Buying a Pet from Evolution Reptiles: the process 

Buying a new pet of any kind can be an exciting experience, getting everything ready for it, picking out your new best friend. However it can also be overwhelming, especially if your new pet is slightly…different from your average cat or dog. Reptiles: snakes, geckos and lizards. They can make wonderful pets. If done correctly they can thrive and be a very rewarding animal to keep. However, being cold blooded and exotic species, these guys need specialist environments to live in. That is where we swoop in to save your day! 

So you have decided, you want to keep a reptile, but which one?

Your first move should be to visit the friendly reptile specialists at Evolution Reptiles and we will show you the best options and help you decide on which species is right for you. After choosing your species, we will show you the options for suitable and responsible housing for your chosen species. Now, this is one of the most important parts about owning a reptile: getting that environment right. Don’t worry though, we will help you along the way. 

We have many care sheets available for you to research selected species with their required environment.  It is important to note that we are constantly updating our care sheets with recent research and regulations about reptile welfare and keeping, so all of the information on there is up to date and relevant.

Unfortunately, Jonathan from Reddit may have been keeping snakes for 20 years… but has not improved his welfare in… 20 years. Our knowledge on reptiles is improving by the day so the way we kept reptiles 20 years ago may get you an  unexpected visit from the animal welfare police, or some funny looks from the responsible reptile keeping community….Sorry Jonathan. Technology changes all the time and so does the welfare standard.

So you have spoken to us in store AND read our care sheet.

You are ready to start building your animals forever home. We sell all the equipment you need in store with our full vivarium setup bundle deals you can’t go wrong. But, I suppose, you can… If you must… get your set-up from elsewhere. If you do decide to do this make sure to be extra careful and know exactly what you are buying. People online may unintentionally mismeasure the vivarium they are selling. Then you will be stuck with a dodgy vivarium that is not suitable for your pet and also at a loss of money. We don’t want that. If possible, measure the vivarium yourself so you know for sure you are getting the right thing. We take the welfare of the animals that leave the shop very seriously, so we will always ask for exact measurements (in cm) of your vivarium before you are allowed to take an animal home. 

Next, getting that environment right.

Unfortunately, here in the UK we do not have a tropical climate. We might wish we did, but the reality is: we do not. So OF COURSE your new little scaly friend is going to need some extra heating. The type of heating and temperature required varies from animal to animal but we will have gone through this with you at the time of choosing your animal. We will ask at the time of purchasing your animal what type of heating you have and the temperatures you are getting in the hottest and coolest areas of your vivarium, in the day time and night time. 

UVB lighting.

All reptiles need UVB lighting. Yes, you heard that right. ALL reptiles. Not just the desert species like bearded dragons and leopard geckos, but forest species as well. Crested geckos need UVB. Snakes of all species need UVB. No, rack systems are NOT ok (I’m looking at you Jonathan). UVB is so important for all species of reptiles. Heck, it is even important for humans, WE NEED MORE SUN (please England…). UVB is needed in reptiles to produce the very important vitamin D3, without it your beloved pet will become sleepy and lethargic, not living their life to the fullest. UVB cannot be replaced with supplements. It is a must. This is why when you come to collect your new pet, one of the questions we will ask you is: do you have UVB? And what %, Ferguson zone or UVI is it? 

You have the vivarium, you have the heating, you have the lighting, you are set.

This is the fun part: the decorating!

You can have full creative freedom when decorating your pets enclosure, go wild! The more decor and hides, the happier your pet will be (and the nicer your setup will look). Reptiles do not like minimalism, they like enrichment, they like different textures, different levels to climb, different places to hide! We do recommend that you try and stick to their natural sort of environment, providing desert species with a sandy substrate, and forest species with something more humid like coco bedding or orchid bark, as well as giving them at the very LEAST 5 different places to hide. But more is always better in this case. We will ask for pictures of your vivarium to make sure all your electrics are in the correct places and to judge your interior design (best set-up gets a prize!)

We please do ask, before you pick up your animal, to fill out one of our habitat forms: https://www.evolutionreptiles.co.uk/care-hub/reptile-care-checklists/habitat-form/ . This form will ask you all the questions mentioned above so that we know your environment is suitable for the animal you wish to take home, and recommend improvements if need be. It also allows the purchase of your new pet to run as smoothly and stress free as possible, so everyone is happy. We always put reptile welfare first and will refuse sale if the habitat is not up to standard or you cannot answer the questions we ask.

This is all to ensure your new family member will thrive and to secure a future for keeping reptiles responsibly.