Blue Tongues, Bearded Dragons and Pythons: Are Aussie reptiles good pets?

Exotic pets are becoming more and more sought after with reptiles and amphibians being the most popular in the exotic pet category. While a Google search will often serve up a lot of information about Corn snakes, Iguanas, and Ball Pythons, it's illegal to keep these non-native reptiles as pets in Australia. Budding reptile hobbyists need not despair because there are quite a few Australian reptiles that can be kept as pets as long as you obtain the correct state and territory-based permits and can meet requirements for proper care and husbandry.

By Perfect Pets

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Blue Tongues, Bearded Dragons and Pythons: Are Aussie reptiles good pets? image

Are reptiles the right pet for you?

As with all pets, taking on a reptile should never be a spur of the moment decision. Without proper thought and preparation—including having the right enclosure and fully understanding feeding requirements—an impulse purchase can be fatal to the animal.

Unlike most common pets (dogs, cats, birds) reptiles need specific requirements for heating, housing, food, and water. Like an aquarium for fish, any enclosure should be set up days or weeks before you acquire your reptile. This ensures that everything is stable and fit for the reptile to go straight into its enclosure on arrival.

And of course remember that reptiles are not affectionate or cuddly animals. They don't need companionship and won’t bond with you like a dog or cat would, and most prefer minimal handling.

Keeping a reptile is a long term commitment

Turtles can live for more than 30 years, pythons for more than 15 years and lizards such as Blue-tongues for 20 years. Your reptile pet may well outlive you. Another consideration is cost.

How much do reptiles cost?

People are often delighted to find out that a Blue-tongue Lizard or Bearded Dragon may cost around $60 to $100 and a Carpet python can be under $200. However, reptiles require proper housing, heating and lighting in order to be cared for properly so although the animal is not very expensive, the initial setup could cost between $500 and $700.

Which reptile is right for me?

This is not a difficult question to answer, the only difficulty is with choice. As with other pets size, colouration, needs and temperament all factor into which species you decide on.

Decisions and steps towards your first pet reptile

The first step is to gain some knowledge. Investigate herpetological societies or clubs in your area. These are great sources of information and joining will accelerate your learning about reptiles, what you can keep, how to keep it, and become part of the local reptile community. Here are some links to start with:

South Australian Herpetology Group
Illawarra Reptile Society
Victorian Herpetological Society
West Australian Herpetological Society
Hawkesbury Herpetological Society

Australian Society of Herpetologists

Each Australian State and Territory have different regulations relating to reptiles

You will need to find out which reptiles can be kept with and without a licence, how to obtain a licence, and if there are particular storage or club membership requirements. Links are provided below for each State and Territory.

New South Wales - Reptile Keeper Licencing information - NSW

In NSW, some native snakes, lizards, geckos, dragons and turtles can be kept as pets, as long as you have a licence.

Queensland - Licences to keep native animals in QLD

In Queensland, you need a licence to keep protected native animals.

Victoria - Private Wildlife Licences

In Victoria, most wildlife species require you to have a licence.

South Australia - Keeping Native Animal Permits - SA

You can keep most species of native animals in South Australia, but you are likely to need a permit.

Western Australia - Licences to Keep Reptiles in WA

In Western Australia, a licence is required to keep reptiles.

Northern Territory - Native Animals that require a Permit in NT

A permit is needed to keep most native wildlife in the NT.

Tasmania - Reptile Protection and Permits in TAS

A Herpetofauna Permit allows the collecting and keeping of most Tasmanian reptiles.

ACT - Keeping Reptiles (non-exempt animals) in the ACT

With your research done and some ideas about what reptiles you’re most interested in – you now need to find a reputable place to source your reptile.

Purchasing a reptile

Once you have decided what kind of reptile you want to keep, have a home set up for it and have received your licence, you can start your quest to locate a suitable animal. Reptiles cannot be removed from the wild (or even from the back garden) and can only be obtained from another keeper.

If you do not know any keepers you should join one of the reptile groups to meet other people with similar interests, to find out more about obtaining and caring for your reptile. Most groups have facilities at meetings for members to advertise animals available or wanted, and some groups also provide this information in their newsletters.

For your first reptile it's best to deal with someone recommended by, and associated with a herpetological club. This way you will be able to get specific care information, as well as have a reliable and trustworthy resource to go back to with any questions or concerns down the track.

Reptile cleanliness and hygiene:

It's important to to know that reptiles can carry diseases that can be passed on to their keepers. Without adequate attention to hygiene, you can be at risk of infection from a range of diseases and bacteria (including Salmonella) and other organisms.

By providing a clean environment for your reptile this risk can be mostly mitigated. Remove uneaten food and faeces from the enclosure daily. Occasional disinfection of the enclosure and hide also helps create a safe environment for you and your reptiles. Avoid exposing small children to reptiles and always wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling your pet.

HOUSING, heat, and humidity for reptiles - keeping the vivarium just right

The enclosure, known as a ‘vivarium’, needs to be secure and draught-proof. Reptiles are great escape artists, so if using a non-commercial vivarium you need to ensure it is well built with no gaps and that it has good closure fixtures.

The vivarium must also be made from a solid material that is easy to clean and be heat and moisture-resistant (solid plastic, laminated wood, varnished wood, glass, etc).

Before you buy an enclosure, or make one, ensure you understand the specific conditions that your reptile needs. Requirements to consider include:

the size of the enclosure
the shape (tall for arboreal snakes, or short and wide for blue tongues)
lighting
heating
hide requirements (somewhere private for your reptile to retreat)

Lizards and snakes require heat in order to regulate their body temperature, to be active, and to properly digest their food. A thermal gradient in the vivarium (ie: a hot end and a cooler end) gives them the opportunity to manage their own temperature - which is important. Heating can be in the form of ceramic heaters, basking bulbs, under vivarium heating, heat cables, etc. You will also need a thermometer at either end so you can monitor and manage the heating.

Some reptiles also need UVA and UVB lighting. This information will be reptile specific and may require an additional lighting fixture in the vivarium with a specialty bulb.

Reptiles do like to hide as well as be out in the option. The vivarium should also have a place for the reptile to hide (for example a fake rock hide). This will provide your reptile a sense of security and give them a place to hide if they need.

Plants, branches, and other ornaments in the vivarium will also give the reptile places to climb, and make the enclosure look more interesting.

Bedding for the vivarium comes in various forms. Different reptiles will need different bedding/flooring. Some common bedding types are shredded bark, sand and even coconut husks. Some are more absorbent than others.

It is recommended that you clean the vivarium once a week. Food and water checks should be daily. A dirty or unclean enclosure can enable parasites and other microorganism infections for your reptile. Cleaning is very important.

Handling reptiles

Lizards:

Before you attempt to handle a lizard, you need to understand how the breed should behave. Some are more aggressive and will bite, others are very docile. Some of the same breed will be more likely to bite than others – it can just depend on the individual lizard.

Most lizards won’t cause too much harm when they bite. There are some people who say not to wear gloves when handling reptiles, others say to wear gloves. This is something you should personally research and make a decision on.

When picking up a lizard, never pick it up by its tail as it can cause injury and pain. Some lizard tails come off, as a defence mechanism. They do grow back but never the same as their original tail.

The size of the lizard will determine how to pick it up. Basically, use one hand to grasp over the body and use the other hand for supporting. Everyone does this differently and it pays to research the best way for your lizard and you.

Snakes:

Again, with snakes, it is important to understand how the breed should behave. Some will be more aggressive, and others won’t – just like lizards. Common pet snakes like the Carpet Python are non-venomous but some can be ‘cage defensive’ – striking without provocation, or striking because they are hungry. Learn their nature before handling.

It is always advisable to wait until your snake has settled into its new home, isn’t actively reacting to movement outside the vivarium and has digested its feed before attempting to handle them.

Snake hooks are a good way to get your snake out of its enclosure. Some snakes can become ‘cage defensive’ – ie: putting your hand in their vivarium they can strike and bite. This is not always the case. However, by using a snake hook or two it gets the snake used to the process of being removed from the vivarium, it minimises the chance of triggering a feeding response, or cage defensive response.

Use the hook to pick up the snake in the middle section of the body and lift. Once out, hold your snake in the middle of the body in your hand. Don’t grasp and squeeze or attempt to hold it by the head or tail end. This can cause injury to the snake. Do not make any sudden movements as this may trigger a reflex bite from the snake (strike and release from the snake).

If at any time your snake attempts to bite, struggles a lot to get away while you are holding it, or acts in a way that makes you uncomfortable or strangely, carefully and slowly put your snake back into its enclosure.

Follow the basic rule of ‘if in doubt, put it back’…

Reptiles are like any animal. Some days they are fine, other days they are ‘less happy…’

Reptile health

Noticing and understanding health problems in a reptile is much more difficult than a ‘regular’ pet. Keeping an eye on them, their behaviour, cleaning the enclosure regularly and ensuring quality food is a good way to keep them healthy.

Knowing where the closest specialty vet (one that treats reptiles) is is a must! You may want to take your reptile in for an annual check-up. And always, if in doubt – give them a call and talk to an expert. You may also have one in your local herpetological club.

COMPANY – keeping reptiles alone or with friends?

As a general rule – do not keep snakes and lizards in the same enclosure.
Some species of lizards amy cohabit - the same applies to snakes.
The best thing is to do your research, ask at your herpetological society or specialty pet store.
If in doubt, stick to one species and one reptile to an enclosure.