It is very important to recognize what is normal and abnormal in the droppings of a reptile.  If you see abnormal droppings, you shouId collect a sample and bring it to a veterinarian so it may be checked for parasites and other diseases.

Mites are small parasites that can live on the skin on reptiles and cause disease. Sometimes they can be seen with the naked eye on your pet reptile or in its cage. Other times, a microscope may be needed to see them. Mites can cause clinical signs in your pet reptile such as loss of appetite, inflamed or infected skin, itchiness, restlessness, rubbing on cage decorations, more frequent or longer soaking, and frequent or abnormal shedding.

Baby red-eared sliders are often sold on the side of the road, at swap meets, and in other ways that can negatively affect their health.  These tiny turtles have sometimes been kept in unhealthy situations between the time they hatched and when they finally ended up in your hands. They may have become too cold, too warm, or overly stressed.

Red-eared sliders and other aquatic turtles often develop respiratory infections as a combination of husbandry errors such as cold water, a basking site that isn't warm enough, a poor diet, and lack of ultraviolet-B light.

Red-eared sliders are the most popular aquatic turtle kepts as pets.   The commercial sales of baby turtles to the public is illegal due to the "4-inch law" regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (Title 21, Part 1240.62 of the Code of Federal Regulations 21 CFR 1240.62 (b) and Compliance Policy Guide 7129.01).  This law does not ban the sales of baby turtles from one hobbyist to another.

Neon tree dragon is a common name used in the pet trade for a variety of small agamid lizards from southeast Asia.  Agamid lizards are an Old World family of lizards that include bearded dragons and uromastyx lizards.

"Stick Tail" is a common term used to describe a leopard gecko that loses weight until the tail fat disappears leaving behind a thin boney tail.  "Stick tail" also affect fat-tail geckos, tokay geckos, and other species of geckos with robust tails that can store fat.  A similar wasting disease is known in crested geckos and other Rhacodactylus, and many other geckos.

Cryptosporidiosis is a common intestinal infection of leopard geckos caused by the one-celled parasite Cryptosporidium varanii (also know in older references as Cryptosporidium saurophilum).  Cryptosporidiosis is a very common reason that a leopard gecko will lose weight, and as the tail fat disappears all that remains is a thin boney tail, a condition herpetoculturists often call “stick tail”.

Leopard geckos popularity as pets is easy to understand. They are small, cute, typically friendly and easy to handle. They come in a variety of color morphs are require less space than many larger reptiles. They're relatively long lived, many living into their late teens and early twenties. They breed easily in captivity. However, they are prone to problems with their eyes, skin, and skeleton if not cared for properly. 

Green iguanas are very popular pets, but are perhaps one of the most misunderstood and poorly kept all reptile pets.