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TRK is a one-stop shop providing live reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates and reptile supplies anywhere in the US. Through our unparalleled customer service, our quality selection of products and reptiles, our lightning quick shipping, and our comprehensive Reptile Education Center, our goal is to deliver a fun, easy, and enlightening reptile experience!

TRK is also committed to the proper care and well-being of reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates (but we love all animals). The care and maintenance of reptiles varies greatly by species. Even so, owning a reptile can be fun, easy, and rewarding, no matter what your age. TRK puts the “mate” in squamate, and that’s why we’re here; to match you with the reptile that best suits you!

"We take the guesswork out of reptile care." ™

Although we are not certified herpetologists, we have several years of experience in the pet trade. You can rest assured that we will answer any of your reptile questions or concerns, and provide you with the most up-to-date information. For your convenience, we have three ways to communicate with us: live chat, e-mail, and our toll free number.

We also believe that by providing complete habitat setups with our simple care and cleaning instructions specific to the species we sell in each and every box, we can stay true to our motto. Complete habitats paired with our simple care guides and our dedication to customer service will inspire confidence and maximize your reptile experience.

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Have fun!

Phil & Travis

The Reptile Kings

Leaf Tailed Geckos

LEAF TAIL GECKOS
(Uroplatus species)
Origin: mainland Madagascar and surrounding islands.
Family: Gekkonidae

The leaf-tailed gecko family has nine members ranging in size from 30cm to 8cm. This cryptic gecko has excellent camouflage skills making it “blend” in to its natural environment of the rain forests of Madagascar. Larger members of the genus have beards and fringes around the whole body. When at rest laying head down on a mossy or lichen covered branch are almost impossible to see, the beard and fringes are flattened to the branch creating a perfect match and avoiding any shadow being cast. Small members have tails mimicking leaves, bodies resemble dead leaves and twigs. Overall this species is a master at disguise. Large eyes help this nocturnal species hunt its prey, large mouths are capable of tackling over sized prey. The common leaf-tailed gecko has more teeth than any other lizard on earth. After a night’s hunting an individual will often return to the same resting place, reports of lichen covered branches with bare patches where the geckos rest are reported. Color change is possible and most dramatic at night, some specimens can be stunning in colors of lichen and mosses from pinks to oranges, on the other hand some can be dull patterns of browns.

This species is totally adapted to life in a primary rain forest, so cryptic are their disguises species and sub-species are still being discovered today. The locals are afraid of them and refer to them as the devil. When disturbed larger members of the species especially Uroplatus fimbriatus stand up open mouthed and let out a large hiss, to an observer I can imagine a branch “coming to life” and hissing at you would be disturbing.

In captivity a tropical rain forest set-up is required heavily planted with lots of climbing branches. I would highly recommend live plants & mosses planted in a peat substrate, as high humidity is required. As with all highly humid vivariums air circulation is essential to avoid stagnant air. This species does not like it hot and will dehydrate quickly if kept so. A temperature range of 75-80°F is ideal remember this species will not move during the day unless disturbed, so it will hopefully settle in a thermally comfortable place itself. Water requirements are critical especially when dealing with newly acquired specimens. Re-hydration is critical and should be done as a priority, once settled they usually adapt well to drinking from a dish at night, regular sprays are essential. To stimulate drinking gentle airflow in the water dish works well. Food can consist of all suitably sized commercially produced live foods, and hedge sweeping, remember to only collect from areas you are sure pesticides have not been used. Nectar may be licked.
On a final note after you have carefully made your “rain forest”, marveled at your achievements and settled your gecko in, it will probably rest all day on the glass doors! A happy, hydrated leaf-tailed gecko of the following species should be resting head down with a completely flat tail: U. fimbriatus, U. henkeli, U. sikorae.

The species:

Common leaf-tailed geckos Uroplatus fimbriatus This species is as its name suggests the most common species on Madagascar, and the largest. Occurring along almost the length of the east side, in primary rain forest. Attaining a total length of almost 30cm this is one of the biggest geckos in the world. It can be distinguished from other large species by its amber eyes with vertically striped pattern. Usually two eggs are laid in leaf litter and take 90 days+.

Henkles leaf-tailed geckos Uroplatus henkeli This is one of the most variable colored species. Specimens can range from almost completely white to stunning oranges and pinks, with all the mossy colors in between. Attaining a total length of 25cm it is slightly smaller than the common leaf-tail and differences can be seen in the eyes. This species usually has pink eyes with little or no markings. Usually two but up to four eggs are laid on the forest floor where they take 90 days+ to hatch. This species is found in the north west of the island.

Mossy leaf-tailed geckos Uroplatus sikorae This species is one of my favorite, smaller than the before mentioned species reaching a total length of 18.5cm. Resembling a lichen or mossy branch some species have “twig” like pimples and bumps. Occurring on the on the east coast and northern tip on off shore islands. A sub-species is recognized on the island of Nosy boraha U. s. sameiti, difference in the sub-species can be determined by the inner coloration of the mouth U. sikorae has a black mouth whereas U. s. sameiti has a flesh colored inner mouth. Again usually two eggs are laid and hatch after 90 days+.

Lined leaf-tailed gecko Uroplatus lineatus This species occurs in the north east in bamboo forest. As its name suggests it has several longitudinal brown lines on the body and head, on a yellow background. Reaching a length of 25cm its quite a large gecko, the inner mouth is black in color, its tail is slim compared to the above species and is used in display, waving it slowly. In captivity bamboo canes work well.

Satanic leaf-tailed geckos (American name) Uroplatus phantasticus This is a stunning species reaching a total length of 9cm, its range is the central eastern side of the island. This species mimics to great success a dead leaf, its whole body resembles a curled up leaf, its tail leaf shaped. This is a truly amazing gecko. Coloration can be brown/grey to amazing yellows, green, oranges, and pinks. Called the Satanic leaf-tailed geckos as this species looks like it has “horns”, and some specimens have red eyes. Two eggs are laid and hatch after 60-70 days.

Nosey be leaf-tailed gecko Uroplatus ebenaui Found at the north western tip of the island, and surrounding islands. This species is similar to U. phantasticus but slightly larger in body, with a very small tail. Again this species mimics dead leafs well and can be very hard to spot even in captivity. Two eggs are laid and take 60-70 days to hatch.

The following species are very rarely imported, if ever and are locally rare in Madagascar.
Uroplatus alluaudi Only known from the type locality.
Uroplatus malahelo discovered in 1994 and only known from two specimens.
Uroplatus guentheri West coast.

Overall this is a wonderful gecko to keep and hopefully breed, not that common in collections, its unusual appearance gives it a certain appeal.

Amazon Milk Frogs

Amazon Milk Frog
(Trachycephalus resinifictrix)

Introduction: In the past, the Amazon milk frog was difficult to locate in captivity but recently, thanks to successful captive breeding programs, the Amazon milk frog has become relatively common in collections. They are easy to locate online from large reptile dealers, and it isn’t uncommon to find one for sale at a local reptile show. One of the reasons people choose to keep this species is because of their attractive coloration and pattern. Juvenile Amazon milk frogs are banded in black and white, but as they mature their contrasting colors change. The black lightens to a dark gray or brown while the white tends to darken to a very light gray. Their skin has a very granular or bumpy texture which gives the frog a distinct look. More unique than their appearance is their breeding behavior. This species of frog breeds only in holes inside large trees, which is one of the reasons it took hobbyists so long to successfully breed them in captivity. Their common name milk frog refers to the poisonous, white, milky secretion that this frog may secrete when threatened. The Amazon milk frog is a rather large tree frog and adults usually range in size from 2.5 to 4 inches (6.3 cm to 10 cm), with males being smaller than females.

Cage: Amazon milk frogs are large tree frogs that should be kept in a cage that offers plenty of room. A standard 29 gallon aquarium that measures 30 inches long by 12 inches wide by 18 inches high (76 cm by 30 cm by 46 cm) is enough room for two to four adult Amazon milk frogs, although more room is better. A tight-fitting cover is essential to prevent escapes. Attaching black poster board or an aquarium background to all but one side of the aquarium will reduce stress and make the frog feel more secure.

The main components of their cage should consist of a substrate, perches, and hiding areas. The substrate that is used should hold moisture, be safe if swallowed, and easy to clean. Coconut husk fiber (bed-a-beast, forest bed, eco earth, etc.) or other safe soil substrate is a good option. Avoid soils that contain vermiculite or perlite. Simple substrates such as moist paper towels or foam rubber can also be used. Gravel, small bark chippings, and reptile cage carpet should not be used as substrates. Perches can consist of sturdy pieces of drift wood, cork bark tubes, bamboo poles or pieces PVC piping. The Amazon milk frog is arboreal and will do best when provided with hiding spots that are at the top of the cage rather than on the floor. These can be created by resting curved pieces of bark against the side of the cage or by attaching other types of hide spots to the side of the cage with silicone sealant. Many keepers choose to recreate a hole in a tree on one side of the cage for use as a hiding area.

Water: A large bowl of clean water should be provided at all times. The water should be changed daily or when it appears dirty. If tap water is used it should be treated with a tap water conditioner that removes chlorine, chloramines and heavy metals. Bottled spring water can be used instead of treated tap water.

Temperature and Humidity: The temperature in the cage can range from 75°F to 85°F (24°C to 29°C) during the day with a slight drop in temperature at night. They are tolerant of a wide range of temperatures and will do fine when temporarily kept outside of those temperature perimeters. A low wattage incandescent light bulb can be used to heat the cage. Use infrared bulbs for heating at night if needed.

The Amazon milk frog is native the humid jungles of South America and the humidity level that they are kept at in captivity should mimic that of their natural environment. To achieve high humidity, their cage can be sprayed with water once or twice a day and ventilation can be restricted. Care should be taken to avoid sealing up too much of the terrarium and creating stagnant conditions.

Food: The Amazon milk frog is a large frog with a large appetite. They will accept the normal selection of feeder insects such as crickets, wax worms, roaches and mealworms. Some adult frogs will also accept pre-killed pinky mice. The majority of their diet should consist of crickets that are the length of the width of the frog’s head. A feeding schedule of three to eight crickets every two days per frog should work well for adults. Juveniles should be fed daily. Other food items can be offered once every week or two instead of crickets. Adult frogs should have their food coated with high quality reptile vitamin and mineral supplements every two to four feedings. Juveniles should have their food supplemented more often.

Mealworm Breeding

What is a Mealworm?

(Tenebrio Molitor)

Tenebrio Molitor, commonly known as Mealworms, are similar to superworms in that they are hard-bodied larvae, very inexpensive and follow the same pupate pattern. The only difference between the mealworm and superworm is in size. Mealworms are small, as are the pupae and resulting beetle.

Unlike hornworms, silkworms and butterworms, mealworms possess low nutritional value. Nonetheless, they still make great crunchy treats for most animals.

Remember to keep mealworms in the fridge to prevent pupation.

can grow up to 1.5" in length

Note: As with any species, do not feed an exclusive diet of only one insect. In the wild, all animals that feed on insects will eat 50 or more varieties, giving the animal a varied vitamin and mineral intake. As pet owners or breeders, we must approximate the feeding habits and the best way to do this is by feeding an exotic mix of bugs.

Mealworm breeding

Breeding Mealworms and Raising mealworms for Reptiles.

Mealworms are a widely used food for reptiles (herp food), bait, fishing and for feeding Sugar gliders, and more. Meal worms are also used for fishing. Pan fish love them. We have giant mealworms that are the same species of the regular, but double the size. They make a great bait! If you just want to learn how to raise meal worms just read on!

What you will need to breed mealworms:

1. Container. A Rubbermaid or plastic shoe or sweater box will work well.

2. Bedding. Wheat bran, or whole wheat four will work. So will chicken food.

3. Potatoes for moisture.

4. Starter culture of mealworms

Mealworms are the larval form of the darkling beetle. They make excellent feeders for reptiles, birds and small mammals. Sugar gliders love them. They are easy to raise. We have been doing it for fifteen years. Meal worms are easily grown if you give them the ability to grow. Meal worms need a good quality bedding. By quality we mean clean fresh and a bedding made of wheat bran or whole wheat flour. The bedding will also be the food your mealworms eat. Our meal worm cultures are grown by the millions in large pans filled with wheat bran, which you can get at any farm and feed store. You can also use corn meal, chicken mash. The worms are kept at a constant 77 degrees, but you can keep them anywhere between 45 and 85 degrees. We have found that 77 degrees works best for us. The mealworms will take about 12 weeks to go from egg to worm, to beetle.

To start your mealworm culture pour 1 inch of bedding into the container and add your mealworms. Add a couple thin potato slices and that is it.

The mealworms will morph in a couple weeks into a grub looking thing (picture below). The grubs will become beetles. Place the beetles in a second container with bran and potatoes and let nature do the rest.

The beetles will die after a couple weeks. Keep the container with the bran in a dry area, and add small slices of potato when the slice you have dries out. In a couple weeks you will see tiny mealworms. Each female beetle will lay up to 500 eggs or more.

Here are the basic stages Mealworms go through.

1. The first stage is when the mealworm is in the egg.

2. The second stage is when the meal worm becomes a meal worm. The worms grow and shed their skin many times as they grow. It is good to have fresh bran for food and bedding, and a slice of potato for moisture. The mealworms will drink from the potato. This will also help them to grow large. The worms are very active, friendly, and playful at this age. Kind of like children.

3. In the third stage the mealworm pupates, and becomes a pupae. When the mealworm is a pupae it will not eat or drink. It will just lay around. Kind of like teenagers.

4. In the fourth stage the beetle forms, and live for a couple of weeks. This is the adult stage. This is when the beetle goes out and gets food and makes a home for the new mealworms that will come.

Remove he beetles from the culture of mealworms and place them in their own container of bran and you will be ready to start a new colony!