Editorial standards
Our editorial mission
Reptination publishes reptile care guidance that gives the animal the best outcome, not the keeper the answer they want to hear. We will tell you that a sulcata is wrong for your apartment. We will tell you a chameleon is wrong for a first reptile. We will tell you the bulb you bought doesn't produce useful UVB.
We hold ourselves to YMYL-grade standards (Your Money or Your Life, Google's framework for health and safety content) because animal welfare is at stake.
What we will do
- Cite our sources visibly on every species and mistakes article — minimum Merck Vet Manual, ARAV, plus peer-reviewed research where applicable
- Date every guide with a visible "Last reviewed" timestamp
- Update guides when new evidence emerges and note the change date and reason
- Disclose tradeoffs honestly — every species has them; we don't bury the hard parts
- Lead with what people get wrong when it has welfare consequences (the mistakes hub)
- Recommend specific products by name when the recommendation matters for animal welfare (UVB bulbs, thermostats, etc.) — based on performance, not affiliate commissions
- Refer to a veterinarian for anything that requires medical diagnosis
What we won't do
- We won't recommend impulse purchases. Every species recommendation comes with the trade-offs and the lifetime commitment numbers.
- We won't write "best for kids" content. Reptiles are not starter pets. They require committed adult oversight regardless of who interacts with them.
- We won't recommend wild collection for any species except where it is legally permitted, scientifically appropriate, and welfare-positive (rare).
- We won't recommend products from brands with poor track records — calci-sand brands, coil UVB bulbs, etc. We name names when it matters.
- We won't diagnose medical conditions. We will describe symptoms and signs that warrant a vet visit.
- We won't pretend to expertise we don't have. We are not veterinarians. We cite veterinarians.
- We won't accept payment for editorial coverage. Period.
Conflicts of interest
As of :
- No affiliate links or product commissions on the site
- No paid advertising
- No paid placements, sponsored content, or "as told to" articles
- No undisclosed relationships with breeders, distributors, or pet retailers
This will change at some point. When we add affiliate links (likely Amazon Associates first), they will be marked clearly. When we add display advertising, it will be transparent. We will never let monetization compromise editorial judgment — and when there's tension, we will side with the animal's welfare.
When we change a recommendation
Husbandry consensus shifts. Examples we've already navigated:
- Bearded dragon UVB. Coil bulbs were once standard. They're no longer recommended. We say so explicitly.
- Leopard gecko substrate. Loose sand was sold as natural for decades. Current consensus rejects this. We say so.
- Tortoise pyramiding. Was blamed on diet. Current research points to humidity. We cite the studies and explain the shift.
- Leopard gecko UVB. Was considered unnecessary. Modern consensus is that low-output UVB benefits long-term health. We recommend it.
When we update, we note the change date and the source that prompted it.
Reporting errors
We make mistakes. If you find a factual error, an outdated recommendation, or a citation we should know about, please contact us. We respond to substantive feedback, update affected pages, and credit the source when appropriate.
Use of AI in our editorial process
We use AI tools as research and drafting assistants. Every article goes through human editorial review before publication. Every species recommendation is checked against authoritative sources. AI does not have the final say on welfare-critical content.
If you ever read something on Reptination that feels generic, formulaic, or wrong — flag it. We want to catch it.