Which are the best reptiles to stock?
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With reptile keeping becoming more popular it's key that retailers stock the right livestock. So we've asked Dave Perry, director of Peregrine Livefoods, to select his favourites...
Dave says the UK market is now dominated by captive-bred animals, with the majority of livestock sales concentrated in a small group of core species: leopard geckos, cornsnakes, bearded dragons, tortoises and crested geckos.
Here Dave gives his rundown on those top five species:
Leopard gecko
- Small ground living gecko from Afghanistan and India.
- One of the first lizards to be bred in captivity and are avilable in a huge range of morphs not found in the wild. They are a truly domestic reptile.
- Insectivorous and nocturnal so have no special light requirements. This makes their set-up relatively inexpensive. An ideal starter species.
Cornsnake
- Medium sized constrictor from North America.
- Like leopard geckos they have been bred in captivity for many decades and there are literally hundreds of colour morphs available. A truly domestic snake.
- The set up is similar to leopard geckos and again are an ideal starter species.
Bearded dragon
- Large agamid lizard from Australia.
- A day active basking species. They have a higher ticket set up and ongoing maintenance costs.
- Probably the most popular pet lizard in the UK. They are interactive and seem to enjoy human company.
Tortoise
- Not especially easy to look after, have legal issues and need a lot of space.
- Probably cause more confusion and concern than any other species.
- Despite this they remain extremely popular and have a high ticket set up, but if you stock these you need to realise that you have these extra considerations.
Crested gecko
- Small arboreal gecko from ne Caledonia.
- Easy to keep with a simple set up.
- Can be kept entirely on artificial diets - no insects.
- Very popular in USA and the UK.
For more information visit www.peregrine-livefoods.co.uk
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