When considering what type of lizard you would like to keep, it is important to research the different species and their care requirements before you make your purchase.

Do you want a lizard that eats insects, knowing that you will also have to care for the crickets like another pet (see cricket care below)? Do you want a vegetarian lizard? One that eats rodents? How much room do you have in your home for the lizard's enclosure? Who is going to take care of your lizard when you are out of town? Is the lizard you are interested in going to get large and aggressive as it matures? Do you have the funds to buy the proper heating/lighting and substrate? Can you afford proper medical care for your lizard once you make the commitment?

Please consider these variables before you purchase any pet. Rescue groups are having a difficult time keeping up with the number of animals given up each year, mostly because people don't research what they are getting.

Healthy Vegetables For Vegetarian/Omnivorous Lizards

The most important thing to remember is that your lizard will be healthier in the long run if you offer a base variety of greens and then supplement with other greens/vegetables.

Greens: Collard greens, kale, mustard greens, escarole, romaine lettuce, red/green leaf lettuce, boston lettuce, endive, parsley, dandelion, spinach (though it contains oxalates, small amounts are safe to feed to increase variety in the diet) broccoli leaves and carrot tops.

Veggies: Shredded sweet potato, carrot, green beans, peas, squash, zuccini, and tomato.

Fruit: Kiwi, papaya, mango, melon(honey dew and cantalope and any berries in season. Different species of reptiles should have more or less fruit in their diet; be sure to know your pet's requirements before feeding fruit).

Cricket Care

Housing: Keep your crickets in their own cage/container. Be sure the container has adequate air circulation because moisture build up will kill crickets.

Substrate: Don’t use any substrate in the cage bottom. Place paper towel rolls, egg carton and/or crumpled newspaper in the cage to increase surface area.

Diet: Feed your crickets crushed dry reptile food (that is appropriate for your lizard), crushed bird pelleted diet, and/or commercial cricket food. Check to make sure it is not “gut load”, but an actual cricket diet. You can offer small pieces of greens like kale and collard greens, too. Remove any old food before mold grows.

Water: Fold a paper towel into quarters and dampen with water. Place in the cage bottom away from the crickets' food. Change the paper towel daily to prevent mold growth.

Powder Supplements on Your Crickets - General Guidelines: Powder your crickets by placing a few in a cup with the supplement and gently shaking them so that the powder coats the crickets. Use a calcium/D3 supplement every feeding in juveniles, every other feeding in sub-adults and 2 times a week for adults. Use a separate multivitamin supplement (with pre-formed Vit A) once a week in juveniles, and every other week in adults. *Check with your herp vet for proper adjustments in the dusting protocol for your individual pet.

Feeding Crickets to Your Lizard: Remove any crickets that remain uneaten about 1 hour after feeding them to your pet. This is important, because the crickets that are left will not have food to eat and may bite your reptile/amphibian. The crickets will also clean off any powder supplements so they won’t be as nutritious for your lizard.

Remember, healthy crickets make healthy herps!