FAQ: Supplies for reptiles

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Reptiles cannot keep a constant body temperature themselves, so a terrarium needs a heat source suited to the species.

The terrarium should be fully set up before the reptile arrives: heating, a UVB lamp (if the species needs one), a thermometer, hides, substrate, a water dish and suitable food. It is worth running the equipment for a few days beforehand and checking the temperatures.

A reptile depends entirely on an artificial environment: it needs a terrarium, heat, light and humidity control. The starter equipment is the biggest one-off expense; after that you mostly buy food, substrate and replacement bulbs.

A kit is convenient because the terrarium, lamps and decor come together, but it does not always include a UVB lamp of the right strength or a thermostat. Before buying, compare what the kit contains with the needs of your species and buy the missing parts separately.

Beginners often choose a leopard gecko, a corn snake or a bearded dragon, because their needs are well documented and the equipment is easy to find. It is still worth finding out the adult size, lifespan and diet in advance.

Desert species need dry substrate, strong heat and often a strong UVB lamp, tropical species need humidity equipment and a taller terrarium, and aquatic turtles need an aquaterrarium and a filter. So build your shopping list around the specific species rather than reptiles in general.

Many popular lizards and snakes live 10–20 years or more, and tortoises can live for several decades. So it pays to choose sturdy equipment sized for the adult animal from the start and to budget for ongoing food and bulb costs.

A juvenile can live in an adult-sized terrarium as long as it has enough hides and can easily find its food. A small terrarium is sometimes used for the first months, but reptiles grow fast, so buying the final size straight away is often cheaper.

You regularly buy food (insects, frozen rodents or greens), calcium and vitamin supplements, substrate and electricity for heating. UVB lamps are replaced every several months or yearly, and heating elements and decor from time to time.

No. Room temperature and humidity do not suit a reptile; it needs a heat gradient, UVB light and secure hides. A free-roaming reptile can also escape, fall, get burned or swallow something dangerous.

Many reptiles are solitary, so keeping them singly is usually recommended. Animals housed together can fight and compete for heat and food, and the stress often goes unnoticed. If you plan to keep several, you will need a larger terrarium with several basking and hiding spots.

Place the terrarium on a sturdy surface away from direct sunlight, radiators, draughts and noise. Direct sun through the glass can quickly overheat a terrarium, and next to a window it can get too cold in winter.

A bearded dragon needs a roomy terrarium, a strong basking lamp, a strong long UVB tube, a thermometer, a hide, a basking rock or branch, a calcium supplement and live insects plus greens. UVB and heat are essential for it every day.

An adult bearded dragon is usually recommended a terrarium at least 120 cm long, 60 cm deep and 60 cm high, and bigger is better. Length matters most because it allows a warm and a cool zone.

Yes. The basking lamp provides heat for digestion and activity, and the UVB lamp is needed to make vitamin D3 and absorb calcium. Without UVB, bearded dragons can develop metabolic bone disease.

Bearded dragons are often kept on a desert mix of sand and clay, on tiles or on a terrarium mat. For juveniles a solid surface is more often chosen so they do not swallow substrate while catching insects.

A leopard gecko needs a terrarium with a heat mat or lamp and a thermostat, at least three hides (warm, cool and humid), a thermometer, a shallow water dish, a calcium supplement and live insects. Many keepers also add a low-strength UVB lamp.

One adult leopard gecko is usually recommended a terrarium at least 90 cm long, although a bigger one gives more room for a temperature gradient and decor. As they live on the ground, floor area matters more than height.

A humid hide filled with damp moss or another moisture-holding substrate helps the gecko shed cleanly. Without it, bits of old skin can stay on the toes and tail, constricting them and affecting circulation.