Nov42020 by Kevin2 Comments
Ways to avoid the queue during lockdown

Ways to avoid the queue during lockdown

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We are allowed to be open during lockdown, we an essential business due to animal welfare issues. However we do have stringent measures in place to keep everybody safe, many of which will unfortunately cause queues. Here are some tips to avoid queues; • Use our home delivery services further details can be found here; Home Delivery During Lockdown • Phone ahead and pay for your items on the phone using your debit or credit card. Call us on arrival outside the store, we will bring your purchases to you. Be aware there may still be a slight wait depending on how busy the store is and how many staff we currently have furloughed or not. Only use this service for run of the mill purchases such as livefood and…
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Nov42020 by KevinNo Comments
Delivery services during lockdown

Delivery services during lockdown

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We are happy to provide home delivery during the November lockdown for those that cannot get to the store, or it's more convenient. However we are still open throughout as an essential business. We can do our home van delivery service. It is for customers within a 15 mile radius of Darlington - this includes much of Teesside, County Durham and Teesdale. Delivery day is Thursday of each week, in the afternoon / early evening - we will contact you with an hour slot for your delivery. We can carry small or larger orders, up to a four feet long flatpack vivarium. We can deliver everything that is available in store, including animals. Delivery cost is £3.50 within five miles, £5 after five miles, no matter how many items (as…
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Nov12020 by KevinNo Comments
Spotted Salamanders – Ambystoma maculatum

Spotted Salamanders – Ambystoma maculatum

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Spotted Salamanders are one in a group referred to as Mole salamanders occurring in Eastern USA and Canada. They tend to occur in deciduous forests and wetlands, living in leaf litter, hiding in burrows or under fallen logs. Their breeding is very interesting, they return to water once a year, but only to temporary pools created by heavy rainfall. They only stay there for a few days to spawn, and do not swim strongly. These pools are perfect for salamander spawn and tadpoles to survive as temporary pools tend not to have fish that would eat them. However there are downsides to temporary pools, sometimes they dry up before metamorphosis is complete. It is now known that a symbiotic relationship occurs between a photosynthetic algae and the spawn / embryos…
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Sep302020 by KevinNo Comments
Mossy Frogs

Mossy Frogs

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Mossy frogs are a beautiful species of frog that resemble a clump of moss due to their colouration and lumpy bumpy skin. They occur in the cooler regions of Vietnam and some areas of China occurring in forests, caves and cliff areas, always around water. They are a small to medium sized frog, females are the larger sex growing to around 8-9cm. Many species of frogs are supremely suitable to natural planted terraria or even a paludarium (a natural terrarium with a large water area, often with fish). The balance of nature is relatively easy to achieve with these kinds of housing. The live plants and custodian critters (woodlice etc) sharing the terrarium do a lot of the work for you. Of course a paludarium would also allow you to…
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Sep302020 by KevinNo Comments

Moroccan Uromastyx – Uromastix acanthinura nigriventris

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Uromastyx acanthinurus, as a species occurs throughout North Africa, more or less around the Sahara Desert. This sub-species is allocated to occurring in Morocco, but there is much confusion around this species and its several sub-species (and with many of the other Uromastyx species for that matter). It grows to around 45cm long, females perhaps slightly bigger – males are often said to be brighter coloured and have a broader head. They occur in desert areas, favouring softer earth that will clump so they can burrow – but do occur in rocky areas, cliff faces and other areas where they can jam themselves in crevices rather than making burrows. They are primarily herbivorous eating a wide range of desert plants, leaves, succulents etc – but they will eat ants and…
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Sep302020 by KevinNo Comments

Reptile Systems New Dawn LED lights

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We have been interested in natural panted eco terraria for many years. I can remember is a child attempting to grow plants alongside my reptiles and amphibians in their vivaria. This was some  four decades ago, and needless to say things were not as developed as they are nowadays – it’s easy to be successful nowadays. There is such a great deal of great products, help and advice that should ensure a good success rate for most people. In constructed a multi-vivarium natural terraia department at Coast to Coast Exotics some years ago, and we have actively followed the development of the products that make a big difference to the hobby. One such development is the LED lighting from Reptile Systems.   The first product we tried, some time ago,…
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Aug312020 by KevinNo Comments
Collared lizards

Collared lizards

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Collared lizards are simply one of the prettiest naturally occurring lizards – adult males are gob-smackingly beautiful. The occur in desert and arid regions through Mexico and several southern states of the USA. Not only known for their bright colours, they are a lizard which is known for running on their back legs. Being an arid and desert species they require a vivarium set up likewise. We would recommend a substrate on the floor of the vivarium of ProRep Bio Life Desert which will allow for natural behaviour. Place a choice of hides throughout the vivarium, in the cool and warm areas to give a choice. We always provide some hides that have a level of moisture underneath so the lizards can choose which they prefer, especially when shedding their…
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Aug312020 by KevinNo Comments
Blue Tongue Skinks

Blue Tongue Skinks

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Blue Tongue skinks are one of the more popular skink species due to their larger size and characterful nature. They still have the characteristic skink short legs, which does deter some keepers (too snake-like in appearance), but they are much chunkier, with a very pronounced head – much more appealing looking to many keepers. As the name suggests they have a blue tongue which is thought to be a deterrent to predators. There are several species, subspecies and variants that naturally occur throughout Australia and New Guinea and various Indonesian islands. They are a relatively easy species of lizard to keep, but they do require reasonably large vivaria as adults. They do not spend a great deal of time climbing, so the vivarium needs to be long rather than tall,…
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Aug12020 by KevinNo Comments
Madagascan Giant Day gecko – Phelsuma grandis

Madagascan Giant Day gecko – Phelsuma grandis

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A large species of Day gecko, dwarfing most of it’s relatives at up to around 25-30cm in total length. They are a most impressive looking gecko species, bright intense green, many having red bars or spots. Its easy to see why this species is so popular, they are truly beautiful. They come from Madagascar, but have found themselves establishing colonies away from their native lands in such places as Florida. As the name suggests they are a daytime active species (diurnal) in contrast to many of the gecko species being nocturnal. They eat a mixture of insects, and also sweet nectar. This is easy to replicate in captivity with the huge variety of suitably sized livefood – crickets, locusts, waxworms etc. To satisfy their ‘sweet tooth’ there are many mixes…
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Aug12020 by KevinNo Comments
Yellow Bellied toads – Bombina variegata

Yellow Bellied toads – Bombina variegata

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In the wild the Yellow Bellied toad is a widespread semi-aquatic toad distributed through central Western Europe through to the East and into parts of Asia. Unlike many toads this species never strays far from water and is most commonly found floating on the top of the water in shallow pools, ditches and slow moving streams. They are often found in and around human habitation in temporary bodies of water such as ruts made by tractors and the like. Apart from the bright belly colouration its very notable for its call – a series of calls are made, many liken the sound to a laugh or a cackle. Probably one of the easiest species of amphibian to cater for – decent size shallow water area and a smaller portion of…
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