Stuart | Coast To Coast Exotics

Feb282019 by StuartNo Comments

Natural Terraria Department

We are always looking to give a better experience at Coast to Coast Exotics. We installed a new department some years ago dedicated to natural terraria, as this has become more and more popular with our customers we have relocated and refurbished the department. It's now closer to the main showroom, right next door, in fact. Natural terraria are nothing new in the hobby. When I first started, some forty years or more ago, all my terraria were planted with real plants, complete with drainage layers and what is now referred to us clean up crew (Woodlice etc). It's documented as long ago as two hundred years, there are several books on the topic from that long ago. The idea is to keep a natural ecosystem where plants and animals benefit each…

Feb262019 by StuartNo Comments

Reptile Egg Incubation

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There are many ways if incubating reptile eggs. By far the easiest is to use a purpose designed reptile incubator. There are several brands to choose from, virtually all the big names offer an incubator. One of the cheapest and most popular ones is the Lucky Reptile Egg-o-bator. At first glance it looks a little novelty based with its egg shaped design and cheerful graphics. But it does the job for a clutch or two of small species eggs, such as geckos and snakes. There are some options that will make incubating reptile eggs much easier. The first is the incubation kits from Hatchrite. The are available in small and large size and include everything you need to successfully incubate your eggs once you have purchased the incubator. Follow…

Feb262019 by StuartNo Comments

Trip to Australia – Northern territory, Darwin and Kakadu National Park

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After leaving the “Red Centre” we visited the Darwin area and the vast Kakadu National Park. It’s a huge area of varying terrain and habitat. Our base was another small holding, relatively close to both Darwin and Kakadu in a rambling place called Humpty Doo. The small holding was owned by a family that were heavily into animals, and again like the one we stayed near Alice Springs the local animal knowledge was invaluable. We needed to visit Darwin, as a friend has (now had) a reptile exhibit at Crocosaurus Cove. The city is quite small scale, generally with low level buildings and lots of public Parks. There are lots of opportunities even within the city to see wild native reptiles and amphibians. Crocosaurus Park, whilst worth a short one hour…

Feb262019 by StuartNo Comments

Tortoise Diets

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There are several artificial tortoise diets on the market at the moment that can complement the dietary requirements of the commonly kept species. These should not be used solely in their diet, and are designed to be used with weeds. There are also weed seeds and weed growing kits for those that do not have easy access to their own source of safe, clean weeds such as dandelions. Pellets; There are several on the market, some are better than others. We particularly recommend the ProRep Tortoise food in jars. ProRep's low protein, high fibre tortoise food combines a range of natural foods, including grasses and edible weeds, which are chopped and then formed into cobs, before being gently dried. Because they are not cooked at high temperatures or finely…

Jan302019 by Stuart2 Comments

T5 or T8? Which is better?

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There is a lot of confusion regarding fluorescent tubes in the reptile keeping world regarding T5 and T8. So what is the difference? The original out of the two, is the T8 tube. They have been traditionally known as a 1 inch diameter tube. They have been available for a couple of decades in three “grades” for reptile use; 2% or full spectrum – very low UVB output, but gives a similar colour spectrum to natural sunlight. 5-6% or rainforest power, ideal UVB tube for species that require UVB, but at a lower level, often found where forest species live. 10-12% or desert power, ideal for species requiring higher levels of UVB, for species that bask in intense levels of sun. The method of use is to pick a UVB…

Jan302019 by Stuart2 Comments

Care Of Morroccan Eyed Lizards

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There are two species of Eyed or Ocellated lizard commonly kept in the hobby, Timon lepidus and Timon pater. The former is the larger of the two, reaching around 60cm, and is the hardiest of the two species – it is often kept in secure outdoor enclosures even in Northern Europe (with supplementary heating), and is usually provided with a true period of brumation (hibernation). It naturally occurs in and around the Iberian Peninsula, mainly Spain and Portugal. Timon pater does not grow as big, around 30-40cm and is not a hardy species, it originates from the more Southerly geographical region of Morroco. For this reason it is more suited to indoor vivaria, the smaller size and lack of hardiness lending itself well to the average sized indoor enclosure in a centrally heated home.…

Jan302019 by StuartNo Comments

Care of Livefood in Cold Weather

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Crickets, mealworms and Locusts are still the number one best sellers where livefood is concerned. The following information mainly concerns these, however much of it can be used for other livefoods. One of the main problems when dealing with livefoods is when they have been sent through the post when delivered via mail order. The temperatures are very low during transit during the winter months. It also stands when the livefood has been left in the cold (say in the car when going shopping). One of the main issues causing loss is change of temperatures, it’s inevitable during the winter months, but must be done carefully. Do not warm the livefood quickly by applying an external heat source (for example placing in the vivarium, above a radiator etc). Place the…