iHerp Australia Issue 10 | Page 24

made of plywood or natural materials, as offered for cave-breeding birds. These boxes are roughly half-filled with moist bark chips or sphagnum moss. As ground cover for the rest of the enclosure, I recommend damp bark chips, because this will increase humid- ity. It is also advisable to place a large water bowl in the enclosure, which should always contain fresh, clean water. If you install floor 25cm from a branch. This creates a basking spot of about 40 o C where the animals can warm up sufficiently. Breeding. For a successful breeding, it is very important to put a ‘harmonizing’ pair together. Because some individuals of this species are sensitive ‘ Ultrasonic evaporators can be used to further boost humidity , which is especially important for breeding.’ heating in the form of a heat mat under the bowl, this will also have a positive effect on the humidity. Ultrasonic evaporators can be used to further boost humidity, which is especially important for breeding the animals. These are controlled by timers which switch on several times during the day. For illumination, I installed a 50W mercury vapour lamp over each half of the enclosure. A 60W spotlight is also mounted in each half of the enclosure and is positioned about 20- to stress, you should make sure they get used to the enclosure well. An initial socialization should be conducted under supervision, and as soon as one animal is observed continually chasing the other, they should be separated to try again later. Normally a socialization between a male and a female works well after some time, but when feeding you should take special care to ensure both animals always get enough food. Food items should consist mainly of insects in 2 qtr page ad