This review presents information from a decade of nutrition research into calcium homeostasis in lizards, including non‐nutritive factors essential to lizard nutrition; for example, ontogenetic dietary shift, microbial fermentation, environmental temperature, ultraviolet light and photoreception. Recommendations are made for possible nutrition research to be carried out in the future. These recommendations may be essential for the survival of lizards in captivity and include minimal vitamin and mineral supplementation, standardized ultraviolet light research, species requirements for spectral radiance, normative and pathological plasma indices, the relationship of gut transit time to diet, normative indices for growth and nutritional requirements, and development of an accurate method for identifying animals with, or at risk from, metabolic bone disease.

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A progressive decline in Charadriiforme populations prioritizes appropriate life-stage nutrition for captive Charadriiformes as conservation efforts continue to develop. These species are opportunistic feeders on fish and aquatic invertebrates. Appropriate life-stage nutrition for captive Charadriiformes requires nutrient provision beyond simple piscivory. This review presents existing data on relevant dietary components (protein, fat, carotenoids, minerals and vitamins) and examines the importance of these components in life-stage nutrition (embryonic development, neonates (chicks), juveniles, adults, breeding, incubation and chick rearing). The issue of determining metabolic rates of captive Charadriiformes populations is briefly presented. Eight recommendations for the amelioration of diet deficiencies are outlined.

This review reports on a decade of nutrition research into calcium (Ca) homeostasis in freshwater turtles, including research on non‐nutritive factors that are essential for Ca homeostasis [i.e. ontogeny, environmental temperature and humidity, and ultraviolet (UV) light and photoreception]. Recommendations for future research include long‐term research programmes in three specific areas: (1) photoreception, UV light and biosynthesis, (2) Ca homeostasis and vitamin and mineral supplementation, and (3) developmental indices, gut transit time (GTT) and energy requirements.

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