. (2004) Effect of season and temperature on mortality in amphibians due to chytridiomycosis. Australian Veterinary Journal, 82, 434–438. Rowley J.J.L. & Alford R.A. (2013) Hot bodies protect amphibians against chytrid infection in nature. Scientific Reports, 3, 1515. Young S., Berger L. & Speare R. (2007) Amphibian chytridiomycosis: strategies for captive management and conservation. International Zoo Yearbook, 41, 85–95 litoria ewingii.bmp

Fire-bellied newts The 2 species found in New Zealand are the Japanese (Cynops pyrrhogaster) and the Chinese fire-bellied newt (Cynops orientalis). Fire bellied newts are usually dark brown to black on top with red or orange undersides, hence the name fire-bellied. The Japanese species is larger than the Chinese species and tends to have a red speckled belly, rough skin, and grows to about 9-12 cm, whereas Chinese newts have smooth skin and a speckled orange or yellow underside and grow to 6-10 cm. Both types can live up to 30 years with good care but average at about 10-15 years in captivity. In the wild fire-bellied newts live in slow moving streams and rivers but also venture into ponds, lakes and ditches. They are largely aquatic, so spend the majority of their time in cool, still waters. Housing: An aquarium or glass terrarium will be needed to house your fire-bellied newts and as they are good escape artists care should be taken to ensure your tank has a tight fitting lid. Fire-bellied newts are semi-aquatic and need a 70/30 split within their tank, with 30% being land based, while the other being a water area. Alternatively, you could have a fully aquatic set-up, with floating islands of cork bark or large rocks protruding out of the water to give your newts a place to rest and bask. Substrate: A rocky slope may be all that is necessary for the land area of your terrarium, but if you would like to divide your tank with a glass panel, then you can fill the land side with a burrowing substrate like sandy top soil or potting mix (without fertilisers), orchid bark chips, sphagnum moss or peat. Logs, live mosses and a selection of bog plants can be added to create a natural environment. Gravel is a good under water substrate for the water side of your tank, which can also be decorated with aquatic plants. Most of the terrarium should be dedicated to providing adequate water for your newts with the water at a depth of approximately 25cm. A small sponge filter or airstone is adequate to stop the water becoming stagnant. Like most amphibians, newts are sensitive to various chemicals, as they can absorb them through their skin. They cannot handle water with chlorine and chloramines in it so letting tap water stand for a few days before using in their tanks helps. It is necessary to ensure the humidity is kept up with regular misting with de-chlorinated water from a spray bottle but care should be taken to ensure that this soil area does not become water logged. The ideal temperature for your fire-bellied newt is around 17-21°C. Never use heat lamps or basking lamps for amphibians, as these can cause them to dehydrate. The terrarium should be kept out of direct sunlight, but with a 12 hours light to 12 hours dark cycle. Natural sunlight should suffice during the summer months, but a bulb may be required to keep this cycle during the winter. Newts do not need additional UV, so a normal energy saving light bulb should be fine at 6500k minimum, although you may find that any live plants in your terrarium may need a fluorescent UVB tube as it won’t give out any heat and will help the plants thrive. Diet: Fire-bellied newts should be fed 2-3 times a week with a varied diet of appropriately sized prey items. Bloodworms, earthworms, maggots, white worms, etc. are suitable prey items for adult fire-bellied newts whereas young can be fed wingless fruit flies or white worms. Pre-morphed larvae are entirely aquatic and do well on mosquito wrigglers, daphnia and Artemia nauplii (brine shrimp). Handling: Fire-bellied newts have delicate skin and like most amphibians can absorb chemicals that may be on your hands, such as washing up liquid, soap residue, hand cream, etc. so handling is not recommended, but if it is it is necessary wear gloves. This will protect both you and your newts as they can secrete a toxin from the poison glands on the side of their heads that can be an irritant to your skin. Care

Tortoises The most common Tortoise available in NZ are the Mediterranean tortoises, the Spur-thighed (Testudo graeca and the Hermann’s tortoise (Testudo hermanni) The Spur thighed tortoise is a very long lived animal, achieving a lifespan of upwards of 125 years, with some unverified reports of up to 200 years. Their natural range is across North Africa, southern Europe, and southwest Asia, were they are found in different biotopes and habitats. These tortoise are very similar in appearance but the spur-thigh as large symmetrical scaling on the top of the head, bigger scales on the front legs and notable spurs on each thigh, the Hermanns tail also bears a spur at the tip of it which the spur-thigh lacks. Housing Mediterranean tortoises kept in this country will normally require a combination of outdoor and indoor facilities. Indoor facilities alone are rarely adequate and should not be solely relied upon. Tortoises require far more space than most reptiles, and do not tend to do well if kept in classic vivarium-style enclosures for extended periods. If you cannot provide both indoor and outdoor facilities you should reconsider keeping a tortoise as a pet. Inadequate housing can result in serious health problems over time and they can live a very long time if cared for properly Indoor housing In cooler parts of the country some form of indoor housing may be required from time to time especially for juveniles under 3 years old but whenever possible, outdoor habitats should be used as often as the weather allows. Inappropriate indoor housing will cause bad health and developmental disorders in juveniles. It is not recommended to use a fish tank or vivarium as they are generally too small and lack ventilation, building a ‘tortoise table’ is the preferred enclosure. As the name implies it is more of an open table arrangement wit a minimum size of 122cm x 76 cm x 22 cm, sides need to be high enough so the tortoise can’t climb over them. A basking light and UVB tube can be fitted side by side at one end and a small box at the other for sleeping in, this is done so it will get adequate exposure while basking under the heat source, ensure the correct temperature at tortoise shell height. Once you have built the enclosure add a plastic or rubber liner to protect the timber from any water spills then add a substrate, a mix of play sand and topsoil at a 50/50 ratio as it is easy to keep clean, about 50mm for young tortoise or 75mm to allow them to dig in if needed. I usually add a couple of ceramic tiles to act as a feeding area, easy to wipe and stops food from getting covered in substrate, clay pot plant trays make excellent water and feeding dishes the glazed ones are easy to clean. Outdoor housing A dry and well-drained area with both shade and full sunlight is needed to avoid any possible respiratory and shell infections developing over time, an area with shade and sunlight, well drained soil and protection from dogs, cats and hawks is essential. The outside perimeter of the enclosure needs to be made of unclimbable material at least twice the height of the length of the tortoise, I usually use corrugated iron for this and dig it into the ground to ensure they can’t burrow out, cover the top with some type of netting to keep intruders out. Ensure you have enough space to permit normal behaviour and give adequate exercise and avoid any possibly toxic plants in it, a variety of terrain and substrates adds positive enrichment for your pet. Flat slippery surfaces can make it hard for them to right themselves if they flip over, DIET. In the wild Mediterranean tortoises have a high fibre, low protein, low fat, low carbohydrate, low sugar and calcium rich diet. Avoid items such as peas, beans, cat or dog food, high levels of fruit, instead a good variety of green leaf vegetation and flowers is recommended and what their digestive systems are designed for. An excellent website for diet requirements is https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/plant-database/#.WxzB23qFPIU Growing food plants in pots is good, dig them down to ground level and when plant is demolished replace with another you have been growing in same size pot, this can work in an indoor set up by cutting a hole the right size to accommodate different plants you have grown outside. They are very susceptible to developing growth abnormalities as a result of incorrect nutrition so please research yourself from reputable sources. Over Wintering or Brumation A state of hibernation that worries most reptile keepers, some reptiles go into this when food supplies dwindle in the wild, at the onset of autumn or winter your Tortoise may refuse to eat for long periods of time, or become increasingly inactive and lethargic, how and where they brumate can be varied for different individual reptiles within a species. Brumation can last anything from one week to 4 or more months, during this period their metabolism slows right down and some may wake have a drink and go back to sleep again. Don’t try to force water or food on the reptile during this period and try to minimise disturbing it also, though a quick check to ensure it is alright is okay. Let your animal decide what it wants and needs, youngsters often times do not brumate the first year but adults do,, once they wake up they may take a couple of days to get back to their normal behaviour and eating. A plywood box full of dry leaf litter has worked for me as a winter box. It is best for tortoise under 3 years old to bring them indoors as soon as temperatures start to cool and they slow down. Tortoise live for extremely long periods so before accepting the responsibility of captive maintenance of a Tortoise the keeper needs to be aware that this can be a very long-term task possibly well over 40 yrs and maybe 100 with tortoises. If a child loses interest in a pet turtle, the animal must be disposed of to another person. Under no circumstances should it be released to the wild.

Turtle care sheets by Donna Moot who runs Turtle Rescue and rehoming Christchurch. Providing -Care for rehomed, neglected and abandoned turtles-Rehabilitation for your sick or injured turtles. -Turtle 'vacations' while you are an holiday-Information on turtle care in general. There are currently over 50 turtles in care, with 25 needing to be rehomed. Donna receives no financial help to pay for the upkeep or vet bills of the rescue turtles. For further information, contact Donna at [email protected] or 021 2020 185 RED EARED TERRAPIN. Chrysemys scripta elegans HABITAT: From North America’s Northern states to Mexico. Usually in slow moving streams, ponds and lakes DESCRIPTION: Females up to 30cm long, males smaller. Male with longer tail and long front toe nails. Females can lay up to 15 eggs per clutch approx. every 3 weeks during the breeding season, but N.Z. is usually too cold for the eggs to naturally hatch. In America they sunbathe on the sides of ponds, as soon as danger nears they slide into the water. Hence their American name of sliders. A turtle’s shell is made up of bone covered with a thin layer of skin, which gives the shell its colour. The outer layer of skin is called a scute, is shed once or twice a year and not as tough as it looks. Scutes are easily scratched by minor trauma or prolonged immersion in warm water. Turtles slide off their basking area at high speed and the bigger the turtle, the harder it hits the water. In captivity they often land in shallow water, hitting a rock or tank bottom which can cause minute cracks in their scute. Water gets into these cracks, leading to infection which is not visible under the scute and gradually spreads throughout the turtle. Its not unusual for it to take several years for the turtle to slowly die from the infection. This Ulcerative Shell Disease is preventable with the correct environment. (Information adapted from Mark Feldman's care sheet on the NZ Herp web site.) WATER TEMPERATURE In the wild, the RES lives in deep water where, even in summer, it's always cool a foot or two below the surface. Turtles are cold blooded so regulate their temperature from their environment, moving between sunning area and the layers of warm and cool water. Warm water causes their scutes to swell and soften, like fingernails in a hot bath. When they bask in the sun, their scutes dry and firm back up. If their Water is too warm, they can't bask for long, because they’re already hot. So the scutes can't dry out, but continue to swell and soften leading to White Shell Disease. Warm water can also create a build-up of unshed scutes leading to deformity and irritation. A temperature of 26c is needed for a hatchling. After 1yr, slowly reduce temp (during summer only) to 22C. At approx 2 years of age, a healthy turtle won't need a heater in the summer but a temp around 22-24C is recommended over winter. Change temp slowly. If turtle stops eating or is too lethargic, it’s too cold, so increase the temperature. Prolonged temperature above 28C will lead to rapid, excessive growth and associated organ damage of the turtle. LIGHTING and BASKING Turtles spend half their lives basking in the sun to absorb warmth and UV. The UVB helps the turtle produce Vitamin D which it needs to absorb calcium, develop strong shells and function normally. They need a reptile light AND a heat source such as a reptile heat-lamp in a ceramic clamp lamp 12 hrs daily. The heat source encourages them out of the water to dry their scutes. Use a timer for convenience. Position lights 26 cm to 30 cm away from the turtle and always over the basking area. Often turtles are kept in a warm tank with UV lights sitting on top of a glass lid. The glass filters out nearly all the UV rendering it a waste of time. Lights need to get the necessary UVB and UVA coming from it. If you have a mesh lid over your tank the grid must be larger than 1½ cm to allow the UV through. Sunlight streaming through a window onto your tank is NOT enough, as the UV rays your turtle needs are blocked by the glass. FILTERS Large, external filters can seem expensive, but are the best system to keep your tank clean. Always remove all media from the filter such as carbon. Only use some form of bio-balls and coarse sponge as filter media. (Filter wool is fine but will clog quickly). Ammonia removers, carbon etc quickly loose their ability to work effectively and begin to leach toxins back into the turtle tank which can lead to illness over time. Never underestimate how dirty turtles can be. You need to change up to half your tank water weekly and all your water monthly. Internal filters need weekly cleaning with your water change. External; filters should not need cleaning for up to 3 mths or more depending on size of tank, amount of turtles etc. Place a 'pre-filter' sponge over the intake hose to decrease the waste matter going into your filter. e.g. cable-tie a coarse sponge around the inlet filter and remove it for cleaning weekly. This stops loads of bio waste getting inside your filter. (NB/some turtles will eat the sponge so you can't use it for those turtles.) Remember that for every poo, turtles do 5 times the amount in wee, so change at least 1/3 to 1/2 of your water every week so they aren’t drinking and swimming in a sewer. Do a full water change every 3 to 4 weeks as well. TANK SIZE Don’t be fooled, turtles grow rapidly and a baby needs a 3 ft tank and maximum swimming space to stay strong and healthy. Adult males need a 4ft (120cm long) tank minimum and females a 6 ft (2 metre) tank. Don’t have a ‘lip or edge’ on basking area as it causes injury. Ramp needs to be deep into the water so turtle can easily climb out to bask and water level MUST be right up to the basking platform to prevent injury as the turtle dives off. Recommendations indicate that turtles need 40 litres of water per 1cm of shell size. The larger the tank, the happier the turtle. Also aquarium stones in tanks are one of the biggest killers of captive turtles. They explore their world by taste and can easily swallow small aquarium stones leading to impaction and death. Any stones in your tank should be larger than the turtles head so they can’t swallow them. Some smooth river rocks a few cm in size can provide interest for your turtle without danger of them swallowing them. A decent sized piece of driftwood creates security for your turtle, provides interest in your tank and turtle can scratch with it, even bite at it without causing injury. Don't have rocks in your tank. They can cause small scratches in the shell which leads to ulcers and shell rot. Many turtles get trapped between rocks and drown. HUMIDITY Lids on tanks are a disaster as they cause a buildup of condensation which can literally rot the skin off the bone. They also lead to respiratory issues such as pneumonia. If you need a protective cover, use a mesh with a gap of 1½ cm to allow UV in and condensation out. Solid Rimu lids look nice, but are endangering the turtle’s health. Cut neat holes through the lid to allow air exchange and prevent your turtle from suffering. Remember never sit your Reptile light on top of glass. OUTSIDE ENVIRONMENT A healthy turtle over 15cm can live outside in a soft environment in the North Island. The South Island poses challenges for hibernating turtles and should only be done if you have a warm, sheltered area for your pond and research the correct way to safely hibernate them. A soft pond environment means either a natural clay bottomed pond or pond-liner over sand or carpet. DO NOT use concrete and avoid any rough rocks. Have water around 60cm or more deep for adult females and ensure there’s nothing the turtle can bang into when it slides into the water. Position your pond for maximum sunlight, as turtles need a sunny basking area with access to shade. Artificial grass, logs, garden or lawn make a suitable basking area. Use vermiculite or a mix of clay and loam or fine soil to provide a suitable egg laying place for your female. For hibernation an ideal is to have mud in the bottom of your pond, 46 cm below the frost line, for them to burrow into. Don’t attempt hibernation without finding out some information about how to go about it successfully first. Barley straw anchored near the bottom of the pond in one end is also great for turtles to hibernate in. (Don't use other types of straw.) FENCING Secure fencing is critical to prevent escapes from a pond. They can squeeze through Small gaps, climb up netting and shrubbery, or dig their way out; particularly a female wanting to lay eggs. I've had turtles scale a 1 metre fence! Use smooth wood or large, natural boulders or plastic netting with an overhang at the top. A fence that the turtle can't see through is best. If they can 'see out', they want to 'get out' and become stressed trying to escape all day. Whatever you choose, remember other animals, children and burglars can also be an issue for your turtles outside so think carefully about where you want to position your pond. DIET Diet: Feeder fish, (NB/ Goldfish are considered to be too high in fat for turtles), frozen Hot House turtle food, earthworms , water snails, crickets, aquatic plants such as duckweed, 02 weed, watercress, azolla etc, dry fish (all products by JBL are excellent foods), and turtle pellets. Feeding is one of the most important functions of a turtle owner! Feed an amount of food equal to the size of the turtles empty head. (Feed greens freely). Hatchlings - feed daily. Adults- feed every 2nd day. Remember...turtles live in the water and have a fish based diet, they don't climb out and eat cows! Think green! Turtles need to eat greens! Have plants/greens in tank at all times. An all protein/pellet diet leads to shell deformities and organ damage. Apply 'tough love' to get turtle eating greens Protein = pond snails, worms, insects, pellets, fresh or dried fish, whitebait, ready-made 'wet' turtle foods e.g. 'hot- house' turtle food. Hot house food is a great source of appropriate minerals, calcium and vitamins. You can't beat plenty of live food for any turtles to eat, especially feeder fish. JBL products such as Energil, Classic or Agil and freeze dried crickets from Insect Direct are excellent turtle foods. You can also use Hikari Cichlid Gold fish food for turtles. Daily = O2 weed, watercress, duckweed, water lily leaves, azolla other aquatic plants and dandelion leaves. Occasional carrot sticks, frilly lettuce, mesculin salad or kumara skin can be used if you are unable to source aquatic plants. DON'T feed any form of red meat, processed meats, cabbage, Kale, spinach, silverbeet, rhubarb, beets, celery, broccoli, mince, dog food, raw chicken, salty fish, brussel sprouts or avocado. (Avocado is lethal for reptiles.) Typical Red ear turtle tank set up. Photo of turtle tank set-up. Tank positioned near (not in) window for ease of access for cleaning but also doesnt allow sunlight to cause algae growth. No shingle which makes cleaning so much easier and prevents intestinal blockage, prolapse and possible death. Turtles WILL eat shingle, and you should not have any in your tank. River stones which are larger than an adult turtles head can be used in your tank if you want a substrate. No rocks which can cause minor injuries to turtle shell and then over time progress to ulcerative shell disease and possible slow death. Driftwood for turtles to scratch on, hide behind and provide interest to the tank. Other smooth, plastic ornaments can also be used. Plastic plants will get eaten and can cause blockages. No lids on tank which cause condensation/ excessive humidity. This can lead to shell or respiratory issues. Large basking area. Reptile UVB light with no perspex cover and no glass lids to block UV light getting to turtles. (If it doesn't say 'Reptile' on the bulb, it's no use) Ordinary light bulb to provide warmth which encourages turtles to bask and dry out. A ceramic lamp fitting is best due to the amount of time the lights need to stay on every day. Basking area completely dry to prevent issues with the plastron or skin. Large external filter...this tank has 1 fluval 405 ad an Eheim. No carbon, ammonia remover added to filters which will leach toxins back into the water after about 2 weeks of use. Maximum water depth possible. Heater WITH heater-guard as turtles will break a glass heater. I have had turtles which have EATEN the chunks of glass and plastic from a broken heater. Prefilter sponge to stop greens etc clogging up filter. A piece of sponge from Para rubber held on with a twist tie is good. Cuttlebone floating in water at all times to provide source of calcium. Some form of 'greens' in tank at all times for turtles to nibble on. (Water lily, fancy lettuce, O2 weed and kumara skin were in tank in this photo.) EASTERN LONG NECK or SNAKE NECK TURTLE. Chelodina longicollis RANGE: The eastern snake-necked turtle, occurs throughout south-eastern and eastern Australia. It is typically found in swamps, lakes, slow moving waterways, creeks and billabongs, sometimes migrating overland during the summer months often being found wandering on overcast days during this time. DESCRIPTION: The long neck which gives it its name can measure over half the shell length which may reach up to30cm in length with most averaging 20cm. Generally brown/black all over with yellowish markings on plastron. Specimens will emit a strong smelling liquid (called musking), as a means of defence. This, however, ceases as they settle into captivity. Check out the Aussie website AFT ( Australian Freshwater Turtles) for excellent care sheets on the Australian turtle species. BREEDING: Breeding takes place in spring or early summer. Clutch Size may be 8 to 24 eggs with an incubation time of 3 to 4 months. DIET: in the Australian wild includes frogs, tadpoles, small fish, yabbies and crustaceans. In captivity they will feed on commercially prepared frozen 'hot house' turtle food, small mice, insects and feeder fish. In general they are carnivorous and will readily eat feeder fish, bugs, crickets, daphnia, dragonflies, earwigs, grasshoppers, flies, moths, nymphs and larvae, slaters, water-snails, water boatmen, worms (start a worm farm...great free food) raw fish cut up to bite sized pieces. LIGHTING. As for RES. However snake necks tend to float at the surface of the water rather than climb out onto a basking ramp and so it's important to place the UVB light over the full length of the tank, not just the basking area. They also prefer a natural piece of wood to climb up and bask on rather than a glass ramp. You cant beat natural sunlight and they will thrive in an appropriately set up pond and happily bask on logs near the water. REEVES TURTLE Mauremys reevesii DISTRIBUTION: From southern China, Korea and southern Japan. The Reeves' is a small semi-terrestrial turtle, usually 4 - 5 inches long. DESCRIPTION:The shell has three well defined keels on the carapace, which is usually brown. The tail is quite long, the body isusually grey with yellowish spots and the head has a pattern of stripes. Some Reeves entire body and soft parts might be completely brown or black. DIET: Eats almost anything. Commercially prepared frozen 'hot house' turtle food, JBL products, pellets, feeder fish, earthworms, snails and some aquatic plants as above. HOUSING: The Reeves being only semi aquatic needs to have more land area than other turtles and as they are relatively poor swimmers a water depth of around 3 times the turtles sell length is recommended. Other than water depth their housing, lighting and temperature range is basically the same as Red Ear Terrapin care. Painted Turtle Emydura subglobosa http://www.vhs.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Caring-for-Australian-FW-Turtles-in-Captivity-Links.pdf Description: It is easily recognizable by its dark pink to red plastron and lower jaw. Especially males show these bright colours during the mating season. They have a cream or yellow broad line running from their nose, behind the eye until the end of the head. The rest of the head and body is a dark grey. The shell is relatively flat, and a solid brown in colour. The edge of the shell has a slight red edge which is especially evident in young animals. plastron is a light cream colour. The amount of red may vary. Depending on sex, age and the season. Males will get up to17cm in shell length. Females up to 26cm. Males have significantly longer and thicker tail Both the male and female have two barbels under their chin. Origin and Habitat: This species has a large distribution and occur throughout Papua New Guinea - Papua and Cape York Australia. They occur in a variety of habitats including rivers and estuaries to inland waterholes and creeks. Housing: This is an active turtle and they need plenty of space to swim around so the enclosure for one to three animals should be at least 150x60x60 with at least 30cm of water tough deeper is better. Provide a basking place where animals can dry up completely and when needed dig in the sand to lay eggs. This dry sunny spot may reach temperatures of 35 to 40C below the hotspot. The average water and air temperature should be 25C but may rise in summer to a maximum of 30C. Use UVB solar lighting for the production of vitamin D3. Allow as muc swimming space as possible, driftwood and half terracotta pots can serve as visual barriers and under water shelters. One can choose to keep a bare bottom because of hygienic reasons but a sandy substrate will be certainly appreciate by these turtles for rooting through and foraging. Water: Good quality of the water is essential as they don’t tolerate ammonia so a good canister filter and movement in the water is a must. Replace 25% to 50% of the water in order to prevent build-up of waste materials. Tropical root wood, catappa leaves and oak leaf slightly lower pH value and catappa has an anti-bacterial and mould-reducing effect. Males can be quite pushy once they are sexually mature. Therefore it is best to keep the sexes separate outside the breeding season. Otherwise the females otherwise get no rest. Diet: These turtles are mainly carnivorous but will also feed on some greens and fruits when it is offered, a varied diet of Bloodworms, tubifex, worms, shrimp, (pieces of) freshwater fish, mussels, various insects, snails with shell, and some waterplants, tomatoes, carrot and fruits like mango and apple will sometimes also be eaten. Colour enhancing fish foods such as dried shrimp can help to increase the red colour on them. Emydura_subglobosa Elgin Werk.tif