Tips for Choosing a Terrarium Animal

An animal terrarium, also called a vivarium, is a wonderful way to blend the satisfaction of having a small pet with the aesthetic beauty of a terrarium. This article will help you choose which type of animal is right for your terrarium.

There are some quick rules of thumb you should consider before you build your terrarium. The first rule is that the animal comes first. Everything should be designed for the comfort and happiness of the animal. Some of these considerations will concern humidity, types of plants, amount of water, and whether the cage should be fully enclosed.

The second biggest consideration is toxicity. Because you are going to have plants and soil you may be using some kind of fertilizer. Never use chemical fertilizers; stick with all natural fertilizers. And when cleaning your tank never use toxic cleaners. I recommend you use simple green or another type of non-toxic cleaner.

Two more things to consider are the size of the animal and its behavior toward other animals. Only choose a pet that is small and will stay small. And never mix pets that will eat each other.

If you are an absolute beginner to pets and to terrariums I recommend you start with field crickets as your pet. They are very hardy, easy to maintain, easy to feed, and are quite fun to watch. They make an excellent first pet. Of course, if you upgrade to another type of pet you may have to remove the crickets because many of the pets suitable for a vivarium will deem crickets to be food.

There are two basic types of animal terrariums: Dry and wet. This is self-explanatory but it is important to note that dry terrariums are much easier to maintain so if you are a beginner to this hobby you should probably stick with them. And remember that dry doesn't mean no water at all. You should always keep a small dish of water in the terrarium as a minimum regardless of what type of pet you are keeping.

Some of the pets that are suitable for a dry terrarium include:

Crickets
Tarantulas
American Chameleon - These are easy to care for and inexpensive
Toads, but with a caveat - They are great when they are small but when they grow bigger they can be a bit of a hassle
Hermit crabs - Can be OK in dry cages but absolutely must have a water dish and things to climb on. You need to spray mist them regularly too. Best for them is a wet bottom terrarium with plenty of options for climbing to stay dry
Land Snails - Need a high humidity environment and will dig if your substrate is soil
Salamanders
Leopard Geckos


A Wet Vivarium can be an environment that has a portion of the bottom filled with water or be an aquarium tank where the complete bottom is filled to a depth of several inches. This does add the challenge of making sure you have clean water and even a filtration system. Some pets, such as tadpoles, absolutely require large amounts of filtered water for their well being. This type of terrarium is much more of a challenge than the dry type and you should tackle this kind only after having successfully kept a dry one for a period of time.

Some common and easy to care for wet pets are:

Green Tree Frogs
Red Bellied Toads
Dwarf African Frogs
Fire Bellied Frogs
Tadpoles
Fire Bellied Newts
Crayfish

So Which Pet should you choose? I recommend that if you are a beginner to vivariums you choose a pet from the dry list (because they are easier to maintain). Research the requirements of the pet you have chosen and build your terrarium accordingly. If you are looking for a bigger challenge, have a bit of skill, or want a more dramatic terrarium then choose something from the wet pet list. If you follow these simple steps you will build yourself a nice little animal enclosure that will keep your animal happy and bring you lots of fun in observing it and caring for it.

Pets in Hollywood

Humans love animals and they especially love animals with humanlike personalities and traits. For this reason, many of the most popular films are either centered on animals or have animals as important characters. Even in a movie that has little or nothing to do with animals, a pet can add a certain emotional something to a film's plot.

There is no end to the type of pet that a film can feature. As expected, dogs and cats, the two most popular pets, make up the majority of animal characters in films. But many other less common pets have had starring roles also. Snakes, rats, pigs, rabbits, horse and many others have touched our lives through their uncanny ability to personify humans in ways that humans just can't do.

Most movies that feature pets as central characters are family movies that carry an important life lesson of some sort. These are not necessarily kid's movies in the way one thinks of them and can often contain serious subject matter. These films are made with the purpose of giving families a platform around which delicate subjects can be discussed. Often kids have an easier time understanding subjects like death and illness if they see it through the eyes of one of these personified animals.

These days, computer animation and graphics allow for an entirely new generation of pet movies to be made. Animals that before would never have been seen in a film are now showing up on the big screen in life like forms. Whether they are lions, elephants, polar bears or some other exotic animal, video stores now have hundreds of titles offering human like performances from any type of animal imaginable.

Most animal movies carry with them at least a little comedy. Even the saddest of classics such as Bambi or Charlotte's Web contain plenty of humor to relieve the tension and make the movie bearable. These movies almost always carry with them themes of human experiences and a message of hope. Kids learn that though life carries with it man pains and sorrows, we learn to live with those facts and enjoy life for its good times.

Perhaps one of the best parts of pet movies is the way they are able to use stereotypes we associate with certain types of pets in a non-offensive manner. For instance, the age old conflict between cats and dogs is often portrayed in a fun and non violent way in the movies. If these lifelong enemies can find a way to live in harmony, then certainly we humans should have no trouble doing so. Perhaps it si the fact that animals have so much to teach us about ourselves that makes us love them so much in the movies. Through animals we are able to take a look at our own humanity or lack of it and perhaps do something to improve our own lives.

Pet Adoption Rescue is a Sad Necessity in This Country

The act of pet adoption rescue is a profound activity that tragically takes place in this country on a daily basis, much too often. All types of animals are abused, neglected or discarded as if the bonds that they have established with human beings are of no significance whatsoever.

The sad fact is that many animals that are abandoned on the street end up in an animal shelter where, in many cases, because no one adopts them, they will be put to death. This tragedy plays itself out over and over each day in every city across the United States.

The need for pet rescue is so overwhelming because there simply are not enough loving homes for the pets that are born in this country each year. If dog and cat owners were more responsible by spaying and neutering their pets, there would be much less of a problem of overpopulation of unwanted animals.

The Humane Society along with countless unnamed tireless individuals, do their best to save as many pets as they can from euthanasia by finding homes for as many animals as possible. Many pet adoption agencies are staffed by volunteers who give up their precious time to make sure dogs, cats and other pet animals are treated with dignity.

One time-honored recommendation from those in the field of pet rescue is to not buy a pet from the pet store. Often times these animals are bred for profit in what is considered a puppy mill setting. Puppy mills are generally atrocious confines where dogs, cats and other pets live in squalid conditions.

Those who deal with pet adoption rescue contend that purchasing an animal from a pet store just perpetuates the cycle of abuse by supporting puppy mills. Therefore, their suggestion is to get your next pet from your local SPCA or pet adoption center so that you can not only find a great pet, but can contribute to ending animal abuse.

In an ideal world, all pets that are born would receive a loving, caring home. In reality, many pets are treated simply as a commodity and are abused and neglected by their breeders. It is really sad to see animals treated inhumanely because we, as a people, should honor the dignity of every living creature on this earth.

If you want to be part of the solution that reduces the need for pet adoption rescues in this country, first adopt a pet from a local pound or pet shelter. Next, make sure that your dog or cat is spayed or neutered so that there are no unwanted pregnancies. Finally, treat your pet with all the love you have so that it enjoys its short life here on this earth.