Reptile & Amphibian Forums

all,
We've three collared lizards. two baby females and an adult male. until the females are large enough to live with the male, we've split them up into two different containers.

Lighting - We've bought a four foot flourescent fixture and currently have a UV B (5% & 40W) light tube in it with a regular flourescent. each container has a heat rock and an incadesent light bulb.

Is this enough? if more should be purchased, is there a company online that sells light bulbs, with the correct wavelenth and power, at discount prices?

Food - the baby females are still eating small crickets. the small crickets die very quickly and we are running to local pet shops buying crickets too much. we'd like to switch to a type of worm. so far, none of the collards have accepted meal worms or superworms. we'll try waxworms tomorrow. if they accept waxworms, may we stop feeding crickets to the baby females as their daily diet?

curtis

Ok a couple of questions.

1. What are the containers they are being held in??

2. What size are the containers??

3. Are the heat rocks the only source of heat for the collareds??

4. How are you feeding your collareds the crickets??

5. What substrate are you using??

6. Any hide areas for your collareds??

I would recommend though that forget the idea of waxworms as the sole food source for your collareds as they are high in fat. Stick with crickets and make sure the coat them with the calcium dust and provide a food source to fatten up the crickets.

There are many people on this board with tons more knowledge than I but it is always an adventure and a learning experience.

Hi,
I agree with Boost that we ned more info on viv size, and I would also ask what your temps are, how you are measuring them, and where you are measuring them. Are you using a temp gun, a digital therm with probe, or a stick on therm? Also, are you in the US, or elsewhere?

As for the UVB bulb that you have, it is really not adequate for collareds. They need high UVB, so if you want to use a florescent tube, go with an 8 or 10, The best UVB that you can buy are Mercury Vapor bulbs, but your viv has to be big enough to accomodate the heat they produce and tall enough to allow 18 inches from the bulb to the basking spot. You can read up on these at www.reptileuv.com

Crix are really the best staple for collareds, but you can buy them on line MUCH cheaper than buying them at a pet store, and if you take proper care of the crix, they usually survive for at least two weeks. The key is to feed them a nutritious diet that keeps them alive and benefits the collareds. Have you read up on cricket care and gut loading?

Alternative feeders are silk worms, horn worms, and for the adult, you can try superworms. I would avoid meal worms and wax worms. You can also give them salad. Mine eat a salad of collareds, bok choy, endive, raddiccio, shredded squash and a little fruit.

So please answer Boosts questions plus mine on temps and thermometers.

I can't believe you put COLLAREDS in your salads, LOL
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PHEve / Eve

LMAO! I did it again! Its Randy C.s fault! I was rushing around, getting ready for a visit and wasn't paying attention. And you know that's BS!

No, actually, I put salads in my collareds!

Well, if you set your Collared in a bowl of collards...I say it's perfectly legit! LMAOx2

As long as the collareds in which have collars, like collards it's fine to allow them to have some. LOL
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PHEve / Eve

How many collards would a Collared Lizard collar if a Collared Lizard could collar collards? Hehehee back at you!

LMAO! Good one!