Library
Care, written for the animal in front of you.
70 species guides covering enclosure, heat and light, humidity, diet, health, breeding and the law. Every figure is footnoted to its source: veterinary references, zoos, universities, government agencies and conservation groups.
70 species
Lizards
Ackie Monitor
Varanus acanthurus · Advanced
A dwarf monitor that looks like a pocket Komodo dragon. Bright, bold and curious, it needs a deep dig layer, a scorching basking spot and a keeper who weighs its insects.
Lizards
African Fat-tailed Gecko
Hemitheconyx caudicinctus · Beginner
The leopard gecko's West African cousin. Just as calm, but it wants a little more humidity and a more enclosed, sheltered setup.
Lizards
Argentine Black and White Tegu
Salvator merianae · Advanced
A big, smart, dog-like omnivore that can become remarkably tame. It also needs a room-sized enclosure and an owner ready for a lizard the size of a medium dog.
Lizards
Bearded Dragon
Pogona vitticeps · Beginner
A sun-loving, even-tempered lizard from inland Australia. A long enclosure with a hot basking spot, strong UVB, and a diet that shifts from insects to greens as it grows.
Lizards
Blue-tongued Skink
Tiliqua spp. · Beginner
A heavy-bodied, short-legged, easygoing omnivore that sticks out a cobalt-blue tongue as a bluff. One of the best "handleable" lizards, but the commitment can run decades.
Lizards
Chahoua Gecko
Mniarogekko chahoua · Intermediate
A moss- and lichen-patterned New Caledonian gecko with a prehensile tail. It eats a commercial fruit-based gecko diet plus insects. It's a timid, jumpy climber that does well at room temperature but is easily hurt by heat above 85°F, and it is a long-term commitment.
Lizards
Chinese Water Dragon
Physignathus cocincinus · Advanced
A big, leafy-green, tree-climbing, swimming agamid from Southeast Asia. Beautiful and usually tame once settled, but it needs a tall, humid, room-scale enclosure and a pool.
Lizards
Crested Gecko
Correlophus ciliatus · Beginner
A night-active, tree-climbing gecko from New Caledonia that does well at room temperature. A tall enclosure, evening misting, and a complete powdered diet with some insects.
Lizards
Gargoyle Gecko
Rhacodactylus auriculatus · Beginner
A sturdy, knobby-headed New Caledonian gecko that eats a powdered fruit diet. Easy to keep, and less jumpy in the hand than a crested gecko.
Lizards
Giant Day Gecko
Phelsuma grandis · Intermediate
A brilliant green, red-flecked gecko that is awake by day. A spectacular display animal that needs bright UVB, height and patience, not handling.
Lizards
Green Anole
Anolis carolinensis · Beginner
America's native "chameleon", a small, quick, green-to-brown lizard that flashes a pink-red throat fan. Cheap to buy, but it still needs real UVB, heat and humidity.
Lizards
Leachianus Gecko
Rhacodactylus leachianus · Intermediate
The New Caledonian giant gecko. A heavy-bodied, bark-patterned, surprisingly vocal lizard, and the largest gecko species alive today.
Lizards
Leopard Gecko
Eublepharis macularius · Beginner
A calm, ground-dwelling gecko from the rocky dry country of south Asia. Warm belly heat, a humid hide for shedding, live insects, and calcium every week.
Lizards
Panther Chameleon
Furcifer pardalis · Advanced
Madagascar's living rainbow, with colors that depend on where its ancestors came from. A beautiful, demanding animal to watch, never one to hold.
Lizards
Rankin's Dragon
Pogona henrylawsoni · Beginner
The smallest of the bearded dragons, also called Lawson's or the black-soil bearded dragon. It has a bearded dragon's personality in a more compact lizard.
Lizards
Tokay Gecko
Gekko gecko · Advanced
A big, loud, beautifully spotted gecko from tropical Asia with a hard bite. A display animal for experienced keepers, not a lizard to cuddle.
Lizards
Uromastyx (Spiny-tailed Lizard)
Uromastyx spp. · Intermediate
A sun-loving, plant-eating desert lizard with a spiked club of a tail. It needs serious heat, very low humidity and a big floor space to dig and roam.
Lizards
Veiled Chameleon
Chamaeleo calyptratus · Intermediate
The hardiest of the commonly kept chameleons, with a tall casque and a temper to match. It is a look-don't-touch pet that lives or dies by airflow, droplets and UVB.
Snakes
Ball Python
Python regius · Beginner
A calm, compact African python that curls into a ball when nervous. Small enough for a standard enclosure, with a long life and an enormous range of color morphs.
Snakes
Boa Constrictor (Red-tailed Boa)
Boa constrictor (incl. B. imperator) · Intermediate
The classic pet boa, a heavy-bodied, calm constrictor from Central and South America. Long-lived and usually docile, but adults need a 6-foot enclosure and a long-term commitment.
Snakes
Brazilian Rainbow Boa
Epicrates cenchria · Intermediate
A slender, rust-red boa whose scales shimmer with a rainbow sheen. Mid-sized and long-lived, but it needs consistently high humidity, which is where most keepers go wrong.
Snakes
Burmese Python
Python bivittatus · Advanced
One of the world's largest snakes. Hatchlings are small and often calm, but they grow fast into heavy, powerful adults that need room-sized housing, rabbit-sized meals and two or more trained people for routine care. A high-risk large constrictor that is federally listed injurious wildlife in the U.S.
Snakes
California Kingsnake
Lampropeltis californiae · Beginner
A bold, banded or striped kingsnake from the western US and Mexico. Hardy, active and a great first snake, as long as it lives alone, because kingsnakes eat other snakes.
Snakes
Carpet Python
Morelia spilota · Intermediate
A strikingly patterned, semi-arboreal python from Australia and New Guinea. Hatchlings can be nippy, but most grow into docile adults that need a tall enclosure and plenty to climb.
Snakes
Children's Python
Antaresia childreni · Beginner
A small, hardy, good-natured python from northern Australia. One of the most manageable pythons you can keep.
Snakes
Common Garter Snake
Thamnophis sirtalis · Beginner
A small, striped, day-active snake from across North America. Garters don't constrict, love to swim and eat worms and fish as well as mice, so they need a wetter, more varied setup than most pet snakes.
Snakes
Corn Snake
Pantherophis guttatus · Beginner
A gentle, hardy rat snake from the southeastern US. Slender, curious and available in a huge range of colors, it is one of the best first snakes there is.
Snakes
Dumeril's Boa
Acrantophis dumerili · Advanced
A heavy-bodied, ground-dwelling boa from southern Madagascar with a beautiful leaf-litter pattern. It is a powerful constrictor that Novel Fauna places in its high-risk large-constrictor class, and it is listed on CITES Appendix I, so every animal must be legally captive-bred and documented.
Snakes
Eastern Hognose Snake
Heterodon platirhinos · Advanced
The western hognose's bigger eastern cousin, with the same upturned snout and theatrical death-feigning act. It is rear-fanged and mildly venomous, and it is a toad specialist that is rarely kept in captivity, so feeding is the real challenge. Some states protect it, so it must never be collected from the wild.
Snakes
Gopher Snake
Pituophis catenifer · Intermediate
A big, harmless North American constrictor and a master rattlesnake impersonator. It is active and handsome, and captive-bred animals often settle well, but it needs a long, secure enclosure, room to burrow and patience with its loud bluffing.
Snakes
Gray-banded Kingsnake
Lampropeltis alterna · Intermediate
A secretive, nocturnal kingsnake from the rocky Chihuahuan Desert, prized for its endlessly variable gray, black and orange banding. Adults are docile and easy to house, but hatchlings are often lizard specialists that can be hard to start on mice.
Snakes
Green Tree Python
Morelia viridis · Advanced
A vivid green, tree-dwelling python from New Guinea and far-north Australia that spends its life coiled on a branch. Spectacular, but best treated as a display animal with exacting heat and humidity needs.
Snakes
Kenyan Sand Boa
Eryx colubrinus · Beginner
A small, stout, burrowing boa from dry northeast Africa that spends most of its time just under the surface. Calm, compact and easy to house in a modest enclosure.
Snakes
Milk Snake
Lampropeltis triangulum · Intermediate
A slender, gentle relative of the kingsnakes, banded in red, black and white or yellow. Harmless, though it mimics the venomous coral snake, and it must live alone.
Snakes
Reticulated Python
Malayopython reticulatus · Advanced
Probably the world's longest snake. Retics are intelligent, active and striking, but they can be bite-prone and unpredictable, and big females outgrow almost any home. A high-risk large constrictor for skilled, experienced keepers only, and federally listed injurious wildlife in the U.S.
Snakes
Rosy Boa
Lichanura trivirgata · Beginner
A small, slow, gentle desert boa from the American Southwest and northern Mexico. Easy to handle and long-lived, it wants warmth, dry air and room to burrow.
Snakes
Spotted Python
Antaresia maculosa · Beginner
A small, blotched python from eastern Australia. Calm with regular handling, easy to house, and a good step up from a first snake.
Snakes
Western Hognose Snake
Heterodon nasicus · Intermediate
A small, stocky prairie snake with an upturned nose and a famous bluffing act. Easy to house, but it is rear-fanged and mildly venomous, and babies can be picky eaters.
Snakes
Western Rat Snake (Black Rat Snake)
Pantherophis obsoletus · Beginner
A glossy black, curious and capable climber from the central US. Hardy and generally docile, it wants a tall enclosure with branches to explore.
Turtles & tortoises
Common Musk Turtle
Sternotherus odoratus · Beginner
The "stinkpot" is one of the smallest freshwater turtles in the pet trade. It is a bottom-walking aquatic turtle that suits a modest tank, but it still needs strong filtration, UVB and a commitment that can outlast decades. Not a turtle for handling.
Turtles & tortoises
Eastern Box Turtle
Terrapene carolina carolina · Intermediate
A bright-patterned, hinge-shelled woodland turtle from the eastern US. Personable and long-lived, it needs a roomy, humid land enclosure with a soaking dish, UVB and a varied diet of worms, insects and produce. Never take one from the wild.
Turtles & tortoises
Hermann's Tortoise
Testudo hermanni · Beginner
A medium-sized Mediterranean tortoise with a bold yellow-and-black shell. Hardy and long-lived, it does best outdoors in summer and needs strong UVB, a weedy high-fiber diet and room to roam.
Turtles & tortoises
Leopard Tortoise
Stigmochelys pardalis · Advanced
A big, beautiful grazing tortoise from the African savanna that does not hibernate. It is hardy and gentle, but it grows quickly into a strong animal that needs a large, secure, heated outdoor setup, a grass-and-hay diet and care for generations.
Turtles & tortoises
Red-eared Slider
Trachemys scripta elegans · Intermediate
America's classic pet turtle. Hardy, social and long-lived, but the tiny hatchling grows into a large aquatic turtle that needs a big filtered tank or pond, UVB and decades of care. Please never release one.
Turtles & tortoises
Red-footed Tortoise
Chelonoidis carbonarius · Intermediate
A colorful, curious tortoise from the warm, humid forest edges of South America. Unlike desert tortoises, it needs high humidity, a varied diet with some fruit and a little animal protein, and year-round warmth.
Turtles & tortoises
Russian Tortoise
Testudo horsfieldii · Beginner
A small, stocky, four-toed tortoise from the dry steppes of Central Asia. Active, curious and a famous digger, it needs bright UVB, a dry warm enclosure and a high-fiber diet of weeds and greens.
Turtles & tortoises
Sulcata Tortoise
Centrochelys sulcata · Advanced
The African spurred tortoise, the world's largest mainland tortoise. Hatchlings are tiny and charming, but adults are huge, powerful diggers that need a big, secure, heated outdoor space for the rest of a very long life.
Frogs & toads
African Clawed Frog
Xenopus laevis · Beginner
A fully aquatic, tongueless frog with clawed hind toes and a huge appetite. Simple to keep in a lidded, still-water aquarium, but it is invasive where released and is banned or permit-only in some U.S. states, so check your local law first.
Frogs & toads
Amazon Milk Frog
Trachycephalus resinifictrix · Intermediate
A large, bumpy, gray-and-brown banded tree frog from the Amazon canopy. It is nocturnal, loud and named for the milky defensive secretion it releases when stressed. It needs a tall, humid, well-ventilated tropical enclosure and very little handling.
Frogs & toads
Budgett's Frog
Lepidobatrachus laevis · Intermediate
A flat, round, mostly aquatic "all mouth" frog from the Gran Chaco region of South America. It is fascinating and hardy, but it bites, shrieks and will try to eat anything that fits. It needs clean, shallow water, careful feeding and almost no handling.
Frogs & toads
Dyeing Dart Frog
Dendrobates tinctorius · Intermediate
A day-active South American poison frog for a planted, humid vivarium. Keep adults in pairs, and enjoy them by watching rather than handling.
Frogs & toads
Golden Poison Frog
Phyllobates terribilis · Intermediate
The famous "most toxic frog," a solid yellow, mint or orange poison frog from a tiny corner of Colombia. Captive-bred frogs lose their toxins on a captive diet, but they still need a humid, planted, floor-focused vivarium. Admire them through the glass rather than handling them.
Frogs & toads
Green and Black Dart Frog
Dendrobates auratus · Intermediate
A busy, bold dart frog in black banded with green or blue. One of the few dart frogs that can live in small same-species groups. Needs a planted, humid vivarium and tiny dusted insects.
Frogs & toads
Mimic Poison Frog
Ranitomeya imitator · Advanced
A tiny, very active Peruvian poison frog famous for copying the colors of other poison frogs and for a monogamous pair that raises its young together. A rewarding species for keepers who already have dart frog experience and can supply very small live food.
Frogs & toads
Oriental Fire-bellied Toad
Bombina orientalis · Beginner
A warty, green-and-black toad with a flaming red-orange belly. Social, active by day and semi-aquatic, it suits a half-land, half-shallow-water tank. Its skin secretions are irritating, so it is a pet to watch rather than hold.
Frogs & toads
Ornate Horned Frog
Ceratophrys ornata · Beginner
The original "Pac-Man frog," a round, colorful ambush predator from the grasslands of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. It is inactive and easy to house, but it eats anything that fits in its mouth, gains weight readily and bites hard, so it's a frog to watch rather than handle.
Frogs & toads
Pacman Frog
Ceratophrys cranwelli · Beginner
Cranwell's horned frog, a round, big-mouthed ambush predator from South America's Gran Chaco. It spends most of its life buried to the eyes in damp substrate. Easy to house and fun to feed, but best watched rather than handled.
Frogs & toads
Red-eyed Tree Frog
Agalychnis callidryas · Intermediate
The rainforest icon with leaf-green skin, blue-and-yellow flanks and bulging red eyes. A nocturnal climber that needs a tall, planted, humid vivarium and gentle, minimal handling.
Frogs & toads
Surinam Horned Frog
Ceratophrys cornuta · Intermediate
The Amazonian horned frog, a round, camouflaged leaf-litter ambush predator with prominent horns above its eyes. Its care is like other Pac-Man frogs, but many in the trade have been wild-caught, so seek captive-bred animals and expect a strong feeding response.
Frogs & toads
Tomato Frog
Dyscophus guineti · Beginner
A plump, orange-red burrowing frog from Madagascar's eastern rainforests. It is calm and spends much of its time buried, but it needs clean, damp substrate and a shallow water area. When stressed it puffs up and releases a sticky, irritating skin secretion.
Frogs & toads
Vietnamese Mossy Frog
Theloderma corticale · Intermediate
A semi-aquatic frog from northern Vietnam's mountain streams and flooded caves, with skin that looks so much like moss it's almost invisible when still. It is nocturnal and secretive. It needs a humid vivarium with a large, clean water area and climbing surfaces above it.
Frogs & toads
White's Tree Frog
Ranoidea caerulea · Beginner
The plump, "smiling" green tree frog from Australia and New Guinea. Hardy, calm and widely captive bred, it needs a tall, well-ventilated terrarium, moderate humidity and a varied, dusted insect diet.
Frogs & toads
Yellow-banded Dart Frog
Dendrobates leucomelas · Intermediate
A dart frog banded in bold yellow and black. A larger, outgoing species from northern South America that can be kept in small groups in a planted, humid vivarium.
Salamanders
Axolotl
Ambystoma mexicanum · Intermediate
A fully aquatic Mexican salamander that keeps its feathery gills for life. Easy to feed and fascinating to watch, but it needs a cycled, cool, gently filtered aquarium. In the U.S. it is now federally listed injurious wildlife.
Salamanders
Chinese Fire-bellied Newt
Cynops orientalis · Beginner
A small black newt with a bright orange-red belly from still waters of eastern China. It needs a cool, clean, mostly aquatic tank, and it is toxic, so it is a watch-don't-touch pet. In the U.S. it is federally listed as injurious wildlife, which limits imports and some shipping.
Salamanders
Eastern Tiger Salamander
Ambystoma tigrinum · Beginner
A big, burrowing North American salamander with yellow blotches on black and a hearty appetite. It's a calm, low-maintenance terrarium animal as long as it's kept cool and moist. In the U.S. it's federally listed injurious wildlife.
Salamanders
Fire Salamander
Salamandra salamandra · Intermediate
Europe's iconic black-and-yellow salamander. It's long-lived, nocturnal and toxic to touch. Keep it cool, keep it dry-ish with a water bowl, and keep it scrupulously clean. It's a conservation-focused species threatened by the Bsal fungus, and U.S. federal injurious wildlife rules apply.
Mammals
African Pygmy Hedgehog
Atelerix albiventris · Intermediate
A small, nocturnal, insect-eating mammal with a coat of smooth spines. Hedgehogs are curious and charming, but they need steady warmth, a solid-surface wheel, a measured diet and patient, regular handling to become tame. They're illegal or permit-only in some U.S. states and cities.
Invertebrates
Isopods (Pillbugs & Sowbugs)
Isopoda · Beginner
A group guide to terrestrial isopods, the pillbugs, sowbugs and tropical "designer" species kept as pets and as vivarium cleanup crews. They are harmless and easy, but they depend completely on moisture. The essentials are a damp, dark home with a moisture gradient and decaying leaves and wood to eat.
Invertebrates
Tarantula
Theraphosidae · Beginner
A group guide to pet tarantulas, the world's biggest spiders. Common New World species such as the Chilean rose and Mexican red-knee are hardy, quiet display pets. Match the setup to the species, leave molting spiders alone, and keep handling to a minimum. Old World species are fast, defensive and best for experienced keepers.