Mixed enclosure

[monkeyboy]

Various views of mixed enclosure.
Long axis is about 3m and width just under 1m. Its orientated pretty much north-south with southern end turning a corner and pretty much filled by a pond (pics in Toads section).

Species- Common Wall Lizard, Argus sand Lizard and Yellow bellied toad. Last summer Oriental FBs bred in same pond.

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[monkeyboy]

and another..angle of pic doesnt really convey change on height, area under roof rises up in two steps and is about 18 inch higher than pond.

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[monkeyboy]

..closer view under roof. Covered one end to ensure lizards always had somewhere out of rain, as did try Western Fence lizards in here (but despite 700mm+ sides kept escaping and had to be confined to fully enclosed viv.)

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[monkeyboy]

Have remodelled vivarium. Last autumn mice had tunneled in and I was worried either lizards would follow them out or mice would "eat" hibernating lizards. So have rebuilt with concrete base and more of a "canyon feel" hopefully giving more opportunities for lizards to be out of each others eyelines. Pond is also deeper with more ledged than sloping profile (so more is at a single depth (3")). More or less finished as seen in pics just need to add animals and couple more plants.

S

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[monkeyboy]

pond as viewed from north end

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[monkeyboy]

Looking along long axis (runs pretty much north-south)

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[monkeyboy]

closer view of top end.

Hibernation area under here, about 18" deep polysterene box filled with playsand, peat and dry leaves, covered over with 4" of concrete, 1" polysterene and 3" of sand which will hopefully ward off worst of our winters frost.

S

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[viridis]

Very nice.A couple of questions though,do you get any aggression between the Wall lizards and argus?The argus are considerably larger.
I would be concerned that the lizards may hibernate in the sand that is on the top of the concrete and therefore freeze.They may not realise that the hibernaculum is there.Iin my view too much is made of man made hibernacuklums,lizards will hibernate if given enough rocks and depth of sand where they want.I know you put the concrete there for the mice.You could always wrap the outside in bubblewrap or old carpet in the autumn to ward off the worst of the weather.

[monkeyboy]

Hello viridis,

Thanks for feedback. La.argus and walls have been together for couple of summers (this will be their third) and never seen any aggression, though this year I've put a male P. muralis in as well so time will tell! Though this new design is aimed at breaking up sightlines and reducing heirachy in basking sites (ie more at same level/ insolation period). My L.a.argus arn't massive, though are more heavily built than walls.

hmm hadnt considered risk of lizard not automatically seeking out lowest point for hibernation. I do partly agree with your views on artifical hibernacs, which is partly why mine is nearly full to brim with sand mix (leaves are a topping for toads). Its entrance is ineffect at ground level so its not like they have to venture down a tunnel. They can then burrow to depth of 18". Thinness of sand was really to reduce chance of uncontrolled egg laying (last year female argus layed "wild" and I only found one (moribund) offspring.
I do like idea of laying in bubble wrap though, as will allow plants to keep growing. (suspect wife would vito old carpet!)

S

[viridis]

My outdoor vivs are all sand based.Over the last couple of years I have increased the depth of the sand in the sunniest spot to around 6" more than the general depth.On top of this I have put an old roof tile.This year it has worked and the females have laid underneath the roof tile .I believe that it is a combination of these factors.The roof tile gets warm and offers somewhere to retreat.Of course you will get the odd female that doesn`t think like a human.

[barb1]

Very nice layout. Where did you get those nice rocks from? I found my Bilineata dug down into the earth a few inches. None of them used the hide I had made. I then just covered the whole area in leaves from the woods. All came through the winter fine.

[monkeyboy]

Barb,

Thanks I'm quite pleased with result, and has more plants/ decoration since pics posed so looks rather less austere.

Was rather lucky with rocks, we had some path repairs done at work and they were hidden in underground in way of route. Sadly forgot how small vivarium is and have more cluttering up garden and annoying wife!

yeah I've read of other people filling enclosure with leaves, but worried that'll kill all the plants (and don't want to dig them out every year), Viridis's bubble wrap suggestion is favourite so far!

Lizards and toads are all in now (toads already bred again! infact went into amplexus as soon as realised in new pond!) sadly my male L a argus drowned in pond couple days after he went in. He didnt have a tail (cat attack whilst in holding pen) which i think prevented him from clambering out. There were a lot more rocks and log points than shown in pics but I guess he just panicked himself into a corner. I've since added even more escape routes siliconed sand to bare liner.
Bit upsetting as He was gorgeous animal and quite a character.

I'm sure wise heads will be nodding at folly of "mixed enclosure" but they'd all co-existed for last two summers and I'm putting this down to tragic accident.

[viridis]

Leaves are a very good at insulating,I use them in conjunction with the bubblewrap.It really depends on the plants.I have had some die and some survive.Some of the succulents have done quite well but a few of the heathers have died off.I took the view that it was better to save the animals than the plants.