Reptile Care

A licence to keep reptiles as pets is needed in NSW, please consult website www.environment.nsw.gov.au for advice.

Reptiles can make interesting pets but require unique care. Reptiles commonly kept as pets include bearded dragons, bluetongue lizards, pythons and Cunningham skinks.

A suitable safe enclosure is needed to provide ventilation, correct temperatures, correct humidity, correct lighting to provide a source of UVA and UVB radiation and large enough to allow space to move around and for exercise. The floor of the enclosure can composed of sand, smooth gravel, absorbent paper or leaf litter.

Reptiles shed their skin as they grow, they need rocks and hard surfaces to help them shed their old skin and sometimes need assistance to remove dead skin.

A reptile requires a varied diet and is dependent on the species. A diet consisting of mixed vegetables, fresh meat, live insects (mainly crickets and cockroaches), snails and mineral additives are some of the items commonly fed to bearded dragons and blue tongues.