Reptile boarding, small animal and bird boarding takes off at Angell Pets

Reptile boarding was one of the few services we were unable to provide our customers from our old Angell Pets shop in Abbeymead. There simply was not enough space in a secure part of the building to accomodate the necessary enclosures and equipment. One thing we are not lacking in our new premises is space. We now have an entire extra upstairs floor that has enabled us to increase stock holding (we never had any storage space before either) and install a range of vivaria, enclosures and bird cages to enable us to offer reptile boarding, small mammal boarding and bird boarding services to our customers.

 

reptile boarding

One Of Our Reptile Boarders Being Fed

We have built up a reputation as Gloucester’s premier pet shop and were constantly being asked by customers if we could provide reptile boarding for their animals as they trusted us with their beloved pets. Not only had they come to know us and recognise the years of experience we have with a wide range of animals, they also knew that our senior team is the most qualified around. All have completed, as a minimum, either an industry recognised apprenticeship or higher level City and Guilds animal management qualification. Two are also educated to honours degree level in biology and animal science.

We have now completed fitting out  a reptile boarding facility upstairs along with enclosures for other animals and birds and have already taken bookings. We have our first visitor with us at the moment. All reptile boarding facilities are secure and complete with temperature, humidty, lighting and control equipment relevant to the reptile requiring looking after. We are also equiped to take small mammals, inverts and birds. You can use our enclosures or bring your own to reduce the stress on more nervous animals (subject to disinfection upon arrival).

We take bio security very seriously and all enclosures in our reptile boarding facility are scrupulously clean and are disinfected (using F10 and anti mite treatment) between uses (and during longer stays) and staff are trained in ensuring no cross contamination occurs during feeding and cleaning times. No animals are admitted to the facility that show signs of disease or infestation.

All animals in our reptile boarding and other animal boarding facilities are checked at least twice a day and fed, watered or cleaned as appropriate. We have a high level of knowledge of most animals and have the back up of one of the best reptile vets in the county.

Reptile boarding or boarding of other animals is arranged by telephone or visiting the shop, although you can see prices etc. on our webstore

Reptile Boarding (single animal)

Reptile Boarding (multiple animals)

Small Mammal Boarding 

Rabbit, Guinea Pig and Ferret Boarding

Bird Boarding

So, if you are lucky enough to be going on holiday or if you need to have a stay in hospital or are going to be working away and you need a reptile boarding service or boarding for other animals please give us a call. You know your animal is going to be looked after by the best professionals around.

Angell Pets Reptile Boarding in particular is booking up fast so please don’t leave it too late. We do have some capacity to expand the service further but it takes time to get all the equipment in place.

 

Angell Pet care sheets page

Angell Pet give advice on all aspects of the animals we sell and on others we don’t. In addidtion tyo the advice given to prospective pet owners we have a page devoted to care sheets on this site which is constantly being up dated and expanded.

angell pet care sheet page

Just click on the Angell Pet Caresheet tab for a page of sheets and articles on mammals, birds, reptiles, invertebrates, fish and additional sheets on hygiene, handling and treatments.

The care information for each animal will also be added to the description on our Angell Pet webstore over the next few months.

We also have additional advice on our Angell Pet You Tube channel.

The Angell Pet Team

New range of invertebrate tanks now in stock

We have just negotiated a new deal with a local invertebrate and frog vivarium manufacturer to supply Angell Pets ® branded equipment. These high quality tanks have just made it into stock this week.

So far, the range includes glass vivaria for mantids and other arboreal insects, arboreal spiders and terrestrial or burrowing spiders and other invertebrates (such as centipedes and millipedes). Over time we will expand the range further and we can also have custom sizes made to order. Keep a look out soon for a range of amphibian tanks.

Inverebrate faunarium

The smallest vivarium in the new range is a 20cm (8″) glass cube, with a steel mesh vent in the back and fully opening sliding glass top that is self locking. This makes for a very secure tank for smaller spiders or other inverts.

invertebrate tank

The mantis tank is a 20cmx20cmx30cm arboreal glass viv. with a fully steel meshed top (including a support bar to aid fitting of branches etc.) and sliding, front opening, self locking doors. Suitable for all mantids and stick insects.

mantis tank

The arboreal spider tank is similar to the mantis tank but instead of a fullly meshed top it has a glass top with a mesh vent to enable/encourage nesting in the top corner and to help maintain higher humidity if required.

tarantula tank

The terrestrial/burrowing invetebrate tank is larger at 40cmx30cmx25cm high. It has a full width steel mesh vent (not aluminium, which a tarantula will just rip to shreds with its fangs!) and fully opening sliding, self locking glass doors (The maker held an empty one upside down and gave it a good shake by way of demonstration and the doors didn’t move). For cleaning the whole lid assembly can be removed. These are secure tanks, suitable for the most persistent escape artist.

invertebrate vivarium

As the manufacturer is local (we collect the stock ourselves) and whilst quality is maintained but costs are kept to a minimum (no expensive advertising and marketing to be paid for), prices are very keen. You get a lot of specialist equipment for your money.

Inverebrate cube £13.99

Mantis tank £19.99

Arboreal spider tank £19.99

Invertebrate tank £29.99

All are available on our website. These make fantastic display tanks for you favourite invertebrate and compliment our existing range superbly.

The Angell Pets Team

 

Giant centipede care sheet

Giant centipede – these fearsome beasts are becoming ever more popular as hobby species. In the past nearly all were wild caught specimens and as such something we do not sell. However a growing number of captive bred animals are now avaiable as hobbyists improve their knowledge of these facinating creatures and replicate conditions necessary for breeding the giant centipede.

ALL species of giant centipede are venomous, some very venomous. Deaths from bites are very rare and normally effect young. old or sick people but even if not fatal they are very painful and are medically significant. To add to this, the animals are very fast and generally very aggressive, our advice is DO NOT handle a giant centipede, always feed with tongs (nice long ones!) and execute extreme care when opening their enclosure. Obviously a giant centipede is not for the beginner and we would recommend them only for those people used to dealing with fast, aggressive but perhaps less venomous creatures (some of the old world tarantulas spring to mind).

The giant centipede is a bit of an anomoly. They burrow through the litter and top soil hunting their prey. They seem to “like” feeling something brushing against them, (a hide of some sort is recommended) and yet they will spend a lot of time out in the open: similar to the giant white knee tarantula, so they also make good display animals in any collection.

The giant centipede gets big (20cm+ with some species) and requires an enclosure that is at least twice the length of the adult giant centipede in both dimensions, bigger if possible. They are ground living but can climb up the corners (using the silicone for support) so a secure lid is a ‘must have’. No gaps – they WILL get out. There have been reports of them chewing out of thin plastic pots, so if using these type of pots with “pederlings” we would recommend “double bagging”: use a smaller pot inside a bigger one so you will still have a captive giant centipede if it gets throught the first pot. Have some height to the enclosure. It is not necessary for the health of the giant centipede but it is necessary for your health. They are fast and may well run up the side (if the height is less than the length of the giant centipede) to come and get you (or at least to make a break for it). Consider yourself informed of the risks.

giant centipede

 

I won’t suggest what substrate you SHOULD use for a giant centipede, but alternatives to consider are coir, coir mixed with orgainic soil, a mix containing vermiculite etc. ProRep make a good substrate for spiders called “Spider Life” which also works really well. It can retain moisture but will discourage fungal growth, which is a good thing! You can add leaf litter for authentisity if you like (I do like a natural looking enclosure for my animals).

As with tarantulas a giant centipede gets most of its moisture from its food but do put in a shallow dish. I like the micro bowls for smaller specimens and the small/medium bark bowls for the larger ones. Remember, a hide is a ‘must have’. A flat piece of cork bark works well and is nice and cheap. Other than those listed, you don’t really need anything else in the enclosure for your giant centipede.

The giant centipede comes from tropical regions around the world: this means the climate is warm and humid. Humidity can be easily maintianed by deliberately overflowing the water bowl (slightly) and intermittent gentle misting (generally a couple of times a week should surfice, but just monitor the humdity to make sure and don’t over do it and stress out the centipede). A heat mat is probably the gentlest way to heat a giant centipede enclosure; it will also cause one patch of the substrate to dry giving a mixture of micro environments (wetter around the water bowl, dry around the heat mat) and a temperature gradient. This allows the giant centipede to choose where it wants to be rather than having to stay too damp or too dry, both of which could be a problem during its moult. A rough temperature of 75 -85 centigrade is what you are aiming for (too high and the giant centipede will dry out and not be able to moult properly) too low and it will not metabolise properly. Humidity needs to be around 75 – 80% and is particularly important for pederlings of most species. Too low and again dessication will occur, too high and mould, fungus, mites etc start to infest and this is seriously detrimental to the health of the centipede.. Humdity can be adjusted by the size of the water dish, misting frequency, cover of the ventilation grills etc.

Giant centipede

 

Giant centipedes are voracious carnivores. They actively hunt anything from small insects to mice and lizards. Don’t feed anything too large (no larger that half its length, maximum), live insects are fine (micros for very small pederlings), you can go up to mice for the real big ones. I shouldn’t have to point out that feeding live mice is illegal (UK) and is the realm of the fool who wants to “show off”. There is no need to do it. Always use tongs or tweezers if feeding directly. If you put in live insects and they are still there after a couple of days take them out. Your giant centipede could be getting ready to moult and during this time is very vulnerable to attack from prey species (who may themselves by carnivorous). Never leave dead or rotting food in the enclosure. It should be warm and humid in there and this is just the right conditions for some nasty fungii and bacteria to flourish, putting your treasured giant centipede at risk. Keep the enclosure clean.

Just a quick word on species. The commonest genus of giant centipede found in shops is Scolopendra. This genus contains a number of species and sub species of giant centipede found right round the world, some naturally, some introduced. Variation amongst single species is also common. This makes the giant centipede very hard to identify. Species and sub species classifications change with research. Two dark giant centipedes could be different species, two that are different colours could be the same species. Often the actual differences that seperate them are very small (microscopic) and can only really be seen on dead specimens (it may be differences in teeth and you would’t want to be checking those on a live one!). For this reason mistakes in classification are common and any species name should be taken as given in good faith but possibly wrong. As more captive bred specimens arrive on the market this should improve.

 

The Angell Pets Team