Eclectic Exotics Rescue and Rehab

11/19/2025

🚨And the Answer is…..

C. Communication/Stress Display

A black beard for a bearded dragon can be a sign of many things. It can indicate stress, be used to intimidate predators, and it can even be used as an early detector of illness. If your bearded dragon has had a black beard for an extended amount of time we recommend that you see your trusted exotic vet to see if there is an underlying health problem.

Congratulations on those that participated!
Be on the look out for our new holiday hours and important information in the coming days!

🎊It’s Time for Trivia Tuesday🎊

Good Morning, Students!

I’m back for another Trivia Tuesday! This one is Multiple choice.
Points to Earn: 1
Topic: Physiology
Time Limit: 9am CST Wednesday (19th)

What is the primary purpose of a bearded dragon’s “beard” turning black?

A) Attracting mates
B) Regulating body temperature
C) Communication/stress display
D) Camouflage

Good luck!

11/18/2025

🎊It’s Time for Trivia Tuesday🎊

Good Morning, Students!

I’m back for another Trivia Tuesday! This one is Multiple choice.
Points to Earn: 1
Topic: Physiology
Time Limit: 9am CST Wednesday (19th)

What is the primary purpose of a bearded dragon’s “beard” turning black?

A) Attracting mates
B) Regulating body temperature
C) Communication/stress display
D) Camouflage

Good luck!

11/16/2025

❓Do You Ever Wonder How We Started❓

Well buckle up and grab the tissues because it’s a bumpy ride.

We were not always a reptile based rescue, believe it or not we started as a Guinea Pig Sanctuary. Our name was Piggy Paradise Resort and we were home to almost 20 piggies! We had converted 180 square foot of our home to make a paradise fit for any Guinea pig.
They were all wonderful and so much fun to have around. We were then classified as a Sanctuary so none of our piggies ever left here. We took in young, old, sick, and even some unwanted piggies. No matter their circumstances, they were welcomed and loved here.
If you know anything about guinea pigs they are social and interactive. We had one giant herd of females and two groups of males.

🚨Trigger Warning🚨: the next part involves death.

We had been rescuing for about a year when an unforeseen, invisible enemy struck. We took a vacation at the beginning of October 2024 for one week. During this time of year our area is strange with outside temperatures. So our furnace (this is important) was running….
Each day of our vacation at least one guinea pig died for unknown reasons. One day…we found two dead. We were concerned about some type of viral or bacterial infection spreading around the colony. Luckily we have vet friends who supplied medications and treatment…to no avail.
Between October and November we started losing Guinea pigs at an alarming rate. We tried to find other places for them to go but no one could take them. Now….during this month time period our furnace began acting up.
We had to consistently keep flipping our pilot light switch. In mid November 2024 we both fell extremely ill and Alex was nearly hospitalized. During this time I was still going to work but Alex works from home…downstairs, feet away from the furnace.
We lost heat for the first time at the end of November. Completely. It was bitter cold and the house would get into the 40s at night. We called a furnace company to come out and take a look. They were fantastic, and chalked it up to a dirty flame sensor. They cleaned it up for us and our furnace ran with minimal problems but we would still had to hit the pilot light switch. And we were still sick and losing pigs.
December 22nd….days before Christmas we lost heat again. My mom (Kayla’s mom) told us to call them out again. It was a Wednesday…they could not get to us until Friday. But when they came back….the diagnosis was devastating.
He explained that our furnace had been leaking carbon monoxide gas throughout the entire house starting downstairs. He asked if we had been sick and of course we said yes, and then we went on to discuss the deaths of the pigs. He confirmed that it was carbon monoxide poisoning that most likely killed them and he had no doubt that if the conditions had continued that we would have been next.
They red tagged our furnace stating we could not turn it back on. So we had to think fast because a cold front was coming and we were expecting temps in the negatives. At this point all but one of our pigs had perished.
On New Years Eve 2024 Total Heating & Plumbing came and installed our new furnace. He talked all day to our remaining piggy and all the other animals. It turned out that the furnace unit that had been installed by the previous owner was too small for the size of the house and he stated it had likely been having problems since the beginning but it went undetected as it was still functioning.
After this we decided that we were done with guinea pigs. I was devastated at the loss of my heart pig and to be honest, guinea pigs are a lot, kudos to the people that rescue this furry species.
We took a few months off of any animals as we decided that maybe it wasn’t for us. But then we saw the need for reptile help in our community. We are now dedicated to educating the public on the best possible care for their pets and their furnace!!

🚨Please do not wait if your furnace is acting up. There are lots of financial options for payments. Do not put yourself or your animals at risk. If something seems wrong….it probably is.🚨

If you made it this far thank you for your continued support and for helping us get to where we are today.

11/14/2025

The Story of Our Surrendered Tegu

We realized California wasn’t quite the right name for her—so everyone, meet Coraline. 💙

Cora’s journey to us has been a heavy one. She was surrendered after her owner passed away unexpectedly. She was passed through the reptile community until another keeper realized just how much time, work, and space a tegu truly needs, and she eventually found her way to us. We don’t know her exact age, but we do know she could use a little extra weight, and we’ll be working on that with proper nutrition and routine.

We were told she could be a little “spicy,” but we haven’t seen a single puff or hiss. Tegus are incredibly intelligent and active, and they can become stressed or neurotic when confined too much. Since arriving, Coraline has absolutely thrived with free-roam time in a tegu-proofed space and plenty of attention.

She adores chin scratches—she’ll close her eyes, lean her whole head into your hand, and if you dare stop, she’ll gently nudge you like a dog asking for more. She’ll happily curl up on your arms or lap and fall right asleep.

We hope her late owner is looking down and smiling, knowing she’s safe, loved, and doing so well. ❤️

Coraline came in with some stuck shed, which we’ll be working on over the next few weeks. A lot has already come off just from proper humidity. We’re also in the process of getting her a mansion of an enclosure built to match her size and needs.

And with today being the last warm-ish day (a toasty 67 degrees!), we’re making a quick trip to a local pet store to get her a harness—because this girl deserves adventures.

Given her circumstances, sweet nature, and wonderful disposition, Coraline will be staying with us permanently as an educational ambassador.
Welcome home Cora 🦎✨

11/13/2025

🚨Holiday Closure Reminder🚨

There is still time to select a new reptile friend before our shutdown!

We officially have 2 weeks until our holiday shut down. As of Thanksgiving (11/27) we will be shutting down to ALL adoptions until Jan 2nd. What does this mean?

🚨We will still take in medical surrenders or surrenders in immediate need. Please reach out if you need help.
🐍 We will continue with modified Holiday Hours (stay tuned for more information).
🦎 We will still be answering phone calls and messages.
🐢 Adoption inquires are welcome! Animals can be placed on hold, HOWEVER NO ANIMAL will be going home until AFTER Jan 2nd. There are no exceptions.
🐉 We will be using this down time to continue remodeling, fundraising, and focusing on animal handling. We will also still be here to educate you all on proper reptile care!

We are proud to stand by our mission of no animals for Christmas. We are looking forward to continue providing help to those in need this holiday season. Feel free to reach out to us directly for any information!

11/12/2025

🚨And the Answer is…..

E. All of the Above!

All of these species of animal are considered invasive in at least 1 state! Iguanas and Burmese Pythons are considered invasive in Florida and Texas. Florida even has restrictions on Ball pythons!! Red Earred Slider Turtles are invasive right here in IL! Our feline friends are invasive everywhere in the USA (remember to spay or neuter your friend!).

Congratulations to everyone who gave it a shot and earned some points!

🎊It’s Time for Trivia Tuesday🎊

Good Morning, Students!

I’m back for another Trivia Tuesday! This one is Multiple choice.
Points to Earn: 1
Topic: Invasive Species
Time Limit: 9am CST Wednesday (12th)

Which of the following is an invasive species?

A. Green Iguana
B. Red Earred Slider Turtles
C. Burmese Pythons
D. Cats
E. All of the Above

Good luck!

11/12/2025

11/11/2025

🚨 BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! 🚨
Our final intake of the year is here — and she’s our biggest yet! 🦎💪

Not in number… but in SIZE!
Please welcome California (Cali) — a stunning, full-grown Argentine Black and White Tegu! She joins our state-named superstar, Alaska (Allie).

Cali will be spending her brumation with us this winter 💤, and when she wakes up, she’ll begin her next chapter right here — as a permanent member of the Eclectic Exotics family. 💕

We’re so excited to watch her settle in and shine! 🖤🤍