What is the single most important piece of advice you’d give a first-time keeper of reptiles?
Reading. Before anything else, research as much as you can for as long as you can. You can apply that to anything you’re going to venture into but more so when a living animal is involved. I’m old school and prefer physical books but it’s not so easy to find up to date material on “best practices”. The internet has so much information it can be overwhelming but once you find good sources, you’re sorted.
Also, having a platform like this forum is a fantastic place to ask questions and get other, more experienced, keepers opinions.