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How To Create A Mini Ecosystem Terrrarium

Beginners to the reptile ownership industry often seem to think that having a multitude of lizards, snakes, and other reptiles would be a neat idea. While this does indeed seek to make a wonderful variety of interactions and environments for a terrarium, there are some facts to keep in mind on the subject.

Climate is the first issue in mixing and matching reptiles. Some reptiles may favor hot environments, while others will need cooler environments if they are to survive. Mixing the two will be tough, as most terrariums aren't large enough to create two different climates. If the terrarium permits, this is possible- but not recommended for fear of the health of the reptiles.

Just like the local schoolyard, the animal kingdom can be full of harsh interactions and stressful relationships. Even similar pairs of reptiles can interact in crude ways towards each other, which causes stress in both of the reptiles. As avid reptile owners know, this stress is a very serious threat and can cause disease, illness, and premature death if not addressed carefully. Thus, it's often best to keep reptiles that do not "play well" together in separate terrariums.

Differences in the immune system of two different species of reptiles can also mean all the difference in the overall health of both pets. While one reptile can have a natural immunity to a certain health defect, they may still harbor the threat and spread it to other reptiles that may not have the natural immunity. This has been prevalent in nature for decades- and recreating the effect in a terrarium will be just as unfortunately easy to be done.

As with most things in nature, there is a food chain that must be observed. Even among reptiles, there are species that eat other reptiles or even their own kind. This proves that mixing the wrong reptiles can end in one eating the other. This can sometimes be avoided by ample feeding, but the risk is too great when taking into consideration that the life of a reptile is at stake in the process.

Lastly, the terrarium is a matter in itself. Most terrariums are not big enough to accommodate the needs of each individual pet. A spacious area will be required to prevent stress fights, and overcrowding issues that can prove to be quite harmful to all pets that coexist in the terrarium. Thus, it's best to invest in a medium to large sized terrarium in order to give pets the best chance at a happy and efficient life in a terrarium.

Closing Comments

Overall, it's generally not a good idea for beginners to take on the task of putting together a mini ecosystem. Only experts in reptiles who can figure out the best interactions and environments to place multiple reptiles in should proceed to accomplish any of the aforementioned tasks. In the end, it's usually best just to keep same species together in different terrariums to avoid confusion and problems.

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