Know your Reptile's health

Reptiles can be quite complex pets when it comes to their nutrition, as their requirements are fairly specific. Prospective owners must be aware of the complexities of feeding a reptile to ensure they are kept healthy.

If you have any doubts about your reptile’s health or weight, then don’t hesitate to bring them in for a check up, or contact the team in Worcestershire for expert advice.

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Checking your reptile’s health

Here are a few tips on checking your reptile and some pointers to help you tell if they may be over or underweight.

Lizards

There are so many species of lizard of different shapes and sizes it can be difficult to pinpoint an ideal weight profile for lizards in general.

However, there are a few things to look out for to tell if your lizard is healthy:

  1. A lizard is considered too thin when its bones (legs, pelvis, hips, skull, ribs and spine) are prominent from the skin.
  2. An underweight lizard may lose the fat stored behind their eyes, causing their eyes to sink further back in their sockets.
  3. You can also tell a healthy lizard by their tails, as they would typically have enough fat in their tails to be nearly the width of the rest of their body.

Snakes

There are some pointers to bear in mind when identifying if your snake is underweight, normal or overweight.

  1. Like lizards, underweight snakes will have prominent ribs, spine and skull.
  2. A snake will feel noticeably lighter if it is underweight.
  3. Overweight snakes may have visible folds of fat when they move and bend into an ‘S’ shape.
  4. You should be able to feel your snake’s spine, so it is a tell-tale sign they are overweight if this can’t be felt.
  5. Unless a snake has just eaten, the skin between the scales shouldn’t be visible, however you may see this with an obese snake.

Whether a lizard or a snake, your reptile will benefit from a check-up to make sure it maintains its health. The team in Worcestershire will be able to help with any queries when you contact us .

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