Pet Lizard
Lizards can be as small as 5 cm (3 in.) or as large as 3 m (10 ft) in length. They make fascinating pets, but be warned that their lifespan is shorter than other reptiles and, unlike many snakes which can with good husbandry, live in captivity for twenty years or more, the lizard often survives for only five years or less.
There are more lizards than any other type of reptile and, with the exception of the polar regions, their distribution is worldwide. You are, however, more likely to see them basking in the sun on a tropical verandah.
The typical lizard, though there are many exceptions, has four legs, five toes on each foot, and a sprawling gait, presenting a study in miniature of the ancient reptiles that once roamed the earth. Characteristics of the lizard are that it has eyelids, so can close its eys, and has external ears so can hear airborne sounds. It sheds its skin once a month, sloughing it off in patches, or a scale at a time. It is clean, odourless and fascinating to keep, although some varieties are more attractive to look at than others. Most varieties adore spiders and an offer of this delicacy goes a long way towards taming them.
Most lizards have an unforked tongue with which they pick up tastes and swallow food. Sometimes a gecko will use its tongue like a windscreen wiper across its eyes while a chameleon uses its tongue to shoot and haul in its prey. Its tongue is three quarters the length of its body, and it is most adept at camouflaging itself to merge in colour with its surroundings.
It is usual for the male of the species to have a thicker tail than the female though this is by no means always the case. Again, most lay eggs but some live bearers and an interesting point is that while some lizards refuse to drink from a dish they will always accept drops from a leaf.
In the wild in Britain, one is most likely to find Common Lizard - which is a live bearer - on arid land such as heaths and commons. Usually it is olive brown in colour with a broken line down its back and it has an orange under-side, spotted black in the male, and grey in the female; it is very lively . Common in Britain also is the Slow Worm, which is a legless lizard and grows to about 45 cm (18 in). Our third species, the Sand Lizard, is found in only a few scattered localities.
Other parts of the world are much better endowed with lizards of varying types. All in all there are thirteen families: the geckos; the agamas; the chameleons; the skinks; the zonures; the plated lizards’ the lacertids which include the Eyed Lizard, the Green Lizard and the Wall Lizard; the tegus and whiptails or racerunners; the anguids among which ae found slow worms. grass lizards and alligator lizards, the monitors, known primarily for the Komodo Dragon which is the largest of all lizards, and finaly the rather obscure family of the amphisbaeniens, burrowing reptiles which are most unlikely to turn up in captivity.
So which type of lizard should you choose? The many species of gecko are amaible house prowlers which eat nsects in house plants; but most are delicate and readily shed their tails when handled, so they should be kept in a safe place. Incidentally, although the majority of the lizards, those for instance with a long, low body, short legs and a long tail, were designed for running on the ground, most geckos have toe pads, with fine hairs, that grip a smooth surface and enable them even to run along a ceiling.
Chameleons are one of the most popular lizard varieties to keep as a pet, but they are delicate and not unreservedly recommended to the beginner. It is unnecessary to keep a chameleon confined and it will thrive in any warm, sunny atmosphere. However, if, as is likely, a vivarium is to be used, a few twigs are absolutely essential. Chameleons rarely breed in captivity and one of the sad facts of ownership is that under closely confined conditins they rarely survive more than a matter of months while a sudden light and colourful change of hue can be an indication of fast approaching death.
Horned lizards, of which there are about 12 species, skins which comprise a very large family, plated lizards and racerunners or whiptails can be found in varyng sizes and make good pets, as will several other varieties stocked by your pet shop. Seek advice on which ones you put together though, as some of the larger species could eat the smaller ones.