Reptiles

a student holds two turtles trapped for a health monitoring study

Recent

Why Did the Vet Student Catch the Turtle?
August 19, 2024

Every spring and summer, students from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine venture into Illinois forests and waterways to save the world … one turtle at a time. The veterinary students work in…
Read More >

Categories

Species

[bearded dragon looks at night sky]

Lightning Bugs Toxic to Bearded Dragons

August 16, 2022

It’s fun to spend a summer night catching and releasing lightning bugs, right? Well, not if you are a bearded dragon. Dr. Krista Keller, a board-certified specialist in zoological medicine at the University of Illinois…
Read More >

[red-footed tortoise]

The Tortoise and Its Care

January 11, 2022

If you’ve got the time—and the space—we may have a lifelong animal companion for you: a tortoise. Here with a primer on pet tortoises is Dr. Amanda Wong, a veterinarian completing a three-year residency in…
Read More >

a bearded dragon named Frankie

Spotting—and Solving—a Problem in a Bearded Dragon

February 15, 2021

Research Identified Effective Fungal Medication When the standard treatment for a fungal infection wasn’t working for Frankie, a bearded dragon, the experts at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine were able to help….
Read More >

[reptile - iguana]

Simple Things Your Reptile Might Be Missing

February 25, 2019

The right environment, diet for your reptile According to the most recent statistics for pet ownership in the United States, 4.7 million households kept 9.4 million reptiles as pets in 2016. With the interest in…
Read More >

[Blanding's turtle]

Our Summer Spent Saving Turtles

January 28, 2018

Turtles play a role in environmental health Last summer, two rising second-year veterinary students traded blue lab coats and lecture halls in Urbana for chest-high waders and wetlands in Lake County in northeast Illinois. Working…
Read More >

[snake with bite wound]

Your Pet Snake’s Diet: Dead or Alive?

September 30, 2017

Feeding live prey has risks In the wild snakes can’t just order carry-in; they have to hunt for their next meal. So it’s not surprising that owners of pet snakes may believe their pets need…
Read More >