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Reptiles

Meet our amazing reptiles

Bosc Monitor Iguana Blue Tongued Skink Bearded Dragon Leopard Gecko Chameleon Tortoise

Hugo Boss the Boss Bosc

Varanus exanthematicus

Where I live

I live in central and southern Africa, You can find me as far west as Senegal and Gambia, across Mali, Niger and Chad, and as far east as Sudan and Ethiopia.

Lifespan and Size

I live an average of 12 years but some have been known to live the ripe old age of 15.

I can grow up to 5ft long but am usually a bit smaller.

What I eat

As a youngster I am insectivore, loving worms, crickets and cockroaches. As I grow up I like a mouse, meat or scrambled egg but you need to be careful not to over feed me. 

Mobirise

Natural Habitat 

I live in savannah areas and arid grasslands with hot dry summers and winters with monsoon like rain.  I love to swim but love sunbathing more!

Interesting Fact

My ribs do not continue under my body so I can expand my lungs much further than you and hold my breath for a long while, This means I can swim underwater really well and run for several miles without slowing down.

Housing 

I need a large vivarium (preferably 8ft by 4ft or larger when an adult) with a warm area of about 28 to 32 degrees and a few places to bask or hide in my enclosure.  People have several ideas about UV but I like a UVB desert strip light 

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Gene Simmons and Miley Cyrus the Blue Tongued Skinks

Tiliqua 

Where I live

We live in Australia. There are several sub species and most of us can also be found in Indonesian islands and Papua New Guinea. Tiliqua nigrolutea is the only species present in Tasmania.

Lifespan and Size

We live anywhere between 10 and 20 years.

Males can grow to 43.2cm and females are a little smaller at 22.9 – 33 cm.

What I eat

We are onmivores. We love leafy greens, various berries and can eat sliced carrot, cucumber and peppers. We also enjoy snails, pinky mice, cockroaches and minced meat. Nesta prefers us to eat turkey as it is low in fat and she avoids processed or red meat.  

Mobirise

Natural Habitat 

We live in different habitats depending on our sub species. We live in open woodlands, at the margins where forests and fields meet and we can survive in semi-deserts. 

Interesting Fact

Our species has lots of subspecies which have all got different markings, colours and body shapes.  
Our blue tongues are very flexible and change shape for smelling or washing our faces.

Housing 

We need a 40-55 gallon tank or 4ft vivarium. We don't need anything to climb, but good at escaping. We need a basking area of about 35C and the cold area can be as low as 21C.
We like a full spectrum UVA/UVB light for 10-12 hours per day.  We enjoy burrowing and need places to hide. 

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Iggy Pop the Iguana

Iguana Iguana

Where I live

I live in tropical and subtropical central and south America, You can find me in parts of America such as Florida, in Mexico right down to Paraguay and Argentina.

Lifespan and Size

I can live for 15 to 20 years although a lot of iguanas do not live into their teens.

We can grow to 6 or 7 ft long but as I am female I probably won't get bigger than 5ft.

What I eat

I am a herbivore and love kale, berries, edible flowers and sliced vegetables. I shouldn't eat too much fruit.  My favourite food, however, is dandelions and I eat the whole plant and flower.

Mobirise

Natural Habitat 

I am arboreal so I love to climb. In fact I can fall 50ft without being hurt! In cold weather I stay on the ground for warmth. I like to live near to water and enjoy a good swim. A tropical rain forest is the perfect place for me.

Interesting Fact

Iguanas have lived on the island of Anguilla after being washed ashore following a hurricane in 1995 . 

Housing 

I need a large vivarium (preferably 6ft or higher when I am fully grown) with a hot spot area of above 48C degrees and a few places to bask or hide in my enclosure.  I need full spectrum UV.

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Ginger and Spice the Bearded Dragons

Pogona

Where I live

We are found in most parts of Australia. 

Lifespan and Size

We live between 8 and 12 years.

Some can grow up to 2 feet long but we are usually a bit smaller at just over 1 foot.

What I eat

As youngsters we are mainly  insectivores, loving worms, crickets and cockroaches. As we grow up 90% of our diet is green leaves with a few chunks of fruit and veg.

Mobirise

Natural Habitat 

We don't just live in deserts. We are also found in a wide range of habitats such as shrublands and Eucalyptus woodlands.

Interesting Fact

We can change colour to suit our mood, especially our chins. 

We communicate by doing pressups.

Housing 

We can cope alone and our vivariums can be as short as 3ft by 2ft but larger is always better.  We need a basking area of about 38 to 42°C and a cooler shaded end of 22 to 26°C degrees. We need a 10-12% UV light.

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Spot and Splash the Leopard geckos

Eublepharis macularius

Where I live

We can be found in the deserts of Asia and throughout Pakistan, to the northwestern parts of India and some parts of Iran.

Lifespan and Size

We can live up to 22 years!

Adult females are typically 7 to 8 inches, and males are 8 to 10 inches and weigh about 45 to 65 grams.

What I eat

We are insectivores. The best items to feed us are mealworms or crickets, but you can treat us to waxworms or superworms once a week if you wish.  

Mobirise

Natural Habitat 

We live in rocky, dry grassland and desert regions. Winter temperatures in these areas can be quite low, below 10 °C, forcing us underground and we semi-hibernate, called brumation. We live in burrows during the day but become active at dawn and dusk.

Interesting Fact

Unlike most geckos, leopard geckos have movable eyelids, and cannot climb up smooth surfaces.
Our scientific name is Greek eu (good) and blepharos (eyelid) and Latin macula meaning "spot" or "blemish".

Housing 

A 10- to 20-gallon aquarium houses one or two leopard geckos from hatchling to adult size. Larger tanks tend to confuse us and we wander away from our heat and hide box. A hide box filled with moist moss or vermiculite is needed, so your leopard we can shed properly.  A 2 to 5 per cent UVB bulb will allow us to make vitamin D which helps us to digest calcium.

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Pascal the Yemen Chameleon

Chamaeleo calyptratus

Where I live

I come from the mountain regions of Yemen, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.

Lifespan and Size

I am a bit disappointed as I only live about 5 years. My girlfriend could, however, lay 30 to 85eggs every few weeks.

I can grow up to 2ft long but am usually a bit smaller, between 14 and 18 inches.
Females are smaller,  just under 1ft.

What I eat

I am insectivore at heart, loving crickets and locusts.

I am actually an omnivore as I do also eat plant material such as kale and blueberries.

Mobirise

Natural Habitat 

I prefer to live high up in trees or lower near the ground in bushes and shrubs. I can live in dry areas and can be found on plateaus of mountainous regions, forests and valleys.

Interesting Fact

I change colour to suit my mood although I can change to match shades of green, brown and cream.

Housing 

I need a tall vivarium with plenty of things to climb and prefer to live in temperatures between 22 to 28 degrees. I need a UVB strip light. I also like a damp environment and drink running water so appreciate a spray or 3 a day.

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Frank the Sulcata Tortoise

Geochelone Sulcata

Where I live

I live in the Sahel area of Africa, below the Sahara desert. Mainly, Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, Niger, Chad, Sudan and Ethiopia.

Lifespan and Size

I live an average of 100 years but some have been known to live the ripe old age of 150. I should outlive anyone reading this!

The average size is 18 inches (45 cm) in shell length, and 70 to 100 pounds (30 to 45 kg) in weight.  I am not near that yet!

What I eat

I am a herbivores so should not eat protein. I eat many types of hays, grasses and plants, especially ones high in fibre and very low in protein. If I eat too much protein my shell grows into pyramid shapes.

Mobirise

Natural Habitat 

I live in a warm, dry environment with lots of natural sunlight.  I can walk miles in a day to find food and can eat seeds. 


Interesting Fact

My backbones are attached to the inside of my shell.
Each part of my shell grows independently as my body grows.
I am the third largest species of tortoise in the world and the largest mainland breed. Only the Galapagos and Aldabra Giant Tortoises are larger than I will be when fully grown. 

Housing 

I need a large vivarium (preferably 8ft by 4ft or larger when an adult) with a warm area of about 28 to 32 degrees and a few places to bask or hide in my enclosure.  People have several ideas about UV but I like a UVB desert strip light 

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Mobirise

Contacts

Email: nesta@nestasark.org.uk 
Phone: +44 (7976) 568 593                    

Links

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