I am always asked, where do you keep all those animals? The answer is simply, " At home." Now having said that it really isn't all that simple. Don't forget that duplicating the animals natural habitat as closely as possible is the best way to insure it's health for the long term. That means that an animal that lives in the desert needs high temperatures to insure it's habitat is like it's natural setting. Then next to that animal is another that lives in the rain forest, and requires a high humidity. So it just can't be done by sitting an aquarium on the shelf and turn on the light. What you see below is a wall that encompasses a number of habitats with each one addressed to the needs to a specific animal.
Now add some decor, like tree limbs reaching out over the ceiling, and some vines, and leaves, with moss drooping down from the limps, and you fell like you are outside. Except you are in our dining room! Background sounds of frogs crooking, and rain beating on the leaves creates an atmosphere that we truly enjoy every evening at dinner time.
As it gets dark outside small little star like lights come on in the tress, and the lights on all the individual habitats turn out for the night and we have instant star light as we get ready to view the nocturnal animals every evening. Sound wonderful? Well it is!
Below you can see some of the habitats a little better. Note all the foliage, vines and moss that lend the real effect of being outdoors while sitting at the dining room table! What you can't see are all the temperature, and humidity monitors that I use to make sure all the environment essentials are being kept where they need to be.
Actually if you look real close you might see the monitors for the Uromastyx habitat. It's the four foot long glass enclosure the begins at the near right hand corner of the dining room table and extends to the left side edge of the picture. the strip light over this habitat has two small temperature readouts, and to the right of them is a temperature and humidity readout. The first two monitor the Uromastyx temperature at each end of the habitat. the near end is 130 degrees F. during the day time and drops to 90 F. degrees at night. The far end (to the left) runs about ten degrees cooler during the day time and night time. The third readout (to the right of the first two) is for the Veil Chameleon habitat located just above the Uromastyx.
Their temperature, under the basking lights, reaches about 95 degrees F. during the day and drops to the mid seventy's at night.
Below is another area in our sun room with a western exposure. This is the area for all the high humidity habitats that are larger and need more specialized equipment to maintain the appropriate habitat conditions. A misting system along with a separate humidifier keeps each enclosure at the appropriate temperature and humidity. Housed in this area on the far right is the Prehensile - Tailed Skink habitat. Next to the left on top is the Vivarium for the Suriname Toad. Below that are the habitats for several rainforest frogs. On the far left are several snakes.
