Oh man... well first, Kudos a plenty to you for taking in those poor dears. It's amazing and sickening what people will do to animals, and for what reasons. I've heard 'oh, it doesn't matter it's just a lizard/snake/etc.', also 'whatever. They don't feel like we do' Makes me sick...

Good luck on getting them back to health and hopefully getting some charges against the previous owner. I was SO happy the day they made animal cruelty a felony.