Designing Pet Reptile/Amphibian Habitats and Homes

Reptiles and Amphibians are exotic pets meant not only to be touched but displayed also. This guide will help pet owners make homes for their scaly and slimy pets that are beautiful, safe, fun for everyone, and cost effective. Since reptiles and amphibians live in different habitats, this guide will be separated into Tropical Habitats and Desert Habitats. These topics will then be separated again into Bedding, Plants and Wood, Rocks and Water Dishes, and Overall Design.
Tropical Habitats
I've seen many people make the mistake of begeing wild beasts when setting up these type of habitats. By the time they're done, it looked like a tornado went through a jungle The pet cannot be seen at all. The best thing to do when designing a tropical habitat is to remember that a reptile's/amphibian's health does not correlate to how many green leaves are in their cage.
Bedding - Many things can be used for the floor. The most authentic floor cover for tropical habitats, though, is mulch (or reptile bark). Go to the pet store or okay and buy the kind used for pets. The nice thing about pet bark is it is easy to clean. It only needs to be soaked in hot water every two or three months. Do not go out and buy any type of bedding for it can be harmful to your pet such as gravel, small rocks, and corncob bedding! Even mulch can cause impactions. If you are afraid of impactions, then you should buy carpet made for pet cages (not household carpet) or feed the pet in a different container.
Plants and Wood - Artificial plants can be used for carnivorous pets. Cleaning up the cage can be made fun by buying all sorts of silk flowers, vines, and foliage to arrange inside the cage. Use these plants sparingly. They should not take up more than a third of the space of the cage. Tons of plants make it difficult for the reptiles to find their food. When cleaning artificial plants use gentle disinfectant to clean them.

Reptiles like iguanas and prehensile-tail skinks that eat plants cannot have fake vegetation in their cages. They also cannot have poisonous plants in their cages either. You can find out more information about plants suitable for pets online or in reptile magazines. The local pet store can help also.
When adding logs to a cage, choose ones that look natural. Avoid the logs that have an obvious man-made touch to them such as the hide-away logs. Probably the cheapest logs and sticks can be found in the backyard. These are usually adequate enough to give off the tropical flair. Make sure they can support the weight of your pet. When cleaning logs or limbs, wash them off and then put them in the oven at 200-250 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.
Rocks and Water Dishes - Always use rocks big enough that the pet cannot swallow them! Rock water dishes are great ways to add ponds and to put food in your cage that are easy to clean up. Black Tupperware is another great container to use to make ponds, especially if your need deep ones for gold fish. Make sure it isn't too deep for your pets, though. There are also some pretty nice plastic rocks with fake moss on them, but I personally don't find them that realistic. When cleaning real rocks (not plastic), they should be set in boiling water for 30 minutes.

Overall Design - When designing a tropical cage, leave a meadow in the middle. If your cage is small, then put the meadow off to the side. To see your pet often out in the open, it is best to put the basking rock and the heat lamp in this area. Putting the basking rock in middle of the pond has an impressive effect.
Place plants, limbs and rocks sporadically around the cage. Long, flexible tree limbs can make an interesting canopy when they are arched over the middle. If you have large rocks, then you might want to stack them to make cliffs or hills, or drape them around your pond. You may want to buy a rock wall for the back of your cage if it is meant to be viewed from one direction. Do not use mirrors! This can cause the pet to begee hostile for they can easily mistake themselves for other alpha males.
Desert Habitats
Probably the most gemon problem I see with desert habitats is the lack of authenticity. This can lead to some very boring cages. Thankfully, authenticity is an easy problem to solve, but it will take a little money.
Bedding - Many people do not use sand bedding for desert habitats because sand can cause impaction. I still prefer sand for making authentic landscapes for my reptilian and toady pets. When buying sand, it is best to buy the kind made especially for reptiles to help lower the risk of impaction. Another way to help lower the risk of impaction is to feed your pet in a different area where they can't accidentally swallow sand. When cleaning sand, you should rinse out all of the debris and then put it into a oven at 200-250 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.
If you don't want to use sand, then you should use tan colored carpet made for pets (not household carpet). You'll have to use more rocks and logs to make the habitat look more authentic, but it is easier to clean.
Plants and Wood - Artificial plantscan be used for carnivorous pets. Use these plants sparingly since this is the desert. When cleaning artificial plants use gentle disinfectant to clean them. Real plants such as cacti are very popular for desert animals.

Reptiles like tortoises and bearded dragons that eat plants cannot have fake vegetation in their cages. They also cannot have poisonous plants in their cages either. You can find out more information about plants suitable for pets online or in reptile magazines. The local pet store can help also.
When adding logs to a cage, choose ones that look natural, not cut by a machine. Probably the cheapest logs and sticks can be found in the backyard, but they are not the best for authenticity. Driftwood and Cholla logs are probably the best and can be found at the pet store or on okay. Make sure they can support the weight of your pet. When cleaning logs or limbs, wash them off and then put them in the oven at 200-250 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.

Rocks and Water Dishes -Always use rocks big enough that the pet cannot swallow them! Use wide flat rocks to help cover carpeted habitats. Rock water dishes are great ways to add ponds and put food in your cage that are easy to clean up. It is also a great place for a reptile to go cool off. When cleaning rocks, they should be set in boiling water for 30 minutes.
Overall Design - When designing a desert cage, be sparing with all of your supplies except sand and rocks. Make sure there is a spot in your habitat where your reptile can bask at the right temperature. Some reptiles need to be a 100 degrees in the daytime! A cliff made out of flat rocks would make a great basking spot for a reptile.
Don't use many logs and plants. For a small cage, one cacti should be plenty of flora. You can use some limbs and some rocks though. Just do not use too may or it will be difficult to find your pet. You will have to use some limbs and rocks to make a shaded spot for your pet. A rock cave or a large log blocking off the light to the corner is a good natural way to do this. A great way to design a desert habitat is like an oriental rock garden.

You may want to buy a rock wall for the back of your cage if it is meant to be viewed from one direction. Do not use mirrors! This can cause the pet to begee hostile for they can easily mistake themselves for other alpha males.
Not every reptile or amphibian may fit into these two categories, tropic and desert, but the same aspects of design and materials can be applied. Usually, the only major different between tropical habitats and other similar habitats is just temperature and humidity. Remember to clean your cages properly once in awhile for not only your pet's health but for your own too.