Terrariums

If you are intending to go in for reptiles, amphibians or some invertebrates, like bird eating spiders, or even some small mammals, such as shrews, you are going to need a terrarium .Basically, a terrarium is a fish tank with a lid. Old aquariums are ideal since for most species they need not be waterproof, though some amphibians, such as Axolotl's and Clawed Toads, have to be kept entirely in water. Unless the animals who live in your terrarium are to be found wild in your own latitude, you will need to keep them warm, and by far the easiest way of doing this is tousle lamps in the hood connected to a thermostat. However, there is evidence that this is harmful, so the best solution is to heat the tank with ceramic heating bulbs or soil-warming cables, and have separate bulb whose sole function is to provide light during the day. Whichever system you use, do make sure that it is surrounded by a weld mesh cage so that animals cannot touch it, otherwise they will get burnt. Do not forget a thermometer; the temperature in a tank can rise astonishingly fast if something goes wrong .Basically this is all that is needed, although you will also have to decide what type of environment to reproduce. If this set-up is for tree frogs, it will need to be humid and contain heaps of growing plants over a peat or loam floor, with 25 per cent activated charcoal. An underlying layer of pebbles will help drainage.

On the other hand, if the viaticum is for desert dwelling lizards then all you will have to provide will be a few rocks and a pearlier or gravel substrate to keep the animals happy. The only other furniture you will require will be food and water pots, and for humid vicarious as praying device such as is used for house plants. It is really difficult to have absolute rules when housing animals because even individuals of a single species can have widely differing requirements. Know one person who keeps his pet orb web spider in a hula hoop suspended vertically from the ceiling. The spider has made a web within this framework and is very content to live like that.

Whatever type of animal you are keeping, try and provide conditions as near those that are natural for it and you will not go far wrong.