Environmental Enrichment: Moving Cage Furniture
Originally published at Harmonic Pets. You can comment here or there.
We get tired of looking at the same surroundings day after day. Your caged pets do, too. Reptiles might want to back on the rock beneath their heat lamp, and they need to be within 6-8″ of the UVB bulb. However, you can still enrich their environment through rearranging their furniture.
There are a few ways to take care of this.
First, simply move things around. If you can, change the orientation of a log or alternate rocks to create new paths and walk ways. Sometimes you have leeway in the direction in which you point the lights or in their placing. Moving things around will give your bearded dragon (or other caged reptile) a new outlook on the world beyond as well as new things to explore in his home.
Second, you can build your own furniture or hides. You can use Styrofoam bases and grout to build your own basking platforms and stairs. There are many places on the internet to find instructions, and I will be making my own and showing it on this blog in the upcoming weeks.
Third, if you are able to, you can purchase new items. Spring is coming and with it reptile faires and events. You can purchase new items, or perhaps purchase from Craigslist or other used venues. If you do purchase used, it’s a good idea to sterilize them. Use a diluted bleach/water solution (and rinse/dry thoroughly) on plastic or metal items. Wood can be wrapped in aluminum foil and heated in the oven (carefully, on low heat).
You can also vary substrate (if it’s safe) or change the color of the reptile carpet. There are many ways to change up your reptile’s enclosure and doing so will help add enrichment to your reptile’s life.