How to Raise a Jeweled Curly-Tailed Lizard

The jeweled curly-tailed lizard originates in Haiti, particularly in hot, dry landscapes. You can find these lizards in hot rocky areas and dry woods. This type of lizard can grow as large as 9 inches and its remarkable namesake tail is a form of protection. The lizard uses its tail to lash out at other lizards or to distract other attackers. If you've decided to bring such a lizard into your home, the care is simple, though needs to be precise.

Things You'll Need

  • 20-gallon terrarium cage
  • Moist reptile soil
  • Silica-free sand
  • Clip-on thermometer
  • 2.0 UVB fluorescent bulb
  • Heat rock
  • Rocks and reptile logs
  • Worms, insects, spiders
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Instructions

    • 1

      Fill a 20-gallon, long terrarium with a deep substrate with a slightly damp and moist reptile soil mix or mulch. Fill the bottom inch of the terrarium with this material until you cover it well. Add an additional layer of a dry substrate such as silica-free reptile play sand or shredded coconut fibers until you cover the bottom of the tank with an evenly distributed inch of dry sand.

    • 2

      Install a clip-on thermometer inside the cage. This thermometer should monitor the temperature inside the cage, which should be 85 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 70 degrees at night.

    • 3

      Install a 2.0 UVB fluorescent bulb outside the terrarium to create the spotlight for the lizard's basking spot. Turn on the bulb, and place a large reptile rock in the direct path of the light. This will give the lizard the option of basking in this artificial sun as it normally would in the desert. Check the temperature of this basking spot once a day. It should always be at 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

    • 4

      Fill the cage with items for the lizard to lounge on and hide under such as reptile logs and rocks.

    • 5

      Feed your jeweled curly-tailed lizard a diet of worms, spiders and other insects. Feed baby lizards four to five times a day and adult lizards three to four times a day.

    • 6

      Place a small dish of unchlorinated water for the lizard to drink from.