Species Profiles

Madagascar Big-Headed Turtle Care

~ BackwaterReptiles

We are very excited to announce that we just received captive bred baby Madagascar Big-Headed Turtles (Erymnochelys madagascariensis)!

madagascar big headed turtle care
Here’s one of our captive bred baby Madagascar Big-headed turtles.

These ultra-rare turtles are endemic to Madagascar as their name suggests and are classified as one of the 25 most endangered turtles in the world largely due to the fact that they are prized as food in Madagascar and exported illegally to Asia for the same purpose. Not to worry – the ones we have for sale are all captive-bred and we are hoping to sell them to someone who wants to breed and help preserve this turtle species.

The Madacascar Big-Headed Turtle lives in freshwater areas and is highly aquatic. In general, these turtles only emerge from the water to lay eggs – even their preferred basking areas tend to be surrounded by water. We have a turtle bank and basking bulb available to them, but we have never once seen them use it!

erymnochelys madagascariensis

 

Babies are carnivorous and eat virtually any small invertebrates and critters they can fit in their mouths, but in captivity, they should be fed insects and pre-packaged turtle food. As they grow, Madagascar Big-Headed Turtles will eat a more vegetarian diet, but will still consume meat-based dietary items.

Our baby Madagascan Big-headed turtles have huge appetites. We feed ours crickets, waxworms, earthworms (red wigglers), and turtle pellets, all of which are eaten quickly in a frenzy of consumption!

We keep our’s in glass turtle tanks with about four inches of water, the aforementioned turtle bank, UVB basking bulb, pebble substrate (large pebbles to prevent ingestion), artificial turtle grass for cover, and an Exo Terra Repticlear filter to help clean the water and maintain circulation (water that has no circulation can become stagnant).

Our captive-bred Madagascar Big-Headed Turtle for sale needs to go to a good home. If you are interested, click the link and select the species from the appropriate drop-down menu.

erymnochelys madagascariensis care

 

Baby Nile Monitor Care

~ BackwaterReptiles

Are you wondering how to care for a baby Nile Monitor? We will detail all of the information you need in the below article!

Nile Monitors are beautiful and interesting lizards, but due to their occasional distrust of humans, can be tough pets for people who like to be hands on with their herps, unless you’re willing to spend some time gaining their trust.

baby varanus niloticus

 

As adaptable, hardy, and gorgeous as these lizards are, potential owners should assess their circumstances and make sure the proper care can be given before purchasing.

Nile Monitor Size

Because Nile Monitors grow to be around five to six feet in length, they will require a large habitat. This can mean anything from a custom-built enclosure to a dedicated room where the lizard can roam around. Because they are not known to be the friendliest of lizards, it is safe to assume that the monitor will spend much, if not all, of its time in its enclosure, so it needs to be a spacious, clean, and safe space where the lizard can live out its ten-year-plus life.

baby nile monitor care

 

 

Nile Monitors very much enjoy swimming, so they need to have a pool of water large enough to completely submerge themselves in. It’s also common for them to defecate in the water, so it should be given fresh as needed.

Backwater’s hatchlings are approximately seven to nine inches long (including their rather long tails), but keep in mind that these monitors eat voraciously and grow very fast. The younger ones eat mostly dusted insects of various kinds, but they can be given thawed rodents and ground meats as they get larger. The important thing to know is that Nile Monitors must be fed a varied diet in order to stay healthy.

raising nile monitors

 

Our Nile Monitor hatchlings for sale are very reasonably priced, and if our photo shoot with the little guy pictured in this blog is any indication of their temperament, we suggest ordering your’s now. The little guy was skittish but not at all snappy or bitey.

Corn Snake Care (Elaphe guttata)

~ BackwaterReptiles

As promised, we’re focusing on snakes this week. Today’s entry is all about corn snakes (Elaphe guttata) like the little guy pictured below.

Corn snake care sheet

Corn snakes are very popular within the reptile enthusiast community because they are very hardy, versatile, and pretty creatures. Available in seemingly endless color morphs and variations, corn snakes are fun to breed and this means people tend to acquire multiples and see what comes of the pairings.

corn snake - elaphe guttata

Able to live well into their 20s with proper care, corn snakes are about eight to ten inches long when they hatch and can grow up to five and a half feet in length.

Normal Corn snake

 

When small, they can be kept in a shoe box-sized enclosure, but as they grow, a 20 gallon tank is appropriate. Aspen shavings are the best substrate for a corn snake, however reptile carpet will also suffice. They can be burrowers and do like to hide, so make sure that you either have a substrate that they can burrow in to or some type of hiding spot(s).

Corn snake care

 

Feed your corn snake as you would any other snake – appropriately-sized thawed mice should be your go-to food. Babies eat once a week and adults can be fed every ten days or so. A large, shallow water bowl should also be provided and water should be kept clean and fresh.

Backwater Reptiles currently offers various corn snake color morphs for sale, but we also have standard corn snakes for sale starting at $29.99.

Ball Python Care

~ BackwaterReptiles

Wondering how to care for Ball Pythons (Python regius)? Backwater Reptiles has currently got so many snakes for sale! We just got a shipment in with tons of cute babies and young snakes including garter snakes, pythons, and even some corn snakes.

This entry we’re discussing ball pythons (Python regius), but stay tuned for more snake-centric entries to come later this week.

Ball pythons like the one pictured below are generally very good-natured and easy to handle. While they grow to be around 4 feet in length, they are very docile and probably one of the easiest constrictors to keep as it’s not necessary to give them large feeder animals to eat or maintain too large of an enclosure for them.

python regius care

Ball pythons are not usually picky eaters and therefore can be fed frozen fuzzies, hoppers, or full-grown mice/rats depending on the size of the snake being fed. Young animals such as the one featured in this blog post should eat once weekly, but as they get older, it is acceptable to feed them every one to two weeks. It should also be noted that during the cooler times of the year, it is not unusual for ball pythons to reject food. This is normal and owners should just keep an eye on the weight and health of the animal and offer food approximately every ten days until the snake resumes its normal eating habits.

ball python care

Ball Python Popularity

Ball pythons are the most popular pet python in the world due to the variation in color morphs that breeders have produced. The unique ball variants that are available range in price based on the trait being expressed, but Backwater has standard ball pythons for sale for only $29.99.

ball python facts

With proper care, ball pythons can live around 30 years (sometimes more!) in captivity, so be prepared for a long-lived critter.

Indonesian Snake Neck Turtle (Macrochelodina rugosa)

~ BackwaterReptiles

Are you wondering how to care for Snake Neck turtles (Macrochelodina rugosa)? Backwater Reptiles received a shipment of the aforementioned captive-bred baby Indonesian Snake Neck Turtles, which are known for their long, snake-like necks as their name suggests.

snake neck turtle care sheet

 

The Snake Neck Turtle can get rather large, reaching lengths of up to sixteen inches and this is largely due to the fact that they have insatiable appetites. They eat virtually anything (frozen reptile food, bloodworms, prawns, snails, crickets, prepackaged turtle food, and even leafy greens) and the key to keeping them healthy in captivity is a varied diet.

macrochelodina rugosa care

 

Rather shy animals by nature, captive-bred Snake Neck Turtles lose this trait over time and with handling. They are also generally friendly towards other turtles and can be housed with friends, although the habitat provided should be rather large due to the fact that the Snake Neck can be a big turtle and also enjoys being active and swimming a lot.

indonesian snake neck turtle

 

Backwater Reptiles currently has baby captive-bred Indonesian Snake Neck Turtles for sale. Get yours by following the preceding link and selecting the breed from the drop down menu.