How To Handle A Reptile

How To Handle A Reptile

The first thing to know about handling your reptile or amphibian is that these animals do not like being handled. While some gradually will get used to being picked up and held, most will not. In either case, some care is necessary - even if you¡¯re just picking the animal up to check its condition.

One of the reasons these animals are skittish is that most have poor eyesight. Reptiles and amphibians spend a great deal of time in the dark, in burrows or in the undergrowth where they find their prey.

Furthermore, most snakes (all but one genus, in fact) cannot focus by changing the shape of the eye lens. Instead, they must move the lens back and forth like a camera lens, a less efficient method. This keeps them from easily focusing on stationary objects and makes them extremely sensitive to movement.

Herps Are Not Deaf

It is not true that herps are deaf. While they don¡¯t process sounds in the same way we do, they are very sensitive to vibrations. Their other senses are also extremely sensitive.

When you approach, they sense your heat, movement and smell. Until reptile care know otherwise, all these things warn them of approaching danger. So the first rule is to go slow. This means allowing your herp time to adjust to its new surroundings and waiting a couple of weeks before handling the animal.

A snake or turtle will snap at a hand that comes near them if they are scared, or they will bite and hold on if they think the hand is food. Wash your hands before handling the animal to remove the smell of any other animal that might be there. Pick up snakes around the middle and the head, all at the same time if possible, and hold them securely but gently.

Frogs and toads. These amphibians present the pet keeper with a different challenge. While you may entice some calm specimens of frogs to eat a killed insect dangled in front of it from a pair of tongs, nearly all amphibians are motivated to feed by sight. They will ignore non-moving food. They need to be fed live food, such as crickets, earthworms and wax worms that are themselves fed a nutritious diet with a commercial reptile care supplement.

There are exceptions: A ready eater like the African clawed frog seems always eager to eat both living and non-living food. Marine toads have been observed to feed on dog food and vegetation but such is not a recommended captive diet. Salamanders, like frogs, do best with live prey while newts and other aquatic species will readily consume non-living food.

Turtles. These present few problems regarding food presentation. Most will eat commercially prepared turtle food, pieces of fish and vegetables. Some prefer living earthworms to all else. None take live rodents. The mata mata turtle will eat only live fish and tadpoles. While water turtles such as sliders will do well on commercial food, live fish can be given as a treat.

Children also tend to put their fingers in their mouths, so it is essential that they wash their hands after handling the herp. The same applies to you.

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