Varanus komodoensis

Komodo Dragon

October 2014

I had the time to have the time to read an article about the Komodo dragon. The article I read is mainly about the evolutionary history of the Komodo dragon the description of the Dragon and the diet, saliva, venom, and lastly reproduction. Some things I learned about the Komodo dragon is it's a large species of lizard found in the Indonesian islands of Komodo and Rinca. Komodo dragons and girl to a messy maximum length of 3m (which is 10 feet). You cannot purchase Komodo dragons because of their vicious behaviors, you can go see Komodo dragons at your local zoo. Only other color more of the Komodo dragon is albino. Most interesting facts about the dragon is there venomous saliva. Komodo dragon's live in islands are volcanic in origin, rugged and hilly, and covered with both forest and savanna grassland.

Adult Komodo Dragon

Rare Albino Komodo Dragon

Agkistrodon Piscivorus

Cottonmouth snake

October 2014

I had a chance to read about the cottonmouth snake, I learned some scary, but interesting things about them. Article was mostly about how, snakes live and how they impact nature and how they are. Want to also learn was about their venom. Somethings I learned about the caramel and they are a been a mistake species may have to southeastern United States. There a semi large body pit viper and the snake family. One feature of the snake is there very broad triangular heads. You can't purchase cottonmouth snakes at all only because of how poisonous they are but you can go see cottonmouths at the zoo. There isn't any controversy about this animal because they are the least concerned animal out there, according to the University of Florida. Most interesting thing about them, is how the snake is very aggressive and how unique there head shape is. Requirements for this animal is definitely heat because all reptiles need heat (obviously). Also they do need places where they can hide and also blend in so they can hunt for there prey.

Iguana

Iguana

October 2014

I chose to read this article, because this article is very interesting to me, personally. Iguanas are the most prettiest and most unique animals out there to me. The article that I read is mainly about where iguanas are from, and the genus names and their classifications. From the article that I read I learned that iguanas, are from tropical areas of Mexico, Central America, and several islands, like Fiji and also the Caribbean. Iguanas were first found by a Australian naturalist Josephus Nocolaus Laurenti. Iguanas can range from 5 to 6 feet in length including their tail. You can actually purchase iguana at certain reptile stores. Iguanas can typically range from $23 all the way to $10,000 depending on where you get them at, or in stores like www.petsmart.com and www.vippets.com both of which sells Green iguana's for around $72 there are 10 types of iguana color morphs. There is no controversy that I know of that has an issue with keeping iguanas in captivity. Most interesting thing about iguanas is how colorful they come in and how calm they are when being kept in captivity.  

Albino Iguana

Blue Iguana

Care Requirement:

• 20-50 gallon-long aquarium

• For substrates, plain rabbit pellets.

• six heating lights to warm up the body of the iguana

Daboia russelii

Russell's viper (reptile)

August 2014

I chose to read an article on the Russell's viper, because its the most venomous, and the most aggressive snakes out there. The article that I read was mainly about how deadly the viper's venom is. The Russell's viper is one of the most dangerous snakes in Asia, mostly being responsible for thousands of deaths each year, those were some of the things I really liked about the article. What I learned from the article is, Russell's viper lives in mainly of grassy areas in southeast Asia including India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Myanmar and Taiwan. Also, Once the viper has bitten a victim, the snake delivers up to 112mg of venom and the effects begin, almost immediately. As soon as ten minutes after the bite the victim may feel pain, and death can occur in as little as 2.5 hour. You can't purchase them at all because of how dangerous they are. There's only one other color morph and that is albino. If one were do to keep a viper in a zoo, then you would need to fill out forms and need a permit. there is controversy about this animal because many people are afraid they're too dangerous to handle. this animal would most likely be an expert animal to take care of. Most interesting thing about this animal is how the venom of the snake turns blood into gelatin.

Albino Russell's viper

Requirements for survival:

• Russell's viper It is most common in plains, coastal lowlands and hills of suitable habitat, But Humid environments, like marshes, swamps, and rain forests, are avoided.
• This snake is terrestrial and is a nocturnal forager, but during cool weather it will alter its behavior and become more active during the day.
• It feeds primarily on rodents, especially rodents. However, it will eat just about anything; including rats, mice, shrews,squirrels, land crabs, scorpions.
• Mating generally occurs early in the year, reaches sexual maturity by 2-3 years of age.

Pogona

Bearded Dragons

September 2014

I chose to read about this animal because I had seen an article in a reptile magazine I was reading about a week ago. The article had very nice information about Bearded dragons. The article talked about where these animals can be found, and what type of of diet they have. Also, the article did give me a good idea of how many bearded dragons there are in the world, which all I did like from the article I read. What I learned from the article I read was, Bearded dragons are from Australia, but are now available at a local pet store because of there willingness to breed in captivity. Also, they are very easy going animal, and normal bearded dragons come in a small size (around 15-22 inches) they have become really popular in the past couple of years. The only question that I do have is why do bearded dragons have a dark red under there mouths. I would love to buy a bearded, only because they're really friendly, and really energetic. Bearded dragons price range can range from 14 to 80 dollars. the website Petsmart.com and bloodbankdragons.com both sell bearded dragons and they both sell for about 20 dollars. There are only 5 different color morphs of the Bearded dragons. Different morphs can usually cost around 30-40 dollars depending on where you get them from. None of the bearded dragons are endangered in the wild, and you don't need a permit to buy a bearded dragon, and there isn't any controversy surrounding the animal about being kept in captivity. This animal is a very easy animal to take care of. The one thing I love most about bearded Dragons is how laid back they are.

Blood-red bearded dragon

Snow bearded dragon

Care Requirements:

• Young Bearded dragons under 10 inches in length can be housed in a 20gal long aquarium. This will last them for a few months only though as they grow quickly. Adult Dragons should be housed in nothing smaller than a 40gal breeder tank.
• Bearded Dragons require full spectrum lighting for 12-14 hours a day.
• The temperature for this basking spot you created should be around 105f to 110f for babies, 105f for juvenites and can be around 95f to 102f for adults.
• For substrate using sand or newspaper is good.
• Bearded Dragons are omnivorous, meaning that they eat both animal and plant matter. Any and all food items that your Bearded Dragons eat should be no bigger than the space between their eyes.

Chrysemys Picta

Painted Turtle

Gurley, R. 2005. Turtles in Captivity. ECO Herpetological Publishing and Distribution. Lansing, Michigan

Painted turtles come in many colors, and they are the most beautiful turtles out there, with their striking features. I did some research on the painted turtle, and I found interesting articles that I had read over the past couple days. Somethings that I have found their interesting about the articles that I have read is painted turtles are found throughout United States and Mexico. The articles I read gave a vague summary about these animals so I had to do some heavy research to achieve the things I have found. What I liked about the articles is The articles I have read gives a brief general description of what a painted turtle eats, what there natural environment is like, and where they are usually found in the world. There's not much questions that I have, that I would like to know more about, turtles are common knowledge and you can easily look up questions online. I would love to have a pet painted turtle, but turtles are a lot of work, mostly because painted turtles needs multiple habitats to ensure their survival. The price ranges from 14 to 40 dollars, depending where you purchase them from. Two websites where you can look at painted turtles if you're interested in buying them are www.petsmart.com and they sell painted turtles in store for $29.99 also, another website is www.undergroundreptiles.com and that website is an online website and painted turtles on there are sold for $14.99 with shipping, and handling. There are 10 different types of morphs for painted turtles, and 4 different sub species. People aren't concerned about painted turtles, only because they're a large number of turtles throughout US, and Mexico. There hasn't been any controversy about painted turtles being kept in captivity. No, you do not need a permit to take care of a painted turtle. You can go to your local pet store and purchase one without a hassle of bringing permits.

Albino Eastern painted turtle

Western painted turtle

Midland painted turtle hatchling

Care Requirements:

• Size: typically a grown female will be from 6-7 inches, while makes are smaller (5-6 inches)

• Housing: Young painted turtles thrive in a warm environment with clean water, and live plants, both floating, and underwater. Their enclosure should be similar to how they would live in the wild. Having places where they can hide can help them out to feel more secure.

• Food: Romaine lettuce, Duckweed, crickets would be fine for your turtle, but also keep in mind they do sell turtle food at your local pet store.

Eublepharis Macularius

Leopard Gecko Care

September 2014

I chose this article because I have a love for Leopard Gecko's, and also they are beautiful reptiles. What I liked from the article I read was it gave me information about the gecko in depth. The article that I read, gave me information about taking care of the animal and there diet. What I liked about the article is, its's very descriptive and very informative. The article tells you the pros and cons of taking care of a gecko which is very helpful to beginner gecko owners. Questions I have regarding to this animal is, how many eggs does a female typically have and how long does it take for the eggs to hatch? I already own my own gecko but if I never had one I would definitely buy one, they're beautiful reptiles and they're very photogenic! The price range for these geckos vary from 14 to 200$ depending where you get them from. some websites are www.petsmart.com/ which leopard geckos are $14.99 another website is http://www.reptmart.com/ which is $19.99 plus shipping and handling. There is 23 different types of color morphs for this particular reptile. The cost for each morphs vary depending where you get them from. Leopard gecko aren't endangered at all, Leopard geckos are usually found in Afghanistan, Northwestern India, Pakistan, Iran, and lastly Iraq. Leopard gecko's aren't endangered, and there isn't any recent debate about leopard geckos being kept in captivity. You don't need a permit to take care of these creatures. The care requirements I will list down below.

Diablo Blanco Leopard Gecko

Nova Leopard Gecko

High Yellow Leopard Gecko

Red Striped Leopard Gecko

Care Requirements:

• Housing: one or two adults will be comfortable in a 10-gallon aquarium, but 20 or 30 gallon is perfectly fine for your pets.
• Substrate: Sand is the best bedding for your pet, using fine-grained sand (0.5mm or less) will be the best for them because anything couarse will harm your pet because the coarser sand can scratch their under bellies.
• Heating: reptiles require a temperature gradient that will allow them to select the temperature that best suits their needs at that moment. Sometimes your leopard geckos will want to heat up, other times they will want to be cooler. The best way to heat your gecko enclosure is with an under-the-tank heater. It all depends.
• Shelter: Leopard geckos are nocturnal, and in the wild they hide under rocks or other places during the day. Your pet would love it if you gave them something to hide during the day.
• Food: I recommend crickets or meal worms, only feed them wax worms if they're under weight or sick. For water change the water every couple of days. Also, once in awhile you should consider dipping your pets food in calcium powder so they get there vitamins. 
• Level of experience: Leopard geckos are intermediate level animal to keep, they aren't really hard, but they are not easy to take care of either. 
• One thing that I personally love about this animal is how colorful they are and there eyes are just beautiful.