# Keeping Reptiles: Is it Expensive



## Beardy Boy97 (Dec 13, 2011)

Hi, I have just had a bit of a heated debate with someone on a Facebook group at out wether keeping reptiles is expensive or not. Unfortunately I could only get some much of my opinion across before my post was deleted, but it has made me think about wether it is expensive or not. 

He was saying that is was expensive for equipment like vivs, bulbs, UV starters, heating equipment and other lighting equipment. I do agree that initial setup costs can be expensive, but I think that running and care costs are quite inexpensive. He also commented that things like supplements and livefood etc can be expensive, which I disagreed with, because livefood can be bred and all other costs like supplements, UV and heat bulbs, etc don't need to be brought regularly and are quite inexpensive when they do need to be brought. 

It was also mentioned that it is expensive keeping larger reptiles like bosc monitors and bigger lizards and snakes over 5-6 ft. I don't have experience of keeping larger reptiles yet because I do not feel that I am ready, but I have researched them and I do believe that they do need larger enclosures, equipment and food, but I still do not believe that they have to be hugely expensive 

So I just wanted to see what other people think. Is reptile keeping expensive? I do not want this to turn into a argument, but I just want to see other more experienced opinions. 

Thanks for any replies


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## clumsyoaf (Oct 23, 2012)

I currently have 7 Reptiles, (a royal, 3 individually housed hognoses, and 3 individually housed cresties all of them combined cost less than my parent's dog to keep, so I would say not!

I live in a warm 1 bedroom flat, my monthly electric bill is under £50 (which includes all the electric for me!) their food is about £40 a month, equipment is replaced as required but would probably average about £5 a month...plus they don't require very much time... so no, I wouldn't have said they're expensive at all!


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## RADIOGAGAGA (Oct 4, 2011)

Set ups, and depending on the species can be expensive

But keeping them is peanuts!


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## clumsyoaf (Oct 23, 2012)

But set-ups can be made from scratch for very little if you are a practical person, or bought second hand, or modified from old furniture...


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## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

I would equate the cost of a single bearded dragon to around the same as keeping a small dog or a cat. Veterinary costs on exotics are higher than dogs/cats on routine/small things (but cats/dogs can have much more expensive, serious issues), but insurance is actually lower on reptiles.

I've been keeping and breeding reptiles for over 20 years now, but I've also always had dogs and cats. In all honesty, I would say keeping reptiles is expensive - but I'd say keeping a cat or a dog is expensive too. Pets in general can be a large drain on finances if you calculate their yearly costs, and allow for potential vet visits.

I think most people would consider £40-50 a month on food for a couple of pets is pretty expensive. My german shepherd for example eats a large bag of £25 food/month and costs £10/month for insurance. People tell me that a large dog is expensive - but a single bearded dragon can be very similar, if not more.

If you have something like colony of bearded dragons where each lizard potentially eats £10-20 worth of livefood/month then it is pretty expensive by your average disposable-income standard for what is essentially a fairly small pet.

Snakes on the other hand are a fraction of the cost of large-insect eating lizards, and fruit/salad eating species also tend to be cheaper.


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## Gratenkutzombie (Dec 28, 2012)

It _can_ be expensive. If you make your own vivs, or buy second hand equipment you have the scope to make big savings. Also, the price of the equipment (because it could be considered quite specialized) is monopolized, with few brands, like - Exo terra, lucky reptile, komodo - with fairly high prices. All in all, to buy 8 snakes with setups for life, i have spent in excess of £3500 with a monthly upkeep of approx £25. So, expensive to set up, cheap as chips to maintain.


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## mitsi (Feb 1, 2012)

I have snakes and small lizards and monitor lizards, imo yes their care feed and upkeep is expensive, my monitors cost me around £65 a month to feed thats for 3 of them, plus id say around 3 or 4 quid a week in electric., snake food is another 40 a month, thats including me breeding my own. Then another couple of quid for electric a week. I certainly spend more on my reptiles a month than my dog or 6 csts cost me, in fact I could feed these, and my rabbits for a good 4 months if not more on their monthly cost. Factoring in heat bulbs, light bulbs, thermostats etc works out another expense, even if they do last a while.


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## Khonsu (May 20, 2009)

How long is a piece of string, keep a single corn on a heat mat in a tub in your bedroom then capital outlay & upkeep is peanuts, keep a trio komodo dragons in a purpose built out door enclosure will cost you an arm & a leg (if they don't eat your arm & leg first)

It's all relative, do you create a masterpiece of reptillian architecture or keep them on newspaper with a cornflake box hide.

Not trying to be arsey (just for a change) but it's a question that has no specific answer.

I converted my garage a good few years back & it know houses around 60 rep's, forgetting the initial outlay for the room, the cost of building all my viv's & setting them up I spend around £1500 a year on electric, food, bulbs, substrate etc, it's a significant lump of money but is it expensive, well compared to the national debt no, but if I became unemployed could I justify keeping it up instead of paying the bills, not likely.

I'll, yet again, get my coat :blush:


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