4,660 answers about reptiles & amphibians
Keeping reptiles and amphibians well comes down to environment — heat, light, humidity and the right enclosure — plus feeding and health basics that differ by species. This page gathers the reptile and amphibian library of KinsLe Answers in one place, organized by topic. Every answer is original, written by KinsLe, and tied to a real KinsLe feature.
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411 answers in Health & Vet Care — page 3 of 18
A red-eyed tree frog eating normally hunts after lights-out, snapping up appropriately sized insects from perches and the enclosure floor, then settles back with its bright eyes alert. You will rarely see it drink with its mouth, because this arboreal frog absorbs water through the skin of its belly and thighs while…
A healthy leopard tortoise grazes steadily through its active hours, working through grasses, hay and leafy weeds with strong bites, and walks to food rather than waiting beside an empty bowl. Drinking looks infrequent by mammal standards: this savanna grazer may sip from a shallow dish, drink during a soak, and pass…
A leopard gecko is eating normally for his kind when he hunts live insects with focused interest on a regular rhythm for his age, keeps a thick, healthy tail that stores his reserves, and passes regular droppings in his chosen corner. His tail is your gauge: plump and smooth means intake is keeping up, while a…
A king snake is eating normally for his kind when he feeds with the species' famous enthusiasm — striking quickly at appropriately sized prey on a regular schedule — and holds a muscular, even body condition without growing soft or round. King snakes are such committed feeders that a genuine refusal streak is unusual…
A crested gecko is eating normally for his kind when he leaves visible lick marks in his prepared diet, takes occasional insects with enthusiasm, maintains a plump but not swollen body, and produces regular droppings on the enclosure glass and leaves. Because he eats at night in tiny amounts, judge him by that…
A corn snake is eating normally for his kind when he takes appropriately sized prey on a steady schedule for his age, hunts or tongue-flicks with interest at feeding time, and maintains smooth, even body condition between sheds. Corn snakes are usually reliable feeders, so repeated refusals in this species deserve…
A bearded dragon is eating normally for his kind when he eats with age-appropriate enthusiasm — insects eagerly and often as a juvenile, a salad-first pattern with fewer insects as an adult — and when his weight, energy, and droppings stay steady. Drinking is subtler, since many dragons get most moisture from greens…
A ball python is eating normally for his kind when he feeds on a roughly regular schedule for his age, strikes or takes prey with interest, and holds steady weight — while accepting that healthy adults sometimes refuse meals for stretches, especially in cooler months, without anything being wrong. Drinking looks like…
A savannah monitor in pain or discomfort often turns uncharacteristically withdrawn or defensive, stops charging at food he normally attacks, moves stiffly or favors a limb, or lies flattened and gaping when approached instead of exploring with tongue flicks. Judge him against his bold normal self, because a monitor…
A shed is stuck when old skin remains in patches or tight rings days after the rest has come away, especially around toes, tail tips, eyes, or the tip of a snake's tail, and the skin underneath looks dull rather than bright and new. On lizards, look for pale, crinkly remnants clinging to toes and spines; on snakes, an…
A Kenyan sand boa in pain or discomfort often breaks his buried, hidden routine: staying exposed on the surface for long stretches, refusing meals he usually ambushes eagerly, writhing or rubbing at his face, or moving with a kinked, uneven motion instead of smooth burrowing. Because this species hides underground by…
A fire-bellied toad in pain or discomfort usually shows it through change: hiding constantly, refusing food he normally snaps at, sitting hunched or listing to one side, soaking far more or far less than usual, or skin that loses its bright, bumpy healthy look. Compare him against his own normal week, because a toad…
A tiger salamander that stays underground and skips feeds during a cold spell may be following its burrowing nature, but surfacing and still refusing worms, visible weight loss behind the head, skin sores or cloudiness, or a swollen body should prompt a vet visit. Tiger salamanders feed best cool and damp, so a warm,…
A rosy boa is a slow, deliberate feeder, so one refused meal in winter means little, but refusing across a whole season, thinning along the back, regurgitating, or going limp and weak when handled should prompt a vet visit. Rosy boas also refuse when kept too warm on a hot spot with no cool retreat, so check both ends…
A red-footed tortoise that nibbles less during a dry, cool spell may perk up with warmth and a soak, but refusing its usual greens, fruit, and occasional protein for many days, losing weight, or hiding without emerging to soak should prompt a vet visit. This species needs humidity as much as heat, so check the…
A red-eared slider that eats less on a cool day is common, but one that stops basking, ignores food in the water for many days, has swollen closed eyes, bubbles at the nose, or lists to one side while swimming should prompt a vet visit. Sliders must be in water to swallow, so always judge appetite during an in-water…
A Pacman frog that stays buried and skips a feed during a cool, dry spell may just be estivating, but refusal lasting well beyond that, a frog that lunges and misses repeatedly, swelling, redness on the belly, or no stool after eating should prompt a vet visit. Pacman frogs eat in bursts, so compare against its own…
A leopard tortoise that grazes less on one cool morning is different from one that walks past favourite greens day after day, leaves weeds untouched outdoors, or stops coming to food it normally hurries toward. Prompt a vet visit when reduced appetite arrives with weight loss, a runny nose, closed eyes, softer…
A king snake that skips one meal during a shed is rarely a concern, but refusing several meals in a row, losing visible body condition, regurgitating, or striking at food and then backing away repeatedly deserves a vet visit. Check the warm side and water first, since a cool king snake often will not eat, and write…
Hog-nosed snakes are famous fussy eaters, since many prefer toads in the wild, so a hog-nosed snake that skips meals for a few weeks while holding weight is often just being itself, but refusals stretching past six to eight weeks with visible thinning need a vet visit. Book sooner if the snake wheezes, shows crusting…
A green tree frog that skips feeding for a night or two during cool weather or while settling into a new vivarium is usually fine, but one that ignores crickets for a week, stops calling, and sits hunched at the base of the enclosure needs a vet visit. Go sooner if the frog looks bloated, soaks constantly, has…
A giant day gecko that laps less nectar mix for a day or two around a shed is usually fine, but one that stops taking both insects and nectar food for a week, loses the plump look at the tail base, or starts missing strikes at crickets needs a vet visit. Book sooner if the jaw looks soft or slightly open, the gecko…
A healthy adult boa constrictor can fast for several weeks without harm, especially after a large meal, before a shed, or during a cooler seasonal spell, so a skipped feed alone is not a vet emergency. Book a visit when refusals stretch across two to three months with visible weight loss, or sooner if the boa breathes…
A blue-tongued skink that skips a meal or two, especially around a shed or during a cool, short-day spell, is rarely a concern, but a skink that refuses all food for two to three weeks outside any seasonal slowdown deserves a vet visit. Worry sooner if appetite loss comes with weight loss, a mouth held slightly open,…
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