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Health Care for Lizards
General Information
A key factor in successful care of lizards is knowing what species of lizard you
have. Many species of lizard have very exacting feeding temperature requirements.
If you do not know what you have, you will not be able to take care of it properly
. It is therefore unwise to purchase and lizard unidentified and risky to purchase
any lizard without finding out its requirements before hand and making sure you
can meet them.
Certain species, such as agamids and the old world chameleons, for example, are
fragile and have very specific requirements in captivity. These are unwise purchase
for any beginner. But since some lizard species have been know to live 20 years
and more in captivity with proper care.
All lizards require heat to digest their food, whether they are tropical or temperate
species. Since many lizards need different temperature for different parts
of the digestive process, at different times of the day, the best arrangement is
to provide a gradient of heat within the cage, from room temperature to about
97 degrees Fahrenheit, so that the lizard can move to warm or cooler spots at will.
This can be done with a incandescent light over one corner. USE A THEMOMETER! A
temperature gradient is especially important for iguanas, of which there are a number
of species and many related species. .
Lizards require a source of ultraviolet light, either from the sun directly or from
a manmade light source, or they will not survive for long. Lizards should
never be placed in direct sunlight (such as setting the cage in the window) for
they will quickly overheat and die.
NOTE: Vitalite does not usually generate enough heat to be used as a heat
source and the bulb must be changed every 6 months.
Persons desiring to keep lizards often wish to house them in an artistically arranged
terrarium complete with living plants. This is a realistic environment only for
small, delicate lizards, especially the tiny arboreal species; small anoles and
some small geckos. The larger lizards will make a shambles out of a terrarium. Cages
should have tight fitting lids. The bottom can be covered with paper. (Cedar shavings
and other pitch bearing woods like pine are toxic to reptiles.)
Earth, gravel, and other similar substrates are attractive if they can be kept clean
and dry. The bottom of the cage should be kept dry, even for water-loving species.
A crockery water dish should be provided and the water kept fresh. Food should be
placed on a plate or flat surface to keep the lizard from ingesting small rocks
with the food.
The arboreal or tree dwelling species are “droplet drinkers”, accustomed to drinking
dew or rain drops and may not require a water bowl. For these you must provide water
by sprinkling or spraying the cage every day . A hiding place, such as a
log, piece of bark, or a box and perhaps a branch for arboreal species are all the
other furnishings required. Feces and shed skin should be removed as they appear
and the entire cage washed periodically in a mild bleach solution and rinse well.
Do not use Pine-Sol, Lestoil or other petroleum- derived product on reptile cages
or dishes.
Shedding of the epidermis, or the outer layer of the skin, is a regular and normal
process. Frequency of shedding is directly related to rate of growth. When approaching
a shed, a lizard’s colors will dull or darken. Unlike snakes, lizards do not shed
the epidermis in one whole piece. Instead, it peels off in strips and patches. Difficulty
in shedding is sometimes the result of low humidity.
Dietary requirements are dependant on the species of lizard you own. You must know
whether you have a carnivore or an omnivore. Carnivorous lizards, meat eaters should
be given prey animals appropriate for the lizards to swallow whole. Small lizards
will require a variety of live insects. Crickets, waxworms, and mealworms are available
commercially. Newborn mice are accepted by some of the larger insect eaters and
are available an excellent addition to the diet. Variety is very important.
A steady diet of mealworms can cause serious digestive problems whereas a steady
diet of waxworms can cause obesity. Never feed just one item for a long period.
For the very tiny lizard such as anoles, variety can be hard to sustain. Baby crickets
and small mealworms can be varied be fruit flies. A wingless variety is available
commercially and is easy to culture. Live insects may be left in the cage overnight,
but they should not be left for days on end. This is because insect eaters are sight
feeders. The feeding response is triggered by the sight of prey, and it the prey
is continually at hand the lizard may become accustom to the prey and eventually
not respond. All insects used as food should themselves be well-fed up until they
are offered; otherwise they have little value as food.
Lizards often become accustomed to handling, but as a rule they should not be handled
except infrequently, for brief periods. The small lizards especially can rarely
survive prolonged and frequent handling. Over-handling is one of the most common
cases of death in lizards. On the other hand, large lizards, the large monitors
in particular, have strong claws and sharp teeth as adults and can be dangerous.
The juveniles need careful attention and the adults attain the size of an adult
house cat or larger. Many captive adults are gentle, but some are not and can inflict
serious wounds. Monitors should be kept only by those prepared to maintain a potentially
large, aggressive animal.
It is a dismal fact that many lizards purchased sight unseen through dealers arrive
in very poor condition. You are almost always better advised to purchase captive-bred
or long-term captive lizards, when available. Most common medical problems of lizards
are directly related to improper care-wrong identification, bad diet, chilling,
and over-handling. If these factors are corrected and the lizard does not
respond, a veterinarian is needed. Try to find a vet recommended as familiar with
reptiles, since many vets lack experience in the treatment of lizards. Nursing sick
lizards can be a discouraging, expensive and time-consuming process. Do everything
in your control to get healthy animals. It is a good idea to quarantine
all new arrivals regardless of appearance and to place new animals only in freshly
washed cages.
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