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 4 of 18
A red-eyed tree frog should wake at dusk, show bright green colour, climb to a hunting perch, and snap up insects overnight, so a frog that stays dark and hunched on the floor, sleeps through the night, or ignores crickets for several nights is struggling after its move. Prolonged soaking, cloudy eyes, skin sores, or…
Milk snakes are naturally secretive and often twitchy when young, so hiding and a quick tail-rattle in the substrate can be normal after a move, but constant escape attempts, musking at every approach, and repeated food refusals past the first couple of weeks suggest stress. Wheezing, stuck shed, regurgitation, or…
A leopard tortoise that explores, basks, and grazes within its first days is settling well, so worry when it stays shut in its shell or hides all day, refuses grass and weeds, or stops coming out to bask. Clear discharge from the nostrils, swollen or closed eyes, wheezy breathing, and runny droppings are illness…
A newly homed king snake that hides is behaving normally, but stress or illness shows as constant glass-pacing, repeated striking at the glass, musking whenever the enclosure is opened, or a complete shed that comes off in stuck patches. Refusing food for the first week is common, while wheezing, bubbles at the…
A dehydrated White's tree frog often develops dry, dull skin that wrinkles over its normally plump, waxy body, keeps its eyes half closed, and stops climbing to its usual evening perches. This large tree frog may skip soaking in its water bowl, refuse waxworms or crickets it normally takes eagerly, and leave shed skin…
A dehydrated tiger salamander often has dry, dull skin that loses its usual moist sheen, wrinkled sides, and sunken eyes, and it may stop emerging from its burrow to feed at night. This stout burrowing salamander takes up water through its skin from damp soil, so a tiger salamander on drying substrate may also shed…
A dehydrated Sulcata tortoise often shows deeply sunken eyes, dry thick skin on the neck and legs, and reduced grazing, with droppings that become hard and sparse for such a large tortoise. This big grassland species may soak less, rest in its shelter through cooler active hours, and pass waste that looks unusually…
A dehydrated rosy boa often has wrinkled, loose-feeling skin along its sides, sunken eyes, and a slow or incomplete shed that leaves dry patches clinging to its smooth striped body. This calm desert boa may become less active, refuse a meal it would normally take, and show skin that stays pinched in a fold briefly…
A dehydrated red-footed tortoise often shows sunken eyes, dry skin and shell edges, and less interest in its usual fruit and greens, along with reduced walking around the enclosure. This forest tortoise may pass dry droppings, produce thick chalky waste more often, soak less, or stay hidden through its normal active…
A dehydrated red-eyed tree frog often shows dull, dry skin instead of its usual glossy green, keeps its striking red eyes half closed, and stays hunched on a leaf or glass panel rather than moving at night. This nocturnal tree frog may skip its nightly soak, eat less, and leave shed skin clinging in pieces. Check…
A dehydrated red-eared slider often has sunken, less shiny eyes, dry wrinkled skin where the legs meet the shell, and a noticeable drop in swimming and begging activity. This active slider may bask without slipping back into the water, eat slowly or not at all, and produce dry droppings. Verify the water is clean and…
A dehydrated panther chameleon often shows sunken eyes, a flattened or shrunken casque, and wrinkled skin along the sides, with colors looking duller than this vivid species normally displays. It may grip weakly, move slowly between branches, drink for a long time when misted, or stop catching food with its tongue.…
A dehydrated painted turtle often shows sunken eyes, dry flaky skin on the neck and legs, and long basking or hiding spells instead of active swimming. This brightly marked pond turtle may also eat less, move slowly on land, and have skin that stays tented briefly when gently lifted on a leg fold. Review basking…
A dehydrated Pacman frog often has dry, wrinkled skin that clings instead of looking plump and smooth, keeps its eyes closed or sunken, and sits still rather than lunging at food. Because this burrowing frog takes in moisture through its skin, a Pacman frog on dry substrate may also stop soaking, pass very little…
A dehydrated musk turtle often shows sunken, dull-looking eyes, wrinkled or dry skin around the neck and legs, and much less activity than usual in the water. This small aquatic turtle may also refuse food, produce stringy saliva, or spend unusual time hiding instead of swimming and exploring. Check the water level,…
A dehydrated milk snake often has slightly sunken eyes, skin that wrinkles along its slender, banded body instead of lying glossy and smooth, and sheds that split into pieces instead of peeling away whole. This shy, mostly evening-active snake may stay in its hide through hours it usually explores, refuse prey it…
A dehydrated Kenyan sand boa often shows slightly sunken eyes, skin that folds and stays creased along its cylindrical body, and incomplete sheds that leave dull patches clinging to its scales. Because this secretive burrower spends most of its life under the sand, the clearest clues are a lighter, less solid feel in…
A dehydrated hog-nosed snake often has slightly sunken eyes, skin that wrinkles along its stout body instead of lying smooth, and a shed that comes off in broken flakes rather than one piece. This burrowing drama artist may stay hidden in its substrate even longer than usual, refuse the scented prey it normally takes,…
A dehydrated green tree frog loses the smooth, moist sheen on its back, its eyes look less prominent and slightly sunken, and it may abandon its usual high perch to huddle low near the water bowl or damp substrate. This nocturnal climber may also call less, hunt half-heartedly at night, and sit with its limbs tucked…
A dehydrated green iguana often shows sunken eyes, skin along the ribs that stays tented after a gentle pinch instead of snapping back, and stringy saliva visible when the mouth opens. This large herbivore may leave its leafy greens untouched, bask listlessly without its usual alert posture, and produce smaller, drier…
A dehydrated Greek tortoise often has sunken, less glossy eyes, dry-looking skin around the neck and legs, and thick, gritty white urates instead of softer, paste-like ones. It may soak longer than usual when placed near water, eat less of its leafy weeds and greens, and spend more of the day withdrawn in its shell or…
A dehydrated giant day gecko shows sunken eyes that lose their round, alert look, skin along the flanks that stays briefly pinched instead of smoothing out, and a thinner tail base where fluid and reserves show quickly. This bright, day-active lizard may also stop licking moisture from leaves, bask less, and let its…
A dehydrated dart frog loses the glossy, wet sheen its skin should always have, sits lower and flatter than usual, and may hug the dampest corner of the vivarium or sit in its shallow water dish for long periods. Because these tiny frogs take in water through their skin, dry-looking skin, sunken eyes, and a sudden…
A dehydrated boa constrictor often shows sunken, dull-looking eyes, skin that stays briefly tented when gently lifted along the flank, and a shed that comes away in ragged patches instead of one long piece. This large snake may also soak for unusually long stretches, refuse food it normally takes readily, and produce…
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