CAGING: Anoles should be kept in a cage that is escape-proof and easy to clean. Aquariums with secure covers make good cages. Newspaper (black and white only) or good paper towels make good substrate (bedding) as they are easily removed and inexpensive. Some people prefer the more natural look of Astroturf. This works fine, as long as it is carefully washed and disinfected once a week. Don't use sand or other fine grained material which might be eaten with their food. This can kill them. Do provide branches or crumpled newspaper so that your lizards have places to climb and hide. Plastic aquarium plants, suspended from the top of the cage, work well.
WATER: Anoles prefer a slightly humid environment. There are two ways to provide this. The first is to use a plant mister and lightly spray the cage two or three times a day. The second way is to get a small aquarium pump, some tubing, and an airstone. Connect the tubing to both the pump and the airstone. Place the airstone in a lass or dish of water, and place the water inside the cage (leaving the pump outside). Let the pump run continuously. The lizards will drink the droplets which form on the dish and tubing. Whichever method you chose, always provide a water dish, and keep all water sources full.
TEMPERATURE: Anoles are native to Central America and southern North America, so they are used to warm temperatures. Your lizard will do best at a temperature of 80-85 degrees F. This can be achieved with an incandescent bulb and a heating pad. Place the heating pad under part of the cage, and place the light either above the cage (but not so close that the lizard can be burned) or a few inches from one of the glass sides. Keep a thermometer in the cage so you know the exact temperature. The light bulb lets your lizard bask as it wishes and the heating pad keeps it warm at night when the light is off. The light shouldn't be on more than 10 hours a day. When it's on, the heating pad can be turned off. Never leave the cage in direct sunlight!
FOOD: Anoles are insect eaters and will eat mealworms, crickets, waxworms, roaches, flies, moths, and other insects. Don't feed them a steady diet of mealworms; the hard shells can kill them. Try varying their diet. It's a good idea to occasionally dust your food insects with a vitamin powder (obtained at pet shops) before feeding them to your lizard. This ensures that it is getting an adequate diet. Mail order food sources can be found in the ads in the back of sporting magazines, under 'Bait'.
HEALTH: Cages must be kept clean to prevent disease. Anti-bacterial cleaning solutions are recommended. One ounce of bleach in ten ounces of water is one such solution. Rinse the cage with clean water after using any solution. Don't use Lysol, Lestoil or other such oil based cleaners; they are deadly to reptiles.
HANDLING: Handle your lizards as little as possible. They are delicate, nervous animals and can be easily injured or overstressed. If given proper care, though, they will live two or three years, minimum.
CAGING: Bearded Dragons are active and territorial animals and therefore require generous living space. Males in particular should be housed in cages larger than 50 gallon aquariums. Enclosures should be large enough to enable a temperature gradient of at least 10 degrees Farenheit. The enclosure should have a secured top as beardeds are pretty fast moving, and you want to keep any insects you are feeding them in the cage as well.
Bearded Dragons can be kept on washed and sifted playground sand, but care should be taken when feeding to minimize ingestion of sand. Make sure there are plenty of rocks and sticks to climb on, as well as places to hide. Because of their active nature and high metabolism, be prepared to clean out fecal matter frequently. If you use a sand substrate you can sift out dried feces with a kitty litter scoop.
WATER: Keep a bowl or bowls of clean water in the cage at all times. Larger bowls can be half-buried in the sand. Bearded Dragons like an occasional misting, but do not let the enclosure get damp/humid.
TEMPERATURE: Bearded Dragons are native to Australia and therefore prefer a hot, dry environment. A basking spot with daytime temperatures of 90-100F should be provided. A temperature gradient to a cool area of 80-85F is vital.
Nighttime temperatures can drop to the mid- to low-70's Farenheit. Thermometers and thermostats are necessary to maintain the proper temperatures in a Bearded enclosure. Too cool is not good, but too hot is even worse. A full-spectrum/UVB light should be used, as well as supplemental heat for those keepers living in colder climates. Never leave the cage in direct sunlight!
FOOD: Baby Bearded Dragons MUST be fed appropriately sized food - pinhead crickets and newly molted mealworms. Adult Bearded Dragons are omnivorous, meaning that they eat both invertebrates and small vertebrates as well as plant matter. Prey items such as appropriately sized cultured crickets, cockroaches, mealworms, king worms, and wax worms can be fed, along with pinkie mice. Dusting food with calcium powder once a week or a couple times a month is a good idea.
Insects should be gut-fed 24 hours before being fed to your lizard. You can buy commercial gut-load at most pet stores. Greens such as collard greens, mustard greens, romaine lettuce and dandelions are usually well-received by Beardeds. Fruits like cantelope and mango are also Bearded favorites. Try and feed as varied a diet as possible. Adult Bearded should be fed 3-5 times a week; more for hatchling and juveniles.
If your Bearded Dragons are fed a diet primarily of crickets they may experience rear-body paralysis -- symptomatic of selenium toxicity. Giving very small amounts of Vitamin E oil once a week by popping a capsule and putting drops on the lizard's mouth so it can lick them off may help. Check with a qualified herp veterinarian with any questions about this.
HEALTH: Cages must be kept clean to prevent disease. Anti-bacterial cleaning solutions are recommended. One ounce of bleach in ten ounces of water is one such solution. Rinse the cage with clean water after using any solution. Don't use Lysol, Lestoil or other such oil based cleaners; they are deadly to reptiles.
HANDLING: Bearded Dragons tolerate human interaction fairly well. Most are content to sit on their keeper's shoulders and take in the view. They are also very curious and would benefit from supervised exploring in a secure area. Younger animals may need gentle handling over time to tame down. With proper care your Bearded Dragon can live 4-10 years.
Distribution:
Mexico to Panama
Size:
6" - 8"
Natural Habitat:
This swift is an inhabitant of mountain forest and woodland habitats in Mexico to Panama. When captive, adults require a 10 gallon enclosure.
Behavior:
Most will become tame with regular handling. Docile and friendly, easy to handle.
Captive Environment:
Use full spectrum lighting 12-14 hours per day. Provide a basking area with access to a cooler zone. Provide rocky basking areas, likes crevices and caves.
Temperature:
Day temperature should be gradient from 80-92 degrees F. Maintain night temperature range between 70-75 degrees F. Use reptile heating pads under tank for 24-hour heat.
Humidity:
This species requires moderate levels of humidity.
Water Requirements:
Use only a small water bowl for drinking. Mist once per week.
Nutritional Requirements:
This carnivore (meat eater) will readily accept insects and arthropods in diet. Offer variety for proper nutrition. Eats variety of larger worms (earthworms, meal/wax worms). Dust food with calcium and vitamins, crickets are ideal.
CAGING: Adult Blue-Tongued Skinks will require fairly large enclosures (at least 3-4' long and 2' wide). They are not aboreal, so height is not that important. They are active however and should have as much room as possible. Blue-Tongues should not be housed together. Even at breeding time males and females should be mated under supervision. Animals of both sexes can cause extensive damage to another skink.
Blue-tongues can be kept on a variety of substrates. Newspaper is perhaps the best for its cheapness and availability. CareFresh is another great substrate; most Blue-Tongues will burrow if given the chance. Sand is not really appropriate due to possibility of ingestion and impaction. A hide box is very important for your lizard to feel secure.
WATER: Keep a small bowl of clean water in the cage at all times. Blue-Tongues may be misted before they shed, but they generally do not appreciate any humidity.
TEMPERATURE: Blue-Tongues are native to Australia, New Guinea and Tasmania and most species prefer a hot, dry environment. A basking spot with daytime temperatures of 90-100F should be provided. A temperature gradient to a cool area of 80-85F is vital. Nighttime temperatures can drop to the mid-70's Farenheit.
Thermometers and thermostats are necessary to maintain the proper temperatures in a Blue-Tongue enclosure. Too cool is not good, but too hot is even worse. A full-spectrum/UVB light is not needed as long as a proper diet is fed. Never leave the cage in direct sunlight!
FOOD: New information about Blue-Tongue diet requirements is being discovered every day. Most species seem to be primarily carnivorous/insectivorous. Fruits such as kiwi, mango and cantelope are usually welcome treats. Mixing finely chopped vegetables such as collard or mustard greens, romaine lettuce and summer squash into dog food or monitor/tegu food seems to be the best way to get these skinks to eat veggies.
Superworms, crickets and pinky/fuzzy mice are good food staples for these lizards. When feeding dog or cat food, stay with a premium, all beef or chicken formula. Mixing in a calcium supplement once or twice a week is a good idea.
HEALTH: Blue-tongue skinks are still imported and should be treated for worms and protozoas by a qualified reptile veterinarian. Cages must be kept clean to prevent disease. Anti-bacterial cleaning solutions are recommended. One ounce of bleach in ten ounces of water is one such solution. Rinse the cage with clean water after using any solution. Don't use Lysol, Lestoil or other such oil based cleaners; they are deadly to reptiles.
HANDLING: Blue-Tongued Skinks tolerate human interaction very well. Although a little more 'squirmy' than their Bearded Dragon cousins, Blue-Tongues will usually sit on a shoulder or be cradled in an arm quite happily.
They are very curious animals and benefit greatly from supervised exploring in a secure area that will give them a lot of stimulation and exercise. Young Blue-Tongues can be nippy and will need gentle handling over time to tame down.
CAGING: The common iguana can reach 80 inches in length, and its cage must grow as it does. Don't overcrowd them! Three juveniles (one male and two females) will need a cage 48"x 24"x 24". Iguanas are aboreal (tree dwellers), and are best kept in cages with several branches for them to climb. The branches should be at least the size of the iguana's torso. Plants should not be used; many are poisonous and none will survive in the iguana's cage. Newspaper makes the best substrate, as it is easy to clean.
The common iguana is native to the savannahs and rain forests of southern Mexico and Central and South America, and does best in a humid environment. ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT IS A MUST FOR YOUR IGUANA! Without it, they cannot assimilate certain vitamins, including the most important D3, which are vital. (Note that ultraviolet light can not pass through glass or plastic adequately. Keep this in mind when setting up the cage.)
WATER: Provide a water bowl big enough for bathing, and change the water daily. The larger the bowl, the better. Iguanas often enjoy bathing, and a large bowl will increase the humidity. If you keep your iguana in a screen topped aquarium, cover most of the screen with plastic to hold in the humidity.
TEMPERATURE: Iguanas are ectothermic, meaning they need an outside source of body heat. Without this they will not feed, digest, or reproduce. Optimum daytime temperatures should be between 80 and 90 degrees F with a basking spot of 95-100 degrees F. Set up your heating units (ceramic heating elements, heating pads, basking lights) so that one end of the cage is warmer than the other, giving your lizard a temperature gradient. A thermometer should be kept in the warm end of the cage to assure that you maintain a good temperature. To keep humidity high enough, use an air humidifier, or mist the animal several times a day with warm water from a plant misting bottle.
FOOD: Iguanas, juveniles and adults are totally herbivorous. A diet made primarily of dark, leafy greens is vital to the health of your lizard. This diet will prevent kidney damage which can cause premature death. The diet should be rotated with vegetables; collard greens, mustard greens (including flowers), broccoli rabe (the leaves are very high in calcium), red leaf lettuce, escarole, dandelion greens, chicory, Swiss chard, fruits; apples and bananas, cantelope, kiwi fruit, legumes; green beans, and peas. Give your iguana a variety of foods. Juveniles should be fed daily, adults daily or every other day. Sprinkle the food with a vitamin powder such as Rep-CalTM once or twice a week. The supplements are very important in preventing irreparable damage to your animal's health. Vegetables such as broccoli (regular, not rabe), spinach, kale and carrots should be fed infrequently as they contain calcium oxalic acid which binds calcium and prevents absorption by the animal of this very important mineral.
HEALTH: Cages must be kept clean to prevent mites, scale rot, and other problems. Anti-bacterial cleaning solutions are recommended. One ounce of bleach in ten ounces of water is one such solution. Rinse the cage with clean water after using any solution. Don't use Lysol, Lestoil or other such oil-based cleaners; they are deadly to reptiles.
HANDLING: You'll find that your iguana has very sharp claws. See your veterinarian or ask the pet shop how to trim them. Your iguana does not require petting, but may enjoy sitting on your lap for warmth and comfort. They seldom bite, but if you are bitten, check with your doctor for proper treatment.
Male iguanas may become aggressive when they become sexually mature. Understanding their behavior and planning ahead can help you both get through this sometimes trying time. For most male iguanas this is only a periodic change of personality and once the breeding season is over, they usually return to 'normal'.
