Pet Lizard

COMMON NAME:Lizard

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Lacerta, Varanus, Tupinambisand other genera

DISTRIBUTION: Worldwideexcept for polar regions

HABITAT: Open parkland,grassland, near rivers, gardens and inside houses

ADULT SIZE: 1.8 cm-1.8 m(0.7 in-6 ft)

GENERAL: Lizards are often feared, but none of them willever attack humans, and thereare only two venomous speciesin the world. Both come from the USA and Mexico-the GilaMonster and the closely related Beaded Lizard. Lizards are incredi-ble little animals that come in all the colours of the spectrum.Some are silent and some call loudly like birds. There are lizardsthat swim, there are lizards that glide and every lizard can run veryfast, some can even run on the water of creeks and streams,supported only by surface tension.

Lizards, however, are not for the inexperienced. They looktough they can be remarkably delicate and losses in consign-ments of imported lizards are very high indeed. Plenty of somespecies are now being bred in captivity and these are the ones tobuy. You know how old they are, you know that they are healthyand you know that they are likely to do well in captivity. Even thebest newly imported specimens are in a pretty poor state whenthey arrive.

It is not a good idea to handle lizards, and you know that most of them will shed their tails as a defence mechanism. Anew tail grows in time but it is never as beautiful as the original.Lizards move very fast and you have to be very careful wheneveryou put your hand in their cage, otherwise they can shoot up yourarm and leap for the curtain before you notice. Chameleons arethe exception, but they are for the real expert.

FOOD: Most lizards are carnivores and will take any suitable sizedanimal food, such as crickets, but some of the large lizards willneed rodents and day-old chicks. Beware, a large lizard may eat a small lizard. Many otherwise carnivorous lizards will sometimestake a small quantity of chopped fruit and vegetables; iguanas, inparticular, are almost vegetarian. Multivitamin powder, mineral gritand water also form part of their diet.

HOUSING: The best way to keep lizards is in a large glass tank witha close-fitting lid and a hood. It should be heated for mostspecies) to a temperature of between 26°C-32°C (80°F-90°F) bymeans of ceramic heater bulbs, soil warming cables or somethingsimilar. Light bulbs should only be used to provide light as there isevidence that constant light may be harmful. The heating shouldbe at one end of the tank so that a lizard may move to a coolerplace if it wishes. Good ventilation is imperative, as is a regulardose of ultraviolet light though too much will be detrimental. Heatsources must be inside weldmesh cages to prevent an animal fromburning itself.

Choice of cage furniture will depend on the species of lizard, buttypically the floor of the tank should be covered with a thick layerof unprinted newsprint, or gravel or peat. Several branches will beneeded for arboreal or semi-arboreal species, and various rocks,hiding places and basking slabs should be provided. A large heavywater dish will be necessary. Plants (preferably in pots) may beused as long as they are big, tough ones. Little or fragile plants willsoon die from being trampled constantly.

BREEDING: Provide the right conditions, and these include temper-ature, humidity and length of daylight, and there is every likelihoodthat your lizards will breed, although some species, such asgeckoes, are easier to breed than others. If you mist spray the tankto increase humidity, be careful of hot light bulbs which mightexplode, and electrical connections which might give you or yourlizards a shock.

Some lizards give birth to live young, but most lay eggs. Someeggs are glued to the glass and some are laid on the floor and willneed to be collected and cared for.