BGalloway
New Member
- Messages
- 404
- Location
- Northeast USA
AKA Gerrhosaurus flavigularis. First the backstory to my dilemma.
So I went in to the local mom&pop pet store for crickets today and they were sold out (drat). So I made some conversation with one of the workers and long story short got offered a CAPTIVE BORN AND BRED Yellow Throated Plated Lizard for FREE
. S/He's been there 6 months and they just want him/her into a good home.
I of course declined their kind offer for the moment and began to pick their brains with husbandry questions. I think I can manage having a diurnal lizard.
My mother on the other hand, semi-objects. The reptile will of course be living with me, in her house, over winter break. I will be away for 4 days on a vet-school-interview-trip along with my mother. This leaves my cricket-phobic father in charge of my gecko and the hypothetical lizard :main_thumbsdown:. My mother is nagging me to bits about this conundrum as this little lizard is currently eating crickets; my leo can handle 4 days no food, but a ~7month old lizard I'm not too keen to put off feed (s/he's still a growing boy/girl!).
Now there is the chance that since this critter hasn't sold in 6 months it'll wait another month for me to get back from winter break...but...what if it doesn't... I kind of want it and here's why; they asked me if I'd like to take him/her and the care seems simple enough.
From combiining what the clerk said with the internet here's what I've worked out:
-Full Spectrum UVB lighting, 50 watts, change every six months
-95-110*F basking spot
-Under tank heater, keep the warm side mid 80s
-Water dish large enough for whole body
-36"x18" minimum size for container (probably wider than 18" but it'll have to be a tub of some sort and not an aquarium or I can't keep it in the dorm)
-Feed dusted crickets and offer fresh fruit veggie mix
-They like to burrow so sand or other particulate substrate, feed in separate area to minimize impaction risk.
This kills me though because I swore to not use sand:main_angry:, it has impaction risk regardless of wether its "part of the natural habitat" or not :main_angry:! But they do burrow because I've seen him/her in the tank over there whipping over and under that sand, running about, like a ferret in packing peanuts!
Ladies and Gentlemen of the forums my quandry is thus:
Is my hypothetical setup adequate? Is there anyone out there with experience keeping or breeding these lizards who might offer advice?
Is my information on adequate UV lighting correct or will I need a higher wattage or more frequent bulb changes?
Is my container big enough?
Is my dietary information correct?
PLEASE give me input about substrate, I know I've said in the past never use sand but now I'm doubting it (My leo however shall never touch sand)
Should I wait untill after winter break and risk this little one going to someone else?
Should I even get this plated lizard? (I do want to...but I'd really like to be in a more stable position and know where in the country I'll be next year, darn vet school)
So I went in to the local mom&pop pet store for crickets today and they were sold out (drat). So I made some conversation with one of the workers and long story short got offered a CAPTIVE BORN AND BRED Yellow Throated Plated Lizard for FREE
. S/He's been there 6 months and they just want him/her into a good home.I of course declined their kind offer for the moment and began to pick their brains with husbandry questions. I think I can manage having a diurnal lizard.
My mother on the other hand, semi-objects. The reptile will of course be living with me, in her house, over winter break. I will be away for 4 days on a vet-school-interview-trip along with my mother. This leaves my cricket-phobic father in charge of my gecko and the hypothetical lizard :main_thumbsdown:. My mother is nagging me to bits about this conundrum as this little lizard is currently eating crickets; my leo can handle 4 days no food, but a ~7month old lizard I'm not too keen to put off feed (s/he's still a growing boy/girl!).
Now there is the chance that since this critter hasn't sold in 6 months it'll wait another month for me to get back from winter break...but...what if it doesn't... I kind of want it and here's why; they asked me if I'd like to take him/her and the care seems simple enough.
From combiining what the clerk said with the internet here's what I've worked out:
-Full Spectrum UVB lighting, 50 watts, change every six months
-95-110*F basking spot
-Under tank heater, keep the warm side mid 80s
-Water dish large enough for whole body
-36"x18" minimum size for container (probably wider than 18" but it'll have to be a tub of some sort and not an aquarium or I can't keep it in the dorm)
-Feed dusted crickets and offer fresh fruit veggie mix
-They like to burrow so sand or other particulate substrate, feed in separate area to minimize impaction risk.
This kills me though because I swore to not use sand:main_angry:, it has impaction risk regardless of wether its "part of the natural habitat" or not :main_angry:! But they do burrow because I've seen him/her in the tank over there whipping over and under that sand, running about, like a ferret in packing peanuts!
Ladies and Gentlemen of the forums my quandry is thus:
Is my hypothetical setup adequate? Is there anyone out there with experience keeping or breeding these lizards who might offer advice?
Is my information on adequate UV lighting correct or will I need a higher wattage or more frequent bulb changes?
Is my container big enough?
Is my dietary information correct?
PLEASE give me input about substrate, I know I've said in the past never use sand but now I'm doubting it (My leo however shall never touch sand
)Should I wait untill after winter break and risk this little one going to someone else?
Should I even get this plated lizard? (I do want to...but I'd really like to be in a more stable position and know where in the country I'll be next year, darn vet school)
