Keeping Casqueheads healthy is not difficult. They need heat, high humidity, UV lighting and space. Because we keep our reptiles in a separate reptile room we have chosen to automate as much as we can, but manual equipment and water spray bottles etc. can be used just as successfully as long as their basic requirements are met.
Below we have detailed how we have set up our Casquehead vivariums, and the equipment we use to maintain the environmental conditions that they require.
The Vivarium
We use Exoterra glass vivs for all our Casqueheads. Other makes are available, and wood can be used but will need additional protection due to the high humidity and damp substrate requirements of Casqueheads (and we like the hindged front doors). The minimum size vivarium for an adult longipes Casquehead should be at least 90cm long x 45cm deep x 60cm high, but the bigger the better. We also always run additional heat cables under our vivs on seperate digital thermostats. This allows us to control the temperature (and moisture content) of the substrate, a vital requirement for breeding.
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The Decor
The substrate we use is damp coco coir to a depth of 6 - 8cm which retains moisture to aid humidity and is the right consistancy for digging. The rest of the decor is a mixture of branches, artificial plants (broad leaved and vines), and seagrass net. This not only provides plenty of climbing opportunities, but also places where moisture can collect. Casquheads are dew lappers and will drink from water that collects on the leaves etc. We also provide a foam pipe that runs the full length of the viv about 15cm below the overhead heat and UV source. This is made from the foam insulation used for central heating water pipes with a wooden rod up the centre to give it strength and stop it bending, and provides an ideal basking area. Cut the foam 20mm longer than the viv and it supports itself when squeezed into place.
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The Hood
Because of the amount of fixings required we replace the mesh lids with custom made wooden lids. These have various holes cut in them for the UV lighting, the ceramic heater, as well as holes for the automatic mister and rainmaker. We also add some additional vents that can be opened and closed as required. Holes are also needed for thermostats, hygrometers etc. The larger holes for the lighting and heater are covered with stainless steel fly mesh. A 12 - 16 LPI gauge mesh will give between 1.5 - 2mm gaps and about a 70% pass through rate, and is strong enough to support the UV light and heater on top. The finished lids are then given a couple of coats of non toxic yacht varnish for protection.
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The Heating and Lighting
UV lighting is provided by a 10% tube fitted inside a reflector. Basking heat is provided by a ceramic heat bulb in a dome reflector. These then sit on the stainless steel mesh covering the relevent holes in the hood. The lighting runs for 12hrs a day on an electronic timer, and the heater runs 24/7 on a digital thermostat set to keep the foam pipe basking area at around 95 degrees f (+/- 1.5 degrees). A high level basking area is really important due to the heat and UV fall off in a large vivarium. The additional heat cable running under the vivarium on a separate digital thermostat can also be used when required to provide supplementary heating to warm the substrate which is particularly important for breeding and egg laying.
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The Humidity
High humidity is vital. We provided this by a combination of a mister and a rainmaker, both of which are fully automated. Getting the settings right for each viv can take some experimentation to get the correct balance. The mister we use is a programmable Habistat model and we find that a run of a couple of minutes every 3 hours keeps the humidity in the vivarium above 70%. Our rainmaker is a modified horticultural device designed to water houseplants while owners are on holiday through a series of drippers on 6mm pipes. The pipes are fed through holes in the hood located above the plants to mimic rainfall. It is also fully programmable for frequency and duration. A 5-10 second run every 5 hours is usually enough, and it is fed from the same water tank as the mister. The tank is filled with tap water that has been boiled and left to cool to remove chemical additives and a full tank last about 5-6 days. The mister maintains the humidity and the rainmaker provides the moisture that the casqueheads drink.
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The Extras
Because of the size of the vivs we use at least 2 hygrometers in different positions to monitor humidity. We always provide a shallow water dish and also a food dish when feeding mealworms, dubia roaches etc. And all electrics are fed through a dedicated RCD trip switch.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Casqueheads are insectivores so do not require any veg in their diet, but we always put a small amount in the vivs for the live food, as otherwise crickets in particular will eat the decor which is not good for the Casqueheads when they eat crickets.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Casqueheads are insectivores so do not require any veg in their diet, but we always put a small amount in the vivs for the live food, as otherwise crickets in particular will eat the decor which is not good for the Casqueheads when they eat crickets.
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