JOURNAL NEWS (White Plains, New York) 23 September 06 Before buying a reptile, do your research (Alison Bert)
Buy a snake and plan to stock your fridge with frozen mice and rats.
Buy a lizard, and you'll run to the pet store for crickets and worms, or prepare elaborate salads of fresh vegetables for the select species of vegetarians.
Then there are heat panels, special lights and humidity systems to create the environment many reptiles need to survive outside their native habitats.
Pet reptiles bring joy and fascination to thousands in the Lower Hudson Valley, but keeping them can be challenging and costly.
Some species — like bearded lizards, geckos, corn snakes and certain tortoises — make good starter pets and are relatively easy and inexpensive to maintain.
But some reptiles have specialized requirements that can be costly. And some may start out simple but require more care and space as they age. That four-inch baby boa may well grow to be 12 feet long, for example, and iguanas can grow to 6 feet, the size of a small alligator.
"If you go into a pet store and see that cute little iguana, they may not tell you you're going to need a cage the size of a walk-in closet in a few years, and it's going to have nails like a hawk and a tail like a whip," said Bruce Lowder of Putnam Valley, whose company Animal Encounters LLC runs the Reptile Expo and Sale at the Westchester County Center in White Plains. "Reptiles can make really great pets, but you've got to know what you're getting into or it's not going to be a positive experience for you, your family or the animal."
Reptiles are the rage these days. Lowder's expos, held five times a year, draw between 3,000 to 5,000 people of various ages. Animals ranged in price from $5 to $7,000, with the majority being well under $100. The critters are more accepted as pets compared to even a decade ago. They're even trendy, with talking chameleons on Budweiser commercials, and that ubiquitous Geico gecko.
About 4.4 million U.S. households — 1 in 25 — owned at least one reptile in 2004, according to the 2005-2006 American Pet Products Manufacturers Association National Pet Owners Survey. The total number grew by 22 percent from two years earlier, to 11 million from 9 million. Turtles and tortoises are the most popular (45 percent); followed by frogs and toads, which are actually amphibians (26 percent); lizards (20 percent) and snakes (19 percent). Percentages add up to more than 100 because reptile owners have an average of 2 1/2 of these pets.
"The industry's really kind of exploded," said Bob Pound of Mahopac, whose company, Pro Products, sells products for reptile habitats. "We've had huge increases in our sales in the last five or six years."
Unfortunately, he said, many people purchase reptiles on impulse. Parents are often egged on by children, who are understandably fascinated by the curious critters. But experts urge people to do their research before buying.
"A lot of people buy the animal and they have no idea how to take care of it," said Fred Josefsberg, owner of Fred's Pet Center in Spring Valley, whose inventory includes 200 turtles and tortoises from around the world. "The animal is the cheapest part. If you are not going to do it right, you are looking for trouble, especially with little kids."
Picking up the tab
At the expo, a large sign advertised "Frozen Rodents," with a price of $12 for 50 "pinkies" (baby mice) and $20 for 25 "fuzzy rats." Snakes typically eat one rodent a week. Buying directly from suppliers or online can save money from buying food at pet stores, where mice can cost $2 apiece and crickets about 8 cents. At www.nyworms.com, for example, crickets are 2 cents each, or $18 for 1,000.
Handle with care
The Humane Society advises against keeping reptiles as pets, citing a litany of concerns. There's the health risk of salmonella, a bacteria that can cause severe intestinal distress. There are potential injuries from species such as pythons and boas, which can grow large enough to injure or even kill a person. There are concerns about inhumane practices of the wild-caught reptile trade, with 90 percent of wild reptiles dying in their first year of captivity, according to the Humane Society.
Many reptiles that are neglected by their owners, end up in shelters that are ill-equipped to handle them. Some escape or are let loose, where they can endanger people, native wildlife and the local ecosystem, and where they have little hope of surviving for more than a few days.
In March, police captured an 8-foot-long Burmese python in a Mount Vernon park. Last year, a White Plains apartment superintendent called police after finding a 6-foot boa in the building's boiler room.
'Just like a child'
The Connecticut Iguana Sanctuary, based in West Hartford, takes in plenty of animals that encounter such a fate. At the last reptile expo, its operators had a three-foot green iguana up for adoption that someone found wandering the streets. He basked under artificial sunlight on a piece of drift wood near the entrance, his nose blistered from having tried too many times to break out of his cage. A crowd of mostly young women gathered around him and stroked the skin on his forehead, prompting him to shut the lids of his large eyes. But at the end of the day, no one had taken him home.
"They're just like a child — you've got to constantly take care of them," said Todd Zahra, a bus mechanic from Cortlandt. "You also need to spend active time with them ... otherwise they don't want to be human-oriented."
Zahra ended up giving his to a family with a 13-year-old boy who had plenty of time to interact with him and hide cherry tomatoes for the lizard to discover while roaming outside his cage.
Farrah Khatibi of White Plains, who volunteers for the Sean Casey Animal Rescue in Brooklyn, said iguanas are "like a bull in a china shop," recalling how her sister's used to knock stuff over while crawling around their room.
"I have cats because they're easy," she said. "These are a lot more difficult."
Josh Green, a plumber in Cross River, managed to litter-train the two iguanas he rescued. He kept them in Rottweiler cages and let them roam freely through his home. He found them to be enjoyable, fascinating pets, who died from old age. But he wouldn't think of keeping them now that he has a young child. They can "whip their tail around" to swat someone who is annoying them, he said. He had even got bitten a few times when he stuck his hand in the cage.
Then there's the issue of finding a vet who specializes in exotic animals. Good ones are out there but "few and far between," he said. One weekend evening, he discovered that 12-year-old Armond was paralyzed from the waist down. He and his wife searched frantically for a veterinarian that treated exotic animals on nights and weekends. They finally found one in New Rochelle.
"The guy actually opened a book on exotic animals and started reading right there what he should do," Green recalled.
Good starter pets
When Bruce Geiger of New Rochelle was looking for a class pet, he took a tip from a friend from the Greenburgh Nature Center and bought a corn snake.
The colorful snakes are low-maintenance, "incredibly docile" and more adaptable to changes in the environment because they come from New Jersey to Florida, said Geiger, whose snake business is called Teacher's Pets. Boas and pythons grow much larger and need a more tropical, stable environment.
Josefsberg of Fred's Pet Center recommends keeping tortoises rather than turtles. Tortoises are land animals and vegetarians.
His range in price from $99 to $2,500 and include species from South America, Russia, India and Africa. He asks customers what size they want, explaining that some can grow to be 2 feet long and over 200 pounds. He shows them how to heat the cage and provide ultraviolet light. And he tells them about the commitment involved in caring for a tortoise: "Their life expectancy if you take care of them right is 60 years."
For children, Kristen Boros at Pets Place II in Nanuet recommends leopard geckos, bearded dragons and the uromastyx, a vegetarian lizard. Geckos are relatively small and don't need ultraviolet light, she said. The bearded dragon and uromastyx can grow to be two feet long, and they need more heat and light. Along with vegetables, the bearded dragon eats crickets — up to four dozen a week.
Abby Myers, 14, a sophomore at Pleasantville High School, bought her dragon at the expo last year for $15. She finds him to be quite amiable. "When I come over with the lettuce, he moves toward the glass wall, and when I start putting the crickets in, he gets real exited," Myers said, "One time he jumped into my hands."
Your reptile's home
The proper habitat is critical to keeping your reptile comfortable and healthy, said reptile expert Bob Pound of Mahopac, who has owned hundreds of reptiles in his 52 years. Pound owns Pro Products (www.pro-products.com), a mail-order retailer that sells habitat-control products to zoos, breeders and hobbyists worldwide. In an interview with staff writer Alison Bert, he talked about the basic housing needs of lizards, snakes and tortoises, and suggested a price range for good-quality products.
1. A reptile cage. This is preferable to an aquarium. In a fish tank, the animal may sense that it has no place to hide and can become stressed, leading to potential health problems, he said. Having the opening on top can compound the animal's insecurity because "a lot of his predators come from above, like birds." Pound suggests a front-opening cage with opaque sides made of light-weight materials such as acryllic "so it's more like a cave." Prices range from $100 to $400.
2. Radiant heat panels. "We feel that is the best way to heat a reptile — period," he said. "Avoid hot rocks, which can burn the animals." The panel fits in the inside top of the cage and "mimics the sun" by radiating infrared energy. His company's Pro Heat Radiant Panels will not catch fire or burn you or your pet, he said. Most cost from $70 to $130.
3. UV light source. Most lizards and almost all turtles and tortoises need ultraviolet light to produce vitamin D3, which stimulates their bodies to produce calcium so they don't get metabolic bone disease. Snakes generally don't need UV light because they get D3 from eating whole-bodied animals, like mice and rats. Bulbs come in two forms: florescent tubes and mercury vapor lamps. Mercury lamps can pose a burn risk and should be caged off from reptiles that could reach it. Also, "just because the light is physically working does not mean it is putting out the proper amount of UV," Pound said. He recommends following the manufacturer's recommended replacement period or buying a UV meter, which costs from $180 to $300. UV lamps cost from $30 to $50, as do bulbs that last about six months to a year.
4. Humidity. "A lot of these animals come from tropical areas, and they need a higher humidity level than most houses in the United States would be able to offer them," he said. "In addition to that, a misting system will give a drinking water supply to animals that require it, such as a chameleon, which are dew-lapping animals." His company's system mists up to 14 times a day, saving people with multiple pets from this "monotonous chore," he said. "If you have one reptile, you can certainly do without it. But if you go away on vacation, who's going to mist your animals?" The Pro Mist system is $180. A misting bottle is $4.
5. Parasite prevention. All species can get mites and ticks. His company's Provent-a-Mite is EPA-approved for use with all reptiles. A 6-ounce can is $17.95.
Before you buy
Before you purchase a pet reptile, ask yourself
1. Can I properly house this animal? Many popular reptiles eventually grow to considerable sizes. Iguanas commonly reach 5 feet in length, and Burmese pythons often grow to 15 feet. It is extremely difficult to sell or even give away large reptiles. Zoos and nature centers in this area are offered hundreds of such animals each year and refuse most of them. Building humane cages can also be costly.
2. Can I properly feed it? Most popular snakes and many lizards are rodent eaters. Feeding them will involve weekly trips to the pet store to buy live mice, or stocking up on frozen rodents. With large constrictors, this can even mean obtaining rabbits or live chickens. Many smaller lizards are insectivorous, meaning frequent trips to purchase live crickets and wax worms. Vegetarian reptiles, such as iguanas, tortoises and uromastyx lizards, need a wide variety of greens and vegetables and can be expensive. Most tortoises and lizards also require supplementation with calcium and vitamin D3. Make sure supplements are phosphorous free.
Good starter pets
• Snakes: Corn snakes, King snakes, captive-bred ball pythons
• Lizards: Leopard geckos, bearded dragons, blue-tongue skinks
• Turtles: Chinese box turtles; smaller, captive-bred tortoises
Not for novices
• Snakes: Large constrictors, such as many boas and pythons
• Lizards: Iguanas, chameleons, uromastyx
• Turtles: Snapping turtles, soft-shell turtles, large tortoises
Source: Bruce Lowder, Animal Encounters LLC, Putnam Valley, www.reptileexpo.com/ny_main.htm
On the Web
Reptile rescue groups
• Connecticut Iguana Sanctuary: www.reptilecare.com
• Sean Casey Animal Rescue: www.nyanimalrescue.org
• American Tortoise rescue: www.tortoise.com
Organizations
• International Reptile Breeders Association: www.irba.com
• Humane Society: www.hsus.org/pets/issues_affecting_our_pets/Reptiles_as_Pets.html
Information & forums
• www.anapsid.org
• www.beardeddragon.org
• www.greenigsociety.org
• www.Kingsnake.com
• www.corn-utopia.com
• www.veterinarypartner.com
Supplies & food
• www.herpsupplies.com
• www.southerncricket.com
• www.nyworms.com
Find a vet
• www.herpvetconnection.com
Reptile Expo/Sale
Animal Encounters holds five reptile expos a year. The next is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 26 in the Westchester County Center in White Plains. For more information: www.reptileexpo.com
Have your say
Which reptiles make the best pets — and the worst? Where do you buy food and supplies? Join the discussion in the "Open forum" at
http://forums.lohud.com
Web extras
• Bob Pound of Pro Products in Mahopac explains what you need to house your reptile. www.lohud.com/business
• For more photographs go to www.lohud.com
Before buying a reptile, do your research