Selecting a reptile or amphibian:

The first thing you will need to decide is where to purchase the animal. With some species, your choices are limited, as only a few dealers may carry them--with others, you have the full range of choices, from online and mail-order to buying directly from a local breeder or dealer, or from a pet store. Check all of the available sources. Unless you are specifically looking for genetic diversity for a breeding project, you will want to try to find a captive bred animal. If you cannot find one, only then should you select an import. Captive bred animals will most likely be free of parasites, accustomed to captivity and eating food available in captive conditions readily, and healthy. Imports WILL need to be deparasitized, may carry other diseases or infections, may refuse readily available foods, and may be dehydrated and in overall poor condition. Even if they appear to be healthy, always treat an imported animal as though it is in need of prompt intensive care....chances are, it is. Reptiles and amphibians are stoic. This means they will not show signs of illness until they are on death's door. The reason for this is simple.

In the wild, predators seek out weaknesses in prey species. It's easier to catch an animal that is already sick or injured than it is to catch one that is strong and healthy. A visible sign of weakness is a magnet to predators, so showing any sign of weakness, even if you are desperately ill, is a bad idea. Animals that acted ill when they were, were the first to be weeded out of the gene pool. The better an animal is at acting normally when it is ill, the better chance it will avoid predation, and might possibly recover. This makes things harder for us, because the sooner you can catch an illness, the better chance it can be successfully treated before it becomes fatal. You will need to observe your animals every day, and learn their normal behavior and routines. Be aware of any small change in their behavior, from sleeping more than usual, to eating less than they normally do, or spending more or less time basking when the temperature has remained the same. These can all be signs of illness.

In most cases, buying directly from a captive breeder is the best choice. The animals will generally be healthy, and you can select the one you like best. However, it is not always possible. Other choices have various benefits and risks. Buying from a breeder by mail-order poses some risk because you cannot see the animal in person before you buy it. Also, it may be injured or stressed by shipping. Chances are high, though, that you will receive a healthy animal, and if something goes wrong, the post office may reimburse you or the breeder may compensate you for it, depending on who is at fault.

You may also find captive bred animals at pet stores. Whether this is a good option really depends on the store. Keep in mind that animals on display in a store have been subjected to a lot more stress, not only from shipping, but from continual exposure to the public. If you find a truly excellent store that keeps its animals in optimal condition and pays attention to sanitation, it may be a viable option. Avoid buying from stores that do not have adequate enclosures for their animals, that have poor sanitation or a lot of poor-looking animals, or which mix species in the same enclosure. This is particularly dangerous, as diseases and parasites can easily be transmitted under these conditions, and a minor virus in one species can be deadly to another. There's no use buying a captive animal for its improved health if it's been kept with imports which have passed on parasites and disease to it.

If the animal you want cannot be found as a captive bred specimen, or you need to buy an import for some other reason, then your primary options are buying from a distributer online or through mail order, or from a pet store. It's difficult to find a facility that imports animals and will sell them directly to the public in person. Buying an import is always risky. If you can see a photograph of the animal before you buy it, or the dealer has a VERY good reputation, then purchasing through the mail is a viable option. However, the fact that you cannot examine the animal before you buy it makes this a generally huge risk. You will not be able to see it eat, or assess if it has injuries or other obvious problems. Buying from a pet store, on the other hand, means buying an animal that has been subjected to even more stress, and stress is a big killer in herps. It makes them more vulnerable to disease and parasite infestations, which can quickly overwhelm them. It reduces their appetite, and curtails normal thermoregulative behavior. Even the healthiest-looking import or wildcaught animal, from any source, should be immediately treated for parasites, rehydrated, and placed in a quiet and suitable enclosure to adapt to its new surroundings and recover from its ordeal.

One thing many people have trouble with is identifying a healthy animal from one that is not doing well. One of the more obvious signs of health in a herp is its weight. Sick animals don't tend to eat well, if at all, and lose weight as a result. So choose an animal that has good weight. Selecting a sick animal will most likely result in tragedy, and while you may feel sorry for it and want to help, many of these animals, particularly imports, are past the point where even the best medical care can save them. Below are two examples, one of a healthy animal with good weight, the other of a very skinny reptile which we were attempting to rehabilitate several years ago (a rescue).

(The healthy picture will be forthcoming)

This bearded dragon is extremely thin. You would be better off not buying an animal in this condition, as it most likely would have extensive medical problems and a might well die even if given immediate treatment. Note that the hip bones are clearly visible, and the spine sticks up so that the sides fall away from it in concavity.

Drugs of choice to treat parasite infestations in wild caught animals include panacur and flagyl. Talk to your veterinarian about this. Have your animals tested to see what types of parasites they have: panacur is for worms, flagyl is for protozoal infestations. Avoid ivermectin or ivomec, this wormer has caused problems in several species of herps, and is particularly deadly to turtles and tortoises. Any injury should be addressed as well, cleaned and disinfected, and the animal should be put on antibiotics. Do not purchase an animal that appears unable to properly close its mouth, has a nasal discharge, audible breathing, or swelling of the mouth or eyes. These are due to infections as well. Check inside its mouth to see that there are no whitish, cheesy-looking deposits, this is a sign of a common infection called "mouth rot", or stomatitus. If your animal develops these conditions after you bring it home, vet it immediately. It will most likely be put on an antiobiotic or antifungal, depending on the cause of the problem.

Wild caught animals may take time to adjust to captive conditions, and to prey items you offer them. Do not allow an animal to starve if it refuses easily acquired prey items. This is most common in snakes, but is occasionally seen in lizards as well. Be aware of your animal's dietary requirements--some herps require special prey items. Horned lizards, for example, do not do well unless their diet consists largely of ants. Many species of snakes are specialized feeders. Queen snakes eat mainly soft-bodied crayfish. King and milk snakes often prefer lizards and other snakes, and the hatchlings of a wide variety of snake species, including some pythons and boas, are adapted to eat lizards, though they may turn to mammals or birds as they grow larger. If a very young milk or king snake refuses pink (baby) mice, you may have to offer it a small lizard. If it accepts this prey, then use a dead lizard to scent a pinky by rubbing it over the surface of the mouse. Very often, a snake that would refuse a pink mouse outright will accept a scented one. From there, you can reduce the amount of scenting each feeding until the snake is eating unscented mice. This is the basic procedure for converting any herp from one prey item to another, when there is no dietary need for it to be eating an uncommon prey item.

It's our hope that this information will help people new to keeping herps select a healthy animal so that they will have a positive experience with their new pet.