Blue Tongue Skinks are popular pet lizards and after you read this blog article detailing the top five things the Backwater Reptiles Team loves about them, you’ll know why!
1. Blue Tongue Skinks are the dachshunds of the lizard world. Blue tongues, or “blueys” as they are more commonly known, grow to be quite long, slender, and low to the ground. Their legs are also rather short and squat in proportion to the rest of their body. Overall, they remind us of weiner dogs…if weiner dogs were lizards, that is!
This is a particularly long bluey. They can reach lengths of around two-feet.
2. Blueys are generally super friendly. While the young lizards can be a bit squirrelly, once you get them used to being handled and they learn that you are not a threat to them, they become really docile. Due to their leg size, these skinks are not quick animals and as they grow larger, they generally slow down considerably. Many blueys will even sit and watch TV with you on the couch or enjoy a good chin and head rubbing.
3. Blue Tongues are relatively low maintenance animals. The only real “obstacle” to owning a blue tongue is that they usually need to be housed separately in fairly large enclosures. If you can meet the space requirement, they only need a substrate that allows them to burrow, a varied omnivorous diet, and appropriate heat and basking lamps.
4. Like many reptiles that are bred in captivity, blue tongues are available in different color morphs. From albino to melanistic to leucistic to patternless, blue tongue skinks have been captive bred to express genes that make their scales various colors and patterns that vary from the traditional coloring. They are essentially “designer” lizards – if you’re willing to cough up the dinero!
5. Blue Tongue Skinks have blue tongues! This might seen fairly obvious, but it’s true. The first time you see your pet bluey’s tongue, you will fall in love. It’s particularly endearing when they lick something other than food.
Are you wondering which lizards are venomous? Everyone knows that there are many species of venomous snakes in the world – rattlers, black mambas, and cobras being probably the most well-known. But did you know that there are actually two species of venomous lizards too?
Gila monsters are native to the southwestern deserts of the U.S. and northwestern Mexico. They are the largest land-dwelling lizard in the U.S. and can reach lengths of up to two feet and weigh over five pounds. They are black with orange, red, or pinkish-colored patches.
Because they are considered a threatened species (not to mention are dangerous animals!) it’s not always legal to keep a gila monster as a pet. It varies depending on where you live.
The venom of a gila monster is a fairly mild neurotoxin. The lizard does not possess fangs but does have sharp, serrated teeth. This means that in order to inject its venom, the monster will bite, hang on, and chew to allow the wound to open up and the venom to flow into the bloodstream. In other words, their teeth do not “inject” venom. Ultimately, because it bites like a bulldog, the bite will be very painful and could cause temporary paralysis or difficulty breathing, but is generally not fatal if treated properly.
By nature, Gilas are burrowers and in captivity, they behave much the same as they would in the wild. They spend most of their lives under ground and will eat voraciously, so if you are keeping gila monsters, you should probably be an experienced herp hobbyist who knows the habits of these lizards.
The Beaded Lizard is a close relative to the Gila Monster with similar body shape, venom delivery methods, and even skin texture. The Beaded Lizard gets larger than the Gila Monster though and can max out at three feet long and weigh as much as 45% more than its lizard cousin. Beaded lizards are also typically duller in color with browner bodies and white or yellowish splotches.
The resident Backwater Reptiles beaded lizard swallowing a pinkie.
Because the Beaded Lizard and Gila Monster both primarily consume eggs, scientists are not 100% sure as to why these lizards are venomous. Interestingly enough though, the Beaded Lizard’s venom has been discovered to contain enzymes that are useful in the treatment of diabetes.
Fun fact: the Beaded lizard can consume around 30% of its body weight in one feeding! We feed ours thawed fuzzy mice, around six per feeding, and the lizard is barely a foot long.
Beaded lizards (and gila monsters) use their tongues much like snakes do to taste and smell the air. They possess Jacobson’s organs which filter the sensory data obtained by their tongues so that it can be transmitted to their brains for interpretation.
The venom of the Beaded Lizard causes respiratory paralysis and failure, but is rarely fatal to humans.
Honorable Mention #1 – The Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis)
Komodos are extremely large lizards and therefore eat large prey animals such as deer, wild pigs, and even water buffalo. Sometimes the Komodo Dragon doesn’t manage to kill its prey in a single sitting, but the dragon is a patient lizard and will wait until it’s venom has worked its magic, which depending on the size of the animal, could take a day or two.
Venom researcher Bryan Fry discovered that the Komodo’s venom is delivered via chewing, much like the Beaded Lizard and Gila Monster’s venom. Once the venom has entered the blood stream, it can cause rapid decrease in blood pressure, expedite blood loss, and send a bitten animal into shock, making the prey animal too weak to escape or fight back.
Honorable Mention #2 – Monitor Lizard Family & Iguana Family
New scientific research suggests that monitor lizards and lizards in the iguana family also possess venom glands. Not to worry though – your pet iguana or pet Savannah monitor is not dangerous to you through its bite. The trace amounts of venom produced in these lizards is only strong enough to take down small prey items such as mice or birds. It is not harmful to people.
This is still a somewhat controversial topic of discussion and we’re awaiting further scientific data and studies until we officially proclaim monitors and iguanas venomous for the purposes of this blog.
If you’re wondering, “Do Leopard geckos regenerate their tails?” then you’ve come to the right place. If you see a leopard gecko in a pet store that is lacking a tail or if you accidentally injure your own leopard gecko to the point of losing its tail, you might be wondering if the gecko’s tail will grow back. It is in fact true that some species of lizards can regenerate their tails and leopard geckos are fortunately one of these species!
A leopard gecko that is regrowing its tail.
Leopard geckos (and most geckos and other lizards for that matter) will only drop their tails under what they perceive to be extreme duress or a life-threatening situation, whether this be mis-handling or a fight with another gecko.
If your leo’s lost its tail, the first thing you should do is allow it time to calm down and de-stress. If you have a loose substrate, be sure to gently transfer it to a container with a substrate that can’t get into the fresh tail wound and cause further issues. Paper towels are great temporary flooring for situations like this.
Here’s a close up of a leopard gecko’s tail during the regeneration process.
Your leopard gecko will have lost a substantial amount of fat storage (the tail is where its reserves are kept), so be sure that you are feeding it well to compensate. Wax worms are great fatty invertebrates to give geckos that are in the process of re-growing their tails. Be sure that if you are feeding it crickets that any leftovers are not allowed to remain in the cage after feeding time as they are known for nibbling on wounds.
Yes, when a leopard gecko loses its tail, its profile becomes somewhat “stubby,” but that doesn’t make them any less cute. :)
While leopard geckos are built to lose their tails if need be and the loss is therefore not a traumatic injury, the affected gecko should still be housed separately from other leos. This will mean it won’t have to compete for food or have to deal with potential aggression from other geckos. You can also keep a better eye on how much your gecko is eating.
Here’s an adult super giant albino leopard gecko with a fully regenerated tail. As you can see, the tail does not look the same as the original tail did. It appears smoother and with less defined “rings” or ridges.
It will take some time for the gecko’s tail to regenerate completely. Keep in mind that the new tail will also never look fully the same as the old tail did.
Your leopard gecko will be fine, and will be able to breed well, so long as you have identified what stressed your gecko to the point of dropping its tail in the first place and removed the cause. We think that leopard geckos who are in the process of regrowing their tails are quite endearing.
What do Horned lizards eat? That’s a question many well-intentioned reptile hobbyists ask when their pet Horned lizard won’t eat various common feeder insects. As is usually the case, it’s important to educate yourself before you purchase one of these fascinating lizards as a pet. When properly set up, they can make long-lived pet lizards.
“Horned toads,” as they are often called due to their squatty appearance, are members of the Phrynosoma family and are spread across North and Central America. There are thirteen recognized species in all, with most occurring within the United States.
Horned lizards prefer to eat ants. They’re a wonderful species but need to be fed correctly for long-term success.
What do Horned Lizards Eat?
The Problem: It’s pretty simple. Generally speaking, Horned lizards eat ants in the wild. Harvester ants are often preferred (be careful, they bite!), but they will consume common black ants as well (not the tiny red ones). Collecting enough ants can be very difficult, although you can attract them with just about any over-ripe fruit. But, there’s a trick that can make things much simpler…
The Solution: The easiest method is to switch them over to appropriately-sized crickets, which most of them will readily do. There’s one very important catch–Horned lizards require formic acid in their diet. They get this from ants in the wild, so it will need to be replaced if you feed them crickets instead. How can this be done? Simple.
Fortunately, we have a supplement available that’s specifically for Horned lizards. It’s a powder that you simply dust feeder insects with, and immediately offer them to your Horned lizard. Presto! You’ve now replaced the formic acid your pet lizard previously derived from consuming ants. You can purchase this product on our Horned lizard page using the drop-down menu on our horned lizard page.
Formic acid is required in all Horned lizard diets.
Using the above care tips, your pet Horned lizard can enjoy a long lifespan on a formic acid supplemented diet of crickets, mealworms, beetles, and grasshoppers.
We hope our “What do Horned lizards eat?” blog article has helped explain this unique reptile’s specialized diet in a way that is both applicable and relevant to your situation. If you have any questions, just let us know. If you’re ready to keep your own pet Horned lizard, we offer them for sale on our reptile website.
Would you like to know which species make the most docile pet lizards? While its true that lizards are not considered domesticated animals, many species are friendly and don’t mind being handled and interacting with their owners. This blog post is about the top five pet lizards we have found to be the most docile in our own experiences.
#5 Most Docile Pet Lizard:
Red, Yellow, and Egyptian Uromastyx Lizards (Uromastyx geyri/aegypticus)
There are many species of Uromastyx or Spiny-Tailed Lizards. At Backwater Reptiles, we’ve found that the readily available yellow and red Nigers are some of the friendliest, as well as Egyptian uromastyx.
Our favorite pet uromastyx species are red and yellow nigers, followed closely by Egyptians. Ornates are an honorable mention though.
Obtaining sizes between ten and eighteen inches in length, these lizards are pretty active and enjoy grazing and roaming their enclosures, so be sure to give them a reasonably spacious enclosure. Egyptian uros reach huge sizes, of 18-24 inches, making them impressive pet lizards.
Feed your Uromastyx leafy greens with the occasional cricket or superworm as a treat. Uros are hearty eaters and some will even become tame enough to eat from your hand.
#4 Most Docile Pet Lizard:
Green Iguana (Iguana iguana)
Most people don’t realize that smaller Green Iguanas can be a bit squirrelly and skittish. This is totally normal and if you handle your lizard enough and socialize it, as it grows it will become very docile. Large iguanas can be trained to walk on a leash, be potty trained, and will usually be comfortable sitting on their owner’s shoulders.
For the most part, iguanas are vegetarians and should be fed a plant-based diet. However, they will eat protein, although we don’t recommend feeding them insects or other more traditional meat-based food items on a regular basis.
Green Iguanas grow quite large and will reach adult lengths of five to seven feet, so be prepared to maintain a very large enclosure. Also, keep your pet iguanas claws trimmed as they can get sharp.
#3 Most Docile Pet Lizard:
Blue Tongue Skink (Tiliqua sp.)
Blue Tongue Skinks or “Blueys,” as they are affectionately known, are super relaxed pets. Their stumpy legs and sausage-shaped bodies make them slow animals, so picking them up and handling them is very straight forward.
Blueys are burrowers, so a very important care requirement for these guys is a substrate that allows for this behavior safely. They should have a hiding spot above their substrate as well, just be sure that it’s not heavy as you don’t want your bluey to burrow underneath and have its hiding place squash or injure the lizard.
Starting with a baby Blue tongue skink is generally recommended, as it can form a bond with you over time, rather than having to adapt to you after years of established routines. However, even adults and recently imported Blue tongues tend to be very calm.
#2 Most Docile Pet Lizard:
Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularis)
These little insectivorous geckos are extremely popular due to their simple care requirements and extremely laid-back personalities. Leopard geckos don’t mind being picked up, handled, and even petted. Many are so relaxed that they don’t even mind being “helped along” during the shedding process if they ever need it.
Leopard geckos can also have very long life spans when cared for properly. Some captive animals have been known to live for over twenty years, although six to ten years is far more common. Personally, we’ve never been bit by one.
#1 Most Docile Pet Lizard:
Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps)
Bearded Dragons are very enjoyable pet lizards. Not only are they bred to express various color morphs making them pretty to look at, but they have the personalities of little scaley pigs!
Beardies will eat pretty much any time of day and can easily become fat if you’re not careful. Feeding time for these guys is always a show and they are easily trained to eat out of your hand.
Unlike many lizard species, Beardies will lounge around the house with you. It’s not unusual to have a Beardie sit on your lap or shoulder while you watch TV or work at the computer. Overall, they mostly seem to enjoy interaction with people and even like being petted.
Perhaps the most perfect pet lizard of all, the Bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps).
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