Ask An Expert: 5 Tips For Owning Your First Reptile
There are a couple questions to ask yourself before bringing home a reptile: what type of reptile are you wanting to own? are you able to provide the proper care? are you willing to feed the reptile what it needs? are you able to maintain a healthy environment for your reptile? These are just a few basic questions- so it's always best to speak with a specialist. Matt Troszak is the reptile specialist at Lou's Pet Shop. He has worked with reptiles for many years. Speak with him regarding all your reptile needs, and he will make sure your new pet will have a healthy, happy, long life.
Lou's Pet Shop
20779 Mack Ave.
Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 48236
(313) 885-1560
http://www.louspetshop.com/
Matt Troszak has been providing Lou's Pet Shop with reptile excitement for over five years. He was in grade school when he started building a passion for reptiles. All throughout grade school, middle school, high school, and now through college, he continues to improve his knowledge and expand his passion for reptiles. Matt has kept and bred over 100 species of reptiles. Among his favorites are the Asian python species and the pac-man frog color morphs.
Here are Matt's top five tips when getting ready to own your first reptilian pet:
How much time can be allocated to the new mini dinosaur? Although most reptiles are low maintenance, some reptiles do require more time than others. For example, some chameleons require water misting twice daily to simulate their humid environment, unlike the bearded dragon that comes from the dry deserts of Australia.
Would you prefer keeping a cricket eater or a lettuce eater? Some geckos even eat baby food! Tortoises need fresh veggies everyday, whereas a tree frog may only need to be fed crickets once or twice a week. It's important that you choose a pet you feel comfortable feeding.
Be realistic with space. Even though the soft scales of a baby red tail boa are attractive, you need to think about how much space you can truly provide for a 6 foot snake.
You will find that Google searches and YouTube videos alone will not answer all you questions. Practical advice from a reptilian expert is worth it's weight in gold! A specialist can give you an in depth explanation of the needs of your reptile, and can provide you with the best sources for equipment, food and care.
The reptile community is continually learning about the behavior, breeding and needs of captive animals. Forums and online groups are a great way to share advice and continue growing your knowledge for your new exothermic pet!
Lou's pet shop focuses on many in-house reptile breeding projects. They connect with breeders that share their vision of responsible and sustainable reptile keeping.
Related: Public's Help Sought To List Michigan Reptiles, Amphibians