Providing the right care for your pet lizard is difficult if you don’t know what you are doing. It’s even worse if you already know how to care for one type of lizard and assume that the same treatment would apply to all types of lizards. Different species will require different care. Their requirements to live a normal and comfortable life as captive animals will depend on how much you can simulate their new living quarters just like their natural habitat.
When preparing the tools and accessories you’ll need to care for your pet, you’ll first need to know where it came from. At least know what is the kind of environment its natural habitat is. Lizards from the desert will want to live in a sandy box while those from the forest or swamps will want a humid home. By identifying these two information, you could either get a humidifier for your pet to keep it wet once in a while or to get a UV lamp for additional warmth. If your pet lizard’s natural habitat is near the water, it might be good to add a basin or a small pool for your pet to wallow in.
Also, you will need to know about the characteristics of your pet lizards. If your species is the hyperactive type, it may be best to get your pet a bigger terrarium so it could have space to run around or jump around. If it likes high places or climbing branches, then you could add a branch in their terrarium.
Feeding habit should also be observed. Although lizards are reptiles just like snakes, lizards do need to eat at least once a day unlike the weekly feeding rime of snakes. Some species of lizards may even require to be fed twice in one day. So be sure to know how much food your pet requires in one day to be able to prepare and provide for it when needed.
When you need to carry your pet, don’t make it a habit to pull its tail. The smaller species of lizards have a tendency to cut off its tail and may run off while the bigger species that can’t perform autotomy, will be hurt when you carry them by their tails. Make it a habit that whenever you carry your reptile pets, you lift them by the underbelly while supporting it by its tail part.
Always provide fresh water for your pets to drink. Some, like the chameleon will only drink water dews created by the humidifier, this may be enough as drinking water source for the chameleon. Other and most lizard species though will appreciate having a dish of water in their terrarium. All species of lizards will drink fresh water even in a dish.
If your lizard likes the heat, don’t make the mistake of using heated stones to heat them up. Hot stones, if your pet lizards should stay on top of them for too long, could cause burns and injuries. Lizards don’t have nerves on their underbelly so they won’t be able to feel the heat there, that’s why it could stay long on that hot rock and burn without noticing it.
Lizards don;t like getting crowded as well. Make sure that when you are planning to have two lizards at the same time, that you have enough space to house both of them. If you are planning to put them in the same terrarium, make sure that the terrarium has enough space for both of them or they would get stressed and get sick or they may fight each other off and cause injuries to one another, which could lead to infection.
The most important thing to remember is that if that lizard came from some place else, or if it does not belong in your area, it is best not to set that animal free. Setting it free may cause an imbalance or disturbance in the ecosystem. So better to keep it with you or give to someone else who could take good care of it, like professional lizard breeders.
These are just the basic techniques and methods of caring for your pet lizards. It is advisable to read additional literature on how to take care of your specific pet lizard. You should be able to find resources on libraries or bookstores on the complete and detailed information on caring for your pet lizards.
Bearded dragons are one of the most popular species of pet lizards available. Despite their striking appearances, bearded dragons are popular choice for pet lizards because they are relatively easier to handle and take care of as compared to other species of lizards.