Things You'll Need
- Sand
- Rocks and branches
- Reptile vitamin and calcium supplements
- Heat lamp
- Crickets, mealworms
Instructions
House the side-blotched lizard in an aquarium with sand up to 3 inches deep. This lizard is a desert-dwelling creature, and likes to bury itself in sand at night. Provide branches and rocks for climbing, hiding and basking. Because the males are territorial and will fight, it̵7;s best to keep only one male with several females. Several of the lizards can be kept in a 10-gallon tank.
Maintain a temperature of between 75 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit inside the aquarium. A heat lamp and heating pad are useful for simulating a desert environment. Provide 10 to 12 hours of light for the side-blotched lizard. Direct sunlight is best. If mating occurs, incubate the eggs at about 83 degrees Fahrenheit.
Feed the lizards small insects and larvae. Crickets and mealworms are fine, and are readily available from most pet stores. If you catch your own insects, make sure they are free from pesticides. Give the lizards vitamin and calcium supplements two or three time a week. Young lizards should get daily supplements. The side-blotched lizard gets its water from food, so a water bowl is not necessary.