Animal habitat

Abstract

An animal habitat for use within a terrarium or aquarium with at least one transparent side wall consisting of a simulated rock having two portions that have corresponding faces that register with one another for visually creating an image of a single rock. The faces are flat enabling them to be positioned in registration with one another on opposite sides of the terrarium transparent side wall. The animal habitat includes a habitat cavity for one or more animals in one portion of the rock to be placed inside the terrarium with the cavity open to the flat face for enabling a party outside of the terrarium wall to view the cavity and any animals disposed therein. Magnetically attracting components are disposed in each portion of the rock for releasable holding the two portions in registration with one another on opposite sides of the transparent side wall of the terrarium. An access to and from the cavity from outside of the rock is provided in one portion of the rock surface other than the flat face. The animal habitat is insulated to provide a cooler temperature within the habitat compared to the terrarium temperature and the moisture content of the air within the animal habitat can be increased with the addition of moistened moss or substrate inside of the animal habitat.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An animal habitat for use in a terrarium with at least one transparent side wall comprising, 
 a simulated rock having two portions that have corresponding faces that register with one another for visually creating an image of a single rock, each of said faces being flat for enabling the flat faces to be positioned in registration with one another on opposite sides of the terrarium transparent side wall,    a habitat cavity for one or more animals in the one portion of the rock to be placed inside the terrarium and with the cavity open to the flat face thereof for enabling a party outside the terrarium wall to view the cavity and any animals disposed therein when the flat face is disposed against the inside surface of that wall and the other portion of the rock is out of registration therewith so as not to block viewing of the cavity through said wall,    and magnetically attracting components disposed in each portion of the rock for releasably holding the two portions in registration with one another on opposite sides of the transparent side wall of the terrarium.    
     
     
         2 . An animal habitat as described in  claim 1  wherein, 
 an access to and from the cavity from outside the rock is provided in said one portion of the rock surface other than through the flat face thereof.  
 
     
     
         3 . An animal habitat as described in  claim 1  wherein, 
 the animal habitat is insulated to provide a habitat temperature cooler than the ambient temperature within the terrarium.  
 
     
     
         4 . An animal habitat as described in  claim 1  wherein, 
 the moisture content of the air in the animal habitat can be increased by placing a moistened moss or substrate inside of the animal habitat.  
 
     
     
         5 . An animal habitat as described in  claim 1  wherein, 
 at least one of the magnetically attracting components is a magnet;  
 
     
     
         6 . An animal habitat comprising, 
 a first body having a cavity therein for one or more animals and extending to a first surface area of the body,    a passage in the body extending from the cavity to the surface of the body at a location separate from the portion of the cavity extending to the first surface area,    a transparent closure covering the portion of the cavity extending to the first surface area enabling animals in the cavity to be viewed,    and a second body having a surface complimentary to the first surface of the first body for preventing viewing of the cavity when the complimentary surface of the two bodies are brought into registration with one another.    
     
     
         7 . An animal habitat as described in  claim 6  wherein the two bodies when oriented with their complimentary faces opposite one another visually form a unitary structure.  
     
     
         8 . An animal habitat as described in  claim 7  wherein magnetic members are disposed in each of the bodies for releasably holding them in registration with one another.  
     
     
         9 . An animal habitat as described in  claim 7  wherein the two bodies when placed in registration with one another together define a rock-like structure.  
     
     
         10 . An animal habitat as described in  claim 6  wherein the passage is defined in part by the first surface area of the first body.  
     
     
         11 . An animal habitat as described in  claim 6  wherein the complimentary surfaces are planar surfaces.  
     
     
         12 . An animal habitat as described in  claim 11  wherein the complimentary surfaces are of substantially the same size and shape.  
     
     
         13 . An animal habitat as described in  claim 12  wherein the magnetic members lie substantially in the surfaces of the bodies.  
     
     
         14 . An animal habitat as described in  claim 9  wherein the bodies together define a single rock-like structure.  
     
     
         15 . An animal habitat as described in  claim 12  wherein the passage is defined in part by the first surface area of the first body.  
     
     
         16 . An animal habitat as described in  claim 14  wherein the complimentary surfaces are planar surfaces.  
     
     
         17 . An animal habitat for use in an aquarium with at least one transparent side wall comprising, 
 a simulated rock having two portions that have corresponding faces that register with one another for visually creating an image of a single rock, each of said faces being flat for enabling the flat faces to be positioned in registration with one another on opposite sides of the aquarium transparent side wall,    a habitat cavity for one or more animals in the one portion of the rock to be placed inside the aquarium and with the cavity open to the flat face thereof for enabling a party outside the aquarium wall to view the cavity and any animals disposed therein when the flat face is disposed against the inside surface of that wall and the other portion of the rock is out of registration therewith so as not to block viewing of the cavity through said wall,    and magnetically attracting components disposed in each portion of the rock for releasably holding the two portions in registration with one another on opposite sides of the transparent side wall of the aquarium.