Hi, I'm looking to get a couple of lizards this year and would appreciate some advice on keeping them from experienced owners instead of petshops! I plan to get them from a rescue centre called Beaver Water World and will of course be asking their advice too.

My nephew has always wanted a BD, so I will be looking to get a male, probably neutered. As to the other, female, lizard, I'm not really worried about what type she is, assuming that two lizards of different species can live together? I do confess to a liking for frilled lizards - basilisks are georgeous - but it would depend on what the rescue centre has at the time.

I'm looking at vivariums, and have heard a lot about making them or converting them from display cabinets. Has anybody out there converted a display cabinet? Obviously I'll be considering the relevant measurements, but does anybody have any other advice?

The other minefield is food - any advice on it would be gratefully received.

Many thanks, and watch this space for an introduction!

Caz

First of all gold star to you for going to a rescue rather than a pet shop!

Neutering of reptiles is by no means a common practice as it isn’t really necessary with the option of simply separating males and females, there’s no real research on the benefits of this for reptiles either. The procedure also carries far greater risks for a reptile than a mammal with reptiles having slower metabolisms, making it more difficult for them to remove the anaesthetic from their system.

Mixing species does not tend to work out well, although some people may have success with mixing species, often it can go very wrong. Although some species may outwardly appear very similar such as the African Fat Tailed Gecko and Leopard Gecko, if placed together in an enclosure only one can be provided with its optimum living conditions as they require different living conditions which is specific to their species. Long term, the health of one of the animals may be compromised due to inadequate living conditions.

There may also be an issue if one of the animals is diurnal (awake during the day) and the other is nocturnal (awake during the night), each one may disturb the sleep of the other during their waking hours which would result in stress and conflict. When there is a size difference between the species, the smaller species may often be looked upon as a prey item and be at very serious risk of attack.

All animal species in the world carry unique bacteria and protozoans that aid different processes within the body, These bacteria and protozoans are specific to the species in which it inhabits, when two species come into close contact with one another, as would happen in a contained environment such as a vivarium, the symbiants from one species will inevitably pass onto the other, this may cause the second species to become ill. What may be harmless and healthy for one species may not be for another. I would avoid mixing species.

I’ve also seen old display cabinets converted into enclosures for reptiles but have never done it myself, You may find some help and ideas here though Habitat - Reptile Forums

The husbandry methods and enclosure design will be influenced by how the reptile of your choice has evolved to utilise its natural environment. For instance diurnal species (such as the bearded dragon) tend to be heliothermic, that is to say they obtain the majority of heat for thermoregulation from the sun so heat bulbs will be required to mimic the sun. Nocternal species tend to be thigothermic, that is to say they obtain most of their heat from the warmed rocks once the sun has set, this will need to be mimicked by the added use of under heating devices (heat mats). To monitor the temperatures you will need a digital thermostat, habistat thermostats will provide you with accurate temperature control of heat lamps and mats. Reptiles are highly adapted to the temperatures in their natural environment so keepers should aim to replicate these temperatures.

The requirements of UV exposure will also differ between species, UV being very important for the biosynthesis of vitamin D3 which effects calcium homeostasis and prevents conditions such as Metabolic Bone Disease.

Avoid substrates such as pine, fir, cedar or other coniferous wood products as they can contain toxic oils. The safest choices are paper towel, ceramic tile, slate, reptile carpet, astroturf, linoleum or other floor tiles. Do be careful with bark as there is the potential for mite infestation with this substrate.

When housing lizards it is strongly advised to avoid sand as a substrate for species such as the Leopard Gecko and Bearded Dragon as sand poses the threat of impaction. Although these species come from arid environments, they naturally live in areas where the land is hard baked with only a very fine sprinkling of sand making it virtually impossible for the lizard to get a mouth full of it in the wild. For this reason these species of reptile have not evolved the appropriate behaviours or adaptations to shift sand from their systems after accidental ingestion, which unfortunately has resulted in many deaths. The reptile may consume the sand by many different means including while hunting, general investigation (licking) or intentional ingestion. The reptile will intentionally consume its substrate in an attempt to increase its blood calcium levels if these levels are particularly low; this highlights the importance of correct supplementing. Death is caused by sand clogging up the lizards' intestines and, if severe enough, can rupture the intestinal wall. Some sands claim to be digestible, although sand, no matter how it is prepared is not 100% digestible. Calci sand is often debated to be one of the worst brands of sand available on the market for reptiles as this form of sand actually encourages the animal to consume it, exponentially increasing the risk of impaction. Play sand is also another brand claiming to be safe but in reality there is no such thing as safe sand. Although there has been some success when using sand as a substrate I would not recommend it for this reason, nor would I recommend any loose substrate with lizards for that matter, unless it is a requirement for that species.

Certain foods for herbivorous species should be restricted or fed sparingly including water containing vegetables such as lettuce, celery and cucumber which contain little nutrition, and if fed in substantial quantities will eventually lead to deficiencies. The excessive feeding of cabbage, kale, broccoli, brussel sprouts and cauliflower, may lead to an iodine deficiency as they are all iodine binding plants, and plants such as spinach, beetroot and rhubarb leaves contain oxalates which bind to calcium, preventing its absorption and in so doing causing a calcium deficiency. It should also be noted that fruits such as banana can cause a sugar ferment in herbivorous reptiles leading to colic as well as sticking to the mouth, encouraging local infection.

Insects should be gut-loaded 24-48 hours before being offered to the lizard. Gut-loading increases the nutritional value of the insect as well as extends its life. To gut-load an insect you can feed it various food items including carrot, apple, leafy greens (romaine, mustard greens, kale, collard greens) sweet potato, squash, bran, oats and various other foods. Commercial gut-loading products are also available. Remember that what goes into the insects is ultimately fed to the reptile.

Do not leave live food in with your reptile unattended; insects have been observed perching on the preorbital area and ‘drinking’ fluid from the reptiles eye causing conjunctival or corneal irritation. Insects may also bite and feed off the reptile.

Correct supplementation is also very important, there are multivitamin mixes available designed for the specific species in your care. Often calcium supplements are also required. A reptiles calcium to phosphorus intake ratio should be 2:1 respectively, these two minerals work together in the body to maintain strong bones as well as having other important functions. Do be aware that it is possible to over supplement which can be just as dangerous as a deficiency.

Always be aware of the specific requirements of the species you wish to purchase, also be aware that some species are more suitabe as a first time pet reptile than others, for some species, basic knowledge will not be adequate.

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Wow, thanks for that! I've copied it to a word document so I can refer to it as I go along. I really appreciate the time you put into it. As to going to a petshop, there's never been any chance of that with any of my animals, I can't bear the places - I hate to see all those animals treated with that much indifference. And that was before I heard about all the incompetence!

Watch this space...

Caz

No problem, most of the info I had already written out here Introduction - Reptiles As Pets so cheated a little lol. Some of the sections aren't finished yet and I still need to proof read some of it to make sure my sentences are coherent (will do this when all my uni work's out the way) but some of what i've written up you might find interesting or useful?

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It's brill, thanks so much. And you're at Uni too? I'm doing a 'BSc Hons' in Occupatioanl Therapy, what are you doing? I'm amazed at how many members on here are at Uni, I feel the creation of a group coming on...

Caz

I'm studying a BSc (Hons) in Zoo Biology

Yeah, there does seem to be quite a few of us students here hehe!

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