@@Toumaiii i just got a leopard gecko after 2 years of wanting a reptile so basically i really wanted a snake and my dad was on board until he started doing research so i worked him down to a barded dragon he was ok with that then he did research again so we both came up with a plan and we both like geckos so we really just compromise a lot and don't be to stubborn do research with her just have her be more involved show her cute videos but also show her the cons
In that video of the lady getting bit, Kevin McCurley mentioned that it looked like there was a rodent rack in the background which is why you don't keep live feeders in the same room as the animals.
The only time a snake has bit me was when I stuck my hand in a starving snake's tank (I was rescuing him.) Couldnt be upset at the snake, not his fault his owner didn't feed him.💚
Yessss That's the thing It's never a snakes fault for biting. They do it as a food response and when they feel scared and with non venomous snakes it's not dangerous to have them bite you unless they get a specific vein but usually the teeth are so small it wont matter. Also everyone pray it off, wait, spray water on them, blow air on their face or in absolute emergency a little alcohol in their mouth should make them let go but make sure to wash their mouth out after if you can!
I'm so glad I got my daily dose of Adam and Diamond!! I have to self quarantine in my room, I live with my parents, they weren't exposed, and I needed a little pick me up. Plus I can't pet my black lab until I get tested tomorrow 😔. Hope everyone is staying safe! Xoxo
@@WickensWickedReptiles I will. 😊. Time to rebinge your videos, except for the amphibian ones. Personal question: if you have depression, do any of your reptiles help with it?
BTW I mentioned you to Clint and he said that he has watched some of your videos and said you are a lot like him! He also said to keep up the good work.
Hey guys!!! So I'm on 2:33 and I wanted to say I'm a beginner, and this is very important :'). I had pet rats in the same room when my BP Clover gave me my first bite. I thought she was just pissy or mad at me, or wasn't in a good environment and something was upsetting her. Turns out, she just loves food smell. Definitely haven't made that mistake again, wish I knew sooner, she's doing well now!
I had a painted turtle. I gave him the correct lighting, heat, calcium and what I thought UVB. He seemed healthy to me at the time. I found a picture of him when I first got him vs one when I let him go. I learned of what MBD looks like on a turtle and I swear it looked like he was in the early stages before I got rid of him as I wasn't making enough to support him. I felt so frustrated and annoyed. I swear I had the correct UVB bulb (not one of those long ones that cover the whole tank however wish I wished I knew at the time were better for your reptile) and I switched it out every 6 monthes. I didn't have a tester however. My question is: Can some UVB bulbs not work correctly or be defected? Also not work based on the reptile? Are some brands just scams?
I liked how adamant you were about number 1. I wish more keepers thought this way. As much as i love reptiles and would like to keep every species possible i have limited myself to 5 currently and the workload is split between myself and my son. I would love to have a uv meter but they are so damn exspensive so i stick to the 6 to 12 month rule depending on the brand i buy. Awesome content, keep up the great advice
As someone who's been hesitant to keep any sort of cold blooded critters from being told over and over how hard or miserable maintenance can be, or how daunting their care....anyhoo my point being your channel has helped change those stigmas for me better than any others I've stumbled upon. So thanks!
I have a Common Snapping turtle and because of this I'm always keeping an eye out for new Vids on them. I couldn't tell you how many times I've had to explain to a keeper who doesn't have a UVB light that they need one.. I always get the same reply.. " They don't bask so they don't need one.." WRONG!! UV can easily penetrate 30ft of water and I highly doubt you have 30ft of water in your aquarium. Just because they're not basking doesn't mean they're not getting UVB.. Sunblock is waterproof because the UV penetrates water 😑
Another excellent video Adam. You touched on one of the things we see a lot on YT, dirty cages. My wife and I are very OCD regarding the cleanliness of our scale babies' homes. We firmly believe if you can't , or won't, properly care for them you shouldn't purchase them. Soap box rant. Take care & thanks again 🇨🇦 G.O.A.T.
don’t call it OCD. cleanliness and perfectionism are not an anxiety disorder where you wash your hands 40 times in 10 minutes and your hands are raw and bloody
Something I'd add would be getting the wrong size of food and making sure the enclosures are escape Proof I messed up on both of these twice cus im a idiot 🙃
My rosy boa always thinks everything is food. 😂. She’s could have just eaten and is like “Oh? This is moving. Must be prey. Omn!” Thankfully she is tiny.
Collard greens, spinach, and kale bind calcium and can harm your dragons bones. Use dragon fruit, papaya, water cress, cactus fruit, green beans, okra, and yellow squash just to name a few with good calcium
I decided to watch some stupid "experts" that had a lot of followers from my country (Russia) and I see that they state that the heat mat is supposed to be used INSIDE the enclosure under the substrate. I decided to point out that it's not right, that all big brands state that shouldn't be done. As a response I got that I got something like what ever you send ( ecoterra heat mat instructions) is about an aquarium not a terrarium. And that the animal isn't getting enough heat from undertank....the video was about leopard geckos btw. Idk why I'm getting so mad about it, maybe cause I don't want them to promote a false care guides. I hope that they will get the new info how to keep the animals asap.... nothing more to say
Soo here goes a question! I used to have a leopard gecko and I would give him his crickets and everything but my mom would hate the fact that I had to feed him crickets for obvious reasons. So I wanted to look at some other options to feed my pet, but at that time the only person that camr threw my mind to ask about this was a petsmart or a petco and I was ignorant about this and they would tell me I cant and that bc its a baby I could only feed my pet crickets and for that reason ended up having to give away my pet bc my mom had the fear of having crickets jn the house
I can’t really think of anything off the top that you could feed him besides bugs, I don’t have any lizards I’ve moved into snakes (I own a few drymarchon yellow tail cribo and black tail cribo) the past few years, sorry I can’t help much. If I think of anything I’ll come back to this comment
Leopard geckos only get insects, so if you're asking if there was anything else-- the answer is probably going to be a no. Babies really do need to stick to crickets and maybe as they're older they can have a couple super worms per week, but nothing that your mother would "like". You were told correct information for the most part as babies do need to pretty much stick to crickets and then can get other types of insects they can eat as they get older.
As for the other possible insects such as mealworms-- they tend to not be as nutritional as gut loaded crickets as their carapaces tend to be rather thick and hard to digest, which is why they shouldn't be the staple. Locusts are pretty much larger crickets and are harder to get a hold of in most areas. Dubia roaches are straight up roaches and still aren't as easy to get if you went to Petco/Pet Smart for answers. Waxworms and silk worms aren't easy to get either and can be too large for babies. Basically, for your leopard being a baby, he would've had to stick to small crickets. Please fully look into what it takes to get a pet before getting said pet and consult with your family fully before you adopt a pet you're not able or willing to take care of.
There are so many different types insects you could've fed your baby gecko. Mealworms actually is higher in fat and protein than crickets, but is low in calcium. Dubia roaches has higher fat, protein, and calcium content. There are different types of beetles and bugs, like sow bugs. In Northern CA, these are readily available from breeders and reptile stores. They are also available online. I'm sorry you had to give your gecko. Hopefully later, you'll get to have another one!
The only time I've been afraid my ball python would bite me was when I fed him after shedding. It came up to 14 days without eating and I didn't heat the rat enough. So he was smelling rat, but also zeroed in on my hands heat signature. I closed him up, heated the rat, snake full and hand intact.
1:45 Adam!! Have you been thawing super worms out with your ears again! Don't you know diamond is going to bite you since she can smell it on you! Rookie mistake! 🤣🤣🤣
Alot of reptile owners would do well to watch this video. UVB is often so overlooked with reptiles, I even give all my snakes a low strength UVB just to try and give them the best life possible :)
@@WickensWickedReptiles I'm hoping he will like them more than wax worms which I only give as treats. I change things up as I'm always so happy when he hunts enthusiastically and likes what he's eating. 🙂
I kept snakes for years without a thermostat. I consider myself lucky, because we never lost an animal to a burn. I do know people who did burn their animals, though. I have been using thermostats for a couple of years now, and will not be going back. Thermostats are super cheap! No need to skimp.
Seriously, soldier fly larva has been a game changer. I have a crested gecko, not a baby, but like a toddler. So he's too small to eat most of the worms at my local place, and he would only lick baby crickets. Small mealworms were still too big. Got the soldier fly larva and holy cow he has doubled in size and is super active. Get the worms! (also, the flies are safe, they're just harmless flies that look like tiny wasps for protection. I've had one or two escape into the cage and turn into flies. They're super slow and easy to catch and release outside...or put in with a chameleon and he'll eat them cuz they look tasty and are slow)
worse bite was by an adult dumeral boa. I was playing with the baby rats before and forgot to wash hands. I reached in to pull the snake out and got nailed on the palm of my hand...and of course, I pull my hand back causing her teeth to rip hand. Fun times
I only have three reptiles but their enclosures are in my bedroom. It keeps me on top of things for sure, I don’t want to sleep in a room that smells like lizard poop and I’m sure my lizards don’t either.
Here me out house with only uvb lights in it, hot spots in every corner, ambient temperature of 80 in the house, potted plants that are beardy safe everywhere
Nothing grinds my gears like a lack of thermostat! Especially hate that so called kits that have heating equipment don't have them, ridiculous! (Kits usually suck anyways, but that's another story)
I had a bearded dragon when I was younger, and felt absolutely awful when I realized he needed UVB light and immediately went and got one for him. Super easy to do. It feels like that can't even be lazy/pricing. Compared to other stuff for reptiles, it's really not that bad. Also adding, that we got this bearded dragon from someone who had no idea how to take care of him and gave him away and we took him. We also didn't know how to take care of him, but I did my research and was able to give him a good life for the remaining time he had. His tail was kinked when he came to us, and he stayed very small, maybe Diamond's size, like 14in with tail. He just had a rough start to life and I'm glad he did well later on. He was super aggressive when we got him, and I just worked with him until he became my best buddy. Amazing what treating an animal right can do for them (duh!)
Totally agree with the #1 mistake. Told myself "No more reptiles than what this shelving unit can hold." Well apparently 8 snakes and a leopard gecko is that limit. Of course I'm itching for more, but... not gunna start filling every corner of my room with reptiles... unfortunately.
@@WickensWickedReptiles lol. I try. But it's very. VERY hard to not buy every reptile on my wish list. Going to be harder when I move and can dedicate a whole room to my reptiles.
That's what I do with my rats too! It's pretty fun making little salads for your pets to eat while you eat your own salad! :) (Definitely encourages me to keep adding more healthy vegetables to me own diet too)
My iguana was just diagnosed with a severe case of Metabolic Bone Disease and has a very low chance of survival 😭 can you please do a video of MBD on different reptiles
i feed my beardie kale and spinach VERY occasionally or when he won’t eat anything else. he’s a really picky eater so it’s difficult to vary his diet sometimes. *sigh*
Wickens Wicked Reptiles he’s 3 years old and through a lot of trial and error, we’ve gotten over some of the barriers he’s a handful, that’s for sure. but he’s my scale boi so 🤷♂️
My beardy is very picky when it comes to greens. He loves turnip greens but won't touch collard or mustard greens. I still through them in there every now and then but he tends to only eat the turnip greens which are so hard to find where I live. But he will eat anything else like carrots, bell peppers, celery, cilantro, berries ( only sometimes since they are so sugary ), apples ( again only sometimes, and pretty much anything else. He will also eat any and every bug type ever, calcium worms, super worms, crickets, wax worms, meal worms ( occasionally ), anything that moves or he thinks is moving. I recently started tong feeding him and he will litteraly jump to get the feeder while I am reaching in his tank to feed him.
Thank you for bringing these things to our attention. It’s so easy to get overwhelmed with a collection that’s grown too quickly or, and I unfortunately see this a lot and have been guilty in the past, NOT doing the research required to keep your reptile(s) healthy and thriving, especially those spur-of-the-moment rescues/purchases/rehomes/etc. Please please PLEASE do your research BEFORE you get your pet and get your setup/enclosure as near to perfect as possible. It’s beneficial for you AND your reptile/amphibian/whatever. Take it from someone who’s been there, done that so you don’t have the stress of “am I doing this right? Is my setup okay? Why isn’t my temp/humidity right?” Etc.
i actually just got a mexican black king snake and she’s a dream- most docile snake i’ve ever handled. she hasn’t tried to bite me at all and she actually doesn’t take the mouse from my feeding tongs. i have to leave it in there and give her some privacy lol. i think the likelihood of getting bit depends on your snake’s personality
A mistake I made too many times when I was young was feeding garter snakes raw f/t whitebait and sprats. This leads to a vitamin deficiency d or b I can't remember, anyway it causes spazms and eventually death. Once I knew this I boiled the fish first then started scenting mice until they eventually took f/t mice straight away.
Thermostats...so many pet stores in my area simply do not have any real thermostats (mostly the big box, chain locations but I bet I could find some small mom and pops in or around my area with reptiles for sale too). How can you sell reptiles, lights, heating bulbs, heat mats, glass enclosures and NOT stock thermostats?!?!?!
Along with Thermostats, an understandable mistake is that people buy Dial Thermometers instead of Temp Guns. (Now, the credit for the info in the following sentence is to GoHerping, he made a video about them) The reason is that while a Temp Gun can be used to measure any surface (Some, like mine, can even measure air temperature) in a Vivarium/Tank/Tub, a Dial Thermometer just measures wall temperature and therefore won't measure air temperature, substrate temperature, etc. I don't know if I worded it in a way which is easy to understand but it was the best way I could string the words together, while not entirely copying them word for word (Mostly since I can't remember exactly what was said).
My worst most shameful mistake that ended up killing a reptile was putting a baby ball python, in a glass (previously aquarium) enclosure, no cooling space, exposed to the sun. It died from overheating the day after I got him.
I have over 230 reptiles and I love them all. My biggest thing about having so many reptiles are, they take all of your time not so much energy, but I have 9 different species of boas, 12 species of pythons and 100 different species/morphs of lizards. Im also a permitted venomous reptile handler i have 6 gilas, I have some 2 different species of vipers with 4 morph per species, I have 4 rhino iguanas, 4 green iguanas, 2 black n white tegus, I have 4 30 year old tortoises, I have 2 savanna monitors, 2 dwarf Cayman, 2 black throat monitors, I have 3 different species of salamanders, 10 different species of geckos, I also have 2 green anacondas well over 16 feet in length. I have spent over 475k over the last 30 years on just the enclosures for my reptiles. Since last year I spend about 150k to 235k for food. And when its warm and sunny out the so on called zoo is open to anyone who wants to come check out hold or just chill with my reptiles lol don't really make alot but the other upside to this is all of these reptiles besides my 30 year olds tortiouses are all rescue reptiles or reptiles sent to me from different foundations and zoos. But all my lizards and geckos and salamanders are all 100 percent rescue from homes who had no idea how to take care of these animals. I have sponsors thats send me money yearly to help with my reptiles and I also have claimed this as an animal rescue for my state. So I also get said about a year from the state to take care of these animals!
On the bearded dragon food thing like Adam said variety is KEY. You can still feed kale/spinach occasionally BUT as part of a varied diet. You should never feed just one thing no matter how healthy it is. Its like if we only ate beans for the rest of our life sure technically it’s healthy but we would still be missing out on so many other nutrients. Variety people! Except lettuce, skip the lettuce....unless your bearded dragon is very dehydrated. All these points are great. Its easy to assume what you personally think is obvious is obvious for everyone else. I always have to remind myself to not get annoyed at people for these kinds of things.
The last time I went to the Buffalo Zoo the Goliath Tarantula was in a 10 gal tank with moldy dead crickets, huddled up in the corner. It looked so pathetic that I felt bad for it!! And I would trample women and children to get away from a healthy loose one. I hope it was a funding issue and not a neglect issue... I haven't been back there in 20 years- I hope they got upgraded from an Animal Prison to a semi-appropriate habitat Zoo like the Toronto one.
Re; "Your window filters out UVB light"; Most people don't realize that glass blocks UV light at all, let alone how well. The visible light that makes it through makes it hard for people to understand this without some sort of demonstration, it's a hard thing to visualize otherwise.
Something I still don't understand is why adding supplements is so necessary. I do it because it's always recommended, but have always wondered. My beardie obviously eats far better than he would in the wild, so what am I making up for?
What many people don't realize is that a varied diet isn't only important for lizards, snakes also benefit from it too. Ball pythons, for example, eat a significant amount of birds in the wild (especially the males) so feeding chicks and quail is good for them, it's a form of enrichment too. Along with rats, you can also feed mice, hamsters, gerbils, and African soft fur rats (or any small mammal or bird really).
I don’t have the too many problem yet but my god the one bearded dragons have is a lot on her own. When I get more I’m definitely gonna downgrade in difficulty. I’m probably getting a ball python next, and I think that’s the perfect next one because after having a Beardy I think a ball python will be super easy and I think that’s a second reptile that I can add to my collection without adding a crazy amount of work. Obviously it’s gonna be some work but it will be way less than a Beardy and much easier so I think that’s what I’m gonna do. That or a spotted python or any of the Antaresia
I have 4 exotics (Leopard Gecko, Painted Turtle, Cane Toad, and Mexican Red Knee Tarantula) and the way I handle these animals is a schedule. That way everyone gets the care they need. Granted, the T hasn't been eating cuz she's in premolt so that makes it a little easier but still.
Interesting about the mouse/rat thing - I have heard using pinkies/fuzzy rats for baby boas can be difficult/cause regurg/be detrimental because they have mother's milk in them still which can be harder to digest. At least for baby boas. And considering how easy it is to get them to eat anything, I just started with mice - higher bone density and other nutrients too. Idk if there's any concrete evidence, but for True Red Tails too that can be more finicky it made sense to me.
It wasn't too many reptiles, but it was for me not the right kind. I discovered I can have six snakes just fine, check on them all every day and make sure to spot clean, but one lizard was too much. It was a hard lesson, but after rehoming her, I know my limits better and everyone (including the one I rehomed) gets better care.
I don’t keep reptiles but, I am constantly kicking them outside of the interior of my house. The joys of living in Florida. I actually just kicked one outside but it was pretty chilly so I just was looking at different videos mainly on how they survive the winter. By the way my house might be one of the few a lizard could free roam at least for temperature. The comment I get the most when somebody visits my house for the first time is, why is it so hot in here? Yeah I hate cold temperatures. I may actually be related to a reptile 😂 I keep my house at 80 year round. I start getting chilled at 75 and by the time it hits in the 60s I am freezing. Either way educational video not that it helps me but I don’t mind learning new things. That Green Anole that I kicked out about I guess an hour ago now sat on my arm for around 5 minutes. It closed its eyes like it was sleeping. It was actually kind of cute but can’t leave it in the house and I don’t have time to care for an animal even if it was just for the winter. I also get another type of lizard in my house frequently that is much easier to catch. They are roughly the size of my pinky finger. Light brownish in color with some light stripes on the tail. The feet have toes that look a bit rounded which reminds me of a gecko. I just call them geckos but maybe you know what they are.
With reptiles, you are keeping an undomesticated wild animal. They will not adjust to how you wish to care for them. You have to provide their environment and food similar to what they'd get in the wild. Doing this can be incredibly educational and rewarding. Your emotions have no importance here. If you are squeamish about feeding dead mammals, can't cope with the fact that most of the affection toward us is based on body heat, or just that reptiles don't 'love' us. then don't get one as a pet. Get a dog or a cat. The latter may not love you either if you're a prick.
With handling food remember king snakes eat other snakes so if you clean say a rat snake cage before the king snake you might well get a feeding response bite. UVB light is very important if you don't want "rubber lizards". One thing I noticed is Zoo Med now has a reminder app on their website that will remind you it is time to change your bulbs. If you really wanted to use natural sunlight you would have to use low iron glass for glazing. I don't know what the transmission rate would be for it so it would have to be tested. Also that pesky inverse square law always pokes its ugly head up so how close the animal would need to be to get an effective dose of UV light. BTW iron is what makes glass look green when you look on the edge. There was some use of it in greenhouse glazing since it gives better light transmission that regular glass. Really important in Northern latitudes in the winter time.
Me: doesn't have a single reptile
Also me: oh boy, I'd better watch this video so I won't ever make those mistakes
hahha much appreciated
Good! Stay educated and informed so that when you do decide to adopt a scaly friend you'll know how to be better prepared for the responsibility!
If you don't research basic things to not do with a reptile before you adopt it then you shouldn't be adopting a pet at all. You're doing it right.
@@Toumaiii my mom is terrified of reptiles and she finally caved in into getting a leopard gecko
@@Toumaiii i just got a leopard gecko after 2 years of wanting a reptile so basically i really wanted a snake and my dad was on board until he started doing research so i worked him down to a barded dragon he was ok with that then he did research again so we both came up with a plan and we both like geckos so we really just compromise a lot and don't be to stubborn do research with her just have her be more involved show her cute videos but also show her the cons
In that video of the lady getting bit, Kevin McCurley mentioned that it looked like there was a rodent rack in the background which is why you don't keep live feeders in the same room as the animals.
yeah that's always a bad idea
It also looked like she had been handling a rat, it looked like it was right under the snakes cage!
I was just about to comment this lol
She also placed her hand on top off the cage without looking where the snake was in proximity to it.
Yeah it was being housed in the same room with rat racks....stupidest thing ever....the poor thing was constantly smelling food.
Honestly the most down to earth and still reputable channel.
ehhh I really appreciate that!
@@WickensWickedReptiles what is your opinion on the California kingsnake
Second to clints reptiles
Him and Clint have been really helpful with my reptile knowledge tbh
Good video. I fell victim to letting myself get to many. I noticed the problem and, hard as it was, downsized my collection immediately.
it's hard but it happens
Glad you had the commitment to do that, it’s a very hard thing to do and not many people do it or even realize it’s a problem, so props to you
The only time a snake has bit me was when I stuck my hand in a starving snake's tank (I was rescuing him.) Couldnt be upset at the snake, not his fault his owner didn't feed him.💚
Yessss
That's the thing
It's never a snakes fault for biting. They do it as a food response and when they feel scared and with non venomous snakes it's not dangerous to have them bite you unless they get a specific vein but usually the teeth are so small it wont matter. Also everyone pray it off, wait, spray water on them, blow air on their face or in absolute emergency a little alcohol in their mouth should make them let go but make sure to wash their mouth out after if you can!
So glad he's with someone ready to love him right.
When you said 'no thermostat' I thought for a moment you were against them and I was like wHAT?
gotta have a stat
I'm so glad I got my daily dose of Adam and Diamond!! I have to self quarantine in my room, I live with my parents, they weren't exposed, and I needed a little pick me up. Plus I can't pet my black lab until I get tested tomorrow 😔. Hope everyone is staying safe! Xoxo
when you can pet your doggo again, give an extra belly rub for me!
@@WickensWickedReptiles I will. 😊. Time to rebinge your videos, except for the amphibian ones. Personal question: if you have depression, do any of your reptiles help with it?
@@DaniDiva0303 just get a pet that you can hold alot, like a beardie
It’s a good day when Adam posts when you get home from school
It’s early in the morning rn
@@Nike_IV I live in the US
Yep
@@dylanlofink8086 same
@@dylanlofink8086 usa? May as well drop out and enroll in youtube..better content! (Joking)
“you do need one BuCkErOo”
you do, Buckaroo!
I did, and my gecko is very much happier. Saw this a few months ago, I’ve never regretted getting the thermostat.
BTW I mentioned you to Clint and he said that he has watched some of your videos and said you are a lot like him! He also said to keep up the good work.
Wow, thanks that's so cool!
@@WickensWickedReptiles it’s fine, now eventually i hope he will say the same will me in the future when I grow
Hey guys!!! So I'm on 2:33 and I wanted to say I'm a beginner, and this is very important :'). I had pet rats in the same room when my BP Clover gave me my first bite. I thought she was just pissy or mad at me, or wasn't in a good environment and something was upsetting her. Turns out, she just loves food smell. Definitely haven't made that mistake again, wish I knew sooner, she's doing well now!
we learn from our mistakes :)
I had a painted turtle. I gave him the correct lighting, heat, calcium and what I thought UVB. He seemed healthy to me at the time. I found a picture of him when I first got him vs one when I let him go. I learned of what MBD looks like on a turtle and I swear it looked like he was in the early stages before I got rid of him as I wasn't making enough to support him. I felt so frustrated and annoyed. I swear I had the correct UVB bulb (not one of those long ones that cover the whole tank however wish I wished I knew at the time were better for your reptile) and I switched it out every 6 monthes. I didn't have a tester however. My question is:
Can some UVB bulbs not work correctly or be defected? Also not work based on the reptile? Are some brands just scams?
yes some can be defective
I liked how adamant you were about number 1. I wish more keepers thought this way. As much as i love reptiles and would like to keep every species possible i have limited myself to 5 currently and the workload is split between myself and my son. I would love to have a uv meter but they are so damn exspensive so i stick to the 6 to 12 month rule depending on the brand i buy. Awesome content, keep up the great advice
glad you enjoyed it :)
I just glad I won't be making any of these mistakes
Cuz of this awesome vid.
agreed
happy to help :)
Thx
Always a good reminder to keep yourself in check and ensure that you are staying on top of things and following good practices.
agreed!!
As someone who's been hesitant to keep any sort of cold blooded critters from being told over and over how hard or miserable maintenance can be, or how daunting their care....anyhoo my point being your channel has helped change those stigmas for me better than any others I've stumbled upon. So thanks!
so glad :)
Great video and serves as a good reminder how we always need to check ourselves when it comes to husbandry!
So true! thanks for watching
The best reptile channel on UA-cam💯
ohhhh thank you!
hellyeah!!👌🏻
I have a Common Snapping turtle and because of this I'm always keeping an eye out for new Vids on them. I couldn't tell you how many times I've had to explain to a keeper who doesn't have a UVB light that they need one..
I always get the same reply.. " They don't bask so they don't need one.."
WRONG!! UV can easily penetrate 30ft of water and I highly doubt you have 30ft of water in your aquarium. Just because they're not basking doesn't mean they're not getting UVB.. Sunblock is waterproof because the UV penetrates water 😑
exactly
I don't even think snappers go that deep anyways
Another excellent video Adam. You touched on one of the things we see a lot on YT, dirty cages. My wife and I are very OCD regarding the cleanliness of our scale babies' homes. We firmly believe if you can't , or won't, properly care for them you shouldn't purchase them. Soap box rant. Take care & thanks again 🇨🇦 G.O.A.T.
Totally agree, keep it clean always!
don’t call it OCD. cleanliness and perfectionism are not an anxiety disorder where you wash your hands 40 times in 10 minutes and your hands are raw and bloody
Something I'd add would be getting the wrong size of food and making sure the enclosures are escape
Proof
I messed up on both of these twice cus im a idiot 🙃
yes important also
My rosy boa always thinks everything is food. 😂. She’s could have just eaten and is like “Oh? This is moving. Must be prey. Omn!” Thankfully she is tiny.
I actually have no reptiles but i just love these vids
I really appreciate it
There was a rodent breeding rack in the background of the video of the lady getting bit
yea not a great idea
"Doobie roaches" 😂😂😂
hahhaa
Collard greens, spinach, and kale bind calcium and can harm your dragons bones. Use dragon fruit, papaya, water cress, cactus fruit, green beans, okra, and yellow squash just to name a few with good calcium
Just subbed. Great channel. I have had my beardie for a week now and all is going great. Your guidance is appreciated dude.
Awesome! Thank you!
I decided to watch some stupid "experts" that had a lot of followers from my country (Russia) and I see that they state that the heat mat is supposed to be used INSIDE the enclosure under the substrate. I decided to point out that it's not right, that all big brands state that shouldn't be done. As a response I got that I got something like what ever you send ( ecoterra heat mat instructions) is about an aquarium not a terrarium. And that the animal isn't getting enough heat from undertank....the video was about leopard geckos btw. Idk why I'm getting so mad about it, maybe cause I don't want them to promote a false care guides. I hope that they will get the new info how to keep the animals asap.... nothing more to say
Yes! Every reptile owner needs to watch this video🙌
heck yea!
Yeah, don't be That pet owner. A life or lives depend upon you.
agreed!
I love this guys channel so much I’m literally watching hella old videos just because he’s chill as hell
Do lepard gekos and crested geckos like black soldiers fly larvae if so can i feed them the larvae often
Just ordered grubterra used the WWR discount code.Thanks😀😀😀😀😀
Hope you enjoy it! thanks so much for your support!!!
Soo here goes a question! I used to have a leopard gecko and I would give him his crickets and everything but my mom would hate the fact that I had to feed him crickets for obvious reasons. So I wanted to look at some other options to feed my pet, but at that time the only person that camr threw my mind to ask about this was a petsmart or a petco and I was ignorant about this and they would tell me I cant and that bc its a baby I could only feed my pet crickets and for that reason ended up having to give away my pet bc my mom had the fear of having crickets jn the house
I can’t really think of anything off the top that you could feed him besides bugs, I don’t have any lizards I’ve moved into snakes (I own a few drymarchon yellow tail cribo and black tail cribo) the past few years, sorry I can’t help much. If I think of anything I’ll come back to this comment
Leopard geckos only get insects, so if you're asking if there was anything else-- the answer is probably going to be a no. Babies really do need to stick to crickets and maybe as they're older they can have a couple super worms per week, but nothing that your mother would "like". You were told correct information for the most part as babies do need to pretty much stick to crickets and then can get other types of insects they can eat as they get older.
As for the other possible insects such as mealworms-- they tend to not be as nutritional as gut loaded crickets as their carapaces tend to be rather thick and hard to digest, which is why they shouldn't be the staple. Locusts are pretty much larger crickets and are harder to get a hold of in most areas. Dubia roaches are straight up roaches and still aren't as easy to get if you went to Petco/Pet Smart for answers. Waxworms and silk worms aren't easy to get either and can be too large for babies.
Basically, for your leopard being a baby, he would've had to stick to small crickets. Please fully look into what it takes to get a pet before getting said pet and consult with your family fully before you adopt a pet you're not able or willing to take care of.
There are so many different types insects you could've fed your baby gecko. Mealworms actually is higher in fat and protein than crickets, but is low in calcium. Dubia roaches has higher fat, protein, and calcium content. There are different types of beetles and bugs, like sow bugs. In Northern CA, these are readily available from breeders and reptile stores. They are also available online. I'm sorry you had to give your gecko. Hopefully later, you'll get to have another one!
I own a Leo for 22 years there quite a few feeders you can alternate.
Butterworms
Young hornworms
Beetles
Roaches
Red Worms wigglers
Mealworms
The only time I've been afraid my ball python would bite me was when I fed him after shedding. It came up to 14 days without eating and I didn't heat the rat enough. So he was smelling rat, but also zeroed in on my hands heat signature. I closed him up, heated the rat, snake full and hand intact.
I'm so glad you brought up UVB! It took me awhile to figure out what UVB was even though I had a reptile. I've learned so much!
Glad I could help!
1:45 Adam!! Have you been thawing super worms out with your ears again! Don't you know diamond is going to bite you since she can smell it on you! Rookie mistake! 🤣🤣🤣
he's wild that Diamond I tell ye!
Alot of reptile owners would do well to watch this video.
UVB is often so overlooked with reptiles, I even give all my snakes a low strength UVB just to try and give them the best life possible :)
100%
I just ordered some grubs, thanks for the suggestion and great price. I'm always looking for healthy foods for my Leopard Gecko Beau.
hope your little Beau enjoys them! thanks for using the discount code :)
@@WickensWickedReptiles I'm hoping he will like them more than wax worms which I only give as treats. I change things up as I'm always so happy when he hunts enthusiastically and likes what he's eating. 🙂
Thank you for the information it is always helpful almost 50k subs keep ot up!!
Thanks, will do!
I kept snakes for years without a thermostat. I consider myself lucky, because we never lost an animal to a burn. I do know people who did burn their animals, though. I have been using thermostats for a couple of years now, and will not be going back. Thermostats are super cheap! No need to skimp.
totally agree
Seriously, soldier fly larva has been a game changer. I have a crested gecko, not a baby, but like a toddler. So he's too small to eat most of the worms at my local place, and he would only lick baby crickets. Small mealworms were still too big. Got the soldier fly larva and holy cow he has doubled in size and is super active. Get the worms! (also, the flies are safe, they're just harmless flies that look like tiny wasps for protection. I've had one or two escape into the cage and turn into flies. They're super slow and easy to catch and release outside...or put in with a chameleon and he'll eat them cuz they look tasty and are slow)
that is so awesome!
Oh, I didn't know about the UVB bulb even if its working it doesn't mean its fine 😭😭😭😭
now you know :)
I have a ball python and I feed it mice sooooooooooooooo thx
I got my first ever reptile today and it’s a crested gecko. It’s name is peanut and it’s so lil
that's awesome!!
worse bite was by an adult dumeral boa. I was playing with the baby rats before and forgot to wash hands. I reached in to pull the snake out and got nailed on the palm of my hand...and of course, I pull my hand back causing her teeth to rip hand. Fun times
sounds awful
I have 8 reptiles and it does get stressful sometimes. Glad you put that on the list!
had to!
Thanks for covering all these issues! I was waiting for the thermostat part! Glad it made the list.
Glad to help!
The "crazy video" of lady getting bite by retic , she has rodent rack in same room as snake so def. Food was in room
well what a silly idea
I only have three reptiles but their enclosures are in my bedroom. It keeps me on top of things for sure, I don’t want to sleep in a room that smells like lizard poop and I’m sure my lizards don’t either.
perfect!
I use this cheap thermostat used for plants and it works great
(FYI it is like 18 us dollars)
Great tip!
I have a crestie and I was wondering if there are mistakes I need to watch for, since most of these don't apply to me
Here me out house with only uvb lights in it, hot spots in every corner, ambient temperature of 80 in the house, potted plants that are beardy safe everywhere
you have my attention!
Well me I have to reptiles and that’s hard enough I do my best tho I cannot imagine have 70+ lol
I make videos about reptiles for a living, kinda helps motivate you to hustle when you have so many eyes on you, plus, I love these guys
You are the most helpful person on the Internet
well thank you, I am so glad I am of help
man you came out with number one and i was like 'been there!!! guilty' not there now though lol
same!
Love your videos. What's with that ear and Diamond??
I have no idea, it must be real tasty
Nothing grinds my gears like a lack of thermostat! Especially hate that so called kits that have heating equipment don't have them, ridiculous! (Kits usually suck anyways, but that's another story)
SAME! so silly
Lol was gonna go deal with my gopher snake lastnight after dealing with the mice an im like I should wait lol 😆
for sure!
Buckaroo?? Annnnnnd that's why I love this channel.
😹💖😹
hahha, Canadians can be sassy too!
I had a bearded dragon when I was younger, and felt absolutely awful when I realized he needed UVB light and immediately went and got one for him. Super easy to do. It feels like that can't even be lazy/pricing. Compared to other stuff for reptiles, it's really not that bad. Also adding, that we got this bearded dragon from someone who had no idea how to take care of him and gave him away and we took him. We also didn't know how to take care of him, but I did my research and was able to give him a good life for the remaining time he had. His tail was kinked when he came to us, and he stayed very small, maybe Diamond's size, like 14in with tail. He just had a rough start to life and I'm glad he did well later on. He was super aggressive when we got him, and I just worked with him until he became my best buddy. Amazing what treating an animal right can do for them (duh!)
Totally agree with the #1 mistake.
Told myself "No more reptiles than what this shelving unit can hold." Well apparently 8 snakes and a leopard gecko is that limit.
Of course I'm itching for more, but... not gunna start filling every corner of my room with reptiles... unfortunately.
that's very responsible
@@WickensWickedReptiles lol. I try. But it's very. VERY hard to not buy every reptile on my wish list.
Going to be harder when I move and can dedicate a whole room to my reptiles.
I love Diamond he looks just like my Sunny♥️
he's the man
When I buy salad mix I make sure I can share it with my beardie lol
That's what I do with my rats too! It's pretty fun making little salads for your pets to eat while you eat your own salad! :)
(Definitely encourages me to keep adding more healthy vegetables to me own diet too)
My iguana was just diagnosed with a severe case of Metabolic Bone Disease and has a very low chance of survival 😭 can you please do a video of MBD on different reptiles
I'm so sorry to hear that. I hope your iguana is able to recover
@@beardlessdragon thanks man he’s doing alright as of right know I’m hoping we caught it early enough
Most of the times that I have been tagged was being careless while feeding.
bingo!
Yep sometimes we do make mistakes like letting the boom mic get in the shot. Love the samples in the beginning.
when I loaded the clips into post I saw that and just sighed the loudest. talk about amateur hour
@@WickensWickedReptiles just pulling your tail man, keep up the great reptile content
i feed my beardie kale and spinach VERY occasionally or when he won’t eat anything else. he’s a really picky eater so it’s difficult to vary his diet sometimes. *sigh*
he'll come around
Wickens Wicked Reptiles
he’s 3 years old and through a lot of trial and error, we’ve gotten over some of the barriers
he’s a handful, that’s for sure. but he’s my scale boi so 🤷♂️
Another great vid syrup guzzler.Keep up the great work!
*Glug glug glug* Thanks Bald Eagle Muncher!
My beardy is very picky when it comes to greens. He loves turnip greens but won't touch collard or mustard greens. I still through them in there every now and then but he tends to only eat the turnip greens which are so hard to find where I live. But he will eat anything else like carrots, bell peppers, celery, cilantro, berries ( only sometimes since they are so sugary ), apples ( again only sometimes, and pretty much anything else. He will also eat any and every bug type ever, calcium worms, super worms, crickets, wax worms, meal worms ( occasionally ), anything that moves or he thinks is moving. I recently started tong feeding him and he will litteraly jump to get the feeder while I am reaching in his tank to feed him.
Thank you for bringing these things to our attention. It’s so easy to get overwhelmed with a collection that’s grown too quickly or, and I unfortunately see this a lot and have been guilty in the past, NOT doing the research required to keep your reptile(s) healthy and thriving, especially those spur-of-the-moment rescues/purchases/rehomes/etc. Please please PLEASE do your research BEFORE you get your pet and get your setup/enclosure as near to perfect as possible. It’s beneficial for you AND your reptile/amphibian/whatever. Take it from someone who’s been there, done that so you don’t have the stress of “am I doing this right? Is my setup okay? Why isn’t my temp/humidity right?” Etc.
i actually just got a mexican black king snake and she’s a dream- most docile snake i’ve ever handled. she hasn’t tried to bite me at all and she actually doesn’t take the mouse from my feeding tongs. i have to leave it in there and give her some privacy lol. i think the likelihood of getting bit depends on your snake’s personality
quality content always. so happy youre about to hit 50K! found you at around 20K and im so happy with how quick this amazing channel is growing
Thank you so much!!
Just wnated to send some love ❤
right back atcha
The cleaning! I didn't think I would need to change the water as often. It just didn't dawn on me.
right!
A mistake I made too many times when I was young was feeding garter snakes raw f/t whitebait and sprats. This leads to a vitamin deficiency d or b I can't remember, anyway it causes spazms and eventually death. Once I knew this I boiled the fish first then started scenting mice until they eventually took f/t mice straight away.
Here for my daily dosage of cute reptiles I can’t own along with some very good information
ehhh happy to show them off
“ we’ve all seen this video” me: have I seen it?
hahaha maybe, I show a clip of it in teh video that JUST dropped today
Thermostats...so many pet stores in my area simply do not have any real thermostats (mostly the big box, chain locations but I bet I could find some small mom and pops in or around my area with reptiles for sale too).
How can you sell reptiles, lights, heating bulbs, heat mats, glass enclosures and NOT stock thermostats?!?!?!
Along with Thermostats, an understandable mistake is that people buy Dial Thermometers instead of Temp Guns. (Now, the credit for the info in the following sentence is to GoHerping, he made a video about them) The reason is that while a Temp Gun can be used to measure any surface (Some, like mine, can even measure air temperature) in a Vivarium/Tank/Tub, a Dial Thermometer just measures wall temperature and therefore won't measure air temperature, substrate temperature, etc. I don't know if I worded it in a way which is easy to understand but it was the best way I could string the words together, while not entirely copying them word for word (Mostly since I can't remember exactly what was said).
My worst most shameful mistake that ended up killing a reptile was putting a baby ball python, in a glass (previously aquarium) enclosure, no cooling space, exposed to the sun. It died from overheating the day after I got him.
I have over 230 reptiles and I love them all. My biggest thing about having so many reptiles are, they take all of your time not so much energy, but I have 9 different species of boas, 12 species of pythons and 100 different species/morphs of lizards. Im also a permitted venomous reptile handler i have 6 gilas, I have some 2 different species of vipers with 4 morph per species, I have 4 rhino iguanas, 4 green iguanas, 2 black n white tegus, I have 4 30 year old tortoises, I have 2 savanna monitors, 2 dwarf Cayman, 2 black throat monitors, I have 3 different species of salamanders, 10 different species of geckos, I also have 2 green anacondas well over 16 feet in length. I have spent over 475k over the last 30 years on just the enclosures for my reptiles. Since last year I spend about 150k to 235k for food. And when its warm and sunny out the so on called zoo is open to anyone who wants to come check out hold or just chill with my reptiles lol don't really make alot but the other upside to this is all of these reptiles besides my 30 year olds tortiouses are all rescue reptiles or reptiles sent to me from different foundations and zoos. But all my lizards and geckos and salamanders are all 100 percent rescue from homes who had no idea how to take care of these animals. I have sponsors thats send me money yearly to help with my reptiles and I also have claimed this as an animal rescue for my state. So I also get said about a year from the state to take care of these animals!
I need this distraction right now hahhaha
happy to help
I have a large bag of dried black soldier fly larvae and they are great. These insects are naturally high in calcium which is great for any reptile.
On the bearded dragon food thing like Adam said variety is KEY. You can still feed kale/spinach occasionally BUT as part of a varied diet. You should never feed just one thing no matter how healthy it is. Its like if we only ate beans for the rest of our life sure technically it’s healthy but we would still be missing out on so many other nutrients. Variety people! Except lettuce, skip the lettuce....unless your bearded dragon is very dehydrated.
All these points are great. Its easy to assume what you personally think is obvious is obvious for everyone else. I always have to remind myself to not get annoyed at people for these kinds of things.
The last time I went to the Buffalo Zoo the Goliath Tarantula was in a 10 gal tank with moldy dead crickets, huddled up in the corner. It looked so pathetic that I felt bad for it!! And I would trample women and children to get away from a healthy loose one. I hope it was a funding issue and not a neglect issue... I haven't been back there in 20 years- I hope they got upgraded from an Animal Prison to a semi-appropriate habitat Zoo like the Toronto one.
Re; "Your window filters out UVB light"; Most people don't realize that glass blocks UV light at all, let alone how well. The visible light that makes it through makes it hard for people to understand this without some sort of demonstration, it's a hard thing to visualize otherwise.
Something I still don't understand is why adding supplements is so necessary. I do it because it's always recommended, but have always wondered. My beardie obviously eats far better than he would in the wild, so what am I making up for?
Glad I'm not the only one with a stash of thermostats. Just wish the VE300X2 was less expensive.
What many people don't realize is that a varied diet isn't only important for lizards, snakes also benefit from it too. Ball pythons, for example, eat a significant amount of birds in the wild (especially the males) so feeding chicks and quail is good for them, it's a form of enrichment too. Along with rats, you can also feed mice, hamsters, gerbils, and African soft fur rats (or any small mammal or bird really).
I don’t have the too many problem yet but my god the one bearded dragons have is a lot on her own. When I get more I’m definitely gonna downgrade in difficulty. I’m probably getting a ball python next, and I think that’s the perfect next one because after having a Beardy I think a ball python will be super easy and I think that’s a second reptile that I can add to my collection without adding a crazy amount of work. Obviously it’s gonna be some work but it will be way less than a Beardy and much easier so I think that’s what I’m gonna do. That or a spotted python or any of the Antaresia
wow your new fake ear looks so realistic
hahahhaa
I have 4 exotics (Leopard Gecko, Painted Turtle, Cane Toad, and Mexican Red Knee Tarantula) and the way I handle these animals is a schedule. That way everyone gets the care they need. Granted, the T hasn't been eating cuz she's in premolt so that makes it a little easier but still.
Interesting about the mouse/rat thing - I have heard using pinkies/fuzzy rats for baby boas can be difficult/cause regurg/be detrimental because they have mother's milk in them still which can be harder to digest. At least for baby boas. And considering how easy it is to get them to eat anything, I just started with mice - higher bone density and other nutrients too. Idk if there's any concrete evidence, but for True Red Tails too that can be more finicky it made sense to me.
It wasn't too many reptiles, but it was for me not the right kind. I discovered I can have six snakes just fine, check on them all every day and make sure to spot clean, but one lizard was too much. It was a hard lesson, but after rehoming her, I know my limits better and everyone (including the one I rehomed) gets better care.
I think that the kale thing was debunked!!! Reptifiles talks about it (obviously not feeding just kale that’s a different story)
I don’t keep reptiles but, I am constantly kicking them outside of the interior of my house. The joys of living in Florida. I actually just kicked one outside but it was pretty chilly so I just was looking at different videos mainly on how they survive the winter. By the way my house might be one of the few a lizard could free roam at least for temperature. The comment I get the most when somebody visits my house for the first time is, why is it so hot in here? Yeah I hate cold temperatures. I may actually be related to a reptile 😂 I keep my house at 80 year round. I start getting chilled at 75 and by the time it hits in the 60s I am freezing.
Either way educational video not that it helps me but I don’t mind learning new things. That Green Anole that I kicked out about I guess an hour ago now sat on my arm for around 5 minutes. It closed its eyes like it was sleeping. It was actually kind of cute but can’t leave it in the house and I don’t have time to care for an animal even if it was just for the winter. I also get another type of lizard in my house frequently that is much easier to catch. They are roughly the size of my pinky finger. Light brownish in color with some light stripes on the tail. The feet have toes that look a bit rounded which reminds me of a gecko. I just call them geckos but maybe you know what they are.
With reptiles, you are keeping an undomesticated wild animal. They will not adjust to how you wish to care for them. You have to provide their environment and food similar to what they'd get in the wild. Doing this can be incredibly educational and rewarding. Your emotions have no importance here. If you are squeamish about feeding dead mammals, can't cope with the fact that most of the affection toward us is based on body heat, or just that reptiles don't 'love' us. then don't get one as a pet. Get a dog or a cat. The latter may not love you either if you're a prick.
With handling food remember king snakes eat other snakes so if you clean say a rat snake cage before the king snake you might well get a feeding response bite. UVB light is very important if you don't want "rubber lizards". One thing I noticed is Zoo Med now has a reminder app on their website that will remind you it is time to change your bulbs. If you really wanted to use natural sunlight you would have to use low iron glass for glazing. I don't know what the transmission rate would be for it so it would have to be tested. Also that pesky inverse square law always pokes its ugly head up so how close the animal would need to be to get an effective dose of UV light. BTW iron is what makes glass look green when you look on the edge. There was some use of it in greenhouse glazing since it gives better light transmission that regular glass. Really important in Northern latitudes in the winter time.
Target training is important for reptiles with bad feeding responses. Check out Lori Torrini’s channel she goes in depth studying reptile behavior.