sera guide - Biotope terrariums for reptiles and amphibians

4 Reptiles, amphibians and arthropods are usually very well adapted to their natural liv- ing environments. It is important to fulfill these requirements in the best possible way as to make sure the animals feel well when kept in the terrarium. Responsible care pro- vided, the animals will stay healthy and enjoy their keeper with their full behavioral repertoire. The special characteristics of a desert mainly include enormous dryness, along with strong temperature variations during the day and night rhythm. You should ideally use pure sand or, in case of digging reptiles, a mixture of sand and clay as a substrate. Lighting consists of a daylight lamp such as the sera reptil daylight compact, and an additional lamp providing plenty of UV-A and UV-B, such as the sera reptil desert com- pact 10%. By doing so, you will cover the intense light requirements of desert inhab- itants. The animals will stay permanently healthy and display their entire natural be- havior. Install a heating cable (sera reptil heat cable) or a heating mat (sera reptil thermo comfort mat) underneath the substrate as to simulate the diurnal warming of the sub- strate. If required, they may remain switched on also at night. You can, for instance, use a halogen spotlight lamp (sera reptil sun spot) for creating local heat spots. The av- erage temperature in desert terrariums is The most common terrarium biotopes and some suitable inhabitants are presented in the following. This will give you a small overview about the wonderful world of ter- rarium care. sera Biotope terrariums Terrariums for terrestrial reptiles Desert terrarium