OzReps

Lizards and Turtles

A reference for beginner reptile keepers

The information contained in this document is meant as a guide, basic animal husbandry will be covered for the more popular starter reptiles, Bearded dragons, Eastern Water dragons, Blue Tongues and Eastern long neck turtles. There will always be variations to every piece of advice, this document is a guide only and part of your journey is to find what works best for you and your pet(s).

First of, find out if you have a Veterinarian in the area that has experience with reptiles, most people do not think of this until their reptile becomes ill and they find out they have no support.
If you are new to keeping reptiles, you should always consult your Vet for health issues.

You need to be licensed to keep reptiles, contact your state regulator to apply.
NSW - http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/wildlifelicences/ReptileKeepersLicence.htm
VIC - http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/plants-and-animals/native-plants-and-animals/keeping-and-trading-wildlife-in-victoria/private-wildlife-licences#basic
QLD - http://www.ehp.qld.gov.au/licences-permits/plants-animals/application_forms.html
SA - http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/managing-natural-resources/Plants_Animals/Permits_licences/Native_animals_in_captivity
NT - http://parksandwildlife.nt.gov.au/permits/permits#.UcQXzpyD-_I
WA- http://www.dec.wa.gov.au/management-and-protection/animals/reptiles-as-pets/how-to-make-an-application.html
TAS- http://www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/WebPages/BHAN-55A9TA?open

Before you purchase your animal, you must have an enclosure for it.  The state in Australia you live in will determine what size enclosure you must have for your pet.
This information should be available from the website of the governing body you attained your reptile keeper’s license from. Bigger is always better for a happy reptile. If you are unsure, ask an experienced keeper or on a forum.

Is the animal you want a climber (bearded dragons/water dragons), a swimmer (water dragons)? Or a turtle?  Turtles should have an aquarium like setup with a landing they can get out of the water onto to bask and get UVB etc. All reptiles are different and therefore will require different sized and configured enclosures

Once you have attained your enclosure, you will need a few other things:

Heat lamp, there are a lot of variations of the heat lamp, in affect that’s all it does, heat your animal up. 40w or 60w reflector globes from your local hardware will do this job adequately, they are cheap and this allows you to have many spare bulbs in case one blows.
The temperature for most lizards like Bearded dragons, Water dragons and Blue tongue lizards would be around 32-36 deg c at the basking spot, from here you should have a gradient to the cooler end of the cage of around 22-24 deg c, this allows your animal to cool down if they become too hot.
Heating should be around 6-8 hours a day.
Your enclosure should also have ventilation, fresh air is also important.
Light cycle, this is the amount of daylight vs darkness, I use LED strips to allow for a full day of light (Matched to outside conditions), this means you do not rely on the heat lamp for light, it is also cheaper to run a 3w LED light vs the heat lamp of 40w or higher. Note that LED lights do NOT provide heat or UV!

Heat mats, these should only ever be  placed under the outside of the enclosure, never inside as you will risk burns and electrocution if water is spilt on it. Since there is no earth connected to heat mats, your home safety switch will not work thus becoming a fire hazard if something does go wrong.

Heat rocks – I recommend that these items are never ever used in a reptile enclosure for the same safety concerns of the heat mats.

Thermostats, should be used with any form of heating for your animal. They will automatically turn off the heat source when it reaches the pre determined temperature, effectively saving your animal from over heating and death.
There are several forms of thermostats that can be purchased from your local pet shop or eBay.

For any other reptiles not mentioned, you should do further research to ensure they are kept in an ideal setting. An example of this is the Southern Forest dragon; they do not require heat at all (constant heat will kill them), just UVB and high humidity. I achieve the humidity by placing a large bowl in the enclosure and using a small pump/filter to splash the water around.

You will also need a UVB lamp, UV is a non visible light source that helps your animal process vitamin D3 that is obtained from calcium. Without it your animal will develop what is called MBD (Metabolic Bone Disorder), MBD will cause weak bones, disfigurement and eventually death. In Turtles, the lack of UV will cause soft shell and fungal infections; both can be fatal if not treated immediately. These lights should be positioned in your enclosure no further than 30cm from your reptiles basking spot. There are several forms of UV lights. Most people use the compact fluorescent types, some also use the fluorescent types that come in many sizes starting at 2ft long. Either UVB5.0 or UVB10.0 are good for your animals.
All skinks, dragons and turtles need UVB. If you cannot afford to obtain a UVB light source straight away, you should ensure the animal has 30 minutes of sun basking 3 times a week. When doing this make sure you have a shadowed area for your animal to get out of the heat and access to water. Never leave your animal out in the full sun, especially in a plastic tub as they heat up very fast, and your pet will die.

Timers, you can use these to regulate the amount of heat, light and UV your animal gets each day.
My Summer timer setup as follows:
Heat timer 9am to 1pm
UV timer 11am to 2pm
Daylight cycle timer 7am to 7pm

This changes in winter.

Next you will need a water bowl for lizards, if it is a deep bowl, make sure that the animal is able to get out of the water easily, this may involve placing a rock in the water for Blue tongues to climb out on.
Water dragons prefer large bodies of water, they will sleep in their water, deeper is better.
You will also note, Water dragons defecate in their water source, this means fewer cage cleans but constant water changes.
Water should be changed 2 times a week, depending upon if you reptile dirties it up, this does not apply to turtles.

Your substrate should be one that is easy to clean, and will not cause harm to your animal. The most basic substrate you can use is newspaper or butchers paper, it is cheap and very easy to replace as needed, although it may not be as appealing to the eye as other substrates. I personally use astro turf for all of my enclosures, it is safe and easy to clean, having two sets for each enclosure allows for a fast change and you can clean the soiled substrate at a later date. Be wary of sand as this can be digested and cause impaction. Sand can also cause irritation to your animal’s eyes and can harbour bacteria if not completely changed and washed out on a regular basis.
Kitty litter and others like it can also be ingested, the issue here is with swelling in the gut, I would also avoid this type of substrate.

Cage decorations, avoid live plants and dirt in your enclosure, again, dirt harbours bacteria that can be harmful to your pet. Plants create unnecessary moisture in your enclosure that can contribute to your reptile’s ill health. Unless specifically required, low humidity levels should be maintained.
Dead tree limbs are good for animals that climb, but remember to treat any dead plant material for parasites by either soaking in water:bleach (30:1) or cooking in the oven for 2 hours at 150deg c, always keep an eye on the oven in case the material catches fire or burns.
Plastic plants make a great decoration, they are easy to clean and require no maintenance.
Ensure the bleach is washed off thoroughly before returning it to the enclosure.

All reptiles need a place to hide. These can be store bought or home made and as long as they are safe, then anything will do. Some people use upturned garden pots and make a doorway, other just use cardboard boxes. The use of a hide is to lesson the impact of stress from being in an enclosure, it also allows the animals to escape each other if you are housing more than one animal together.

Australian Turtles are NOT the same as turtles found in Europe or America, there is also no such thing as a “penny turtle” these are just baby turtles that grow up to be normal average Australian turtles. They should be provided with a large tank/aquarium so they can swim freely.  Australian land turtles spend most of their time in the water, they do come out to bask in the sunlight. This is how to setup their basic tank:
For one turtle, regardless of it being a baby or adult, you should have a tank of no less than 4ft long with a floating dock for the animal to get out of the water. The floating dock will raise or lower with the water, so the turtle will be able to get out of the water no mater how high/low the water is.
Baby turtles should only have a water depth of 10-20cm.
You will need a heat lamp and UVB light directly over the floating dock.
Buy the biggest filtration system you can afford, turtles mess up their water a lot more than fish and therefore a small filter will struggle to maintain clean healthy water.
Aeration of the water is important for the health of the water and your turtle. It can be achieved by your filter system spraying back into the water or by using an air pump with and air stone.
When cleaning the filter system (every 2-6 months), use water from your tank. Only ever replace half of the water from your tank as this will ensure you save some good bacteria for the clean filter system.
The water should be heated using a standard aquarium water heater between 22-26 deg c.
Sick turtles should be kept at 28 deg c.
All water heaters should have a special guard attached to them to avoid them being broken by the turtle.
PH should be at least 7.3
Some aquatic plants can be used as the turtle will eat them but do not clutter the tank with them.
Turtles like to hide as well so whatever you use for a hide, make sure it can’t be moved or can trap the turtle at all. Turtles can drown as well.

A general tip: keep your power boards higher than the tank in case the tanks fails and you have a leak. Water and electricity do not mix, and some appliances you use with your setup like the lights and heater do not have an earth, therefore they will not trip your safety switch when they come into contact with water.

Obtaining your animal
Whenever you acquire a new animal, it is highly recommended that the reptile is placed into quarantine for at least 3 months to avoid introducing any viruses or parasites to your current collection.

When looking for your reptile, you should have an idea of what reptile you want. Now you have made that decision, the best place to start looking is in forums. There are plenty of these on Facebook. Become a member of a few and ask their members who they recommend for your choice of animal in your area. Most won’t tell you who to avoid in the open, you may have to send a personal message.
You can obtain your animals from pet shops but you will pay more for these animals as pet shops are there to make a profit. There is no guarantee that you will get a healthy animal and there are numerous  actual accounts of pet shops selling sick animals.

A lot of private breeders will arrange to meet in a public place. There are a couple of reasons for this, the first is they do not want to invite a total stranger into their home, show them all of their animals and risk the unscrupulous person returning later to clean them out.
The second would be the transmission of viruses/diseases and mites into their collection. Bringing a constant stream of people into your reptile room can enhance the chance of introducing something into their collection that could make them all sick or wipe them out.

When you view your animal, thoroughly check it out, does it look under weight? Look for any deformations, sores, mites or retained shed, look at its eyes to see if they look normal, is the animal lethargic? Even a cold lizard should look healthy, trust your instincts even if you have not kept a reptile before, if it looks sick, it probably is. You should not be able to easily see the bones and the animal should have a full body free of sores. Some lizards will lose tips of tails and even toes from bad sheds, this is nothing to worry about unless the wounds are very fresh.
If you buy a sick animal after viewing it (from a pet shop or private breeder), you will probably be up for some hefty vet bills so be warned.
Before you meet, ask to see feeding records and and pictures of the parents, although there is no guarantee that what you will see in person or in a picture is actually the parents.
Ensure you see the person’s Animal Keepers license, if they do not have a copy with them, do NOT buy the reptile, you could be getting scammed and buying a wild caught animal at the worst possible case.
Ask about what the animal normally eats and how they were kept.
If you can, note the registration number on the car.

Caution, do not give anybody a copy of your license, write down the details to give to them and show them the original, but never give it to them. There are known cases where fraudsters have used somebody else’s license to either sell or buy reptiles.
I have my address blacked out, everything else is visible.

Another place to buy reptiles from are Reptile expo’s, there are several each year and they are usually held February to April. Generally the quality breeders will attend these events and you will probably get a deal on some good looking animals.

Getting your animal home:

Some reptiles aren’t bothered by being moved around and will take to being handled and fed almost instantly, while others will be more stubborn. They will not want to be picked up and will refuse food. The second group will need some alone time,so ensure they have the correct heat/light, a hide and then leave them for a week. This will be beneficial in the long run as they will be more comfortable with their surroundings. Try leaving a small amount of food (with dragons I place 3 meal worms in a food container and leave it) for them to eat if they get hungry. Remove it the next day and try again in a few days.
Reptiles can go some time before you should worry about them not eating, I can’t recall losing a lizard to starvation.

Remember, when transporting do not leave your new reptile in the car or in direct sunlight, both will kill them very fast.

Holding your reptile:
Lizards- always make sure your Blue Tongue or Water dragon feels safe and has a sturdy perch, they will struggle less if all of the feet  are holding onto to something. Until Water dragons feel safe and are used to being held they will scratch your hands and arms .
Turtles- In time turtles will become very used to the human presence and will always greet you. In fact they are just after food, but do not feed them every single day, they can become obese. Hold your turtle by the edge of the shell from the top with a firm grip, after a while they will get use to this and feel safe.

Always ensure you wash your hands before and after handling your reptile.

Weighing your animal, I place my larger animals in a pillow slip and use a luggage scale.

What to feed your animal:

Bearded dragons- (all varieties) – In captivity will eat most things from a very young age. Generally they like crickets, woodies, worms and meal worms and anything else that crawls around. They will eat most vegies (cut up), they love yellow garden dandelions but ensure no pesticides have been sprayed on the weed.

Eastern Water dragons-  Almost the same as Bearded dragons, they will eat most things from a very young age. Generally they like crickets, woodies, worms and meal worms. They will also eat young yabbies and feeder fish in their water source (if it is big enough to have them in there) and anything else that crawls around. They will eat most vegies (cut up), they love yellow garden dandelions but again,  ensure no pesticides have been sprayed on the weed.

Blue Tongue lizards- (all varieties)- Blueys in captivity will eat most things from a very young age. Generally they eat most vegies and fruit (cut up so it fits in their mouth), they also love any meat either raw or cooked and snails. Another favourite is tin dog food, just avoid anything with fish in it.

Note: Snails, ensure your snails have not been baited, if you are unsure, place your snails into a tub with some grass and breather holes and keep them for 2 days in a dry cool place. If they still appear normal and alive/healthy, then they should be ok to feed to your reptile. If in doubt, don’t feed them.

Fruit: should only be fed to your lizard occasionally as it can cause mouth rot. Severe cases have meant the animal has lost all teeth and some of the jaw bone.

Eastern Long neck turtles- Feeder fish, yabbies, worms, blood worms, frozen thawed fish (soak any salt water varieties for an hour to remove the salt), water plants may also be eaten. There are turtle food (pellets) now being sold by pet shops. Turtles are opportunistic feeders, so do not fall into the trap of over feeding them, do not feed them every day. Feeding them every three days is sufficient.

Supplements (lizards)- Every third feed, dust their food with vitamin supplements available from most pet shops. Doing this will keep your animal healthy.

Health of your animal:

MBD (Metabolic bone disorder), caused by a lack of UVB and or poor diet.
UVB creates Vitamin D which allows reptiles to absorb calcium to ensure correct bone growth and density.
Symptoms and signs can include deformed spines, tails, legs and jaws and easily broken bones.
To avoid this altogether, ensure you have a quality calcium/multivitamin especially made for reptiles. Dust their food every 3rd meal and supply a UVB source no more than 30cm from their basking source and replace that UVB globe every 12 months; they become useless after this time.
Natural sunlight will also be beneficial for all reptiles a couple of times a week for 30 minutes.
Calcium blocks can be added to the turtle water.

Burns can result from reptiles getting close to bulbs or heat mats that are incorrectly installed.
For minor burns, use flamazine cream available from the Pharmacy. Once the burn has scabbed over you can apply Bepanthen cream to help the healing process.
For major burns, get your animal to the Vet ASAP!

Cuts and bites, wash or soak your animal in a Betadine solution (available from the Pharmacy) to clean the wound. The solution should look like weak tea, there is no perfect formulae. After the bath, dry and coat the sore with Betadine cream, do this 2-3 times a day until scabbing starts.
Do the same with turtles that have cuts or cream/grey sores and always rinse the turtle off before returning to the tank or pond. Failure to do so will kill all the good bacteria in the water.

Nose rubbing- (Rostral abrasion), generally seen in Water dragons that have been hurt being kept in either too small enclosures, wire or glass walled enclosures or are being bullied. Snout damage can lead to infection, mouth rot and major tissue damage. Severe injury can result in tissue being rubbed off, and even bone infection and death. The tissue and bone will not grow back.
Remove the animal to a bigger enclosure away from other lizards, treat wounds with Betadine cream and observe it’s behaviour. Ensure the animal has the correct heating setup, enough water to hide in, a hide and plenty of fresh food.

Toe, Spike or end of tail damage and loss- Darkening of, obvious damage to, and loss of toes, spikes and the end of the tail can be the result of a number of problems.
Improper Shedding can result in the skin becoming stuck to a toe, spike or the end of the tail. If the skin remains stuck onto the appendage while the tissue below continues to grow, the circulation to the area may become decreased and lead to dry gangrene, infection, and death of the tissue. Breaks from falls or becoming stuck in tight areas can result in broken toes, or the end of the tail snapping off. The end of the tail may also snap off if grabbed in an effort to keep the struggling animal from getting away.
Tails should be cleaned with Betadine solution and then coated with Betadine cream, leave as an open wound, do not dress it!
It is always wise to take your reptile in for a visit to the vet if there has been an unexplained fracture of the toe, foot or leg (for the animal’s sake!) because the break could be a sign or symptom of a more serious ailment such as Metabolic bone disease. If your reptile is suffering from MBD it is best to catch it in the early stages before it becomes so serious as to cause irreparable damage (bent crooked back, misaligned jaw!) or death.

Respiratory infections are usually caused by inadequate heat and/or too much moisture, and by being kept under stressful conditions. Reptiles (Lizards, snakes and also turtles) often do a good job of not demonstrating obvious signs of illness until a disease has progressed to the point that it cannot be easily treated. Signs and symptoms of respiratory infections include reduced appetite, listlessness, swollen appearance of the body, and as the infection progresses gaping (opening of the mouth) followed by occasional forced exhalations and gasping or wheezing. Sometimes, and especially in turtles you will see bubbles being blown out of the nostrils and foaming around the mouth. If you suspect that your reptile has a respiratory infection it should be taken to the vet ASAP, who will probably place it on antibiotics, and the cage temperature should be increased to 33 (28 for turtles) degrees around the clock until the symptoms subside.

Misting, most reptiles do not require misting (especially Bearded dragons = dry climate), some forest dragons may benefit from misting though.

Broken jaw, results from a lizard landing jaw first from a great height. This has to be treated with surgery and the outcome is dependant upon the resilience of the reptile, some will fully recover while others just give up. The healthier your lizard is, the better it’s chance of survival.

Yellow fungus (in Bearded dragons only), this affliction is rare in Australia, but it is known. It appears in the form of body sores, usually on the belly, feet, mouth and eyes.
The cause of infection is not known, but  can be transferred between animals.
A vet visit is a must! Home treatment usually consists of comfort measures as most Bearded dragons succumb early on. Until the disease is under control, Betadine baths 3 times a day and Betadine cream following the bath, temperature should be raised in the basking area to 34 dg c, remembering to ensure there is a gradient. Once diagnosed, that animal MUST be quarantined permanently from all other Bearded dragons.
Strict hygiene measures must be in place such as washing hands with an antiseptic hand rub before and after handling anything related to the animal. If the animal needs to be handled, ensure it is always the last animal of the day to  avoid spreading the infection.
I have found that constant UVB and higher doses of vitamin supplements help, so far I have one animal that has survived for 2 years after diagnosis, my other 6 Bearded dragons have not contracted Yellow fungus.

Bullying, most new owners think it is great to get heir baby lizards home and just put them all together, they all look really cosy sharing the branch when basking. As these cute babies grow, they become territorial and at least one will become dominant. T the act of bullying takes many forms from head bobbing and arm waving, biting and sitting on a cage mate. This is when you will start to see the animal being bullied spend more time in the furthest part of the enclosure, they stop basking and eating and lose weight. All of this will happen more quickly if you have a smaller enclosure with few hides. When you see signs of bullying, separate all of the animals - more cages may be needed to ensure healthy animals. Ignore the signs and you will have dead animals soon enough!

Mites are normally associated with snakes by can also be found in captive kept lizards. Mite infestations are a time consuming headache, they are dangerous, they draw blood and if you have a bad infestation, they can overwhelm the animal causing septicaemia (blood poisoning) and eventually death. First thing to do is remove your animals to separate plastic tubs, soak them in water (for 20 minutes) to their shoulders, add 1 x  Milton tablet (this is a baby bottle cleaner), do not leave your animals to avoid drowning.
Remove all furnishings completely from the affected enclosure(s) and soak them all in water to bleach 30:1 ratio, rinse them and place in storage for now away from the infestation.
Next, get yourself a can or two of a product called Top of Descent, spray the inside of the enclosure making sure you get any cracks or gaps and close it up, leave for 2 hours. Then vacuum out all of the enclosures to help remove dead mites and any loose eggs, do not wipe or clean the enclosure (do that before you spray). Return your animals to the enclosure(s) with newspaper as a substrate. The next day return their water bowl only.
1 week later, remove the water bowl and with the reptile still in the cage, mist the cage lightly, return the water bowl the next day. As mites have a 30 day breeding cycle, you are respraying to kill any mites that have hatched in the last 7 days, this will help to not only kill them, but break the life cycle.
By not wiping the enclosure down after spraying, you are also leaving a fine film that will help kill the mites that are hatching.
After repeating this process for the next three weeks, you should have eradicated the mites.
Remember to spray the outside bottom of the enclosure to stop access to mites.
If you have carpet in the reptile room, steam clean it at the same time and be thorough or you will have them back in no time.

Most illnesses in Turtles are usually the result of poor water quality. Ideally the water PH should be at 7.3 or above, if it is lower, you can use Bicarb of soda to help raise it, sometimes a half water change may be needed.
Fungal infections, appear as cream or grey sores on all parts of the skin, they can be treated by placing the turtle in dry dock for a couple of hours x 3 times each day followed by a Betadine bath and then Betadine cream applied to the area. Always rinse the turtle off before returning to the tank or pond. Failure to do so will kill all the good bacteria in the water.
If kept indoors, ensure that the turtle has a good heat source to bask under and a UVB source.
Swollen or puffy eyes, correct the PH and half change the water.
Turtle water should be about 26-28 deg c.
Remember, turtles fight infections better at the optimum temperature of 28 deg c.
Moss on the shell is not a concern and will not hurt your turtle, it will be removed at the next shed of scutes.
Scutes not shedding, ensure that they get sunshine and natural UV a few times a week, the scutes should come off in their own time.
Cracks in the shell should be treated by a reptile vet, do NOT use fibreglass or any other type of glue. Ensure you dry dock, and Betadine bath/cream the crack.
For a large crack, your vet may drill small holes in the shell to tie the shell back together, this is done under an anaesthetic with pain killers applied afterwards, never drill holes in your turtles shell yourself as the shell is alive and full of nerves.

Shell rot, mild cases should be bathed in Betadine and have Betadine cream applied as previously described, in severe cases, a vet visit is a must as the turtle may have septicaemia and will need antibiotics.

The death of a pet is always hard on the owner, especially when it is sudden and you do not know what caused it. One way to try and find answers is to have your vet do a Necropsy (animal autopsy), if you plan on doing this, do not freeze your dead animal, doing so will destroy cells in the body and the vet will not be able to collect pathology. Always double bag the dead reptile (clip lock bags are good) and place in a fridge not being used to hold human food, then get it to your vet ASAP.

Transportation of your animal:
Lizards, in a pillow slip, tied off and inside a plastic storage container with holes in the lid for air, never leave them in the car or direct sunlight.
Turtles, place a wet towel in the bottom of a plastic container, put the turtle in and then place another wet towel over the turtle with air holes in the lid, it will feel safer being covered, do not ever put the turtle in any sort of container full of water for travel, they will drown!

Sexual Maturity
Blue tongues become sexually mature at 2 years depending upon their growth rate. Males, compared with a female of the same age will have a broader head than the female, in turn, the female should have a broader body than a male of comparative age. They can live to over 20 years old. Males will fight in breeding season (spring), this usually only involves biting of the head, no real damage occurs. When actual mating occurs, the male will bite the female on the neck or head to aid him in holding on, this should not be confused with territorial fighting amongst males.

Water dragons are sexually mature at around 5 years of age, they live to about 20 years of age. Males have a bright red chest (females can have light red or orange chest) and males have a much more prominent crest on the back of their head, they usually have brighter green and darker black than females of the same age. Males are always larger than females of the same age.
Two males should never be kept together as you will eventually have them fighting, females can be kept in groups with a single male.

Bearded dragons may reach sexual maturity within 12 months, they live to approximately 12-15years old, males have more pronounced femoral pores on the back legs and by lifting the tail up from behind you will see a male should have two longish lumps on either side of the tail right behind the cloacae, females will have a middle single shorter lump behind the cloacae.

As with Water dragons, it is best to keep one male and several females together to avoid fighting.