Checklist template

Small animal, bird and reptile habitat inspection for pet stores

A ready-to-use checklist with 120 items in 6 sections, covering Enclosures, Temperature and lighting, Food and water, Enrichment, Cleanliness, Health. Use it as-is in Bindy, or adapt it to your own standards in minutes.

  • 6 Sections
  • 120 Items
  • 106 Yes / No checks
  • 6 Scored ratings
  • 136 Points

Use this template How audits work

1. Enclosures 19 items

  1. Hamster, gerbil and mouse habitats have solid floors, with no wire mesh underfoot Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Rat habitats have more than one level, joined by solid ramps Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Guinea pig habitats give enough floor area for every animal to lie stretched out at the same time Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Rabbit habitats are tall enough for a rabbit to sit upright on its hind legs Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Chinchilla habitats have ledges at more than one level Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Ferret habitats have a hammock or sleep sack Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Bar spacing on rat and mouse habitats is narrow enough to hold juveniles Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Parakeet and finch cages are wide enough for flight from perch to perch Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Bar spacing on bird cages is too narrow for the species to push its head through Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Bird cages show no rust or flaking coating Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Bearded dragon habitats have a screen top and a raised basking platform Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Climbing species (crested geckos, chameleons, tree frogs) are in tall habitats furnished with branches Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Snake habitats have a locking lid or a clip on every corner Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Aquatic turtles have swimming water at least as deep as their shell length Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Aquatic turtles have a dock where they can climb fully out of the water Yes / No 1 pt
  16. The substrate in each habitat is the one named for the species on the habitat card Yes / No 1 pt
  17. No cedar shavings are used in any small animal habitat Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Tarantulas and scorpions are housed singly in escape-proof containers Yes / No 1 pt
  19. Suitability of the habitats for the species they hold Rating
    • Every habitat matches the care guide 5 pts
    • A few habitats fall short on size or furnishing 3 pts
    • Several species are in unsuitable habitats 1 pt

2. Temperature and lighting 22 items

  1. The warm-end and cool-end readings of each reptile habitat are within the ranges on its habitat card Yes / No 1 pt
  2. The bearded dragon basking spot is within the range on the habitat card Yes / No 1 pt
  3. The floor of the leopard gecko warm hide is within the range on the habitat card Yes / No 1 pt
  4. The warm side of the ball python habitat is within the range on the habitat card Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Heat mats and ceramic heaters are controlled by a thermostat Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Heat lamps are mounted outside the habitat or guarded so the animal cannot touch the bulb Yes / No 1 pt
  7. No heated rocks are used in any reptile habitat Yes / No 1 pt
  8. A UVB lamp is fitted over day-active species (bearded dragons, turtles, chameleons) Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Each UVB lamp carries its installation date and is within the replacement interval in the care guide Yes / No 1 pt
  10. No glass or plastic sits between a UVB lamp and the animal Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Reptile lights run on a timer, with no white light at night Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Habitats of humidity-dependent species have a hygrometer Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Misting of tropical habitats is done at the times on the habitat card Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Geckos and snakes have a humid hide for shedding Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Chinchillas are kept in the coolest part of the animal area, below 75°F (24°C) Yes / No 1 pt
  16. The bird area has full-spectrum lighting or daylight for the day length in the care guide Yes / No 1 pt
  17. The water heater in the aquatic turtle tank has a guard Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Bearded dragon basking spot temperature (°F or °C) Number
  19. Ball python warm side temperature (°F or °C) Number
  20. Humidity in the chameleon or crested gecko habitat (%) Number
  21. Heat or UVB lamps found burned out Number
  22. Heat and light in the reptile habitats Rating
    • In range in every habitat checked 5 pts
    • Out of range in one habitat 3 pts
    • Out of range or unmeasured in several habitats 1 pt

3. Food and water 19 items

  1. Hay given to adult rabbits and guinea pigs is grass hay such as timothy, not alfalfa alone Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Guinea pigs are fed guinea pig pellets, not rabbit pellets Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Chinchillas are not given fresh fruit or sugary treats Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Ferrets are fed a ferret diet rather than dog or cat food Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Birds are offered pellets or a fortified diet in addition to seed Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Parakeet, cockatiel and finch cages have a cuttlebone or mineral block Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Empty hulls have been cleared from seed dishes so fresh seed is on top Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Dishes in bird cages are not placed under perches Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Bearded dragons are offered chopped greens daily Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Insects fed to lizards are no longer than the space between the lizard's eyes Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Feeder insects are dusted with calcium powder before feeding Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Loose crickets are taken out of reptile habitats after the feeding period Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Snakes are fed thawed prey offered with tongs Yes / No 1 pt
  14. The date of each snake's last meal is written on its habitat card Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Snake water bowls are heavy enough not to tip and wide enough for the snake to soak Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Chameleons have a dripper or are misted for drinking, since they do not drink from bowls Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Hermit crabs have one dish of fresh water and one of salt water Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Water bottles are mounted low enough for the smallest animal in the habitat to reach Yes / No 1 pt
  19. Diets offered compared with the care guide Rating
    • Correct for every species checked 5 pts
    • Wrong or missing item for one species 3 pts
    • Wrong diets for several species 1 pt

4. Enrichment 19 items

  1. Exercise wheels have a solid running surface Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Wheels are large enough that the animal runs without arching its back Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Hamsters and gerbils have bedding deep enough to burrow Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas and rodents have wood or hay chews Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Chinchillas are given a dust bath on the schedule in the care guide Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Guinea pigs are housed in pairs or groups Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Rats are housed in same-sex pairs or groups Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Guinea pig and rabbit habitats have one hide per animal or a hide with two exits Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Bird cages have perches of at least two different diameters Yes / No 1 pt
  10. No sandpaper perch covers are in use Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Each bird cage has at least two toys, one of them made to be shredded Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Bird toys have no frayed rope or open clips Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Parakeets and finches are housed with companions Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Ferrets get daily time out of the habitat in a secured pen, as recorded on the care sheet Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Branches and cork bark in reptile habitats are anchored so they cannot fall on the animal Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Snakes have two hides, one at the warm end and one at the cool end Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Hermit crabs have spare shells in larger sizes Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Hand-fed parrots are handled daily by a trained employee, as recorded on the socialization sheet Yes / No 1 pt
  19. Enrichment provided in the habitats Rating
    • Every habitat furnished to the care guide 5 pts
    • Items missing in a few habitats 3 pts
    • Bare habitats 1 pt

5. Cleanliness 17 items

  1. Bird cage tray liners were changed today Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Perches and cage grates are free of built-up droppings Yes / No 1 pt
  3. The floor under the bird cages is free of seed hulls and feathers Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Droppings and shed skin have been removed from reptile habitats Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Reptile water bowls are free of droppings and slime Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Water in the aquatic turtle tank is clear enough to see the bottom Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Habitat glass is free of smears and water spots Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Small animal bedding is dry, with no wet or matted corners Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Litter pans in rabbit and ferret habitats were emptied today Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Wheels and tubes are free of caked urine Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Cricket bins are free of dead crickets and mold Yes / No 1 pt
  12. The refrigerator holding mealworms and other live feeders is clean inside Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Misting nozzles and drippers are free of mineral scale Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Artificial plants and habitat decor show no dried droppings Yes / No 1 pt
  15. No fruit flies, mites or grain moths are present in the habitat area Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Vents, light canopies and rack tops are free of dust Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Cleanliness of the habitats Rating
    • Clean throughout 5 pts
    • A few habitats need cleaning 3 pts
    • Many dirty habitats 1 pt

6. Health 24 items

  1. Birds have smooth feathers, and none is sitting fluffed up on the cage floor Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Birds have clean vents and clear nostrils Yes / No 1 pt
  3. No bird shows bare patches from feather plucking Yes / No 1 pt
  4. No reptile has retained shed on its toes, tail tip or eyes Yes / No 1 pt
  5. No reptile shows swollen limbs, a soft jaw or tremors Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Snakes are free of mites around the eyes and in the water bowl Yes / No 1 pt
  7. No snake is wheezing or showing bubbles at the mouth Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Turtle shells are hard, with no soft spots or white patches Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Turtles have open eyes that are not swollen Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Bearded dragons are alert and hold their bodies off the ground Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Guinea pigs have no crusted eyes and are not sneezing Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Rabbits have even front teeth and no drooling Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Rats and mice show no red staining around the eyes or nose Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Ferrets have full coats with no hair loss on the tail Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Nails of rabbits, guinea pigs and birds are not overgrown Yes / No 1 pt
  16. No lizard or snake shows its spine or hip bones through the skin Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Juvenile reptiles are recorded as feeding before they are offered for sale Yes / No 1 pt
  18. No bird is breathing with its beak open or bobbing its tail at rest Yes / No 1 pt
  19. Turtles offered for sale meet the minimum shell size required by local regulation Yes / No 1 pt
  20. Habitats inspected during the visit Number
  21. Habitats that did not meet the care guide Number
  22. Name of the animal care lead Short text
  23. Overall standard of the habitats Rating
    • Standards met in every section 5 pts
    • Lapses in one or two sections 3 pts
    • Lapses in most sections 1 pt
  24. Corrective actions required Comments

About this template

This checklist is part of the Bindy template library. Yes / No checks score 1 point when met; ratings score the points shown for each option. The overall score is the percentage of points earned, with N/A answers excluded. In Bindy you can add photos, assign corrective actions, require sign-off and compare results across sites.

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