Although young turtles make safe additions to your collection, land turtles of all kinds are best, seldom if ever bite, feed readily, and survive a long time in captivity. They include: Eastern, Florida, Three-toed, and Ornate Box Turtles, and the Red-Foot Tortoise. None of these are commonly available from commercial dealers, however.
D.J.C.
LIZARDS
(order Squamata) (suborder Lacertilia)
Keeping lizards as “pets” can be a very challenging task, because, it has been found that many species will not thrive in captivity.
When looking for a lizard to buy or catch, keep in mind some of the basic requirements the animal should have while you are choosing a lizard. The lizard should be alert and active. Check its mouth for signs of sores, bad teeth or gums, or other indications of mouth rot. Check the eyes for discharges, make sure the eyes are not sunken into the head. Observe it walking to insure that there is no damage to the limbs. Do not accept a lizard that has a discharge from the nose, this could be a symptom of a respiratory infection.
Lizards vary a great deal in their dietary requirements, therefore, it is very important that you are very sure of the animal’s identification before you purchase or collect it. You cannot always rely on the pet store dealer for an accurate identification. If the lizard is one that you have caught, then you can refer to a field guide for a positive identification.
Some lizards are strictly insect eaters, others eat only fruits and vegetables, some will only eat meat, a few lizards will only eat eggs, and then there are some that will eat nearly anything. Most insectivores will only eat live insects. If it is hard to get live insects, you may be able to get the lizard to accept dead food by offering it on the end of a thin wire. By moving the insect, the lizard will think it is alive, and often will grasp the food. Insectivores require a large amount of food, and the food should be varied: don’t feed all meal worms, or all crickets, but try to offer a variety of insects.
The vegetarians or herbivores need to be fed a mixed variety of fruits and vegetables. Often, color will induce a lizard to eat, so always include some apple or tomato to the diet if the lizard doesn’t seem interested in food. The meat eaters are often the easiest to induce to eat. Canned dog food is usually used as a basic, but whole mice are much more of a balanced diet. Sometimes it is necessary to skin the mouse in order to get the lizard to eat it. Whatever dietary requirements your lizards have, their food should be supplemented with a vitamin and mineral powder. Steamed bone meal is often used. Just sprinkle a small amount on the food, and then mix it in so the lizards will take it in with their food.
Although the size of the cage is usually not critical for lizards, cage props may be essential in order to insure that the animal thrives. If the lizard is a burrower in the wild then it is often necessary that it be able to burrow in captivity. If the animal is normally arboreal, Then you must have a branch for it to climb on. Because of this, it is most important that you know what species of lizard you have; then learn as much as possible about its habits and habitat.
Besides cage decorations, always have clean drinking water in the cage. Many species of lizards do not drink from a water dish. They obtain their water from dew drops or rain drops that they lap with their tongues. It is advisable to spray the lizards’ cage daily with a fine mist of warm water.