Posts by Nigel

So, you’ve decided to get a reptile. Excellent choice. Welcome to the world of heat lamps, frozen rodents and explaining to visitors that “no, it doesn’t bite… usually.”

The question of whether reptile keeping is ethical has become increasingly prominent in recent years, as advances in animal welfare science and herpetology challenge long-held assumptions.

The North American western hognose snake (Heterodon nasicus) is a small, stout-bodied colubrid found across the central United States, northern Mexico and parts of southern Canada. With a palette of sandy browns, olive greens, greys and even striking morph colours in captivity, these snakes are beautifully adapted to their dry, open habitats.

Ah, the age-old question: what is the best pet snake?
The honest answer? It depends on whether you want a calm noodle, an inquisitive explorer, or something with just a hint of dramatic flair.

“What pet reptile is best for my child?” is one of the most common questions—and one of the most misunderstood.
Let’s be honest straight away:
there is no such thing as a reptile that a child can care for entirely on their own.
Reptiles aren’t toys, and they’re not “easy pets.”

“What’s the best pet lizard?” is a bit like asking “what’s the best takeaway?”—it depends on your taste, your lifestyle, and how much chaos you’re willing to tolerate. Some people want calm and handleable, others want something that looks like it escaped from a nature documentary.

So, you’ve decided to welcome a tiny, spiky sunworshipper into your home. Excellent choice. Think of a bearded dragon as a low-speed dinosaur that runs on heat, bugs, and attitude. But what exactly do you need to keep one happy, healthy, and not silently judging your life choices from a log?

Feeding captive reptiles isn’t just about tossing in a handful of crickets and calling it a day. If that were the case, every gecko would be a picture of physical fitness—and, let’s be honest, some of them already look like tiny, judgmental personal trainers.

Feeding reptiles isn’t quite as simple as “open tub, insert food, job done.” In the wild, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates eat a surprisingly varied (and occasionally alarming) range of prey. In captivity, our job is to replicate that nutrition as closely as possible—without needing to source scorpions, baby birds, or anything that might fight back harder than expected.

When it comes to feeding insectivorous reptiles, the humble feeder insect carries more responsibility than it gets credit for.