The Most Colorful Pet Lizards

March 25, 2016April 8, 2016 ~ BackwaterReptiles

It’s no secret that many reptile enthusiasts gravitate to a specific animal because of the its unique physical traits and appearance. Often times, one of the first things we notice is a reptile or amphibian’s coloration because our scaley friends tend to be either dull and flat tones such as brown, tan, or black or brilliant, iridescent shades of green, blue, and even red.

In this article, we’ll describe our top four picks for the most colorful pet lizards and what makes them outstanding pets aside from their beauty.

Jeweled Lacerta (Lacerta lepida)

Also known as the ocellated lizard, the jeweled lacerta is a bright green lizard with bold, blue “eyes” or dots lining its back in a rosette pattern. These spots are not only pretty – they serve to reflect UV spectrum light. Both genders will be brightly colored, but males will be more vibrant and have much larger heads than the females.

Colorful pet lizard — This particular jeweled lacerta is teal in color with sapphire-blue markings, making it one of the most colorful pet lizards in the world.

For their size, lacertas are actually fairly light-weight lizards with somewhat slender builds. Despite their long tails, toes, and limbs, lacertas don’t tend to grow larger than two feet long. Females are smaller than males and will generally max out at around 20 inches long.

Jeweled lacertas are active, diurnal lizards. This means that you will not only require a fairly large enclosure for your lacerta, but plenty of UV and heat lighting for them to bask. A good rule of thumb is to provide a tank that is at least twice the length of your lizard, so if your lacerta is two feet long at maturity, it will do best in an enclosure that is at least four feet long.

We’ve found that jeweled lacertas are highly food-motivated animals. Although they’re not necessarily known for their docility, if you teach them to associate you with feeding time and positive interactions, your lacerta will become quite happy to interact with you.

Panther Chameleon (Furcifer pardalis)

Chameleons in general are known for their somewhat tricky care requirements, but luckily, panther chameleons are pretty adaptive when it comes to being pets. They breed well in captivity, so the animals that are available today are usually not from the wild, which makes them healthy and free of parasites with the added benefit of being used to people.

male panther chameleon — Pictured is a male Panther chameleon with red and teal coloration.

Because they can change color, panthers will express an array of complexions over their lifetime. Your pet panther chameleon can alternate from bright red to stunning blue and will pretty much always have some type of different color striping coupled with contrasting white markings. The teal, coral, and green colors produced by panther chameleons are extremely impressive.

Williams Blue Cave Gecko (Lygodactylus williamsi)

Williams blue cave geckos might be tiny in size, but they definitely pack a punch when it comes to the color department. Male Williams geckos are a dazzling, neon blue color with contrasting dark accent stripes. Females are an equally neon green with striped markings as well, but their stripes tend to be lighter in color.

male williams blue cave gecko — This is a male Williams cave gecko. You can tell by its blue coloration.

These geckos are actually dwarf geckos. Even the larger males usually don’t surpass two and a half inches long at maturity. They don’t require a lot of space, but because they are arboreal by nature, you’ll need to make sure that their home is tall with plenty of climbing equipment and hiding spaces.

The small size of the Williams blue cave gecko also means they eat small food. At Backwater Reptiles, we feed ours a staple diet of pinhead crickets and fruit flies.

Emerald Swift (Sceloporus malachiticus)

We love it when an animal’s name reflects one of its traits. This is definitely true of the emerald swift. This lizard is both speedy and green! Actually, swifts are a combination of blue and green. Usually, their throats, underbellies, and tails are blue, while their backs and limbs are green or teal.

Emerald swifts are not aggressive lizards, but as their name suggests, they are quick and nimble, which means that they’re not the best pets for someone who wants to be hands on with their lizard. Your swift most likely won’t bite, but it probably will squirm a lot and try to get away, which could stress the animal more than necessary.

Insects such as crickets, roaches, mealworms, and reptiworms are the go-to food for this carnivorous lizard. They will consume pretty much any insect, but they have been known to suffer from calcium deficiencies in captivity, so be sure that whatever invertebrate you select as dinner gets dusted with calcium powder at least every other feeding session.

Conclusion – The Most Colorful Pet Lizards

While some of the colorful pet lizards on our list are better at being seen than being handled, we still feel they all make equally fulfilling captive reptiles.

What’s your favorite colorful pet lizard? Let us know in the comments!

Lizards for Kids

February 26, 2016February 25, 2016 ~ BackwaterReptiles

Lizards can make very rewarding pets for children, even though they might not be what most parents would consider a “traditional” pet. They actually require far less maintenance than a cat or dog and most can be trained to be extremely social and friendly.

So, if you’re considering purchasing a pet lizard for your child or even as a classroom pet, check out our list below to see our top four lizards for kids.

The best lizards for children

1. Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps)

Bearded dragons top our list of the best pet lizards for kids because they’re very gentle, docile, and extremely easy to care for in captivity. They enjoy being out of their enclosure and receiving attention from their owners and are probably one of the more interactive lizard species that we have ever kept.

Beardies, as they are more commonly known, begin life fairly small. If you purchase a hatchling, your little lizard should be around four or five inches in length. Beardies are piggy lizards and will pretty much never refuse food, so be prepared for your beardie to grow…and grow fast!

Even though you can keep a hatchling comfortably in a ten gallon tank for a few months, it will quickly grow into needing an enclosure that is at least 75 gallons as a full-grown bearded dragon can be about two feet in length.

This beardie is what we call “normal” in the reptile world. This just means that it has not been bred to be any special color or have any unique markings. They make wonderful pet lizards for kids of all ages.

Bearded dragons are omnivorous, but hatchlings will be more inclined to eat insects over vegetable matter. Their favorite tends to be crickets, mealworms, and waxworms. We recommend placing fresh greens such as mustard greens and collards in their enclosure daily and feeding invertebrates daily as well.

If you’re interested in a healthy, amusing pet bearded dragon, Backwater Reptiles has many different morphs to choose from, and they’re all captive bred and thriving.

2. Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius)

If you’re in the market for a cute lizard with extraordinarily simple care requirements, then a leopard gecko just might be a good choice for your child.

Leopard geckos stay relatively small. A full-grown, large leopard gecko will reach ten inches long, but most will average around eight inches in length. They are available in many interesting color morphs and patterns, so this makes them very attractive to many hobbyists.

pet super snow leopard gecko — This leopard gecko morph is called a Super Snow. They’re black and white and do very well in captivity.

You’ll be hard-pressed to make a leopard gecko bite. They’re extremely good-natured little lizards. In fact, we love recommending them to children or first-time lizard owners because they always appear to be smiling.

Your leopard gecko will eat insects such as crickets, mealworms, and reptiworms. We like to give ours wax worms as treats, but only occasionally.

Check out our extensive selection of leopard geckos for sale ranging from hatchlings to mature adults. They’re perhaps the most popular pet lizard in the world.

3. Blue Tongue Skink (Tiliqua sp.)

We wouldn’t necessarily recommend a blue tongue skink for a young child such as a toddler, but a blue tongue would be a perfect pet lizard for a teenager or even pre-teen.

Blue tongues require a slightly more varied diet and a small percentage of specimens can be nippy if they’re not properly trained, so we think that unless you’re willing to invest the time to train and feed the lizard yourself, you may want to steer clear of choosing a blue tongue for your very young child. We’ve never had one attempt to bite us–ever–but if it did happen it’d be a little more painful than a bite from a small lizard.

Due to their giant blue-colored tongues, blue tongue skinks are commonly referred to as “Blueys” amongst reptile enthusiasts. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch glimpses of your bluey’s tongue when it eats veggies like kale, spinach, and collards combined with proteins such as mealworms, canned meat, or boiled chicken.

We know we already mentioned it, but blue tongues do have more complex dietary requirements than the other lizards on our list. Feeding them is not as simple as dropping a few insects in their cage or placing “skink pellets” into a dish.

blue tongue skink hatchling — This is a hatchling bluey. Many lizard lovers like blueys because of their short legs and big heads.

Blueys will not need a lot of accessories in their enclosure. They have short, stubby, little legs, which means they’re not climbers. All they really need is a water dish, clean substrate that allows for burrowing, and some hiding places.

If you’re ready to take on a pet blue tongue skink, we have healthy babies and adults available. They’re one of the world’s most popular lizards.

4. Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis) or Brown Anole (Anolis sagrei)

Anoles have always been great starter lizards for kids. In fact, many of us experienced herp hobbyists started out keeping pet anoles when we were a child, so we recommend them from first-hand experience.

Both green and brown anoles have very similar care requirements and eat the same types of food. In fact, in the wild, they share habitat and compete for space and food. We’d recommend either color – we say let your kid(s) pick which species they want.

Anoles are very small pet lizards which means that the space they require for a habitat is smaller than any of the other pet lizards on our list. However, anoles are prone to flightiness and don’t really enjoy being handled. So, if your child wants a lizard that they can hold and pet, we recommend going with a hardier lizard from this list.

Green and brown anoles are both extremely affordable pet lizards, so if you’re on a budget, an anole just might be the best bet for you and your family.

Backwater Reptiles sells both species of anole, plus a few other species too!

Lizards for Kids – Conclusion

There are tons of great lizards available in pet stores and from breeders that make excellent pets. However, we highly recommend any of the four lizards listed above if you are specifically in the market for your child’s first pet lizard.

How to Tell If Your Lizard Is Ready to Shed

November 12, 2015November 19, 2015 ~ BackwaterReptiles

Have you ever wondered how to tell if your pet lizard is preparing to shed its skin?

The truth of the matter is, all lizards shed their skin as they grow. This is because as the animal grows, its skin actually doesn’t grow with it, so when the animal outgrows the old skin, it becomes time for a new one. In scientific terms, this process is called ecdysis.

Some lizards will shed in a fast, singular fashion (i.e. shed their entire skin in a single session), but most shed their skin in pieces and the whole process may take several days to complete.

gecko shed comparison — These are both tangerine morph leopard geckos. The gecko on the left is grey and dull because it is preparing to shed. The gecko on the right however is displaying its natural vibrant orange coloration. Can you see the difference?

Signs Your Lizard is Going to Shed

Nearly all lizards will become duller in coloration. Normally shiny and even iridescent scales will become matte and have a grey cast to them. This is a classic sign and because it affects your lizard’s physical appearance, most pet owners will notice right away.

fat tail gecko shedding — This African Fat Tail Gecko (Hemitheconyx caudicinctus) is preparing to shed. Normally this species of gecko is brown, but this guy is very dull and grey because he is in his pre-shed phase.

Your lizard’s behavior will also change. Many will refuse food for a day or two prior to shedding. Sometimes they will also become lethargic. They’ll probably be more secretive and will also dislike being handled or disturbed, so we recommend leaving them be until the process has finished.

What to Do When Your Pet Lizard Sheds

Due to temperament changes, we recommend minimal handling of your lizard during the shedding process.

Because the lizard will most likely refuse food, be sure to remove any crickets and other insects that aren’t being eaten. Crickets are known to nibble on vulnerable lizards, so if you don’t want your lizard to come to unnecessary harm, we recommend following this rule.

If your lizard is not grumpy, you can help it get rid of small pieces of skin that are loosely attached, but certainly don’t pull off pieces that are still hanging on to the animal as this could be painful.

chameleon shedding — Although this male Panther Chameleon (Furcifer pardalis) might appear bright, in truth, they are generally much more of a brilliant blue tone. This particular chameleon will begin his shed process in a few days, so he is much duller than normal.

Problem Shedding

Sometimes your lizard might have trouble getting rid of its shed skin. An improper shed is called dysecdysis and can be dangerous to your lizard.

A number of things can actually cause dysecdysis ranging from improper humidity conditions to an ill animal.

If you feel that your lizard is suffering from an incomplete shed, we recommend veterinary attention, however there are home remedies you can try. Make sure that the lizard has plenty of accessories to rub itself against as it will use these items to help stubborn skin pieces fall off. Provide a bowl of water large enough for the animal to soak in, or alternatively, give the lizard mandatory soaking sessions in lukewarm water.

leopard gecko shed — Fun fact: When leopard geckos shed they actually eat the skin they lose. They are master recyclers!

Conclusion

All lizards shed as a part of their natural growth process. When you notice signs that your lizard is going to shed (i.e. change in appetite and dull coloration) try to disturb the animal as little as possible. And keep an eye out for incomplete sheds, which could be a sign of a larger issue in the lizard’s habitat.

How to Train Your Lizard to Eat From Your Hand

August 13, 2015November 19, 2015 ~ BackwaterReptiles

Interested in learning how to get your lizard to eat from your hand? Not all lizards enjoy being handled or eating in front of an audience. However, there are many species with voracious appetites that will basically eat on command and even seek-out the experience of being hand-fed by their keeper. In this blog entry, we will describe our techniques and methods for making our lizards friendly eaters.

First of all, it makes sense to start with a lizard species that is already known for having a great temperament and hearty appetite. Some species known for being overall pretty tame and well-mannered are: bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps), Blue Tongue Skinks (Tiliqua sp.), Crested Geckos (Rhacodactylus ciliatus), Leopard Geckos (Eublepharis macularis), Green Iguanas (Iguana iguana), some monitor lizards (Varanus sp.) and certain species of chameleon.

hand feeding lizard — Bearded Dragons are great lizards to hand feed.

You want to familiarize your pet lizard with you by handling it frequently. Get the animal used to your smell and get it accustomed to being removed from its enclosure if you want to hold it while feeding it. Remember never to move suddenly or get the lizard too close to your face.

After your lizard is used to you, the rest should happen naturally. If your lizard is an omnivore, start out offering it fruits and/or veggies from tongs or your hand. If your lizard is a carnivore and eats live insects, you can grip a cricket by its large back legs or grip a roach by its wings and gently place the wriggling insect in front of the animal to show it food is present. It also makes sense to offer the hand-held food at the beginning of the animal’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner time so that your lizard is not already full when you’re trying to train it.

Sometimes it helps to remove the lizard from it’s cage when feeding so that it doesn’t necessarily associate a hand entering the enclosure with food. This can lead to lunging at your hand with an open mouth.

After a while, your lizard will get used to the routine and will essentially eat from your hand on command. However, please understand that lizards are not domesticated animals and will not respond to formal training in the same manner that a dog or a cat would, so don’t be surprised if it takes a while…or if your lizard decides not to eat from your hand at all!

crested geckos eat from hand — Crested Geckos are friendly lizards with healthy appetites and can be trained to accept food from your hand.

How many of you readers out there have trained your lizards to eat from your hand? What methods did you use?

Backwater Reptiles Blog

Over 250 Articles for Herp Enthusiasts

Lizards