Steven Magill asked:

When you decide to get a turtle for a pet, you have made a wise choice. Turtles can provide years of enjoyment. Some of them can even live up to forty years, if cared for properly. If you have children, this is a great pet for them to learn responsible pet care. While knowing how to care for turtles is not rocket science, it will take some instruction to do it correctly. You must ensure you have enough time to care for your turtle properly, as neglect will cause a stinky habitat and a very unhealthy, unhappy turtle.

1.Choose a good habitat: Turtles will require quite a bit of space in order to move around freely. You'll need a good size tank or aquarium, such as a forty gallon fish tank. You will need to provide a swimming area for your turtle and an area for them to sunbathe in. Foliage and stones on the bottom will make the turtle feel as though it's right at home.

2.Find a good source of heat: You will need to find a good source of heat for your turtle. In order to know how to care for turtles, you need to learn that a turtle maintains its body temperature through its surroundings. A heat lamp or other heating source will provide a place for your turtle to sun themselves.

3.Fresh water is a must: When you learn how to care for turtles, you will realize how important fresh water is to the reptile. Not only do turtles require fresh drinking water daily, they also need frequent water changes in their swimming area.

4.Know how to feed your turtle: Turtles require specific vitamins and minerals in order to stay healthy. If you want to know how to care for turtles, you might consider purchasing a diet book for your turtle. These reptiles can eat many different things, such as cooked meats like turkey or chicken, worms, fruits, and vegetables. There are also many nutritional supplements available at your local pet stores. You may also wish to purchase bone meal to add calcium to your turtle's diet.

5.Keep your turtle safe from harm: Other pets may be very interested in your turtle; however, they can really cause it problems. Small children may not understand that dropping a turtle can have deadly consequences. Turtles must be protected from these kinds of hazards. This is another specific area that needs to be addressed when you are learning how to care for turtles the proper way.

6.Caring for multiple turtles: If you decide you want to have more than one turtle, you need to learn how to care for turtles that live together. You will need a much larger habitat and swimming area. You may have to feed each turtle separately and at different areas of the tank. Sometimes turtles will fight when put together. You may also end up with babies if a male and female are housed together.

Joshua Simms asked:

You should be a responsible pet owner if you intend on having exotic pets. You should personally consider your lifestyle in finding the perfect exotic pet. You should be committed as a owner in providing the needs of your exotic pet in order to survive.

There are exotic pets that may need special treatment. You may find exotic pets that may be required to eat large amounts of meat and could be a threat to your kids when they are fully-grown. Large exotic pets can be really challenging to care for compared to a parrot or a turtle which are easier to grow and breed. If you consider owning a turtle, here are some tips on how you can properly take care of your turtle.

1.    Turtles need the right temperature in order to live. You should maintain a 77 to 96 degrees F temperature on the aquarium. You may install an aquarium heater to provide the needed temperature for your turtle. Turtles tend to become sluggish and lose their appetite when the temperature is low.

2.    You should keep your aquarium clean. Prevent the aquarium from becoming too soiled. In this way, you will keep your turtle away from health problems. You may use a filtration system to maintain clear and clean water.

3.    Supply your turtle with sufficient food such as algae, crustaceans, mouse pups, and small fishes. You may also provide food sources like fruits and green vegetables that are best for terrapins.

4.    You may feed turtles two to three times a week. You may use a small holding container that will separate the left over from the normal enclosure of the aquarium.

5.    You should always clean the whole aquarium and its filtration system at least twice a month. Remove the dirt from the ponds where in most of the time serves as the resting place of your turtle.

6.    Allot 75 percent of water in the aquarium for swimming and the remaining space for your turtle's basking. Basking is essential for turtles because it prevents shell dryness.

7.    You may schedule a regular check up with your community veterinarian who specializes in turtles and other reptiles.

Being an exotic pet owner requires a lot of responsibility. You should always assess yourself if you can really provide care for an exotic pet. You should plan very well so that you can prepare properly once you have decided to own exotic.

Abhishek Agarwal asked:

There are many kinds of lizards but the one considered the largest is the Iguana family. Although green iguanas are the most common, there are some with bright colorful skin that are identified as the red iguana.

A popular iguana from this family is the Red sided skink. They are multicolored terrestrial and part water lizards that are quite native to the habitats of South and Eastern Africa open forests and rocky steppes.

It is quite common to have these iguanas as pets. They can be purchased in some pet shops and are now being seen in the gardens and sometimes in houses.

How to take care of and feed Your Red Iguana

Just like taking care of a cat, dog, bird and other animal, there are five things that are necessary for the reptiles grow big and strong.

1. Proper Housing for Iguanas

One place an iguana, especially the red iguana, can reside in is an aquarium with up to 30 gallons of water. Although their habitats can have different shapes, sizes and styles, they can be made of glass or wood.

To clean the housing of the iguana, placing newspaper at the base is best. Other welcomed ideas to use are linoleum and artificial grass.

Do not let their spaces get near soil, sand or bark as this could lead to an obstruction in your lizard should they eat them.

Provide your lizard with container of food and water which should be disinfected entirely and regularly cleaned. Add twigs, bark, limbs and rocks to the tank for climbing materials.

2. Feeding Your Iguana

Did you know that Iguanas are not carnivores? They are, in fact, herbivores and need to be fed vegetables and fruit.

A big part of their diet needs to consist of green leafy vegetables including mustard greens, escarole, kale and spinach.

Offer them mixed vegetables such as green peppers, squash, frozen vegetables and green beans. Fruits are also good including bananas, mangoes and apples.

They should also have a scarce amount of protein.

They should, like other household pets, be fed everyday.

3. Iguanas need for Water

Everyone knows water is the basic essential of life and iguanas are no different from the rest of the world. For this reason, they need to have it nearby. Typically, iguanas would get their water supply through plants they eat or lap it off wood. Placing them in the early morning environment can really stave off dehydration.

Iguanas who are given water dishes will train themselves to use them. For this reason, it is vital that these are cleaned on an every other day basis to keep the germs and bacteria at bay.

4. Iguana and Grooming

Bathing is something your iguana should be used to. It is a way for the lizard to get water and get cleaned. It should be done using lukewarm water in a shallow container about three times a week. Keep in mind though that not all iguanas like water… some panic!

5. How to Handle Iguanas

Iguanas need to be showed love and care and handle on a regular basis. At least be held two to three times a day, approximately 15 minutes each time. Gently stroke their back and neck. This gets them used to be handled and picked up.

Iguanas can be antagonistic so extreme caution should be taken when trying to handle your iguana.

Following the five points mentioned above, your red iguana can live a happy, long life. They should be taken great care of like a child would be.

Dane Stanton asked:

So you're here looking for tips on how to care for your Giant Green Iguana so you have purchased one or are hoping to purchase one. There are some things you definitely need to know before setting out on this desire. These Iguanas can grow up to six feet in length and need plenty of room in the house to design or buy for it. These animals can live for up to fifteen years and it is the largest of all iguanas being held in captivity.

About the Giant Green Iguana

The Green Iguana is a daytime active iguana that originates from the bowels of Central and South America and is extremely wanted by lizard all lizard standards. The Giant Iguana is a tree living being so it needs plenty of plant life in its habitat and this is an important feature to remember when you are selecting things to house your new pet.

How Do I House My Giant Green Iguana?

This is the most essential part of owning this breed of Iguana in the manner in which you house them due to their size as well as the fact that iguanas by nature are prone to disease and because of their lizard nature, they hide illness for survival in the wild. To begin with, your iguana will be small and you'll use a small tank but as it grows and matures, you will need to have a big custom made tank and it's advisable to do that prior to your needing it.

The top of the cage or aquarium needs to be made from wire to provide heat, light and ventilation and it is best to not keep your pet outside due to the effects of the sun on a glass enclosure is likened to a magnifying glass.

Lighting For Your Giant Green Iguana

The Giant Green Iguana, like any lizard is required to have at least 12-14 hours of sunlight or artificial light a day. Generally this can be purchased from any local hardware store to provide your new pet with the essential requirement for lights. A commercial 50-watt bulb can be sufficient when placed properly with a clamp light and alternate the schedule by turning the lights on and off every 12-14 hours. A very easy and cheap timer can be used so you don't forget about the light cycle.

Connie Limon asked:

Have you thought about how your Italian Greyhound will be taken care of in your absences? With just a little planning and thinking ahead you can make adequate arrangements for all your pets for the times you need to be away from them. This article will help you do some of that planning.

Can your Italian Greyhound wait 10 hours to go for a walk? What if you can't come home Wednesday nights because of a prior commitment?

Anytime an Italian Greyhound owner needs to go away on vacation, stay long hours at work or has regular scheduled activities that take them away from home they must consider how their Italian Greyhound will be cared for. Your Italian Greyhound provides entertainment and companionship but is also a huge responsibility. You show respect for your Italian Greyhound by taking its needs into consideration and planning accordingly.

Fortunately there are many services available to assist you in caring for your Italian Greyhound during times when you can't personally give them the attention and care they need. What are they? Which is best for your Italian Greyhound?

DAY CARE

Social animals, like Italian Greyhounds, can suffer emotionally from a lack of attention. If your Italian Greyhound has access to the outdoors they will be able to relieve themselves when necessary but a house-bound Italian Greyhound will physically require a walk or you will come home to an accident on your rug and a frustrated animal.

Day care centers provide the needed social stimulation most dogs crave. At the day care your Italian Greyhound will spend time with other dogs and have people looking after its physical needs. If you have a young Italian Greyhound this can be especially important as your Italian Greyhound may become destructive with a lack of supervision and an abundance of unused energy.

BOARDING KENNELS

If you plan to be away overnight or for longer your Italian Greyhound or may be placed in a boarding kennel. This can be expensive but will ensure your Italian Greyhound is cared for daily and overnight.

IN-HOME CARE

If you are comfortable leaving your Italian Greyhound at home all day you may find the in-home services of a visitor or dog walker to be sufficient and less costly while still providing personal attention.

Cats and other animals may not need daily visits if you come home in the evening but will need some attention if you are away overnight or for several days. Cats prefer their own homes rather than the highly social aspect of day cares or boarding kennels. Other pets, such as birds and reptiles, will most likely do better with in-home care as well.

In-home care can be as basic as someone taking your Italian Greyhound for a walk in the middle of the day or as inclusive as having a sitter stay in your home with your Italian Greyhound.

Examine your situation and budget when choosing a method of care. Take your pet's best interests in mind. If you are having someone come to your home be sure they are reputable. Licensed businesses should be insured and bonded when employees are trusted with entering and locking up your home.

Keep all these things in mind. Prepare ahead for your absences, and you should be able to have peace of mind while you are away from your Greyhound and/or other pets.

This article is FREE to publish with the resource box.

Mineral4u asked:

In the Bible, the Dead Sea is known as the “Eastern Sea” or the “Sea of the Arava”. The ancient Greeks and Romans called it “Mare Asphaltitus”, meaning the “Clay Sea”, due to the patches of clay, or asphalt floating on its surface. Later on, since life in this body of water was deemed impossible, it was dubbed the “Dead Sea”, and this term was adopted by various European languages. Mosaics from the Byzantine era depict fish swimming toward the Dead Sea from the Jordan River and rushing to turn back and flee toward the north, to the fresh water sources.

The Dead Sea region offers a rare combination of nature sites, history and unique healing centers, each of which has the potential to inspire autonomous tourism development. The Dead Sea, at approximately 417 meters below sea level, is the lowest point on the surface of the earth. It is a remnant of the ancient “Lake Lisan”, the body of water which once extended from the north of the Sea of Galilee to Hazeva in the Arava.

The water’s salinity, with a concentration of about 340 grams per liter (10 times that of the Mediterranean!), makes floating natural and effortless and instills a sense of peace and tranquility. The air is dry, rich in oxygen and free of any environmental pollution, and the temperatures are relatively high, even in the height of winter. The fact that the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays are naturally filtered makes it possible to sunbathe without burning and is instrumental in treating various skin diseases. The natural “healing waters” along the coast, which are rich in minerals and natural heat, combined with the black mud deposits, are the ideal foundation for health and beauty treatments.

The region’s nature reserves and scenic diversity offer a unique combination of arid desert vistas and oases alongside pools and waterfalls teeming with diverse flora and fauna (mountain goats, pikas, insects, reptiles, various species of fowl, etc.). The region’s historical sites are among the most renowned in the world, namely: Massada, Qumran, Jericho, Ein Gedi, the Roman fortresses and the monasteries in the Judea Desert.

A great many resources are invested in developing infrastructures, facilities and services dedicated to the tourist industry. The region offers about 4,000 rooms in hotels of various standards, kibbutz resort villages, hostels and other accommodation facilities, with adjacent services such as: parking lots, public beaches, well-kept nature reserves and fascinating tourist sites. The vacationers and tourists in the region can choose from a wide variety of excursions and activities, including desert tours on foot, in special vehicles and on camels, Bedouin accommodation, rock climbing and rappelling courses and excursions, as well as archeological and agricultural tours.

SOURCE OF LIFE AND HEALTH

A unique combination of natural resources having therapeutic effects has turned the Dead Sea area into a healing center unparalleled anywhere else on the face of the earth.

The salty seawater, with its unusually high concentration of minerals, the natural hot springs rich in minerals and sulphur, and

the extraordinary climatic conditions, including uniquely filtered sun rays and an oxygen-rich dry air, due to the high barometric pressure prevailing here in the lowest spot on earth (417 meters below sea level), a therapeutic black mud – all combine in providing the basis for the successful effect of the Dead Sea therapies.

Contributing to these ideal therapeutic conditions are the comfortable stable temperatures in this seaside desert most of the year, the pure unpolluted air, which is free of allergens and contaminants, while containing minerals deriving from evaporation of this inland sea that are healthy for breathing.

These natural resources have been shown to provide a beneficial effect on various illnesses, including chronic incurable diseases, and have led to the renowned reputation of the Dead Sea area as a natural spa constituting a source of promoting health and improving the quality of life.

For some 2,000 years (as the ancient texts attest), people have come to immerse themselves in the Dead Sea for healing purposes. The awareness of the healing attributes of the Dead Sea was truly reawakened at the beginning of the 1970s, when the scientific research studies in the area gained momentum and their findings were published.

All this recognition led to an accelerated development of hotel facilities, along with the establishment of health and therapy centers, operating on the basis of scientifically based findings, which as a result have turned the Dead Sea area into an attractive internationally recognized healing center, drawing each year tens of thousands of patients from around the world to find relief for their ailments and pains.

THE DEAD SEA EFFECT

The accumulated clinical experience and research data on all aspects of climatic therapy, which is based on a combination of exposure of the body to the sun with an immersion in the Dead Sea waters, has enabled physicians to establish a protocol of treatment methods referred to as “Dead Sea Climatotherapy.”

Medical and scientific research studies indicate that Dead Sea Climatotherapy is very effective in treating numerous illnesses, the most common being the skin disease, psoriasis. Dead Sea climatotherapy has also been found to have therapeutic effects on atopic dermatitis (skin allergy), vitiligo (loss of pigmentation), and early stage mycosis fungoides (skin cancer).

Natural springs containing minerals and sulphur, black medicinal mud, with antibacterial activity and hyperemic properties, are also found along the shores of the Dead Sea.

An anti-aging effect discovered recently in the Dead Sea minerals, as well as in the medicinal mud, has made the Dead Sea even more popular, attracting people who seek to slow down their skin aging process.

As opposed to the artificial treatments administered in the conventional clinic or hospital environment, the relaxing atmosphere during Dead Sea climatotherapy, where patients mix socially with other guests in a hotel atmosphere, has often been shown to have psychological benefits, by providing a positive affect on the patients’ self image and, as a result, on his or her quality of live.

THE DEAD SEA TREATMENT

The beneficial effects of Dead Sea climatotherapy on dermatological diseases, such as psoriasis, eczema, lichen planus and vitiligo, have been amply documented in a multitude of scientific publications over the past 40 years.

These studies have established that optimum results in the treatment of psoriasis, for example, are achieved by a short-term immersion in the Dead Sea water, followed in most cases and depending on the time of the year by a 1½-2½ gradual exposure to the sun once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Winter is not recommended for this kind of disease.

A rooftop meteorological station on the southwestern shore of the Dead Sea performs continuous UV monitoring and provides online data on the intensity of the daily solar ambient radiation. Studies with radiosensitive detector badges placed on the body have been conducted recently to determine the actual amount of radiation absorbed by sunbathers.

A special computerized program is installed in the solarium at Ein Bokek, enabling patients to regulate their initial daily exposure time by themselves, based on their skin type and the radiation intensity measured during exposure.

The actual amount of energy to which the patient’s body is exposed by these schemes is about one third of the amount applied in artificial irradiation therapy regimes, yet the therapeutic results of the Dead Sea natural treatment lead to a 80-90% remission, comparing favorably with artificial irradiation modes. The mean duration of remission has been studied in 64 German psoriasis patients and found to last on the average six months.

The Effects of Dead Sea Climatotherapy on the Pathogenesis in Psoriasis

A study published in 2003 examined the effects of Dead Sea climatotherapy on the pathological changes and immunological modulation in psoriatic patients’ skin.

Histological examination of the skin found that the characteristic pathological changes found in psoriasis had normalized, while immunological studies showed a major reversal in immunological activation.

Preliminary data show that optimum results in clearing psoriatic lesions were achieved faster when Dead Sea climatotherapy is combined with topical administration of calcipotriol.

Repeat studies have shown that even severe forms of psoriasis, which otherwise require hospitalization and often need systemic medications, such as oral retinoids, methotrexate or cyclosporine, respond remarkably to climatotherapy, let alone milder forms, all without the potential side effects often associated with the administration of these systemic medications.

Dead Sea Climatotherapy is subsidized by sick funds and national health agencies: A study performed by the Swiss Psoriasis Association has shown that economically, while being equally effective as artificial treatments given to severely affected psoriasis patients, Dead Sea climatotherapy is less expensive when comparing overall expenditures for both modes of therapy.

In view of its cost effectiveness, health funds in Western European countries, such as Germany and Denemark, as well as in several Eastern European countries, subsidize Dead Sea climatotherapy for skin diseases, while Norway also subsidizes Dead Sea treatments for joint diseases.

Pet Snake Care asked:

Pet snake care is not as simple as one might think. There are several things to consider before purchasing a snake, including determining whether or not a snake is right for you or your family. You must also bear in mind that snakes have certain dietary needs, and they also require a special facility in which the environment can be regularly heated. It is important that you do plenty of research so that you can prepare yourself and your family for the responsibilities of pet snake care.

First it is good to know what type of snake you are buying to know what the best care for the snake is. You wouldn’t want to purchase a snake without understanding such things as snake skin shedding or eating live prey. There are many different types of snakes and all of them require different care, including the heat and humidity in their tank, their diet and the cage size. Doing your homework before buying a snake is definitely recommended, as care responsibilities vary between breeds. For instance, ball pythons may require different care than coral snakes. Once you know what type of snake you want to buy it will be easier for you to take care of the snake.

Make sure that you set up the cage for the snake so that it resembles its natural habitat. Many snakes prefer the hot weather but there are some snakes that prefer the cold to the hot. You also have to take into consideration the aggressiveness of your snake so that you can fit the cage around it, by doing this it will be easier to maintain the cage and also to feed the snake.

Snakes are very primal in their nature, and there is no such thing as a fully domesticated snake. That’s why it’s important that you only feed your snake the food that it would naturally hunt in the wild. When faced with the option of live or pre-killed prey, it is a matter that you will have to decide upon yourself. Some snakes simply will not touch pre-killed prey, while others can learn to adapt to it. Feeding a snake live prey is definitely something you should prepare yourself for in the event that your snake refuses pre-killed prey. If you are able to use pre-killed prey, it is very important that you preserve the food either—usually in the refrigerator—sealed away from your family’s food.

You must also remember to keep your snake very well hydrated. You can achieve this by leaving a small bowl of water in the cage so that the snake can drink when it wants to. Also you have to keep a routine check on your snake to make sure that it does not catch any illnesses or that it is injured in any way.

If you’ve decided that you’re definitely prepared for snake-care responsibilities, you can find pet snakes for sale in your local pet shop, on the Internet, or in the classified ads section of your local newspaper.