Project

Lizard Terrarium How-To

Bring a small piece of the great outdoors inside with an easy-to-maintain lizard terrarium.

Source: Petkeeping Television, January 2011

Introduction

Create a small replica of the natural world in any corner of your home with this simply made lizard terrarium.

Resources: Glass tanks, sterile branches, water dishes, and heat lamps available at pet stores; orchid bark, plants, and floral wire available at home and garden centers.

materials

Large glass tank with tight-fitting screen cover

Orchid bark

Washable branch

Spanish moss or air bromeliads

Green floral wire

Plant

Reptile water dish

Heat lamp with full-spectrum bulb

steps

Add a thick layer of orchid bark to the floor of the tank.
Place your branch (Marc used sterilized, sandblasted grapevine) in the tank. Choose one that takes up a good amount of space and offers plenty of perches for your terrarium's inhabitants.
Tie Spanish moss or air bromeliads to the branch using green floral wire.
Add a hardy plant (Marc used a potted pothos) to a corner of the tank. Keep the plant inside its pot to make watering easier -- simply pile up some orchid bark around the pot if you'd rather it not show.
Fill a reptile dish with water and place it on the floor of the tank.
Place a heat lamp on top of the tank, pointed toward the highest perch to create a basking spot.
Introduce your lizards to their new home. Marc made his terrarium for four green anole lizards.
Mist the inside of the tank with chlorine-free water using a plant mister every day, and empty and clean the contents of the terrarium once a week. Feed your lizards a steady diet of small insects such as crickets dusted with calcium powder.