Building Reptile Terrariums For Kids

Executive summary about Pet Reptiles by Ryan Weaver

reptile terrarium

Most reptiles need a place to bask. A reptile basking lamp of the appropriate wattage should be placed in the center or off to one side of the terrarium so you can see your pet reptile easier (not hidden in the background).

Pet reptiles love to explore all the nooks and crannies you have put in their cages, so have fun designing a really nice terrarium. Reptiles need a place to watch the world from. Decorating your reptile terrarium with natural products is not only fun, but helps to make your reptile pet feel more secure and enjoy his new home. Try mixing together a variety of stone, jungle vines and root hiding places and more to create an unusual and lifelike environment for your reptile pet.

Calcium sand, aspen bedding and reptile bark all make good bedding choices for reptile terrariums. Stones, slate pieces, bamboo roots, jungle vines and hollow logs are ideal additions to any reptile terrarium.

Just like caring for other pets, a clean environment is very important for pet reptiles too. Enjoy your new pet reptile and ensure their home is as fun for your pet reptile to live in as it is for you to watch!

Fascinating Facts About Reptile Lighting

Executive summary about Pet Reptiles Len Loman

reptile lighting

Proper lighting is just one step of keeping your reptile happy. In addition, proper lighting can keep your reptile healthy. There are also studies that suggest that proper lighting plays a role in providing overall immunity for your pet’s health and well being.

Like most animals, pet reptiles need regular cycles of light and dark for optimal health. How much light does your pet reptile need? If your pet is a native of a tropical or subtropical climate, an average of about 10 hours of daylight in the winter and about 14 hours of daylight in the summer is common. For pets from temperate areas, about 8 hours of daylight during the winter and about 16 hours of daylight in the summer is common. Mimicking natural day and night cycles will also help encourage your pets to breed, though inadequate lighting should never be used to discourage breeding (separate cages are better for that).

One of the first popular lights for reptiles was the Vita-Lite® lamp which was made by the DuroTest Corporation, and it was the most popular choice for reptiles until 1990. Its manufacturers called it a “full-spectrum” light, indicating that it produced visible and UV light similar to that of natural sunlight. The “full-spectrum” label these days does not necessarily mean a light emits UV light, so always read the label carefully if your pet needs UV light as most reptiles do.

There are two types of Ultraviolet reptile lighting: A and B. Ultraviolet A is blacklight. Ultraviolet B is required so that animals may produce the Vitamin D they need for proper health. Nocturnal animals typically do not require Ultraviolet light as exposure to it is not a part of their natural environment. (There is a third type of Ultraviolet light known as Ultraviolet C, but it is harmful.)

Interestingly, the range of light that humans can see is much smaller than what reptiles can see. Ultraviolet lights can begin to dim without our being able to detect it, so be sure to replace ultraviolet lights every 9 to 12 months for your pet’s optimal health.

Any light source should be positioned so that the reptile cannot come into direct contact with it. Otherwise your pet could be burned.

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