How to Make Your Own Decorations for a Reptile Enclosure

Keeping reptiles as pets is easy and once you have the right equipment, also quite cheap. Snakes and lizards can be ideal pets. However, you must create a habitat that is both the right size for your pet and has a range of decorations and obstacles. Without these, your pet will get bored and this can cause stress so it may not feed properly.

Things You'll Need

  • Terracotta or thick plastic pot/pots
  • Hammer
  • Paper-towel
  • Toilet roll tubes
  • Drift wood
  • Slate or stones
  • Water bowl
  • Reptile disinfectant or vinegar
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Instructions

  1. Natural Elements

    • 1
      Any shape or size will be fine as long as your pet can fit through any holes.

      Break a terracotta pot or thick plastic pot roughly in half using a hammer and file any sharp edges.

    • 2

      Find paper towel tubes or toilet tissue tubes that are large enough for your snake or lizard to pass through without having to squeeze. Use scissors to cut these to a size that fit comfortably inside the vivarium. This is the cheapest way to create obstacles for your pet reptile.

    • 3
      Wood, stones and rocks will create a 'natural' environment for your reptile.

      Collect pieces of driftwood from the beach or pick up pieces of wood, stones, rocks and slate from your local pet store or garden center.

    Arranging

    • 4
      Clean decorations every few weeks to prevent bacteria building up.

      Clean any pot, rocks or stones thoroughly before placing them inside the vivarium. Use a reptile-friendly anti-bacterial available at most pet stores or online. If you prefer, use a small amount of vinegar mixed with warm water as this will act as a mild anti-bacterial.

    • 5

      Arrange your decorations in the vivarium while the enclosure is empty as it makes the job much easier and safer for you and your pet.

    • 6

      Rotate the decorations on occasion to ensure your pet does not become bored with the current set up.