The Cost of keeping a reptile

[grantjames]

How much do people reckon it costs to keep a reptile?

The food is relatively inexpensive compared to a dog or a cat, but there is the overhead of reptiles needing to be heated.

[MrMike]

Originally Posted by grantjames

How much do people reckon it costs to keep a reptile?

The food is relatively inexpensive compared to a dog or a cat, but there is the overhead of reptiles needing to be heated.

Which reptiles are you thinking of? We keep Leos and a Beardie and they are relatively cheap, i'm sure some of the larger lizards would cost a small fortune.

[Tomcat]

Next to nothing for a leo or corn snake ect

Iguanas, Bosc's ect cost alot more due to heating and feeding them

[Athravan]

If you have a nocturnal animal such as a leopard gecko or a corn snake, the heating can be as little as 12w or so. In a well heated house, on a thermostat, this may only be on for 4 or 5 hours a day. This is less than an energy saving lightbulb being on for 4 or 5 hours. If you don't use any heating and your house is really cold, then it could be as much as 24 hours of 12w but even that is not huge.

If you add lights, a small bulb is 40w, but something like a bearded dragon is likely to need an extra 100w bulb + an extra 30w from the starter, for 12 hours every day. So diurnal lizards will run up the heating a bit more. Still, a lot less than leaving the tv on or running a computer!

Food wise I would say things like bearded dragons can actually cost more than a small dog, at least £5 a week. A Corn snake will cost anywhere from 15p to £1 or so a week most likely, so a lot less.

[Bantastic]

i think snakes are cheaper to keep than lizards as the food is cheaper, £1 a week compared to £5-10 for a largish lizard like a bearded dragon , also housing them is cheaper, i use heat mats for snakes which are cheaper than ceramic bulbs etc, but on average it doesnt cost too much to keep a reptile

[zoe6660]

well paying to run the lights buying new uv lights every 6 months, paying for live food and greens or frozen food for snake..
it depends on what u get really i dont think my snakes cost as much as the lizards.

[grantjames]

I was just thinking of the heating costs mainly.

I have a dimming thermostat so my heat bulb for my royal is on more or less permanently, but is never on full power.

[smith86king]

mine cost £3.5 a month to heat running a 60watt basking light at night when elecys cheaper and a mat 24 hr a day!
1 mouse a week at £1.10 so in total£7.90 a month! Not bad!
Plus vets fees but touch wood!

[loxocemus]

thats a tricky one, it costs as much as you want it to, happy with a good wedge of ur wages going to them get a lot, not so happy, not soo many, ur right thier cheap to feed, rarely get ill, probably the expensive bit is ur always looking for something else, and that something tends to be more expensive than the last, so i suppose its related to self control

or summat like that

rgds

ed

Originally Posted by grantjames

How much do people reckon it costs to keep a reptile?

The food is relatively inexpensive compared to a dog or a cat, but there is the overhead of reptiles needing to be heated.