What will it cost?
Rough costs in Canadian dollars, before you commit. The price of the animal isn't included.
A tortoise or large lizard
Heat and light are most of the cost, up front and every month after. A thermostat isn't optional: it's what stops a heater cooking the animal.
- To set up
- $680 – $2,200
- Before it comes home
- Each year
- $800 – $1,850
- About $67 – $154 a month
- The first year
- $1,480 – $4,050
- Set-up plus a year of keeping
- Over its lifetime
- $12,680 – $94,700
- Usually lives 15 to 50 years
Before it comes home
- Enclosure or outdoor pen$400 – $1,500
- Heating and UVB lighting$200 – $500
- Hides, decor and substrate$80 – $200
Total$680 – $2,200
Every year after
- Food$400 – $900
- Bulbs and substrate$150 – $300
- Electricity$150 – $350
- Routine vet care$100 – $300
Total$800 – $1,850
These are rough guides for planning, not quotes. Prices vary a lot by region and by what you choose, and one emergency vet visit can cost more than a year of everything else. The price of the animal isn't included.