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Waxmoth larvae are also very popular as a diet for lizards, and these are particularly valuable for rekindling the appetite of a sick individual and helping it to regain condition. The waxmoth larvae need to be kept cool to delay their pupation.

If the larvae are allowed to develop, they will emerge as moths and can be fed to various lizards, such as chameleons, which will enjoy being able to catch their dinner themselves if the moths are emptied into the vivarium. The substantial size of all kinds of the lizards means that they will feed happily on giant mealworms.

The wall lizard is also a member of the lacertid group and will thrive in a similar set-up receiving full spectrum lighting. They require an arid environment with plenty of retreats for hiding purposes, as well as baking spots. The typical temperature in the warmest part of the vivarium should be up to about 31⁰ C during the day and reduced to about 17^o C at night. Females often lay two clutches of eggs in the summer period. The diet for wall lizards should consist mainly of invertebrates with the occasional offerings of sweet fruit. There are different number of wall lizards all of which require similar care.

There will be times when the lizard starts to moult, with the skin starting to lift from the body. In most cases, this doesn’t cause a problem but on occasion, difficulties may arise, especially with geckos. The old skin may stick around their flattened toes, and start to constrict here, and if it is not removed than the affected digit will be lost. Raising the relative humidity level in their quarters may help to overcome this problem.

A vivarium is kept clean by removing soiled areas to substrate on a regular basis. It needs to be completely stripped down and washed out every 2 or 3 months on average; much will depend on the occupants. If you go on holiday, you will need to find someone to look after your lizards. If transporting the vivarium to the helper’s home – provided this is done quickly – there is no need to remove the lizards from their quarters; just take out water and food bowls and any heavy décor. Provide a spare heating element, in case this fails in your absence, as well as a supply of food.

The bearded dragon is now one of the most popular lizards in the world, thanks to its friendly personality and rather primordial appearance. Hatchlings are widely available and they can become sufficiently tame to feed readily from the hand. They will grow to about 51 cm in length. Their bread of spines under the chin, which form part of an inflatable throat punch, may look fearsome but, in reality, these projections are soft and harmless. A number of localized color variants have been recorded in the wild, and as domestication has taken place breeders have also concentrated on developing these shades.

Red and golden strains and are probably most widely kept at present. These lizards live well in groups, but especially with hatchlings it is important to check that they al have enough as eat, as weaker individuals will have to wait in order to feed. There are now prepared foods for bearded dragons, or, alternatively they can be fed a wide variety of plant matter, including dandelions, nasturtiums and similar leafy plants. Carrots and little fruit can be supplied, augmented with a vitamin and mineral mix. Small invertebrates should form part of the diet, from juveniles which grow very rapidly.

Correct lighting is absolutely vital in a vivarium for lizards. It is not a matter of using an ordinary light bulb or fluorescent tube, however, because these do not emit light of the same wavelength as sunlight, specifically light from the ultraviolet part of the spectrum. There are two components that are of significance to the well-being of reptiles – UVA, which acts as an appetite stimulant and generally encourages activity, including the onset of breeding behavior, and UVB which is vital for the synthesis of Vitamin D3. This is vital in regulating the body’s calcium stores and helping to ensure this mineral remains in the correct ratio with phosphorous. Special full-spectrum fluorescent tubes can be fitted into the vivarium for this purpose.

Their ultraviolet light output will decline over a period of time – most tubes need to be replaced after nine months of usage., even though they may appear to be still working. Black light is also sometimes used in vivaria for lizards, but these do not have an adequate UVB output. Lighting equipment for a lizard vivarium including a control unit. Spotlights for basking purposes are very important, but ensure arboreal species cannot burn themselves. Special fluorescent tubes are available that emit the vital ultraviolet rays necessary for the lizard’s calcium, metabolism and growth. More often than not, it is important the lighting décor should match the natural habitat of the lizard at all times.

The leopard gecko is one of the most popular of all display lizards, thanks to its attractive patterning and compact size. These geckos can be kept in pairs or preferably trios, comprising a male and two females for breeding purposes, and they rank among the easiest lizards to breed in a vivarium. They grow to 25 cm in length. There is a distinct difference in appearance between young and adult geckos, however, with hatchlings being strikingly banded, displaying chocolate- and sandy-colored stripes. As they mature these bands break up, giving rise to the speckled appearance of the adults.

Color variants are now being bred as well, although these are relatively scarce at present. Leopard geckos do not require a tall vivarium as unlike most geckos, they do not climb. A sandy substrate, with rocks and retreates such as cork bark, suits them well. One corner should be kept damp to encourage egg-laying. The temperature under the spotlight can be up to 40⁰ C with a temperature gradient across the vivarium, while at night the temperature can be allowed to fall back to 20⁰ C. These lizards will lose their banded appearance as they grow older developing a leopard-like patterning. Unlike many geckos, they are not agile climbers.

There are various prepared diets available for the most popular types of lizards, such as green iguanas and bearded dragons. These diets are often in pelleted form and although the foods can be fed in a dry state, they often prove to be more palatable to the lizards if they are moistened with water before hand. Even so, it is still a good idea to offer a range of fresh foods, ranging from sprouting pulses, such as mung beans, to alfalfa, can be grown quite easily even if you do not have access to a garden.

Other vegetables that can be fed to reptiles include carrots and cabbage in small quantities. Green lettuce contains little in the way of nutrients, however, compared with red-leaved variants. Some lizards will eat fruit, including grapes, apple and melon, but avoid rhubarb, which could be toxic because of its oxalic acid content. While larger lizards can munch whole leaves, food should be cut up into pieces, which can be swallowed without difficulty, particularly in the case of carrot. Provide the food in a bowl that cannot be tipped over easily. It is a good idea to sprinkle over a vitamin and mineral supplement to maintain the nutritional value. Read the labeling: overdosing is harmful, especially over a period of time.

Insectivorous Lizards: Catering for insectivorous lizards requires the use of a supplement as these foods are known to be deficient in terms of their calcium: phosphorous ratio and this can be a cause of metabolic bone disease. There are now various ways of improving the nutritional values of the main types of livefoods to compensate for the nutritional deficit. One effective way of doing this is known as gut loading. This involves feeding smaller livefoods to the lizards’ standard invertebrate livefood diet. The benefits should then be passed on to the lizards when they eat their regular food. Similarly, crickets can be sprinkled with a nutritional balancer prior to being fed to lizards. Crickets are available in various sizes, and it is possible to choose a suitably-sizes cricket to meet the requirements of the lizards. This can be useful when rearing young lizards as they can then be fed on an ever-increasing size of food as they develop and grows.

Mealworms also range in size from the mini-mealworms through to giant mealworms, which are actually a different species. The giant type is only suitable for the biggest lizards, such as fully grown water dragons, but the smaller sizes will be eaten by a variety of lizards. Their tough outer-body casing means they may not be easily digested in some cases, especially by small lizards.