Reptile Care Starter Guide: Geckos, Bearded Dragons & Snakes, Heat & UVB

Reptiles can't make their own body heat, so most reptile illness traces back to the setup. This 13-page guide covers leopard geckos, bearded dragons, corn snakes and ball pythons, with side-by-side care sheets, heat and UVB safety, feeding, shedding, health signs and a feeding and weight log.

What's inside

• Heat, UVB and humidity basics: temperature gradients, thermostats, why to avoid heat rocks
• Species care sheets at a glance: enclosure size, temperatures, humidity, UVB, feeding and supplements for 4 species
• Enclosure setup checklist and the first weeks home
• Feeding, and what never to feed, including fireflies and wild-caught insects
• Handling, shedding and Salmonella safety
• Daily, weekly and yearly care
• Health checks and emergency signs, including metabolic bone disease and respiratory infection
• Finding a reptile vet, first-visit questions and a visit record
• Feeding, shed and weight log and a two-week care checklist
• Sources page

Good to know

• Instant digital download: PDF in US Letter, plus A4 and low-ink versions (13 pages). Nothing is shipped.
• Print as many copies of the trackers and checklists as you need. The vet contact page has fillable fields.
• General education for owners, based on published guidance from the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians, Merck Veterinary Manual, VCA, the CDC and reptile-medicine texts (sources page included). We're independent: not affiliated with or endorsed by these organizations. It is not veterinary advice and not a substitute for a veterinarian experienced with reptiles.
• All text and art are original. Personal, household use; please don't resell or share the file.