How? Setting up a terrarium Useful tips for ... - Reptiles Greece

2 FIRST THINGS FIRST:
WHERE DO THE ANIMALS COME FROM?
It is worth learning as much as possible
about the natural habitat of the
animals. The more detailed the information,
the closer the conditions in
the terrarium can resemble the natural
environment. As almost all terrarium
animals are cold-blooded (poikilothermic)
animals, their body temperature
depends on the temperature of their
surroundings and the sun's rays, in
contrast to warm-blooded creatures.
The animals control their body temperature
through certain behavior,
such as sun-bathing or seeking out
Dry rock biotope with wide local Agama sunning themselves in their habitat A shady stream in the rainforest
temperature variations
cooler zones, adjusting it to the optimum
range for them. Only then can
digestion and the metabolic processes
work effectively and the animals
display the range of behavior specific
to their species.
This behavior must be taken into
account when keeping reptiles. Desert
creatures only appear at first sight to
live in hot conditions. Anyone who
has been to the desert knows how
extremely cold it can get at night there
and would also try to apply this experience
to terrarium-keeping. In contrast,
the situation in tropical rainforests
is quite different. Relatively
constant temperatures, high humidity
and no harsh light are the environmental
conditions under which the animals
in the jungle live. However, many treedwelling
species have the opportunity
of spending time in sunlit places.
In the following chapters we would
like to present two types of terrariums
as examples to illustrate setting up a
terrarium, the equipment used and
subsequent care. One type is a desert
terrarium and the other a rain-forest
environment, representing the "jungle
behind glass". As a variation on the
rainforest terrarium, the paludarium or
aqua-terrarium is mentioned, which
can be more or less close in design to
an aquarium.