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a picture of a beautiful corn snake
Core Comforts
Pet Age Staff //September 1, 2019//
Listen to this articleWhile some pets have the freedom to regularly roam unattended and explore a variety of areas inside their owners’ homes, snakes and other reptiles are not afforded such opportunities as curling up on the living room couch or catching some rays while camped along a windowsill. A herp’s terrarium is its true home, and within that replicated natural habitat is where the basics to a happy, healthy life—eating, sleeping, relaxing and excavating—all occur.
Those activities all require special care from their owners and specific products from manufacturers and retailers. Food options vary and depend on the reptile. Some eat mice, while others consume mealworms—customers will make regular trips to a well-stocked pet store to ensure they fulfill their herps’ nutritional requirements.
Snakes like warmth, and a rock lair not only provides that through its humidity but also serves as a comfortable area to hide, with a degree of darkness and a place to shed dead skin. Hydration and exfoliation are essential to a snake having healthy skin, and there are supplements that ease and expedite the shedding process.
Substrates allow for burrowing and digging, as well as provide additional humidity while also managing a terrarium’s temperature and odor. Prior to purchase, customers may want to discuss which substrate makes the most sense for their snake, which could be susceptible to an eye injury if a substrate contains sharp matter.
Retailers need to have their staff be prepared to address any and all questions from customers for the benefit of the herp. With the right terrarium containing a habitat of the proper products, every snake can live a long, healthy life in its well-rounded residence.
Mack’s Natural Reptile Food
Reptile owners frequent pet stores more than any other pet customer to purchase food for their pet reptiles that is usually only sold in a pet store. Capture this lucrative market with Mack’s Natural Reptile Food and get a free freezer with your first order.
www.macksnaturalreptilefood.com
Zoo Med Excavator
Zoo Med’s Excavator Clay Burrowing Substrate can be formed to your liking, while still allowing reptiles to dig tunnels and burrows just like they do in nature. Watch your reptiles perform natural digging behaviors; mold and create multi-level terraces and burrows in your reptile’s terrarium. Excavator holds its shape so burrows and tunnels won’t collapse. It’s all natural, with no added dyes, colors or chemicals.
Galapagos Natural Fir Bark Bedding
This bedding for humidity-loving reptiles is made from 100 percent Douglas fir bark. Using smaller bark size to facilitate feeding, crawling and slithering, it is a perfect substrate for basilisks, tomato frogs, milk snakes, iguanas, Russian tortoises and similar species.
Reptile Prime Coconut Fiber Substrate
Reptile Prime Coconut Fiber Substrate is an eco-friendly product made from the husks of coconuts and can be safely composted or recycled into potted plants or gardens. It’s an optimal substrate for terrarium setups incorporating reptiles, amphibians or inverts. It can be used with tropical species or desert-dwelling pets.
JurassiPet Supplements
JurassiShed is a specially formulated cosmetic shedding aid for snakes and lizards. It naturally supports dry shedding skin with hydration that can reduce the severity of “problem sheds” while making normal shedding faster and easier. It also speeds removal of retained eye caps and tail tips. Active ingredients are jojoba oil and vitamin E acetate.
Zilla Rock Lairs
These naturalistic hideaways provide humidity for reptiles as well as a dark den that helps them feel safe. The large entrance makes it easy for animals to climb in and for fresh air to be exchanged and prevent molding. With a mossy appearance, the lair will look natural and can also double as a rough surface for animals to rub against and remove sloughing skin.
