Reptile checklist
Almost every reptile welfare problem is an equipment problem. Get the setup right before the animal arrives and most of the rest follows.
Before you go
- Research the exact species, not the group. A crested gecko and a leopard gecko want different things, and neither wants what a bearded dragon wants.
- Set the vivarium up and run it for a week before collection. Correct temperature gradient, correct humidity, correct UVB for the species, thermostat fitted.
- Check whether the species needs a Dangerous Wild Animals Act licence. If it does, get the licence first.
- Check CITES status and, for Annex A, that an Article 10 certificate exists.
- Find a vet who sees reptiles. Not all do, and you want to know before you need one.
On the day
- Clear eyes, no retained shed around the eyes, toes or tail tip.
- Straight spine and tail, no lumps, jaw closes cleanly.
- Alert and responsive when handled.
- Ask to see it eat. A reptile that has not eaten recently is the commonest problem after purchase.
- Look at the enclosure it is in now: is there a heat gradient and a UVB source, or a bare tub?
Questions worth asking
- What is it eating, what size and how often?
- When did it last shed, and did it come off cleanly?
- Has it been weighed regularly, and can I see the record?
- Captive bred or wild caught? Captive bred, always.
Never advertised here
Green and yellow anacondas, reticulated and African rock pythons, Burmese pythons, and venomous species. They are excluded from general classified sites for good reason.
Seen something that worries you? Report it. We act on reports within 12 working hours, and we would rather hear from you early than not at all.