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Mountain horned dragon habitat

22 14:46:42

Question
QUESTION: Hello again, i have another question lol.. .im planning on buying a mountain horned dragon from a pet store.. .now there is one that i fell in love with, but hes very dark brown/black and spends no time climbing.. ..the others are okay but have nicer green colors and are always climbing.. ..is one better than the other?
And also, the habitat i will be providing for him will be a huge glass terrarium with kind of a *beach* at the bottom, will water and an inclination of turtle sand.Will this be a hassle to clean everyday because of feces? or do you have a better suggestion? thank u !!

ANSWER: Hi Joey,
One of the best sites for info on the MHD is http://www.froggieb.com/MHDCaresheet.html Keep in mind they need height in a cage....
As to color..there are several species of them and the colors can be normal in some species..or it can mean sickness and or stress in other species. The fact its not climbing says its stress and or illness...they love to climb and its what they do!! Since they live in rain forests basically, I would go more with a branch on an incline for a "ramp", staying away from sand. Do tons of research at the link provided as they do have many special needs to live a long healthy and happy life in captivity. Also, I would try finding a breeder over getting one from a pet store as that most in the stores have not had a good start in life..or are most likely wild caught which in itself is a big stress factor.
  With the MHD, they are swimmers...and they need to have a pan of filtered and aerated water in their cages.  They will spend a lot of time swimming and soaking, and also drinking as that a MHD will not drink from standing water.
Below is a link to a fantastic site with tons of info on the MHD...be sure to read all the info there, including the links it lists.   You will find that you need to provide a  cage for him that has height...they are for the most part tree dwellers and when they aren't given that in captivity, they can become very stressed.
On the humidity, you may have to add a humidifier to his tank/cage to keep the humidity level at its needed 70-75%.  If you need some tricks for setting up a humidifier, give a shout.  Also, please be sure to read the information on the uvb lights..  and do provide him with uvb...even in the shade of trees, they receive filtered uvb, a very important factor in using the calcium in the foods they eat.  If you need more information on proper uvb, let me know.
Key points of the species:
require humid environment
require moving water as they will not drink from standing water
are avid swimmers
require height in a cage as they are climbers and live in trees.

http://www.froggieb.com/MHDCaresheet.html

http://www.arav.org/Directory.htm
http://www.anapsid.org/vets/




---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for the helpful sites!!
Now i was thinking of buying a waterfall where a fogger can be attached to it.. ..or, getting an air stone like the ones used in fish tanks for display.. ..would these work fine for keeping him hydrated?

Answer
The waterfall will be a good source for him to drink from provided it can filter the water...airstones can attract them to drink also...as far as humidity, that luck of the draw as to if it will add enough humidity to the habitat to be of a correct amt for the dragon.  It depends on cage structure, room humidity, etc...you might have to go with a cool mist or warm mist humidifier....again depending on room temperature.  Its important to keep the proper temperatures while keeping the proper humidity..and visa versa.   As to foggers, I'm not sure how much humidity they actually add to the air.  Also, don't forget the good old fashioned method of using fake plants(silk) and a spray bottle of water to help with humidity...generally misting the cage a few times a day helps with humidity levels... Too much humidity can be as bad as not enough.