4.5.2. Reptiles Herbivore

It’s a multi-ingredient food with added dandelion leaves, blackberry leaves, marigold flowers and parsley leaves, for everyday feeding of herbivorous and omnivorous reptiles. The main component of the food is extruded sticks, which include alfalfa, grasses and fruit. The correct calcium/phosphorus ratio prevents rickets, and with carefully selected levels of protein, fat, fibre, vitamins and trace elements, the food prevents deficiencies of these substances and keeps reptiles in excellent condition. Thanks to its soft texture it is more readily accepted by the animals.

Particularly recommended in feeding:

bearded dragons, spiny-tailed lizards, herbivorous tortoises (Mediterranean, Hermann’s tortoise, Russian tortoise, Kleinmann’s tortoise, marginated tortoise, African spurred tortoise, leopard tortoise, Indian star tortoise), red-footed tortoise, iguanas (green, Cuban rock iguana).

Central bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps)

Spiny-tailed lizard (Uromastyx nigriventris)

African spurred tortoise (Centrochelys sulcata)

Did you know that

the defensive strategy of playing dead is the domain of some snake species? Some grass snakes (Natrix spp.) exhibit this behaviour, but the popular terrestrial western hognose snake (Heterodon nasicus) is also well known for this behaviour. It often first tries to frighten an attacker by flattening the front part of its body, puffing up and hissing alternately. Eventually it bends its body, writhing and turning over on its dorsal side pretending to be dead, emitting a foul smelling odour in the process.

The Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum) and its cousin, the Mexican beaded lizard, were until recently considered the only venomous lizards

Did you know that

until recently, venom in reptiles was thought to be found only in snakes and members of the genus Heloderma? However, it turns out that it is also present in many species of monitor lizard. Not all of them have been studied yet, but it is already certain that these animals can produce it in their venom glands, which come from evolutionarily transformed salivary glands. Venom in monitor lizards may serve four functions: defence, aid in hunting, aid in digestion, and aid in oral hygiene. The theory attributing deaths after the Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) bites to toxins from a specific bacterial flora inhabiting the mouths of these animals is a myth.