The Reptile Series provides information on a variety of herpetological species and how to take care of them: the right kind of housing, temperature, food, lights, and veterinarian. Turtles, snakes, iguanas, lizards, and geckos all have different needs from anything that was born wearing fur. Keeping a reptile happy and healthy isn't difficult, but it helps to have a resource you can trust. Melissa Kaplan, author of Iguanas for Dummies, wrote the Reptile Series for Veterinary Partner.

 Feeding Reptiles
 Reptile Basics
 Reptile Species
 Reptile Enclosures
 Iguana Care, Feeding, and Socialization

Pets Are Non-Negotiable Part Of Life For Animal Lovers
Gina says, "For the life of me I cannot understand why men who know that I write columns and books about pets would be surprised to find out that I have them, and are even more taken aback by the fact that they're a non-negotiable part of my life."

Iguana Feces and Urates
Most new iguana keepers have never had reptiles before, or have had omnivorous or carnivorous reptiles. While there are strong similarities, iguana poop (the technical term used by ig keepers) seems to confound new iguana keepers.

Softshell Turtles
The softshells truly have soft shells: in fact, their shells are mostly thickened skin. They are carnivores and as such are able to render some very painful bites should they be so inclined. Due to their aggressive tendencies, especially if overcrowded, they should be kept single or in pairs.

Metabolic Bone Disease
Signs of metabolic bone disease include hard knobs in the long bones of the legs, bumps along the vertebral column of the back and tail, bilateral softening or hard swelling of the lower jaw, and softening of the plastron or carapace. All of these signs may be felt before they can be seen, making a careful physical exam important.