FAQ: Supplies for reptiles

Depending on species, boas grow from medium-sized to very large, so an adult often needs a sturdy terrarium several metres long. Before buying a juvenile, find out the adult's size and weight.

Halogen bulbs heat a basking spot well, mercury vapour bulbs give both heat and UVB but some cannot be used with dimming thermostats, and LED lamps are mostly for lighting and plants. A separate basking lamp and UVB lamp are often used together.

In larger terrariums an extra bright daylight LED helps the plants and creates a sunny day, making day-active reptiles more lively. It does not replace either the UVB or the basking lamp.

The distance depends on the lamp's strength and type, so manufacturers state a recommended distance to the basking spot. A strong lamp too close can harm eyes and skin, while one too far away will not give enough UVB.

Glass and plastic block most UVB, and mesh blocks some of it depending on the hole size. So the UVB lamp is mounted above the mesh or inside the terrarium, with the strength chosen to allow for the mesh.

If your reptile lays fertile eggs and you want to hatch them, you need an incubator with precise temperature control and an incubation medium. In many species temperature even decides the sex of the hatchlings, so accuracy matters a lot.

Yes, females of many lizards and tortoises sometimes lay infertile eggs even without a male. They need a laying box with moist substrate and extra calcium, and if a female cannot lay her eggs, she needs a vet urgently.

Weight changes are often the first sign of illness or a poor diet, since reptiles hide symptoms. Weighing every few weeks on kitchen scales and noting the result makes it easier to spot problems in time.

The most common mistakes are a terrarium that is too small, a heater without a thermostat, no UVB lamp or one not replaced in time, stick-on thermometers, the wrong substrate and food bought without regard to species. Most can be avoided by learning the species' needs in advance.

An ordinary incandescent bulb can provide heat but gives no UVB, and its heat is not always well directed. Dedicated reptile basking bulbs create a focused hot spot, making it easier to set up a basking area.

A background makes a reptile feel safer because it cannot see movement behind the terrarium, and some 3D backgrounds add climbing surfaces. Opaque walls help nervous animals and land tortoises in particular.

Reptiles are kept stimulated by varied terrain, branches to climb, digging spots, rearranged hides, foraging for food and safe supervised time outside the terrarium. A well set-up terrarium is the best enrichment of all.

Yes, for tree-dwelling reptiles such as chameleons, crested geckos and some snakes, height matters more than floor area. The terrarium needs branches and plants at different heights, with the warmest spot at the top.

Brumation is a period when a reptile slows down, eats little or nothing and sleeps a lot. For some species, such as bearded dragons, it is natural, but it is worth asking a vet beforehand to rule out illness and not switching equipment off without a clear plan.

Before hibernation the tortoise must be healthy and at a good weight, is not fed for several weeks so its gut empties, and is then kept somewhere cool at a steady temperature checked with a thermometer. Mistakes can be dangerous, so ask a vet the first time.

Some reptile species, especially many tortoises and some pythons and boas, fall under international protected-species trade rules (CITES), so proof of origin is needed. When buying, ask for the documents and keep them for the animal's whole life.

A healthy reptile is usually alert, with clear eyes, clean nostrils and vent, no retained shed, mites or wounds, and a body that is not too thin. Ask what and when it last ate, and see how it is being kept.

Captive-bred reptiles are usually healthier, carry fewer parasites and adapt to a terrarium and food more easily than wild-caught ones. It also reduces trade in wild animals.

Yes, terrariums, lamps, substrates, supplements and dry or frozen food are often bought online. For glass terrariums and lamps, check the packing and returns terms, and for live insects, check delivery given the weather.

Many shops ship live insects in tubs, but in very cold or hot weather they may die in transit. Choose faster delivery and move the insects into a suitable container as soon as they arrive.