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Congrats on welcoming home your new reptile
THE PETCO NEW REPTILE GUIDE
We’ll help you navigate the exciting journey into pet parenthood with helpful tips, expert guidance and shopping recommendations for all your milestones together.
1. Choosing the best habitat
Welcome them home with a habitat built for their specific needs.
1. Choosing the best habitat
Welcome them home with a habitat built for their specific needs.
Habitats and Enclosures
Terrarium Kits
Stands and Covers
- Habitats
- Terrarium Kits
- Stands and Covers
2. Building your reptile’s home
Help them feel safe and comfortable in their new home with these recommended essentials.
Substrate and Bedding
The right substrate should mimic their natural environment and support their species-specific humidity requirements.
Hideaways
Provide your new reptile with a safe place to hide, rest, sleep, cool off and shed.
Décor
Help enrich their habitat by providing them with places to bask, climb, hide and explore.
Heating and Lighting
Proper heating and lighting—including heat, light, a dome for heat and ultraviolet light bulbs designed for their species—are critical to keeping them healthy.
Humidity Control
Humidity requirements vary by species, and proper humidity is essential to keeping reptiles hydrated and to helping them shed their skin appropriately.
Thermometer and Humidity Gauges
Because they can’t regulate their body temperature, it’s essential to maintain the right temperature and humidity for their species to help them stay healthy.
-
Substrate and Bedding
The right substrate should mimic their natural environment and support their species-specific humidity requirements.
-
Hideaways
Provide your new reptile with a safe place to hide, rest, sleep, cool off and shed.
-
Décor
Help enrich their habitat by providing them with places to bask, climb, hide and explore.
-
Heating and Lighting
Proper heating and lighting—including heat, light, a dome for heat and ultraviolet light bulbs designed for their species—are critical to keeping them healthy.
-
Humidity Control
Humidity requirements vary by species, and proper humidity is essential to keeping reptiles hydrated and to helping them shed their skin appropriately.
-
Thermometer and Humidity Gauges
Because they can’t regulate their body temperature, it’s essential to maintain the right temperature and humidity for their species to help them stay healthy.
- Bedding
- Hideaways
- Décor
- Heating
- Humidity Control
- Thermometer and Humidity Gauges
3. Finding the right nutrition
Set a strong foundation for their health with nutrition that provides the right vitamins and minerals for their specific species.
Commercially Available Food
Commercially available food is tailored to provide to provide complete and balanced nutrition for your reptile’s specific species.
Insects
Freeze-dried and live insects are an essential food source for many reptiles.
Frozen Food
May be an alternative option for some carnivorous species. Check with your vet to see if this is right for your reptile.
Food Bowl and Water Bowl
Helps keep their food and water clean from substrate, plus gives many reptiles who like to bathe a shallow place to soak.
Commercially Available Food
Commercially available food is tailored to provide to provide complete and balanced nutrition for your reptile’s specific species.
Insects
Freeze-dried and live insects are an essential food source for many reptiles.
Frozen Food
May be an alternative option for some carnivorous species. Check with your vet to see if this is right for your reptile.
Food Bowl and Water Bowl
Helps keep their food and water clean from substrate, plus gives many reptiles who like to bathe a shallow place to soak.
- Comercially Available Food
- Insects
- Frozen Food
- Food Bowl and Water Bowl
4. Keeping your reptile healthy
Help support their physical and mental health—and meet their environmental needs—by incorporating these items into your reptile’s routine.
4. Keeping your reptile healthy
Help support their physical and mental health—and meet their environmental needs—by incorporating these items into your reptile’s routine.
Supplements
Provide specific vitamins and nutrients they may not be able to produce themselves or get in their food. Check with your vet to see what supplements your reptile needs.
Cleaning Supplies
Make sure to clean their entire habitat at least every 3–4 weeks, depending on how many reptiles it houses, and spot clean it daily.
Filters and Pumps
Aquatic and semi-aquatic reptiles may swim in and drink the same water, so maintaining water quality is key to their health.
-
Supplements
Provide specific vitamins and nutrients they may not be able to produce themselves or get in their food. Check with your vet to see what supplements your reptile needs.
-
Cleaning Supplies
Make sure to clean their entire habitat at least every 3–4 weeks, depending on how many reptiles it houses, and spot clean it daily.
-
Filters and Pumps
Aquatic and semi-aquatic reptiles may swim in and drink the same water, so maintaining water quality is key to their health.
- Supplements
- Cleaning Supplies
- Filters and Pumps
5. Understanding your reptile
Most reptiles are friendly and can learn to recognize you, but it’s important to give them time to settle into their new home and socialize. Below are some key facts to be aware of as you get to know your reptile.
Ectothermic
Because they get their body heat from outside sources, reptiles require heating bulbs and pads to keep them warm so they can stay healthy.
Salmonella
Reptiles carry salmonella, a bacteria that can cause illness in people, in their intestinal tracts, so it’s important to always wash your hands after handling them.
Hiding away
Hiding in décor can give your reptile a sense of security, a space to de-stress and a dark place for nocturnal species to sleep.
6. SPECIES-SPECIFIC CARE SHEETS
Once your reptile’s essentials are squared away, help support every aspect of their health by learning about the nuances of their specific species.
- Pet Reptiles
- Pet Lizards
- Exotic Reptiles
- Reptile Food & Supplies
- Reptile Health & Wellness
- Starter Kits For Reptiles
- Reptile Carrier
- Reptile Clothing & Accessories
- Pet Snakes
- Reptile Enclosures
- Starter Kits For Lizards
- Reptile Food
- Reptile Kit & Terrariums Deals
- Reptile Habitats & Enclosures
- Reptile Carpet & Liners
- Pet Lizard Care
- Reptile Food & Water Accessories
- Chameleon Pets
- Reptile Skin & Eye Care
- Reptile Habitat Stands & Covers
- Petco Pet Reptiles
- Petco Pet Lizards
- Reptilinks Snake Shop
- Imagitarium Reptile Clothing & Accessories
- Reptilinks Ball Python Shop
- New Age Pet Reptile Habitats & Enclosures
- Petco Amphibians
- Exo-Terra Snake Shop
- Exo-Terra Leopard Gecko Shop
- Zoo Med Snake Shop
- Multipet Reptile Food & Water Accessories
- Zoo Med Crested Gecko Shop
- Zoo Med Leopard Gecko Shop
- Zilla Leopard Gecko Shop
- Petco Turtles & Tortoises
- Zoo Med Reptile Health & Wellness
- Fluker's Snake Shop
- Exo-Terra Crested Gecko Shop
- Bootique Reptile Clothing & Accessories
- Imagitarium Leopard Gecko Shop