A BASIC Lizard Care Sheet
Keeping Sideblotched Lizards **UTA'S**
Keeping the Spot tailed Earless Lizard.
A BASIC Green Anole CareSheet. :O)
Back to the Herp Index
The reason for these Caresheets;
I decided to write down many of my experiences keeping native U.S. reptiles.
Now days it seems that many new “herpetoculturists” are attracted
to this hobby because of designer reptiles.
These “colored” reptiles are created to make money.
Many are very beautiful and have very brilliant colors.
They are not found this way in nature. However, they do attract new
ideas and create further interest in our hobby. Hopefully many
of those who got into the hobby because of colored “designer” reptiles
will also discover the natural beauty our of “natural” Native U.S.
herps.
Disposition of U.S. Western Herps:
Keeping native U.S. reptiles is not as common as it once was.
Many of the species that kids collected and kept in the 1970’s
are now increasingly rare. Habitat destruction and the loss of native
insects have placed additional burdens on already shrinking U.S.
reptile populations. Many U.S. herps are protected from collection.
Many years ago “curios” and pet shops over-collected native reptiles
and especially native Horned Lizards.
So why keep native U.S. Reptiles ?
Some species are already being bred in small quantities and captive
offspring are much hardier than wild specimens.
Many are now available, seasonally, and inexpensively.
If you should decide to keep native species, Stedfast attempts
should be made to breed them in captivity. Keeping U.S. reptiles
is a good choice and has nothing to do with the ethics of conservation.
Deciding to keep native reptiles has to do with not ignoring the
native reptiles until they are only a memory.
I have heard many say that as children they collected horned lizards
and today they want to show them to their children but none are in
the deserts anymore.
If you decide to keep a horned lizard, exacting care must be followed
to insure success. Should you keep specilized feeders and scarce U.S.
native species ?
That’s up to you, Ask yourself, are you willing to go the extra
mile to provide exacting standards to propagate the species,
or are you looking for a curio.?
Many Non- native lizards make interesting pet’s and are far earier
to care for than many native species, however, if you have the
fortitude and a willingness.
They are well worth the effort.
Click the following links to care sheets on:
1. SideBlotched Lizards.
2. Spot-Tailed Earless Lizards.
3. Western Spiny Lizards.
With more to come.
