Bearded dragon. Estersinhache fotografía/Getty Images
Today there are about 5,000 species of lizards on the planet ().
This group of reptiles includes tiny species such as the dwarf gecko, which can fit on the tip of a finger, as well as much larger species such as the 3-meter Komodo dragon. Most species of lizards eat insects, although some also eat plants, and the largest ones eat small mammals. Although lizards are popular pets, you probably already know that not all species make good housemates. Some species are poisonous, and many require difficult living conditions.
If you're looking for a pet lizard, it's important to choose from a group that is friendly, fun to watch, and (at least moderately) easy to care for. Here are some of our favorite lizard species to keep at home.
Blue tongue skink
If the snake becomes a good first snake, then everyone who dreams of lizards should try to get skinks. This is a rather expensive pet, but when answering the question of which reptile is best to get, our consultants often suggest it.
A terrarium of 90*45*30 cm is suitable for keeping an adult animal.
In nature, skinks constantly dig in the ground, looking for food. Therefore, inside the terrarium there must be a suitable, safe substrate for this. You can use an inexpensive substrate made from a mixture of sphagnum and bark.
Like snakes, such lizards require the creation of cold and warm corners with temperatures of 25-26 and 35-40 degrees in the cold and warm zones, respectively. You need to monitor temperatures using a thermometer. This lizard is active during the day, so an ultraviolet lamp must be placed in the terrarium. You also need to organize constant access to drinking water - it is poured into a low drinking bowl and placed in a cold corner.
Skinks are omnivores. They eat insects and plant matter, so you don't have to deal with mice. They are also easy to tame and eat specialized Repashy food.
Standard feeding requirements:
- For young people: we feed every day.
- For adults: food can be given twice a week.
Skinks need to be fed a variety of foods. When feeding, food is sprinkled with a special complex of vitamins and calcium.
Keeping the Eyelash Bananaeater Gecko
Another species of nocturnal lizard is up to 15 cm in length and has a lifespan of 8 to 15 years.
When choosing an exotic pet, study in detail the information about its species, food preferences and maintenance characteristics. All of the above points are only advisory, but to create real conditions for a comfortable life for a domestic lizard, it is necessary to take into account the nuances associated with a specific species.
Specify the full name of the domestic lizards (including Latin) that you want to choose. This will avoid confusion in information and not harm your pet.
Agamidae
In this family you can find arboreal lizards, terrestrial and aquatic species. They also differ in diet. Among agamas there are both carnivores and plant eaters.
Everyone will need to create appropriate conditions for which they are quite demanding.
Skinks
This is the largest family of lizards, numbering more than 100 genera and 1.5 thousand species. Therefore, in this family you can find specimens of both bright colors and discreet modest ones.
There is the same spread in the size of different representatives of skinks: some barely reach 10 centimeters in length, others reach 70 centimeters.
They are all quite unpretentious, calm, and love privacy.
Difference from other reptiles
Lizards are characterized by an elongated body. The coloring is often combined from several colors. Many species have the ability to camouflage themselves in their environment. This is especially successful for reptiles living in the desert.
There are many species of lizards that are very similar to snakes. This mainly applies to the legless. Characteristic features:
- Lizards have normal eyelids, while snakes have fused eyelids.
- Snakes are completely deaf, unlike lizards, which have ears.
Lizards can be confused with newts.
They are very similar and are close relatives. Lizards can also be confused with newts. They are very similar and are close relatives among reptiles. However, there are fundamental differences:
- In lizards, the skin consists of scales, but in the newt it is completely smooth and covered with mucus.
- The newt can breathe through its gills and skin.
Their main difference is that the newt cannot throw off its tail if it is in danger. The principle of dropping the tail is quite simple. It contains a lot of soft cartilage, which can be easily broken by strong muscles. At the same time, the blood vessels constrict, thereby reducing blood loss to a minimum. The new tail can take up to nine months to grow. Sometimes malfunctions occur in the body. Then not one, but two tails grow at once.
Keeping a lizard breed - Bearded dragon
An exotic reptile whose size can reach up to 50 cm; the agama needs to create decent conditions in the form of a terrarium with a volume of at least 200 liters; The average lifespan of this species is 10 years.
Population and species status
There are quite a lot of species, but some of them are listed in the Red Book of Russia. These types include:
- Medium lizard.
- Przewalski's foot-and-mouth disease.
- Far Eastern skink.
- Gray gecko.
- Barbour's foot-and-mouth disease.
- Squeaky gecko.
The gray gecko found itself in a most dangerous situation. He lives within the station. Starogladkovskaya, in the Republic of Chechnya. After 1935, almost no one saw the gray gecko in our country, despite the fact that its number in the world is at a high level.
It is important to know! On the territory of our country, Barbour foot-and-mouth disease is considered a rare species, although in some places there is a fairly high concentration.
On about. The Kunashir population of the Far Eastern skink numbers several thousand individuals. Despite the fact that this species is protected in the Kuril Nature Reserve, the bulk of the skink population is outside this reserve. Squeaky geckos living in the Astrakhan region are subject to negative impacts, so their numbers are constantly declining. Medium-sized lizards also suffer from active human activity.
Making a terrarium with your own hands
An aquarium can serve as a home for a pet. But you can do it yourself without much difficulty. The best material is organic glass. If the apartment contains a small lizard, the house for it is made without a frame. For a large individual, it is a frame structure. So, how to make a terrarium for a lizard? Below are the instructions:
- First the frame is made. It is easy to make by connecting the bottom and walls with silicone glue, which does not pose a danger to animals.
- Then you should start arranging ventilation. To do this, holes are drilled on one wall. You can make a wall out of wire. It will serve as a ventilation duct and active lizards can crawl along it.
- Next you should start making the bottom. For this, plywood made of several layers is better suited.
- The lid remains. It is better to make it from a fine metal mesh. Through it you can clearly see the interior of the terrarium, and most importantly, air circulates. You can make a composite cover. Its glass part is attached hermetically, and the wire part is folded back.
How to create ideal conditions for pet lizards
Looking at the photos of domestic lizards in their, without exaggeration, palaces with a lot of decor and plants, you might think that creating conditions for reptiles in the house is not a pleasure for everyone. The lizards themselves certainly do not need all this.
Many owners of pet lizards strive to make a terrarium not only a comfortable home for an exotic pet, but also a worthy piece of furniture.
However, let's find out what conditions they really need to live:
- terrarium: this is the main guarantor of the safety of a domestic lizard; it must be at least twice the length of the reptile
- warmth: lizards are heat-loving creatures, they need heating using a special rug or lamp
- bright light: this can be achieved using an ultraviolet lamp
- humidity: to maintain a comfortable level for the reptile, it is enough to leave a container of water in the terrarium and regularly spray its contents with a spray bottle
- natural environment: nimble pet lizards cannot be content with the bare walls of the terrarium, they need branches, stones, plants and other objects so that they explore their home
- secluded place: make a shelter for the lizard from stones and branches, or install a house and hide it securely behind plants
- bath for a lizard: if your pet is the type that loves to bathe, do not forget to install a large container for water.
Tips for keeping lizards at home (instructions)
In addition, there are some additional tips on how to keep a lizard at home:
- when choosing flooring for a terrarium, do not use small stones so that the reptile does not swallow them; an alternative could be sand, earth or thick paper without ink
- specify which type of drinking bowl is suitable specifically for your lizard - for example, a chameleon likes a drinking bowl in the form of a dropper, and a larger lizard will prefer a saucer
- check whether your lizard needs regular hydration: for example, iguanas need it and you will need a spray bottle
- take care of the cleanliness of the terrarium and the freshness of the water: you need to clean the lizard’s house at least once a week, for this you must have a spare container in which the pet can temporarily stay.
Also, when you get a pet lizard, do not neglect visiting the veterinarian. You will need to find a specialist who understands reptiles and will advise you on the nuances that are associated with a particular species. Like any pet, your lizard should be seen by a veterinarian at least once a year.
And if the pet’s well-being is in doubt, for example, the lizard loses weight, discharge appears from the nose and eyes, the stool becomes liquid - it is urgent to show the pet to a veterinarian.
