Long-tailed Lizard

Long-tailed lizards are greenish brown to brown colored lizards with a pale colored belly. Scientifically known as Takydromus sexlineatus, these lizards are found throughout Asia, especially the Southeastern region in the bamboo forests or grassy regions, thus are also called Asian long-tailed lizards or long-tailed grass lizards. These lizards are about 10-12 inches in size, with ¾ (30 cm tail and 6 cm body length) of their length pertaining to the tail's length itself. Their long tail is prehensile, which means they can use their tail to curl around objects and hang on to them. This is why these lizards are named as the long-tailed lizard.

Their snout to vent length is 6.5 cm and they have two lateral brownish to gold colored stripes running down the back to the tail. The males are brighter and colorful as compared to the females and mating in these lizards is stimulated by use of full spectrum lights and varied photoperiods. The eggs are laid at the bottom of the grass clump that hatch within the next 6 weeks and live for a period of 4-5 years.

Long-tailed Lizard Care

In captivity long-tailed lizards are quite docile, however, they are quite active and entertaining to watch. They are quite endearing pets to keep and they lure you with their cute, adorable antics. After a period of time and regular handling, these lizards will become tame.

Enclosure
For keeping long-tailed lizards, one needs to get a 15 gallon tank, which has a tight lid to keep the lizard from escaping out. The enclosure should house several branches and climbing spots, as these lizards are great climbers and the house we prepare for them should simulate the natural lizard habitat. Also ensure there are enough hiding places for the lizard to feel secure and protected. For the substrate one can use peat moss.

Temperature, Lighting and Humidity
An optimum humidity would be 75- 80% and the optimum temperature during the day should be maintained to around 75-85 degrees Fahrenheit. However, we need to create a temperature variation in the enclosure for the lizard, thus, at one end of the tank maintain a temperature of 90 degrees. This makes the tank slightly hotter and slightly cooler in certain areas. This enables the lizard to decide for himself or herself in which temperature zone they want to lie at the moment. At night have the temperatures drop to about 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit. Moreover, lighting in the tank is important as these lizards are most active during the day (diurnal), thus lighting must be on for complete 12 hours. Fluorescent bulbs are good to provide this necessary light.

Food
As with any pet, long-tailed lizards also are not to be fed with any insects from the wild, since we do not know if they are carrying any disease or poisonous substance in their body. Baby lizards need to be fed daily, while the adults can be fed alternate days. Crickets, wax worms and meal worms are favorites of long-tailed lizards, so sprinkle them with some calcium powder and feed it to them. Every two weeks feed them with some vitamins as well. A large shallow bowl would be perfect for water supply.

It is advisable to get only one male for one tank, lest you want to watch a wrestling match. While dealing with these lizards one has to be patient and gentle. Moreover, remember, never to pick the lizard by the tail as they tend to shed their tail in panic. Since the availability of this lizard is seasonal, so check with your pet store and find out if the long-tailed lizard is available.