A reptile is a wonderful pet. One of the reasons so many people enjoy having them in their home is that they’re very interesting to watch, yet require very little care. You don’t need to take your pet lizard for a walk! That isn’t to say there’s absolutely nothing you need to do for your pet reptile, of course. You need to feed it!
Reptiles are a fascinating group, in part because they’re so diverse. Reptiles are an amazing group of very different animals! This means that they have a large range of requirements when it comes to their diet, too. You wouldn’t feed a gecko and a snake the same dinner. Some, like a Redfoot Tortoise, are vegetarians. This is very different from the sporadic, meat-only dietary pattern of a large Rainbow Boa. It should also be remembered reptile UV light also plays an important role in metabolism, health, and development.
All reptiles need food and all reptiles need light. That is essentially where the similarities end, though. Consider the following:
Bearded Dragons
Bearded dragons are omnivores, meaning that they naturally eat both plants and animals. In this case, “animal” means “bug.” Most bearded dragons are offered insects as a major part of their diet in captivity to meet this need. There are three components to a pet bearded dragon’s diet: meat, vegetables/fruit (non-citrus), and commercially-made Bearded Dragon food. Make sure your little guy is getting the right mix of all three!
Tortoises
These animals are natural grazers. In the wild, tortoises will spend a large proportion of their day eating grass, plants, flowers and roots. Ideally, a pet tortoise should be fed as similarly to their wild counterparts as possible. Think grasses, weeds, flowers, leafy greens, and herbs. Peas, beans, and high sugar fruit should generally be avoided and only given as a very rare treat. Yes, tortoises deserve a treat every now and then too!
Leopard Geckos
Leopard geckos eat solely meat, not fruit or vegetables. This meat diet should be given in the form of live insects. The best options for live insects are mealworms or crickets. Both of these should be ‘gut-loaded,’ which refers to the process of giving insects a highly nutritious meal before they are fed to your pet, thereby increasing the value of the meal. Dusting the insects with a powder of vitamins and minerals is another great way to increase the nutritional value of the live insects you are feeding your Leopard Gecko.
Corn Snake
Being comfortable with feeding your Corn Snake is an important consideration before thinking about buying one as a pet. Corn snakes are meat eaters, and will need to be fed whole meat. One great option is thawed, previously-frozen rodents.
Don’t see your pet reptile listed here? Reach out to us at Jabberwock Reptiles and ask! We’re the reptile experts for a good reason, so we can answer all of your diet-related questions.
