4 4 PET TRADE WORLD DECEMBER 2009www. pettradeworld. com Reptile and Exotic Food Focus Tropical Fruit Mix- ins Fresh canned fruits in sauce to be used as a " mix- in" with fresh pelleted diets. Great for Tropical Lizards, Box Turtles, " Forest" type species of Tortoises, Hermit Crabs, Iguanas, Crested Geckos, Day Geckos, ect. Available in Mango, Mango and Papaya, Red Banana, Papaya, Papaya and Red Banana Can O' Crickets . Adult size crickets ideal for most Lizards, Turtles, Fish, Birds and Small Animals. . Good Alternative to livefood. . Long shelf life. . Also available in range Can O' worms, Grasshoppers, Shrimp, Mealies, Pillars and Snails Zolux Hobby Food range for Agamids, Iguanas, Turtles and Tortoise In the year that the HOBBY Terraristics had its tenth anniversary, Dohse Aquaristik complemented its product range further still by developing its own line of foods. Carefully selected high quality and easily digested ingredients, high- grade proteins, essential vitamins, mineral salts and trace elements guarantee a balanced diet for long- term health. The well- matched feed composition for adult animals provides energy to promote activity and the growth of muscles, tissue and bones. The in- house feed composition for young animals pays particular attention to their special nutritional requirements promoting healthy growth and the resistance to disease. The types of feed are fi nely balanced to meet the needs of agamids, iguanas, and turtles and tortoise; the feed is supplied in containers of 250 and 1,000 ml for adult and juvenile animals respectively. Gammarus The company has now added a new food, to their range. " Gammarus" is made from cleaned and dried freshwater shrimp. The shrimp are high in fi bre and contain vital minerals and trace elements that have been air dried to preserve these vitamins. The natural calcium content of the food promotes the growth of muscles, tissue and bones. " Gammarus" is designed especially for turtles but is also a well suited delicacy for tortoise and fi sh. Lucky Reptile FlowerMix . A natural mix of dried fl owers. . Rich in crude fi bre and natural vitamins. . A great treat for herbivore Reptiles. . Superb and healthy addition to herbivorous diet. Peregrine T- Rex Tortoise Dry Formula . T- Rex Tortoise food is back! . Very Popular with Tortoises and keepers. . High Fibre content. . A great addition to a tortoise diet Lucky Reptile HerbMix . A natural high quality mix of Dandelion, Clover, Ribwort, Nettle and Peppermint. . Contains high level of Crude fi bre which is benefi cial to the digestive system. . A superb addition to a herbivorous diet. . Ideal of Tortoises, Bearded dragons, iguanas, uromastyx and other plant eaters.

www. pettradeworld. comPET TRADE WORLD DECEMBER 2009 45 Reptile and Exotic Food Focus Contacts JBL - Telephone: + 49 6236- 4180- 200 Email: Website: www. jbl. de Peregrine ( Lucky Reptile and T- Rex) - Telephone: 0800 919 631 Website: www. peregrine- livefoods. co. uk Tetra ( UK) Ltd - Telephone: 02380 60 60 70 Website: www. tetra. de Zolux Hobby UK Ltd - Telephone: 01908 487633 Email: contact@ zolux- hobby. co. uk Website: www. zolux- hobby. co. uk Zoo Med - Website: www. zoomed. com Exotic pet feeding tips from company directors Dave Perry and Tim Green at Peregrine Livefoods Ltd for retailers and their customers. . Little and often.. Many insectivorous insects would hunt throughout the day ( or night if nocturnal) so feed them little and often. This mimics what would happen in the wild and allows them more opportunity to hunt. It also avoids large numbers of feeder insects being loose in the tank and reduces the risk of the insects biting the lizard. . Take care with frozen rodents - Frozen rodents are the most convenient way to feed most snakes. But remember that these are pieces of raw meat and may contain pathogens such as salmonella - treat them with the same caution that you would use with a raw chicken. Defrost thoroughly ensuring that you do not contaminate areas that may come into contact with food, wash your hands and always supervise children who may put their fi ngers in their mouths. Always follow the REPTA guidelines which can be downloaded at www. peregrine- livefoods. co. uk . Don't forget to balance - Many foods used for captive reptiles are defi cient in vitamins and minerals, or have an imbalance. Using a good reptile vitamin and mineral supplement, such as ZooMeds " Reptavite", ensures that the pet does not suffer from defi ciency diseases such as metabolic bone disease. . Things really do bite the hand that feeds them! - Snakes often get a bit over excited at dinner time so reduce the risk of getting bitten by using a pair of long feeding tongs to present food to over enthusiastic feeders. . Sometimes worse is better... Weeds are not a very good food nutritionally, low protein, high fi bre, low carbohydrate ; you wouldn't want them in your salad! But they are the best food for Mediterranean type Tortoises; Hermans, Horsefi elds, Marginated and Greek Spur Thigh. It is the food source they are designed to exploit in the wild and encourages slow natural growth and correct shell development. . Get them while they are fresh. Once packed into containers for transport, the nutritional value of feeder insects will start to decline. It is best to buy fresh Crickets and Locusts as you need them to ensure they are in good condition. . But don't ignore your bugs. If you do keep feeder insects for more than a few days then provide some food and moisture. There are many insect foods available, such as ProRep " Bug Grub, which will ensure the insects stay healthy. For moisture try " Bug Gel" which can provide water without the risk of drowning. If you are keeping insects for more than a week then you will need a holding tank, ones such as the Lucky Reptile " Cricket Keeper" which also has special attachments to help you get the insects out to feed the animals. . Take care with pellets - There are many Tortoise Pellets on the market. These are useful for the winter months when fresh weeds may be short in supply but should only ever be used as part of a good basic diet. Avoid ones with a high protein and carbohydrate content. . Size does matter! - Feeding food items that are too large can cause problems for animals. As a general rule only feed insects no bigger than the distance between a lizards eyes over the top of its head. . Have a nice bonding session - Bearded Dragons are very social lizards and love interacting with their owner. Why not try hand feeding them as a special treat. Extra large Locusts are ideal for this. ¦ Tim GreenDave Perry