How to Look After Pet Reptiles Over the Summer

Summer is a great season, but the heat that comes with it presents some unique pet care challenges. While wild reptiles can adapt easily to this weather change, companion animals are just as vulnerable to severe temperatures as their owners. 

In fact, studies show that over 41% of pet animals die during the heat. Examples of such reptiles usually kept as pets are turtles, lizards, snakes, chameleons, etc.

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You should be at the top of your game during summer. Maintaining and restoring habitats close to the ones in the wild should be a top priority. This means that aside from the vital everyday pet reptiles supplies, there are other measures that are critical for your pet’s well-being during summer.

A responsible owner must also stock up on their pet reptile’s maintenance and needs such as reptile feed, mealworms, reptile calcium supplements, and even their vitamins. However, it’s not just that. This article will teach you how to care for your pet reptiles during the summer heat.

How to Look After Your Pet Reptiles

Taking care of your pet reptiles during the heat period can be a daunting task. But it becomes very easy when you know the right thing to do. Below are some important points on how to care for your pet reptiles.

1. Get Your Pets a Home

A house is one of the most important supplies for your pet reptiles during the heat period. Due to their ectothermic nature, pet reptiles need a place that is a little synonymous with their wild counterparts.

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Pet reptiles, therefore, require a place not directly towards the sun. They should be provided with a place to hide or burrow. You can mold sand and provide gravel in their house to create a seemingly natural environment. Pets like the lizard and frogs will need a pool to cool off.

However, you can move the vivarium to a cooler room during hot days. When in a cooler room, you can use different means to warm things up. Remember, it is easier to warm things up than cool them down.

With this setting, your pet reptile such as an iguana can survive given that it has enough water and iguana feed.

1. Keep the Accurate Temperature

All animals suffer from heat issues, and this includes your scaly friends. Although they may look like they enjoy the heat, it can also be frustrating for them, just like you. If you are a reptile owner, you’re well aware that the reptiles need a highly unique habitat to thrive. To help ensure they survive, you have to adjust their environment regularly.

The right temperature of their surrounding will vary. This variation is according to which scaly friend you are caring for. For this reason, you will need to have a reliable gauge. Reptiles like lizards, turtles, and tortoises usually bask

There are different ways to retain the optimum temperature during summer. You can do the following to avert heat fatigue.

• Keep your reptile’s cage away from heat sources.
• Some species will need an air-conditioned environment, so ensure that.
• For the species from tropical areas, you will need to turn off the heater during the day to regulate their temperature.
• For the outdoor pet reptiles, make room for shady places where they can hide.
• Ensure the terrarium alternates between warm and cool conditions.
• Keep a clean water station in their homes together with mealworms or fly larvae

1. Keep the Humidity in Check

Some reptiles require a very high level of humidity. For example, chameleons and pythons demand a high level of humidity when compared with others.

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However, this humidity level can get very high during the summer that they become harmful. There may be overheating in the terrarium. There is no exact way to maintain a perfect humidity level. However, there are steps to keep it close to perfect.

Some of the ways to regulate the humidity level for your pet reptiles include:

• Opening the windows to regulate airflow
• Provide a water bowl. You can also add a heating pad to the water bowl for better results.
• Mist the habitat; this is somewhat easier. Spraying water where the reptile is can make a huge impact in controlling the humidity.
• Get the perfect measuring tool; this will help you measure your progress.
• Use enclosures with screens and solid tops to hold moisture.
• For the outdoor pets, you let them access soil and plants.
• Introduce humidifiers and foggers

1. Enough Water to Drink

Just like you, your scaly friend needs enough water. Your Pets can even get dehydrated during the summer. Therefore, a bowl of drinking water should be made available to ensure their survival during the heat period. However, make sure the water is not too deep, which will drown the animal.

The bowls should not be in just one place. You can keep them in different positions for easy access. However, ensure special treatment for some of the reptiles. For example, iguanas need a large but not deep bowl because they get hydrated from soaking. Meanwhile, the lizards, on the other hand, and other pets will make do with their small bowls.

Food should also be always present. Pet reptiles are fond of mealworms, can grasshoppers, canned worms, and river shrimps. However, a simple but protein-rich feed will help them last through summertime.

1. Be on the Lookout

As you already know, your scaly friends cannot regulate their body temperature. For this reason, you should always look out for them. It would be best to watch out for the different signs of overheating. For example, some reptiles begin to tremble, become lethargic and dizzy, and get disoriented.

When these signs are observed, you should know they’re red flags and look for your vet promptly.

1. Check for Summer Insects

This is an important way to care for your pet reptiles during the summer. But unfortunately, this period comes with different harmful insects. For example, insects like ticks, bugs, fleas, and others can carry diseases. 

It is, therefore, better to ensure these insects are out of the way for your scaly friend to be safe. Also, some pesticides can be harmful. Hence, always seek expert advice on how to handle it.

The Bottomline

From the facts we have established so far, you can see that caring for pet reptiles isn’t that tedious. All you need do is observe your pet and know the right points to apply and when to apply.

However, this guide is generalized. You need to check out some more specific materials for different species. This should not also stand in seeking advice from vets and other reptile experts.

Finally, always wash your hands after treating and touching reptiles. They contain salmonella bacteria which can cause fever, diarrhea, and other harmful conditions to the human body.