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Zoo entrance › Habitats

Habitat

Grassland & Savanna

Warm days, open ground, burrows

Ground-dwellers from grassland, prairie and open woodland: room to roam, deep substrate to burrow in, a warm basking spot and moderate humidity.

Meet the 6 residents ↓

Habitat

Grassland & Savanna

Warm days, open ground, burrows

Ground-dwellers from grassland, prairie and open woodland: room to roam, deep substrate to burrow in, a warm basking spot and moderate humidity.

Food chain

What each resident here eats, from its care sheet. Tap a food to see who eats it.

Ball python
Corn snake
Western hognose snake
Blue-tongued skink
Sudan plated lizard
Argentine tegu

Meet the residents ↓

Grassland & Savanna · resident 1 of 6

Ball python Python regius

A docile, slow-moving python from West and Central Africa. An adult needs a 48 × 24 × 24 inch enclosure (36 × 18 × 18 for a juvenile under 3 feet), an 86–90°F basking...

Home range: Western and central Africa [source]
Basking / cool: 86–90°F / 72–80°F [source]
Humidity: 60–80% [source]
Active: Dusk and night 🌙

Rodents & whole preyBall python

Frozen-thawed rodents, warmed before feeding [source]

Full care sheet

Grassland & Savanna · resident 2 of 6

Corn snake Pantherophis guttatus

A hardy, active rat snake from the southeastern United States and the classic first snake. An adult needs at least a 4 × 2 × 2 foot enclosure, an 85–90°F basking surface, a 72–78°F...

Home range: Southeastern United States [source]
Basking / cool: 85–90°F / 72–78°F [source]
Humidity: 40–60% [source]
Active: Dusk and night 🌙

Rodents & whole preyCorn snake

Frozen-thawed mice no wider than 1.5 times the snake's widest point, or about 10% of its body weight [source]

Full care sheet

Grassland & Savanna · resident 3 of 6

Western hognose snake Heterodon nasicus

A small North American snake that flattens its neck like a cobra, hisses and even plays dead when scared. An adult female needs about a 40 gallon (36 × 18 × 16 inch) enclosure,...

Home range: Southern Canada, most of the United States and northern Mexico [source]
Basking / cool: 90–95°F / 70–75°F [source]
Humidity: 30–50% [source]
Active: By day ☀️

Rodents & whole preyWestern hognose snake

Frozen-thawed prey no wider than the snake's head [source]

Full care sheet

Grassland & Savanna · resident 4 of 6

Blue-tongued skink Tiliqua scincoides

A heavy-bodied, daytime lizard from Australia and parts of Indonesia, famous for its blue tongue. One adult needs a 48 × 24 × 24 inch enclosure, a 105–115°F basking spot, a 70–85°F cool side,...

Home range: Australia and parts of Indonesia [source]
Basking / cool: 105–115°F / 70–85°F [source]
Humidity: 40–60% [source]
Active: By day ☀️

Feeder insectsGreens & vegEggs & lean meatBlue-tongued skink

Insects (dubia roaches, black soldier fly larvae, hornworms), eggs and lean meat, vegetables and greens; fruit no more than 10% of the diet [source]

Full care sheet

Grassland & Savanna · resident 5 of 6

Sudan plated lizard Broadleysaurus major

A sturdy daytime lizard from eastern and central Africa; some are handleable, others stay skittish. One adult needs a 48 × 24 × 24 inch enclosure, a 100–110°F basking spot, a 75–80°F cool side,...

Home range: Eastern and central Africa [source]
Basking / cool: 100–110°F / 75–80°F [source]
Humidity: 40–60% [source]
Active: By day ☀️

Feeder insectsGreens & vegSudan plated lizard

Insects (crickets, dubia roaches, black soldier fly larvae), leafy greens such as kale and collards, fruit at most once a week [source]

Full care sheet

Grassland & Savanna · resident 6 of 6

Argentine tegu Salvator merianae

A big, very intelligent lizard from South America that can become dog-tame with patience, but needs room and experience. An adult female needs at least an 8 × 4 × 4 foot enclosure (males...

Home range: Eastern and southeastern South America [source]
Basking / cool: 125–135°F / 75–85°F [source]
Humidity: 70–80% [source]
Active: By day ☀️

Feeder insectsRodents & whole preyGreens & vegArgentine tegu

Insects (dubia roaches, black soldier fly larvae), whole prey (mice, rats, chicks), vegetables such as squash and carrot, some berries [source]

Full care sheet

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