Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

[.muse.]

Does anyone know how to check a matstat? My friend has one for there beardie and every half hour the light turns off then on then of and on constantly for a couple of mins then settles on one for about half hour.
I worry the stat isn't working right.

Why does your friend have a heat mat for their beardie? Bearded dragons are diurnal reptiles, their heat receptors are up top, a heat mat does not give them the heat they need properly.
But you said the light goes off... is she using a mat stat for a light system? They are called MAT stats for a reason, they're supposed to be to regulate heat mats not light fixtures.
They should be using a timer for lights if they are trying to regulate them.

[bin child]

I don't have a crested gecko (yet! ;D) but I have a couple questions for you all. c:


I've bought a 24l x 18d x 24h Exo Terra terrarium for my future crestie. Would that be too large for a baby? I've thought about keeping him/her in a critter keeper until he/she's big enough. Thoughts?

I'm hoping to go the live plant route, as well. This will be my first reptile and the first time setting up a live terrarium. I've researched on gecko forums and other sites to see which plants would do best and came up with a few pothos (Epipremnum aureum), a bromeliad (maybe vriesea?), snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata) and maybe a peace lily. I'll admit it- I'm not much of a plant person. XD But this is a learning thing for me, and I'm eager to create a nice, naturalistic enclosure for my gecko.

Do those plants sound like good ones for beginners? Do they need extra lighting? When my blinds are up, it'll it have some indirect sun, so not super bright. I like the idea of keeping them in their pots and use the substrate to cover them up so you can't see the pots. Would I still need a false bottom, with those hydroballs and mesh? How much maintenance do planted tanks need? I've heard they need very little care after established, provided you have springtails as the cleanup crew. What would I have to do to maintain it? Just remove the pots and replace the soil, ect.?

Apologizes for all those questions, lots of "what-ifs" on my mind, I suppose. ^.^

[Keletheryl]

Gave this old man a bath yesterday, he ended up completely passing out. My mentor said hes never seen him fall asleep like that before, that he's usually wiggling around like there's no tomorrow, and I've been deemed the iguana whisperer. He was passed out so much that he continued to sleep as he was picked up, brought back to his cage, and set down. Before he finally opened his eyes and gave us a look lol.

[snarfsnarf]

So cute omg
too bad I don't have the room for anything bigger than leopard geckos. lmao
really wish I could get an Asian water monitor or puppy-tame iguana ;-;

[Keletheryl]

So cute omg
too bad I don't have the room for anything bigger than leopard geckos. lmao
really wish I could get an Asian water monitor or puppy-tame iguana ;-;

I know! I really want an iguana too. But they're super expensive to start up, not sure how expensive to keep them after that though.
He walked around nodding his head at everybody telling them he was their boss lol he's such a cutie.

[snarfsnarf]

So cute omg
too bad I don't have the room for anything bigger than leopard geckos. lmao
really wish I could get an Asian water monitor or puppy-tame iguana ;-;

I know! I really want an iguana too. But they're super expensive to start up, not sure how expensive to keep them after that though.
He walked around nodding his head at everybody telling them he was their boss lol he's such a cutie.

I mean I have the money........but not the space.
like I would get too attached to it as a baby then when it gets too big for my house I wouldn't be able to rehome it, I'd be too sad and attached to it to let it go, lmao.

[Keletheryl]

So cute omg
too bad I don't have the room for anything bigger than leopard geckos. lmao
really wish I could get an Asian water monitor or puppy-tame iguana ;-;

I know! I really want an iguana too. But they're super expensive to start up, not sure how expensive to keep them after that though.
He walked around nodding his head at everybody telling them he was their boss lol he's such a cutie.

I mean I have the money........but not the space.
like I would get too attached to it as a baby then when it gets too big for my house I wouldn't be able to rehome it, I'd be too sad and attached to it to let it go, lmao.

Everybody at my work says the only reason they haven't gone mass overload on pets is because there is somebody in their life that keeps them in check.
But maybe some day you'll have enough space, that's all I keep hoping for anyways.
They really are super cute and so unique though, I think they'd be a wonderful pet to experience as long as you had the room of course. Wouldn't want a grumpy iguana.

[Laark]

Im constantly hearing people tell me how surprised they are that a reptile has a personality. A lot of people seem to think they just sit around eating things.

well. i mean. they do, but they are so much more than bumps on a log. I'm really glad I get to experience first hand what a reptiles personality is.

[Keletheryl]

Im constantly hearing people tell me how surprised they are that a reptile has a personality. A lot of people seem to think they just sit around eating things.

well. i mean. they do, but they are so much more than bumps on a log. I'm really glad I get to experience first hand what a reptiles personality is.

The only "reptile-ish thing" ive ever had are hermit crabs. But i'll tell you, even those guys had personalities. One was shy as heck, the other two were very friendly with me, but one was a bully to the shy one while the other wasn't. And no they didn't die, I just had to give them away cause we hit a low point and they became too expensive to keep.

But they certainly all do have unique persoanlities, I don't see how people don't realize that either. I living, breathing animal that isn't warm-blooded has a personality? *shock*

[Laark]

Im constantly hearing people tell me how surprised they are that a reptile has a personality. A lot of people seem to think they just sit around eating things.

well. i mean. they do, but they are so much more than bumps on a log. I'm really glad I get to experience first hand what a reptiles personality is.

The only "reptile-ish thing" ive ever had are hermit crabs. But i'll tell you, even those guys had personalities. One was shy as heck, the other two were very friendly with me, but one was a bully to the shy one while the other wasn't. And no they didn't die, I just had to give them away cause we hit a low point and they became too expensive to keep.

But they certainly all do have unique persoanlities, I don't see how people don't realize that either. I living, breathing animal that isn't warm-blooded has a personality? *shock*

GASP AND SHOCK

I also very much dislike being called gross for being a young girl who handles reptiles. Yet another thing Ive discovered about having chief as a service animal. I automatically become less attractive to men...
Score.

Whereas girls want to handle chief and take selfies with him, ask questions, pet him things like that. its pretty cool.