Category: Information Guides

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

    This part of the field trip to Australia takes us to the more exciting and herpetologically interesting red centre – Alice Springs and Uluru. Last months instalment brought some interesting reptiles, but of course the further north you go in Oz, the more reptiles there are to wet our appetite! I stayed in a small holding just outside of Alice springs, around 40 miles away down a sand road, out there it is very remote and even the main roads are very sporadically paved or tarmacked. The little hut I had managed to track down was perfect for anybody hunting reptiles and amphibians, remote and pretty much undisturbed (although a local rubbish dump proved very favourable hunting!). On the first morning it had been raining, and one of…

Spread the Cost of your purchases Interest-Free Reasons to use DivideBuy No hidden fees and 0{cb5d0a8cf0c44aef2db327d9ab0dba08dd09aed1126b509e5fa01d3aaa87fe47} interest APR Spreading the Cost of your purchase using Interest-Free Credit does not cost any more than paying upfront. 96{cb5d0a8cf0c44aef2db327d9ab0dba08dd09aed1126b509e5fa01d3aaa87fe47} approval rate Our unique lending model allows us to offer Interest-Free Credit to more people. Quick application Complete the 60 second application and receive an instant decision. No paperwork required All documents are in digital format and signed using e-signature. DivideBuy is an Interest-Free Credit provider. In partnership with our retailers, we bring you 0{cb5d0a8cf0c44aef2db327d9ab0dba08dd09aed1126b509e5fa01d3aaa87fe47} APR credit for selected products online, in-store or over the phone. You can Spread the Cost on one or multiple qualifying items simply by calling the DivideBuy Team on 0800 085 0885. You can choose instalment options from 3…