Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Welcome to kingsnake.com's message board system. Here you may share and discuss information with others about your favorite reptile and amphibian related topics such as care and feeding, caging requirements, permits and licenses, and more. Launched in 1997, the kingsnake.com message board system is one of the oldest and largest systems on the internet.

Click here to visit Classifieds
Click for 65% off Shipping with Reptiles 2 You
Click for 65% off Shipping with Reptiles 2 You

Just got a leaopard lizard

herplover1978 May 15, 2010 06:53 PM

Any tips on keeping them? I have a good enclosure for it and right now I've got dirt for a substrate and a rock or two and a hollowed out log for for a hide. What kind of heating would be best, I have overhead and under tank. Do I need any UV light for them? I plan on feeding them crickets, meal worms etc. Do i need to use a calcium dust? Thanks!

Josh
-----
1.0 Rosy Boa
0.1 Mexican Rosy Boa
1.0 Coastal Carpet Python
3.1 Miniature Daschund
0.1 California Kingsnake
1 Nelson's Milksnake
1.0 Ornate Box Turtle
0.1 Tiger Salamander
3 Bullfrog tadpoles

Replies (3)

rkhorne May 16, 2010 06:07 PM

We'll need more info to really help you. Assuming it's from the Mojave desert, then you have a wandering type lizard that's not happy in a small, confined space. You will need to set it up in a very large, flat tank or enclosure with lots of play sand at least 1-2" deep. A large tube partially burried on the cool side of the tank will help it feel secure. Under tank heat is not needed or recommended, but a UV A&B light above on one end along with a 50-70W heat light is required. The area under the light should get to about 100F. Place a flat rock here, but not so big that it squashes it if it digs under it. You should place a heat barrier (PVC pipe, rocks, bricks, etc.) to separate the sand in the tank to make sure there are hot and cool sides in the tank. Plant matererials not needed, but I always put lettuce in just in the lizards don't eat the crickets...don't want the tables getting turned.

As for food, crickets are fine for smaller ones, but these are lizard eaters...so you'll need to supplement the cricket diet with bigger, live prey items, like Uta's or pinky mice if you want it to prosper. Only do this after the animal is good and heated, and very alert....otherwise it will not eat them.

Watering....Like most desert lizards, you don't put water in the tank with these guys. Instead I recommend placing it into a large glad container filled with only 1/4" of water. Slightly Mist the lizard as it goes in and leave it in there for ~10 minutes. Do this two or three times a week and it will not get dehydrated.

Enjoy,
Roger

herplover1978 May 16, 2010 08:27 PM

Thanks for the info, he was caught locally here north of Albuquerque, NM. I put a heat lamp on him and he is perched up on his half log soaking up the rays. He's eaten a few crickets. I can get utas pretty easily, so that shouldn't be a problem. Thanks for your help!

Josh
-----
1.0 Rosy Boa
0.1 Mexican Rosy Boa
1.0 Coastal Carpet Python
3.1 Miniature Daschund
0.1 California Kingsnake
1 Nelson's Milksnake
1.0 Ornate Box Turtle
0.1 Tiger Salamander
3 Bullfrog tadpoles

JackAsp Jun 16, 2010 04:10 AM

If you haven't found a good source of info yet, you can probably cheat off the collared lizard forums. Supposedly their care is very similar, although where exactly it differs I have no idea. I know that a few hybrids between the two have been produced, though, so that would seem to indicate that there are people there who keep both species.
-----
0.1 2006 Western Hognose (Bebe)
0.1 age unknown Cane Toad (Hengo)
0.1 2005 White-Banded Sheen Skink (Minerva)
1.0 2006 Northern Diamondback Terrapin (Queequeg)
1.0 2006 Madagascan Speckled "Hognose" (Sigmund)
1.0 2008 Bullsnake (Winkle)
1.2 2008 Eastern Collared Lizards (Pancho, Lupe, and Chica)
2.0 2009 Eastern Collared Lizards (Cesar and Nino)

Site Tools