# Plants for a Mountain Horned Dragon Viv



## quack (May 14, 2011)

I am planning on getting a mountain horned dragon in a few weeks, I have a viv set up, it is 3 feet long, 1 and a half feet deep, and 4 feet tall. All that I am missing is the plants.

I have a pothos in there now, but I'd like to have more to give the lizard more places to hide. I have some branches in there now as well and a fogger for when the humidity gets low. What plants could I use to fill the viv that would either climb the branches or provide the lizard with more places to hide? 

The viv will be kept between the low 90'sF in the basking area to the mid 70'sF towards the bottom, with the humidity usually staying between 50-80%.

Any help will be appreciated!


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## Groundhog (Dec 17, 2006)

For arboreal agamines, you've come to right place:

1) Temperature: You do know that _Acanthosaura sp._ are montane lizards. I do not think you need to have a basking spot that goes low 90s--High 80s will do it. It is imperative that the tank gets down to room temperature at night. So think--ambient day: mid-high 70s; ambient night: high 60s--low 70s.

2) Some UVb is necessary. If you use T 8s, one 3' Exoterra 5.0 should do it (in conjunction with your "daylight" bulbs).

3) Water: These lizards like moisture. What kind of fogger? Can it be set to mist (actual droplets) a couple of times a day? For an enclosure 3' wide, I would cover half the screen top with saran wrap or plexiglass (of course, your basking bulb goes on the other side). This will help stabilize the ambient humidity.

4) Diet: For Acanthosaura, a varied diet is good, but go long on superworms and earthworms (relatively high in calcium). The purpose of those claws is because they do come down to scratch for earthworms (like their new world counterpart, Corythophanes). You will find that they will quickly learn to accept food from your fingers--some almost demand it

5) Oh yeah, da plants: Once acclimated, you will find they do not hide all the time. A well-planted tank is fine. You can lose the pothos if you want some variety. Bear in mind, in an enclosure that tall, you cannot really grow high light plants. Plant early and often!

Asian plants for Asian lizards:

Foreground:
Pellionia sp.

Midground:
Ferns (Hemionitis, Pellaea, Humata, etc.)
Pilea cadieri

Vining aroids:
Epipremnum 'Cebu Blue'
Rhaphidophora sp.
Scindapsus pictus

"Tall" plants:
Any dwarf Ficus benjamina (e.g., Dutch Treat, Too Little)
Fiscus salicifolia (?, name has been changed)
Alocasia 'Bambino'
or any smaller Alocasia
And, I know they bore people, but you can't go wrong with Aglaonema

Epiphytes: If you do only a half screen, you can mount some sturdier epiphytes under the covered side, up closer to the lights (but away from the basking bulb):

Pyrossia ferns
Dischidias
Aeschynanthus sp.
Orchids: Bulbophyllum, Amesiella, Trichoglottis, Dendrobium loddigessii, Sederia japonica, etc.

Hope this helps. Btw, which Acanthosaura?

P. S.

Incidentally, these guys do not need to live alone--1.1 or 1.2 would be fine for your enclosure. 
Do you have the TFH book _Water Dragons_ by Bert Langerwerf? It has a short section on Mountain dragons.

Oh, and did I mention earthworms?


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## quack (May 14, 2011)

Thanks for the info!

I have a reptifogger for extra humidity when/if I need it, a sprayer for daily water (the kind that is used for pesticides and such, although mine hasn't been used for anything like that), and a waterfall with a sink in the bottom.

I was thinking of Begonia crassicaulis, a scindapsus, and Rhaphidophora tetrasperma to start with and go from there.


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## RCK (Jan 8, 2013)

Old thread, but, make sure your temperatures do not exceed 84F. Temperatures higher then 84F can/will kill your MHD. These guys do not need a basking spot.


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## Groundhog (Dec 17, 2006)

RCK said:


> Old thread, but, make sure your temperatures do not exceed 84F. Temperatures higher then 84F can/will kill your MHD. These guys do not need a basking spot.


I did write "ambient day: mid-high 70s." I do not think a spot in the mid-high 80s will do harm, as long as it is just a spot and not the entire cage. From what I understand, it is actually more important to get the temperature drop at night. 

It is true that Acanthosaura are montane lizards, and do not need or want as high a temperature as Physignathus or Gonocephalus.


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