Captive lizards

Lizards

And again, fans who want to have lizards for the first time the same or similar questions are asked, whose answers are given here in principle, so there are no disappointments in lizard ownership or even loss among keepers, but also to indicate to the future caretaker in advance the work involved in keeping lizards. So, who cannot ensure continuous and conscientious care, even when they are absent, such as on vacation, they shouldn't get lizards.

Who wants to have lizards should not capture them under any circumstances, since the law prohibits taking animals from the wild without their permission.

The true and responsible animal lover will abide by this and not further harm native lizard populations in the wild., partially threatened, fucking them without permission.

Rarely offered in pet stores, so you have to rely mainly on the offspring of other fanciers who offer them in association publications and often also on the Internet.

The Captive lizards usually offered as hatchlings or juveniles, unless a hobbyist liquidates his stock of old animals or sells any of them. When buying animals, it is important to ensure that the breeder or previous keeper has duly registered the lizards to be sold or their offspring with the competent authority. The buyer must receive a breeding document in the form of “certificate of origin”, in which the data of the animals offered are recorded, like his kind, size, hatching date, possibly the sex, as well as the address of the authority to which they were declared. This certificate of origin serves the buyer to report his animals later to the nature conservation authority responsible for him and thus demonstrate their legal acquisition..

To more than a hobby gardener, inspired by articles in gardening magazines advising the creation of a small biotope with a pond, a dry stone wall and wild plants for endangered nature, can you help a bit and set up lizards here. This is reinforced by phrases like: “the pretty tree frog and the quick common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) they tend to settle here early”.

But, it is not advisable to keep them in a garden, because it's not always easy, even for experts, evaluate the suitability of a habitat for the settlement of a species of lizard. Many factors come into play here, as the microclimatic conditions of the place, the food supply, pressure from enemies, for example, of cats, birds of prey and ravens, as well as shrews and other. The availability of suitable hibernation places is also important..

As a last resort, only large biotopes are suitable for settlement, since the animals do not remain in the place where they are released and desired, but they migrate after a more or less long time and are no longer seen. But, this should be so by next spring at the latest. It also, for the establishment of a species a large number of autochthonous animal material adapted to the future biotope is required, and in no case said material whose origin is uncertain or even unknown.

It is also important to note that, usually, the unauthorized release of animals is prohibited without the express permission of the authority responsible for nature conservation, since even animals released on the property itself can expand beyond its limits and, Therefore, displace or distort ancestral fauna.

One terrarium for lizards can never be too big, but if the container must remain transportable, there are limits to the dimensions. The size of the container depends above all on the type of animals to be kept, its size and its number. Even with terrariums bigger, keep in mind that adult lizards, that they can't “stay out of sight” in the indoor terrarium, they can star in fierce bites during the mating season, especially the males, which can also cause mutual damage and, often, tail loss. It also, there are often fights over food.

It also, it is not always advisable to socialize large species with small ones. These may include, if feeding is inadequate and there is a significant difference in size between animals, in individual cases in a small space, cannibalism cannot be completely ruled out.

On the other hand, small species tend to get along better with large ones than animals of the same species with each other, since they are considered less territorial competitors. Often, after the mating season, former adversaries can be seen lying calmly side by side or even on top of each other in the sun.

It is necessary to trial and error and to have a spare enclosure if the animals prove to be incompatible. Smaller species or subadult animals are at a disadvantage when it comes to feeding, unless feeding is done by hand, animal by animal, with feeding tongs. So, when different species and specimens of the same species are kept, you have to consider if, for example, two smaller terrariums are no more suitable for housing animals than one large one.

These may include, a container with dimensions of approx. 100 x 50 x 50 cm. (length x widht x hight) is quite suitable for (1 male, 2 females) adult green lizards. The smaller species will get by with containers of approx. 70 x 50 x 45 cm..

For rearing a group of baby lizards, a container of approx. 50 x 30 x 30 cm.. it's enough, although exact dimensions for individual needs cannot be determined exactly, but they must be “experienced” by the hobbyist In the case of climbing species, as the wall lizards, keep in mind that the containers are designed to be taller, so that more vertical decoration can be accommodated, giving animals the opportunity to climb.

Today, specialized trade offers a large number of terrariums ready for use, many of which are silicone-bonded glass containers, also closed at the top, whose sides and tops sometimes have perforated plates embedded with holes of approximately 1,5 mm to ensure good cross ventilation, which should prevent harmful nitrogen stagnant air in the terrarium.

There's also terrariums of aluminum and plastic profiles. the front glass, or part of it, slides along a plastic or metal rail and can slide back and forth to open and close the terrarium. It is doubtful whether even the smallest live food can escape through the perforated plates provided for ventilation., as well as through sliding glass. This may have to be remedied by using a very fine fly line and sealing strips for the discs. But, a finer wire worsens the patency of the vent. So, probably better to breed the smaller lizards, who are the ones who need less food, in a separate compartment.

The small, inexpensive glass tanks sold as aquariums are also suitable for this purpose. As many animals that feed can climb the silicone glue in the corners and lizards cannot always be trusted, the edge of the tank should also be covered with a horizontal strip of glass 4 to 8 cm., corresponding to tank size, as an escape barrier. these aquariums, which of course do not have side ventilation, they are also generally used by some hobbyists to keep larger lizards; they are easily accessible to the caregiver from above for feeding and other handling without major inconvenience, since they usually do not have a lid. The illuminators, like the spotlights, can also be easily hung from above. But, if you also want to feed the flying insects, like wax worms, fruit flies, houseflies or plankton in the meadows, you'll need a terrarium closed.

Since it is not always possible to find all the desired components of a terrarium in the containers offered by the trade, it is also possible to build one yourself, which is not a big deal with the wide range of materials available in DIY stores today. The crystals, even used ones, can be cut to size by a glazier and glued with silicone. Indoor terrariums can be easily screwed and glued from wooden boards. The front part is formed by a glass. The interior of such a container still needs to be coated with a moisture-repellent paint.

On the internet there is literature for the self-construction of terrariums.

If you intend to place a container outside in the summer months, the front must be done, at least partially, wire mesh, so that the sun with its natural radiation can penetrate the animals. If it is difficult to install a sliding window in the front to open the container, access can be provided on the sides of the container or from the top by means of a hinged lid. A suitable cap is a metal frame filled with fly wire, whose support is glued with foam rubber for sealing. Lid can be opened with hinges, that can also be glued to the glass with silicone.

If he terrarium is installed outside, a rainwater drain must be created in advance on the ground or in the lowest part of the side walls using wire or perforated sheets. The terrarium it should be placed with a slight inclination towards this area and this area of ​​the interior should only be covered slightly with gravel or filter pad to prevent it from clogging.

If he terrarium is covered outside only when rain is imminent, it can quickly flood if the caretaker is absent and the weather changes suddenly.

Of course, a bright place, for example next to a window that lets in sunlight at least part of the day, it is more suitable than a dark place that always has to be illuminated with artificial light. A window can also be opened to let fresh air into the terrarium.

Especially in the summer months, a balcony location, terrace or garden with direct sunlight is best for native lizards. If the place does not offer protection against rain and if no drainage possibility has been created in advance in the container, the terrarium should be covered with a lid that is not directly on top and that, Therefore, do not impede possible airflow through an existing wire cap. on hot days, it is essential that part of the container is in the shade to avoid overheating due to too intense sunlight.

The native lizards do not need additional heating, although they must hibernate with heat. The temperature of the room and the heat emitted by the installed spotlights are sufficient. The lights, spot mirror lamps with normal sockets between 60 and 150 watts, they are assembled in such a way that their cone falls on a stone slab or the like intended for “sun” animals. Lamps must be screwed into a ceramic socket due to the heat they generate.

Different species of lizards have different heat needs, that is to say, varies the “preferred temperature” to which they decide to expose their body under the spotlights to reach the “operating temperature” correct. So, the radiator hanging from above is initially placed at a distance of about 30 cm from the “tanning surface”. If the animals then remain directly under the light cone of the radiator for a longer period of time, the temperature below will tell them that they like it. But, if kept at a distance from the focus, radiating heat is too high. Next, you have to test the proper distance. HQI and HQL lamps are also suitable for this purpose.

Many hobbyists also equip their containers with basic lighting using daylight fluorescent lamps.. The specialized trade recommends special tubes for reptiles, especially for the rearing of young animals, which must be very close to natural sunlight in their radiation and also emit UVA/UVB radiation. With the help of this radiation, reptiles synthesize vitamin D in their skin 3, important for calcium metabolism and bone formation. The effective range of some of these lamps does not usually exceed 35 cm.. So, the lamp must not be mounted under the cover in the terrariums Taller, but must be mounted at the distance mentioned above. The effect of the lights disappears after half a year of operation.

There are also AVA/UVB bulbs (for example, Sanolux) that can be screwed into a normal lamp holder. But, these lamps emit too much UVA radiation for continuous exposure, Therefore, they can only be used at the intervals recommended by the manufacturer., approximately 10 to 15 minutes each time. If animals are kept exclusively indoors, no natural sunlight, you should consider purchasing these tubes or fluorescent lamps.

Some hobbyists prefer a more or less sterile mount of the terrarium, but one that meets the basic needs of animals and is easy to keep clean. A layer of sand as a substrate, a potted houseplant, a branch to climb, a stone slab to sunbathe and as a shelter at night complete the furniture, along with a small shallow water bowl embedded in the substrate. But, if the lizards are also going to breed in terrariums set up in this way, a substrate should be placed in a corner that is always slightly moist, where lizards can bury their eggs. This substrate can also be offered in a removable container. Small terrariums for breeding and young animals should also be arranged simply, clear and practical for good animal control.

But, if for aesthetic reasons you want to design the furniture as a terrarium the biotopo, in which a part of the respective habitat of the animals is reproduced, there are no limits to your imagination, at least when it comes to furnishing large terrariums. This design is part of the charm of terraristic. On the sand as a substrate, branches can be used, trunks, barks, stones, foliage and plants to create a natural looking decoration. In the trade you can also find back walls of decorative cork and coconut fibers, as well as light rock imitations.

To keep the Sand lizard (Lacerta agilis), you can recreate a section of a heather landscape with individual patches of light heather sand and a few small miniature pine or juniper trees and a gnarled root. If the growth is too lush, it will be necessary to intervene later with scissors. Of course, live plants also need to be watered from time to time. To replace the morning dew, can be sprayed in the morning on warm days.

In a terrarium installed outside, lizards must have a shelter under roots or stones, under which the substrate remains moist. This is where the animals take refuge from the extreme heat of midsummer. This is because lizards can also die as a result of overheating..

The stone slabs should rest on the walls of the terrarium without gaps or be at a suitable distance from them so that the lizards cannot accidentally get trapped. Also be careful with larger stones or logs placed on the ground. If your position accidentally changes, animals can also get trapped under them and die. It also, decorations should not reach so high in open containers that animals, for example agile wall lizards, can jump.

Lizards are affected by various diseases, many of which are barely recognizable from the outside. So, the future lover must make sure that the animals he is going to buy make a vivid impression and do not stand still. They should not appear gaunt and emaciated, they must not have their eyes glued, they must not show cripples. On the other hand, a regenerated tail in the terrarium is only an aesthetic deterioration. If the animals even eat in the presence of the future lover, is usually a clear indication of your health.

If you want to breed later, you can try to get non-breeding animals, although the consequences of inbreeding have rarely been known, even after several generations of terrariums. As a last resort, the animals must all come from the same region and not belong to different subspecies, to avoid possible bastardies in subsequent breeding. When you buy young animals you have to buy some 5 or 6 specimens to be sure that both sexes will be available for subsequent breeding, especially since it is not always possible to raise animals without loss. If the animals are about the same size, the smaller ones will not be harmed by the larger ones when hunting for food.

for the lizards, even when food is plentiful, “what the other eats is always the best”. You should also make sure that you don't keep any “secret”. These are animals that grow considerably slower than their siblings of the same age and that, often, do not fully recover later. In order to distinguish the sexes of each species, it is necessary to consult the appropriate bibliography or resort to the image archives of the web page of the interest groups.

Anyone who has had the opportunity to observe lizards foraging for food in the wild, watching them catch small animals of all kinds here and there, you can imagine how varied the natural food supply is. It is difficult to offer animals such a variety of food when they are kept in a terrarium.

The pet trade offers numerous foods grown, especially through internet sites, like crickets, domestic crickets, grasshopper, mealworms of various sizes, wax worms, fly maggots, caterpillars, cockroaches, etc. For emergencies, crickets are even boiled. For emergencies, crickets are offered even cooked and frozen. Many keepers offer their lizards only this food or even just a part of this food assortment and, Obviously, keep animals healthy and able to reproduce for many years. As such, commercially available multivitamins are also fed (for example, Reptovit) and calcium preparations for reptiles, added to drinking water or sprinkled on food animals from time to time. Next, lizards are given individually with feeding tongs or thrown. Dead food given this way is also accepted.

Some lizards occasionally reject powdered food because of its smell.. Of course, all food of animals that cannot escape can also be given directly in the terrarium in larger quantities. The lizards will hunt them there when needed. But, the often nocturnal lifestyle of some crickets is a disadvantage here.

If all purchased food animals are not fed immediately, but they are kept until they are needed, these food animals must also be fed. Remember that you feed the lizards with what the feeders have eaten. Crickets can be fed very well with aquarium fish food (como Tetramin).

The animals' water needs can be met with a damp cloth or apple and pear slices, among other things. Mealworms can be fed on all types of cereal products. They also feed on the mentioned fruit to cover their moisture needs.. Migratory locusts feed on fresh, non-pulverized grasses.

If you feed lizards with crickets, for example, that are delivered with tweezers, often pull away after eating several of these foods and close their eyes as more of the same type of food is presented. This is an indication that they do not want to continue eating this food.. But, if they are offered other types of food, like wax worms, they will continue to accept it willingly. Some foods are sometimes accepted, but other times not. The “like” of each individual is also very different. But, care must be taken not to overfeed animals by unilaterally stuffing them with large amounts of, for example, meal worms.

Possible deficiency symptoms due to unilateral feeding after a long maintenance period do not always have to become visible. Just as color faults are known in cage-rearing of some other animal species, that can only be avoided with the supplementation of artificial colors. So, it is quite conceivable that, when keeping lizards in terrariums for several generations and with unilateral feeding, deficiency symptoms of various kinds occur that are not immediately perceptible to the naked eye.

So, natural food, collected outdoors and fed at least partially or additionally, still the best food for lizards. with this food, fresh green leafy vegetables or even pollen from flower visitors are additionally included for the diet of lizards.

Among the great number of these food animals, noteworthy are the following: grasshopper, spiders, weavers, isopods, centipede, beetles, larvae, earwigs, flies, snails and worms. Prairie plankton can be collected using a larger plastic funnel with a plastic bag taped to the outlet and held under bushes and brush while shaking or brushing through weeds. Avoid busy roadsides and proximity to pesticide-treated farmland. to catch flies, baited traps can be placed in which hundreds of flies can be caught per day.

Newly hatched lizard pups can only cope with the smallest food and are fed the smaller commercial foods mentioned above, such as micro crickets and buffalo worms, or better with small prairie plankton, which green aphids are particularly suitable for. But, there are also small animals in the prairie plankton that are despised by the lizards due to their bad taste.

Of course, to save costs, many of the expensive food animals can be raised. Literature
for this it is also commercially available. But, in addition to lizard breeding, raising animals for food is another time-consuming hobby.

As such, the hobbyist can initially do no more than keep and care for his animals according to the rules mentioned so far and hibernate them, as further described below. In the end, winter is also part of the life cycle of our native lizards. with this baby, success will not be lacking and sexually mature animals will proceed to mate in the spring and lay eggs later.

In the wild, egg laying takes place between May and June, depending on the species. The pregnancy of the females is recognized early by its rounded shape. Shortly before laying the eggs, animals often walk restlessly from one side of the terrarium to the other and try to dig in different places. Later, they dig a small burrow of about 10-15 cm deep in loose soil, sandy and slightly moist, which must be firm enough not to collapse. Here they stand between 5 and 20 eggs. Next, come out of the cave, after the entrance has been closed with a scratch. So, at least one place in the terrarium must have soil conditions suitable for laying eggs, for example, a mixture of pit sand and slightly moist oatmeal.

If the terrarium is in a warm room, laid eggs can be left alone and hatching of the young can be expected after a few 30-40 days – sand lizard (Lacerta agilis). Even in a terrarium installed outdoors in summer, the young of most species are born successfully. The area where the eggs are laid should always be kept slightly moist., but never wet. The hatching process can be favored by placing a spotlight on the spawning area, which warms the ground surface to about 25 degrees during the day in case of bad weather. The mountain or forest lizard does not need to be offered the opportunity to lay eggs, since it is usually “viviparous”.

To avoid all risks, especially with species and eggs that require more heat, many hobbyists remove the egg clutches immediately after they have been laid, what is recognized by the female, now clearly thinner. They dig up the eggs and transfer them to a breeding container. Digging up the brood carefully, the eggs should not be damaged. Eggs that may have stuck together do not separate. They should be marked in their original position with a pencil at the top so that they can be placed in the same position in the incubator without contact.. A change in position is said to cause damage to the egg or, in the case of a later extraction, in the embryo, so the subsequent hatching of all hatchlings is in question.

In some cases, However, several times can healthy hatchlings from almost all eggs, even of those eggs of different stages, whose position changed completely after finding them. So, even if the eggs are found by chance, for example when cleaning a terrarium, and changed its position, you have to try to incubate them.

The incubation vessel it is a flat plastic box, like those sold in domestic stores, which is filled with slightly moist sand that has been sterilized by boiling or heating. Small depressions are made in the sand with a finger, in which individual eggs are placed with the marked side up. The eggs rest on the surface and are not covered. The “vermiculita”, which is very suitable, it is also available in pet stores and can be used as a breeding substrate instead of the sand described.

The plastic box containing the eggs should be tightly closed with a fly wire lid or similar., so that the pups, that then are born without being seen, they cannot escape in any case and fall into the water. A small glass aquarium filled with water to a height of about 10 cm serves as an incubator and two bricks are placed on the edge, right up to the surface of the water.

Place the plastic box with the eggs on these bricks. A small thermostatically controlled aquarium heater is now suspended in the aquarium water, that fits some 25 degrees and works in day and night mode during the entire incubation period.

Water temperature and level must be kept under control. The aquarium is covered with glass so that a small hole is left open for ventilation.. To prevent the sweat that drips from this lid from falling on the eggs, a glass is also placed inside the aquarium, in angle, above the plastic box with the eggs, that drains the water that drips from the lid down. after sunset, the eggs increase in size by absorbing moisture; if hatching is imminent, they will collapse a little. Rotten or moldy eggs are removed immediately.

If all this is too much trouble for you and you have a large number of lizards and want to hatch eggs often, I should buy, for example, the “artificial incubator” offered by pet stores or similar devices with which a large number of eggs can be incubated at the same time and with precise automatic temperature control. The hatched pups should be moved to a small terrarium immediately after hatching., since it cannot be ruled out that adult animals or even parents chase them.

Only some of the diseases that appear in lizards can be correctly recognized and successfully treated by the hobbyist from their symptoms.. The surest way to avoid disease is to keep them in a species-appropriate manner.. Newly acquired animals should not be immediately socialized with those that have been around for a long time..

First of all, they should be observed in a quarantine terrarium for a few weeks and only then socialized with the other animals if they show no signs of illness. Hygiene must be observed in terrariums, occasionally clean dirty decor, like stones, tree bark, etc., and replace the substrate.

Diseases include rickets due to vitamin deficiency, external parasites such as mites and ticks, and intestinal parasites such as worms.

Colds can also occur if animals are suddenly kept too cool. Occasionally, sticky eyes are also seen as a result of bacterial infection.

Worm infestations can be treated with deworming medications, and bacterial infections with antibiotics.

If required, consult a reference book or an expert.

Cold winters also take a heavy but natural toll among lizards in the wild.. This is especially true in the case of young animals born in the same year and even more so in the case of animals hatched very late from their eggs..

Thus, many fanciers are of the opinion that it is better and less risky to keep young animals in a warm environment during the first winter. Then, the lizards are already well grown next spring, and often the sexes can already be distinguished. But, In between, a kind of pseudo-hibernation can be introduced for a few weeks.. In this case, after stopping feeding, the temperature is lowered by turning off the radiators and the lights, the heaters in the room are turned off and, If it is possible, the room is ventilated. The animals then remain inactive in their shelters, just like they do outside during periods of bad weather. If these conditions are not met, you can also move the terrarium to a cooler room. But, temperatures should not drop as low as during normal hibernation, which is why 10-15 degrees should be enough.

If you have your adult lizards in an indoor terrarium and you want to hibernate them there, you must previously add a suitable substrate, like sand, forest land, some foliage and a mossy cover, while the animals are still active, so they can hide there after. Towards the end of October, You have to lower the temperatures little by little., dim the lighting and shorten it with a timer according to the natural length of the day. The feeding of the animals should be completely stopped about two weeks before, as lizards should not go into hibernation on a full stomach.

After this time, the terrarium should be placed in a cooler place, that is to say, in a cool basement or similar room. If the animals have not hibernated by then, should continue to be kept in dim light during the day. The hibernation substrate must never be completely dry, but not wet either. Touching the substrate with your finger from time to time allows you to check the level of humidity. Once the animals have settled in their shelter, temperatures can drop to +3 degrees without harming them.

The end of hibernation is around February/March. If the animals come out of hiding before the end of hibernation, when temperatures are still low, is not usually a good sign and may indicate a disease. Next, you can try to keep them warm.

It is a big mistake to dig up animals that have already taken up their hiding place for hibernation in order to place them in a “most suitable hibernation place” or move them from a terrarium that has spent the summer to a hibernation container in October. Then, the animals run from one side to another and, often, do not seek any shelter, which means that your energy reserves, which should be fed in winter, run out prematurely.

Many problems can be saved with lower temperatures, etc., if the container is placed outside in the summer and left there for the time being. Due to shorter day length and temperature difference, animals will stop feeding there and instinctively crawl to hibernate at the right time without any intervention. The transportable terrarium only has to be moved to a cold place, but frost free.

When the new year of the lizards begins in spring, you can slowly warm the animals back up and then turn on the lighting and spotlights. You can also take the animals outside on sunny days, but you must put them back at night, whenever there is a risk of night frosts, or at least cover them during light night frosts. For the transition period, additional installation of a heater is also possible. Young animals kept warm during the first winter should not be brought outside too early., but only when the adapted temperatures prevail there, since otherwise they will temporarily dig there in anticipation of a coming winter. This also applies to adult animals that have been hibernated in the refrigerator., for example, only until february.

Many lizard keepers who do not have the possibility to install the terrarium outside or who want a more controlled hibernation for their animals, successfully hibernate their lizards in the fridge. In this case, animals, they haven't been fed before, are placed in pairs in plastic boxes of approximately 20 x 20 x 10 cm., through whose perforations in the lid it is possible to exchange air.

Since refrigerators are moisture eaters by design, the animals should be placed in the containers on moist sand that has previously been made sterile by heating. instead of sand, a damp sponge can also be placed in the containers. Temperatures in the refrigerator can vary between + 2 and + 6 degrees. Approximately every four weeks you have to moisten the sand a little. A container filled with water placed in the refrigerator should increase the humidity of the refrigerator.. Hibernating animals should be checked from time to time and the refrigerator should be opened from time to time for better air exchange..

If you keep the lizards in the conditions described above, success will not be denied, not even in the brood.

1 Agamid Lizards

- Agamidae

Origin: Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.
Gender: ---
Life expectancy: ---
Length: 10 - 15 cm. + 20 to 30 cm. (tail)

Red-headed rock agama – Jason Pratt, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Agamid Lizards are found in Europe, Africa, Asia

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2 Green anole

- Anolis carolinensis

Origin: Bahamas, Cuba, Dominican Republic, the United States, Cayman Islands, Colombia and Mexico.
Gender: Anolis
Life expectancy: 5 - 7 years in captivity
Length: 18 - 20 cm.

Very nice tree lizard also called American chameleon, due to the ability to change color depending on the environment.

Anolis carolinensis,

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3 Carpet chameleon

- Furcifer lateralis

Origin: Madagascar
Gender: Furcifer
Life expectancy: 3 years
Length: 17 - 25 cm.

The Carpet chameleon, formerly known as Chamaeleo lateralis, is a beautiful species in high demand for the pet trade.

Furcifer lateralis,

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4 Von Höhnel's chameleon

- Trioceros hoehnelii

Origin: Kenya, Uganda
Gender: Trioceros
Life expectancy: 4 - 6 years
Length: Head - torso, until 10 cm.

The Von Höhnel's chameleon (Trioceros hoehnelii) is a high-altitude species that ascends to more than 3.000 m on Mount Elgon.

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5 Four-horned chameleon

- Trioceros quadricornis

Origin: Cameroon and Nigeria
Gender: Trioceros
Life expectancy: 4 - 6 years
Length: 25 to 35 cm.

The Four-horned chameleon, also known as Cameroon bearded chameleon, it is recognizable not only by its four protruding horns, but also for

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6 Montane side-striped chameleon

- Trioceros ellioti

Origin: Burundi, Kenya, South Sudan, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Gender: Trioceros
Life expectancy: 4 years
Length: 22 cm. females - 17 cm males

The Montane side-striped chameleon (Trioceros ellioti) has a soft personality. Although no chameleon should be considered a pet to be kept and interacted with

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7 Fischer's chameleon

- Kinyongia fischeri

Origin: Tanzania
Gender: Kinyongia
Life expectancy: 4 - 6 years
Length: Head-torso: until 18 cm.

If a «Fischer's chameleon» in a pet store or elsewhere, it's not uncommon to know

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8 Jackson's chameleon

- Trioceros jacksonii

Origin: Kenya, Tanzania, United States
Gender: Trioceros
Life expectancy: Until 10 years
Length: Head-torso: until 16 cm.

The Jackson's chameleon is diurnal and displays food-seeking behavior with few movements per minute and a speed of locomotion

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9 Meller's chameleon

- Trioceros melleri

Origin: Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania
Gender: Trioceros
Life expectancy: 12 years
Length: With the tail, 60 cm..

The Meller's chameleon It is the largest chameleon on the African continent., large males usually reach 61 cm length

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10 Senegal chameleon

- Chamaeleo senegalensis

Origin: Senegal, Mali, Nigeria, Togo, Cameroon and Gambia
Gender: Chamaeleo
Life expectancy: 4 - 6 years
Length: Head - trunk: 14 cm.

The Senegal chameleon comes from West Africa and requires special care, as it is quite fragile.

Chamaeleo senegalensis in Acacia

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11 Veiled chameleon

- Chamaeleo calyptratus

Origin: Yemen, Saudi Arabia
Gender: Chamaeleo
Life expectancy: 7 years
Length: Until 20 cm.

Depending on local origin, males of Veiled chameleon reach a length of 35 to 60 centimeters, the females of 20 to 45

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12 Malagasy giant chameleon

- Furcifer oustaleti

Origin: Madagascar
Gender: Furcifer
Life expectancy: 5 - 8 years
Length: Including the queue 68.5 cm.

The Malagasy giant chameleon is considered the longest chameleon in the world (although exceptionally longer adults such as the ... Read more

13 Panther chameleon

- Furcifer pardalis

Origin: Madagascar
Gender: Furcifer
Life expectancy: 5 - 7 years
Length: 30 - 51 cm. (Male), 20 - 36 cm. (Female)

The most fascinating feature that has the Panther chameleon is its extraordinarily vibrant coloration.

Panther chameleon – David.Monniaux, CC BY-SA

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14 Brygoo's chameleon

- Brookesia brygooi

Origin: Madagascar
Gender: Brookesia
Life expectancy: 4 - 6 years
Length: Head-torso: until 10 cm.

The Brygoo's chameleon it is a small to medium sized chameleon, earthy brown to blend in with leaf litter.

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15 Chameleons

- Chamaeleonidae - Maintenance in captivity

Origin: Africa
Gender: ---
Life expectancy: from five months to 15 years, depending on the species
Length: from three to 80 centimeters long, depending on the species

Chameleons are the artists of the transformation of the animal kingdom: Depending on your state of mind, may change color and shape.

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16 Common chuckwalla

- Sauromalus ater

Origin: Mexico, United States
Gender: Sauromalus
Life expectancy: 30 - 40 years
Length: Among 30 and 50 cm.

The Common chuckwalla found in deserts, where the air is warm and dry (of 9 to 45 degrees Celsius).

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17 Egyptian spiny-tailed lizard

- Uromastyx aegyptia

Origin: Libya, Palestine, Israel, Oman, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia
Gender: Uromastyx
Life expectancy: 15 - 20 years
Length: 50 - 60 cm.

The Egyptian spiny-tailed lizard It is the largest species of Spiny-tailed lizards

Egyptian spiny-tailed lizard –

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18 Ocellated spinytail

- Uromastyx ocellata

Origin: Northeast Africa
Gender: Uromastyx
Life expectancy: 20 years in captivity
Length: 28 cm.

The Ocellated spinytail is native to northeastern Africa, where it can be found in southern Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, Ethiopia (near

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19 Ornate mastigure

- Uromastyx ornata

Origin: Middle East, Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
Gender: Uromastyx
Life expectancy: 20 years in captivity
Length: 32 - 37 cm.

The Ornate mastigure (Uromastyx ornata) is included in the Appendix 2 of the Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species

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20 Oriental garden lizard

- Calotes versicolor

Origin: Afghanistan , Pakistan , Nepal , Bhutan , India , Sri Lanka , Bangladesh , Myanmar , Thailand , Malaysia , Viet Nam , Cambodia , Laos , China (South), Indonesian ( Sumatra ) and Singapore.
Gender: defaults
Life expectancy: 5 years
Length: 9-14cm. (head-torso length), 27-35cm. (tail length)

Although the Oriental garden lizard can be found relatively frequently and at a fairly low price in the trade, it's not easy to

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21 Bearded dragons

- Pogona barbata

Origin: Australia
Gender: Drive
Life expectancy: 15 - 18 years
Length: 40 - 61 cm.

At present they are known 8 species bearded dragons (Drive), of which two species are commonly bred in captivity: The

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22 Mountain horned dragon

- Acanthosaura capra

Origin: Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam
Gender: Acanthosaura
Life expectancy: More than 7 years
Length: 30 cm.

The Mountain horned dragon is a beautiful lizard that is also called asian chameleon, due to their color changes and customs

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23 Chinese water dragon

- Physignathus cocincinus

Origin: Thailand, Viet Nam, Laos, Cambodia and Burma
Gender: Physignathus
Life expectancy: 20 years
Length: 80 - 100 cm.

The Chinese water dragon the green (Physignathus cocincinus) lives in the rainforests of Southeast Asia, preferably near masses of

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24 Green striped tree dragon

- Diploderma splendidum

Origin: China
Gender: - Diploderma
Life expectancy: 10 years
Length: 35 cm.

The Green striped tree dragon is shy in nature and tends to panic. This can be counteracted with a good structure in

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25 African five-lined skink

- Mabuya quinquetaeniata

Origin: Egypt, South Africa, Florida (USA)
Gender: Trachylepis
Life expectancy: ---
Length: 20 cm..

Nice small lizard of the family of the escindidos. As you can see, full of the stripes that give it its name.

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26 Bronze grass skink

- Mabuya macularia

Origin: Bangladesh , Bhutan , Cambodia , India , Laos , Malaysia,
Gender: Eutropis
Life expectancy: ---
Length: 16 - 23 cm..

Beautiful skink from Indonesia with a robust appearance and with colors that make it look metallic. Maintenance is exactly the same as

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27 Red-eyed crocodile skink

- Tribolonotus gracilis

Origin: Indonesia and Papua New Guinea
Gender: Tribolonotus
Life expectancy: 10 - 12 years
Length: 17 - 20 cm.

Precious and very rare Indonesian lizard that nowadays is very difficult to find. It likes humid places so

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28 Indonesian blue-tongued skink

- Tiliqua gigas

Origin: Papua New Guinea
Gender: Tiliqua
Life expectancy: 15 - 17 years
Length: 50 - 60 cm.

awesome lizards. This species is one of the best to keep as it is one of the calmest and most manageable. very easy animals,

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29 Common blue-tongued skink

- Tiliqua scincoides

Origin: Australia
Gender: Tiliqua
Life expectancy: 25 - 30 years.
Length: 45 - 55 cm.

Its coloration ranges from gray to brown with perpendicular dark bands. reaches 60 cm in length and its is a species

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30 Pink-tongued skink

- Cyclodomorphus gerrardii

Origin: Australia
Gender: Cyclodomorphus
Life expectancy: 8 - 12 years
Length: 45 cm.

The Pink-tongued skink it is a forest animal so in the terrarium we will put some humidity. very easy maintenance.

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31 Peters's banded skink

- Scincopus fasciatus

Origin: Algeria, Chad, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Sudan, Tunisia
Gender: Scicopus
Life expectancy: ---
Length: 20-25 cm.

Very rare and very little seen niger skink. It is an animal of terrestrial customs and dry areas, desert

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32 East Indian brown mabuya

- Eutropis multifasciata

Origin: Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesian, Myanmar, New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam
Gender: Eutropis
Life expectancy: ---
Length: 35 cm.

Another species of this genus so docile and friendly from Southeast Asia. They are just as easy to maintain as the others. It suits

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33 Schneider's skink

- Eumeces schneideri

Origin: Central Asia , West Asia and North Africa
Gender: Eumeces
Life expectancy:
Length: 16,5 cm. + tail 20 cm..

The great skink North Africa and one of the most beautiful we can find, since the orange colors that

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34 Oaxacan spinytail iguana

- Ctenosaura quinquecarinata

Origin: Central America
Gender: Ctenosaura
Life expectancy: 22,4 years (captivity)
Length: 35 cm.

As to the nature, the Oaxacan spinytail iguana is relatively tame, eats from the hand and does not get scared when you put

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35 Electric blue gecko

- Lygodactylus williamsi

Origin: Tanzania
Gender: Lygodactylus
Life expectancy: 5 - 10 years
Length: 5 - 8 cm.

The trade of Electric blue gecko is now banned in the EU. They cannot be kept or sold in the EU without documentation and

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36 Crested gecko

- Correlophus ciliatus

Origin: New Caledonia
Gender: Correlophus
Life expectancy: 15 - 20 years
Length: 15 - 25 cm. + 10 - 15 cm. (tail)

The “Crested gecko” in captivity it is docile and tolerates regular handling – Jazium, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia

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37 Rough-tailed gecko

- Cyrtopodion scabrum

Origin: Asia Minor and North Africa
Gender: Cyrtopodion
Life expectancy: ---
Length: 12 cm.

The Rough-tailed gecko needs a dry sandy terrarium with shelter and a small log to climb on or under.

Gecko

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38 Thick-tailed gecko

- Underwoodisaurus milii

Origin: Australia
Gender: Underwoodisaurus
Life expectancy: 10 - 12 years
Length: 12 - 14 cm.

The Thick-tailed gecko have the nickname of “Barking Gecko” because they can make the corresponding sounds. If they feel upset, can complain in

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39 Madagascar day gecko

- Phelsuma madagascariensis

Origin: Madagascar
Gender: Phelsuma
Life expectancy: 10 - 15 years
Length: 20 - 24 cm.

Thanks to the special adhesive foils on your fingers, the Madagascar day gecko not only moves on the smoothest surfaces, but

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40 Gold dust day gecko

- Phelsuma laticauda

Origin: Madagascar
Gender: Phelsuma
Life expectancy: 4 - 8 years
Length: 10 - 13cm.

The Gold dust day gecko is commonly known as the mascot of GEICO Insurance, and also the main character of the series

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41 Golden gecko

- Gekko badenii

Origin: Viet Nam
Gender: Gekko
Life expectancy: 8 - 10 years
Length: 25 cm.

The Golden gecko golden yellow in color is a splendid host of the terrarium, since they are very easy to maintain and are also completely

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42 Dwarf yellow-headed gecko

- Lygodactylus luteopicturatus

Origin: Kenya and Somalia
Gender: Lygodactylus
Life expectancy: 10 - 20 years
Length: 8 - 9 cm..

The Dwarf yellow-headed gecko is widely traded in the exotic animal trade.

One “Dwarf yellow-headed gecko”. Lygodactylus

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43 Cameroon dwarf gecko

- Lygodactylus conraui

Origin: West Africa and Central Africa
Gender: Lygodactylus
Life expectancy: 5 - 8 years
Length: 6 - 8 cm.

Extraordinary arboreal dwarf lizard that will soon replace those already only very rarely seen in terrariums Blue Gecko

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44 Cat gecko

- Aeluroscalabotes felinus

Origin: Indonesian, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia and Thailand
Gender: Aeluroscalabotes
Life expectancy: 10 - 12 years
Length: 18 cm..

The Cat gecko is an elegant gecko highly sought after by gecko collectors. It's relatively easy to create, but it can be difficult

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45 Leopard gecko

- Eublepharis macularius

Origin: Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, India and Nepal
Gender: Eublepharis
Life expectancy: 25 - 30 years in captivity
Length: 18 - 28 cm.

The Leopard gecko they are peaceful and friendly creatures. They can be kept individually, as a couple or in a group without any problem.

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46 Common wonder gecko

- Teratoscincus scincus

Origin: Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
Gender: Teratoscincus
Life expectancy: 10 - 12 years
Length: 18 cm.

The Common wonder gecko it inhabits the ground in deserts and semi-deserts with sparse vegetation. High daytime and low nighttime temperatures.

“Gecko

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47 Lined gecko

- Gekko vittatus

Origin: Indonesian , New Guinea , Palau and the Solomon Islands
Gender: Gekko
Life expectancy: 15 - 20 years in captivity
Length: 20 - 25 cm.

Gecko arborícola big size and nice design. This type of gecko also has the advantage of being totally docile at the time

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48 Marbled gecko

- Christinus marmoratus

Origin: Australia
Gender: Christinus
Life expectancy: 12 years in captivity
Length: 15 cm.

Very nice asian gecko, with a splendid contrast of colors in its range of grays, black and white. It is an animal that like the

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49 Geckos – A fascinating lizard

- Gekkonidae

Origin: The 5 Continents
Gender: Gekkonidae
Life expectancy: 8 - 15 years
Length: 4 to 60 cm..

Gekko gecko – Robert Michniewicz, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Geckos – a brief profile

The Geckos are, without a doubt,

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50 Blue iguana

- Cyclura lewisi

Origin: Grand Cayman
Gender: Cyclura
Life expectancy: Up to the 70 years
Length: 51 - 76 cm. (No queue)

The Blue iguana (Cyclura lewisi) came to have only between 10 and 25 specimens in the wild.

Grand Cayman blue iguana

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51 Lau banded iguana

- Brachylophus fasciatus

Origin: fiji
Gender: Brachylophus
Life expectancy: About 25 years
Length: head-torso: until 20 cm.

The Lau banded iguana is considered a national treasure by the government of this country, and his image has appeared on stamps of

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52 Cuban iguana

- Cyclura nubila

Origin: Cuba
Gender: Cyclura
Life expectancy: 40 - 45 years
Length: Until 160 cm.

As the largest member of its kind, the Cuban iguana (Cyclura nubila) reaches a total length of 150 cm and a head-torso length of

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53 Angel Island chuckwalla

- Sauromalus hispidus

Origin: Mexico
Gender: Sauromalus
Life expectancy: 17 years in captivity
Length: 31.7 cm. (Head - trunk)

The Angel Island chuckwalla it is the second largest species of the genus Sauromalus (chuckwallas), reaching 44 cm of body length and 64 cm length

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54 Western spiny-tailed iguana

- Ctenosaura pectinata

Origin: Mexico
Gender: Ctenosaura
Life expectancy: 10 years in captivity
Length: 1,3 m (Including the queue)

The Western spiny-tailed iguana (Ctenosaura pectinata) It is one of the largest members of the Spinytail iguanas (Ctenosaura) and can reach a length

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55 Black iguana

- Ctenosaura similis

Origin: Central America and Mexico
Gender: Ctenosaura
Life expectancy: 22 years (captivity)
Length: 1.3 m (Including the queue)

The Black iguana it is a large and bulky lizard, and adult males reach 45 cm long with a tail of 30

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56 Rhinoceros iguana

- Cyclura cornuta

Origin: Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti)
Gender: Cyclura
Life expectancy: 16 years
Length: 1,10 m (Including the queue)

The Rhinoceros iguana (Cyclura cornuta) It is one of the most requested pets by iguana keepers., but due to its size and

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57 Green iguana

- Iguana iguana

Origin: Central America, South America, Caribbean
Gender: Iguana
Life expectancy: 20 years
Length: Among 30 and 40 cm. (Head - trunk)

The Green iguana is a large reptile with a powerful body that can reach a length of almost two meters.

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58 Pet Iguanas

- Iguanidae

Origin: United States, Mexico, Central America, Caribbean, South America, Madagascar y Fiyi
Gender: Iguanidae
Life expectancy: 10 - 20 years
Length: Until 2 m

Lau banded iguana (Brachylophus fasciatus) – H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Due to its requirements

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59 North African mastigure

- Uromastyx acanthinura

Origin: north west africa
Gender: Uromastyx
Life expectancy: 20 years
Length: 45 cm.

The North African mastigure It is one of the most representative reptiles of the Sahara desert. It is medium in size:

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60 Saharan spiny-tailed lizard

- Uromastyx geyri

Origin: Algeria, Mali and Nigeria
Gender: Uromastyx
Life expectancy: 20 years
Length: 35 cm.

The Saharan spiny-tailed lizard it is a relatively small and slender species for the genus, with an average total length (including the

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61 Red-headed rock agama

- Agama agama

Origin: Benin, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo, India and Madagascar
Gender: Religion
Life expectancy: 7 - 12 years in captivity.
Length: 17 - 30 cm.

The Red-headed rock agama (Agama agama) It is one of the most colored lizards that we can find, since even the females are quite colorful. Son

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62 Sudan plated lizard

- Gerrhosaurus major

Origin: East and central Africa
Gender: Gerrhosaurus
Life expectancy: 20 - 25 years
Length: 55 cm.

How they are easily domesticated and relatively easy to maintain, the Sudan plated lizard is a very popular terrarium animal.

Gerrhosaurus

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63 Spiny-tailed lizards

- Uromastyx

Origin: Africa, Asia central, Middle East and India
Gender: Uromastyx
Life expectancy: 10 - 20 years
Length: 25 - 75cm.

The Spiny-tailed lizards They have perfectly adapted to their natural habitat and the conditions that prevail there, such as heat and

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64 Mediterranean house gecko

- Hemidactylus turcicus

Origin: Mediterranean region
Gender: Hemidactylus
Life expectancy: 10 years
Length: 12 cm.

The Mediterranean house gecko is active at sunset and at night. It only activates sporadically during the day, especially when it is sunny in the

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