Acanthosaura capra

Planted arboreal terrarium, tall and well ventilated (mountain-tropical / bioactive vivarium type), with vertical and angled branches, dense foliage and elevated hides.

Minimum dimensions for a single adult; provide a larger enclosure for a pair. Height and cross-ventilation matter more than floor area: poor airflow in a humid setup encourages infections. Avoid housing males together (territorial).

High humidity but combined with good ventilation to avoid stagnant air. Daily mistings (morning and evening), peaking at night with partial drying during the day. Keep the substrate moist but not waterlogged.

A moisture-retaining bioactive mix with a drainage layer and leaf litter; introducing microfauna (springtails, woodlice) helps manage humidity and waste. Avoid any dusty or drying substrate.

Moderate UVB recommended (shaded-understory species): a low-output tube (a low Ferguson zone), placed at a good distance with shaded areas and a gradient. Avoid any UVB that is too strong. Appropriate UVB, together with calcium and vitamin D supplementation, prevents metabolic bone disease.

Drinks mainly droplets from misting and on the leaves; install a drip system, a small waterfall, or mist regularly. Also provide a shallow dish of clean water, often ignored but useful for humidity.

Southeast Asia: humid mountain and mid-altitude rainforests of southern Vietnam and Cambodia (wooded plateaus and highlands, cool and misty conditions).

Insectivore / vermivore — Earthworms (a major part of the diet), crickets, roaches, silkworm caterpillars, snails, and occasionally millipedes/various insects.

Live prey that is gut-loaded and dusted with calcium; moderate calcium and vitamin D supplementation and occasional vitamins. Vary the prey. Earthworms and soft-bodied prey are particularly well accepted and important for hydration and gut transit.

Clutch 10–15 eggs/young. The female buries the eggs in loose, moist substrate. Cool incubation, with hatching generally after a fairly long period depending on temperature. Breeding is often triggered by a seasonal cycle (variation in humidity/temperature).

• Chronic stress and refusal to feed (particularly in wild specimens)
• Internal parasites (nematodes, very common in wild-caught animals)
• Dehydration and difficult shedding (dysecdysis)
• Respiratory infections / stomatitis (often linked to poor conditions: too warm, stagnant air, or too cold and damp)
• Metabolic bone disease (calcium/UVB deficiency)