TV. My bearded dragon Luna, and her deceased predecessor Cuddles (also a beardie) both really loved watching television when they were out of their tank, so I got one of those little travel TV/DVD player things, and set that up outside the cool end of the tank so they could watch TV while they basked (though Luna had a bad habit of crawling over to the cool end of her tank to get as close to the TV as possible while watching it. Luna also would rearrange things in her tank sometime when she felt like it - such as her blankets, crawl box, pillow, stuffed animals, ect. Also, reptiles are actually more intelligent than people gave them credit for; there's been a lot more research on it lately. Bearded dragons have proven capable of social learning through observation, can tell specific humans apart and remember how they've treated them, and respond to Delboeuf illusion the same way humans and other intelligent primates do; red foot tortoises can navigate mazes without visual signals; and giant tortoises can remember tricks they were trained to do for over a decade without practicing the trick at all during that time period.
My screen door doesnt latch properly. I watched my red foot tortoise walk from one side of the door to the other. Inspecting the spot where the door meets the frame. The one side is hinged. The other side slightly open and slightly swaying in the wind. He went back and forth a few times staring intently at these two spots. He must have figured out how it works because he rammed the small opening in the door and went out to the porch. He seemed quite proud when he saw me come out after him. This has now become a regular thing he does. I have more examples but this was long enuff
I have what I call the "dollar store playground" for my rosy boa and ball python. I spend very little to no money on most toys. I use stuff from around the house, thrift stores and dollar stores: A plastic laundry basket, cardboard boxes with holes cut in them, toilet paper rolls, wooden dowels, step ladder, wicker baskets, plastic Easter eggs, 3-ring binders, and my rosy boas all time favorite toy... a bike helmet. I set up the playground on my bed and they will play for hours. The "ball pit" of dozens of TP cardboard rolls in the laundry basket are always super popular. I put wooden dowels thru the basket holes to make climbing branches. Cardboard boxes with lots of holes cut in them are great cheap toys. I change mine out every month or so or if they get soiled. I have to change up the toys all the time or they get bored of them and look to get into mischief and end up going places that I don't want them. Because of this I know that snakes aren't as simple-minded as some people claim. The entire playground can be set up and taken down in a minute or two and most everything fits into the laundry basket for easy storage. I think the exercise and my presence helps my slightly timid ball python address his fears. After playing with his toys for a while he acts a lot more relaxed and seems to enjoy being handled. It's so fun when they choose to incorporate you in their play. If snakes had thumbs, they'd give the dollar store playground two thumbs up!
Thank you! My ball python seems to like trying to climb and dig, but I can’t give him a taller enclosure to do this (right now) so I’ve been looking for alternatives
Are you ever concerned about them escaping? I have a young corn snake who is starting to look bored in her enclosure, but she's also kind of flighty and tries to leap away at least once every time she's handled. I'd be afraid of her finding an escape route and getting lost somewhere in the house.
@@hawaiianshirts4715 You can make an enclosed playground in a tub, closet or even one of those net play yard things for bunnies, guinea pigs, etc. They have some that are completely enclosed with a zipper entry/exit that would make it perfect for a flighty reptile. ☺️
Enrichment has been great for my snakes and beardies. They act so much more chill and calmer around me since i started this a few months ago. Highly recommend. Even if you cant do all of them just a few of them make a difference and develops a better bond. Great vid.
Grate vid boy go harder Baby girl 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍
Birds ARE reptiles, so makes sense. I miss my feathery little dinosaurs. Parakeets are so fun to watch & play with when they're socialized to humans.😊❤
I loved when he said “Now lets move on to number one this is kind of expensive and you probably didn’t see this coming-“ add pops up advertising pampers and first thing it said was pampers
I let my corns explore my desk if they feel like it (sometimes, they prefer sleeve naps or to look out of my sleeve and stare at my monitors, trying to figure out what the heck those things are). For once, my tendency to have my desk cluttered is actually an advantage. Are you aware that you can build a different labyrinth every day from ~50 nail polish bottles (yes, it's okay to laugh, really!)? I also added paper tubes to the chaos. Naturally, they learned how to climb down the cables at some point, sometimes they do it, sometimes they don't. If they do, well, it's move-that-lazy-butt-time for me. I was surprised to see that they actually prefer to climb on the stool where I have put the feeding bin once (forgot to put it back where it belongs). I leave it there since, along with another small container in which I've put a fake plant and a root. They like to check that one out, too. You might say that, slowly, their playground is expanding and threatening to take over the whole room. I've also made a part of one bookshelf snake-proof, so when they aim for that, they can explore that, too (all under close supervision, of course). On another channel, I recently saw an "activity" tree for snakes and think that's simple but genius. You basically take a wine shelf, one of those multi-level flower shelves, or a ladder, clutter the "stations" with items they can climb and explore, and let the snake have some fun. Good for the snake, entertaining to watch, and a great excuse to give in to the occasional impulse shopping when you see a lovely plant or piece of decoration that would just too lovely with a snake in, around, or on top of it but technically, the tank is already full. No going outside for my snakes, though. We have occasional gang wars between seagulls and crows on the neighbour's roof and I don't want them to think I'm opening a snek-bar.
My ball python would clean the desk of all nail polish bottles very fast. He goes into every hole and doesn't care if it's actually big enough. Had to rescue him a few times. No free roaming without constant supervision. He loves the cats climbing tree.
this is a great video for the hobby! as a zookeeper, it’s a huge part of my job to enrich animals and i’m sometimes surprised with how little it’s talked about sometimes in the hobby. great vid!
Ryan Sam I’m really new to keeping snakes, my royal python is just over a month old but he’s in a bioactive tank, gets to go out fairly often and we give him new things to discover. My husband and I are building a snake “tree”, with climbing and excercising things. It’s going to be a wooden shelf unit (like the one people have in attics or sheds) with ropes, hammocks, plants, little new things (I’m thinking dog and cat toys, also some parrot play things seem fun and safe, maybe baby toys) to smell, see, and “cuddle”. His favourite now is a foot sack, basically a large fluffy slipper where you can stick both feet in? I put it on my desk when I’m working and he gets to discover my desk from a soft (dark) place when he is ready. He is really tame and loves exploring. Royal pythons, or ball pythons for the Americans, are NOT pet rocks.
I went bioactive within a month of getting my beardie. The difference in behavior was immediately noticeable. Oddly enough, she seems to enjoy the plants, even if to destroy. I accidentally left a female cricket in there once too many. Now, there are crickets living in there. They just munch on the plant matter in there, leave the beardie alone, and provide my beardie something to chase.
I like to train my reptiles for enrichment. I like to teach mine to obey commands like a dog. It's really fun to watch them trying to figure out what I am saying, it's like " your asking me to do what" . Somehow they understand and do exactly like I ask. Great idea, have fun with you're reptiles.
I use a few paper towel rolls, a bird ladder, and a drift wood piece. I found the ladder and driftwood on fb marketplace for super cheap!! Other good options can be plastic kids toys so long as you close off holes.
I take my bearded dragon to PetSmart with me when I need food or supplies. He loves looking out the window of the car when we drive him, he doesn't get stressed at all. Plus he gets attention while we're there and a hornworm when we get home.
I just got my first Ball Python, a Blue-Eyed Lucy! The breeder told me “Do Not put any wood in the enclosure” but because I watched your videos I put wood in there. I catch her climbing on that wood every single night! She absolutely loves it! So, Thank You! If I had listened to the breeder, she would probably still be hiding under her bowl (also a tip from one of your videos! Found it at the Dollar Tree!) Your channel is freaking amazing!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU 😊
@@Skrill99 She said because they are terrestrial, they don’t need it. They think they will be happy living in a tiny box their entire lives. She also said not to give her anything over a 40 gallon once she was full grown! My Lucy loves her wood, branches, rocks and her 20 gallon tank (even though she’s only 4 months old lol 😂) I saw how Adam and even Brian Barychyx upped their enclosure game and their snakes LOVED it!
I have a ball python who things shes a green tree python. Shes always in her cholla branches. I move them around once a month and she thinks she has a new branch to climb. I do the same with my leo.
I let my bearded dragon get to swimming in my bathtub and he loves it and he hates it when I rearrange his cage because he puffs up all mad so I've stopped doing that but he gets to come out of the cage once a week because he's generally in a bad mood lol
I saw people decorating a big puppy pen with different obstacles. When I move to a bigger place I want to put up one like that for the lizards and "smaller" snakes (not my 1,7m BCI).
I used to rearrange my living room once a year just for fun, my critters get the same thing, I rearrange their enclosures once in a while with different decor, I take mine outside to explore the grass and garden, they get out of their enclosures every day to run around, change up their food, it really important I believe to keep them enriched and happy
Making King Gizzards enclosure bioactive was the best enrichment idea I ever had and didn't know it was going to do that. His current favorite activity is terrorizing isopods.
Great suggestions! I've been free roaming my beardie for a couple of years now and have noticed a huge improvement in behavior. It takes time to figure out how to do this safely but it's not rocket appliances.
@Camping_Beardie I have an enclosure for my beardie but it's always open with a ramp to the ground if he wants to roam around. He rarely wants to come out but it's just a bit of freedom I like to afford him. Just have to make my house beardie proof. I've got a secondary basking spot at another window that he enjoys from time to time.
I got a neglected albino tremper gecko 4 months ago. I set her up in a 25 gallon tank and am slowly switching it over to be bioactive and realistic. I've been rearranging her enclosure every few cleanings, but felt guilty because I read info saying that was too stressful. I'm happy to know others do it and even recommend it. I have a habit of picking up new hides, cork bark ect every time I visit an expo or petshop. I love the idea of taking her out and giving her a playground. She's still a bit nervous being handled so she would probably run right off a table. However, I have a really large tupperware bin that would fit several enrichment items, and give her a new space to explore without overly stressing her or having her get lost. Thanks for a great video!
I like the way Lori Torrini describes the kind of stress that comes with novel encounters for snakes. She explains that for any animal in order to learn and experience new things some stress will occur and they will be forced outside of their comfort zone, which would be like what a snake might experience when you rearrange their enclosure or introduce them to a new space. But it's still beneficial for them. But there is a stress threshold where if they become too stressed or too uncomfortable they are not learning anymore because they are too scared.
I have always changed up my 4 Dragons enclosures. I absolutely agree. If you do this from the start, they get used to it & in my experience, they don't stress. They do love new stuff & I can see the change in attitude, I can tell they definitely like it. Thank you for getting this info out there. There can never be enough correct info on these guys.
Yeah I also change up our bearded dragon enclosures all the time. Feed them in different ways. And even "stress" them out from time to time, mainly by letting the two of them see each other. It gets all systems pumping and flowing and they run around like little bobbing psychopaths for half an hour. Good exercise. We also have an outdoor enclosure that's much bigger then their indoor ones complete with living edible plants and a lizard spa that they actually use. They will soak themselves and even appear to bathe, they will splash around and even dunk their heads similar to what a bird would do. It's really cool too see them act naturally liked this as well as forage for their greens.
Most of my herps seem indifferent to changes to their tank (or actively annoyed if I move certain things) but my corn loves it when I redecorate, I'll often leave her in her tank while I rearrange things & she will nudge things around with me
Currently setting up an enclosure for my garter snake as we speak, I get it tomorrow and i'm adding a whole bunch of stuff like loose substrate, spider wood, universal rocks, cork bark, moss, and a bunch of different types of fake plants!
I also don't like using live feeders so for my cornsake, once he notices the mouse/rat I actually try to keep it away from him to simulate hunting a little bit
I couldn’t take my bearded dragon outside like I usually do because of how cold it got this year in Florida, and he was the happiest I think I’ve ever seen him when I was able to bring him out again yesterday because of the warmer weather
You are right about those tricks, I have a bearded dragon, he is going on 11 years old and I let him walk inside the app. Take him on me put him in a little bit of water, I mean a little tub and he seems to be happy. Thanks for the nice video. Beautiful snakes by the way.
I have my hognoses both In a bioactive enclosure and they love it actually building a 3rd 1 it's great all the lights on a timer isopods and springtails I really enjoy and the snakes love it
Everyone try a pot of Portulaca plants 🪴 in your tank. My Beardies love the flowers and the plants. They are safe, people also feed them to chickens. My baby bearded dragons perch on these in their tank and also munch on the plants a lot. Most plant nurseries don’t spray them because bugs are not a problem for them and they tolerate the heat lamps well and the UV in the tank helps them to grow.
I got my bearded dragon small balls, cat toys, that he kicks around his tank and outside. He wants nothing to do with the green ones, but loves chasing the orange and yellow ones!
5:28 while i do swap up what and how i feed my garter (typically hiding his food around in different spots for him to find instead of just tong-feeding), this has me thinking about getting him an even larger water dish/pool and occasionally giving him some live fish to hunt from time to time 🤔
I am so glad you made this video! My kids and my bf are always picking on me for rearranging my Red eared sliders aquarium every time I clean it. I have been saying exactly what you said to them and you confirmed it. They always say without a doubt he is happy and well taken care of but now they will really believe that it makes sense. I had said, you know in his mind he may think he is just entering a new area a little further down when things are different. Right? I also take him out and put him in an animal playpen with a covered top to get some more room and real outside atmosphere and sometimes let him hang out in it for a bit inside with us too.Thanks for another awesome and informative video.
This was really helpful! Xeno my beardie looked really down until now. I changed up her habitat and lizard proofed my room so she can free roam. Thanks to you she seems a lot happier now!
I made a small enclosure out of a cardboard box which was placed on a sunny window for my beardie and he seemed to love watching the world go by. Whenever birds flew too close he would jump down and hide under his log then would reappear when the coast was clear. Sometimes he would pace up and down his (6' x 2' viv) and I'm sure he was wanting out as when placed him on the window he would calm right down and get back to his 'lookout duty'.
Now that I've got a proper sized hab for my Beardie, I definitely plan on changing things up. Different basking surfaces, different branches, different decor. I've always done "walk about " time in a safe room, and he definitely loves it. Thanks for this video!
I love finding unique rocks for my boys. I clean them well & they just love getting new cool things to use! I have a stroller for them & walk them alot. They absolutely love it! ❤️
My little lizard loves obstacle courses, boxes, blankets, toilet paper tubes. He loves scrambling along the table or on the floor of my gaming room. He likes watching me play computer games. Every time I clean out his cage I also rearrange the items in his tank, he acts like it is a whole new world and moves around exploring as soon as I put him back
We love taking my son’s leopard gecko out to play! We make a blanket tunnel that he can climb or hide in, he loves having his head rubbed and just exploring.
I really appreciate this video, it's a topic that people should really consider seriously. Often when I ask someone what their reptiles, especially snakes like to do for fun I'm met with a confused response and it's sad, we know we need to walk our dogs, but don't think twice about keeping a large curious interactive pet snake in a box it's whole life. Mine is a Kingsnake and when he's interested in coming out, usually in the mornings he has my whole office to explore and he sniffs everything and checks the whole room to make sure everything is as it should be. I can't imagine him not having the option to be out and whats the point of having a pet you never see. Thank you.
We've had our ball python for a little over a week. He's been outside twice and handled several times. He likes to explore blankets, especially if we put one in the dryer for a bit. He was neglected for years prior to being rehomed with us. The change in his activity is already extreme.
I love rearranging when I clean my snakes enclosures. Something I like to do is collect and sanitize wood pieces from the woods behind my house and then add them in or switch them out with other pieces. It’s fun to do and I can see it perks my snakes interests in their space again, for a little while at least.
I'm trying to give my beardie the best life possible, at about 6 months I might go bioactive, beardie is still a hatchling and my first reptile, so I'm not so comfortable with the loose substrate at the moment, I'm just trying to get through his first shed with me right now lol, he's become a bit skidish and snarky when I try to pet him or handle him for baths, but his tail is dull colored and part of his left side is dull colored, and his nostril already shed, so I am attributing his change in behavior to him shedding, and that's what I've read so far, so hopefully he gets thru it and settles down before he does it again, being only about a month old and all 🤦🏻♂️😂
Tortoises, which is what I have a lot of, really don't like change. They get pretty stressed and pout sometimes for weeks after any significant changes in their enclosure. But I do try to vary their food/feeding as much as possible.
I think this works for fish too i moved a couple of hides around in my beta tank just now and he is exploring way more normally at this time he would be in his cave Had to come back to this video to tell you this. Pretty sweet!
We changed our luc tx rat snakes terrarium to a front closure instead of top. We took all his stuff while he was sleeping except his hide. When he woke up and started moving around he was like,”what…happened?” Then we put him into his new terrarium and moved his hide in but with wet moss in it. He was all over that new terrarium exploring each and every inch of the space. He loves the bio substrate. The back and sides are tinted. Our cats have been watching him too closely and stressing him. Now he’s relaxed, not glass surfing and , well … just looks happier and has much better body language. So wonderful to see his so much more relaxed. Tomorrow we will give him a new tube to play with then feed him. It’s a great weekend for him.
I take both my bearded dragons out for walks in their carrier. My youngest one loves it especially. He likes sitting up on top of the hide I put in there for him and looking out through the transparent parts and holes to watch everything going on. He has no signs of being scared at all. My older rescue is still shy but these trips out have worked wonders for his socialisation and mood. On colder days I stick back heat packs underneath the carrier so that they can go under the hide and get heat if they need it. Using this method I can take them out from March to October here in England. It's definitely made taking them to the vet a lot easier, too since I use the same carrier and it means they're not scared when I grab it because whether they're going to the vet first or not, they're getting a nice walk outside out of it. I'm gonna try modifying a second carrier for colder temps, though. Since the youngest one loves these walks so much that he gets noticeably sad if he doesn't go out for a while.
So I have an ADORABLE hognose and i wasn't sure where i would find to share this. Well here we are. I have a knitted blanket that we found he seems to love. So I folded it all up and let him burrow from the top all the way down. It looks like such a huge workout and he seems to LOVE it. after he does it I put him back and he goes to one of his hides and passes out haha. Strongly recommend!!
The JW Pet Hol-EE Roller Dog Toy is something I use for my baby king snake when I have him out on my desk. It's like those jungle gym domes we have at the playground for him. I get the biggest size I can find for him to be safe.
My sweet baby lamb chop gets to run around the whole top floor of my house. It’s beardie proofed just for him. Squiggles is the king. ❤ I took your advice on changing up the enclosure. There was one piece he never sat on and now he sits on top of it all the time I don’t know, but it worked. Thanks! ❤
I always loved herping, I would search for toads during the night but also the day, I saw them do things I assumed the couldn't do. I remember once I was in the wood and crouching down trying to not damage a specific pile of wood while trying to check for toads, when I felt watched. Turned out there was a stump next to me with the biggest toad I'd found so far just quietly watching me, she was a gorgeous toad too, kinda having striped markings instead of the Ol' grey and brown mix. Seeing the toad on that vantage point, knowing they aren't climbers and kinda clumsy made me understand that reptiles and amphibians aren't just a list of boring specific needs. I bought them bigger enclosure, enclosure that had vertical space even if they didn't need them and some wound rather be standing on some sort of high ground and others would just peek from their cave. Cleaning and adding leaves was always fun too, when they come and go and investigate the tank was a pleasure to watch.
I would say leopard geckos are more aware than people give them credit we had a category 2 hurricane hit and they were nervous hearing the heavy rain and limbs hitting the roof for a solid week we lost power and when the power came back on and my fan turned on i came in to check the hit sources and make sure everything turned and the fan was blowing and my leopard gecko was just looking at it like a monster when it turned back on in there long story short i had to remove that fan from the remove cuz he was just in his cave watching it
I personally do most of these things in the video but in my own way, I agree with reptiles enjoying change as all three of my reptiles are always keen on checking out whatever I’ve added moved, my crested gecko especially will always wake up and jump on what ever I bought to add to his tank and will use it as a new sleeping spot for a day, aswell I found some pet stores now carry reptile toys as I bought a feeder ball for my bearded dragon which is basically your idea of the meal worm tub but it’s a clear ball with two holes they move around until the insects fall out(so adorable when they do), and for extra comfort I have each one of my set ups by a window so they get natural light in the morning and when the sun goes away artificial light takes on the rest of the cycle, also found having natural sunlight helps my plants in my tanks aswell, it was really cool to see your ideas and learn a few extra things I could try
When I finish my tank for my turtle, I'm going to put a barrier in that is at just the right height to where fluctuating the water level can give access to another portion of the tub. I can rearrange it and stock it with fingernail clams and even use it as a temporary holding area (filter would be on other side) while I clean the rest of the tub. Such a fun turtle to observe and feed!
are you able to do a video on the humidity requirements of the various blue tongues?? also, the rescue eastern bluey I've commented about here before is doing so much better - he did a super healthy poop today and ate all his food.
So glad to hear you say that it's OK to change up their environment and because I love switching things up at least once a week in my beardies cage age and she seems to love it but then people are telling me that it is stressing her out don't do that but I'm just judging by my beardies behavior and she likes it so I'm super glad to hear you say that it's OK because being a first time bearded dragon owner I obviously have a lot to learn
Thank you for bringing up this topic this is extremely important. This is why I have a problem with tubs. Not because there is actually a problem with tubs but because people who use tubs never seem to give animals enough places to or explore. Even if a breeder does not have time to do most of the things in this video they should at least give the animal lots of places to climb around
This is why I really like the folks at Snake Discovery. Even though they primarily keep their breeding snakes in tubs, they put artificial leaves and flowers from craft stores in there for enrichment, and use actual substrate, instead of paper towels, so the snakes can burrow.
Great ideas! The only one I have a little reserve about is changing the lighting schedule. If you live in an area similar to your species, that’s great, but being from the Midwest, my light schedule is going to be different than equatorial regions, which pretty much do have a year-round 12 hour light cycle. Great video!
i bought my little sister a beardie for early-christmas. i still make sure that i do all the feeding+supplementing and pay for everything. she came into my room this morning and told me that he was black bearding and gaping and flaring at her, and running up and down trying to get at her. I went in and got the lizard, and he snuggled up on my chest and went fast to sleep while i stroked him. he just wanted attention.
I'm still debating on what to get,but have narrowed it down. Anyway,a couple things I have thought of is screening in a porch and enriching it like an aviary or a catio. Another idea is a window enclosure for when the weather is nice. Anyway,these are great ideas and I did them for my pet rats and house rabbits. My parakeets had their play area they could visit any old time,as the cage door was open during the day. An enclosure within an enclosure could also work for a reptile.
Hey Wickens, hope you’re doing well? You know, I don’t even have a reptile of any kind and have never really been interested in having one, but I respect them because they’re living beings. But I enjoy your channel and videos so much, I subscribe to the channel cus you’re fun and informative. I MIGHT even get a little Leopard 🦎 Gecko or a Bearded Dragon one day. Thanks!
7:00 I wish I could take my boy outside, he heard a bird and immediately went "NOPE!" and tried to go inside (Hopefully I can get him a hutch made soon so he can be out and not be scared)
Glad to know I was already doing most of this! I’ve got Mourning Geckos, and since I have to check for eggs so often, I end up moving stuff around rather frequently. Their feeding ledge changes height/wall and food flavour often and they get to hunt fruit flies too. Taking my girls outside and frequent handling isn’t really an option, but I can’t stress the importance of enrichment enough. My girls have never been more active and friendly.
I am just so thankful for you. I absolutely love your videos and I really appreciate what your doing for the reptile community!! Your going to change so many reptiles lives by informing people what they can do for their pets. Thank you so much!!🐍🦎🐢
“Dont bite my ear” 😂 haha, played that again cuz it was funny lol. Also LOVE that u talked about letting large snakes out to explore a room, i hate that people leave their snakes, especially large ones, cooped up in a tank their entire lives.
I absolutely love enrichment! It is one of my favorite things that comes with owning reptiles. My beardy has a bioactive tank, and loves to dig! I gave him 4 to 5 inches of substrate and I gave him a large tile on top of 3 bricks that he is always under or on top of. I am always changing his tank around and changing what and how I feed him. He eats crickets, supwer worms ( his favorite ), meal worms ( very rarely ), calcium worms, and soon I will give him dubias and horn worms. I also always change his veggies and colors of veggies. He loves turnip greens so I normally give him those with at least 1 colorful veggie and every now and then 1 fruit. He gets carrots, red, orange, and green peppers, cilantro, celery, blueberry, black berry, raspberry, grapes ( rarely ), turnip greens, collard greens, cabbage ( rarely ), and so much more. I also always let his feeders run around and feed him in different spots including on top of his hammock. Just the other day i tossed two meal worms into his water to challenge his brain and also keep him hydrated. He also loves running on the ground or going outside! Thanks for an amazing video. And thanks to anyone who read this whole thing. Lol. You are a trooper! 😁
I second the enclosure rearranging something I learned with tiger salamanders. My single salamander is in 55 gallon breeder and every time I rearrange his enclosure. He’s much more active and spends a lot of time exploring.
“I’M A TREE!” - Adam, 2020 No, but really. Thanks for this. I don’t have a reptile yet, but I do have a very interactive betta in a realistically planted and scaped 10 gallon tank. I know he really appreciates all the plants and even watching his shrimp and snail tank mates go about their business. You have given me the idea to vary the flow rate on his filter (within betta tolerance) and to try new programs on my lighting. Thank you
Wickens Wicked Reptiles I have been looking everywhere to figure this out so I thought I would ask you how and is it possible to go bioactive in a wooden Viv I am build a 6x2x2 for my dragon and wanted it To be bio but I don’t want to go the PVC way
@@peytonhenry9039 you could put Redgard on it to seal, then either a really good low/no VOC paint, that thin plastic sheeting they put in bathrooms, or some kind of tile to protect the waterproofing from the dragon and the dragon from the waterproofing
Also worth pointing out that certain levels of stress are both healthy and necessary in all organisms. It's the whole idea with competition and sports for us, and some levels of stress (understanding each individual species and its needs) are a fairly good stimulus for them to be themselves. My lil kings get very controlled interactions and they sometimes smell each other but the bigger snakes and lizards can crawl around supervised and one of them in particular constantly sits by its enclosure door asking to be let outside. Lovely lil animals
"If you're watching this you post pics of your reptile on Instagram" bold of you to assume I have a reptile
or an instgram
Artistic Trash 😂 lol
I dont have either 😅
I have insta
Haha I do @ernie.the.gecko 🤣
TV. My bearded dragon Luna, and her deceased predecessor Cuddles (also a beardie) both really loved watching television when they were out of their tank, so I got one of those little travel TV/DVD player things, and set that up outside the cool end of the tank so they could watch TV while they basked (though Luna had a bad habit of crawling over to the cool end of her tank to get as close to the TV as possible while watching it. Luna also would rearrange things in her tank sometime when she felt like it - such as her blankets, crawl box, pillow, stuffed animals, ect.
Also, reptiles are actually more intelligent than people gave them credit for; there's been a lot more research on it lately. Bearded dragons have proven capable of social learning through observation, can tell specific humans apart and remember how they've treated them, and respond to Delboeuf illusion the same way humans and other intelligent primates do; red foot tortoises can navigate mazes without visual signals; and giant tortoises can remember tricks they were trained to do for over a decade without practicing the trick at all during that time period.
That’s fricking amazing! Even I don’t remember things from 10 years ago!
My screen door doesnt latch properly. I watched my red foot tortoise walk from one side of the door to the other. Inspecting the spot where the door meets the frame.
The one side is hinged. The other side slightly open and slightly swaying in the wind. He went back and forth a few times staring intently at these two spots. He must have figured out how it works because he rammed the small opening in the door and went out to the porch. He seemed quite proud when he saw me come out after him.
This has now become a regular thing he does. I have more examples but this was long enuff
Very interesting!
4:08 that moment when you almost call a room in your house an “enclosure” 👀
I have to admit I’ve done this before too lol
Let's guest spend the night at your house "and this will be your enclosure for the evening" - ways to get people to not stay at your house
I have what I call the "dollar store playground" for my rosy boa and ball python. I spend very little to no money on most toys. I use stuff from around the house, thrift stores and dollar stores: A plastic laundry basket, cardboard boxes with holes cut in them, toilet paper rolls, wooden dowels, step ladder, wicker baskets, plastic Easter eggs, 3-ring binders, and my rosy boas all time favorite toy... a bike helmet. I set up the playground on my bed and they will play for hours. The "ball pit" of dozens of TP cardboard rolls in the laundry basket are always super popular. I put wooden dowels thru the basket holes to make climbing branches. Cardboard boxes with lots of holes cut in them are great cheap toys. I change mine out every month or so or if they get soiled. I have to change up the toys all the time or they get bored of them and look to get into mischief and end up going places that I don't want them. Because of this I know that snakes aren't as simple-minded as some people claim. The entire playground can be set up and taken down in a minute or two and most everything fits into the laundry basket for easy storage.
I think the exercise and my presence helps my slightly timid ball python address his fears. After playing with his toys for a while he acts a lot more relaxed and seems to enjoy being handled. It's so fun when they choose to incorporate you in their play. If snakes had thumbs, they'd give the dollar store playground two thumbs up!
You have given me ideas. Thank you. ☺️
Thank you! My ball python seems to like trying to climb and dig, but I can’t give him a taller enclosure to do this (right now) so I’ve been looking for alternatives
Are you ever concerned about them escaping? I have a young corn snake who is starting to look bored in her enclosure, but she's also kind of flighty and tries to leap away at least once every time she's handled. I'd be afraid of her finding an escape route and getting lost somewhere in the house.
@@hawaiianshirts4715 You can make an enclosed playground in a tub, closet or even one of those net play yard things for bunnies, guinea pigs, etc. They have some that are completely enclosed with a zipper entry/exit that would make it perfect for a flighty reptile. ☺️
I just did the laundry basket with sticks for climbing as well
Hahaha he wants that ear. Twards the end his focus on your ear is hilarious.
Diamond is a silly goose!
Howd you comment on this 2 days ago.... it came out an hour ago?
If you join as a patreon you get early access to vids.
Ears are the number 1 way to enrich a reptiles life
Diamond likes the warmth and smell.
Enrichment has been great for my snakes and beardies. They act so much more chill and calmer around me since i started this a few months ago. Highly recommend. Even if you cant do all of them just a few of them make a difference and develops a better bond. Great vid.
agreed! thanks so much for watching :)
Sumerian Exotics i know he is so good
I love how similar this is to bird care - changing where things are put, swapping items out, changing diet and playtime
basically yes
Grate vid boy go harder
Baby girl 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍
Birds ARE reptiles, so makes sense. I miss my feathery little dinosaurs. Parakeets are so fun to watch & play with when they're socialized to humans.😊❤
I loved when he said “Now lets move on to number one this is kind of expensive and you probably didn’t see this coming-“ add pops up advertising pampers and first thing it said was pampers
I hit Subaru commercial.
Diamond definitely found your ear enriching. At least she was sticking with the topic of the video.
Diamond: 👁👄👁
Adam: IM A TREE
I let my corns explore my desk if they feel like it (sometimes, they prefer sleeve naps or to look out of my sleeve and stare at my monitors, trying to figure out what the heck those things are). For once, my tendency to have my desk cluttered is actually an advantage. Are you aware that you can build a different labyrinth every day from ~50 nail polish bottles (yes, it's okay to laugh, really!)? I also added paper tubes to the chaos.
Naturally, they learned how to climb down the cables at some point, sometimes they do it, sometimes they don't. If they do, well, it's move-that-lazy-butt-time for me. I was surprised to see that they actually prefer to climb on the stool where I have put the feeding bin once (forgot to put it back where it belongs). I leave it there since, along with another small container in which I've put a fake plant and a root. They like to check that one out, too. You might say that, slowly, their playground is expanding and threatening to take over the whole room.
I've also made a part of one bookshelf snake-proof, so when they aim for that, they can explore that, too (all under close supervision, of course).
On another channel, I recently saw an "activity" tree for snakes and think that's simple but genius. You basically take a wine shelf, one of those multi-level flower shelves, or a ladder, clutter the "stations" with items they can climb and explore, and let the snake have some fun. Good for the snake, entertaining to watch, and a great excuse to give in to the occasional impulse shopping when you see a lovely plant or piece of decoration that would just too lovely with a snake in, around, or on top of it but technically, the tank is already full.
No going outside for my snakes, though. We have occasional gang wars between seagulls and crows on the neighbour's roof and I don't want them to think I'm opening a snek-bar.
My ball python would clean the desk of all nail polish bottles very fast. He goes into every hole and doesn't care if it's actually big enough. Had to rescue him a few times. No free roaming without constant supervision. He loves the cats climbing tree.
@@andreheise1170 Sounds like you have an insecure cat pretending to be a snake xD
snek bar lol
this is a great video for the hobby! as a zookeeper, it’s a huge part of my job to enrich animals and i’m sometimes surprised with how little it’s talked about sometimes in the hobby. great vid!
Ryan Sam I’m really new to keeping snakes, my royal python is just over a month old but he’s in a bioactive tank, gets to go out fairly often and we give him new things to discover.
My husband and I are building a snake “tree”, with climbing and excercising things. It’s going to be a wooden shelf unit (like the one people have in attics or sheds) with ropes, hammocks, plants, little new things (I’m thinking dog and cat toys, also some parrot play things seem fun and safe, maybe baby toys) to smell, see, and “cuddle”. His favourite now is a foot sack, basically a large fluffy slipper where you can stick both feet in? I put it on my desk when I’m working and he gets to discover my desk from a soft (dark) place when he is ready. He is really tame and loves exploring. Royal pythons, or ball pythons for the Americans, are NOT pet rocks.
thank you so much
I went bioactive within a month of getting my beardie.
The difference in behavior was immediately noticeable. Oddly enough, she seems to enjoy the plants, even if to destroy.
I accidentally left a female cricket in there once too many. Now, there are crickets living in there. They just munch on the plant matter in there, leave the beardie alone, and provide my beardie something to chase.
I like to train my reptiles for enrichment. I like to teach mine to obey commands like a dog. It's really fun to watch them trying to figure out what I am saying, it's like " your asking me to do what" . Somehow they understand and do exactly like I ask. Great idea, have fun with you're reptiles.
I rearrange everything when I clean and I swap out items for climbing and exploring too!
that's wicked
@@WickensWickedReptiles I see what you did there
I wish I had enough things to do that
I use a few paper towel rolls, a bird ladder, and a drift wood piece. I found the ladder and driftwood on fb marketplace for super cheap!! Other good options can be plastic kids toys so long as you close off holes.
Errin Watson what’s the species?
I take my bearded dragon to PetSmart with me when I need food or supplies. He loves looking out the window of the car when we drive him, he doesn't get stressed at all. Plus he gets attention while we're there and a hornworm when we get home.
I just got my first Ball Python, a Blue-Eyed Lucy! The breeder told me “Do Not put any wood in the enclosure” but because I watched your videos I put wood in there. I catch her climbing on that wood every single night! She absolutely loves it! So, Thank You! If I had listened to the breeder, she would probably still be hiding under her bowl (also a tip from one of your videos! Found it at the Dollar Tree!) Your channel is freaking amazing!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU 😊
I wonder why the breeder advised against wood
@@Skrill99 She said because they are terrestrial, they don’t need it. They think they will be happy living in a tiny box their entire lives. She also said not to give her anything over a 40 gallon once she was full grown! My Lucy loves her wood, branches, rocks and her 20 gallon tank (even though she’s only 4 months old lol 😂) I saw how Adam and even Brian Barychyx upped their enclosure game and their snakes LOVED it!
I have a ball python who things shes a green tree python. Shes always in her cholla branches. I move them around once a month and she thinks she has a new branch to climb. I do the same with my leo.
I let my bearded dragon get to swimming in my bathtub and he loves it and he hates it when I rearrange his cage because he puffs up all mad so I've stopped doing that but he gets to come out of the cage once a week because he's generally in a bad mood lol
I love how he just randomly tells his beardie that he is a tree,also bioactive is amazing and I am hooked
Because of your videos I was able to start my own reptile business and channel at 14. Thanks so much Adam
You got some many cool points off that Trailer Park Boys clip! 😂
RANDY!
@@WickensWickedReptiles I instantly liked the video after that clip lol
My tortoises love their weekly trips to a big field. I've noticed their behavior changes throughout the week ever since I've been doing weekly trips.
I saw people decorating a big puppy pen with different obstacles.
When I move to a bigger place I want to put up one like that for the lizards and "smaller" snakes (not my 1,7m BCI).
I used to rearrange my living room once a year just for fun, my critters get the same thing, I rearrange their enclosures once in a while with different decor, I take mine outside to explore the grass and garden, they get out of their enclosures every day to run around, change up their food, it really important I believe to keep them enriched and happy
nice!
Making King Gizzards enclosure bioactive was the best enrichment idea I ever had and didn't know it was going to do that. His current favorite activity is terrorizing isopods.
“2 birds stoned at once”
I literally thought that before the clip got a chance to play! Lmao!
Great suggestions! I've been free roaming my beardie for a couple of years now and have noticed a huge improvement in behavior. It takes time to figure out how to do this safely but it's not rocket appliances.
What is free roaming? I let my beardie out and about in the livingroom and in our camper. She seems to love it!
@Camping_Beardie I have an enclosure for my beardie but it's always open with a ramp to the ground if he wants to roam around. He rarely wants to come out but it's just a bit of freedom I like to afford him. Just have to make my house beardie proof. I've got a secondary basking spot at another window that he enjoys from time to time.
I got a neglected albino tremper gecko 4 months ago. I set her up in a 25 gallon tank and am slowly switching it over to be bioactive and realistic. I've been rearranging her enclosure every few cleanings, but felt guilty because I read info saying that was too stressful. I'm happy to know others do it and even recommend it. I have a habit of picking up new hides, cork bark ect every time I visit an expo or petshop. I love the idea of taking her out and giving her a playground. She's still a bit nervous being handled so she would probably run right off a table. However, I have a really large tupperware bin that would fit several enrichment items, and give her a new space to explore without overly stressing her or having her get lost. Thanks for a great video!
2:39 Everytime I hear this saying I think of Ricky, the best part is, you showed the clip.
I set up a bio tank with a fogger for my Asian Spiny Toad and she is so much more active now! She loves the humidity and the set up
wicked!
Ricky, Julian, & Bubbles 🫧 TRAILER PARK BOYS reference 😂🤣💕it
RANDY!
What?Mr. Lahey! Is it cause of the cheeseburgers 🍔 🤣😂
I AM THE LIQUOR!!! Best drunk actor ever. May the legend that is Mr Lahey live on!
I had no idea on this, but it makes sense. An eye opener for sure
:)
I like the way Lori Torrini describes the kind of stress that comes with novel encounters for snakes. She explains that for any animal in order to learn and experience new things some stress will occur and they will be forced outside of their comfort zone, which would be like what a snake might experience when you rearrange their enclosure or introduce them to a new space. But it's still beneficial for them. But there is a stress threshold where if they become too stressed or too uncomfortable they are not learning anymore because they are too scared.
I compromised with mine. I keep the sleeping quarters the same and rearrange other areas.
I have always changed up my 4 Dragons enclosures. I absolutely agree. If you do this from the start, they get used to it & in my experience, they don't stress. They do love new stuff & I can see the change in attitude, I can tell they definitely like it. Thank you for getting this info out there. There can never be enough correct info on these guys.
Yeah I also change up our bearded dragon enclosures all the time. Feed them in different ways. And even "stress" them out from time to time, mainly by letting the two of them see each other. It gets all systems pumping and flowing and they run around like little bobbing psychopaths for half an hour. Good exercise. We also have an outdoor enclosure that's much bigger then their indoor ones complete with living edible plants and a lizard spa that they actually use. They will soak themselves and even appear to bathe, they will splash around and even dunk their heads similar to what a bird would do. It's really cool too see them act naturally liked this as well as forage for their greens.
Most of my herps seem indifferent to changes to their tank (or actively annoyed if I move certain things) but my corn loves it when I redecorate, I'll often leave her in her tank while I rearrange things & she will nudge things around with me
that's interesting to hear!
Currently setting up an enclosure for my garter snake as we speak, I get it tomorrow and i'm adding a whole bunch of stuff like loose substrate, spider wood, universal rocks, cork bark, moss, and a bunch of different types of fake plants!
Donk
My crested gecko is so picky if I tried to give him any feeder thats not a cricket he turns his head like a child😂
hahhaha
I don’t think that’s good
Same with my leopard gecko😂
Hydro-Lock how??😂
Thaprojektkidd because it’s probably a reincarnation of an entitled kid
Giving them a bath is another really good activity
I also don't like using live feeders so for my cornsake, once he notices the mouse/rat
I actually try to keep it away from him to simulate hunting a little bit
How does this still only have 2.8K views and 87 comments? This video should be blowing up by now!
I couldn’t take my bearded dragon outside like I usually do because of how cold it got this year in Florida, and he was the happiest I think I’ve ever seen him when I was able to bring him out again yesterday because of the warmer weather
You are right about those tricks, I have a bearded dragon, he is going on 11 years old and I let him walk inside the app. Take him on me put him in a little bit of water, I mean a little tub and he seems to be happy. Thanks for the nice video. Beautiful snakes by the way.
I have my hognoses both In a bioactive enclosure and they love it actually building a 3rd 1 it's great all the lights on a timer isopods and springtails I really enjoy and the snakes love it
Everyone try a pot of Portulaca plants 🪴 in your tank. My Beardies love the flowers and the plants. They are safe, people also feed them to chickens. My baby bearded dragons perch on these in their tank and also munch on the plants a lot. Most plant nurseries don’t spray them because bugs are not a problem for them and they tolerate the heat lamps well and the UV in the tank helps them to grow.
I got my bearded dragon small balls, cat toys, that he kicks around his tank and outside. He wants nothing to do with the green ones, but loves chasing the orange and yellow ones!
5:28 while i do swap up what and how i feed my garter (typically hiding his food around in different spots for him to find instead of just tong-feeding), this has me thinking about getting him an even larger water dish/pool and occasionally giving him some live fish to hunt from time to time 🤔
I am so glad you made this video! My kids and my bf are always picking on me for rearranging my Red eared sliders aquarium every time I clean it. I have been saying exactly what you said to them and you confirmed it. They always say without a doubt he is happy and well taken care of but now they will really believe that it makes sense. I had said, you know in his mind he may think he is just entering a new area a little further down when things are different. Right? I also take him out and put him in an animal playpen with a covered top to get some more room and real outside atmosphere and sometimes let him hang out in it for a bit inside with us too.Thanks for another awesome and informative video.
I asked the question on moving around my Beardie's tank decor on another video. You have answered my question on here. Thanks man
This was really helpful! Xeno my beardie looked really down until now. I changed up her habitat and lizard proofed my room so she can free roam. Thanks to you she seems a lot happier now!
I made a small enclosure out of a cardboard box which was placed on a sunny window for my beardie and he seemed to love watching the world go by. Whenever birds flew too close he would jump down and hide under his log then would reappear when the coast was clear. Sometimes he would pace up and down his (6' x 2' viv) and I'm sure he was wanting out as when placed him on the window he would calm right down and get back to his 'lookout duty'.
Now that I've got a proper sized hab for my Beardie, I definitely plan on changing things up. Different basking surfaces, different branches, different decor. I've always done "walk about " time in a safe room, and he definitely loves it. Thanks for this video!
I love finding unique rocks for my boys. I clean them well & they just love getting new cool things to use! I have a stroller for them & walk them alot. They absolutely love it! ❤️
My little lizard loves obstacle courses, boxes, blankets, toilet paper tubes. He loves scrambling along the table or on the floor of my gaming room. He likes watching me play computer games. Every time I clean out his cage I also rearrange the items in his tank, he acts like it is a whole new world and moves around exploring as soon as I put him back
Ball pit. I have a tub full of Easter eggs and paper towel and toilet paper tubes and my ball pythons love it.
We love taking my son’s leopard gecko out to play! We make a blanket tunnel that he can climb or hide in, he loves having his head rubbed and just exploring.
I really appreciate this video, it's a topic that people should really consider seriously. Often when I ask someone what their reptiles, especially snakes like to do for fun I'm met with a confused response and it's sad, we know we need to walk our dogs, but don't think twice about keeping a large curious interactive pet snake in a box it's whole life. Mine is a Kingsnake and when he's interested in coming out, usually in the mornings he has my whole office to explore and he sniffs everything and checks the whole room to make sure everything is as it should be. I can't imagine him not having the option to be out and whats the point of having a pet you never see. Thank you.
We've had our ball python for a little over a week. He's been outside twice and handled several times. He likes to explore blankets, especially if we put one in the dryer for a bit.
He was neglected for years prior to being rehomed with us. The change in his activity is already extreme.
I love rearranging when I clean my snakes enclosures. Something I like to do is collect and sanitize wood pieces from the woods behind my house and then add them in or switch them out with other pieces. It’s fun to do and I can see it perks my snakes interests in their space again, for a little while at least.
My king seems to love exploring a new tank as well. Such fun to decorate for him.
I'm trying to give my beardie the best life possible, at about 6 months I might go bioactive, beardie is still a hatchling and my first reptile, so I'm not so comfortable with the loose substrate at the moment, I'm just trying to get through his first shed with me right now lol, he's become a bit skidish and snarky when I try to pet him or handle him for baths, but his tail is dull colored and part of his left side is dull colored, and his nostril already shed, so I am attributing his change in behavior to him shedding, and that's what I've read so far, so hopefully he gets thru it and settles down before he does it again, being only about a month old and all 🤦🏻♂️😂
Tortoises, which is what I have a lot of, really don't like change. They get pretty stressed and pout sometimes for weeks after any significant changes in their enclosure. But I do try to vary their food/feeding as much as possible.
gotta change it up for sure :)
I think this works for fish too i moved a couple of hides around in my beta tank just now and he is exploring way more normally at this time he would be in his cave
Had to come back to this video to tell you this. Pretty sweet!
We changed our luc tx rat snakes terrarium to a front closure instead of top. We took all his stuff while he was sleeping except his hide. When he woke up and started moving around he was like,”what…happened?”
Then we put him into his new terrarium and moved his hide in but with wet moss in it. He was all over that new terrarium exploring each and every inch of the space. He loves the bio substrate.
The back and sides are tinted. Our cats have been watching him too closely and stressing him. Now he’s relaxed, not glass surfing and , well … just looks happier and has much better body language.
So wonderful to see his so much more relaxed. Tomorrow we will give him a new tube to play with then feed him. It’s a great weekend for him.
I wrote this stuff down so I can try it all
amazing!
My bearded dragon is in a 400 gallon tank with a swimming pool and a huge log, so she can stimulate herself whenever she feels like.
wow!
Mine has a 50 gallon tank ):
My bearded dragon would drown himself within the hour. Hes not very bright
I take my iguana for walks she loves looking around at nature
I take both my bearded dragons out for walks in their carrier. My youngest one loves it especially. He likes sitting up on top of the hide I put in there for him and looking out through the transparent parts and holes to watch everything going on. He has no signs of being scared at all. My older rescue is still shy but these trips out have worked wonders for his socialisation and mood. On colder days I stick back heat packs underneath the carrier so that they can go under the hide and get heat if they need it. Using this method I can take them out from March to October here in England. It's definitely made taking them to the vet a lot easier, too since I use the same carrier and it means they're not scared when I grab it because whether they're going to the vet first or not, they're getting a nice walk outside out of it. I'm gonna try modifying a second carrier for colder temps, though. Since the youngest one loves these walks so much that he gets noticeably sad if he doesn't go out for a while.
“IM A TREE” sent me, 🤣 you said it so aggressively 🤣
hahaha
So I have an ADORABLE hognose and i wasn't sure where i would find to share this. Well here we are. I have a knitted blanket that we found he seems to love. So I folded it all up and let him burrow from the top all the way down. It looks like such a huge workout and he seems to LOVE it. after he does it I put him back and he goes to one of his hides and passes out haha. Strongly recommend!!
Diamond: (whispers) you better not f this up bro so help me God.
he did say that... didn't realize the mic picked it up
@@WickensWickedReptiles I was lip reading 😂 🦎
The JW Pet Hol-EE Roller Dog Toy is something I use for my baby king snake when I have him out on my desk. It's like those jungle gym domes we have at the playground for him. I get the biggest size I can find for him to be safe.
My sweet baby lamb chop gets to run around the whole top floor of my house. It’s beardie proofed just for him. Squiggles is the king. ❤ I took your advice on changing up the enclosure. There was one piece he never sat on and now he sits on top of it all the time I don’t know, but it worked. Thanks! ❤
Fellow canadian here! Love that your from Canada!
OH CANADAAAAAAAA
I always loved herping, I would search for toads during the night but also the day, I saw them do things I assumed the couldn't do. I remember once I was in the wood and crouching down trying to not damage a specific pile of wood while trying to check for toads, when I felt watched. Turned out there was a stump next to me with the biggest toad I'd found so far just quietly watching me, she was a gorgeous toad too, kinda having striped markings instead of the Ol' grey and brown mix. Seeing the toad on that vantage point, knowing they aren't climbers and kinda clumsy made me understand that reptiles and amphibians aren't just a list of boring specific needs. I bought them bigger enclosure, enclosure that had vertical space even if they didn't need them and some wound rather be standing on some sort of high ground and others would just peek from their cave. Cleaning and adding leaves was always fun too, when they come and go and investigate the tank was a pleasure to watch.
I would say leopard geckos are more aware than people give them credit we had a category 2 hurricane hit and they were nervous hearing the heavy rain and limbs hitting the roof for a solid week we lost power and when the power came back on and my fan turned on i came in to check the hit sources and make sure everything turned and the fan was blowing and my leopard gecko was just looking at it like a monster when it turned back on in there long story short i had to remove that fan from the remove cuz he was just in his cave watching it
I personally do most of these things in the video but in my own way, I agree with reptiles enjoying change as all three of my reptiles are always keen on checking out whatever I’ve added moved, my crested gecko especially will always wake up and jump on what ever I bought to add to his tank and will use it as a new sleeping spot for a day, aswell I found some pet stores now carry reptile toys as I bought a feeder ball for my bearded dragon which is basically your idea of the meal worm tub but it’s a clear ball with two holes they move around until the insects fall out(so adorable when they do), and for extra comfort I have each one of my set ups by a window so they get natural light in the morning and when the sun goes away artificial light takes on the rest of the cycle, also found having natural sunlight helps my plants in my tanks aswell, it was really cool to see your ideas and learn a few extra things I could try
YES I 1000% AGREE CHANGE UP YOUR REPTILES ENCLOSURE FREQUENTLY!!!
Dude that Ricky quote is part of normal dialogue with my friends haha! Thanks for the good ideas.
nobody wants to admit they ate 9 cans of Ravioli, but I did
@@WickensWickedReptiles tried to refuckulate the computers and land on Juniper.
When I finish my tank for my turtle, I'm going to put a barrier in that is at just the right height to where fluctuating the water level can give access to another portion of the tub. I can rearrange it and stock it with fingernail clams and even use it as a temporary holding area (filter would be on other side) while I clean the rest of the tub. Such a fun turtle to observe and feed!
are you able to do a video on the humidity requirements of the various blue tongues?? also, the rescue eastern bluey I've commented about here before is doing so much better - he did a super healthy poop today and ate all his food.
So glad to hear you say that it's OK to change up their environment and because I love switching things up at least once a week in my beardies cage age and she seems to love it but then people are telling me that it is stressing her out don't do that but I'm just judging by my beardies behavior and she likes it so I'm super glad to hear you say that it's OK because being a first time bearded dragon owner I obviously have a lot to learn
Thank you for bringing up this topic this is extremely important. This is why I have a problem with tubs. Not because there is actually a problem with tubs but because people who use tubs never seem to give animals enough places to or explore. Even if a breeder does not have time to do most of the things in this video they should at least give the animal lots of places to climb around
This is why I really like the folks at Snake Discovery. Even though they primarily keep their breeding snakes in tubs, they put artificial leaves and flowers from craft stores in there for enrichment, and use actual substrate, instead of paper towels, so the snakes can burrow.
@@eliberdinner4808 and they take their snakes out for programs and exercise
looking intensely at Brian
Great ideas! The only one I have a little reserve about is changing the lighting schedule. If you live in an area similar to your species, that’s great, but being from the Midwest, my light schedule is going to be different than equatorial regions, which pretty much do have a year-round 12 hour light cycle.
Great video!
i bought my little sister a beardie for early-christmas. i still make sure that i do all the feeding+supplementing and pay for everything. she came into my room this morning and told me that he was black bearding and gaping and flaring at her, and running up and down trying to get at her. I went in and got the lizard, and he snuggled up on my chest and went fast to sleep while i stroked him. he just wanted attention.
I'm still debating on what to get,but have narrowed it down. Anyway,a couple things I have thought of is screening in a porch and enriching it like an aviary or a catio. Another idea is a window enclosure for when the weather is nice. Anyway,these are great ideas and I did them for my pet rats and house rabbits. My parakeets had their play area they could visit any old time,as the cage door was open during the day. An enclosure within an enclosure could also work for a reptile.
Hey Wickens, hope you’re doing well? You know, I don’t even have a reptile of any kind and have never really been interested in having one, but I respect them because they’re living beings. But I enjoy your channel and videos so much, I subscribe to the channel cus you’re fun and informative. I MIGHT even get a little Leopard 🦎 Gecko or a Bearded Dragon one day. Thanks!
hey thanks so much for the kind words :)
7:00 I wish I could take my boy outside, he heard a bird and immediately went "NOPE!" and tried to go inside
(Hopefully I can get him a hutch made soon so he can be out and not be scared)
Glad to know I was already doing most of this! I’ve got Mourning Geckos, and since I have to check for eggs so often, I end up moving stuff around rather frequently. Their feeding ledge changes height/wall and food flavour often and they get to hunt fruit flies too. Taking my girls outside and frequent handling isn’t really an option, but I can’t stress the importance of enrichment enough. My girls have never been more active and friendly.
I am just so thankful for you. I absolutely love your videos and I really appreciate what your doing for the reptile community!! Your going to change so many reptiles lives by informing people what they can do for their pets. Thank you so much!!🐍🦎🐢
Thank you so much!
“Dont bite my ear” 😂 haha, played that again cuz it was funny lol. Also LOVE that u talked about letting large snakes out to explore a room, i hate that people leave their snakes, especially large ones, cooped up in a tank their entire lives.
100%
I absolutely love enrichment! It is one of my favorite things that comes with owning reptiles. My beardy has a bioactive tank, and loves to dig! I gave him 4 to 5 inches of substrate and I gave him a large tile on top of 3 bricks that he is always under or on top of. I am always changing his tank around and changing what and how I feed him. He eats crickets, supwer worms ( his favorite ), meal worms ( very rarely ), calcium worms, and soon I will give him dubias and horn worms. I also always change his veggies and colors of veggies. He loves turnip greens so I normally give him those with at least 1 colorful veggie and every now and then 1 fruit. He gets carrots, red, orange, and green peppers, cilantro, celery, blueberry, black berry, raspberry, grapes ( rarely ), turnip greens, collard greens, cabbage ( rarely ), and so much more. I also always let his feeders run around and feed him in different spots including on top of his hammock. Just the other day i tossed two meal worms into his water to challenge his brain and also keep him hydrated. He also loves running on the ground or going outside! Thanks for an amazing video. And thanks to anyone who read this whole thing. Lol. You are a trooper! 😁
I second the enclosure rearranging something I learned with tiger salamanders. My single salamander is in 55 gallon breeder and every time I rearrange his enclosure. He’s much more active and spends a lot of time exploring.
“I’M A TREE!” - Adam, 2020
No, but really. Thanks for this. I don’t have a reptile yet, but I do have a very interactive betta in a realistically planted and scaped 10 gallon tank. I know he really appreciates all the plants and even watching his shrimp and snail tank mates go about their business. You have given me the idea to vary the flow rate on his filter (within betta tolerance) and to try new programs on my lighting. Thank you
This is perfect timing for quarantine
right!
Wickens Wicked Reptiles I have been looking everywhere to figure this out so I thought I would ask you how and is it possible to go bioactive in a wooden Viv I am build a 6x2x2 for my dragon and wanted it To be bio but I don’t want to go the PVC way
@@peytonhenry9039 you could put Redgard on it to seal, then either a really good low/no VOC paint, that thin plastic sheeting they put in bathrooms, or some kind of tile to protect the waterproofing from the dragon and the dragon from the waterproofing
Also worth pointing out that certain levels of stress are both healthy and necessary in all organisms. It's the whole idea with competition and sports for us, and some levels of stress (understanding each individual species and its needs) are a fairly good stimulus for them to be themselves. My lil kings get very controlled interactions and they sometimes smell each other but the bigger snakes and lizards can crawl around supervised and one of them in particular constantly sits by its enclosure door asking to be let outside. Lovely lil animals
Between your video and @Random Unicorn’s post here, I’ve got a million ideas for enriching the lives of my reptiles. Ty to the both of you. ☺️
My dragon loves a black towl on the bottom of the bath and a bubbler. Loves ❤️ it.
I should probably do this. Sometimes, Lu, my leopard gecko, just won't settle and it's not until I pick him up that he calms down.
You put in the “get two birds stoned at once” 😂😂 ever since I saw that episode of trailer park boys I use that saying all the time 😂
I had a bp that, everytime I rearranged her enclosure, she would move everything back how she liked it 😂
nice!
My young sulcata (5) she has always been shy... But she loves my room