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Finding the right location for your reptile's enclosure

Reptiles are fascinating and wonderful animals, but it’s important to know that keeping a reptile is a long-term commitment and significant effort and specific care is needed to keep them happy and healthy. So, if you’ve thoroughly done your research, you feel that you and a reptile will be a good fit, and you will be able to give them a good life, you will need to start preparing. Part of this means deciding on where to put your reptile enclosure. The best location for your enclosure depends on a few different things, including temperature, sunlight, potential disturbances, and space. Read on for tips to help you choose the best spot to keep your reptile safe and comfortable.

RSPCA Australia
Tuesday, 5 August 2025

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Reptiles are fascinating and wonderful animals, but it’s important to know that keeping a reptile is a long-term commitment and significant effort and specific care is needed to keep them happy and healthy.

It can be very challenging to keep some types of reptiles at home in a way that safeguards their physical and mental health and provides them with the opportunity for positive experiences and good welfare; and they should only be kept if this can be achieved (see our policy for more information).

Reptiles must never be taken from the wild to be kept as companion animals. To help people better understand their animals and the care they need, the RSPCA Knowledgebase has a range of articles for people who keep reptiles as companions – including tips and advice on their specific needs and care - to help our scaly friends live their happiest and healthiest life.

So, if you’ve thoroughly done your research, you feel that you and a reptile will be a good fit, and you will be able to give them a good life, you will need to start preparing. Part of this means deciding on where to put your reptile enclosure. The best location for your enclosure depends on a few different things, including temperature, sunlight, potential disturbances, and space. Read on for tips to help you choose the best spot to keep your reptile safe and comfortable.

Temperature

Many people think that, by placing their reptile’s enclosure by a window, they are providing warmth, UVB radiation, and environmental enrichment. Unfortunately, this is not correct, for a few reasons: including direct sunlight coming in through the window that can overheat and possibly kill your reptile; or the opposite can also occur, if the window lets out a lot of heat, it could make your reptile too cold; and the glass will filter out any UVB radiation anyway.

Another consideration is whether to place the enclosure on the floor, or up higher, such as on a bench. In some rooms of your house the floor will be much cooler than other heights – especially on the ground level of your house. This is because heat naturally rises, leaving cooler air at the floor level. Placing the enclosure on a bench may be a better option unless the floor is well insulated and warm.

Make sure there also aren’t any cold draughts around the area where you’re thinking of putting the enclosure, as these can cause your reptile’s enclosure to become too cool as well.

The importance of sunlight

Reptiles need both white light and ultraviolet light – both types of light are crucial for your reptile's health, and they must receive the correct amounts of each. The best place to get this from is the sun, but artificial lights are often capable of replicating the effect of sunlight for reptiles housed indoors.

UV (ultraviolet) light is part of the electromagnetic spectrum of light. It’s a wavelength that can’t be seen by the human eye, although it’s visible to many animals including reptiles. Reptiles (with the possible exception of snakes) who are deprived of exposure to UVB cannot absorb calcium from their diet, resulting in metabolic bone disease. Other harmful effects arising from the lack of adequate UVB and UVA exposure stem from the negative impact this has on their immune system.

Both the quality and quantity of light have important consequences for the health of captive reptiles. It’s important to have a lighting system for your reptile enclosure that allows a normal day-night cycle. As many reptiles are sensitive to the flickering of some fluorescent tubes, it may be best to use bulbs for white light, rather than tubes.

Remember, don’t rely on sunlight coming through a window, as unfortunately the essential UVB light is filtered out almost completely by glass and plastic.

Keeping your reptiles in a safe place

A lot of reptiles are very upset by heavy vibrations, and your floor is basically a conductor for vibrations. The vibrations can be from everyday activities such as people walking, vacuuming, or traffic. Raising an enclosure on a shelf, table, or stand means it receives less intense vibrations because the stand has a dampening effect.

Captive reptiles tolerate people and our associated disturbances to a certain extent, but still need their peace and quiet to be physically and mentally healthy. Too much activity around their enclosure will result in them suffering from stress, poorer welfare, and they may become aggressive or anorexic, depending on the species.

You will need to plan ahead to make sure you have enough room in both the enclosure and the room if the animal continues to grow. What seemed to be an ideal size last year may be too small next year, as the bigger your reptile becomes, the bigger an enclosure they will need.

By following these tips, you’ll be in the best position to set up your reptile’s enclosure in the best location to help them stay healthy and happy. For more information, visit the RSPCA Knowledgebase.

This piece was originally published in Australian Community Media newspapers.

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