Cage Accessories

I use a variety of items depending on the size of the dragon and what I find they like the best and therefore use the most. Sometimes I’ll switch items out that I don’t see them using and try other things, until I find a balanced home space. The following list of items is what I use combinations of. Experiment for yourself to see what you find that accomplishes filling the needs of your dragon.

The Basics:

  • Dragons until they are at least 12″ long need a simple habitat. Give them nowhere to hide from their necessary UVB exposure and keep it easy for them to find their live food.
  • Once dragons are 12″ or longer, decorate with extra items if you wish. Just remember your dragon needs to have proper UVB exposure and find its food readily.

1) Rocks

I use Pennsylvania field stone and flagstone; I have found they retain heat well so the dragon gets heat from the lamps above as well as the rock below. Different rocks retain and hold varied amounts of heat. I advise that before allowing your dragon to bask on the rock you chose, test it; using a surface temp thermometer. Make sure the rock you use does not exceed the temperature ranges suggested for your dragon’s size and age. This is covered in the Lighting and Heating section.

2) Branches or Limbs

First it is NOT safe to just grab branches or limbs from the back yard; they will carry bugs, parasites or bacteria that can be harmful to your dragon. Also any bark on the branch or limb can be ingested by your dragon and cause impaction. There are websites that explain how to make outside branches and limbs safe to use. I don’t wish to take the chance of missing something and harming one of my dragons. I purchase branches and limbs both from my local pet store and off the internet. There are sources listed on the Supplier Page here as well. Even when purchasing from a safe place be sure to sanitize the item before placing it into your enclosure. This process is explained in the Cleaning Your Enclosure section. We offer a Stacked Rock on our Products for Sale page that’s cute and easy to clean.

3) Hammocks

Most of my dragons enjoy hammocks. They’re a safe, easy way to allow your dragon to get close enough to its light and heat sources. Hammocks are easy to clean, which is a plus. I only have a couple dragons that don’t use hammocks and prefer large limbs instead. My mother and I hand sew the hammocks that I use. I find it easier to throw them in the washer / dryer to clean them rather than having to scrub the mesh type hammocks in the sink. We have a variety of hammock fabrics to choose from on our Products for Sale page.

4) Hidey Places

Except for small dragons you will need to provide a hidey place. They use the area to cool down as well as to sleep. Dragons seem to feel safe in a closed-in area when sleeping. There are hidey items for sale however I created some of my dragon’s hiding places with rocks so I get more than one benefit from the area. Just be very careful that what you create is sturdy and your dragon is not able to knock the rocks over and hurt themselves. We offer a couple of hidey place accessories on our Products for Sale page.

Chaise lounges – I have found my dragons love the lounges. They lay on them for basking and many of them curl up and sleep on them as well. We have several with different fabrics offered on our Products for Sale page.

Keep the enclosure layout simple, avoid over-crowding to allow footpath area for your dragon. Keeping it simple allows for easy cleaning, keeps your dragon’s food from having too many places to hide and gives your dragon space to roam and explore in. We offer some options for serving worms effectively on our Products for Sale page. But sure that what you chose to use gives your dragon a place to climb and be near its heat and light source, I am emphasizing this again as it’s very important to the health of your dragon.