How to Care for a Frilled Lizard

Frilled lizards, aptly named for the large, colorful frills around the head, are natives of Southern New Guinea and Northern Australia, but have become popular as pets in the United States over the past decade. These lizards usually live for about seven years and the males can grow up to 3 feet in length. In captivity the frilled lizard is quite tame and can be easily cared for and handled.

Things You'll Need

  • Terrarium
  • Terrarium lining
  • Mercury vapor bulb
  • Fruits and Vegetables
  • Insects
  • Calcium sand
  • Water dish
  • Bleach
  • Spray bottle
  • Toenail clipper
  • Nail file
  • Container
  • Branches
  • Rocks
Show More

Instructions

  1. Housing

    • 1

      Provide a terrarium that is at least 4 feet wide and 3 feet high to allow room for your frilled lizard to move around and become comfortable.

    • 2

      Place large branches and rocks in the terrarium that the frilled lizard can bask on. Do not overcrowd the enclosure.

    • 3

      Line the bottom of the terrarium with sand, newspaper or coconut bark. Remove feces and urine from the lining daily and clean the entire terrarium monthly with a 3 percent bleach solution.

    • 4

      Place a mercury vapor bulb specifically designed for lizards at one end of your frilled lizard's terrarium. Mercury vapor bulbs provide both a UVB ray source and heat to create the required spectrum lightning frilled lizards need. One side of the enclosure should reach a temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit, while the other should be no cooler then 70 F.

    • 5

      Mist over the terrarium daily with water to create an environment that has a 45 to 65 percent humidity level. This can be done with a spray bottle.

    Diet

    • 6

      Feed adult frilled lizards three to five times a week and juveniles daily with a salad that consists of 30 percent vegetables and fruits and 70 percent crickets, mealworms and wax worms. Vegetables suitable for frilled lizards include greens, shredded carrots, peas and cooked squash. Fruits include a variety of berries and bananas. Insects should be gut-loaded 24 to 48 hours before you feed them to your frilled lizard.

    • 7

      Sprinkle calcium sand over the adult frilled lizard's salad twice a week. Provide the calcium sand daily for juvenile frilled lizards.

    • 8

      Provide a large dish with clean, chlorine-free water for your frilled lizard to drink and soak in. Change the water daily.

    Grooming

    • 9

      Place small, rough rocks at the bottom of the terrarium to naturally wear down your frilled lizard's nails.

    • 10

      Clip your frilled lizard's nails with a large toenail clipper if the rocks aren't wearing down the nails. Only clip off a few millimeters of the nail to avoid cutting into the blood vessel. Round off the nail tip with a nail file.

    • 11

      Place your frilled lizard in a large container of warm water to loosen shedding skin. The container should be large enough to allow for complete immersion of the lizard. The lizard can be bathed like this weekly.