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# Exotic Reptile Care

## Sitemaps
[XML Sitemap](https://exoticreptilecare.com/sitemap_index.xml): Includes all crawlable and indexable pages.

## Posts
- [Crested Gecko Lifespan: How Long They Actually Live](https://exoticreptilecare.com/crested-gecko-lifespan/): If you're thinking about getting a crested gecko, one of the first questions you probably have is how long they live. The short answer is that the typical crested gecko lifespan in captivity is 15 to 20 years. Some have reportedly lived into their mid-20s. That's a real commitment, closer to owning a dog or cat than the "starter pet" reputation geckos sometimes get.
- [Mourning Gecko: Care Guide for This All-Female Species](https://exoticreptilecare.com/mourning-gecko/): The mourning gecko is one of the most unusual reptiles you can keep at home, and not because of how it looks. Every single mourning gecko is female. There are no males in this species. They reproduce through parthenogenesis, a form of asexual reproduction where females produce fertile eggs on their own. Their offspring are essentially clones of the mother. Once you wrap your head around that, you realize keeping mourning geckos means you will eventually have eggs, whether you planned for them or not.
- [African Fat Tailed Gecko: Care Guide for New Owners](https://exoticreptilecare.com/african-fat-tailed-gecko/): The african fat tailed gecko is one of the most underrated pet reptiles out there. They're calm, easy to handle, and have surprisingly simple care requirements compared to a lot of other exotic species. If you've heard of leopard geckos but wanted something a little different, the african fat tailed gecko is the natural next step. They share a lot of similarities with leos but have their own personality and a few key care differences that matter.
- [Ball Python Enclosure: How to Set It Up the Right Way](https://exoticreptilecare.com/ball-python-enclosure/): Getting your ball python enclosure right from the start saves you months of troubleshooting feeding strikes, stuck sheds, and stressed behavior. Most ball python problems that new keepers run into, refusing food, sitting in the water bowl all day, constant hiding with no exploration, trace back to something wrong with the setup. The enclosure is the foundation. Get it dialed in and everything else gets easier.
- [Leopard Gecko Impaction: 6 Warning Signs and How to Help](https://exoticreptilecare.com/leopard-gecko-impaction/): Your leopard gecko hasn't pooped in five days. It's barely eating, and when you look at its belly, it seems swollen. Maybe you even notice a dark patch showing through the skin on the underside. Something isn't right. Leopard gecko impaction is one of the most serious health issues these geckos face, and it can turn fatal if you don't catch it early. The good news is that mild cases are often treatable at home, and almost all cases are preventable once you understand what causes them.
- [Ball Python Sitting in Water Bowl? 5 Reasons and Easy Fixes](https://exoticreptilecare.com/ball-python-sitting-in-water-bowl/): You walk into the room and your ball python is curled up in its water bowl. Again. Maybe it's been happening every night this week, or maybe you just noticed it for the first time. Either way, it catches your attention because this isn't something ball pythons normally do. A ball python sitting in water bowl is almost always a sign that something in the enclosure isn't right. These snakes are not aquatic. They don't enjoy swimming. They don't hang out in water for fun. When a ball python chooses to sit in its water dish, it's usually trying to solve a problem that you need to fix.
- [Crested Gecko Humidity Too Low? 5 Easy Ways to Fix It](https://exoticreptilecare.com/crested-gecko-humidity-too-low/): You mist the enclosure every evening, the plants look fine, and everything seems normal. But then you notice your crested gecko has patches of stuck shed on its toes, or maybe it's stopped eating, or it's just sitting in one spot looking dull and inactive. You check the hygrometer and it's reading 35 percent in the middle of the afternoon. That's a problem. Crested gecko humidity too low is one of the sneakiest husbandry issues because the effects don't show up immediately. They build up over days and weeks until your gecko is dehydrated, shedding poorly, or refusing food.
- [Bearded Dragon Basking Temperature Too High? 6 Signs and Fixes](https://exoticreptilecare.com/bearded-dragon-basking-temperature-too-high/): Your bearded dragon has been sitting under the basking light with its mouth wide open for the last hour. Or maybe it's avoiding the basking spot entirely and hiding on the cool side all day. Either way, something feels off. If your bearded dragon basking temperature too high is the problem, you're not alone. This is one of the most common husbandry mistakes, and it's especially easy to get wrong because the "right" temperature depends on your dragon's age and the type of thermometer you're using.
- [Ball Python Stuck Shed: 5 Safe Ways to Fix It](https://exoticreptilecare.com/ball-python-stuck-shed/): You check on your ball python after a shed and instead of finding a clean one-piece skin in the enclosure, there are torn pieces scattered around and patches of old skin still clinging to the snake's body. Ball python stuck shed is one of the most common problems keepers deal with, especially during winter or in dry climates. The good news is that most stuck sheds are easy to fix at home if you handle them correctly. The bad news is that a lot of the advice floating around online, like forcefully pulling skin off or dunking your snake in water, can make things worse.
- [Bearded Dragon Food: What to Feed Your Beardie at Every Age](https://exoticreptilecare.com/bearded-dragon-food/): Figuring out the right bearded dragon food isn't complicated, but it does change as your beardie grows. What counts as good bearded dragon food for a baby looks completely different from what an adult should be eating. A baby dragon that isn't eating enough insects will fall behind on growth. An adult dragon eating too many insects and not enough greens is going to get fat. The ratio between protein and plants shifts with age, and getting it wrong is one of the most common mistakes new keepers make.
- [Crested Gecko Not Eating? Here’s What to Check First](https://exoticreptilecare.com/crested-gecko-not-eating/): You mixed up the crested gecko diet, placed it in the dish, and went to bed. The next morning, the food looks completely untouched. No lick marks, nothing. You try again the next night. Same thing. Now you're staring at your gecko wondering if something is seriously wrong. A crested gecko not eating is one of the most common concerns new keepers have, and honestly, it freaks out experienced keepers too when it goes on long enough. But before you rush to the vet, there are a few things worth checking first because most of the time, the fix is simpler than you think.
- [Red Eyed Crocodile Skink: Care Guide for Beginners](https://exoticreptilecare.com/red-eyed-crocodile-skink/): The red eyed crocodile skink is one of the coolest looking reptiles you can keep at home. They look like tiny dragons, with armored scales running down their backs and bright orange rings around their eyes. But here's the thing most people don't tell you before you buy one: these are not the kind of pet you're going to handle and cuddle. They're shy, secretive, and spend most of their time hiding. If you're okay with that and you want a display animal that makes every visitor stop and stare, a red eyed crocodile skink might be exactly what you're looking for.
- [Corn Snake Temperature Gradient: Getting the Heat Right](https://exoticreptilecare.com/corn-snake-temperature-gradient/): If there's one thing that makes or breaks corn snake husbandry, it's temperature. Get the corn snake temperature gradient wrong and you'll see feeding refusals, bad sheds, sluggish behavior, and eventually real health problems. The frustrating part is that the numbers themselves aren't complicated. Warm side, cool side, done. But actually getting those temps to hold steady in a real enclosure, with real room temperatures fluctuating throughout the day, is where most keepers run into trouble.
- [How to Set Up a Reptile Care Routine That Actually Sticks](https://exoticreptilecare.com/reptile-care-routine/): Keeping one reptile is pretty manageable. You remember to feed it, you spot clean when you see something gross, and you check the temps when you think about it. But the moment you add a second animal, or a third, things start slipping. You forget who ate last, you realize the water bowl has been dry since yesterday, and the UVB bulb burned out two weeks ago without you noticing. A reptile care routine is what separates keepers who stay on top of things from keepers who are constantly playing catch-up.
- [Leopard Gecko Shedding Problems? How to Fix Stuck Shed Fast](https://exoticreptilecare.com/leopard-gecko-shedding-problems/): You notice your leopard gecko turning pale, and you know what's coming. Shed time. But instead of waking up to a clean gecko with bright fresh skin, you find patches of old skin clinging to the toes, the tail tip, maybe even around the eyes. Leopard gecko shedding problems are one of the most common issues keepers deal with, and if you don't handle them quickly, they can turn into something serious. The good news is that most stuck sheds are fixable at home, and almost all of them are preventable.
- [Crested Gecko Diet Schedule: What to Feed and How Often](https://exoticreptilecare.com/crested-gecko-diet-schedule/): Crested geckos are one of the easiest reptiles to feed, but that doesn't mean you can just wing it. A lot of keepers either overfeed insects, skip them entirely, or have no real rhythm to their feeding routine. Getting your crested gecko diet schedule right from the start prevents picky eating habits, obesity, and nutritional deficiencies down the road. And once you have a system, it takes almost zero effort to maintain.
- [Ball Python Feeding Schedule by Age: What to Feed and When](https://exoticreptilecare.com/ball-python-feeding-schedule-by-age/): One of the most common questions new ball python owners ask is "how often should I feed my snake?" And the answer is frustratingly simple: it depends on how old they are. A hatchling ball python and a five-year-old adult have completely different nutritional needs, and feeding them the same way is a fast track to problems. Getting your ball python feeding schedule by age dialed in correctly makes a huge difference in growth rate, body condition, and overall health.
- [Corn Snake Not Eating for Weeks? Here’s What to Check](https://exoticreptilecare.com/corn-snake-not-eating-for-weeks/): The tricky thing about a corn snake not eating for weeks is knowing exactly how many weeks it's actually been. When you keep multiple snakes or life gets busy, it's easy to lose track. Was the last successful feed two weeks ago or four? That distinction matters a lot.
- [Bearded Dragon Brumation Signs: How to Tell If Your Beardie Is Brumating](https://exoticreptilecare.com/bearded-dragon-brumation-signs/): Your bearded dragon hasn't eaten in five days. It's sleeping more than usual, barely moves when you open the enclosure, and looks like it's completely checked out. Your first instinct is to panic. Something must be wrong. But if this is happening in the fall or winter months, there's a good chance your beardie is just going into brumation. Recognizing bearded dragon brumation signs early saves you a lot of stress and keeps you from rushing to the vet over something that's completely natural.
- [Ball Python Humidity Too Low? How to Fix It Before Problems Start](https://exoticreptilecare.com/ball-python-humidity-too-low/): You check the hygrometer and it reads 35 percent. Your ball python just had a terrible shed, with dry flaky skin stuck to its head and patchy pieces clinging to the tail. Sound familiar? Ball python humidity too low is one of the most common husbandry problems in the hobby, and it causes more issues than most keepers realize. Bad sheds are just the beginning. Low humidity can lead to dehydration, respiratory infections, and a snake that stops eating for weeks.
- [Bearded Dragon Glass Surfing: Why They Do It and How to Stop It](https://exoticreptilecare.com/bearded-dragon-glass-surfing/): You walk into the room and your bearded dragon is standing on its hind legs, frantically scratching at the glass like it's trying to escape a burning building. This is bearded dragon glass surfing, and it looks alarming the first time you see it. Your dragon is pawing at the walls, sliding down, climbing back up, and repeating the whole thing over and over. It's one of the most common behavioral concerns beardie owners search for, and for good reason. It looks like something is seriously wrong.
- [Bearded Dragon Not Eating Greens? How to Fix a Picky Eater](https://exoticreptilecare.com/bearded-dragon-not-eating-greens/): If your bearded dragon not eating greens is becoming a daily frustration, you're definitely not alone. This is probably the single most common feeding complaint among beardie owners. You set down a beautiful salad of collard greens and squash, and your dragon looks at it like you just insulted their entire bloodline. Then they stare at you, waiting for the crickets. Every. Single. Time.
- [How to Set Up a Bioactive Reptile Enclosure (Beginner Guide)](https://exoticreptilecare.com/bioactive-reptile-enclosure/): A bioactive reptile enclosure is basically a living ecosystem inside a tank. Instead of replacing substrate every month and scrubbing everything down, you build a setup where tiny organisms break down waste, plants filter the air, and the whole thing mostly maintains itself. It sounds complicated, but once you understand the layers involved, it's actually pretty straightforward. And the payoff is huge. Less cleaning, better humidity control, more natural behavior from your reptile, and an enclosure that looks incredible.
- [Leopard Gecko Calcium Schedule: How Much and How Often](https://exoticreptilecare.com/leopard-gecko-calcium-schedule/): Calcium is the single most important supplement for leopard geckos, and getting the schedule wrong is one of the fastest ways to end up with a sick gecko. Too little calcium leads to metabolic bone disease, which weakens bones, causes deformities, and can kill your gecko. Too much vitamin D3, which works alongside calcium, can cause toxicity. Nailing your leopard gecko calcium schedule doesn't have to be complicated, but it does require understanding what to use, when to use it, and why the details actually matter.
- [Best Substrate for Ball Python: What Actually Works](https://exoticreptilecare.com/best-substrate-for-ball-python/): The best substrate for ball python keeping is the one that maintains proper humidity in your specific enclosure, stays clean with reasonable effort, and keeps your snake comfortable. For most keepers, coconut husk or a coconut fiber mix will be the best all-around choice. If you're on a budget, the DIY tropical soil mix performs just as well for a fraction of the cost. Whatever you pick, avoid pine, cedar, and sand, keep it deep enough for burrowing, and stay consistent with maintenance.
- [Crested Gecko Losing Weight? How to Spot It and Fix It](https://exoticreptilecare.com/crested-gecko-losing-weight/): You pick up your crested gecko and something feels off. They feel lighter than usual. Maybe their spine is a little more visible than it should be, or the fat pads behind their head look sunken. A crested gecko losing weight is one of those things that can sneak up on you because these geckos are nocturnal and eat when you're not watching. By the time you notice a physical change, the problem might have been building for weeks. The good news is most causes are fixable once you know what to look for.
- [How Often to Clean a Snake Enclosure (Without Overdoing It)](https://exoticreptilecare.com/how-often-to-clean-snake-enclosure/): There's a weird amount of conflicting advice out there about how often to clean a snake enclosure. Some keepers treat it like a sterile lab and bleach everything weekly. Others barely touch it for months. The truth is somewhere in the middle, and it depends on a few things like your substrate type, your snake species, and how big the enclosure is. But there is a practical schedule that works for most keepers, and once you get into the rhythm of it, the whole process takes almost no time at all.
- [Leopard Gecko Not Eating but Active? What’s Going On](https://exoticreptilecare.com/leopard-gecko-not-eating/): Leopard gecko not eating but active is one of the most common concerns keepers search for. You walk up to the tank and your gecko is cruising around, climbing on things, tongue flicking, looking totally fine. Then you drop in some mealworms and they just... ignore them. Or they walk right over to the dish, lick a worm, and turn away. If your leopard gecko is not eating but active, it's one of the most confusing situations you can deal with as a keeper. They look healthy. They're moving around. But they won't touch food. So what gives?
- [Ball Python Not Eating After Shed? Here’s What to Do](https://exoticreptilecare.com/ball-python-not-eating-after-shed/): Ball python not eating after shed is one of the most common concerns keepers have. Your ball python just dropped a beautiful full shed, and you're feeling good about it. So you thaw out a rat, warm it up, offer it with your tongs, and... nothing. Head turn. Maybe a full retreat into the hide. If your ball python is not eating after shed, don't panic. This is one of the most common things ball python keepers deal with, and most of the time it resolves on its own. But there are a few things you should check and a few tricks that actually work.
- [Track Reptile Feeding Schedules: Why It Matters and How to Do It](https://exoticreptilecare.com/track-reptile-feeding-schedules/): If you keep reptiles, learning to track reptile feeding schedules is one of the most important habits you can build. A baby leopard gecko needs to eat daily. An adult ball python might eat once every two weeks. A bearded dragon's diet shifts from mostly insects as a juvenile to mostly greens as an adult. When you're keeping multiple animals, remembering who ate what and when gets complicated fast.

## Pages
- [Contact](https://exoticreptilecare.com/contact/): Have a question, found a bug, or want to suggest a feature? We'd love to hear from you. Exotic Reptile Care is built by a solo developer who actually reads every message.
- [Blog](https://exoticreptilecare.com/blog/)
- [About](https://exoticreptilecare.com/about/): Exotic Reptile Care is a reptile care app built by a solo developer who wanted a simple, reliable way to keep track of everything that goes into caring for reptiles.
- [Home](https://exoticreptilecare.com/): The best reptile care app for iOS. Easily track feeding, shedding, growth, health, vet visits, breeding, and habitat conditions for all your reptiles. In addition, set smart reminders so nothing ever gets missed.

## Categories
- [Ball Python Care](https://exoticreptilecare.com/category/ball-python-care/)
- [Bearded Dragon Care](https://exoticreptilecare.com/category/bearded-dragon-care/)
- [Crested Gecko Care](https://exoticreptilecare.com/category/crested-gecko-care/)
- [Exotic Species Care](https://exoticreptilecare.com/category/exotic-species-care/)
- [Leopard Gecko Care](https://exoticreptilecare.com/category/leopard-gecko-care/)
- [Reptile Diet](https://exoticreptilecare.com/category/reptile-diet/)
- [Reptile Husbandry](https://exoticreptilecare.com/category/reptile-husbandry/)
- [Snake Care](https://exoticreptilecare.com/category/snake-care/)