All lizards are endothermic, meaning they take their heat from their surroundings. With this in mind their enclosure needs to have adequate space and placement to allow them to regulate their temperature. The vivarium itself should be around 36 Inches to 42 inches long and of no less than 18 to 24 Inches widthways. The height should be adequate to place decor and allow the Beardie to climb, so a height of around 18 to 24 Inches should be available.

There are several types of vivarium available, from the usual ply board and sliding glass door type to the all glass type. Either is sufficient, however the wooden types tend to keep heat in more effectively and reduce stress as the wooden sides don’t create reflection like glass vivariums and create secluded corners for your pet to retreat to. However some glass vivariums come with metal mesh on the top and ventilation on the doors, allowing for better air movement than the wooden types.

Lizards require a temperature gradient of around 30-35 degrees Celsius at the hottest end and 20-25 degrees Celsius at the coolest end. A basking spot reaching around 40 degrees Celsius is also needed. Creating this gradient is the key to success as it governs all of their habits and workings.

So how do you create the correct temperature gradient for a Lizard? Well, it partly depends on the type of vivarium you have. The main tools of heating are a heat mat (regulated with a thermostat) and a basking spotlight (in addition to UV lighting).

You place the heat mat under the substrate at one end of the vivarium. The heat mat works on infrared and will literally heat the substrate and therefore your lizard. A thermostat is usually required to control the heat mats output, so it doesn’t get too hot, as the heat mat needs to stay on all of the time.

At the same end a basking light should be hung. This will provide your lizard the area of concentrated heat it needs as well as heating the air in the vivarium, known as ‘ambient heat. Some vivariums have special units that can clip onto the top.
The wattage of the light also needs to be carefully considered.

Generally smaller enclosures require a smaller wattage, 50, 75 and 100 watts are good standards although larger cages may need 150w. It is also important to remember glass will not insulate the enclosure as well as wooden sided vivariums, therefore may require a higher wattage. The best thing to do is to ask your local pet store on the specifics of your tank, going from there you can experiment until you are satisfied. This also emphasizes the need to set up your vivarium and running it for a bit to see what needs changing and so on.

Lastly, UV lighting is needed for some lizards. Without proper lighting your they cannot manufacture the vitamins they need from food. Usually a UV light strip, manufactured especially for use in vivariums, is put at the centre toward the top back of the vivarium.