Choosing and Caring for Pet Desert Lizards

As mentioned above, the most popular type of desert lizard is the Leopard Gecko. Other popular pet lizard species are the North African Lizard Dab Lizard and the Texas collared lizard.

• Horned and Spiny Lizards
• Skink Lizards
• Geckos
• Collared Lizards
• Chuckwallas
• Spiny-tailed Agamids
• Night Lizards
• Bearded Dragons

These desert lizards have similar characteristics (nasal psychology) but are very different in behavior. The Horned Lizard is slow and squat, while the Spiny Lizard or Swift is thinner and fast. The Fence Swift and Horned Lizard are both popular among hobbyists.

Horned Lizard Habitat:

• Habitat: The terrarium size depends on the size of the lizard and the number to be kept in captivity. Minimum dimensions are 12 in. x 30 in.
• Substrate: Sand
• Furniture: Flat rocks
• Temperature: 105F to 110F (50.6C to 43C)
• Low humidity
• Lizard Cage Size: Depends on size of lizard
• Diet: Ants, which make this type of lizard difficult to care for in captivity
• Swift Spiny Lizard Habitat Exceptions:
• Furniture: Limbs for climbing, flat rocks
• Lizard Cage Size: 12 inches x 48 inches

Skinks live in the Savanna or Desert. Ocellated or Barrel Skinks are a popular lizard breed in America and Europe. They are kept in a sand terrarium, but need to maintain the proper sand/moisture balance. Sinks are small lizards that are not commonly kept in home habitat. They can be kept in areas that are 12 in x 30 (20 gallon terrarium). Other types of skinks include the Great Plains Skink, Schneider's and Algerian Skink. The later is cold tolerant and eats insects

Another type of skink lizard is the Sandfish. These desert lizards require a large terrarium with up to a foot of fine sand at the bottom. Keep the bottom layer of sand moist with trickling water fed via a PVC pipe. Keep one end of the terrarium at 110F (43C) and the other end at 85F (29C).

Geckos are popular desert lizards as pets due to their small size and ability to keep in a smaller aquarium. They are slower moving, and relatively easy to care for.

Types of Desert Geckos:

• Leopard Geckos: The Leopard Gecko is an extremely popular lizard commonly found in pet stores. The lizard feeds on crickets and mealworms.  A leopard gecko can live as long as 15 to 22 years. These lizards are nocturnal, making them more active at night. To observe their behaviors you may need a special red or night bulb.
• Habitats can be as small as a 10 gallon aquarium. An owner can keep 3 females and one male in a tank. Place an inch of sand on bottom of tank. Other acceptable substrates are small pebbles, ground oyster shell. Like caves, cork bark tubes or curved pieces of pine bark.
• Keep clean water in habitat at all times in a shallow dish.

• African Fat Tailed Geckos: Prefer that the aquarium be a bit more humid that an aquarium kept for leopard Geckos. Set up the aquarium in the same way, but to raise the humidity, use bark nuggets in the terrarium (they hold moisture). Also include un-milled sphagnum moss. Keep a low water dish in the tank.

• Collared lizards in the wild are found near boulders. These lizards should be kept only one to a tank. The minimum lizard habitat size is 18 inches x 48 inches. Basking area should be kept up to 115F (46C). Also provide a cooler area for resting. Nighttime temperatures can be 60F (18V). This species is best know for showing no fear. The Texas collard lizard is a popular choice due to its stunning colors and ability to adapt to captivity.
  

Chuckwallas are large desert lizards that are not very active. When grooming, one Chuckwalla will bite the skin off of the other.

• Lacertid Lizards: Jeweled and Green Lacertas: These savannah lizards grow to 18 inches to 32 inches in length. Lacertid lizard diet is small insects, rodents and small birds. Will eat fruit and blossoms. Require large cages since they like to move and climb.

These lizards require high levels of UVB lighting and a sand/clay substrate. They like to burrow. They will drink from a flat dish. They prefer to eat tough and non succulent leaves and blossoms of Arternesia.

Like others on this page, create a desert terrarium to house this lizard. They like to bask underneath a warm rock or bark. They eat small crickets, mealworms, beetles, grasshoppers and other small insects.

Bearded Dragons or Beardies as they are affectionately called can be found in a variety of habitats including everything from deserts to heavily forested areas. The lizard originally comes from Australia, but can now be found in other regions. There are eight recognized species which grow to no more than 2 feet in length (most grow to between 6 to 12 inches), making them a popular pet lizard. Baby bearded dragons cost between $25 and $35 dollars. Adults can cost several hundred dollars. Inspect the baby when purchased in a pet store for appetite (ask it to be fed), and check that eyes are clear, and all toes are in place.

• Diet: Bearded Dragons are easy to feed.  They eat plants, animal and can be coaxed into eating specially formulated pellets.
• Vegetables: Diced carrots, collard greens, dandelion flowers/leaves, frozen mixed vegetables, kale, mustard greens
• Insects: Gut loaded (pre-fed with nutrients) crickets, mealworms
• Rodents: Small mice
• Commercial Diets: Pellets
• Handling: This might be the easiest lizard to handle.  They sit still in palm (out of fear) and will not bite or scratch.
• Habitat: Glass terrarium with a mesh screen top. 
• Juveniles: lizard cage with is 3ft to 4ft in length.
• Adults: 6 ft in length, 16 in to 20 in wide.
• Substrates: Print free newsprint in first layer, topped with either sand or Calci-Sand which generally considered safe and digestible, although others believe that it can lead to an impaction or gastrointestinal blockage problem.
• Furniture: Some type of branch or shelter box or reptile cage to perch on top of or to sleep inside.
• Diurnal: Bearded Dragons are awake and active during the day.
• Appeal: The lizard makes a waving motion with an arm that delights owners and visitors.
• Temperature: Like other lizards, bearded dragons require a cool zone and a hot zone. Daytime temperatures should range from 80F to 85F. Basking areas should be at 90F to 93F. At night, the entire terrarium, hot and cold, can be set to the same temperature which is 65F to 75F.
• Lighting: Bearded dragons require 10 hours of sunlight per day. Use natural unfiltered light or full spectrum lighting.
• Water: Clean water provided in a dish.