naturalistic vivarium Help

[RoyalPython89]

Hello RFUK Members,

Hello am new to Naturalistic viviarium but wanting to create one with 3 different types of reptile water land and tree. am also wanting to create a rainforest effect with real plants but not noing what animals and plants will work together water i thought. / tortoises but tell me what you think

1. Water - tortoises
2. ?????????????????
3. ?????????????????


Viv size 5ft width 3ft depth 4ft height.

[badboiboom]

tortoises don't swim too well...

also it isn't a good idea to mix species at all!
look through the forum's archives for info on this topic

[RoyalPython89]

well people do it and its is possible its like saying they cant do that in the wild.

[badboiboom]

well if you are going to mix species do it with the animals that you know definetely live in the same place and habitat in the wild.
im sure many people will be along soon to show you the light....

[Sambee]

Read through this..lots of good advice!

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/lizar...ease-read.html

[htd100]

Hi.

With the dimentions you give there is a possability you could co habitate but with the information you have presented I wouldent either you ment turtle instead of totoise, also the argument they do in the wild holds no water.

Its a realy cool idea but in realty it could pose alot of problems.Philippe de vosjoli describes it as systems herpetoculture - the ultimate challange.
I think the key is by doing it very slowly, step by step with back up accomadation incase of problems. Do you think that you have the skills to identfy any potental problems?

I think the common one is Green anoles , Whites tree frogs and House geckos .Ive been playing around with the idea selecting animals that occupy different niches and activity periods such as aquatic/terrestrial/aboreal or diurnal/ nocturnal, but still there are sooo many other conciderations.Also strictly one male per enclosure and as for
species conflicts you are realy playing God with lives of the animals in the terrium.

I think the best naturalistic terrria are ones that have been alowed to establish for a long time, so maybe you could start now and not realy set yourself any limits to finish, just enjoy watching things develop. Bio sphere 3 concluded that you cant have a a tottaly closed system but as close as possable is a real challange. I think it would be really intresting to use micro organisms aswell and see how many different levels you can sucessfully manage it at before you evern concider mixing species of verabrates.

I kept Green anoles, small geckos, jeweled lizards all in 24 inch aquarium back when picking a lizard was like picking fish for an aquarium. The only thing that I recolect was that all the enhabitants died within the space of 2 years except for a fat happy anole which lived on for many years after.The only thing I learned was a "happy" reptile is the one that ocuppys the best spot with abundance of food with the least amount conflict and competition. Sorta like "survival of the fittest"
Im very curious about the effect of a controled introduction of a predator has on the behaviour of a givern species in captivity. Im wondering it this might evern up the balance within the viv.

If its in the best intrest of the animal then co habitation is not an option unless you realy know what you are doing. Its such a multi dimentional subject that IMO realy depends on the faith you have in yourself as to be able to make the right dessisions.

[RoyalPython89]

Hello well ive seen really conplex ones and they were done my people who didnt no what they were doing. this is what i was going to plan on doing

anoles house geckos frogs and torts for water and so forth. i want real plants but no one will help me out. they just want to put me down on here.

[sandmatt]

Cos mixing species is bad 99% of the time, and tortoises are desert and scrubland animals!. But any household plant will grow in a viv and look alright just gotta keep an eye on it.

[RoyalPython89]

why cant you mix animals that live together in the wild.

[sandmatt]

because they dont live in close quarters constantly... and even animals that co-exist in the wild will still scrapp from time to time if they get too close, so unless you're keeping a cape buffalo and an oxpecker its not fair on the involved animals.