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How to Make a Rain Forest Habitat for Reptiles

Tropical animals require very specific conditions to thrive. This goes double for reptiles, who must regulate their body temperature to remain within a consistent range. Tropical reptiles require a high degree of humidity at all times, and do not tolerate aridity well. An ordinary reptile tank is not a good habitat for rain forest reptiles, which require very specific conditions. You will have to convert an ordinary reptile tank into a rain forest vivarium. This is a project that requires care, planning and a small, but not trivial, investment.

Things You'll Need

20-inch by 10-inch by 18-inch reptile tank with light fixture
2 24-watt compact fluorescent lights
Pea gravel
Forest vivarium planting mix
Tropical houseplants
Organic fertilizer
1 Gallon distilled water

Instructions

- 1
  Place the two 24-watt compact fluorescent bulbs into the tank's light fixture. If the tank came with ordinary fluorescent bulbs, remove them. Ordinary fluorescent bulbs are not appropriate for rainforest habitats.
- 2
  Mix some organic fertilizer into the vivarium forest planting mix, using a proportion equal to half of what the label recommends. If you cannot find any planting mix, you can make your own from a 50-50 mix of ground coconut husk fiber with small or medium orchid bark. Add distilled water until the mixture is somewhat moist. Do not use tap water, as it contains chlorine -- reptiles and amphibians are highly sensitive to chemical contaminants.
- 3
  Pour pea gravel into the tank until there is an even 1- to 2-inch layer of gravel on the bottom. Cover this with 4 inches of your moist fertilized vivarium mix from Step 2, and add some small tropical house plants. Plants release water vapor that will help keep the tank humid. If you are keeping geckos or other tree dwellers, add a stick to the tank for them to climb. Make sure that the stick is no less than 6 inches from the compact fluorescent bulbs.

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