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Learn how to care for a Sand Boa, recommended diet and habitat setup. Find the right food, supplies and equipment at your neighborhood Petco.
Updated on April 9th, 2026
Learn how to care for an Arid Skink, recommended diet and habitat setup. Find the right food, supplies and equipment at your neighborhood Petco.
Updated on April 9th, 2026
Learn some tips and strategies that can be used to get your pet reptiles safely through a power outage regardless of the time of year.
Updated on July 17th, 2026
Bearded dragons have specific lighting requirements that emulate their natural warm and dry habitat. Learn about their lighting needs at Petco.
Updated on June 19th, 2026
Learn how to take care of your Chinese Cave Gecko, tank size, diet & habitat setup. Find the right food, supplies and equipment at your neighborhood Petco.
Updated on April 9th, 2026
Thanks for your question about Smaug, and thanks for the photo as well! I think that you have a good start to your set up, and that we can tweak a few items. First, your lighting situation appears adequate - I see a UVB light (please change this bulb every 4-6 months), a basking light, and a ceramic heat bulb. I would ensure that your temperatures are appropriate for this species, and that you are monitoring them using digital thermometers (I think that you see both a digital and analog thermometers currently) at the level of Smaug. Analog thermometers are inaccurate, so I don't recommend using them (also, they are high up on the sides of the enclosure, so they wouldn't be giving an accurate temperature read for Smaug). For the cage furniture that you have, I like that you have places for Smaug to climb and hide. However, I would recommend having a hide on both the warm side of the enclosure and the cool side so that Smaug has choices. Same for the climbing structures. I may have missed a food and water dish in the enclosure - I would recommend that both of these be shallow, and be large enough for Smaug's entire body to fit within them. I cannot tell what type of shavings that you have on the bottom of the enclosure, but the only wood shavings that I recommend are aspen shavings. If they are pine, these can be irritating to the respiratory system. I hope that gives you a place to start, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Reptiles do harbour a lot of bacteria such as salmonella. If you feel unwell it could be unrelated but best to visit your Dr to be safe. In future I would avoid kissing her and make sure you wash your hands after handling her or her habitat. I would advise against sleeping with r as you could accidentally roll onto her.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Use a background to block his view. This may prevent glass surfing or nose rubbing as well as provide more privacy/security. Again, check the temps in his enclosure to make sure it is species appropriate. Offer a variety of crickets, mealworms, dubia roaches, silkworms and wax worms. Gut load prey for 24 hours prior to offering. Dust appropriately with vitamins and minerals regularly. He may also benefit from a soak in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte. If his appetite does not return after adjustments to environment and diet, have him examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles. Submit a stool sample to diagnose intestinal parasites or bacterial overgrowth.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
As long as the bark pieces are large enough, the chosen substrate should be fine. Small bark pieces could be accidentally ingested though, so care must be taken when feeding. Other options include reptile carpet or a moss/soil mix.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
This is a cloacal prolapse that you are seeing. The cloaca is the common tube where all the feces, urine and reproductive tracts meet and is just inside the opening there. This can happen in a few different cases such as stones in the urine or stool, or egg binding if Titan was mature a female. If you have not seen Titan shed and he/she has not been defecating regularly, then I would be suspicious of dehydration. If Titan came from the wild, then parasites would also be a suspicion. The humidity should be good in your area, but I would ensure the humidity is at least 60%. If you don't have a hygrometer, then this can be purchased from the pet store. The best this you can do is take Titan to a reptile vet for an exam. There may be something going on that you would not be able to correct at home. For now, I would soak Titan in warm water for 15-30 minutes a day. I've put a link to a video that shows how to soak a snake. Make sure Titan also has an area in the enclosure where he/she can soak as wanted. To ensure everything else is being done right I've also included a link to great information about python care. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmgYm-GghM8 http://www.anapsid.org/ball.html I hope that helps and Titan gets better soon.
Updated on September 24th, 2025