Imagine you’re at a reptile expo for the first time, or maybe your kid dragged you to the pet store because they’ve been bugging you for a pet and you finally caved. As you shop, you second-guess yourself, remembering that you literally have no idea how to care for this kind of animal. Then it does something cute, or the kid tugs on your sleeve, reminding you that, “You promised!” And then the friendly voice of the sales associate reaches your ear — “We sell starter kits for (insert the name of an animal you’ve never heard of before today) over there for a great deal.”
Depending on the contents of the kit, you might grab some reptile food and an accessory or two. Then you bring the animal home and set up the starter kit. That was easy, wasn’t it?
A month to a year later, your new pet is either sick or dead. What went wrong?
The scenario I just described is played out at reptile expos and in pet stores across the globe. Reptile kits hold the promise of hassle (aka research)-free exotic pet care, but they are too inadequate or even dangerous to live up to their claims. Even when new reptile owners do perform their own research outside of the included “care manual,” they end up spending a lot more to correct the problems caused by the very kit that was designed to save money and make their lives easier.
This article discusses top-selling commercial kits for 4 popular pet reptiles, including representation from each of the top reptile supply manufacturers: Zoo Med, Zilla, and Exo Terra.
Pricing info is primarily sourced from Amazon, and information about the kits’ contents is sourced from the manufacturers’ websites.
Before we proceed, let me clarify: There is no hate intended toward the manufacturers of these products. Each manufacturer offers other products that I actually quite like and recommend as among the top performers in their class. This article is only a critique of existing reptile kits.
Bringing home a bearded dragon for the first time can be an exciting yet overwhelming experience Setting up the proper habitat requires research and planning to ensure your new pet has everything they need to thrive The Exo Terra Bearded Dragon Starter Kit aims to make this process easier by providing beginners with many necessary habitat components in one convenient bundle,
In this review we’ll break down the contents of the Exo Terra kit to see if it lives up to its claims of being a complete starter setup for bearded dragons.
Overview of the Exo Terra Bearded Dragon Kit
The Exo Terra Bearded Dragon Starter Kit includes the key elements to create a habitat for an adult dragon in a 40-gallon terrarium. The kit contains:
- 40 gallon glass terrarium with front window ventilation
- Reptile cave
- Desert sand mat substrate
- Dual analog thermometers
- 100W basking bulb
- 8.5” dome fixture
- 8” ceramic heat emitter
- Repti-Glo 10.0 UVB fluorescent bulb
- Adjustable lamp fixtures
- Water and food dishes
The terrarium itself has a few nice features like dual doors for easy access, waterproof bottom, and raised bottom frame. The inclusion of both heat and UVB bulbs is also convenient for getting the required basking area and UV exposure.
Overall, this kit aims to provide the basic components you need to house an adult bearded dragon without requiring much additional purchasing However, there are a few considerations to keep in mind
Benefits of the Starter Kit
Convenience – The kit consolidates most of the basic habitat needs into one bundle so you don’t have to research and buy individual elements separately. This saves a lot of time and guesswork for reptile beginners.
Quality Products – Exo Terra is a well-known reptile brand that produces reliable products designed specifically for herpetofauna. The terrarium and lighting components are durable and made to last.
Cost-Effective – Buying a complete kit is cheaper than purchasing all the pieces individually from different manufacturers. The bundle ensures you get everything you need without overspending.
Easy Set-Up – All the components are designed to work together seamlessly. The instructions walk you through assembling the habitat so anyone can get it up and running quickly.
Drawbacks to Consider
While the Exo Terra kit provides a great starting point, there are a few limitations to consider:
Lighting Could Be Better – Using an all-in-one bulb means you don’t get focused basking heat and it may not provide optimal UVB coverage of the terrarium.
Only One Thermometer – You really need a thermometer on both the cool and warm side to effectively monitor temperature gradients.
Requires Additional Purchases – Some decor, substrate, hygrometer, and supplements will still need to be bought separately.
Not Ideal for Juveniles – The 40-gallon tank is too large for hatchlings and the 100W bulb may be too hot. A smaller kit would be better suited.
Minimal Temperature Control – No thermostat is included so carefully regulating temperatures takes more effort.
Our Verdict
The Exo Terra Bearded Dragon Starter Kit provides a great foundation for easily setting up an adult bearded dragon habitat. The quality components and overall value make this an excellent choice for beginners who want to avoid the headache of choosing all their own products. With a few supplemental purchases, this kit has everything needed to get started.
While not perfect, it eliminates much guesswork and research for new owners. We think the Exo Terra kit succeeds in its goal of being a comprehensive starter set for adult bearded dragons. It allows new reptile keepers to get up and running quickly with a complete habitat. Just be prepared to make a few additions and adjustments for optimal temperatures and lighting.
Overall Rating: 4/5
The Exo Terra Bearded Dragon Starter Kit removes the stress from preparing an enclosure by providing quality essentials to start off your bearded dragon experience on the right foot. With a couple supplemental additions, this kit gives beginners a strong foundation for providing good care.
Exo Terra Snake Starter Kit, $185
According to Exo Terra, this kit is recommended for use with corn snakes, milksnakes, kingsnakes, and ball pythons. We will be evaluating it as a corn snake kit, because corn snakes are one of the most common snakes on the market, and it wouldn’t be fair to do a ball python kit. (Long story short — no kit on the market comes close to adequate for a ball python.)
- 24”x18”x12” front-opening glass terrarium
- Heat mat
- Reptile dome lamp
- Light bracket
- Reptile UVB100 compact fluorescent bulb
- Moss mat substrate (UK version uses Exo Terra snake bedding)
- Medium water dish
- Large reptile cave
- Informative care guide
- The terrarium will eventually need to be replaced. It will work well enough for a juvenile corn snakes, but it won’t be big enough for an adult. The nice thing about Exo Terra’s enclosures, though, is that they don’t need additional lid clamps for security.
- The heat mat is fine. It covers 1/3 of the terrarium’s base, so it’s fine for creating the necessary temperature gradient. However, there’s no thermostat, which means that any snake housed in this kit is in danger of getting severely burned. There is also no way of determining temperature or humidity (less important for corn snakes) in the enclosure.
- The dome lamp isn’t ideal. Generally speaking, coil bulbs perform best when placed laterally rather than vertically.
- The light bracket is fine. This is a good idea when you need to control the amount of UVB a reptile is receiving by adjusting the distance between the UVB bulb and the reptile. However, this should only be done with the assistance of a Solarmeter 6.5.
- The UVB bulb is a good idea with poor execution. And UVB is known to be beneficial for all reptiles, including crepuscular and nocturnal snakes. However, Exo Terra UVB bulbs are notoriously unreliable when used without a Solarmeter 6.5 to measure output. Furthermore, the Exo Terra UVB100 is a compact coil bulb, which means that it’s output is likely to be extra weak, and practically of no benefit at all considering that a significant portion of the UVB it does produce will get filtered out by the terrarium’s mesh top.
- The moss mat substrate is difficult to keep clean, making it a breeding ground for bacteria. It’s also lousy at holding any kind of humidity. The UK version of this kit is slightly better because it provides a loose aspen bedding, which allows a way for a corn snake to satisfy burrowing instincts. However, aspen may still be too dry for use in dry climates.
- The water dish is good, although depending on the size of the snake I would potentially make it larger to allow for soaking.
- The large reptile cave makes a good hide, although it may be too large for young or particularly small snakes to use it comfortably.
- Care guides are always good (except for when they’re not). It’s odd that Exo Terra provides a care guide for their generalized snake kit, but not the crested gecko kit.
Zilla Desert Reptile Starter Kit 10 with Light and Heat, $66
I’m aware that I’ve ranted for long enough — you probably get the point by now. I wasn’t even going to include this kit for the sake of brevity, but then a reptile rescuer friend of mine posted a picture of two bearded dragons housed in this exact same kit. They both had developed MBD that had been caused because their owner didn’t do any research and relied on the kit instead.
*Heavy sigh* If you thought the Zoo Med bearded dragon kit was bad, spoiler alert: the Zilla Desert Reptile Starter Kit 10 is a terrible choice for any desert reptile. Although the name of this product does not specify an intended species, there is a picture of a leopard gecko on the package, and so we’ll use that as our reference.
- 10 gallon glass aquarium with screen lid
- 2 reflective dome light fixtures
- White spot bulb
- Night black incandescent bulb
- Analog temperature/humidity gauge
- Brown terrarium liner
- Setup guide
This kit also comes with a nicely visible disclaimer: “Does not include UVB lighting which may be required for some desert-dwelling reptiles.”
What’s wrong?
- A 10 gallon tank is much too small for an adult leopard gecko, which require at least a 40 gallon for adequate housing. But if we grit our teeth and assume that this is for a juvenile leopard gecko less than 12 months old, it might work as temporary housing.
- The “dome” light fixtures are adequate. They’re not even domes — more like trumpets?
- The white spot bulb might work as a heat source, depending on how hot it gets. Leopard geckos need basking surface temperatures of 94-97°F.
- The night black incandescent bulb is unnecessary. Unless your room gets colder than 60°F at night, nighttime heating is overkill and potentially even harmful.
- Analog temperature and humidity gauges are notoriously inaccurate. This is basically useless.
- The terrarium liner/carpet is not great, considering that sand and/or soil mixes are affordable, perfectly safe, and more natural substrates for leopard geckos. Plus, delicate gecko claws can catch on the fibers, and reptile carpet tends to become a nasty breeding ground for harmful bacteria.
- The setup guide is likely as vague as the kit’s intention, but hey, at least Zilla’s giving their customers some kind of direction…?
In the end, this kit might work for meeting a leopard gecko’s needs in the short term, but there are some serious changes that need to be made to render this thing anywhere close to functional.
How do we fix it?
- Keep the aquarium and screen lid — for now. It will need to be upgraded to at least a 40 gallon breeder after the gecko turns 12 months old or gains its adult pattern.
- Keep the lamp “domes”. Although leopard geckos technically don’t “need” UVB to stay alive, they do need it to thrive. So add a 26w Zoo Med Compact Fluorescent Reptisun 5.0 UVB bulb ($25). If it doesn’t fit the fixture, you will need a new fixture, too.
- Keep the white spot bulb, and check the temperature of the basking spot. You will need a higher wattage bulb if the basking temperature is too warm, and a lamp dimmer if the basking temperature is too cool.
- Toss the night black incandescent bulb. Even if your room gets cooler than 60°F at night, you will need a lightless heat source like a ceramic heat emitter or deep heat projector, not a colored heat bulb.
- Replace the temperature/humidity gauge with a digital probe thermometer/hygrometer ($15).
- Replace the terrarium liner with paper towel ($5). I don’t usually condone paper towel substrates, but they can be useful for monitoring health in juvenile reptiles.
- Toss the setup guide and read ReptiFiles’ leopard gecko care guide instead.
Bare minimum, this kit requires the following additional purchases to make it suitable for a leopard gecko:
- 2 small hides ($10)
- Food dish and water bowl ($10)
- Calcium powder with low vitamin D3 ($10)
- Multivitamin powder ($10)
Additional decor is recommended, if you can make it fit in such a tiny space.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, a “super cheap” $66 leopard gecko kit becomes a ~$150 expense. While $150 isn’t horrible, consider that this is what is required to get this enclosure up to barely adequate standards, and that $150 will be essentially wasted when you have to replace most of this stuff to upgrade the gecko to an adequate adult enclosure.
Exo Terra Bearded Dragon Starter Kit Unboxing
FAQ
Is Exo Terra Desert Sand good for bearded dragons?
Exo Terra’s Desert Terrarium Sand is an ideal substrate for creating a desert environment for reptiles like bearded dragons and leopard geckos. It is real desert sand with no added dyes or chemicals, that has been sifted to remove impurities. It is suitable for egg-laying and an excellent heat conductor.
What is the best tank setup for a bearded dragon?
- 20 – 40 Gallon Tank.
- UVB Light (Recommended: ZooMed Reptisun 5.0 Compact Fluorescent Lamp)
- Basking Lamp (Recommended: ZooMed 100w Repti Basking Spot Lamp)
- Nocturnal Heat Lamp (Recommended: ZooMed 100w Nocturnal Infrared Heat Lamp)
- Ramp.
- Humidity/Temperature Thermometer.
Is a 40 gallon terrarium big enough for a bearded dragon?
The standard size for bearded dragons is 40 gallons, although many adults are too big for this size and may become stressed. Here is a good rule of thumb for choosing a tank size based on your dragon’s length: Babies (under 10 inches long): 20 gallons. Juveniles (10 to 16 inches long): 40 gallons.
What is the best age to buy bearded dragon?
I would definitely recommend getting a dragon that is no less than 12 weeks old (3 months) old. And there a multitude of reasons for such. At 3 months old they should have a steady weight gain.
Are there any alternatives to the Exo Terra Adult bearded dragon starter kit?
One of the alternatives to the Exo Terra Adult Bearded Dragon Starter Kit is the Zoo Med Reptihabitat Bearded Dragon Terrarium Kit, which also offers great value for money with an easy to use product helping you prepare for the coming home of your new reptile.
Are Exo Terra® kits a good terrarium setup?
Easy setup. Foundation of success. The Exo Terra® Kits are an ideal terrarium setup for the beginning herpetoculturist! There is no need to look for all the different products separately, these kits come with all the high quality components you need to create a perfect habitat.
Which Terrarium is best for bearded dragons?
The Bearded Dragon is available in it’s natural color and pattern, but more and more designer color morphs are being bred, making this species attractive for both the beginning reptile enthusiast as well as for the advanced hobbyist. Housing: Exo Terra’s Natural Terrarium LARGE/LOW is ideal for Bearded Dragons.
Which terrarium kit should I buy?
The Exo Terra® Terrarium Kits will ensure your terrarium hobby has a successful start. The Bearded Dragon is a docile and “easy-to-care” for species that has been captive bred in the USA and Europe for over 30 years.
How do I decorate my bearded dragon terrarium?
Decoration: Exo Terra offers a variety of decor items for your Bearded Dragon Terrarium including; Branches, Hides & Caves, Rock Outcrops, Skulls, etc…. Lighting: Bearded Dragons are mainly diurnal, meaning they’re only active during daylight.
Do bearded dragons need a sand mat?
Housing: Exo Terra’s Natural Terrarium LARGE/LOW is ideal for Bearded Dragons. Bearded Dragons are very territorial, so males should never be housed together. Substrate: the Exo Terra Sand Mat resembles the compacted substrate in the Bearded Dragon’s natural environment. The Sand Mat should be replaced every 3 months, or as needed.