Reptiles and Amphibians｜The 5 Deadliest Mistakes Keepers Make (Plain-Language Version)

FAQ

Not knowing that a "special sun lamp" (UVB) is required — why does this go wrong?

Not knowing that a "special sun lamp" (UVB) is required: many people assume a reptile only needs a warm bulb, not knowing that they need a special tube called UVB in order to take calcium into their bones. Without that lamp, even the most expensive food is useless, and the result is bones throughout the body going soft and deformed, even fracturing so the animal cannot walk; this condition (metabolic bone disease) is one of the most common causes of death in reptiles.

「特殊な太陽のランプ」（UVB）を当てる必要があると知らない——なぜこれで問題が起きるのですか。 — 「特殊な太陽のランプ」（UVB）を当てる必要があると知らない：爬虫類には暖かい電球さえあれば十分だと思っている人が多く、カルシウムを骨に取り込むためには UVB という特殊なランプが必要だということを知りません。このランプが欠けていると、どんなに高価な餌を与えても意味がなく、結果として全身の骨が軟らかくなり、変形し、ついには骨折して歩けなくなります。この病気（代謝性骨疾患）は爬虫類で最もよくある死因の一つです。

Not knowing that a "special sun lamp" (UVB) is required — why does this go wrong? — Not knowing that a "special sun lamp" (UVB) is required: many people assume a reptile only needs a warm bulb, not knowing that they need a special tube called UVB in order to take calcium into their bones. Without that lamp, even the most expensive food is useless, and the result is bones throughout the body going soft and deformed, even fracturing so the animal cannot walk; this condition (metabolic bone disease) is one of the most common causes of death in reptiles.

Keeping aquatic turtles and axolotls in dirty water that is rarely changed and has no filtration — why does this go wrong?

Keeping aquatic turtles and axolotls in dirty water that is rarely changed and has no filtration: many people think "turtles live in dirty water anyway, so it does not matter", but in fact once the water is dirty their shells rot and their skin rots, and in axolotls even the gills they breathe with turn black and necrotic. Clean water and a filter are not optional extras; they are a necessary condition for staying alive.

ミズガメやウーパールーパーを、水換えがほとんどなく、ろ過もない汚れた水で飼う——なぜこれで問題が起きるのですか。 — ミズガメやウーパールーパーを、水換えがほとんどなく、ろ過もない汚れた水で飼う：「カメはもともと汚い水に住んでいるのだから問題ない」と考える人が多いのですが、実際には水が汚れると甲羅が腐り、皮膚も腐ります。ウーパールーパーでは呼吸に使うえらまで黒くなって壊死します。きれいな水とろ過装置は「あればなおよい」ものではなく、生きていくために必要な条件です。

Keeping aquatic turtles and axolotls in dirty water that is rarely changed and has no filtration — why does this go wrong? — Keeping aquatic turtles and axolotls in dirty water that is rarely changed and has no filtration: many people think "turtles live in dirty water anyway, so it does not matter", but in fact once the water is dirty their shells rot and their skin rots, and in axolotls even the gills they breathe with turn black and necrotic. Clean water and a filter are not optional extras; they are a necessary condition for staying alive.

Tortoises, chameleons and horned frogs being fed the wrong things — why does this go wrong?

Tortoises, chameleons and horned frogs being fed the wrong things: thinking that feeding more "nutritious" food is an act of love, and the result is tortoises fed too much fruit developing diarrhoea and declining health; horned frogs fed until they are too fat to move, with liver failure; and chameleons given only a bowl of water to drink from (which they will simply never use), left chronically dehydrated until sunken eyes finally give it away.

リクガメ、カメレオン、ツノガエルに間違ったものを与える——なぜこれで問題が起きるのですか。 — リクガメ、カメレオン、ツノガエルに間違ったものを与える：「栄養のよい」ものをたくさん与えるのが愛情だと思った結果、リクガメは果物を与えられすぎて下痢をし、体調を崩します。ツノガエルは歩けなくなるほど太らされ、肝臓を壊します。カメレオンは水を入れた容器を置いておくだけ（本人はそこから飲もうとしません）にされ、目がくぼむほど長期にわたって脱水してから、ようやく気づかれます。

Tortoises, chameleons and horned frogs being fed the wrong things — why does this go wrong? — Tortoises, chameleons and horned frogs being fed the wrong things: thinking that feeding more "nutritious" food is an act of love, and the result is tortoises fed too much fruit developing diarrhoea and declining health; horned frogs fed until they are too fat to move, with liver failure; and chameleons given only a bowl of water to drink from (which they will simply never use), left chronically dehydrated until sunken eyes finally give it away.