Lizard Husbandry Requirements


Important husbandry requirements for some lizards

For information on how to house a lizard, see Lizard Housing.

For information on lizard diets, see Lizard Diet.

Species/ Habitat (vivarium) POTZ Humidity Lighting Diet
Bearded dragon (Pogona spp.)/ Terrestrial, desert 25-30 20-30 UV-broad spectrum I,c,h
Green anole (Anolis carolinensis)/ Arboreal, rainforest 23-29 70-80 UV-broad spectrum I,c
Green iguana (Iguana iguana)/ Arboreal, rainforest 30-35 60-80 UV-broad spectrum H,i,c
Leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularis)/ Terrestrial, desert 25-30 20-30 No specific requirements I,c
Plumed basilisk (Basiliscus plumiformis)/ Arboreal, rainforest 25-30 70-80 UV-broad spectrum I,c,h
Water dragon (Physignathus lesueri)/ Arboreal (semi-aquatic) rainforest 25-30 80-90 UV-broad spectrum I,h


Note: temperatures shown are ideal ambient daytime temperatures (POTZ). These should be allowed to fall by approximately 5°C during the night and hot spots may be 5°C higher.

  • I - Insectivorous
  • H - Herbivorous
  • C - Carnivorous

Upper case letters indicate majority, lower case letters indicate minority

Literature Search

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Use these links to find recent scientific publications via CAB Abstracts (log in required unless accessing from a subscribing organisation).


The three big reptile diseases: husbandry, husbandry and husbandry...! Paré, J. A.; The North American Veterinary Conference, Gainesville, USA, Small animal and exotics. Proceedings of the North American Veterinary Conference, Volume 21, Orlando, Florida, USA, 2007, 2007, pp 1603-1604 - Full Text Article