Anthony Menendez

Reptile Expert & Animal Sanctuary

Anthony Menendez is a Reptile Expert and Founder of Shadow's Reptiles. Anthony founded Shadow's Reptiles in 2018, starting as a small tortoise breeder in Miami, Florida. He quickly gained traction on social media and started taking in mistreated and unwanted reptiles. Shadow's sanctuary has turned into a haven for more than just reptiles and has taken in a variety of birds, amphibians, invertebrates, and mammals like prairie dogs, sugar gliders, lemurs and more. Anthony also does educational shows for schools and children’s birthday parties to spread love and awareness for animals.

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Q&A Comments (6)

How can you make a new tortoise happy in their enclosure?
Make sure you have the enclosure set up properly! A very basic enclosure should be properly secured around 2 by 3 ft (0.6 m by 0.9 m). You can use a glass tank or a plastic tote, along with cypress mulch as a substrate. You'll also need some type of hide where they can fall asleep, along with a basking light and a UVB that will keep them warm and give them the proper nutrition they need from the sun. For the water, feel free to soak them.
Can bearded dragons drink from a bowl?
Definitely! If your bearded dragon doesn't seem interested in drinking from the bowl, get some type of container and pierce a tiny, needle-sized hole into it that'll drip a little bit of water into their water bowl. This creates ripples and movement in their water, which attracts them to the water and gives them a higher chance of trying to drink from the bowl.
How do you travel long distances with reptiles?
Use deli cups if you're transporting something a tortoise or small lizard. Make sure that it's tight and that it has holes around it so the reptile can breathe. With something like a deli cup, you want more space for it depending on how you're transporting it. When it comes to shipping, you want it to be tight, but if you're going on a road trip, you can use a bigger enclosure since the reptile won't be handled as roughly. You can also use plastic totes, tubs, and things like that for lizards and tortoises—just put some paper towels, hay, or shredded paper in to absorb any pee or poop that they might have.
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