variety of native reptile and amphibian species
available to us in the hobby. These have a diverse
range of environmental requirements, so it is impor-
tant to make sure they are housed correctly. The
following breakdown provides some examples of
Australian species that generally thrive in bioactive
systems.
Tropical Forest System.
Amphibians: almost all native amphibians
will thrive in a bioactive system if it is tai-
lored to their specific requir ements. Exam-
ples include: Green Tree Frogs, Red-eyed
Tree Frogs, Magnificent Tree Frogs, Dainty
Tree Frogs, White-lipped Tree Frogs,
Peron’s Tree Frogs and Eastern Dwarf Tree
Frogs.
Lizards: Angle-headed Dragons, Boyd’s
Forest Dragons, Pink-tongued Skinks and
medium-sized skinks such as Lampropholis
spp. and Eulamprus spp. will all flourish in a
well-planted bioactive system.
Snakes: Green Tree Pythons and Jungle
Carpet Pythons are at home in a densely
planted tropical enclosure. Larger plants
with strong leaves must be used as Carpet
Pythons will crush and flatten any smaller
delicate foliage.
Arid or Temperate System.
Lizards: various types of geckos (e.g.
Nephrurus spp. and Oedura spp.); Central
Netted Dragons and other species in the
Ctenophorus genus; Egernia spp.; Tiliqua
spp.
Snakes: colubrid species, some small ela-
pids and Diamond Pythons do well in a tem-
perate, planted enclosure.
It is important to remember there is no single correct
way of creating a bioactive system. This is an
emerging part of the reptile hobby in Australia, and
many techniques will continue to be developed and
refined over time through trial and error. This article
covers some of the key principles and basic steps
involved in setting up a bioactive system. European
and American keepers have mastered the art of
bioactivity and as a result there is a wealth of infor-
mation in online forums. It will be interesting to
watch the momentum and interest continue to grow
here in Australia, with many keepers’ collections
literally coming to life!
Left: a beautifully landscaped ‘biopod’.
Above: the author’s own bioactive frog set up.