Mary Allen
We, humans, know the desert habitat as a hot area. But the desert is the habitat of many reptiles, characterized by extreme temperature differences between day and night. Your terrarium should be set up accordingly and equipped with the appropriate technology so that your animals feel comfortable in it.
The Establishment of a Desert Terrarium
The desert is a barren and dreary area. But there are also stones and plants there that the residents like to use. The setup of your desert terrarium should therefore be adapted to the natural conditions. Put stones on the ground, insert real or artificial stingless cacti and provide the back wall with an imitation rock, which creates additional climbing opportunities and at the same time looks very appealing. Hiding places in the form of caves, such as cork tubes or rock caves, are very important.
The Substrate in the Desert Terrarium: Sand or Clay?
The substrate should be purchased appropriately for the respective species. For some desert animals, pure desert sand is enough. In nature, however, leopard geckos avoid the fine dusty, sharp-edged sand of the desert and always look for clay-like soil. This is why these animals also need a sand-loam mixture as a substrate in their terrarium. Before you buy a desert animal, you should find out exactly which substrate is suitable for your reptile, because this is the only way it can feel comfortable.
It is important to know that the desert is not completely waterless. Moisture in the depths is essential. Sufficiently high soil stores moisture, which is necessary for the water balance of the animals and problem-free molting.
Hot: The Lighting in the Desert Terrarium
Some desert dwellers definitely need local sunspots in the terrarium where the temperature is 40 to 50 ° C. Of course, they don’t stay there all day and therefore always need a place to retreat. The best way to create these local sunspots is with halogen spots with a power of around 30 watts. Diurnal desert animals are exposed to the hot sun all day. That is why they are dependent on UV radiation, which is vital for them. In addition to a fluorescent tube, separate UV irradiation with a strong special UV lamp is essential.
Feeding Desert Animals in the Terrarium
Most terrarium animals living in the desert eat insects of all kinds. Whether crickets, crickets, cockroaches, grasshoppers, or mealworms – they are all on the menu and are very welcome to eat. You can dust the food insects very well with a vitamin preparation before feeding them. Calcium (for example in the form of crumbled sepia pulp) should always be available in a small bowl because all the animals you feed usually have too low a calcium content.