Leopard Lizard Care Sheets

Once again... thanks for all the help.

Leo is about 9 inches long, so ya he is prob around the same size as Ollie. He definitely loves to bury himself underneath his rock and "shut the door" as you put it. It is really fun watching him. I tried to get a pinkie today from my local pet store, however, they did not have live ones. I am going to have to look around for one to give it a try.

I am almost positive that I bought him for 30 dollars. I will double check when I get home from work. I think I still have the receipt somewhere. He may have been more than that tho. Sounds kind of low.

Unfortunately, I don't believe I am ready to start mating lizards as I only began housing them last July when I got my frst Bearded Dragon. I would love to get a female in with him, but I don't think I am ready for that yet.

In the pics above it looks as though you have them on the floor of a room. Do you let them roam free in the house every now and then. My beardie loves to run around my room when I let him. Usually he doesn't get to far and he isn't all that fast. However, Leo is extremely fast and loves to jump at the screen of the cage. Seems a litte too fast to let out. Would love to let him out, but I wouldnt want to lose him.

 

Oh ya... how long do they usually live for?

And I keep meaning to ask you... are yours C.B.?

 

I have read they can live for 7-8 years. I've also read the hatchling mortality rate is brutal - like 5%-40% survive their first year. So yay - Leo's beating the odds!

I'm almost positive Ollie is captive-bred, but the other three are wild caught. There's a good chance that Paris is Ollie's mother. Just a gut feeling. They were all bought from a place in Hawthorne, Nev., called Desert Reptiles. The folks who run it are very friendly and seem to care a great deal about their stock and the legality of selling Nevada species out-of-state. http://www.desertreptiles.com

They say they have care sheets available, but he said they're pretty much the same care sheets from the Colorado Herp Society.

I wish leopard lizards would eat dead bugs. Their native food is grasshoppers... but most pet stores only have canned 'hoppers. Crickets and mealworms are OK substitutes but the occasional pinkie, moth, small lizard will do him well.

In my experience, leopard lizards will run around the house -- sometimes very fast -- but they like to explore, not hide. So if Leo gets away from you and runs under an entertainment center or couch, just give him a few minutes and he'll wander out. One night Ollie escaped his cage and ended up God knows where. But I knew that he'd appear in the morning when the sun came out and voila! There he was, a couple feet from the dishwasher (under which he no doubt spent the night). He was cold and pissed but after a couple of hisses he snuggled into a warm hand and was back to his old self.

 

What size tank do you keep them in?

The pet store I bought mine from said a 20 High is sufficient, however, he is very active. Not sure if this tank is going to be big enough for him as an adult.

 

Well, bigger is better, certainly. In the wild, they cover a LOT of ground. Since Leo is still a juvie, a 20-gallon tank is probably fine. I have the trio (and sometime the trio plus lil' Ollie) in a 30-gallon tall. Nicky was able to clear it one afternoon when the screen top was slid back, but by and large they're pretty content in the tank. Vic likes to try to get past the glass but the others have enough activities to do in the day, like dig, sunbathe or meander. Maybe somewhere down the road you could upgrade his enclosure, but for now it's probably fine.

It's good to hear he's active. In nature, they're always on the move, it seems. They seem to appear in the morning and lay out in the sun until they get "charged." The body color is usually nice and dark (the stripes under the throat are really prominent) and that seems to act a "solar panels," as dark colors absorb solar energy better. Once "charged" and their colors get really light, they're ready to take on the day.

 

That's quite interesting.

Leo def tries to clear the top of the tank all afternoon. Even when the screen is on, he loves to jump up at it, always trying to cling onto it. Do you think it is because he wants to be closer to the heat, or it's just characteristic. I have a high rock that he can get closer to the basking light. I am thinking about getting some sort of branch to allow him to get higher.

It's def fun to watch him jump all over the cage. It's amazing how high they can jump. I was quite surpised the first time I saw him do it.

 

I would love see more photos of Leo.

 

Leo showing his beautiful back off


Hanging out


Leo's First Shed with us

 

Looks healthy and happy! I like the way they "explode" out of their skin when they shed.

 

I hate to just jump into this chat you guys have here but i also have a female leopard lizard and shes a beauty, shes about 13 inches long and shes pregnant, id like to know what i can do for her to keep the eggs from collapsing after shes layed them, and when you say she likes to bury herself in the sand does that mean you have about 4 inches of sand in your cage?. please any more info about my girl would help

 

Hey Rymac,

One of the females I keep care of laid three eggs about a month ago. I thought they were fertilized by the male lizard that shares the same cage. I quickly moved the eggs to an incubator but after a few days they deflated. My thought on this was that they weren't fertilized or they would not have deflated. Do you have any idea if your leopard lizard's eggs were fertilized? That may help to decide if they will deflate or not.


Paris laying an egg.

 

One more thing. The Colorado Herp Society has a great article on captive bred lizards. I used this as a reference when I saw my female leopard lizards carrying eggs. I have attempted to call contact someone there for further information but it was fruitless.

http://www.coloherp.org/careshts/lizards/leop-brd.php

 

thanks darlene, that was an informatible page you sent me to, umm the 3 of the 6 egs that my lizard laid deflated, im curious does that mean that they are certainly not gonna hatch. I have no clue if my eggs were fertilized, i happend to catch my lizard while it was pregnant. Also is there a way that I can make my own incubator with supplies that i may have at home.

 

I wish I was able to help you make an incubator. I went out and got an incubator instead but I did see a few do it yourself projects that involved an old refrigerator. Sorry.

Just out of curiosity, where did you catch your female? I live out here in San Diego county and haven't seen any leopard lizards although I did read Cope's leopard lizards can be found here. Also any photos of her?

 

I caught her in riverside county, at my local Simpson Park, it is a great park with so many differ species of reptiles, amphibs, and anything else. I dont have a digi camera so I cant take pics of her.

 

very cool
there cute, I think I might get one when me is older

 

Hey there...

I just have a general question. I am wondering if either of you have experienced this. I woke up yesterday and my leopard lizard had one of his eyes shut, and it seemed to have something in it. I took a wet Q-tip and gently brushed his eye with it to get whatever was in it out. I believe he just had some sand stuck in it. When he opened it, I could see that it was very watery, and thought that it would go away. Last night he had a ton of sand stuck once again, and so once again, I gently rubbed it away. Now this morning, there is no sand, but his eye is got a goo in it. I think he might have an infection. Is this common for lizards to get eye infections. If it persists I will have to take him to the vet. Thanks. Any info will help.

Amy

 

It is a common complaint when using a particulate substrate such as sand. I would usually bathe the eye with a sterile solution such as purified water and take him to the vet for some eyewash, especially if it has gone gooey. As this would most likely indicate an infection.

 

Males have two enlarged, flat scales at the base of the tail, just past the doodoo hole (vent). They're called postanal scales. Females don't have 'em.

Actually, the genders of all North American iguanids (e.g. anoles, horned lizards, collared lizards, leopard lizards, desert iguanas, chuckwallas, fence lizards, earless lizards, zebra-tails, side-blotched lizards) can be identified this way.

Go here for more Leopard Lizard entertainment: http://ollieheartscrickets.blogspot.com/

 

I have a leopard lizard too.

We just recently purchased a lizard for my son. I believe he is a long nosed leopard lizard. From the pictures I have found on the web. I am in need of a care sheet or some info on how much he should be eating. I am not too sure of his age but the pet shop where we got him or her said that it was full grown. But from what I have read that is not true. I have checked with some of the bigger more well known pet shops here in town and they have no clue what he his. He is maybe only six inches from tip on nose to tip of tail. I am just totally lost and did not realize what we were getting ourself into. It is just so hard to find any info on this type of lizard.

Please help me!!!!