REPTILE CAGES

Among the most important considerations for any pets are there housing and dietary requirements. Because reptiles are unable to control their body temperature in the same way mammals can, they have more habitat and dietary requirements then most other pets, especially as far as  temperature and sanitation go. Please note that their dietary requirements vary widely by species.

Reptiles require the following housing needs which include the correct enclosure and requirements of light, heat and water. You need to ensure that you have their new habitat ready for them before you bring them home.

When designing a home for reptiles it is important to note that reptiles are often nervous in captivity.  To reduce this it is important to add as many vivarium accessories & hideaways as possible.  Reptile species that live in trees should have both vertical and horizontal branches to climb on.  Those that live on the ground usually require mostly horizontal ornaments, carpets & plants with the option of burrowing or hiding in tree trunks or rocks.  Painting a solid black border on the glass about 20cm up from the bottom of the cage also adds some security for these reptiles.

Some species of reptiles are solitary and prefer to be housed alone. Housing reptiles, which are solitary creatures alone is preferable however, should you wish to house more than one it is preferable to house the same species together ensuring that you never have more than one male as this may lead them to become aggressive towards each other. It is important to ensure that you have several different areas for these reptiles to bask, eat and drink in and that they are not visible to the more dominant species and human observation.  Should you be concerned about your reptiles behaviour then double check that there is no overcrowding in your vivarium as this will lead to stress and an increase in competition for food and water.

The materials that you use for the flooring of your cage should be disposable and inexpensive.  You need to ensure that it is also nontoxic and a material that will not cause abrasions to your reptiles. The best types of products are newspaper, fine sand, peatmoss, wood shavings potting soil etc.  Do not use any wood that has a high odour or vapor as this will cause breathing irritability.  The flooring product needs to be of a consistency that will in no way cause problems when the reptile is feeding.  Some of the flooring products that have smaller particles could stick to the reptiles mouth causing inflammation.  Should your flooring product of choice not conform to these specifications then it is advisable to remove your reptile from the cage when it is feeding.  Newspaper is the best product to use when a reptile is sick as it allows easy observation and removal of any regurgitated items and is easy to replace.  The humidity level in your enclosure will also determine the type of flooring you choose as some types of flooring grow mould faster than others.  Investigating this thoroughly is highly recommended.