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Lizards
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 I adopted Dorothy, a Sudan plated lizard, in the Spring of 2001. She is pictured (left) trying to climb up the corner of her enclosure, a 40-gallon breeder "Critter Cage" (right). |
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Plated lizards
get their name from the large, thick, keeled scales that cover much of
their body. They shed their scales periodically - not all at
once
like many other lizards - and after handling a plated lizard you'll
probably notice that a few have come off in your hand. They
are
relatively large lizards and tend to be on
the shy side; Dorothy spends much of the day either basking on her rock
or trying to climb out of her cage but whenever someone enters the
room, she zips underneath her hide rock. She's
not a big fan of being handled, but has never been aggressive; rather,
she just squirms a lot before calming down. They
have a reputation for taming very well in captivity. As is evident from the photo above, the enclosure for a plated lizard is relatively straightforward. My set-up (in a 40-gallon breeder "Critter Cage") includes a hide rock, a basking spot, a big water bowl, a food bowl, and a few plastic plants for decoration. I use corncob bedding for the substrate since the lizard likes to dig, doesn't splash much water around, and has dry droppings. The heat lamp is a standard incandescent spot light, but I also have a fluorescent UVB bulb in a separate fixture. I wouldn't recommend an enclosure smaller than 40 gallons for a single lizard since they like to be able to move around. I also wouldn't recommend anything but simple, sturdy decorations, as plated lizards like to climb and dig and are big enough to destroy any decorating plans you might have. Plated lizards eat a varied diet including both insect and vegetable matter. Mine mostly get insects - cockroaches, superworms, crickets, mealworms, waxworms - but also periodically receives pieces of apple, carrot, or squash. I think Dorothy tends to enjoy the fruit more, but the vegetables are probably better for her nutritionally. She will eat insects out of my hand, but I usually just toss them in the food bowl because it's quicker. "Cyberlizard" has one of the few pages dedicated to these interesting lizards. |
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This
page was last updated on December 12, 2006.
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