Biotope terrariumsfor reptiles and amphibians

n Setup according to naturen For terrestrial and aquatic animals

Contents

Keeping reptiles and amphibians is some-thing special. The appearance and behaviorof the animals are fascinating. A terrarium al-lows creating a desert landscape, an abun-dant rainforest or a terrapin biotope close tonature.

Watching the animals will soon distract youfrom daily routine. Some of the animalsovercome their natural timidity towards hu-mans, others display their exciting behav-ioral repertoire also when kept in a terrarium,e.g. hunting or breeding behavior.

No matter which animal you decide upon –be it a small Lawson’s Dragon or colorchanging chameleons – a reptile or an am-phibian will enrich your life.

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sera Biotope terrariums ........................ 4Terrariums for terrestrial reptiles .......... 4Desert terrarium .................................. 4Brief facts: Desert inhabitants ............ 6Rainforest terrarium ............................ 8Brief facts: Rainforest inhabitants ...... 10

sera Aquaterrariums ............................. 13Brief facts: Aquaterrarium inhabitants ........................................... 15

Outdoor keeping ................................... 17Tortoise terrarium ................................ 17Brief facts: Tortoises ........................... 18

Optimal terrarium equipment ................ 20Terrariums for terrestrial reptiles ......... 20Aquaterrariums for reptiles that mainly live in the water ....................... 22The correct light .................................. 24Temperature ........................................ 25Air humidity ......................................... 26Decoration .......................................... 27Bottom ground ................................... 27Terrarium location ............................... 27

Feed reptiles according to nature ......... 28

It is impressive that reptiles already inhab-ited the Earth 300 million years ago. Andthey were the undisputed rulers of the Earthfor a period of more than 200 million years,long before we humans appeared.

This guide gives you a first overview aboutthe different keeping conditions and themost popular reptile species. A selection ofspecialized literature about the specific ani-mal groups and species is available from thespecialized trade.

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Reptiles, amphibians and arthropods areusually very well adapted to their natural liv-ing environments. It is important to fulfillthese requirements in the best possible wayas to make sure the animals feel well whenkept in the terrarium. Responsible care pro-vided, the animals will stay healthy andenjoy their keeper with their full behavioralrepertoire.

The special characteristics of a desertmainly include enormous dryness, alongwith strong temperature variations duringthe day and night rhythm. You should ideallyuse pure sand or, in case of digging reptiles,a mixture of sand and clay as a substrate.

Lighting consists of a daylight lamp such asthe sera reptil daylight compact, and anadditional lamp providing plenty of UV-A andUV-B, such as the sera reptil desert com-pact 10%. By doing so, you will cover theintense light requirements of desert inhab -

itants. The animals will stay permanentlyhealthy and display their entire natural be-havior.

Install a heating cable (sera reptil heatcable) or a heating mat (sera reptil thermocomfort mat) underneath the substrate asto simulate the diurnal warming of the sub-strate. If required, they may remain switchedon also at night. You can, for instance, usea halogen spotlight lamp (sera reptil sunspot) for creating local heat spots. The av-erage temperature in desert terrariums is

The most common terrarium biotopes andsome suitable inhabitants are presented inthe following. This will give you a smalloverview about the wonderful world of ter-rarium care.

sera Biotope terrariums

Terrariums for terrestrial reptiles

Desert terrarium

30°C (86°F), and it can be up to 45 – 55°C (113 –131°F) underneath a heat spot lamp. The tempera-ture should be lowered to 15 – 20°C (59 – 68°F) atnight.

Rock and root constructions allow creating cavesand sunny places. Make sure the animals cannot digunderneath them. Possibly connect the constructionswith silicone as to prevent the animals gettingtrapped. Slightly spray the bottom ground in themorning. This simulates dew forming. However, themoisture should dry off relatively quickly. Even desertanimals always need a small drinking bowl. Agavesor cactuses without dangerous spines are suitable forplanting. Alternatively, you can also use artificialplants.

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Brief facts: Desert inhabitants

LAWSON`S DRAGON (POGONA HENRYLAWSONI)Body length up to 30 cm (12 in.)Origin AustraliaTemperature 25 – 32°C (77 – 90°F) during daytime

[locally up to 55°C (131°F)], 15°C (59°F) at night

Air humidity 30 – 40%Nutrition insects and plants, sera reptimineral C,

sera reptil Professional Herbivor &Carnivor

Due to their size and their inter-esting appearance, Lawson’sDragons are very popular terrar-ium animals. Their individual per-sonality and their rather calm be-havior make them interesting alsofor beginners.

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Very agile, diurnal lizards that canrun on their hind legs and jumpvery well. They hibernate for 6 – 10weeks at a temperature between10 and 15°C (50 and 59°F), begin-ning in the end of November.

Body length up to 35 cm (14 in.)Origin southern USA, northeastern MexicoTemperature 25 – 30°C (77 – 86°F) during daytime

[locally up to 45°C (113°F)], 20°C (68°F) at night

Air humidity 40 – 60%Nutrition insects, occasionally fruit and lettuce,

sera reptimineral C & H

EASTERN COLLARED LIZARD (CROTAPHYTUS COLLARIS)

These popular nocturnal eye-lashgeckos are inhabitants of dry tosemi-dry savanna landscapes.According to their origin, theyshould rest at lower temperatures[12 – 15°C (54 – 59°F)] during thewinter. The terrarium must pro-vide both climbing possibilities aswell as caves.

Head and body length 11 – 15 cm (4.3 – 6 in.)Origin northern India, Pakistan,

Afghanistan, Iran, IraqTemperature 25 – 30°C (77 – 86°F) during

daytime [locally up to 40°C(104°F)], 20°C (68°F) at night

Air humidity 40 – 60%Nutrition crickets, locusts, cock-

roaches, sera reptimineral C

LEOPARD GECKO (EUBLEPHARIS MACULARIUS)

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Temperatures are often almost constant [approx. 24 – 26°C (75 – 79°F)] with high airhumidity (80%) in tropical rainforests. Rain-forest inhabiting animals are usually climb-ing, tree dwelling species. This should beconsidered when setting up the terrarium.Suitable bottom materials are mold resistantand free of supporting additives and fertiliz-

ers. Terrarium humus such as sera reptilcoco soil, which can be stored in a spacesaving way due to its briquette shape. Whenadding water, this bottom ground increasesits volume enormously.

Rainforest terrarium

sera Tip

It is advisable to build in a drainage as toavoid excess water makes the bottomground become marshy. Cover the bot-tom with a thin sera siporax layer to doso, cover it with sera filter wool and thenput the bottom ground on top.

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Preferably install heating mats in rainforest terrariums on theback wall as to prevent the bottom ground from becomingdry. This is no problem when using the self-adhesive heatingmats sera reptil thermo comfort mat S and M. Moistureproof wood pieces that look decorative are the most impor-tant decoration elements. Almost all non-toxic indoor plantsoffered in the trade are suited for planting, e.g. orchids,bromelias, tillandsias, tropical ferns, moss as well as the vari-ous Ficus species. Make sure you get unfertilized plants. Incase of unclear origin, shower the plants several times andpossibly water them thoroughly before planting them into theterrarium.

sera Tip

Animals with adhesive lamellae requiresmooth surface for climbing. Bambootubes are ideal for decoration in this case.

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Poison Dart Frog with fascinatingcolor patterns. The poison, how-ever, is produced only by animalsthat live in the wild. Bred animalskept in terrariums therefore haveno traceable poison level.

Body length 2.5 – 5 cm (1 – 2 in.)Origin Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama,

Colombia, TobagoTemperature 24 – 28°C (75 – 82°F) during daytime,

23°C (73°F) at nightAir humidity 80 – 100%Nutrition fruit flies, small crickets, collembolans,

tropical isopods, growth food: sera micron

GREEN AND BLACK POISON DART FROG (DENDROBATES AURATUS)

This gecko species has a verybeautiful color pattern. They orig-inate from a region with plenty ofrain, which must be consideredwhen keeping them. Beginning inNovember, 2 – 3 cool months[max. 23°C (73°F)] should be sim-ulated.

Body length 12 – 13 cm (4.7 – 5.1 in.)Origin eastern MadagascarTemperature 28 – 30°C (82 – 86°F) during daytime [lo-

cally 35°C (95°F)], 20°C (68°F) at nightAir humidity 75 – 100% by spraying dailyNutrition small insects (crickets, houseflies), fruit

pulp, sera reptimineral C

PEACOCK DAY GECKO (PHELSUMA QUADRIOCELLATA QUADRIOCELLATA)

Brief facts: Rainforest inhabitants

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CAROLINA ANOLE (ANOLIS CAROLINENSIS CAROLINENSIS)Body length up to 20 cm (8 in.)Origin southeastern USA, BahamasTemperature 24 –27°C (75 – 81°F) during daytime

[locally up to 34°C (93°F)], 22°C (72°F) at night

Air humidity 80%Nutrition insects, sera reptimineral C

A small, popular bush or treedwelling diurnal iguana specieswith adhesive lamellae on theirfeet. Depending on their mood,these agile animals can changetheir color. They are ideally kept inpairs, since they are very territo-rial. They hibernate at 18°C (64°F)for 4 – 6 weeks during the winter.

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sera Tip

Trap for food animalsIt can occasionally happen that livefood escapes. Escaped food animalscan quickly be caught again with thesera snail collect trap and a bit offood.

PANTHER CHAMELEON (FURCIFER PARDALIS)Body length males 55 cm (22 in.), females 35 cm

(14 in.)Origin Madagascar and neighbor islandsTemperature 22 – 28°C (72 – 82°F) during daytime

[locally up to 35°C (95°F)], 16 – 22°C (61 – 72°F) at night

Air humidity 70 – 100%Nutrition insects

This colorful chameleon belongsto the species that are somewhateasier to keep. Chameleons,however, are generally not veryeasy pets. In spite of the opinionthat chameleons could changetheir color for camouflage, thecolor change is actually triggeredby the mood of the animal (fear,stress, hunger, temperature, dis-ease, mating).

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sera AquaterrariumsThe aquaterrarium is for keeping reptiles and am-phibians that both live in water and – at least tem-porarily – on the land. Depending on the specieskept, a terrarium may be suitable for making anaquaterrarium if you separate a part of the terrariumas a swimming zone (e.g. for frogs or newts); or youcan use a special aquaterrarium such as the serareptil aqua biotop (e.g. for terrapins).

Ideally, both land and water sections are heated andhave approximately the same temperature as to pre-vent colds. A heater thermostat for aquariums is par-ticularly well suited for heating the water. It is in-stalled under water, and you can adjust the desiredtemperature. When keeping terrapins, make sure theglass tube of the heater is protected so it cannot bedestroyed by the animals. The sera aquariumheater thermostats with safety protector ensurehighest safety. There are special radiant heaters forwarming up the land part, e.g. the sera reptilthermo ceramic radiant heater (page 26).

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Tip for conditioning water

Reptiles and amphibians may react verysensitive to water pollution by chemical re-mainders. Tap water should therefore neverbe filled directly into an aquaterrarium. Con-dition the water before doing so. sera reptil

aquatan was specially developed for thispurpose. Toxic heavy metals are bound.The water gets a natural tint, which sup-ports natural behavior and also makeskeeping sensitive species easier.

It is recommended to filter the water. An in-ternal filter such as the sera fil 120 is suit-able in case of small animals. In case oflarger species such as terrapins, you shouldinstall an external filter such as the sera filbioactive 250 + UV. The additionally con-tained UV technology prevents diseases andalgae.

Lighting depends on the kind of terrarium.The sera reptil LED energy light is univer-sally suitable. It is already included in thesera reptil aqua biotop kit (page 22). Addi-tionally or according to the requirements ofthe species kept, you can also use the serareptil daylight compact lamp (page 24).Terrapins also prefer a heat spot [approx.40°C (104°F)], e.g. the halogen spot lampsera reptil sun spot (page 26).

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Brief facts: Aquaterrarium inhabitants

Basically, all sufficiently small terrapinspecies are suited for keeping in an aquater-rarium. However, this may have to be verylarge, depending on the terrapin species. We

will now present you two terrapin speciesthat remain rather small, and which are easyto keep.

Anyone looking for somethingspecial will certainly like the ar-chaic looking Common Musk Tur-tle. Due to their intraspecific ag-gression they are very well suitedfor keeping them as singles. Thisspecies can also be kept in apond during summer. The animalsshould be allowed to hibernate.

Body length 8 – 14 cm ( 3.1 – 5.5 in.)Origin southeast of the USA up to south-

eastern CanadaWater temperature seasonally 10 – 27°C (50 – 81°F)Nutrition Gammarus, small fish, snails,

mosquito larvae, sera reptimi -neral C, sera raffy P & I, sera reptil Professional Herbivor &Carnivor, sera raffy Baby-Gran

COMMON MUSK TURTLE (STERNOTHERUS ODORATUS)

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These newts mainly live in thewater, i.e. the water zone shouldbe bigger than the land zone. Theupper side of the animals is notvery striking. However, they willdisplay their full beauty whenwatching them from underneath.

Body length 5 – 12 cm (2 – 4.7 in.)Origin eastern ChinaTemperature 20 – 22°C (68 – 72°F) during summer

[12 – 14°C (54 – 57°F) during winter]Nutrition earthworms, insects, slugs, sera FD

Bloodworms, sera FD Daphnia

CHINESE FIRE BELLY NEWT (CYNOPS ORIENTALIS)

These very beautifully patternedanimals are among the most fre-quently kept terrapins. They re-quire plenty of swimming spaceand only a small land spot. Ac-cording to their origin, the watertemperatures and the lighting du-ration should resemble seasonalvariations.

Body length females 20 – 25 cm (8 – 10 in.),males 15 cm (6 in.)

Origin southern USAWater temperature seasonally 12 – 27°C (54 – 81°F)

[up to 40°C (104°F) on the land]Nutrition omnivorous (Daphnia, small fish,

mussel meat), vegetables, fruit,sera reptimineral C, sera raffy P,sera raffy Baby-Gran

FALSE MAP TURTLE (GRAPTEMYS PSEUDOGEOGRAPHICA PSEUDOGEOGRAPHICA)

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sera Tip

Natural removal of odors:The special micro organisms included insera reptibioclear break down organicmatter such as food, and thus prevent theformation of unpleasant odors in a naturalway. The water is demonstrably less pol-luted.

Outdoor keeping

Tortoise terrarium

Outdoor keeping in the garden or on a large balcony isin particular suitable for European tortoises. Dependingon the size and equipment it may be possible to keepthese turtles outdoors throughout the year. However, aprotecting shelter such as a hotbed is then required forthe transitional periods in spring and autumn. In addi-tion to being heated, the shelter must also be lightedsufficiently, e.g. with the sera reptil desert compactwith 10% UV-B radiation. This lamp also ensures thenecessary synthesis of vitamin D3. You can use ahalogen spot lamp as a local heat spot. If you cannotset up a sufficiently sized shelter, put the tortoisesinto an accordingly designed terrarium when tem-peratures become lower (see Tortoise terrarium).

Be sure to design the outdoor enclosure escapeproof. Tortoises can climb surprisingly well, youshould consider this for the height of the enclo-sure. Protect the enclosure against predatorssuch as martens, foxes or cats.

European tortoises should preferably be keptoutdoors. However, keeping them in a terrar-ium is advisable for keeping juveniles, ill orweakened animals as well as for the time be-tween hibernation and outdoor keeping. Inaccordance with their natural habitats, the an-imals are kept relatively warm [approx. 25°C(77°F)] and dry during summer, and cool [ap-prox. 5°C (41°F)] and moist during winter.Coco peat, possibly blended with sand, is asuitable bottom material.

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Eurasian Tortoises are among themost popular tortoises. Due totheir origin they must hibernate asto ensure keeping them accord-ing to their requirements.

Body length 25 – 35 cm (10 – 14 in.)Origin BalkansTemperature 20 – 26°C (68 – 79°F) during daytime

[locally up to 40°C (104°F)], 16 – 20°C (61 – 68°F) at night

Nutrition herbal (e.g. dandelion, plantain, lettuce),sera reptimineral H, sera raffy Vital,sera reptil Professional Herbivor

EURASIAN TORTOISE (TESTUDO GRAECA IBERA)

Brief facts: Tortoises

Besides the daylight lighting, a UV-B lampsuch as the sera reptil desert compact anda halogen spot lamp [approx. 40°C (104°F)]are used. A water bowl that also allows oc-casional bathing is also required. Tortoiseterrariums must not be heated with a heat-ing cable nor a heating mat from underneathas this would desiccate the shell, which maylead to shell deformations. It is recom-mended to attach a heating mat, such as thesera reptil thermo comfort mat, to theback wall.

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Marginated Tortoises are amongthe largest and scarcest Euro-pean tortoises. Due to their size,they are less suited for terrariumcare but preferably for outdoorkeeping throughout the year.

Body length 25 – 35 cm (10 – 14 in.)Origin southern Albania up to the southern

PeloponneseTemperature 22 – 26°C (72 – 79°F) during daytime

[locally up to 40°C (104°F)], 16 – 20°C (61 – 68°F) at night

Nutrition herbal (e.g. dandelion, plantain, lettuce),sera reptimineral H, sera raffy Vital,sera reptil Professional Herbivor

MARGINATED TORTOISE (TESTUDO MARGINATA)

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A terrarium should provide smooth surfacesso it can be cleaned easily. It should be wellaerated as to prevent stagnant air, howeveryou must avoid direct drafts. Choose a bot-tom area as large as possible for bottomdwelling reptiles, and a terrarium as high aspossible for climbing species. Reptiles thatmainly live in the water need an aquaterrar-ium.

The generous construction of the sera reptilterra biotop 60 allows you to keep bottomdwelling and also climbing amphibians, rep-tiles and arthropods. The doors can beopened entirely and removed if necessary.The terrarium cover can also be taken off.This allows installing the technical devicesin the terrarium without any problems – and,even more important, the terrarium can becleaned hygienically and easily. The doorsare locked with a locking mechanism thatcan be opened easily from the outside, andwhich makes escaping impossible even forsnakes. The combination lock included by

sera provides additionalsafety.

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Optimal terrarium equipment

Terrariums for terrestrial reptiles

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Recommended accessories:• sera terrarium light hood (page 24) with 2

lamp fixtures and LED nocturnal light• sera lamps• sera heating mats (page 25) for installation

underneath the terrarium, or• sera heating cable (page 25) for installa-

tion inside the terrarium

The sera reptil terra biotop 60 includes thefollowing free bonus items:• sera reptil coco soil terrarium humus• sera reptil thermometer/hygrometer• combination lock

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Many functional details considering the re-quirements of reptiles were developed dur-ing the construction of the sera reptil terrabiotop 60:

Black polycarbonate plastic frame for sta-bility and edge protection4 mm glass thickness Double wing door on the front side, canbe opened separately and together. Spe-cial safety lock for escape prevention. Thedoors are bordered with a profile shapefor closing smoothly and tightlyCombination lockProtection against fogging due to an aer-ation bar in every door

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Removable and easy-to-clean coversfrom fine mesh wire gauze for generousventilation and good light transparency.Animals cannot get injured at the radiationsource installed on or above the coverSeparately lockable cable ducts in thecover allow for easy installation of equip-mentExtra high edge in the bottom region. Fill-ing height up to 10 cm (4 in.). Can be setup as an aquaterrarium or be filled with ahigh bottom ground layer, also ideal fordigging speciesElevated bottom for trouble-free installa-tion of a bottom heater underneath theterrarium

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The sera reptil aqua biotop is ideally suitedfor keeping small terrapins, crabs, crayfish,etc. The large water part requires entirely dif-ferent technical equipment than terrariumsfor land dwelling animals. With its uniqueand extensive equipment, the sera reptilaqua biotop is immediately ready for use,and the filter included with the kit can be biologically activated immediately:

Plug-in complete equipment, immediatelyready to start:

sera reptil aqua biotop• Modern design with bow front• High quality workmanship• Polished glass• Suitable for high water level• High back side for designing an escape-

proof land zone

sera reptil LED energy light• 72 bright, extra long life LEDs• Daylight and moonlight can be switched

separately• Moonlight for observing the animals in the

dark• Flexible goose neck for easy adjustment

of the lamp head• Extremely energy saving (8 W consump-

tion)• Safe low voltage technology due to up-

stream transformer

Aquaterrariums for reptiles that mainly live in the water

sera aquarium heater thermostat 100 W• With shock resistant quartz glass• Precisely working safety switch• Safety protector for optimal safety, especially in

case of terrapins

sera filter biostart, 50 mlBiocultures for the immediate biological pollutantbreakdown within the filter

sera raffy P, 100 mlFloating food sticks made of natural foodanimals and plants

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sera fil 120 internal aquarium filterfor clear, biologically healthy aquarium water• Low in maintenance, highly efficient• Extensive accessory range• Mechanical and biological filtration• Separate filter chambers can be added modularly

filter cartridge with sera siporax mini for biologicalfiltrationfilter cartridge with sera super carbon (active filtercarbon)end cartridge with filter sponge for mechanical filtra-tion

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Light is required by reptiles not only becauseof the day and night rhythm, but it also reg-ulates metabolism, activity and digestion.Besides suitable daylight, well-being andnatural behavior of most reptiles depend oncorrect UV-A and UV-B radiation. Energy

saving full spectrum daylight lampssuch as the sera reptil daylight

compact UV-B 2% are especially suitablefor this purpose. They can easily simulatethe diurnal rhythm when controlled by atimer. Depending on their origin, the animalsmay additionally require a light source witha higher UV-B amount required for the natu-ral vitamin synthesis, e.g. the sera reptil

rainforest compact UV-B 5% and the serareptil desert compact UV-B 10%. Thesesera lamps are extremely energy saving andlong lived. Furthermore, they ensure excel-lent natural color representation.

The correct light

sera Tip

Normal glass filters the important UV radi-ation of the lamps. It is therefore necessaryto install the lamps within the terrarium oron the terrarium – in the latter case, how-ever, only separated from the inside terrar-ium by fine mesh gauze. Depending on thekind of terrarium, the animals must be pro-tected from the light sources by a finemesh wire grid, as is the case with thehood of the sera reptil terra biotop 60.The sera reptil terra top is an ideallamp. It can be equipped with 2 dif-ferent lamps. Furthermore, the in-cluded moonlight LEDs allow ob-

serving the animals at night. The sera reptilterra top is simply put on top of the terrar-ium hood. The energy saving sera reptilLED energy light with 72 bright, extra longlived LEDs is particularly well suited foraquaterrariums. Daylight and moonlightcan be switched separately (page 22).

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Reptiles are so-called cold blooded animals,i.e. they do not maintain a constant temper-ature by themselves but depend on the ex-ternal temperature. The correct “operatingtemperature” is important for functioningmetabolism, digestion and activity.

The temperature depends on the originalhabitat of the animals you keep. Above all,heating mats such as the sera reptil thermocomfort mat are suited for increasing thetemperature. They are installed underneaththe terrarium bottom or on the side walls,just as required.

Due to their variable laying options, heatingcables such as the sera reptil heat cableallow creating a natural temperature gradi-ent in the bottom ground. Heating cables arealso ideal for warming up decoration ele-ments such as caves, branches or flatstones. Please note that, at the maximum,30% of the bottom area should be warmedup with a heater, as to provide the animalswith cooler places to retreat as a protectionagainst overheating.

Temperature

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Tropical reptiles, in particular, require high air humidity.Too dry air may cause serious diseases of the respiratorytract or to skin shedding problems in some species. Youcan increase air humidity by regularly spraying the ter-rarium with a spray bottle and generous water surfaces.Air humidity control is achieved with hygrometers (e.g.sera reptil thermometer/hygrometer). For avoidingmold formation, terrariums always must be well aeratedwithout exposing the animals to direct drafts. This wastaken into account when designingthe sera reptil terra biotop 60.

Air humidity

You can imitate the natural heat radiation of the sun from abovewithout light emission by means of, for instance, a ceramic ra-diant heater such as the sera reptil thermo ceramic. Halogenspot lamps are suitable for local sunspots in the terrarium suchas the sera reptil sun spot. It is advisable to monitor the tem-perature permanently, ideally with a thermometer installed in theterrarium (e.g. sera reptil thermometer/hygrometer). Radiantheaters, in particular, must be installed in or on top of the terrar-ium in a way that the animals cannot get burnt by them. Due totheir fine mesh wire grid, the sera reptil alu reflectors provideexcellent protection against burns. These sera reflectors can beused in many different ways, e.g. as a clip or pendant lamp, orthey are simply put on top of the terrarium hood. The spot lampscan also be controlled by simple timers.

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Depending on the kind of terrarium, there isa large variety of different bottom sub-strates. Sand and gravel are recommendedfor dry terrariums. Mold-free substratessuch as sera reptil coco soil are especiallyadvisable for moist terrariums. It consists of

pathogen and fungi free, pressed coconutshell fibers, a re-growing plantation re-source. sera reptil coco soil optimallystores water and thus increases air humidityinside the terrarium. Unfertilized topsoil isalso suitable.

Bottom ground

Above all, the decoration should meet therequirements of the animals. It is very impor-tant to consider whether the animals aremainly bottom dwelling or rather climb. Bot-tom dwelling species prefer to use flat rockconstructions or cork tubes for retreating orfor sunbathing. Climbing species requirebranches or a structured back wall. The dec-oration must not have any sharp edges asto prevent the animals from getting injured.When choosing the plants you must, in par-ticular, be sure that the plant is not toxic forthe animals and has not been fertilized.

Decoration

Also, you need to be careful with point andsharp edged plants, such as cactuses andthe like.

Place the terrarium in a location where it isprotected against drafts. Also, you shouldnot expose the animals to stress caused bypeople or other pets that permanently walkby. A quiet corner in which the terrariumcannot be watched from all sides, is best for

the animals to have their peace and quiet. Itshould be possible to conduct daily mainte-nance (removal of waste, feeding) withoutany problems.

Terrarium location

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sera reptil Professional Herbivor is a sta-ple diet according to nature suitable for her-bivorous reptiles such as tortoises and igua-nas.

Food loop: Supply with high quality proteinand fats as well as a special blend rich inballast substances, consisting of more than20 selected herbs.

Food core: Supply with essential vitaminsand mineral substances in a balanced ratioplus algae for supporting disease resistance.An optimal calcium/phosphorus ratio en-sures healthy bone and shell growth.

sera reptil Professional Herbivor and serareptil Professional Carnivor are novel co-extruded reptile foods. This innovation al-lowed the sera research department tocombine differently treated nutrients in oneproduct.After separate production, the nutrients areput together as a loop and a core by co-ex-trusion without mixing up.

The food loop contains the optimized ratioof energy and protein.

The food core is manufactured in a particu-larly gentle low temperature process.Among others, it contains vitamins and min-erals.

Feed reptiles according to natureBest food for reptiles

sera reptil Professional Carnivor is a sta-ple diet according to nature suitable for car-nivorous reptiles such as terrapins.

Food loop: Supply with high quality proteinand fats.

Food core: Supply with essential vitaminsand mineral substances in a balanced ratioplus algae for supporting disease resistance.An optimal calcium/phosphorus ratio en-sures healthy bone and shell growth.

Core

Loop

Core

Loop

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Tidbits for terrapins

sera raffy Royal con-sists only of natural smallfish, the most importantfood source for terrapinsin nature.

Rearing food for terrapins and other reptiles

sera raffy Baby-Gran is abalanced rearing food forquickly growing juvenileanimals. The optimal nu-trient and mineral levelsensure healthy growthand prevent deficiencies.

Food rich in minerals for turtles

sera raffy Mineral con-tains essential minerals,vitamins and trace ele-ments for a healthy de-velopment. The floatingfood sticks are suited forterrapins and tortoises.

sera raffy P consists ofnatural food animals andherbal ingredients. Float-ing food sticks for dailyfeeding.

sera raffy I Gammarusmix contains Gammarus,anchovies and shrimps –also a treat for tortoises.Ideal for feeding alter-nately with sera raffy Pand sera raffy Mineral.

Food for all terrapins and lizards

Plant food for tortoises and herbivorousreptiles

Consisting of herb pel-lets and food tablets thatare excellently acceptedby all herbivorous rep-tiles, sera raffy Vital is atasty blend rich in ballastsubstances.

Minerals and vitamins for carnivorousreptiles

sera reptimineral C is afood additive for prevent-ing nutritionally causeddeficiencies in carnivo-rous reptiles and for im-proving fresh food. Beingrich in essential minerals,trace elements, vitaminsand amino acids, it per-fectly matches the re-quirements of carnivo-rous reptiles – for healthygrowth, trouble-free skinshedding and natural be-havior.

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Minerals and vitamins for herbivorousreptiles

sera reptimineral H is afood additive for prevent-ing nutritionally causeddeficiencies in herbivo-rous reptiles and for im-proving fresh food. Beingrich in essential minerals,trace elements, vitaminsand amino acids, it per-fectly matches the re-quirements of herbivorousreptiles – for healthygrowth, trouble-free skinshedding and natural be-havior.

Fresh food improvement

sera reptifiber, a fiberconcentrate for all her-bivorous reptiles, im-proves fresh food suchas lettuce with high qual-ity natural fibers and calcium. The fiber com-ponents from sera repti-fiber activate the intes-tinal flora, ensure idealnutrient supply andhealthy digestion. Thisprevents deficienciesand diseases, and itconsiderably increasesthe appetite.

Vitamin supply for turtles and other reptiles

sera reptilin is a liquid foodadditive that provides terrar-ium animals with an addi-tional vitamin supply.

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Biological breakdown of organic waste

sera reptibioclear containsmicro organisms that help toremove organic waste andfood remainders. Odor forma-tion is prevented in a naturalway, and maintenance effortsare reduced.

Water gel powder for arthropods andsmall reptiles

sera reptil terra aqua isa natural powder fro cre-ating a water gel for smallterrarium animals. Thenatural gel forming agentoriginates by 100% frommarine algae. The gel canbe enriched with vitamins(sera reptilin) and miner-als (sera reptimineral).

Healthy terrarium water

sera reptil aquatan with theBio Protect Formula immedi-ately conditions tap water tohealthy terrarium water for rep-tiles and amphibians. Amphib-ians such as frogs and newts,in particular, can take up harm-ful substances through theirskin. sera reptil aquatan re-moves aggressive chlorineand chloramines. Heavy met-als are lastingly bound. Valuable humic substancesprevent skin and carapaceproblems. The brownish watertint reduces stress and sup-ports natural behavior.

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1US

GmbH • D 52518 Heinsberg • Germany

www.sera.de • info@sera.deFor natural terrariums