# Reptile care tools

> Every calculator here is built from published husbandry standards and veterinary reference ranges, and each one shows its sources next to the result. Pick a tool below, or browse

- [Browse all pet care tools](/tools/)

## Reptile tools

> New keeper? Start here: Bearded dragon temperature · Prey size · UVB

- **[UVB Calculator](https://petguidecalc.com/reptile/uvb-calculator/)** — Estimate the mounting distance and UV index for a T5 HO, T8, or compact UVB bulb across six common reptile species.
- **[Heat Lamp Wattage Calculator](https://petguidecalc.com/reptile/heating-wattage-calculator/)** — Find a starting heat lamp wattage by species, enclosure height, and room temperature, rounded to standard 40/90/100 W halogen steps.
- **[Humidity Calculator](https://petguidecalc.com/reptile/humidity-calculator/)** — Check habitat humidity against species targets for crested geckos, ball pythons, and leopard geckos, with a misting schedule.
- **[Calcium Supplement Dosing Calculator](https://petguidecalc.com/reptile/calcium-calculator/)** — Calcium and vitamin D3 dusting schedule based on diet, UVB lighting, and life stage, with the Ca:P ratio guidance behind it.
- **[Egg Incubation Temperature & Sex Determination](https://petguidecalc.com/reptile/incubation-temperature/)** — Check an incubation temperature against the attested 28–32°C range for bearded dragon eggs and read the temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) evidence behind it.
- **[Snake Prey Size Calculator](https://petguidecalc.com/reptile/prey-size-calculator/)** — Size prey from body width or weight: 1–1.5× widest body width for corn snakes, 10–15% of body weight for ball pythons.
- **[Feeding Frequency Calculator](https://petguidecalc.com/reptile/feeding-calculator/)** — Feeding intervals by species and life stage for corn snakes and leopard geckos, including the overweight schedule.
- **[Bearded Dragon Temperature Checker](https://petguidecalc.com/reptile/bearded-dragon-temperature/)** — Check measured basking, cool-side, and night temperatures against published target bands with an OK, CAUTION, or RISK verdict per zone.
- **[UVB Bulb Replacement Calculator](https://petguidecalc.com/reptile/uvb-bulb-replacement/)** — When to replace a T5 HO or T8 UVB tube: 10–12 months for T5/HO and about 6 months for T8, with a countdown from your install date.
- **[Snake Starter Guide](https://petguidecalc.com/reptile/snake-care/)** — Enclosure size, temperature gradient, and humidity targets for ball pythons and corn snakes, compared side by side.
- **[Crested and Leopard Gecko Humidity](https://petguidecalc.com/reptile/gecko-humidity/)** — Deep-dive humidity check for crested and leopard geckos with RSPCA spray-to-peak rhythm and next-mist hint.
- **[Snake Enclosure Size Calculator](https://petguidecalc.com/reptile/enclosure-size-calculator/)** — Snake enclosure minimum floor (Swiss Mindestanforderungen) and ReptiFiles outline footprint from expected adult length.

## How the numbers work

The calculators use published reference ranges: Ferguson-zone UV exposure guides, ReptiFiles species care articles, the RSPCA crested gecko care sheet, and peer-reviewed papers such as Klaphake 2010 and Holleley et al. 2015.

Where a value is an estimate rather than a measurement, the page says so and tells you how to verify it, for example with a Solarmeter 6.5 for UV index or a thermostat probe for surface temperatures.

## Reptile care questions

**Q: Which reptiles benefit from UVB lighting?**

Diurnal basking species — bearded dragons, uromastyx, blue-tongued skinks, many day geckos — need a T5 HO 10–12% UVB tube and a UV index of 3.0–6.0 at the basking spot. Crepuscular species (leopard geckos, ball pythons) thrive with lower-output 2.5–6% T5 HO (ShadeDweller-class) for optional vitamin D3 synthesis. Strictly nocturnal species (most snakes, many geckos) do not require UVB, though low-level background UVB is increasingly recommended by modern herpetology.

**Q: How does mesh screen affect UVB output?**

A typical metal-mesh vivarium lid blocks 30–50% of UVB — enter your mounting position as "above mesh" and the UVB calculator adjusts the estimate for it.

**Q: When should I replace a UVB bulb?**

T5 HO tubes every 10–12 months and T8 tubes about every 6 months; the bulb replacement calculator turns those cycles into a countdown from your install date.

**Q: Why are basking, cool-side, and night temperatures all important?**

Reptiles thermoregulate by moving through a gradient — basking zone for digestion and immune function, cool side to prevent overheating, and a nighttime drop to drive proper circadian cycles. The bearded dragon temperature checker judges each zone independently against the published bands; one zone in the red can stress the animal even if the others are perfect.

_Educational resource, not veterinary advice. PetGuideCalc — https://petguidecalc.com_