Reptile pets are unique in many ways.  While cats eat cat food, and dogs eat dog food, packaged “herp food” has been a scarcity–that is, until recently.  While live prey will no doubt always play an important role in herptile nutrition, some of the alternatives discussed below should certainly be considered a viable option for the consumer, and a diverse selection of these prepared diets should be on the shelf of any store interested in providing the best range of options for herp-owning customers.


Frozen Rodents
In the realm of packaged herp foods, humanely euthanized frozen mice and rats of all sizes will always have their place.  Not only do they provide convenience and some peace of mind to the squeamish snake owner, they also cut down on the time and space needed to keep and maintain live rodents.

Despite popular belief, most, if not all, rodent-eaters can be coaxed into accepting thawed frozen rodents just as eagerly as if they were live. Frozen rodents are free of pathogens (the freezing process generally eliminates most bacteria and parasites), and non-living prey cannot fight back, so there is no risk of physical injury to the snake or lizard.  Furthermore, customers generally save money by purchasing frozen rodents in bulk without affecting the retailer’s profit margin.


Cooked in the Can
Canned insects and other invertebrate prey have gained popularity among herp keepers wishing to offer their pets the widest variety of whole prey food items. While crickets and mealworms of varying sizes may remain the mainstay for many herps, canned prey offers further variety, including foods that are simply unavailable or seasonally difficult to obtain.

A few forward-thinking manufacturers now offer such fare as caterpillars, grasshoppers, silkworms, and even fish and shrimp, all completely intact and cooked in the can to preserve naturally occurring vitamins and minerals. These products should be encouraged as a source of variety and convenience.  Although these food items may seem foreign to the animal at first, with patience and a little gentle coaxing, most insectivores and aquatic turtles will quickly learn to identify these items as food.


Freeze-Dried Fare
Just as easily as the obscure yet nutritious prey can be canned, it can be freeze dried, leaving the prey item intact, but extending its shelf life almost indefinitely.  Such insects as crickets and mealworms, as well as other inverts like bloodworms and river shrimp can be found in freeze-dried condition.  These are, by far, the most innocuous form of whole prey, yet they are readily accepted by many herptile pets. 

Some herps don’t take as readily to freeze-dried prey as they do other packaged foods.  Stubborn pets may be slowly weaned into accepting these food items by initially adding them to more typical fare as a “mix-in.” For example, bearded dragons can easily be coaxed into devouring freeze-dried flies that are served as the croutons on a salad of dark, leafy greens.


Canned Diets
Not all packaged foods for herps come whole. There are also excellent moist foods available for a variety of herptile species. These canned foods are specifically balanced to provide optimal nutrition.  Formulas for common species such as bearded dragons and iguanas are readily available, as are more complex blends designed to meet the needs of more sensitive species, such as herbivores and box turtles. Diets for carnivorous lizards contain meats such as chicken and beef, while herbivore diets have a wide variety of whole and processed fruits and vegetables as their base ingredients. 

These products have a familiar appeal to the consumer and are quite palatable to many herps. They have a long shelf life and, once opened, can keep for up to a week or more under refrigeration, making them a good choice for more frugal customers looking for an easy and storable alternative to more traditional foods.


Pellets, Etc.
In recent years, herp food manufacturers have developed pelleted diets for a wide range of species. Some of the most exciting and unique foods are those formulated for tortoises and turtles. Grassland tortoise species require a diet high in fiber and low in animal protein. Manufacturers have developed foods to fulfill these needs, using ingredients like hays and grasses that would otherwise be difficult to obtain in small quantities. Furthermore, these pellets are fortified with calcium and other trace minerals to increase their nutritional fortitude. 

It should be noted that while pelleted foods are designed to be nutritionally complete, they should not serve as the sole source of nutrition for any reptile or amphibian.  Variety in the diet of captive herps is vitally important, and negligence in this area is a leading cause of nutritional deficiencies.

Jonathan Rheins is an avid herpeteculturist whose interest in all things reptilian began at an early age. He is a manager at LLLReptile & Supply Co. in Escondido, Calif. and, when not fulfilling that position, spends his time working with and writing about a wide variety of exotic reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates.