Your reptile: Bearded Dragon Leopard Gecko Ball Python Crested Gecko Corn Snake Gargoyle Gecko Western Hognose Blue Tongue Skink California Kingsnake Milk Snake African Fat-Tailed Gecko Russian Tortoise Veiled Chameleon Ackie Monitor Uromastyx Argentine Tegu Savannah Monitor Sulcata Tortoise Hermann's Tortoise Panther Chameleon Jackson's Chameleon Mourning Gecko Kenyan Sand Boa Boa Constrictor Red-Eyed Crocodile Skink Red-Eared Slider Green Anole Garter Snake
Enclosure. Adult minimum 4×2×2 ft (a 120-gallon footprint); 6×2×2 ft / 24 cu ft is the modern best-practice standard, and bigger is always better. Front-opening and well-ventilated. The 10–40-gallon “starter kit” tanks are far too small.Basking / warm zone. Basking-surface temperature 108–113°F (42–45°C), from an overhead halogen/heat cluster of at least two flood bulbs on a thermostat/dimmer — measured with a temp gun at the basking rock, not a stick-on dial.Cool side. Cool-side surface 77–85°F (25–29°C); overall air gradient ~72–99°F (22–37°C).Night. Night 55–75°F (12–24°C) — a drop to ~50°F is fine and even healthy. Lights fully off at night; no coloured “night” bulbs.UVB & lighting. Strong UVB is non-negotiable for a beardie. Use a linear T5 HO bulb (e.g. Arcadia 12% Desert or 14% Dragon) spanning roughly ½–⅔ of the enclosure, giving a UVI of 4.0–4.5 at the basking spot (and no more than 3.0 for pale/translucent or scaleless “silkback” morphs). Replace the bulb every 12 months.Humidity. Ambient humidity 30–60%, measured on the cool end. The “keep it bone-dry” rule is a myth — central Australia isn’t bone dry, and too-low humidity causes its own problems.Substrate. A naturalistic, burrowable soil/sand mix packed 4–6″ deep is ideal — and, done right, it does NOT cause impaction. Impaction usually traces to husbandry (too-cool temps → poor digestion), not to loose substrate itself. Avoid dusty artificial “calci-sand”, and skip loose substrate for unwell dragons.Diet. Omnivore whose ratio flips with age: babies eat mostly insects (as much as they’ll take, daily) plus greens; adults flip to mostly greens daily with head-sized insects only ~2×/week. Insects no larger than the space between the eyes. Fruit is a rare treat, not a staple.Full Bearded Dragon guide → Is this normal? →
Enclosure. Adult minimum 36×18×18 in (≥4.5 sq ft of floor); bigger is better. A front-opening enclosure with three hides (warm, cool, and a humid hide) suits them well.Basking / warm zone. A warm basking surface of 94–97°F (34–36°C), with a warm hide around 90–92°F so the gut gets the heat it needs to digest — provided by overhead heat, not a dangerous belly heat-rock.Cool side. Cool side 70–77°F (21–25°C).Night. Night can fall to room temperature; no coloured night bulbs (a light-on-at-night disrupts them).UVB & lighting. Low-level UVB is now recommended (the old "leos don't need UVB" line is outdated): UVI ~0.5–1.5 at the basking spot for normal morphs, and a gentler 0.5–0.7 for pale/albino/less-pigmented morphs, which are light-sensitive. Ferguson Zone 1.Humidity. Ambient 30–40%, plus a dedicated humid hide at 70–80% so they can shed cleanly.Substrate. A naturalistic loose mix (e.g. ~60% organic topsoil / 30% play sand / 10% excavator clay), packed ≥4″ deep, actually suits their digging — and, done right, is not the impaction bogeyman. Paper towel or tile works for quarantine. Avoid dusty calci-sand.Diet. Strict insectivore — no fruit, veg, or meat. Juveniles daily; young adults every other day; adults whose tail is fatter than their neck every ~5 days. Feeder insects no larger than the space between the eyes. Don't leave loose feeders in overnight — crickets nibble sleeping geckos.Full Leopard Gecko guide → Is this normal? →
Enclosure. Adult minimum 4×2×2 ft (48×24×24 in, a 120-gallon footprint), ≥2 ft tall. A tight-fitting, locking lid is essential — corn snakes are legendary escape artists.Basking / warm zone. Basking/warm surface 90°F (32°C) from an overhead heat source, on a thermostat.Cool side. Cool side ~75–82°F (24–28°C), giving a full thermal gradient with hides on both ends.Night. Night at room temperature (~75°F/24°C is fine); no coloured night bulbs.UVB & lighting. UVB is recommended: a T5 HO bulb giving UVI 2.0–3.0 at the basking spot (Ferguson Zone). Replace yearly.Humidity. Ambient 65–75% — more than the old bone-dry caresheets suggested; helps with clean shedding.Substrate. Aspen, cypress mulch, coconut fibre, or a topsoil/coco mix hold up well. Avoid pine and cedar. Keep moist enough to support the humidity range.Diet. Carnivore — appropriately-sized frozen/thawed mice (about the width of the snake at its thickest). Frequency by size: hatchlings every 5–7 days, juveniles every 7–10, subadults every 10–12, adults every 14–21 (older adults ~10–14).Full Corn Snake guide → Is this normal? →
Enclosure. Big — they’re thick-bodied, active ground-dwellers. Provide at least 12 sq ft of floor space (a 4×3 ft footprint or larger) and 18–24 in of height (24 in if lights are mounted inside). The old “4×2×2 ft” standard is now considered too small; bigger is better.Basking / warm zone. A proper hot basking surface of 100–105°F (37–40°C) from overhead heat on a thermostat — they are diurnal baskers like a bearded dragon.Cool side. Cool end / ambient ~75–85°F (24–29°C) for Indonesian types; Australian types run a touch cooler.Night. Night ~65–75°F (18–24°C) — a natural drop is fine.UVB & lighting. Strong UVB is needed (a diurnal basker): a linear T5 HO bulb giving a UVI of 3.0–4.0 at the basking area, spanning much of the enclosure (Arcadia Forest 6% for Indonesian types, Desert 12% for Australian). Replace every 12 months.Humidity. SUBSPECIES-DEPENDENT, and the spec people get most wrong. Indonesian types (Merauke, “Classic”, Halmahera, Kei, Tanimbar) want 60–80%; Northern 40–60%; Australian (Centralian, Western, Blotched) 20–50%. Identify your subspecies and match it.Substrate. A deep, burrowable substrate (they dig): a soil/coco mix that holds humidity for Indonesian types, drier for Australian types.Diet. OMNIVORE — the defining feature, and the key to success. Feed as much variety as possible: protein (insects, snails, eggs, lean cooked meats), vegetables/greens, and a little fruit. A rough serving is ~1–2 tablespoons (about head-sized); juveniles eat more protein and more often, adults shift toward vegetables. Variety is everything.Full Blue Tongue Skink guide → Is this normal? →
Enclosure. Adult minimum 4×2×2 ft (48×24×24 in, a 120-gallon footprint); larger is better for these active snakes. A tight, locking lid is essential — kingsnakes are strong, determined escape artists. House ONE per enclosure: they eat other snakes and will cannibalise a cagemate.Basking / warm zone. Warm/basking surface 85–90°F (29–32°C) from an overhead heat source on a thermostat.Cool side. Cool side 70–80°F (21–27°C), giving a full warm-to-cool gradient with hides on both ends.Night. Night at room temperature (~70–75°F/21–24°C is fine); no coloured night bulbs.UVB & lighting. UVB is recommended (not strictly required — they are diurnal and benefit from it): a T5 HO bulb (e.g. Arcadia Forest 6% or Zoo Med ReptiSun 5.0) spanning about ½ the enclosure, giving UVI ~2.0–3.0 at the basking spot (Ferguson Zone 2). Replace every 12 months.Humidity. Semi-arid: ambient around 40–60%. Even so, provide a humid hide (moist sphagnum or substrate) on the cool side at all times so they stay hydrated and shed cleanly.Substrate. A naturalistic, burrowable soil/coco mix (or aspen) around 4″ deep suits them and holds a little humidity. Never cedar or pine (toxic oils).Diet. Obligate carnivore — appropriately-sized frozen/thawed rodents (about 10–15% of the snake’s body weight), thawed to 75–100°F and offered with tongs INSIDE the enclosure (feeding inside does not make snakes aggressive — that is a myth). Frequency by age: hatchlings every 5–7 days, juveniles every 7–10, adults every 10–14. Famous for eating other snakes, so keep hands smelling clean.Full California Kingsnake guide → Is this normal? →
Enclosure. Adult minimum 36×18×18 in (a 3×1.5 ft floor); bigger is better. They’re terrestrial, so floor space beats height. Provide three hides — a warm hide, a cool hide, and a humid hide.Basking / warm zone. A warm basking surface of 90–94°F (32–34°C) in the warm season, from overhead heat (with a warm hide under it) so the gut gets the heat it needs to digest — not a dangerous belly heat-rock.Cool side. Cool side 72–77°F (22–25°C).Night. Night can fall to ~72–77°F in the warm season. Keepers who run an optional cooler “dry season” drop the basking area to ~79°F and nights to ~63–64°F — but keep any gecko under 6 months in warm-season conditions.UVB & lighting. Low-level UVB is recommended (they’re nocturnal — Ferguson Zone 1): UVI ~1.0–2.0 at the basking spot. They can survive on a high-D3 calcium supplement without UVB, but they do best with it.Humidity. Higher than a leopard gecko, and ideally cycled: a rainy/warm season around 70–80% by day, and a drier season around 50% by day. Whatever the season, give a humid hide (moist substrate, kept ~70%+) on the cool end at all times so they shed cleanly — retained shed on the toes and tail tip is the classic fat-tail problem.Substrate. A naturalistic, well-drained semi-arid mix packed ≥4″ deep for burrowing — e.g. ~40% topsoil / 40% play sand / 20% excavator clay. Use paper towel for quarantine and for geckos under ~6 months. Avoid dusty calci-sand.Diet. Strict insectivore — no fruit, veg, or meat. A varied, gut-loaded insect menu (crickets, dubia roaches, etc.): juveniles daily; adults every other day, or every few days for one whose tail is nicely plump. Feeders no larger than the space between the eyes; don’t leave loose insects in overnight.Full African Fat-Tailed Gecko guide → Is this normal? →
Enclosure. Floor space matters far more than height. Indoor minimum for one is 7×3.5×2 ft (about 24.5 sq ft of floor) — a small terrarium or “tortoise table” alone is not enough. An outdoor, predator-proof grazing pen is ideal whenever the weather allows. Add ~10 sq ft per extra tortoise; they’re fine kept singly.Basking / warm zone. Basking area 95°F (35°C) from an overhead halogen flood on a thermostat (avoid dimmers — they cut the beneficial infrared).Cool side. Cool zone 75–85°F (24–29°C), giving a full gradient.Night. Night 70–75°F (21–23°C); a natural drop is fine.UVB & lighting. Strong UVB is essential for a diurnal grazer: a T5 HO bulb giving UVI 3.0–4.0 in the basking area (Ferguson Zone 3–4), plus a bright ~6500K LED for daylight. Run 14 hours in summer, 10 in winter to mirror the seasons. Replace the UVB bulb every 12 months.Humidity. Ambient 40–75% — lower by day, higher at night — with a humid hide/burrow. Too-dry keeping is a main cause of a bumpy, “pyramided” shell, so don’t keep them bone-dry.Substrate. A deep, burrowable substrate they can dig into (a topsoil/coco/sand mix) that holds a little moisture. They are avid diggers and burrowers.Diet. A grazing HERBIVORE that needs a high-fibre, LOW-protein, LOW-sugar diet: mostly leafy greens, grasses, and edible “weeds” (dandelion, plantain, clover) plus flowers as treats. NOT the vegetables and fruit from the produce aisle — those are too high in protein and sugar. Fruit and the odd insect are rare treats at most.Full Russian Tortoise guide → Is this normal? →
Enclosure. A front-opening 24×24×48 in mesh cage minimum, larger preferred — they’re arboreal, so height and dense planting matter. Full-mesh suits humid climates; in a very dry home a partly solid (glass/PVC) enclosure holds humidity better. House ONE per cage — chameleons are solitary and stressed by company.Basking / warm zone. A gentle basking spot of 85°F (29°C) — the heat lamp only needs to be on for about 3 hours in the morning. They do NOT want a hot all-day basking zone.Cool side. General temperature 72–78°F (22–25°C), with a vertical gradient (warmer at the top, cooler below) so it can thermoregulate by climbing.Night. Night 55–65°F (13–18°C) — a genuine night-time drop is healthy.UVB & lighting. UVB is essential (diurnal, arboreal): a T5 HO bulb (Arcadia Forest 6% or Zoo Med ReptiSun 5.0) giving UVI ~3.0 at basking height (Ferguson Zone 3), plus a bright 6500K daylight LED for wellbeing. 12-hour photoperiod; replace the UVB bulb yearly.Humidity. Low by day, high at night: 40–50% during the day and 80–100% at night. Crucially, they drink DROPLETS, not standing water — provide water by misting morning and evening, a dripper in the afternoon, and ideally a fogger before “sunrise”. A water bowl will be ignored.Substrate. Because so much water passes through daily, most keepers run a bare floor with a drainage system rather than loose substrate (which saturates and poses an impaction risk). Live potted plants add cover and humidity.Diet. Insectivore — a varied, gut-loaded insect menu (crickets, dubia, hornworms, silkworms, black soldier fly larvae): juveniles daily, adults every 1–2 days. Veiled chameleons also nibble non-toxic live plants (pothos, hibiscus), which is normal.Full Veiled Chameleon guide → Is this normal? →
Enclosure. Minimum 5×2.5×4 ft (about 12.5 sq ft of floor) for one — larger is always better, and the deep substrate below is non-negotiable. House ONE: males fight (sometimes fatally) and females often clash too.Basking / warm zone. A very hot basking SURFACE of 158–172°F (70–78°C) — the monitor hallmark, made with a tight cluster of halogen floods and measured with a temp gun at the basking rock. Warm ambient air 84–100°F (29–38°C).Cool side. Cool side 75–82°F (24–28°C). A real cool retreat is vital — an ackie that can’t escape the heat can die of heat stroke even with a correct basking temperature.Night. Night at room temperature (a drop is fine); no coloured night bulbs.UVB & lighting. Strong UVB for a diurnal high-basker: a T5 HO bulb (Arcadia Desert 12%) giving UVI ~3.0–4.0 at basking height (Ferguson Zone 3–4), plus a bright 6500K daylight LED. Replace the UVB bulb yearly.Humidity. Dry AIR (ambient 20–50%) but a humid BURROW: the deep substrate is kept moist near the bottom so it holds 80%+ humidity down where the ackie digs. This dry-air / humid-burrow split is the key to ackie hydration.Substrate. DEEP and burrowable — at least 12″ for males and 18″ for females — of a soil/sand mix that packs and holds a tunnel, kept moist at the bottom. Burrowing is essential for hydration, thermoregulation, and security.Diet. Carnivore, primarily insectivorous: a large volume of varied gut-loaded insects (dubia, crickets, roaches), plus occasional whole prey (a pinky/fuzzy, egg) and lean meats. They’re voracious and food-motivated, so obesity from overfeeding is common — feed to body condition, not to appetite.Full Ackie Monitor guide → Is this normal? →
Enclosure. Adult minimum around 6×3×3 ft (per the Federation of British Herpetologists’ 2022 code) — realistically a custom, room-scale build, and bigger is better. House one per enclosure.Basking / warm zone. A hot basking SURFACE of 125–135°F (52–57°C) from an overhead halogen flood (they take heat from above). Warm side 90–95°F (32–35°C).Cool side. Cool side 75–85°F (24–29°C), giving a full gradient across a large enclosure.Night. Night 68–74°F (20–23°C) — turn all heat and light off at night for a healthy drop.UVB & lighting. Strong UVB (a diurnal basker): a T5 HO bulb giving UVI 3.0–4.0 at the basking surface (Ferguson Zone 3–4), spanning about half the enclosure, on for 12–14 hours. Replace every 12 months.Humidity. High: ambient 70–80%, with a humid hide/burrow at 90–100% (damp sphagnum, refreshed to prevent mould). Deep moist substrate is how tegus stay hydrated and shed cleanly.Substrate. A deep, moist, burrowable substrate — 12–24″ of a soil/coco mix (at least on one side) that holds a tunnel. Tegus are strong burrowers, and it’s where they brumate.Diet. An OMNIVORE whose ratio shifts with age. In the first year they need a high-protein diet (~90% protein — insects, whole prey, lean meats, egg — and ~10% vegetables) to fuel fast growth; adults move toward a more balanced mix with more vegetables and some fruit. Feed variety, and feed adults to body condition (obesity is common).Full Argentine Tegu guide → Is this normal? →
Enclosure. Big: an absolute minimum of 8×4×4 ft (about 32 sq ft of floor) for one adult, and bigger is genuinely better — this is a roaming, active animal. A glass tank is not enough; most keepers build a custom enclosure. House ONE per enclosure.Basking / warm zone. A large, intensely hot basking SURFACE of roughly 130–150°F (55–66°C) — the monitor hallmark — from a tight cluster of halogen floods, measured with a temp gun at the basking surface (not air temperature). It needs a broad hot zone big enough to warm its whole body.Cool side. Cool side 75–85°F (24–29°C). A real cool retreat is essential — a monitor that can’t escape the heat can suffer heat stroke.Night. Night no lower than about 72°F (22°C); a mild drop is fine, but add gentle background heat if the room is cold.UVB & lighting. Strong UVB for a diurnal open-habitat basker: a T5 HO bulb (Arcadia Desert 12% or Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0) giving UVI ~3.0–4.0 at basking height (Ferguson Zone 3), plus bright daylight LED. Replace the UVB bulb yearly.Humidity. Moderate ambient humidity (40–60%) but — as with the ackie — the real key is a deep, MOIST burrow. The bottom of the substrate is kept damp so it holds high humidity down where the monitor digs and sleeps. Dry air over a humid burrow is how a savannah stays hydrated; kept bone-dry with no burrow, it dehydrates.Substrate. DEEP and burrowable — at least 12 in for a juvenile and 18–24 in for an adult — of a soil/sand mix that packs and holds a tunnel, kept moist near the bottom. In the wild they dig long, complex burrows; a monitor that can’t burrow is a stressed, dehydrated monitor.Diet. An insect-based CARNIVORE — not a rodent pet. Field studies of wild savannahs show a diet dominated by insects and other invertebrates, so base captive feeding on a large, varied supply of gut-loaded insects (dubia and other roaches, crickets, locusts, snails), with whole prey (the occasional egg, or a fuzzy) only as an occasional extra. OBESITY is the number-one killer: never free-feed rodents, dog food, or cat food. Growing animals eat a lot; adults eat far less — feed to a lean body condition, not to appetite.Full Savannah Monitor guide → Is this normal? →
Enclosure. Floor space is everything, and an adult outgrows any practical indoor setup. A juvenile under 10 in needs a minimum 7×3.5×2.5 ft (about 24.5 sq ft of floor) with a 6–12 in opaque front barrier to stop pacing. An adult needs a large, predator-proof OUTDOOR pen — the tortoise-length formula (8× shell long, 4× wide) works out to roughly 20×10 ft (~300 sq ft) for a 30 in adult. Walls must be strong (cinder block, not wood) and sunk ≥12 in to stop it digging out.Basking / warm zone. Basking area 100–105°F (38–41°C) for a juvenile, from an overhead halogen on a thermostat. Older sulcatas tolerate a broader range.Cool side. Ambient / cool zone 80–90°F (27–32°C), giving a full gradient.Night. Night 70–75°F (21–23°C). Outdoors, if nights drop below 50°F (10°C) it needs a heated shelter (ceramic heat emitter or radiant panel) set to 70–75°F.UVB & lighting. Strong UVB for a full-sun grazer: a T5 HO bulb (Arcadia Desert 12% or Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0) giving a UVI of 4.0–6.0 at the basking spot (Ferguson Zone 4). Mount it warm-side, roughly half the enclosure length, and replace every 12 months. Add a bright ~6500K LED for daylight. Run ~13 h in summer, 11 h in winter. Outdoors, natural sunshine does the job for free.Humidity. Higher than "desert" suggests. Juveniles need humidity above 80% (higher at night) with a humid hide always available — chronic dryness is a leading cause of a bumpy, permanently "pyramided" shell and can be life-threatening to a baby. Adults are more resilient, but still give a humid hideout. Hatchlings are soaked in shallow 85–95°F water for 20–30 minutes daily to stay hydrated.Substrate. A deep, diggable mix — 60% organic topsoil / 40% play sand (or coco fibre / cypress mulch) — that holds a little moisture. Layer it ≥6 in deep for juveniles and up to ~24 in for adults. Sulcatas are powerful, committed diggers and burrowers.Diet. A grazing HERBIVORE built for high-fibre, LOW-protein, LOW-sugar forage: grasses and grass hay, leafy greens, and edible weeds (dandelion, clover, hibiscus, mulberry and grape leaves, opuntia cactus). Variety is the key to good nutrition. Young sulcatas eat as much as they can daily; adults get a roughly shell-sized portion daily to prevent obesity. Offer food on a tray to avoid substrate ingestion. NEVER feed fruit, and never a high-protein diet.Full Sulcata Tortoise guide → Is this normal? →
Enclosure. Floor space matters far more than height. Indoor minimum is about 22 sq ft of floor for one — an open-topped table or large enclosure, never a small terrarium. A predator-proof OUTDOOR grazing pen is ideal whenever the weather allows, with walls ~24 in above ground and sunk ≥12 in below to stop climbing and digging escapes. They’re happiest kept singly; add floor space per extra tortoise.Basking / warm zone. Basking area 95–100°F (35–38°C) from an overhead halogen flood on a thermostat (some vets suggest a slightly lower 90–95°F).Cool side. Cool/shaded zone 75–85°F (24–29°C), giving a full gradient.Night. Night below ~72°F (22°C); a natural drop is fine and healthy.UVB & lighting. Strong UVB is essential for a diurnal grazer: a T5 HO 12% bulb (Arcadia Desert 12% or Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0) giving UVI 3.0–4.0 in the basking area (Ferguson Zone 3), mounted at the maker’s recommended height (~17–18 in above the shell), plus a bright ~6500K LED for daylight. Run ~14 hours in summer, 10 in winter. Replace the UVB bulb every 12 months.Humidity. Adults 40–60%; hatchlings higher at 60–80%, with daily misting or a shallow soak — too-dry keeping is a main cause of a bumpy, “pyramided” shell, so don’t keep a young one bone-dry. A humid hide helps.Substrate. A deep, burrowable roughly 50/50 topsoil-and-play-sand mix, no less than 6 in deep, that holds a little moisture and lets them dig. They are avid diggers and burrowers. Spot-clean daily; refresh every few months.Diet. A grazing HERBIVORE that needs a high-fibre, LOW-protein, LOW-sugar diet: mostly leafy greens, grasses, and edible “weeds” (dandelion, plantain, clover) plus flowers as treats. NOT the vegetables and fruit from the produce aisle — those are too rich. Fruit and any animal protein are, at most, rare mistakes to avoid.Full Hermann's Tortoise guide → Is this normal? →
Enclosure. A tall, front-opening 24×24×48 in mesh cage minimum, larger strongly preferred — they’re arboreal, so height and dense planting at every level matter. Full-mesh suits humid homes; in a dry climate cover two sides (or use a partly solid PVC cage) to hold humidity and add security. House ONE per cage — they’re solitary and stressed by company.Basking / warm zone. A gentle basking spot of 85–90°F (29–32°C) — usually just a couple of low-wattage bulbs, with the chameleon’s back about 6 in below the lamp. They do NOT want a hot all-day basking zone.Cool side. General temperature 72–77°F (22–25°C), with a vertical gradient (warmer at the top, cooler below) so it thermoregulates by climbing.Night. Night 60–70°F (15–21°C) — a genuine night-time drop is healthy.UVB & lighting. UVB is essential (diurnal, arboreal): a T5 HO bulb (Arcadia Forest 6%) giving UVI ~3.0 at basking height (Ferguson Zone 3), mounted ON TOP of the mesh, plus a bright 6500K daylight LED for wellbeing. 12-hour photoperiod; replace the UVB bulb yearly.Humidity. Lower by day, high at night: 50–60% during the day and 75–100% at night. Crucially, they drink DROPLETS, not standing water — mist morning and evening, run a dripper in the afternoon, and ideally a fogger before “sunrise”. Use distilled water to protect equipment and plants. A water bowl will be ignored.Substrate. Because so much water passes through daily, most keepers run a bare floor with a drainage system rather than loose substrate (which saturates and poses an impaction risk). Live potted plants add cover and humidity.Diet. Insectivore — a varied, gut-loaded insect menu (crickets, dubia and red-runner roaches, black soldier fly larvae, hornworms, silkworms): juveniles eat as much as they can daily; adults take about 5 insects every other day. Variety is the key to good nutrition. Gut-load feeders 24–48 hours before offering.Full Panther Chameleon guide → Is this normal? →
Enclosure. A tall, front-opening mesh cage — 24×24×48 in works well for an adult, larger preferred. Mesh is ideal because it lets the enclosure DRY OUT between mistings; in a very dry home a partly solid (glass/PVC) cage holds humidity better. House ONE per cage — they’re solitary and stressed by a rival in view.Basking / warm zone. A LOW basking spot of about 80–83°F (27–28°C) — Jackson’s are montane and must NOT overheat. A small heat bulb is plenty; the cooler-running subspecies want a basking spot nearer 79°F.Cool side. Shade/general temperature 68–72°F (20–23°C), with a vertical gradient so it thermoregulates by climbing.Night. A genuine cool night drop to 50–59°F (10–15°C) is important — this is a mountain species, and the cool night matters to its health.UVB & lighting. UVB is essential (diurnal): a T5 HO bulb (Arcadia Forest 6% or ShadeDweller 7%) giving UVI 3.0–4.0 at basking height (Ferguson Zone 3), plus bright 6500K daylight lamps for wellbeing. 12-hour photoperiod; replace the UVB bulb yearly.Humidity. NOT constant high humidity — that myth kills Jackson’s chameleons. In the wild humidity is up to ~100% at night but falls to around 30% during the day, so the enclosure must DRY OUT by day. Mist heavily morning and afternoon (or run an automatic misting system) and let it dry between; they drink the droplets, not from a bowl. A fogger can add cool night humidity.Substrate. Because so much water passes through daily, most keepers run a bare floor with a drainage system rather than loose substrate (which saturates and poses an impaction risk). Live potted plants add cover and humidity.Diet. Insectivore — a varied, gut-loaded insect menu (crickets, black soldier fly larvae, silkworms, flying insects): juveniles daily, adults about 6–8 medium/large insects every other day. Avoid fireflies, wild-caught insects, and adult roaches (high uric acid → gout). Variety matters — a single-food staple is outdated.Full Jackson's Chameleon guide → Is this normal? →
Enclosure. Small and VERTICAL: 2–3 adults do well in a 12×12×18 in (30×30×45 cm) planted arboreal tank — roughly a 10-gallon on its end — adding about 5 gallons of space per extra 2 geckos. They are arboreal, so height and dense planting matter more than floor space. Seal every gap: they are minute escape artists that climb glass and hang upside-down from the mesh.Basking / warm zone. A gentle warm spot of 80–85°F (26–29°C) at the top of the tank from a low-wattage bulb — NOT the "no heat, room temperature is fine" myth. Consistently above 85°F risks heat stroke.Cool side. Cooler lower zone 70–75°F (21–24°C), giving a vertical gradient. Consistently at or below 72°F causes lethargy and poor appetite.Night. Night 65–72°F (18–22°C) — a natural drop is fine.UVB & lighting. UVB is beneficial even though they’re often kept without it — it noticeably helps healthy growth, especially in hatchlings. A low-output T5 HO bulb (Arcadia ShadeDweller 2.4%) giving UVI 1.0–3.0. Because they bask upside-down right against the top mesh, pick a bulb rated safe at that short distance. Replace yearly.Humidity. Ambient 60–70%, spiking to 80–90% after misting, then allowed to dry back to 50–60% before you mist again (constant wetness grows mould). Mist 1–2× daily depending on ventilation. Live plants help hold humidity and give the colony cover.Substrate. A moisture-holding bioactive-style mix (topsoil / coconut fibre) topped with leaf litter, planted with pothos and other sturdy climbers. For an arboreal micro-gecko the vertical cover matters more than the floor.Diet. Easy: a complete powdered crested-gecko diet (CGD) as the base — keep a few flavours/brands on hand — plus small live insects (fruit flies, pinhead crickets, small roaches) a couple of times a week for enrichment and protein. They lap CGD from a ledge dish and hunt the insects at dusk.Full Mourning Gecko guide → Is this normal? →
Enclosure. Minimum 24×12×12 in (60×30×30 cm) for an average sand boa — floor space matters far more than height, since they burrow rather than climb. A secure lid still matters. House ONE per enclosure.Basking / warm zone. Warm/basking surface 93–95°F (34–35°C) from an overhead halogen (two low-wattage bulbs heat a coiled body more evenly). Put the warm hide directly under the basking spot so it can thermoregulate while staying buried.Cool side. Cool zone 78–83°F (26–28°C), giving a full warm-to-cool gradient.Night. Heating off at night; a natural room-temperature drop is fine. No coloured night bulbs.UVB & lighting. UVB isn’t strictly required but is beneficial (they’re crepuscular): a low-output T5 HO bulb (about half the enclosure length, warm side) giving UVI 2.0–3.0 at the basking spot. Replace every 12 months.Humidity. An ARID species — keep it mostly dry, and humidity is generally not something to fuss over. Provide ONE humid hide (a box of lightly moist substrate or sphagnum on the cool side) for shedding, and mist occasionally, but otherwise let the enclosure stay dry. Chronic damp causes scale and respiratory problems.Substrate. The heart of the setup: at least 3–4 in (deeper is better) of loose, burrowable sand or sandy soil (a 60% topsoil / 40% play-sand mix works well). They submerge and travel through it, so it must be deep and loose enough to disappear into. Spot-clean daily; full refresh every few months.Diet. Carnivore fed whole prey — an ambush hunter that strikes from under the sand. Feed appropriately-sized prey (roughly the width of the snake’s thickest point): juveniles every 1–2 weeks, adults every 2–4 weeks. Mice are the staple, but variety (young rats, quail, chicks) makes for a healthier, less picky snake. Offer frozen/thawed, warmed to ~90°F.Full Kenyan Sand Boa guide → Is this normal? →
Enclosure. Sized to the snake (rule of thumb: length × ½ length × ½ length). An adult of 6–8 ft needs a minimum 6×3×3 ft; a large adult over 8 ft needs 8×4×4 ft. They are SEMI-ARBOREAL, so give real height and sturdy branches as well as floor space. Large enclosures are hard to buy — many keepers build their own. House ONE.Basking / warm zone. Warm/basking surface 86–90°F (30–32°C) from an overhead heat source — a ≥2-bulb halogen cluster over a proper-size enclosure heats a big coiled body far better than a single bulb or a heat mat.Cool side. Cool end 75–80°F (24–26°C), for an overall 75–90°F thermal gradient the snake can move through.Night. Night can fall to about 68°F (20°C). Boas benefit from a seasonal cool-down even if you never breed — a cooler, shorter-day winter (down to ~75–78°F) is natural for them.UVB & lighting. UVB is beneficial (increasingly recommended, though not strictly required): a T5 HO bulb (Arcadia 6%) giving UVI 2.0–3.0 at the basking spot, at the correct Ferguson-zone distance. Replace every 12 months.Humidity. Ambient 55–75%, rising to 75–85% during a shed for a clean, one-piece slough. Mix water into a deep substrate (don’t just pour) or use a cool-mist fogger; avoid a chronically wet, stale enclosure.Substrate. A moisture-holding mix at least 2–3 in deep (deeper is better) — a topsoil / coconut-fibre / play-sand blend holds humidity and lets them burrow, which they occasionally do. Never cedar or pine (toxic oils).Diet. Carnivore fed whole prey — appropriately-sized frozen/thawed rodents (and, for variety, the occasional chick or quail). Boas are NOT stretchy like pythons: a correct meal leaves only a subtle lump, and oversized prey causes dangerous regurgitation. Feed on an infrequent, varied schedule and adjust to body condition — slow feeding is linked to boa longevity, and power-feeding causes obesity.Full Boa Constrictor guide → Is this normal? →
Enclosure. Minimum 24×18×18 in (60×45×45 cm) for one, densely planted with lots of cover and leaf litter, PLUS a larger-than-usual water area it can climb into and soak. They are shy and semi-fossorial, so hides and clutter matter enormously. Best kept singly or as a single male–female pair — males will fight.Basking / warm zone. A gentle warm hide / basking area of 80–82°F (27–28°C) from a low-wattage bulb — this is a cool-running forest species, not a hot basker, so it must not overheat.Cool side. Cool zone 75–78°F (24–26°C).Night. Night 72–75°F (22–24°C) — a mild drop is fine.UVB & lighting. UVB isn’t strictly required (they’re nocturnal) but is beneficial: a low-output T5 bulb (Arcadia ShadeDweller) giving UVI 1.0–2.0 at the top of the enclosure. If you skip UVB you MUST supplement vitamin D3 — UVB is the better route. Replace the bulb yearly.Humidity. HIGH and moisture-dependent — 70–80% by day, rising to 80–100% at night. Mist morning and evening (and often midday), run a fogger at night, and keep a deep moist substrate. This is the single biggest difference from an arid skink: kept dry, a crocodile skink dehydrates and does poorly.Substrate. A moisture-retentive, burrowable mix (a bioactive-style soil/coco blend) at least 2–4 in deep, topped with leaf litter and cork for cover. It holds the humidity and gives them somewhere to hide and dig, which lowers stress.Diet. Insectivore — a varied menu of appropriately-sized insects (crickets, dubia/discoid roaches, black soldier fly larvae, silkworms, earthworms, the occasional canned snail), each feeder roughly half the width of the skink’s head. Juveniles daily; adults every other day, offering as much as they’ll eat in about 5 minutes.Full Red-Eyed Crocodile Skink guide → Is this normal? →
Tank. The rule is 10 gallons of water per inch of shell length (a 4 in turtle → 40 gal; a 12 in adult → 120 gal). Because they reach dinner-plate size, buy the adult-size setup from the start: a 100 US gallon (379 L) minimum, ideally 120–125 gal, or an indoor/outdoor pond. Water is extremely heavy — a 100 gal glass tank of water weighs ~830 lb (377 kg), so set it up on a ground floor or basement that can take the load.Water temperature. Water 78–82°F (24–29°C), warmer for hatchlings and unwell turtles. Use a guarded aquarium heater on larger setups.Water depth. At least as deep as the turtle is long (deeper is better) so it can swim freely and right itself if it flips — never keep a slider in shallow "dish" water.Filtration. A powerful canister filter rated for at least 2–3× the water volume — ordinary aquarium filters are sized for tidy fish, and turtles are far messier. Back it up with regular partial water changes; dirty water is a direct cause of shell and eye infections.Basking dock. A dry haul-out dock big enough to fit the whole turtle out of the water, with a stone surface (flagstone is ideal — it warms evenly), heat and UVB mounted directly above. Basking-surface temperature 104°F (40°C), from an overhead halogen. The turtle must be able to climb fully out and dry off completely.Night. Turn the basking lamp and UVB off at night. The large water volume holds heat well, so a natural night-time drop is fine and no night heat is needed in a normally-heated room.UVB & lighting. Strong UVB is essential for a diurnal basker: a T5 HO bulb giving a UVI of 3.0–4.0 at the basking surface (Ferguson Zone 3), running 50–75% of the enclosure length and mounted ≥10 in above the dock alongside the heat lamp. Replace every 12 months. Real sunshine in an outdoor pond is ideal (never filtered through glass).Tank bottom. Bare-bottom is easiest and safest to keep clean. If you want a planted look, use large smooth river stones too big for the turtle to swallow — avoid small gravel, which turtles eat and can become impacted on.Diet. An OMNIVORE whose ratio flips with age. Under 1 year: roughly 50% animal protein / 50% vegetables — protein and greens daily, turtle pellets every other day. Over 1 year: roughly 25% protein / 75% vegetables — protein only 1–2×/week, leafy greens daily, pellets 2–3×/week. Pellets should be no more than ~25% of the diet. Variety is the key to good nutrition, and they eat in the water.Full Red-Eared Slider guide → Is this normal? →
Enclosure. A TALL, planted, front-opening enclosure — minimum 24×24×24 in (60×60×60 cm) for one, larger preferred — because they’re semi-arboreal climbers that live up in the foliage. Pack it with branches, vines, and live or artificial plants to climb and hide in. House ONE (or a single male with females); males fight.Basking / warm zone. A basking spot of 90°F (32°C) from an overhead heat bulb, placed over a branch up in the canopy where the anole will bask.Cool side. Cool side 70–77°F (21–25°C), with a vertical gradient it can climb through.Night. Night 65–75°F (18–24°C) — a natural drop is fine.UVB & lighting. UVB is essential (diurnal, sun-loving): a T5 HO bulb (Arcadia Forest 6%) giving UVI ~3.0–4.0 at the basking branch (Ferguson Zone 3), plus a bright daylight LED. 14-hour summer / 10-hour winter photoperiod; replace the UVB bulb yearly.Humidity. Average 60–70%, achieved by misting the enclosure morning and evening — anoles drink the droplets off leaves and will largely ignore a standing bowl, so misting is their main water source. A night fogger helps in dry homes. Live plants hold humidity and give cover.Substrate. A moisture-holding, bioactive-style mix (topsoil/coconut fibre) with leaf litter and live plants — it holds humidity and supports the planting that makes an anole feel secure. Vertical cover matters more than floor space.Diet. Insectivore — a varied menu of small feeders (crickets, dubia/discoid/red-runner nymphs, flightless fruit flies, black soldier fly larvae): juveniles eat as much as they’ll take daily; adults take 2–3 feeders, each slightly smaller than the anole’s head, every other day. Gut-load feeders 24–48 hours first.Full Green Anole guide → Is this normal? →
Enclosure. Roomy for an active diurnal forager: about 48×24×24 in (120×60×60 cm) for an adult, at least 18 in tall for safe lighting and climbing terrain. Unusually for a snake, garters CAN be group-housed (it can even lower stress in juveniles) — but each extra snake needs significantly more space.Basking / warm zone. Basking area 85–90°F (29–32°C) from an overhead halogen over a flat basking rock or plank. Two bulbs make an even basking zone. Cool-side air above 91°F (33°C) is dangerous — garters overheat and can die of heat stroke.Cool side. Cool side 75–80°F (23–27°C), giving a full gradient.Night. Night 64–75°F (18–24°C); heat off at night. A winter cool-down to ~60–68°F by day is natural for them.UVB & lighting. UVB is beneficial for a diurnal, day-active snake: a T5 HO bulb (Arcadia Forest 6%) giving UVI 2.0–3.0 at the basking spot. Replace every 12 months.Humidity. Average 35–60% — higher on the cool end and at night, lower on the warm end. Consistently too damp or too dry causes problems, but the big water basin (below) does most of the humidity work.Substrate. A moisture-retentive, burrowable mix (aspen is too dry-only; a topsoil/coco blend or a bioactive mix suits them) that holds a little humidity. Add cover, plants, and climbing terrain for a busy, exploring snake.Diet. NOT a rodent snake — a fish-and-worm eater, and VARIETY is the rule. Feed a varied menu of earthworms / nightcrawlers and whole feeder fish, plus the occasional pinky mouse. Juveniles every 3–5 days, adults every 4–7 days (worm-eaters need feeding more often than fish- or mouse-eaters). Prey no more than ~1.5× the snake’s width; offer worms and fish several at a time.Full Garter Snake guide → Is this normal? →
Measure where it matters — the basking surface, the cool side, and the air — with a digital probe or temp gun, not a stick-on dial. Quick answers How do I know if my reptile enclosure is set up correctly? Check it against your species’ targets one requirement at a time — enclosure size, basking heat, UVB, humidity, substrate and diet. Pick your reptile above and tick everything your setup already does; anything you can’t tick is simply your next upgrade. The targets come straight from our fact-checked care sheets, so you’re measuring against the current standard, not folklore.
What temperature and UVB does my reptile need? It depends entirely on the species — a desert basker like a bearded dragon wants a hot 108–113°F basking spot and strong UVB, while a crested gecko must stay under ~82°F with no basking lamp at all. Select your reptile above and the checker shows its exact basking temperature, cool-side range, night drop and UVB (UVI) target from its care sheet.
Where should I measure the temperature in my vivarium? Measure where it matters — the basking surface, the cool side, and the air — using a digital probe or an infrared temp gun, not a round stick-on dial (those are inaccurate and read only one spot). Checking all three tells you the whole gradient your reptile actually moves through, which is what keeps it healthy.
My reptile looks unwell — could it be the setup? Very often, yes. Most reptile “illness” is really a husbandry gap — too little heat, missing or expired UVB, or the wrong humidity — which is why fixing the enclosure resolves so many problems. Run through this checker first; if the setup is right and your reptile is still off (weight loss, lethargy, not eating), see a reptile vet.
Targets fact-checked by The Baskden Team against current husbandry sources. Ticks are just for you — nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
Free tool · the current standard
