Basic Lizard Care

There are more than 4,000 different species and subspecies of lizards. Therefore, it is important that you identify the species of lizard that you have and give it the proper care. To identify lizards, and find links to the proper care, visit the Lizards from A to Z page. Note: the Lizards from A to Z page is under heavy construction at the moment, and will be updated as fast as possible.

Basic Guidelines

Diet: Feeding your lizard the proper diet, is one of the most important things that you can do to insure the good health of your lizard. Different species of lizards eat different diets, and it is important that you understand which diet your lizard is suppose to eat. The diets are broken down into 4 different categories:

Herbivorous A diet consisting only of plants.
Insectivorous A diet consisting of primarily of insects.
Carnivorous A diet consisting only of animal matter.
Omnivorous A diet consisting of animal and plant materials.

Housing: You will also want to house your lizards in the proper cage. It is important that your lizard has the right type of cage, that it has enough room in the cage, and that you do not over crowd a cage with multiple lizards. Housing can be broken down into 5 different categories:

Large Cages
The Desert Terrarium
The Savanna Terrarium
The Woodland/Forest Terrarium
The Sepmiaquatic Terraium

Temperatures: Providing the right temperatures for your lizard is extremely important in maintaining its good health. Although all lizards are cold blooded animals, different species require different heating. Please make sure that you provide your lizard with the the proper high and low end temperatures.

Lighting: Many lizards require full-spectrum (UV-A and UV-B) lighting. They get this from the sun when they are outside and from a special light bulb while they are inside. Those special UV light bulbs will need to be changed once every 6 months. You will want to make sure that your lizard is not left unsupervised outside, and that it does not get too hot or cold while outside. Some lizards are only active at night. Please make sure that you have the proper lighting requirements for your lizard.

Water and Humidity:

Not all lizards require a water bowl. Some will require frequent misting. Also different species will require different humidity levels. Please make sure that you provide the proper water and humidity for your lizard.

Getting Started