@@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!
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'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?
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!
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.
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
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
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 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 😑
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 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!)
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.
That last point is a good one. A lot of people come on to RUclips, watch channels of big collections, then get enamored with the idea that they can do it too. I think anyone who loves reptiles will at some point be guilty of this. I'm glad you said that Adam, because a lot of others will simply go "ah yeah go get that reptile".
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 :)
The last part i think is especially great advice that isn't talked about enough in these sorts of discussions, I'd even take the point a step further and say its important to not just rush into getting to many animals, but when you have decide to get an animal not to rush into buying from the first one you can get ahold of. Buying the right animal is just as importing as not buying too many and will often save you so much time and hassle, as I learned when I didn't inspect my Lacerta close enough and when I took it home realized he had a gimp leg due to bad shed and subsequent tissue death. Spent so much time and money trying to prolong the inevitable there. I wish he'd been someone else's problem, but I had to do what I could for him.
was my first herp as an adult, though my dad had a pretty cool medium size collection for a short time when we were kids. definitely was a shitty experience getting back into the hobby, but I learned a lot, and ended up deciding that snakes were for me, (at least right now), might get a lacerta as a pet, but I only want to breed localities of spedies that are indigenous to my cali (my state) and our neighbors in baja california as well, since they also have some sweet rosy locales. We all make mistakes in this hobby, but the difference is between those of us who learn from our fuckups, and those who don't imo.
This is a really good list I see alot of people make these mistakes and when I got my first reptile 10 years ago, I was guilty of not giving a varied diet but I have corrected that!! I do sometimes feel guilty that i have alot of animals but their care always comes first and you cannot miss cleaning days and i check on all 20 animals daily!
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
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.
Every single animal of mine has individual thermostats. It prevents so many issues from fires to death of animal ! And im so thankful that the petsmart i go to, they have a reptile lady there that is part of our community and owns a ton of reptiles herself. Its fantastic. And she will deny someone getting an animal if they don't get everything they need !
And I have 20 reptiles and they are my fucking world. I'll get up with the flu and mist and make sure they have water and food ! I have zero room for any more reptiles though so I've cut myself off until I move into a larger house.
I agree with everything, ESPECIALLY having too many reptiles!!! I thought I wanted to collect a bunch of species, but really want the ones I have to have all my love and attention, clean and healthy, enriched etc so I’m done collecting for now.
I just got my first reptile this week (a leopard gecko). I plan on getting a beardie in a year or 2 when I have some more husbandry experience. But then I'm done :) 2 is enough for me, I want to be able to give my reptiles the care and attention they deserve.
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 🙃
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.
@@kingexplosionmurderfuckoff9376 he’s doin great! Thanks for askin! He’s a crested gecko named Bagheera. (Just sayin “he” as a placeholder. Don’t know the sex yet.)
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).
@@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. 🙂
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! 🤣🤣🤣
I've never had above 10 pets (excluding one time my GALS's mated) but I know that especially at one point after there were 3 deaths of my pets really close together, that for about a year those deaths combined with my own mental health issues contributed to my animals not getting the best care they deserved. Luckily this turned around about a year ago and I've been doing great with them since, and even felt confident enough in my own mental health to allow myself to get some new pets, tarantulas. Just know that it's not just hoarders that can neglect their animals and also know its okay to ask for help with looking after your pets if you're going through a bad place
I use Exo Terra Solar Glo which gives heat and UVA + UVB, there's been some research to suggest that mercury bulbs, like this one, are better for UV than the coil globes. I got it because this on a timer, plus a heat mat on a thermostat for 24hr heat is all I need, instead of a second bulb for heat in the basking area. And with Shinglebacks, I have calcium powder, but since they are 90% herbivores, and fruit and veg have calcium, my vet suggested just adding calcium when I give them meat/insects, because it is possible to give them too much calcium and cause death
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)
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!
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.
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.
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
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.
First time reptile owner here, at least I will be when I get my ball python soon. I appreciate all your information and the fact that I can tell you genuinely care about your animals, that being said I’ve watched all your ball python videos among many other basic reptile care videos of yours, are there any other videos of yours you’d suggest I watch or do you have any advice for a beginner that didn’t make it in a video?
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.
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).
This reassures me I am looking after my 5 reptiles correct! Main thing is getting enchi (my super enchi morph royal python) from large mice to weaner rats now. I made that mistake (oops) so now getting him onto that will be fun.
i used to maintain 5-6 betta fish so 4-5 tanks. now i just keep 3 tanks (4 fish), 1 tank is divided. keeping up with that many is something i learned. sometimes i need an extra tank for a new fish but thats seldom.
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.
I used to handle my corn before feeding. Once when I did that and was fostering a cat the cat distracted me and spooked my snake but being in feeling more he bit onto my finger and dint let go for a while. It didnt hurt since he was only a little over a year old and very small. I literally just let him chew in me and softly blew air in his face and he let go after like 5 minutes. No I dont do that anymore :)
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 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 🤷♂️
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.
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!
Thanks for providing a link for a thermostat! I've been needing one for my dear leopard gecko Joseph, but I had difficulty finding one in my price range. He's entering hibernation right now, so I might use it for my dubia roach colony over the winter.
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.
Thank you for reminding me to check myself now and again 😅. Also, Dimond is stinkin cute. I lost my beardie this summer, and I miss him, so I love when you include Diamond in your videos. 😍
i wish i could still find the source, but the lady who got bit by that retic was going in to remove it from the neglectful home! she clearly wasnt as stupid as people say bc she had spotters, she knew it was a possibility she would get bit. and when she does get bit, she remains calm and is able to give clear instruction! this is someone whos experienced, she knew what she was getting herself into. my guess is that the neglectful owner falsely informed her (like saying she doesnt bite) and so she expected it to be a simple ole grab n bag to get her to a better living situation.
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?
hey man, thanks for replying before but i have a question? when you first get tour geckos did they also hide from you all day and night? if they did how long did it take for them to start wandering their cage without fear?
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.
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 :)
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)
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
When you said 'no thermostat' I thought for a moment you were against them and I was like wHAT?
gotta have a stat
Always a good reminder to keep yourself in check and ensure that you are staying on top of things and following good practices.
agreed!!
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 :)
The best reptile channel on RUclips💯
ohhhh thank you!
hellyeah!!👌🏻
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
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 love this guys channel so much I’m literally watching hella old videos just because he’s chill as hell
Yes! Every reptile owner needs to watch this video🙌
heck yea!
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
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
“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.
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 have no reptiles but i just love these vids
I really appreciate it
You are the most helpful person on the Internet
well thank you, I am so glad I am of help
I just glad I won't be making any of these mistakes
Cuz of this awesome vid.
agreed
happy to help :)
Thx
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
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 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!
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 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
Adam you make having our animals so much better!!!!!!!!!!!!
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!
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!!
Another great vid syrup guzzler.Keep up the great work!
*Glug glug glug* Thanks Bald Eagle Muncher!
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!)
Thank you for the information it is always helpful almost 50k subs keep ot up!!
Thanks, will do!
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.
That last point is a good one. A lot of people come on to RUclips, watch channels of big collections, then get enamored with the idea that they can do it too. I think anyone who loves reptiles will at some point be guilty of this. I'm glad you said that Adam, because a lot of others will simply go "ah yeah go get that reptile".
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%
The last part i think is especially great advice that isn't talked about enough in these sorts of discussions, I'd even take the point a step further and say its important to not just rush into getting to many animals, but when you have decide to get an animal not to rush into buying from the first one you can get ahold of. Buying the right animal is just as importing as not buying too many and will often save you so much time and hassle, as I learned when I didn't inspect my Lacerta close enough and when I took it home realized he had a gimp leg due to bad shed and subsequent tissue death. Spent so much time and money trying to prolong the inevitable there. I wish he'd been someone else's problem, but I had to do what I could for him.
was my first herp as an adult, though my dad had a pretty cool medium size collection for a short time when we were kids. definitely was a shitty experience getting back into the hobby, but I learned a lot, and ended up deciding that snakes were for me, (at least right now), might get a lacerta as a pet, but I only want to breed localities of spedies that are indigenous to my cali (my state) and our neighbors in baja california as well, since they also have some sweet rosy locales. We all make mistakes in this hobby, but the difference is between those of us who learn from our fuckups, and those who don't imo.
This is a really good list I see alot of people make these mistakes and when I got my first reptile 10 years ago, I was guilty of not giving a varied diet but I have corrected that!! I do sometimes feel guilty that i have alot of animals but their care always comes first and you cannot miss cleaning days and i check on all 20 animals daily!
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
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.
Every single animal of mine has individual thermostats. It prevents so many issues from fires to death of animal ! And im so thankful that the petsmart i go to, they have a reptile lady there that is part of our community and owns a ton of reptiles herself. Its fantastic. And she will deny someone getting an animal if they don't get everything they need !
And I have 20 reptiles and they are my fucking world. I'll get up with the flu and mist and make sure they have water and food ! I have zero room for any more reptiles though so I've cut myself off until I move into a larger house.
I agree with everything, ESPECIALLY having too many reptiles!!! I thought I wanted to collect a bunch of species, but really want the ones I have to have all my love and attention, clean and healthy, enriched etc so I’m done collecting for now.
I just got my first reptile this week (a leopard gecko). I plan on getting a beardie in a year or 2 when I have some more husbandry experience. But then I'm done :) 2 is enough for me, I want to be able to give my reptiles the care and attention they deserve.
That is awesome!
The two best reptile youtubers are leopard gecko talks and wickens wicked reptiles
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
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.
My first reptile is coming in the mail tomorrow! I’m so excited! Thanks for helping me feel prepared.
How are they?
@@kingexplosionmurderfuckoff9376 he’s doin great! Thanks for askin! He’s a crested gecko named Bagheera. (Just sayin “he” as a placeholder. Don’t know the sex yet.)
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).
The cleaning! I didn't think I would need to change the water as often. It just didn't dawn on me.
right!
Loving the like to dislike ratio! Killing it bro! CUT!
yo, are you cut?
man you came out with number one and i was like 'been there!!! guilty' not there now though lol
same!
Awesome video man. Genuine and relatable. Definitely have been #1 before as well.
Awesome! Thank you!
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. 🙂
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!
I've never had above 10 pets (excluding one time my GALS's mated) but I know that especially at one point after there were 3 deaths of my pets really close together, that for about a year those deaths combined with my own mental health issues contributed to my animals not getting the best care they deserved. Luckily this turned around about a year ago and I've been doing great with them since, and even felt confident enough in my own mental health to allow myself to get some new pets, tarantulas. Just know that it's not just hoarders that can neglect their animals and also know its okay to ask for help with looking after your pets if you're going through a bad place
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
I use Exo Terra Solar Glo which gives heat and UVA + UVB, there's been some research to suggest that mercury bulbs, like this one, are better for UV than the coil globes. I got it because this on a timer, plus a heat mat on a thermostat for 24hr heat is all I need, instead of a second bulb for heat in the basking area.
And with Shinglebacks, I have calcium powder, but since they are 90% herbivores, and fruit and veg have calcium, my vet suggested just adding calcium when I give them meat/insects, because it is possible to give them too much calcium and cause death
I love your channel bro keep up the great work!!!!
Thank you for sharing this important info!!! Love this channel 😍👍
You are so welcome! thanks for watching
"Doobie roaches" 😂😂😂
hahhaa
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
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
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.
Once again another great video thanks
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.
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
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.
Haven’t released it but just filmed about feeding response and what people do wrong with that. Good stuff as always.
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.
First time reptile owner here, at least I will be when I get my ball python soon. I appreciate all your information and the fact that I can tell you genuinely care about your animals, that being said I’ve watched all your ball python videos among many other basic reptile care videos of yours, are there any other videos of yours you’d suggest I watch or do you have any advice for a beginner that didn’t make it in a video?
I use this cheap thermostat used for plants and it works great
(FYI it is like 18 us dollars)
Great tip!
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.
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).
Buckaroo?? Annnnnnd that's why I love this channel.
😹💖😹
hahha, Canadians can be sassy too!
Great video. First time here I can't wait to check out more!
Great videos as always!
I appreciate that
Love your stuff bro
thanks so much!
This reassures me I am looking after my 5 reptiles correct! Main thing is getting enchi (my super enchi morph royal python) from large mice to weaner rats now. I made that mistake (oops) so now getting him onto that will be fun.
i used to maintain 5-6 betta fish so 4-5 tanks. now i just keep 3 tanks (4 fish), 1 tank is divided. keeping up with that many is something i learned. sometimes i need an extra tank for a new fish but thats seldom.
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.
I used to handle my corn before feeding. Once when I did that and was fostering a cat the cat distracted me and spooked my snake but being in feeling more he bit onto my finger and dint let go for a while. It didnt hurt since he was only a little over a year old and very small. I literally just let him chew in me and softly blew air in his face and he let go after like 5 minutes. No I dont do that anymore :)
Glad I'm not the only one with a stash of thermostats. Just wish the VE300X2 was less expensive.
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 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 🤷♂️
Just ordered grubterra used the WWR discount code.Thanks😀😀😀😀😀
Hope you enjoy it! thanks so much for your support!!!
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.
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!
Thanks for providing a link for a thermostat! I've been needing one for my dear leopard gecko Joseph, but I had difficulty finding one in my price range. He's entering hibernation right now, so I might use it for my dubia roach colony over the winter.
You are a very good presenter
Thank you!
You bet!
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!!
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.
Wow, how life has changed since this! 🤩😁❤
Thank you for reminding me to check myself now and again 😅.
Also, Dimond is stinkin cute. I lost my beardie this summer, and I miss him, so I love when you include Diamond in your videos. 😍
Diamond is a gem!
@@WickensWickedReptiles Ba dum tss! 😂
i wish i could still find the source, but the lady who got bit by that retic was going in to remove it from the neglectful home! she clearly wasnt as stupid as people say bc she had spotters, she knew it was a possibility she would get bit. and when she does get bit, she remains calm and is able to give clear instruction! this is someone whos experienced, she knew what she was getting herself into. my guess is that the neglectful owner falsely informed her (like saying she doesnt bite) and so she expected it to be a simple ole grab n bag to get her to a better living situation.
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?
Love your videos. What's with that ear and Diamond??
I have no idea, it must be real tasty
hey man, thanks for replying before but i have a question? when you first get tour geckos did they also hide from you all day and night? if they did how long did it take for them to start wandering their cage without fear?
depends, some are scared for a while, others get over it in a day