Reptile — behavior (owner-practical care, Merck Veterinary Manual pet-owner)
Source: first-hand Merck Veterinary Manual pet-owner text, saved to source_file; every claim below is a C1 byte-substring of it.
Claims
Some species of reptiles are solitary and prefer to be housed alone.Housing animals of the same species together may sometimes be possible; however, groups should not include more than 1 male because males of the same species may become aggressive toward each other.Community housing of highly social species that are active during the day often requires several stations for basking (laying out under a heat or ultraviolet light bulb), eating, and drinking that are all out of the view of dominant animals from the same species and of any human observers.Overcrowding must be avoided to reduce stress and competition for food, water, basking sites, and mates.Aggressive species may have to be separated during feeding to prevent injury to cage mates.This approach results in conditioned behavior that may decrease feeding-frenzy activity in large snakes when approached in their usual (nonfeeding) cage.Lighting Requirements Feeding behavior, activity, and to a lesser extent, reproduction in reptiles, are improved with full-spectrum light, which has qualities similar to natural sunlight and includes ultraviolet (UV) rays.The daily cycle of light and darkness, called the photoperiod , affects the behavior and physical functions of all animals.Feeding, reproduction, and social interaction occur under water in many species.Feeding behavior and digestion are related to the environmental temperature.Humidity, light, food type, and the presence of other animals also affect feeding behavior.Temperament of Reptiles Aggression during mating and feeding is common in some semiaquatic turtles, some skinks and iguanas, and many other lizards and snakes.
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Source: pdf-raw/owner-care/merck_reptile.txt · https://www.merckvetmanual.com/all-other-pets