Reptile & Amphibian Forums

HI,
I bought this lizard a few months ago at a pet shop for $4.99
He was sold to me as a clawed gecko. I know he is not a gecko and he seems to be more like a tegu. He is not eating well and I have him in a tropical terrarium with a red eyed tree frog.
Perhaps this is a desert species? Any help on the species and how to house him would be appriciated.

It is NOT a clawed gecko or a gecko of any kind. Certainly looks like a species of Eremias, a tiny lacertid. Most of them come from Turkey, China, Iran, etc. Look at www.lacerta.de to help identify it.

These types of lacertids are sickened by too much humidity. Give him a dry tank with some rocks and branches to climb on, a water bowl and good UVB and basking lights.

It probably is a Mesalina species (long legs, a fairly long skull and somewhat 'high' nostrils) altough the markings on his back don't resemble any Mesalina i know.
This is definetely a desert species, shame on the guy who sold it to you. It probably is too late to save him anyway, he looks very weakened.
Good luck anyway.

Why would you buy a lizard if you didn't know its care or even the species? You should do tons of research before purchasing a reptile and have a proper terrarium setup prior to getting it.

But the mistake has already been made. Try to find info on that lizard and get it in a proper terrarium. You can call up your local herp vet and they might be able to give you some info on nursing it back to health. If he doesn't start eating within a couple of days of getting him into the new enclosure (get it setup immediately!), you can probably forcefeed it. Usually a good reptile vet will know a good mixture to feed.

I hope he gets better.