Author: BackwaterReptiles

Cane Toad History (Bufo marinus/Rhinella marina)

~ BackwaterReptiles

Cane toads (Bufo marinus/Rhinella marina) have a rich history and are perhaps the most well known (or notorious) toad in the world. They’ve earned a rather bad reputation as invasive and detrimental to natural ecosystems. This is largely due to the attempt to use them to control cane beetle populations in Australia…but more on that later.

These behemoth amphibians are best known as “Cane” toads because they originally helped eradicate pests from sugar cane fields. However they’re also called “Marine” toads by some, and even “Bufo” toads by Floridians.

For the purposes of this blog, we’re going to give a brief history of the cane toad and discuss what has given this hardy toad such bad notoriety. We’ll also go into detail about how this affects the pet trade and what you can do to be a responsible pet owner if you wish to keep cane toads of your own.

A Brief Description of the Cane Toad

Cane toads (also called Marine Toads and Giant Neotropical Toads) are known for their dry, bumpy skin and large size. Overall, they are fairly unremarkable-looking brown toads, but they certainly pack a punch when it comes to defense mechanisms.

cane toad history
Cane toads are brown or grayish in color and have very dry, bumpy skin that secretes toxins.

Toads don’t have many natural defense mechanisms. They lack claws, sharp fangs, or stingers to fight back against potential predators. However, cane toads are actually quite poisonous. They possess glands that secrete a poison called bufotoxin through their skin which is extremely toxic. This means that most potential predators have learned not to mess with cane toads as they can die from ingesting the poison on the cane toad’s skin.

Because they lack predators that can actually stomach their toxic skin in many environments, cane toads live quite long and can grow quite large in the wild. This is doubly true in captivity where feeding time and environment are highly regulated.

A single adult cane toad will average anywhere from four to eight inches in length, although the largest specimen recorded was actually fifteen inches long from snout to vent! In the wild, they can live for ten to fifteen years with considerably longer lifespans when kept as pets. South American Marine toads (same species) attain absolutely massive sizes.

History of the Cane Toad

As we’ve already established, cane toads are considered an invasive species in many areas and have therefore gained a reputation as pests that are harmful to local ecosystems. While this is not untrue, man is partially to blame for this occurrence and we think it’s unfair to vilify the cane toad just for being so successful at surviving.

Because the cane toad is such a voracious eater, it has been introduced into regions of the world as an agricultural pest control method. These cases of introduction have been well documented and the cane toad might be the best studied of all introduced species cases.

After relative success with cane toad introduction into Puerto Rico and Hawaii, cane toads were introduced to Australia in 1935. This is probably the most famous case of cane toad introduction because it had such a massive impact on the native ecology.

cane-toad-size
Here’s a fairly large cane toad pictured next to a dollar bill for size reference. These toads can grow quite large.

The release of the toads into Australia might have been considered successful if the toads actually brought down the population of the targeted insect, the grey-backed beetle. However, because the cane fields offered little shelter to the toads during the day and also because the beetles lived in the tops of the fields and cane toads are not good climbers, the toads ended up eating everything en masse but the targeted insect.

Nowadays, cane toads are considered pests in Australia with their population numbering well into the millions. Australian governments have even asked residents to help out by collecting and disposing of the animals.

Owning a Cane Toad as a Pet

Because cane toads are so populous, their numbers are not in danger of declining if people collect them for pets. In fact, we think it’s more humane for them to be kept as pets than “eradicated” for being too successful at breeding and populating.

Because cane toads historically can thrive in such a variety of habitats and consume just about anything, they are exceptionally hardy pet amphibians. They have very easy care requirements which means they make great classroom pets and also great pets for children.

Just be aware that due to the toxin they can secrete, you’ll want to make sure that they are not handled with excessive force as this can trigger the toxin to be secreted.

We would also advise always washing your hands after handling any animal (not just reptiles and amphibians) to help prevent Salmonella contamination, as well as to wash away any potential bufotoxin from the Cane toad itself.

bufo marinus
As far as toads go, cane toads are hardy, personable, and overall very entertaining pets.

That being said, we do not ever recommend releasing any cane toad (or other pet reptiles/amphibians) into the wild. For example, unless you can guarantee that your pet cane toad will not be able to breach the walls of your back yard, we do NOT recommend setting up an outdoor enclosure where they can live in a natural setting. There is just too much controversy surrounding their invasiveness and the potential for human error.

Conclusion – Cane toad history

Cane toads may not be the world’s most treasured amphibian, but because they’re so adaptable, we think they can be fun and entertaining pets to anyone who has a love for toads. We hope you’ve enjoyed our article on Cane toad history and consider yourself more knowledgeable when it comes to these tremendous amphibians.

If you’re interested in obtaining a pet cane toad, Backwater Reptiles has these gigantic amphibians for sale to responsible hobbyists.

What Reptiles Give Birth to Live Young?

~ BackwaterReptiles

Most reptiles reproduce by laying eggs, but did you know that a handful of reptiles actually give birth to live young?

Want to learn more about which species don’t lay eggs? Then this is the blog article for you!

Explanation of Terms

In order to discuss laying eggs versus giving live birth, you’ll need to know some terms that explain the three types of reptile births.

Most snakes and lizards are oviparous, which means that the animal lays eggs in order to reproduce. Once the eggs have been deposited, they need to be incubated or kept warm and safe until the hatchlings are ready to emerge.

When a reptile gives birth to a baby without the use of an egg, it is termed viviparous. This means that the animal nourishes its young internally through a placenta and yolk sac. This is the rarest reptile birthing method.

ovoviviparous jackson's chameleon live young
This is a female Jackson’s Chameleon (Chamaeleo jacksonii). Female Jackson’s are ovoviviparous and give birth to fully formed babies.

Boa constrictors and green anacondas are two examples of snakes that are viviparous.

Finally, if a reptile develops eggs inside its body but still gives birth to babies instead of laying the eggs, this is called being ovoviviparous. Essentially, the female keeps the remnants of the eggs inside her while the fully formed babies emerge, making it seem as though the babies were true “live” births.

An example of an ovoviviparous reptile is the rattlesnake. If you were to x-ray a gravid female rattlesnake, you would be able to see both the skeletons of the babies and the outlines of the eggs.

Which Snakes Give Live Birth?

As previously discussed, both ovoviviparous and viviparous reptiles birth fully formed, functional babies.

Most vipers and all rattlesnakes fall into this category. The Boidae family, which includes boa constrictors and other boa snakes, are viviparous and therefore don’t produce eggs to insulate their babies at any time. The same is true of green anacondas.

dumerils boa
Pictured is a Dumeril’s Boa (Boa dumerili). As a member of the boa family, this snake does not lay eggs to reproduce.

Most sea snakes also give birth to live young. Baby sea snakes are born directly into the ocean! The only exception to this is the genus Laticauda. The females of this sea snake species emerge from the ocean and lay eggs on land, making them oviparous.

It’s interesting to note that all species of snakes that give birth to live young offer no parenting to their babies. Viviparous and ovoviviparous infant snakes are on their own from the instant they are born. It’s said this is why baby rattlesnakes are born with a full “venom tank” and are ready to bite from day one.

Which Lizards Give Live Birth?

Interestingly enough, there is a species of lizard called the Viviparous Lizard (Zootoca vivipara) that is fully viviparous – go figure. This lizard is found in Europe and Asia and is the only species in the genus Zootoca.

Many species of skinks, including the very popular Blue Tongue Skink (Tiliqua sp.) give birth to live young. Blueys actually have a very complex placental mechanism that delivers oxygen to the developing fetus and carries carbon dioxide away. However, all reptiles, whether they are born live or hatch out of eggs are nourished through a yolk sac. This is still true of the blue tongue skink.

baby blue tongue skink
Baby blue tongue skinks (Tiliqua sp.) are born fully formed and ready to take on the world.

Gravid Jackson’s chameleons are ovoviviparous and all species of Jackson’s give live birth. A female Jackson’s chameleon will typically birth between twenty to thirty babies per brood, although the Mt. Meru Jackson’s Chameleon, which is the smallest of the Jackson’s chameleons, will typically have fewer than twenty babies at a time.

Conclusion – Reptiles and Live Birth

Most lizards and snakes are oviparous and lay eggs to reproduce. However, there are both lizards and snakes that bear live young.

The reptiles that do in fact give live birth are pretty well-known amongst reptile hobbyists and enthusiasts. And although we might not have listed every individual species on our lists above, we did mention general groupings and families that are known to give live birth. So, if your reptile in question is not described above, then it’s probably safe to assume that it reproduces by laying eggs.

Flying Gecko Care Sheet (Ptychozoon kuhli)

~ BackwaterReptiles

The flying gecko, also known as the parachute gecko, is a fascinating lizard with the ability to glide from tree to tree in the wild. But because these geckos are such niche animals with unique behaviors, we recommend reading our Flying gecko care sheet prior to purchasing one.

Think you’ve got the experience but just need some care tips and info on how to care for this quirky gecko? Read on to find out how we care for ours at Backwater Reptiles.

Flying Gecko Physical Attributes

Because it needs to be able to glide, the flying gecko has quite a unique physical appearance. The first thing most people notice about this gecko is its flat, almost serrated-looking tail. This tail is actually able to curl up and fold itself in many different directions.

The flying gecko is also rife with webbing – webbed toes, webbed chin, webbed leg membranes, and flaps on its sides. All of these membranes and webs obviously aid the gecko when it is gliding. What great aerodynamic adaptations!

Brown, black, and beige are the main colors of the flying gecko. Generally, these geckos are brown with darker brown or black mottling or speckles. Their underbellies are usually lighter in color and more of a creamy, beige tone.

flying gecko underside
This demonstrates how the underside of the flying gecko is much lighter in color than it’s top side. You can also get a good look at the membranes folded against its body that help it to glide.

 

Once mature, flying geckos can range in size from four inches all the way up to seven inches long. They are moderately-sized lizards and will live for around five to eight years in captivity.

Flying Gecko Enclosure Requirements

Unless you can provide a very large, natural outdoor enclosure, it’s actually not recommended that you give your flying gecko room to glide. This is because it has been discovered that in captivity, the geckos will injure themselves by hitting the walls of their enclosure when gliding.

The best size enclosure for a single gecko is a fifteen gallon tank. Make sure that the enclosure has more vertical space than it does horizontal space as this gecko is arboreal. We also highly recommend a cage that has at least one or two mesh sides, even if it’s just the front or top of the cage. This helps regulate humidity and ensures the air inside the humid tank doesn’t get stagnant.

Although the flying gecko is most active at night, you should still have a full spectrum UV light set up. A ceramic heat lamp is also recommended to keep temperatures around 72 to 80 degrees during the day time.

The Flying Gecko has a very unique looking tail.

 

Humidity and moisture are highly important when it comes to keeping your flying gecko healthy. A moderate level of humidity is recommended, which means that you can and should mist the cage on a regular basis. A shallow water dish should also be provided for soaking.

Flying Gecko Feeding

Flying geckos are insectivores. They will do well on a varied diet of crickets, meal worms, wax worms, horn worms, and reptiworms. Some will even accept nightcrawlers.

We recommend feeding your gecko insects that have been gutloaded as these are higher in nutritional value.

Vitamin dusting with a reptile multivitamin is also encouraged on a weekly basis for adults. Calcium dusting on an every other day basis should suffice for growing hatchlings.

Flying Gecko Temperament

You’ll notice right away that the flying gecko is a very “sticky” animal. Although there is not a film or residue that makes its feet feel this way, you will certainly have a tough time getting your flying gecko to let go of your hand or whatever it happens to be perched on. They grab hold and hang on!

Flying geckos are naturally skittish animals and they are very fast. This means that they are not ideal lizards to be handling on a regular basis. Being held stresses them out and they will try very hard to run away from you. We only recommend handling your flying gecko sparingly and make sure that you are not causing the animal undue stress.

Flying Geckos are very quick so be cautious if you have to handle your Gecko or clean out the enclosure

 

Because they are secretive and timid lizards, don’t be surprised if your flying gecko hisses or snaps at you if you get too close to it. Because these are relatively small lizards, however, if your gecko does attempt to bite you, its teeth are so small that it would be very tough for the gecko to actually injure you.

Conclusion – Flying Gecko Care Sheet

While the flying gecko is certainly a cool lizard to own, because they are not the easiest animal to care for, we recommend that only reptile keepers with plenty of experience with finicky animals own them.

If you are ready to provide the care and attention this tricky gecko requires, Backwater Reptiles has flying geckos for sale.

Jackson’s Chameleon Care (Chamaeleo jacksonii)

~ BackwaterReptiles

Are you thinking about getting your first pet chameleon? One of our top suggestions for you is a great species for beginners – the adorable Jackson’s Chameleon (Chamaeleo jacksonii).

Read on to learn all about Jackson’s chameleon care, based upon our years of successful experience caring for, and breeding, these unique three-horned reptiles. When kept correctly, these chameleons thrive in captivity.

Jackson’s chameleon care

Jackson’s Chameleon Appearance

Many people are attracted to Jackson’s chameleons because of their unique physical appearance. These little chameleons have been said to resemble triceratops because the males have three horns on their head – two above their eyes and one on their nose.

Female Jackson’s don’t have horns, although they do have the potential to give birth to live babies! Unlike most reptiles, female Jackson’s chameleons don’t lay eggs. The sad side effect of this strenuous process is that female Jackson’s actually have considerably shorter lives than the males of the species.

male jackson's chameleon
This is a male Jackson’s chameleon. You can tell by his three horns.

Most male Jackson’s chameleons will grow to be anywhere from eight to ten inches in length. Females are a bit smaller and will only grow to approximately seven or eight inches total length.

Unlike their more colorful cousins such as Panther chameleons, Jackson’s chameleons tend to stay in the brown to green color spectrum. Most will be brown when they are cold or grumpy and they will be green when they are healthy, happy, and well-adjusted. Some Jackson’s will also be shades of yellow, but it’s safe to say your Jackson’s won’t be turning blue, red, or purple, even though chameleons do have the reputation for being able to change color on a whim.

Jackson’s Chameleon Enclosures

The most important element to keeping a chameleon of any species happy is a good environment with the proper lighting, food, and shelter spaces.

All chameleons should have mesh enclosures so that the air is free-flowing and doesn’t get stagnant. The open mesh also helps maintain proper moisture and humidity levels within the cage.

Because Jackson’s chameleons are arboreal, be sure to provide lots of foliage and branches within your chameleon’s enclosure.

A single animal can be housed in a cage that is at least three feet tall, although if you want babies, you can put a male and female together in an enclosure that is about twice that size.

female jacksons chameleon
Jackson’s chameleons are arboreal and need lots of foliage and branches in their enclosure to cling to.

Your Jackson’s chameleon should never (or very rarely) be anywhere on or near the ground of its cage, so no real substrate is required. You can line the cage with paper towels if you desire to make cleaning up feces, dried leaves, and other detritus easier, but it’s not a requirement so long as you spot clean the cage appropriately.

Lighting and temperature are very important for a Jackson’s chameleon. Keep your daytime temperatures around 80 degrees and make sure that the temperature doesn’t drop below 60 degrees at night. You can accomplish this by placing a full spectrum UV light along with a ceramic heat light on one side of the top of the cage. Just be sure that the foliage in your chameleon’s cage is not tall enough that the chameleon can get too close to the lights and burn itself.

Moisture is another extremely important component to keeping your Jackson’s chameleon healthy. You need to provide an automatic drip system or spray the foliage in the chameleon’s cage frequently so that it has a water source to drink from. Chameleons don’t recognize water dishes, so this is an absolute imperative.

Jackson’s Chameleon Feeding

Jackson’s chameleons are insectivores and will thrive on a cricket-based diet. They will also enjoy meal worms, wax worms, reptiworms, and roaches.

It is important that whatever insects you do feed your Jackson’s chameleon have been gut-loaded with the proper nutrients. Healthy insects = healthy chameleon.

Jackson’s Chameleon Temperament

Of all the chameleon species available for sale today, we think that Jackson’s are one of the most calm and laid back as far as personality is concerned.

It’s true that most chameleons do not enjoy being handled, but if you want a chameleon that doesn’t get stressed out by being taken out of its enclosure, a Jackson’s just might be right for you.

female chamaeleo jacksonii
Jackson’s chameleons have relatively calm dispositions and can be handled without too much stress.

Because they are relatively small, they tend to perch nicely on hands and their gripping claws don’t hurt like some of the larger species.

Jackson’s chameleons are also not known for being aggressive towards people. They might change color a bit or puff themselves up to appear larger, but you’d be hard-pressed to make a Jackson’s chameleon bite you.

Jackson’s chameleon care – Conclusion

Whether you’re new to keeping chameleons or very familiar with them, we’ve always had good experiences with Jackson’s chameleons. We would highly recommend these little triceratops chameleons as pets.

Ready for a Jackson’s chameleon of your own? Backwater Reptiles has got you covered! We hope you’ve enjoyed reading our Jackson’s chameleon care sheet.

 

Best Pet Geckos

~ BackwaterReptiles

Which species make the best pet geckos? We’re glad you asked! Geckos are fantastic pet lizards that come in many shapes and sizes. Some can climb walls, some are colorful, and others are just downright interesting to observe. Either way, we highly recommend a gecko for a pet if you are in the market for a lizard.

List of the Best Pet Geckos

Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius)

Our favorite pet gecko has got to be the leopard gecko. These desert-dwelling lizards are very common in the pet trade – and with good reason. They’re extremely easy to care for, easy to breed, and they even have easy-going temperaments. As you can see, they’re just “easy” lizards all around!

Leopard geckos are great because they can be housed communally within reason. Geckos that are of similar size are generally safe to keep together, although unless you have an enormous cage, we don’t recommend housing two males together as they will almost always fight over territory and/or females.

best pet geckos
Here is a comparison of a hatchling leopard gecko with an adult super giant leopard gecko. What a difference in size! This species makes an excellent pet gecko.

Adult male Leopard geckos will reach a maximum of around ten inches and females will stay slightly smaller. Although, we should mention that there are specific leopard gecko morphs called “super giants” that will actually grow longer than ten inches, even approaching 13 inches and much heavier bodied!

Although they’re fairly small lizards, leopard geckos actually have pretty long life spans. On average, a life span of six to ten years is expected, but if you get a male, don’t be surprised if it lives into its twenties! These are very hardy little lizards.

Temperament-wise, these geckos are almost always very docile and calm. I’ve bred hundreds of them and haven’t been bit once. They’re a hardy reptile that doesn’t require a lot of attention in captivity. Leopard geckos are probably the single easiest pet gecko to keep in the world.

These geckos are easy to feed too, readily accepting mealworms, waxworms, crickets, and roaches.

Leopard geckos are also available in countless morphs, which means you can pretty much find a leopard gecko in any color and with any markings you can imagine.

All of the preceding reasons clearly show why this species takes the top spot on our list of the best pet geckos.

Want to learn more about leopard gecko morphs? Check out the article we wrote about the most popular leopard gecko morphs sold at Backwater Reptiles.

Here’s one of our articles on creating a Leopard gecko habitat, which we highly recommend reading if you’re not experienced with these lizards.

Ready to purchase a leopard gecko of your own? Backwater Reptiles has got you covered, with everything from normal-sized, giants, and even super giants!

Tokay Gecko (Gekko gekko)

Tokays are absolutely gorgeous pale blue geckos with bright red or orange-colored spots. Visually, they are definitely quite stunning which makes them appealing to hobbyists. They even make noise, which is either a unique quirk or an annoying habit, depending on who you ask.

We maintain that if Tokay geckos were rare, they’d be one of the most sought-after species in the world, due to their appearance, size, and spunky personality.

Unfortunately, Tokay geckos tend to have a reputation for being aggressive. While this is not always the case, we’ve found that they can be a bit more prone to hiss or bite at their owner. However, with socialization and positive reinforcement, they can be trained to be docile. It just takes some patience.

When we handle our Tokays, we try to not ever restrain them as this can come off as threatening to the gecko. You should hold it loosely and allow it to sit comfortably in your hand.

baby tokay gecko
Hatchling Tokay geckos are darker in color than their adult counterparts.

Due to their arboreal nature, Tokays should have lots of things to climb on and hide in placed in their enclosure. And because they are hefty of body, we recommend a fairly large enclosure with both vertical and horizontal space.

A twenty gallon tank with a screen top lid is our go-to for housing a single lizard. The substrate we recommend is damp peat or sphagnum moss. Using a simple setup like this, these geckos thrive in captivity for years.

If you think you want to put forth the effort to train and socialize a Tokay gecko, Backwater Reptiles sells these bold blue geckos. They’re one of the best pet geckos, but for different reasons than the preceding Leopard gecko. Tokays are more of a display animal.

Crested Gecko (Rhacodactylus ciliatus)

Crested geckos are popular because of their cute “eyelashes” and calm and docile personalities. “Cresties,” as they are affectionately known, can be quite tame as far as lizards go, and most will readily allow being handled by their owner.

Originally from New Caledonia, Cresties used to be quite rare in the pet trade. Now they’re widely available in a variety of morphs, with some of the most popular being reds, fancies, and pinstripes.

Cresties are arboreal geckos with “sticky” toes, so be sure to provide plenty of climbing space. They like temperatures that stay in the range of 78 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and will tolerate night time temperature drops to the low 70s.

Keepers maintain this temperature by using numerous methods (usually ceramic heat bulbs and pads), although we always recommend investing in a good reptile thermometer.

frogbutt rhacodactylus ciliatus
When a crested gecko loses its tail, the tail will not grow back. The gecko then becomes what is known as a “frogbutt” gecko.

You can feed your Crestie live insects such as crickets, mealworms, and roaches, although because they have become such common pets, many stores and breeders now sell pre-prepared crested gecko food. It comes in a powder form and you simply add water. The liquid that results contains everything your Crestie needs to stay healthy, although we do recommend supplementing with living food for the sake of variety.

If you’re interested in breeding Crested geckos, here’s a tip: add plenty of cork bark rounds to their enclosure. This tends to stimulate breeding.

Backwater Reptiles sells healthy crested geckos of various sizes and morphs, so check them out today if this sounds like the species for you.

Conclusion – The Best Pet Geckos

Geckos make amazing and entertaining pet lizards for a litany of reasons. They often have docile personalities, are relatively simple to maintain in captivity, and generally remain a very manageable size.

Leopard geckos and crested geckos are great options for first time gecko owners with little to no experience, whereas the Tokay gecko is a better option for the more experienced reptile enthusiast. We hope you’ve enjoyed reading our list of the best pet geckos for captivity!