Calling all reptile lovers, this one is for you! 21st October sees the annual celebration of National Reptile Awareness Day… who knew, right? This is a day dedicated to promote key learnings about reptiles and the many weird and wonderful varieties of them including lizards, turtles, snakes and iguanas, their habitats, the ecological threats posed to them and, ultimately, the care we can provide.
Regal Reptiles
Reptiles are cold-blooded with scales or scutes (thick and bony plates which form the dermal layers on their backs – yes, some really do have bones on the outside!), and most, but not all, lay eggs. Reptiles are tetrapod vertebrates, meaning they all have back-bones and the majority of them have four legs (with snakes being the exception).
While most reptiles lay soft eggs, there are a few exceptions of reptiles that give live birth to their young including rattlesnakes, vipers, boas and Jackson’s chameleons (a three-horned chameleon native to East Africa).
Common Characteristics between Reptile Varieties
Believe it or not, but there are more than 10,000 species of reptiles worldwide… that’s staggering! So you’ll forgive us if we don’t list them all here, but we did want to share the three main groups of reptiles with you:
- Turtles (the Testudines group)
- Crocodilians (the Crocodylia group)
- Snakes and lizards (the Squamata group)
Most people think frogs are reptiles, but they’re actually amphibians (also cold blooded, but with moist skin as opposed to scales). Take a look at our other blog for a beginners guide to reptiles and amphibians.
Lizards, dinosaurs, crocodiles, turtles and snakes all belong to that ancient and stout class of animals known as reptiles who, in addition to being scaley, cold blooded and (mostly) egg-laying, also share the following characteristics:
Regular shedding: Reptiles shed their skin continuously throughout their lives, particularly whilst they are still growing and developing because their skin doesn’t grow in proportion with their bodies. Once reptiles reach adulthood, they tend to shed less often, but when they do it is to help them maintain good health.
Short digestive tracts: With a few exceptions, reptiles are meat eaters with relatively short digestive tracts and, due to their slower metabolism, they can afford to consume fewer meals (crocodiles and boas can survive months on just one single meal!). Most reptiles will enjoy devouring insects, rodents, other reptiles and even larger mammals too.
Chemoreception: Many reptiles (but not all) have chemically sensitive organs in their nose or in the roof of their mouths to help them identify their prey. This ability is a good substitute (or sometimes a complete replacement) for their sense of smell; have you seen a snake rapidly flick out its tongue? They do this as it helps them sense chemicals in the air by way of hunting down their next meal.
Skull morphology (the shape/structure of their skull): Reptiles have a single bone where their skull attaches to the first vertebrate, a single auditory bone, and transmits vibrations from the eardrum to the inner ear and jaw.
We’ve listed our top 10 favourite reptiles below, see if yours is on the list:
- Agama Lizard
- Box Turtle
- Ball Python
- Bearded Dragon
- Crested Gecko
- Leopard Lizard
- Yellow Spotted Lizard
- The Milk Snake
- Blue tongued skink
- Thorny Devil (only found in mainland Australia so we bet you don’t have one of these living in your home, but we think the name is quite comical!)
Home Sweet Home
No back garden for a pet dog? No problem! Most reptiles can be kept indoors in tanks that are easy to maintain. Whether you’re considering adding a snake, turtle, lizard or gecko to your home, when it comes to planning their living space there is a lot to think about. We’ve broken everything down for you here in a separate blog, and summarised the key points below:
- You’ll need an enclosure/container to house your reptile known as a terrarium or vivarium (imagine a big fish tank… they look a bit like that).
- Lighting: reptiles need both UVB and UVA light (types of ultraviolet light) to help keep them happy, healthy and warm.
- Heating: this may not come as a surprise, but heat pads are one of the most effective ways to keep your cold-blooded friend warm.
- Diet: it’s important to research the foods to include in your reptile’s diet.
- Psst! Rooke’s Pet Products stock a variety of live foods including locusts, mealworms and crickets… a delicious snack loved by many different pet reptiles!
- Hydration: nothing is more important in keeping a reptile than providing an easily accessible and clean water source. In fact, water is the most important nutrient!
Protecting Wild Reptiles
Sadly it’s quite common for us to hear about the many endangered wild animals across the globe threatened with extinction, and we regret to say that reptiles are included in this list.
The trade in turtle shells and crocodile skins, as well as the consumption of their flesh (believe it or not!), is driving down the population of reptiles across the world. Urban development, logging and pollution are all major causes to reptile habitat destruction, particularly for wild reptiles living in forests including snakes, lizards, tortoises and crocodiles.
How to Observe National Reptile Awareness Day
There are many different ways you can help spread awareness of National Reptile Awareness Day – why not visit your local zoo and see how many species of reptiles you can find? Bring your friends along and make a day of it!
Improve your knowledge on reptiles (this blog is a great starting point!) and share what you learn with your friends and family.
If you already own a reptile, or know someone that does, take a picture of them (remember to turn off the flash!) and upload it to social media with the hashtag #ReptileAwarenessDay. If you tag Rooke’s in the post we can share your regal reptile pictures to our Facebook and Instagram pages too!
If you have any questions about reptiles, the care required to keep one as a pet, what to feed them or how to set up the perfect environment, pop in store and speak to our friendly, experienced team as we’re always happy to help. In fact, if you do come into our High Street store, ask for Joe as he is our in-house reptile expert!