Reptile Neglect: Is the abuse Overlooked?

Ever wonder how many of our scaly friends are abused and neglected? I do. Animal abuse is wrong whether your talking about dogs, cats, birds, or any other creature. Reptiles as pets are growing in popularity. While they aren't as popular as dogs per say, they do deserve to be brought into the spotlight in terms of abuse and neglect. It would be easier to dismiss a neglected reptile because the terms governing their care is slightly different from some of the other more popular pets. This was brought to my attention when reading an article about a Minnesota man charged with animal abuse. This man is responsible for the death of 32 snakes (Ball Pythons) that he placed in a storage locker and depriving them of food and shelter. After reading the article, I thought about what defines the terms of abuse to reptiles and how many people are committing neglect. Well it turns out that neglecting reptiles isn't as straight forward as the case described above and lines between what is ok and what may not be can be a little unclear.

There are a few basic things that should be taken care of without question. Fresh water daily, feeding regularly, and proper housing accommodations. This should be a given but is it? Different types of reptiles have different feeding habits and what exactly is proper housing for the different kinds of reptiles out there. Truth is many folks who bring home a snake, lizard, or turtle should do their research way before they decide to take on such a tedious task. I think the most common cause of reptile neglect, for the most part, is do to inadequate information or no information at all.

It is a given that the reptile housing should be cleaned regularly. If it looks dirty then spot clean it and I recommend an in depth cleaning once a week. If allowed, all kinds of problems can surface from unclean housing conditions. Mites can pose a serious problem for a reptiles health and well being. Bacteria and fungi thrive in unsanitary conditions. Essentially by leaving the cage, terrarium, or enclosure uncleaned, a kind of hot spot for disease emerges. If the reptiles environment isn't kept clean the possibility of sickness increases. Depending on where you live, exotic animal vets that will see reptiles can be pretty hard to find and if one is nearby well then the price to see the vet can get fairly expensive. I'm a firm believer in practicing prevention. Instead of letting a problem linger with the chance it might come up, I'd much rather try to avoid the problem all together.

Another issue that poses a threat to a reptiles health is the lack of having fresh water daily. Stagnant water creates an environment that lots of microorganisms love. This in turn increases your scaly friends chances of getting ill. Also this type of water increases a persons risk to infection. If the animal bathes in the water for periods of time, which most reptiles will do, a greater chance of someone getting sick increases as they handle the reptile. Would you want to drink water that has been in a cage for several days? I think not. So why should a lizard, snake or turtle be allowed the same treatment. Stagnant water gives off an aroma because of the chemical processes taking place mostly do to the bacteria found in it. As for turtles and other aquatic reptiles how often to clean out the water can be a tricky area. I recommend the same kind of policing as stated above in reptile housing. The water should be spot cleaned as necessary and deep cleaned once a week. A good water filter could help lower the maintenance depending on the size of the enclosure and the size of the filtration system.

If the reptile isn't contained in a proper sized habitat, then that can be considered neglect. As babies and juveniles, reptiles may not need a particularly large enclosure for their size but as they get older and bigger this isn't the case. Improper habitat size can cause serious long-term health issues for a reptile. Everything from bone deformities to eventual death may be attributed to improper housing. I'd imagine many people don't realize how important habitat size is for their reptilian friends. This is a vital issue that demands much attention. A reptiles eventual habitat size should be taken into consideration before someone even gets a particular species. Some snakes can reach 20+ feet and lizards 6-7 feet long. So a reptile might start off in a 10-30 gallon aquarium but, eventually depending on its size may end up needing a custom enclosure.

Feeding reptiles can be a little different for each group depending on the type. All baby and juvenile snakes should be fed every few days and the larger they get the less they need to eat but a bigger prey item should be fed. I like to say if it "acts" hungry then most likely it is hungry. For many lizards, they need fed every day to every other day. A varied diet for the lizards is also better than one that is constantly the same. This increases the chances that they are getting everything they need, vitamins and minerals, to be healthy. In a lizards natural environment, it will not eat just one particular thing, instead it will have indulged on many different types of food items. Turtles and tortoises should also be fed daily either with a pelleted diet or fruits and vegetables depending the species. Some turtles are omnivores eating meaty food items and/or fruits and vegetables so, by "mixing it up", insures that the particular species is as healthy as they can be. While a varied diet doesn't necessarily create a neglectful situation. Irregular feeding times can be. If a snake is used to eating once every other day and then with time the owner begins feeding every other week, ultimately the long term effects is starvation. While the signs may not be immediate, several months down the road, the reptile will begin to starve. Truth is if it is a VARY hungry large constrictor, then the owner may be a potential prey item.

Looking at the overall picture of neglect among reptilian pets, I see that one of the main causes of this neglect is misinformation. I also think the general public doesn't view reptiles in the same manner as dogs, cats, or birds. Which in turn makes the issue often overlooked. Neglect is neglect no matter if it is a dog, cat, bunny, bird, fish, or reptile. These animals rely solely on us to meet their needs as child needs a mother and/or father to meet their needs. Problem is, reptiles don't have a voice like dogs, cats, or birds so they aren't as visible to others. These animals are kept in cages away from the public eye. How many die each day and go unnoticed just because they're not right in front of our eyes?




Thanks for reading,
James