Reptile husbandry tools
The right answer,
not a guess.
Practical reptile husbandry tools — for keepers who want the right answer, not a guess. 30 tools across feeding, environment, health and setup — each with original input, defensible output, and the explanatory text you wish someone had given you on day one.
Feeding & Nutrition
Tools for prey size, schedule, supplementation, gutload, and dietary balance.
Snake Prey Size & Schedule Calculator
Girth-based prey width plus weekly rhythm — with regurgitation-risk scoring.
Open toolCalcium + D3 Supplementation Scheduler
Outputs a dust/gutload rotation that adjusts to your UVB strength — not just 'every other feeding'.
Open toolFeeder Insect Nutritional Comparator
Side-by-side protein, fat, Ca:P ratio and moisture for 8 common feeders — not a single-number ranking.
Open toolGutload Recipe Builder
Outputs a 24h or 48h gutload recipe tailored to your insect species — not a one-size list.
Open toolFeeding Frequency Schedule Generator
Weekly feeding plan with fasting days, by snake species, age and season.
Open toolLive vs Frozen-Thawed Cost Calculator
Compares real bulk prices, wastage and energy — not just per-item cost.
Open toolInsect Size Picker (Gecko / Dragon)
Eye-distance rule plus weight check — flagged separately so you know when they disagree.
Open toolCalcium-to-Phosphorus Ratio Analyzer
Analyzes a diet mix (insects + greens + supplementation) and surfaces the Ca:P imbalance.
Open toolEnvironment
Temperature, humidity, UVB, photoperiod, substrate and plant tools.
Basking Heat Gradient Designer
Outputs four zones — basking, warm, cool, night — with species-specific safety caps.
Open toolHumidity Range & Shedding Predictor
Outputs day vs night humidity targets with a stuck-shed risk score for the species.
Open toolUVB Tube Lifespan & Replacement Tracker
T5 / T8 / Compact degradation curves with mesh-blocking factor — not a calendar-only reminder.
Open toolDay/Night Photoperiod by Latitude
Outputs a realistic day-length schedule based on your latitude and the species' native range.
Open toolSubstrate Risk Auditor
Scores impaction, mould and humidity risk for 12 common substrates against your species.
Open toolBioactive Plant Safety Checker
Searchable database of 40+ vivarium plants with toxicity, humidity fit and root stability scores.
Open toolReptile-Safe Water Treatment Dosage
Outputs conditioner dose for tap, RO, and rainwater — including the chlorine-chloramine distinction.
Open toolPower Outage Emergency Planner
Outputs heat-pack count, insulation plan and risk-by-duration for your specific enclosure.
Open toolHealth & Safety
Body condition, shedding, salmonella risk, quarantine, vet cost, incubation.
Body Condition Score Visualizer
Silhouette-based BCS for snakes, lizards and tortoises — pick the closest visual, not a number from memory.
Open toolShedding Difficulty Predictor
Inputs humidity, hydration and stress — outputs stuck-shed risk and intervention thresholds.
Open toolSalmonella Exposure Risk Score
Scores your handling and cleaning routine against salmonella guidance — not a generic warning.
Open toolQuarantine Protocol Builder
Outputs a dated, itemised quarantine plan — equipment list, observation log, vet-check milestones.
Open toolReptile Vet Cost Estimator
Estimates typical US vet costs for common conditions — with severity tiers and a 'what to budget' summary.
Open toolEgg Incubation Calculator
Outputs species temp, days-to-hatch, and egg weight loss target — with weekly check-in reminders.
Open toolTail Drop Probability Predictor
Scores handling, environment and stress factors for tail-autotomy species.
Open toolHatchling Setup Checklist Generator
Outputs a species-specific first-week setup with enclosure, feeding, and vet-check items.
Open toolFeeding Response Recovery Plan
For snakes that refuse food — outputs a graded re-feeding plan, not panic advice.
Open toolSetup & Equipment
Enclosure sizing, energy cost, plant database, transport carrier, lighting placement.
Enclosure Size Auditor
Outputs minimum footprint and height with species-specific enrichment room flags.
Open toolHeat Source Energy Cost Calculator
Compares heat mat, ceramic heat emitter, basking lamp and radiant heat panel — at your local kWh rate.
Open toolReptile-Safe Plant Database Search
40+ vivarium plants with toxicity, humidity fit and edibility — searchable by light and species.
Open toolTravel & Transport Carrier Size Calculator
Snakes (coiled), lizards (head-to-tail), tortoises (shell length) — separate models per species.
Open toolUVB Lighting Placement Calculator
Distance, mesh, and bulb type — outputs a target UVI at the basking spot.
Open toolAbout this site
What this site is. Herpwise collects scattered, often-conflicting reptile husbandry advice and turns it into specific, defensible recommendations. We do not collect your data, do not run a backend, and do not personalise across sessions. Each tool runs entirely in your browser.
Why we built it. Generic reptile care sheets are written for the lowest common denominator. Real keepers need numbers. A "10–15% of body weight" prey rule is fine for the first year of keeping, but it leaves out girth, regurgitation risk, species specifics and seasonality. Our tools add those layers.
Who built it. A small team of reptile keepers, breeders and software developers. We have kept (and made husbandry mistakes with) ball pythons, bearded dragons, leopard geckos, corn snakes, crested geckos, blue-tongue skinks, Russian and Hermann's tortoises, red-eared sliders, and several dart frogs. We are not veterinarians. Where a recommendation crosses into medical territory, we say so.
What we will not do. We will not collect your data, sell to third parties, or pretend the output is a vet diagnosis. We will not auto-popup anything, fake urgency, or trick you into clicking buttons that look like content.
Privacy policy
Last updated. 2026.
What we collect. Nothing personal. Tools run entirely in your browser. We do not have a backend for these calculators — your inputs never leave your device. No account, no login, no email capture.
Cookies and local storage. No cookies, no localStorage, no analytics forms on tool pages.
Google AdSense and third-party advertising. Pages on this site display ads served by Google AdSense. Google uses cookies to serve ads based on a user's prior visits to this site and/or other sites on the Internet. You may opt out of personalised advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings. Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits. Users may opt out of the DART cookie by visiting the Google Ad and Content Network privacy policy.
Children. This site is not directed at children under 13.
Changes. We may update this policy. The 'last updated' date will reflect any changes.
Disclaimer
Reference only. The information and tools provided on Herpwise are for general informational and educational purposes only. They are not a substitute for professional veterinary advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified reptile-experienced veterinarian.
No warranty. Herpwise makes no representations or warranties about the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of the outputs of these tools for any particular animal or situation.
Keepers' responsibility. You are responsible for the welfare of your animals. Decisions about feeding, housing, medical care, and breeding should be made in consultation with appropriate professionals.