Before you buy
Work out the lifetime cost, find your vet and check your household before you choose an animal.
In this chapter
The commitment
Measure it in decades
A corn snake bought at 18 may still be alive at 38. A royal python or a boa bought the same year may outlive the relationship, the job, the flat, and possibly the city you bought it in. Lifespan is the first number to look at, because every other cost on this page is multiplied by it.
| Species | Lifespan | Adult size | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leopard gecko | 15-20 yr | 18-25 cm | First reptile |
| Crested gecko | 15-20 yr | 18-23 cm | First reptile |
| Corn snake | 15-20 yr | 120-150 cm | First reptile |
| Royal python | 20-30 yr | 90-150 cm | First reptile If you can live with long spells of refusing food |
| Western hognose | 15-20 yr | 40-90 cm | First reptile Also a notoriously fussy feeder |
| Bearded dragon | 10-15 yr | 45-60 cm | First reptile If you can give it a large, bright, hot enclosure |
| Boa constrictor | 20-30 yr | 180-300 cm | Some experience A heavy adult and a 180 cm enclosure |
| Chameleon veiled or panther | 5-8 yr | 35-60 cm | Specialist Daily misting, live food, high UVB, stress-sensitive |
Before you buy, answer these honestly
- Who takes it if you can't? A move abroad, a new baby, a partner who hates snakes, a hospital stay. Name the actual person who would step in.
- Can you keep it where you live? Renting means written permission first. A flat share means asking everyone who lives there.
- Will you still be interested in year eight? Most reptiles do very little that is visible. You may find the appeal of watching something that sits in a hide all day fades within two years.
Lifetime cost
Lifespan matters more than the monthly bill
The setup is the cost you plan for, and it's the smallest part. Over a lifetime, running costs outweigh the setup by seven to thirteen times for every species here except the chameleon. That's why a royal python costs half as much again to keep as a leopard gecko, even though their monthly bills are close.
| Species | Setup | Running / month | Lifespan | Lifetime |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boa constrictor | £500-900 | £15-35 | 20-30 yr | ≈ £8,200 |
| Bearded dragon | £450-700 | £25-40 | 10-15 yr | ≈ £5,450 |
| Royal python | £250-450 | £10-20 | 20-30 yr | ≈ £4,850 |
| Chameleon | £400-700 | £25-45 | 5-8 yr | ≈ £3,300 |
| Leopard gecko | £250-400 | £10-18 | 15-20 yr | ≈ £3,250 |
| Corn snake | £250-400 | £8-15 | 15-20 yr | ≈ £2,750 |
| Western hognose | £200-350 | £8-14 | 15-20 yr | ≈ £2,600 |
| Crested gecko | £200-350 | £6-14 | 15-20 yr | ≈ £2,400 |
What the numbers include
Setup is the enclosure, every heat source and its thermostat, digital thermometers and an infrared temperature gun, a hygrometer, UVB tube and fitting, hides, décor, substrate and a water bowl. Running is food, electricity, substrate changes, and bulbs and UVB tubes averaged across the year.
Not included: the animal (a normal leopard gecko and a high-end morph can differ by a factor of fifty), vet bills, insurance, and the second enclosure you might end up buying when the first one turns out too small.
The monthly bills
Electricity, food, and things that wear out
Electricity, worked out
Heat sources on a thermostat are not on all the time. The stat switches or dims them to hold temperature. The share of time they draw power is the duty cycle, and it is higher in a cold room in January than a warm one in July.
watts ÷ 1,000 × hours on × duty cycle × 30 days × price per kWh = £ per month
| Equipment | Watts | Hours | Duty | kWh / mo | £ / mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat mat | 20 | 24 | 50% | 7.2 | £1.94 |
| Deep heat projector, day | 80 | 12 | 50% | 14.4 | £3.89 |
| Ceramic heat emitter, night | 60 | 12 | 40% | 8.6 | £2.33 |
| Halogen basking bulb, dimmed | 75 | 12 | 70% | 18.9 | £5.10 |
| T5 UVB tube | 24 | 12 | 100% | 8.6 | £2.33 |
| LED plant light | 20 | 12 | 100% | 7.2 | £1.94 |
| At 27p per kWh. Check your own tariff; the calculation works the same way at any price. | |||||
A royal python on a deep heat projector, a night-time ceramic and a UVB tube comes to about £8.50 a month in winter. A bearded dragon needs far more light and heat: a 100 W basking bulb and a long high-output UVB tube run to around £10.60, the biggest electricity bill of the species here.
Food
| Food | Typical price | Eaten by |
|---|---|---|
| Frozen mice | £0.50-1.20 each | Corn snake, hognose, young royal python |
| Frozen rats | £1.20-4.00 each | Royal python, boa constrictor |
| Live crickets or locusts | £3-6 a tub | Leopard gecko, bearded dragon, chameleon |
| Live roaches | £5-10 a tub | Leopard gecko, bearded dragon, chameleon |
| Fresh greens and vegetables | £8-15 a month | Bearded dragon |
| Complete gecko diet (powder) | £10-16 a pack | Crested gecko. One pack lasts two to three months |
| Supplements (calcium, D3, multivitamin) | £20-40 a year | Every insect eater |
Buying frozen rodents in bulk is cheaper per item, and needs freezer space you may not have. Chameleons and bearded dragons eat live insects every week of their lives, which is why they have the two highest monthly bills on bask.
Things that wear out
| Item | Replace | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| T5 UVB tube | Every 12 months, even if it still lights up | £25-45 |
| Halogen basking bulb | Every 6-12 months | £8-20 |
| Ceramic heat emitter or DHP | When it fails, often after one to three years | £20-45 |
| Thermostat | When it drifts. Check it against your temperature gun every year | £40-90 |
| Full substrate change | Every 4-8 weeks on a standard setup | £10-25 each |
Vets and insurance
Find a vet before you buy
Most small-animal practices do not see reptiles, and the ones that do are not always open when you need them. Search the RCVS Find a Vet register for practices with exotics experience, phone one, ask whether they see your species, and note their out-of-hours arrangement. Do it the week you decide to buy.
| Typical exotics fee | Indicative |
|---|---|
| Consultation | £50-90 |
| Faecal parasite screen | £30-60 |
| Blood tests | £100-200 |
| X-ray, including sedation | £150-350 |
| Out-of-hours emergency, before treatment | £150-300 |
| Surgery, e.g. egg binding | £500-1,500+ |
| Fees vary a great deal by region and practice. Ask for an estimate before treatment starts. | |
Insurance, or a savings pot
Specialist exotic pet insurance exists for most species on bask. Read the exclusions before you pay: pre-existing conditions and routine care are typically not covered. The alternative many keepers use is a separate savings pot: £15-20 a month for two years covers most single emergencies.
The signs that mean a same-day appointment are in Health: what to watch for.
Your home and household
Where the enclosure goes, and who shares the house
Placing the enclosure
- Keep it out of direct sun. Sunlight through a window can take a closed enclosure past a lethal temperature within an hour, whatever the thermostat is doing.
- Radiators and draughts both make the temperature gradient impossible to hold, so site it away from them.
- The kitchen is out, for the hygiene reasons below.
- Choose a quieter room, away from speakers and heavy foot traffic, and raise the enclosure off the floor if you have a dog or a cat.
Other pets
To the animal inside, a cat sitting on top of the vivarium is a predator overhead. Keep enclosures locked, keep other pets out of the room where you can, and never let a reptile loose with a cat or dog "to see how they get on".
Salmonella and hygiene
Reptiles commonly carry Salmonella without looking unwell. It is a manageable risk for most households and a serious one for some.
- Wash hands with soap after touching the animal, its water, its substrate or any equipment.
- Never wash equipment or bathe a reptile in the kitchen sink, and disinfect a bath afterwards if you use one.
- Keep enclosures and frozen or live food away from where people prepare and eat food.
- Take particular care with children under five, pregnant people, older people and anyone immunocompromised in the household. Supervise children when they handle animals, and make handwashing non-negotiable.
Morphs and welfare
Morphs linked to health problems
Most morphs are cosmetic. A few are linked to structural, neurological, metabolic or fatal hereditary conditions. bask applies the Deleterious Gene Policy published by REPTA, the Reptile and Exotic Pet Trade Association, in full, and every listing on the site falls into one of three groups.
| Group | What bask does | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Prohibited | Morphs on REPTA's list cannot be listed. A listing carrying one is refused when it is saved, and a live listing is withdrawn if its morph joins the list. | You will not find these on bask. If a seller elsewhere offers one, this is why bask would not list it. |
| Welfare note | Morphs linked to milder or less certain conditions are allowed, with a note shown automatically on the listing. | Read the note, research the morph, and ask the seller how this particular animal is affected. |
| Breeding guidance | Morphs that are healthy in one copy but produce affected offspring when paired with a similar line carry written guidance on the listing. | You confirm you have read it before your enquiry is sent. It matters most if you ever plan to breed. |
REPTA reviews the list every six months, and bask follows each change. Each species care guide lists the prohibited morphs, welfare notes and breeding guidance for that species, and the full list is on bask's animal welfare page.
An animal that is already alive with a prohibited morph deserves a good home, and keeping one breaks no rule. It cannot be advertised for sale on bask.
UK law
What applies, and what does not
| Law | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Animal Welfare Act 2006 (England and Wales) Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 |
A legal duty of care from the day you take the animal home: a suitable environment and diet, the ability to behave normally, and protection from pain, injury and disease. Under these acts, an enclosure with no temperature gradient fails the animal's welfare needs. |
| Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 | None of the species in this handbook needs a DWA licence. |
| CITES / UK wildlife trade regulations | Royal pythons, boa constrictors and chameleons are Annex B species. No Article 10 certificate is needed to buy or sell one within the UK, because those certificates apply to Annex A species. Keep the paperwork showing it was captive-bred. Leopard geckos, crested geckos, bearded dragons, corn snakes and hognoses are not listed. |
| Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 | Selling animals as pets in the course of a business needs a local authority licence, with equivalent regimes in Scotland and Wales and separate rules in Northern Ireland. Whether you count as a business depends on your selling activity, whatever you call yourself. |
| Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, section 14 | Releasing an animal that is not native to Great Britain into the wild is an offence. None of the species here would survive it. |
This is a summary for you, not legal advice.