A vivarium is an indoor enclosure that is used for raising pet animals or plants and they are usually observable as they are made from glass. If you intend to keep a bearded dragon as a pet, you will need to make a vivarium that is suitable for the needs of that particular lizard. Here are the steps on how you can make a bearded dragon vivarium.
The initial step in makinga bearded dragon vivarium is getting the enclosure with the right amount of size. For bearded dragons, it is recommended that you obtain a Breeder tank which is very large and has a dimension of 36”x18”x16”. While you may be wondering why would you need such a large vivarium for a bearded dragon, especially if it is just a baby, it’s because these are terrestrial lizards that need room to run around and therefore the large amount of floor space is recommended.
After setting up your enclosure, the next component that you will need for your bearded dragon enclosure is the substrate that will serve as the flooring. You can use newspapers, paper towels or carpets as they cannot be ingested by the bearded dragons. If you want a more natural feel to the vivarium, you can put play sand or calcium sand, although it is not recommended to put too much as it can cause impacting when the bearded dragons ingest it. Woodchips and walnut shells should never be used as they have sharp edges that may be swallowed by your pet.
You will also need to put heating devices in your bearded dragon vivarium. It is because the natural habitat of bearded dragons in Australia are hot, arid places and they do not hibernate at all as they are in places that are warm all year long. To do this, you will need a heating pad that must be placed under the vivarium. Another heating device that you will need is a heating lamp as bearded dragons like to bask in sunlight during the day. You can use a UV lamp, a fluorescent lamp, or a incandescent lamp as they all give off heat.
Finally, you can furnish the vivarium with logs or rocks, a trough for feeding, and a separate trough for water that must be large enough so that the lizard can actually immerse their body in them. It is also more advisable that you put logs than rocks as they retain heat better. Do not forget to add a covering where the bearded dragon can hide and sleep.