Do you guys recommend a mud bath for lizards?
It is not something they would normally avail themselves to in the wild so I can't see them enjoying it or benefiting from in in captivity.
What lizard is right for me?
How about a Bearded Dragon since you've already got an a Gecko and so that way you can try something new, but there is also Blue-Tongue Skinks, but these two lizards (beardie and blue-tongue) actually are quite smart lizards and enjoy the interaction with us so much that they will just sit on your lap while your watching t.v., chill on your shoulder while your walking around the house and stuff, etc. but blue-tongues are a bit more curious and would rather move around more, but the bearded dragons are the ones who will not leave your side at all and plus they are so happy to see you and greet you in their tanks in the morning, believe me and also i'm not sure the prices of the blue-tongues though, but i've seen bearded dragons start at like about $60.00 but i'm sure reptile shows and/or breeders have them more cheaper, but yeah if you want a lizard that's going to chill with you while you do your homework then I recommend the Bearded Dragon. Good Luck!
How do I care for a 3 Striped mud turtle hatchling?
Here's a great/reliable place to read about all you need to know about caring for your new turtle (to type out everything would take too long): http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/ca... You would also need a heat lamp (basking temp should be about 90 F) and a UVB bulb, equipment wise. The guide will fill you in on everything else.
Would a rattlesnake bite someone handling it if they couldn't see the person? I heard they can only see infrared so I'm wondering if having arms covered with mud would make a handler safe?
Rattlesnakes belong to a group known as Pit Vipers. This terminology comes from an opening on each side of the front of the snakes head (beneath and a little to the rear of their nostrils) that senses heat. A number of experiments have been performed where a pit viper has their eyes covered and then are able to easily make a successful strike at a balloon filled with warm air. This comes in very handy for several reasons. Many snakes tend to do their hunting when their prey is active. As most rodents are nocturnal, this means the best hunting is at night. Also (especially out West) many rattlesnakes spend the vast majority of their time underground where there is little to no light. The two main reasons are to escape the heat of daytime and explore the tunnels where their prey spends a lot of their time as well. So in theory, a blind rattlesnake should have no problem being able to locate enough prey to feed itself using the heat sensing openings on their “faces.” To specifically answer your question, a snake being handled will be inclined to react to the source of what is agitating it. Not all snakes strike when handled, but I feel confident stating that a mud bath will not do one any good in preventing a snake strike. I worked at a reptile facility many years ago. One of the riskiest times to handle any snake was just prior to the shedding of their previous “hide.” The skin covers all body parts including the eye. It becomes translucent and their vision is negatively impacted. Most snakes (poisonous or not) become easily irritated at this time and are very prone to striking at any and every movement, sound, or heat source.
My Turtle Doesn't Sunbathe.?
The land area MUST be at least 10 degrees warmer than the water. You need to lay the thermometer on the rock and take the temp at the turtle's level or it is an inaccurate reading. If it's not at least 10 degrees warmer the turtle will never sunbathe. It could possibly also mean that the water is too warm. Depending on the kind of turtle you have, most need water at 70 to 80 degrees. However, it is normal for a turtle to keep to the water when they first settle in or if it's really young (like under 2 inches long). Water makes a turtle feel secure, so if for any reason he feels he needs more security he'll keep to it. Very young turtles in the wild tend to sunbathe on floating plants rather than climbing out of the water completely, so if yours is young that's normal. In this case you might consider switching the land area and putting the rocks he likes to rest on under his sunning lamp and try the dry land area a little later when he's used to you and has grown a little.
Is it ok to give my leopard gecko apple sause?
No not really, I wouldnt reccomend it to anyone as Apple sause isnt designed for reptiles, It's best just to stick with the crickets/Locusts & mealworms, If your gecko doesnt eat them maybe they are too small for her to see them if this is the case get a size larger in crickets next time, My leopard gecko is 5 months old and is on medium to large crickets (I wouldnt reccomend giving a leopard gecko anything bigger than their head, But to be honest a healthy & strong gecko should be able to subdue a cricket twice that size, My leopard gecko is a giant so he needs bigger food), If this fails to work i suggest you go out and buy a small tub of waxworms as these are very good at tempting geckos to eat, It's like humans with chocolate biscuits for example, Some geckos can be extremely picky ive had geckos that have only eaten Brown crickets, But my recent one only eats black crickets mealworms or locusts, When he subdues a brown one he spits it out. So maybe if you are feeding him black or brown crickets try using locusts or a different type of cricket. Ive taken the time to do abit of research into the nutritional value crickets and here it is :- Cricket type Moisture Fat Ca:P Ratio Protein Banded Cricket 71.8 6.3 0.64 16.5 Black Field Cricket 66.7 12.0 0.82 15.8 Silent Brown Cricket 68.8 9.3 0.77 16.4 Brown House Cricket 70.7 4.4 0.32 19.0 And there you have it :)