Long Tail Lizard
(Takydromas sexlineatus)

Long tail lizards come from southeast Asia and have an overall color of brown, sometimes with greenish hue with a creamy white undersize. There are stripes going down the long tail lizard's back with white and black bordering the stripes. The tail of the long tail lizard is usually about ¾ of the length.

Difficulty

NOVICE to MODERATE: Long tail lizards do require specialized lighting and may not be the best reptile to keep if you are new to keeping reptiles and amphibians.

Requirements

An enclosure, such as:

• Glass or acrylic aquarium (15 gallons or larger, depending on the number of long tail lizard s kept) with a secure lid with clamps

Substrate, such as:

• Bark mulch
• orchid bark
• ground coconut fiber
• Indoor/Outdoor carpeting

A heating element, such as:

• UVB emitting bulb
• Incandescent heat bulb
• Ceramic infrared heat emitters

Enclosure

A pair of long tail lizard s should be kept in an enclosure no smaller than a 15 gallon aquarium. Taller enclosures are better as they allow you to fill your enclosure with plants or other types of ornaments to allow the Long tail lizards space to climb. Male long tail lizards can only housed together in large enclosures as they are territorial and will fight over the limited amount of enclosure space in smaller aquariums. Male Long tail lizards can be kept with one or more female Long tail lizards and any number of female Long tail lizards can be kept together. Obviously, larger enclosures are needed for larger groups of Long tail lizards.

Substrate

The substrate or bedding that you use is one of the most important parts of your long tail lizard's home, since your long tail lizard will be spending much of its time on it. Bark mulch, orchid bark, ground coconut fiber, and peat moss can all be used to help create a naturalistic enclosure for your long tail lizards. Indoor/Outdoor carpeting can also be used as an effective substrate for your long tail lizard. Be sure to have at least two identical pieces so that you can simply place the clean piece of carpeting in the enclosure while you rinse and disenfect the soiled piece. You can then allow the newly cleaned piece of carpeting to dry for the next days use. It's important to note that you should completely rinse the carpet after cleaning it to be sure there is no residual chemicals remaining on the carpet that could irritate your long tail lizard. Other substrates such as newspaper or paper towels can also be used. If using naturalistic substrates be sure to clean it often to prevent mold and bacteria growth.

Heating and Light

Daytime temperatures for long tail lizard s should be 75°F to 85°F with basking temperatures of 90°F to 95°F. Nighttime temperatures should be 65°F to 70°F. Long tail lizards also require ultraviolet (UV) light which can be provided with fluorescent UVB bulbs or mercury vapor bulbs that can also provide heat for the basking spot. Basking temperatures for your long tail lizards can also be achieved using incandescent bulbs, infrared bulbs, or ceramic emitters if using fluorescent bulbs for UV light. Under the tank (UTH) heaters can be used to raise the ambient temperature of the enclosure if needed. Heat rocks, heat caves, and other similar items should never be used under any circumstance since they can cause serious burns to your long tail lizard.

Diet

Long tail lizard s are insectivorous and will eat crickets, mealworms, waxworms, cockroaches, fruit flies and other small insects. All feeder insects should be properly gut-loaded prior to feeding to your long tail lizard. Offering a variety of different insects will offer the best diet for the since different insects have different nutritional values. Avoid overfeeding s by only be offering only as much food as they can eat inone sitting.