Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I bought what I thought was a Yellow Throated Plated lizard Friday. From looking at the other posts/pictures, it appears that I may have the other subspecies. Anyway, I was wondering how many and how often I should be feeding him crickets? I have tried feeding him apples/applesauce and green leaf lettuce, but it appears that he has not eaten any of that yet.

From the photo it's a bit hard to tell: Looks like a nigrolineatus.

Look at this German site for ID:

http://www.grisus-welt.de/Gerrhosauridae/Gerrhosaurus/Gerrhosaurus_flavigularis/gerrhosaurus_flavigularis.html

Has pics of all common plateds in one place, just click the links on the left.

As for how often/how many: For an adult as many as 20 big crickets or 6 - 8 big zophobas - but watch it, they tend to get fat fast. A day or two of fasting/fruit only are often in order. Don't feed them to the max every day, as they WILL eat way too much.

Try pieces of banana & grapes - these are the favorites of my G.vallidus. And they also *love* thyme flowers for some reason... And strips of cut up chicken/beef heart.

HTH,
Kai

From the body structure, head shape, and defined yellow lines with black trim I say Gerrhosaurus flavigularis/ Yellow Throated Plated Lizard. Not really a subspecies but rather specific local coloration & marking differences.

These are insectivores which occasionally eat greens, fruits, and yogurt during breeding season only. Recommended diet of crickets, wax worms, and only occasionally small Zoophobias/superworms. Are you dish feeding? Otherwise fine aspen shaving are a problem. If he is not eating check your ambient temperature and basking area temp. Ambient temperature range of 75F-82f with a basking site 95f to 110/surface temp on basking tile/terra cotta lid is common practice. Also what are you using as a nesting box/humidity box? Is the box close enough to basking area to it warm & humid? Humid by means of coconut husk bedding 1” to 2” deep with layer of New Zealand Sphagnum Moss on top; I use Rubbermaid type boxes with tops and put air holes in sides for ventilation.

He looks pretty thin so a Flagyl & Panacure dosing to rid parasite may be in order shortly. Get him feeding first. I don’t count cricket feedings on WC animals I just let them eat to build up mass/muscle first.

Hope this helps you get started. I have been keeping and breeding Gerrhosaurus & Zonosaurus species since late 1970s so ask away. Also check for small spurs around the cloaca and size of femoral pores running under the hind legs as this will help you sex him.

Thank you for replying to my message. I have been feeding him two dozen crickets about every three days. He eats all of them in about five minutes. I have a large dish of water for him to soak in. The other day I found all of the leaf lettuce bits in the water? I guess he must have ran throught the food dish and then soaked in his water dish. His fruit/veggies get dehydrated very quickly under the heat/uvb bulbs.
Can I get the de-wormer online, or do I have to go through a vet? Where do you get bed-a-beast? I wondered about the occasional small piece of bedding he eats when he catches the crickets.I don't want him to become impacted/sick!
He has a fringe of tuberacle scales on the backs of his back legs, so I thought he was a male.
I made him a cave/hiding place which is made of sculpey clay. Sometimes he uses this and other times he just burrows under the substrate. Anyway,I thought that if I gave you more information it would give me more ideas for sumpreme care if you guys could give me some insite as to his care.