What types of lizards are there? The largest lizard in the world
The viviparous lizard is a small reptile, the length of which does not exceed 18 centimeters, while half or even a little more of the total body size is the tail. Unlike many of their fellow tribesmen, the males of this species are smaller than the females.
Viviparous lizard - description
These lizards are not distinguished by their bright colors. They are quite modest. In adults, the upper body and tail may be brown, brown, tan or greenish. It has a characteristic pattern that stretches along the ridge. This is a dark streak that sometimes breaks. In addition, there may be two wide stripes on top and dark stripes on the sides of the body, which are limited by a lower light line, which sometimes consists of rounded spots.
It must be said that not all individuals have a pronounced pattern. Moreover, it is not uncommon for a viviparous lizard (you see the photo in our article) to be completely black. These are melanists. Such animals are most often found in northern latitudes, in the mountains. This color is due to the fact that dark colors absorb heat better.
In males, the lower part of the body is brick-red and even orange; females have a yellowish, greenish or light gray abdomen. In addition, males have a thicker tail at the base.
A viviparous lizard (newborn) has a dark brown, almost black color, often the pattern is not pronounced. Over time, the color becomes lighter, and a characteristic pattern gradually appears on the main background. This happens as the baby grows.
Habitat
These cute lizards inhabit almost the entire forest area of Eurasia - from Ireland, Great Britain and the Pyrenees to Sakhalin, Kolyma and the Shantar Islands. In the west of their range they are distributed from the Kola Peninsula to the Arctic Circle, downstream Yenisei. Viviparous lizards live everywhere on Sakhalin, and in the south they can be found in the forest zone.
The viviparous lizard prefers to settle on the edges, in thickets of bushes along the banks of rivers and lakes, and in clearings. They can often be found in wet floodplain meadows that border the forest. In Siberia, they can also live in the tundra, in swampy areas on hummocks, surrounded on all sides by water. Shelters for these lizards include dense forest litter, burrows of small rodents, shallow crevices between stones, and old, dilapidated stumps. Viviparous lizards do not build their own shelters.
Lifestyle
Probably not everyone knows that the viviparous lizard is not only an excellent swimmer and diver, it also moves easily along the bottom of a reservoir. If she is in danger, she instantly buries herself in the mud. Lizards of this species do not run very well when compared with their large green counterparts.
IN mountainous areas they often live at altitudes of up to 2500 meters. They feel great in a humid environment and tolerate quite well. low temperatures. Thanks to this feature, they were able to settle in the Arctic Circle, where winter time they hibernate.
In the spring, when the air warms up to only + 4 degrees, and there is still snow in some places, they come out of this state. At this time, they bask in the sun for a long time, hiding in holes in the ground, on boards, and stumps. Normal activity returns to them when the air warms up above +15 degrees.
IN central regions In Russia they finish wintering at the end of March, at Far East- at the end of May, and in the north - at the beginning of June.
How to keep a viviparous lizard at home?
Today, many animal lovers have such pets. It should be noted that it takes root well in unusual conditions viviparous lizard. The content does not require it special effort, but certain rules must be followed.
We will equip a terrarium
Your pet will need a small horizontal terrarium. For one individual of it minimum dimensions must be 30×20×20 cm. A certain temperature must be maintained in it. This is achieved with the help of a thermal cord, a thermal stone, a thermal mat, or thanks to heating lamps - incandescent lamps, downward-facing mirror lamps.
A viviparous lizard at home needs a warm corner, in which the temperature during the day should be up to 30°C, and at night at least 20°C. IN room conditions night heating is optional. Place a piece of driftwood, a wooden shelf or a stone slide under the lamp so that your pet can warm up well, choosing a more comfortable temperature.
The terrarium must have a small drinking pond; lizards love to swim and do it with pleasure. Shelters can be built free form- these can be shelves, houses, stone slides, etc. It is better to use coarse sand, gravel, or coconut substrate as soil. The terrarium must be sprayed once a day. warm water. This will maintain the necessary humidity. You can keep lizards in a group.
Daily and seasonal rhythms
Daylight hours and operation of daytime heating systems vary throughout the year. When the animal is active (autumn, spring, summer), it is 12 hours. For irradiation it is more advisable to use erythema lamps. The session is five minutes three times a day. You can carry out this procedure with household appliances (UFD) for 1 - 2 minutes during the week. When irradiating with any type of device, the animal must be in a dry area.
In winter, lizards need complete rest. Over the course of three weeks, you should very slowly reduce the duration of heating and reduce daylight hours. When it reaches six hours, the heating is turned off, and the viviparous lizard does not receive food. Keeping in captivity involves placing it after a week in a ventilated, light-proof cage, which is filled with sawdust or pressed sphagnum. During wintering, the temperature should be maintained at 8-10°C. We must not forget about humidity. It should be maintained by spraying the soil in the corner of the cage once a week. The duration of wintering is about two months. The lizards are brought out of this state in the same rhythm, gradually increasing the heat and daylight hours. When the six-hour day is reached, the heating is turned on and the animal begins to be given food.
Feeding
IN natural conditions viviparous lizards feed on small invertebrates, sometimes they eat their young. In a terrarium, they are fed mealworms, crickets, cockroaches, zoobass, and other insects. They willingly eat earthworms, small snails and newborn mice. Feeding is done at least once every two days, but you can feed it daily. There should be fresh water in the drinking bowl at all times.
Do not neglect the various mineral supplements that are given along with the food - crushed eggshells, preparations with a high calcium content. You can periodically add “Borjomi” to the drinking bowl - mineral water. Give your pet concentrated vitamin preparations once a week.
Reproduction
At the age of two years, viviparous lizards become sexually mature. There are ovoviviparous and oviparous species. They lay eggs in the Cantabrian mountains. This happens twice a season. Incubation lasts approximately forty days at a temperature of about 18-20°C.
At other points, viviparous lizards give birth to babies in a mucous, transparent egg shell, which the small lizards tear apart within thirty minutes.
After leaving the hibernation (at home), the lizards are irradiated and fed with regular food. But drugs containing vitamin E are added to it. This lasts 3 weeks. Then the lizards molt, and the males acquire a “nuptial” coloration. After this, males and females are combined in one terrarium, if they were kept separately.
Copulation lasts no more than five minutes. The female's pregnancy lasts from 70 to 90 days. Usually from 2 to 12 babies are born.
Lizards, being a suborder of the class of reptiles, are its largest group. There are more than 3,500 species and live on all continents except Antarctica. In this article we will look at internal structure, skeleton, physiological characteristics of the lizard, species and names of their families.
Lizards are amazing creatures, which are distinguished from other representatives of the fauna by several interesting facts. The first fact is the size of the representatives different populations lizards For example, the smallest lizard Brookesia Micra is only 28 mm long, while the most major representative This group of reptiles - the Indonesian monitor lizard, also known as the Komodo dragon, has a body length exceeding 3 meters, with a weight of about one and a half quintals.
The second fact makes these reptiles popular not only among biologists, but also ordinary people, is why and how a lizard casts its tail. This ability is called autotomy and is a method of self-preservation. When a lizard runs away from a predator, it can grab it by the tail, which actually poses a threat to the life of the reptile. In order to save their lives, some species of small lizards are able to shed their tail, which grows back after some time. To avoid large blood loss during autotomy, tail section lizards equipped special group muscles that contract blood vessels.
In addition to everything listed above, lizards in nature have the quality of skillful camouflage, adapting to color scheme environment. And some of them, especially the chameleon, can take on the color of a neighboring object in a matter of moments. How does this happen? The fact is that the skin cells of a chameleon, consisting of several almost transparent layers, have special processes and pigment, which under the influence of nerve impulses can shrink or unclench. At the moment the process contracts, the pigment gathers in the center of the cell and becomes barely noticeable, and when the process unclenches, the pigment spreads throughout the cell, coloring the skin a certain color.
Skeleton and internal structure of a lizard
The body of a lizard consists of parts such as head, neck, torso, tail and limbs. The body on the outside is covered with scales, consisting of smaller and softer horny formations compared to fish scales; there are no sweat glands on the skin. A characteristic feature is also a long muscular organ - the tongue, which is involved in feeling objects. The eyes of a lizard, unlike other reptiles, are equipped with a movable eyelid. The muscles are more developed than those of reptiles.
The lizard's skeleton also has some features. It consists of the cervical, shoulder, lumbar and pelvic sections, which are connected by the spine. The skeleton of a lizard is built in such a way that, when fused, the ribs (the first five) form a closed sternum from below, which is a characteristic feature of this group of reptiles compared to other reptiles. The chest performs a protective function, reducing the risk mechanical damage internal organs, it can also increase in volume during breathing. The limbs of the lizard, like other terrestrial animals, are five-fingered, but unlike amphibians, they are located in a more vertical position, which ensures some elevation of the body above the ground and, as a result, more fast travel. The long claws with which the reptile's paws are equipped also provide significant assistance in movement. In some species they are especially tenacious and help their owner to deftly climb trees and rocky terrain.
The lizard skeleton differs from other groups of terrestrial fauna in the presence of only 2 vertebrae in the sacral spine. Also hallmark is unique structure caudal vertebrae, namely in the non-ossifying layer between them, thanks to which the lizard’s tail is painlessly torn off.
What are the similarities between a lizard and a newt?
Some people confuse lizards with newts - representatives of the infraorder. What are the similarities between a lizard and a newt? Representatives of these two superclasses are similar to each other only in appearance; the internal structure of newts corresponds to the anatomy of amphibians. However, from a physiological point of view, both lizards and newts visually look the same: a snake-like head, movable eyelids on the eyes, a long body with five-fingered limbs on the sides and sometimes with a crest on the back, a tail capable of regeneration.
Lizard food
The lizard is a cold-blooded animal, that is, its body temperature changes depending on the ambient temperature, so these reptiles are most active during the day, when the air warms up the most. Most of them are carnivorous lizards, the species and names of which include more than one thousand individuals. The prey of lizard predators directly depends on the size of the reptile itself. Thus, small and medium-sized individuals feed on all sorts of invertebrate animals, such as insects, spiders, worms, and mollusks. The victims of large lizards are small vertebrates (frogs, snakes, small birds or lizards). The exception is the Komodo dragon, which, due to its large size, can afford to hunt larger game (deer, pigs and even medium-sized buffalo).
Another part of the lizards are herbivores, eating leaves, shoots and other vegetation. However, there are also omnivorous species, such as Madagascar geckos, eating along with insects and plant food(fruits, nectar).
Classification of lizards
The diversity of lizards is quite impressive and includes 6 superfamilies, collectively divided into 37 families:
- Iguanas.
- Geckos.
- Skinks.
- Fusiform.
- Monitor lizards.
- Worm-shaped.
Each of these infraorders has initializing features determined by the conditions of its habitat and its intended role in the trophic chain.
Iguanas
Iguanas are an infraorder with many varieties life forms, in which not only the external, but often also the internal structure of the lizard differs. Iguanas include: famous families lizards such as iguanas, agamas and the chameleon family. Iguanas prefer warm and humid climate, therefore their habitat is South part North America, South America, as well as some tropical islands (Madagascar, Cuba, Hawaii, etc.).
Representatives of the infraorder iguanas can be recognized by their characteristic lower jaw, which is strongly elongated due to pleurodont teeth. Also distinctive feature Iguanas are distinguished by the presence of a spiny crest on the back and tail, the size of which is usually greater in males. The paw of the iguana lizard is equipped with 5 fingers, which are topped with claws (in tree species claws are much longer than those of terrestrial representatives). In addition, iguanas have growths on the head that resemble a helmet, and throat sacs, which serve as a threat signaling tool, and also play big role when mating.
The body shape of iguanas mainly comes in two types:
- A tall body with compressed sides, which smoothly turns into a thickened tail. This body shape can mainly be found in arboreal species, for example in the genus Polychrus in its South American habitat.
- A flattened, disc-shaped body is found in representatives of iguanas living on the ground.
Gecko-like
The infraorder Geckoformes includes the families Cepcopods, Squamopods and Eublepharaceae. Home and common feature All representatives of this infraorder have a special chromosome set and a special muscle near the ear. Most geckos do not have a zygomatic arch, and their tongue is thick and not forked.
- The family of Gecko (grass-toed) lizards has lived on Earth for more than 50 million years. The lizard's skeleton and physiological features are adapted to live all over the world. They have the most extensive habitat, both in hot climatic zones, and in temperate latitudes. The number of species in the family is more than a thousand.
- The Scalyfoot family is one of those very similar in appearance to snakes. They can be distinguished from snakes by the characteristic clicking sound that they are able to make to communicate with each other. The body, like that of snakes, is long, smoothly turning into a tail, which is adapted for autotomy. The lizard's head is covered with symmetrical scutes. The scalefoot population includes 7 genera and 41 species. Habitat: Australia, Guinea and nearby land areas.
- The Eublepharidae family are small lizards about 25 cm long with variegated colors, leading night look life. Carnivores, feed on insects. They live on the American, Asian and African continents.
Skinks
Representatives of skink-like lizards are distributed on all continents with temperate, tropical and subtropical climate. These are mainly land inhabitants, although there are also semi-aquatic individuals, those that spend longer period his life in the trees. This infraorder includes the following families:
Spindle lizards
The infraorder of fusiform lizards is characterized by small scales with unfused bony plates below. Among the spindle lizards there are: legless species, and lizards with a normal body structure with five-fingered limbs. The infraorder includes three families:
- The Xenosaur family differs from other families in having developed limbs and heterogeneous scales. Highlights the presence of movable eyelids and auditory openings. The family includes only two genera with a habitat in Central America and China.
- The Veretenitaceae family has strong jaws equipped with blunt teeth. These are mainly carnivorous lizards that give birth by viviparity. The family has about 10 genera and 80 species, living mainly on the American continent. The size of adult individuals varies around 50-60 cm.
- The Legless family has only two species with a habitat in Mexico and California. They are distinguished by the absence of limbs, auditory openings and bone plates.
Monitor lizards
The infraorder Varanidae includes one genus - Monitor Lizards - and about 70 species. Monitor lizards live in Africa, with the exception of Madagascar, Australia and New Guinea. The largest species of monitor lizard, the Komodo Dragon, is a real record holder among all types of lizards in terms of size, its length reaches 3 meters and its weight is more than 120 kg. His dinner could easily be a whole pig. The smallest species (Short-tailed) does not exceed 28 cm in length.
Description of the Varan lizard: elongated body, elongated neck, limbs in a semi-straightened position, forked tongue. Monitor lizards - singular gender lizards in which the skull is completely ossified and has open ear openings on the sides. The eyes are well developed, equipped with a round pupil and a movable eyelid. The scales on the back consist of small oval or round plates, on the belly the plates take a rectangular shape, and on the head they are polygonal. The powerful body ends with an equally powerful tail, with which monitor lizards are able to defend themselves, delivering strong blows to the enemy. In lizards leading an aquatic lifestyle, the tail is used for balancing when swimming; in arboreal species, it is quite flexible and tenacious, helping to climb branches. Monitor lizards differ from most other lizards in the structure of their heart (four chambers), similar to mammals, while the heart of lizards from other infraorders has three chambers.
In terms of lifestyle, monitor lizards are dominated by terrestrial species, but there are also those that spend a lot of time in the water and in trees. The lizard's body is adapted to living in various biotopes; they can be found in the desert and in wet forests, and on sea coast. Most of them are predators, active during the daytime; only two species of monitor lizards are herbivores. The prey of carnivorous lizards are various mollusks, insects, fish, snakes (even poisonous ones!), birds, reptile eggs, and other types of lizards, and large monitor lizards often become cannibals, eating their young and fragile relatives. The entire genus of monitor lizards belongs to oviparous lizards.
Monitor lizards are important not only as a link in the trophic chain for their habitat, but also for anthropological activities. Thus, the skin of these lizards is used in the textile industry as a material for the manufacture of various haberdashery and even shoes. In some states, the local population eats the meat of these animals. In medicine, monitor lizard blood is used to make antiseptics. And, of course, these lizards often become inhabitants of terrariums.
Worm-like lizards
The infraorder of worm-like lizards consists of one family, the representatives of which are small, legless individuals, externally similar to worms. They live on the ground and lead a burrowing lifestyle. Distributed in the forest zone in Indonesia, the Philippines, India, China, New Guinea.
Black and yellow giant lizard(lat. Tiliqua nigrolutea) belongs to the skink family, Rodutiliqua. This is a very impressive creature, which, moreover, has a peaceful character and tolerates existence well in captivity. That is why representatives of the species often become inhabitants of terrariums among exotic lovers.
IN wildlife The black and yellow giant lizard lives in the south-eastern part of Australia, northern Tasmania and some islands of the Bass Strait. It can be found in almost any area: from mountains to plains with sparse vegetation.
Leads a daily lifestyle. At night, it prefers to hide in shelters, like other representatives of the genus. It feeds mainly on leaves, fruits and flowers. She will not refuse small invertebrates, but most of all she likes snails and slugs. It may also attack small rodents or feast on carrion.
It's pretty large lizard, which grows in length up to 35-50 cm. It has a flattened body, a large head and small limbs. The upper part of the body is dark. Its color varies from black to chocolate brown. Small spots of cream, orange or yellow color, which merge into short transverse stripes.
Black and yellow giant lizards are viviparous. Their pregnancy lasts about four months and ends with the birth of 8 cubs.
In the wild, they have to face many dangers: dingoes, birds of prey, snakes, love to snack on gigantic lizards, wild cats and dogs. In captivity, the life expectancy of tiliquas reaches 10-15 years.
As of 2014, there are 5,907 species of lizards on the planet. Below is a list of the ten most unusual lizards in the world that differ from their relatives in their original appearance or behavior.
Fantastic leaf-tailed gecko, also known as the satanic gecko, is a species of gecko that lives on the trunks and branches of trees in tropical rainforests only madagascar islands. Adults reach a length of 9–14 cm and weigh from 10 to 30 grams. They are nocturnal, hunting insects. These amazing animals are endowed with the ability to mimicry - to merge with the bark of trees, dry leaves, etc. Due to deforestation, they are in danger of extinction. They can often be found in terrariums around the world.
The Moloch, also known as the thorny devil, is a species of rather unusual lizard, widely distributed in the deserts and semi-deserts of western and central Australia. Body length adult does not exceed 20 cm, with a weight from 50 to 100 g. Active during the day. As a rule, it feeds exclusively on ants. small species. During the day, the “thorny devil” is capable of eating several thousand ants, which he catches with the help of his sticky tongue.
Lobe-tailed geckos
Lobe-tailed geckos or flying geckos are a genus of geckos with 7 species. They live in Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Nicobar Islands(India), as well as on the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan. They love tropical woodlands. They spend most of their lives in trees, through which they move very quickly. They live in hollows. Active at night. They feed on insects and small invertebrates. The total length of their body is 20–23 cm. The characteristic features of these geckos is the ability to jump up to 60 m from one tree to another.
Philippine swallowtail lizard
In seventh place on the list of the most unusual lizards in the world is the Philippine lizard. sail lizard, which is found only in the Philippines. These lizards are omnivores, feeding on fruits, leaves, flowers, insects and small mammals. They prefer to settle in damp forests near water, rivers, rice fields etc. Adults can grow up to one meter long. They are excellent swimmers.
The common conolophus is a species of large lizard from the iguana family. They live in dug by themselves earthen burrows only in the Galapagos archipelago, on the islands of San Salvador, Santa Cruz, Isabela and Fernandina. Their body length reaches 125 cm, weight 13 kg. They feed exclusively on plants growing on the ground, sometimes on fallen fruits. 80% of their diet consists of sprouts and flowers of prickly pear (a plant from the Cactus family).
Marine iguana- an unusual lizard that lives exclusively on Galapagos Islands. Found mainly on rocky shores, salt marshes and mangroves. The marine iguana is not very skilled on land, however, it swims and dives well. Can hold his breath for 1 hour, and also has a unique modern lizards ability - to spend most of the time at sea. It feeds mainly on algae, sometimes small vertebrates. The total length of their body reaches 140 cm, of which more than half is occupied by the tail, weighing up to 12 kg.
The Komodo dragon is the largest lizard in the world, found in arid plains, savannas and dry tropical forests only on the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores and Gili Motang. Their body length reaches 3–4 m, weight is about 70–100 kg. Are considered excellent hunters, which for short distances can reach speeds of up to 20 km/h. They swim well and climb trees. They feed on a wide variety of animals. Their diet includes crabs, fish, sea turtles, lizards, snakes, birds, baby crocodiles, rodents, deer, wild boars, dogs, cats, goats, buffalos, horses and even relatives. Possess poisonous bite and are considered one of the most cold-blooded sadistic killers in the animal world. In adults komodo dragons in wild nature natural enemies none, except for humans and possibly saltwater crocodiles.
Flying dragon (Draco volans)
The flying dragon is a species of unusual lizards common in Indonesia on the islands of Borneo, Sumatra, Java, Timor, as well as in Western Malaysia, Thailand, Philippine Islands(Palawan), Singapore and Vietnam. The length of their body reaches about 20 cm. On its sides there are wide leathery folds stretched between six “false” ribs. When they open, peculiar “wings” are formed, with the help of which dragons can glide in the air at a distance of up to 60 meters. They live in the crowns of trees in tropical forests, where they spend a significant part of their lives. They descend to the ground only in two cases - to lay eggs and if the flight is unsuccessful. They feed on insects, mainly ants and termites.
The Lesser Belttail is a species of lizard found in rocky, desert areas of southern Africa. Their body length ranges from 15 to 21 cm. There are hard bone plates like a shell on the head and back. It feeds on insects and small invertebrates. Lives in groups of up to 60 individuals, hiding in gorges and crevices. When in danger, they are able to curl into a ring, grabbing their tail with their mouths. Considered one of the most spiny animals in the world.
The blue-tongued skink is one of the original species of lizards with a bright blue tongue. Due to its flexible nature, pickiness in food and living conditions, over the last 10 years it has become popular for keeping in home terrariums.
Description of the family
Skink family (lat. name Scincidae) - lizards, of which there are up to 1.5 thousand species in nature. A characteristic external feature of the family is smooth scales, visually reminiscent of fish. Skinks' eyes have a round pupil and separate movable eyelids, and the lower one has a fold that allows them to see the surrounding space with “closed eyes.”
They eat a wide variety of foods, are mainly predators, but also consume plants. They reproduce using eggs or viviparity.
Blue-tongued skink (tiliqua - from lat. Tiliqua scincoides) is a rather large lizard with a smooth body and a thick tail; in nature there are several species of such skinks. They got their name from their bright blue-violet color. long tongue, which when protruded can reach a size twice the size of the head. Such language is created by nature to frighten birds of prey and other animals who want to hunt the skink.
Tilikv genus and their history
Such lizards were first described and brought to Europe at the end of the 18th century from the eastern part of Indonesia. Already by the second half of the 19th century. skinks in large quantities were exhibited in zoos in Australia and Europe and were successfully bred at home. Due to their phlegmatic nature and unpretentiousness, they have become one of the most common animals that can be kept in a terrarium.
Tiliquas include several species that differ in color and the name of the area in which they live in nature. Thus, according to their habitat, there are 7 species: common, giant, dwarf, short-tailed, black-tempered and black-and-yellow.
Description of the blue tongue skink:
- the size of the lizard can exceed 60 cm, but more often 45-50 cm;
- the tail is quite thick and short;
- the color of the body can be different: gray, black, yellow-orange, with stripes or spots, depending on the species and habitat;
- each limb has 5 fingers with claws;
- the head is triangular gray, located on a short neck;
- the jaws are equipped with flat teeth, and a blue tongue hangs from the mouth.
Since 1972, Australia and New Guinea have introduced laws prohibiting the export of reptiles from these countries.
Habitat
The habitat of skinks (another name is “common gigantic lizard”) is the continent of Australia, as well as the islands of Tasmania, Indonesia (east), New Guinea and some small Pacific islands. On the map, the area resembles a crescent, starting from the south of the northern part of the continent, passing through western region and ends in southern Australia.
All types of tiliquas are very unpretentious and are distributed in numerous regions, different in climatic conditions. This mountain forests, deserts and semi-deserts, ocean coast, etc. In urban areas they settle in parks and gardens.
Their peak activity occurs during the day, however extreme heat they don’t like to sit out during these hours in animal holes, cracks or empty tree trunks.
Natural enemies of tiliqua: large birds, dingoes, monitor lizards. When threatened, skinks take a defensive position, bending their body, opening their mouth completely and sticking out a large blue tongue, while emitting a threatening hiss, and can bite.
Skinks have good eyesight, but see everything in black and white. In nature, they feed on insects and plant foods and do not disdain carrion. They are viviparous animals; offspring appear in nature once a year, 10-20 cubs.
They shed periodically, rubbing against hard surfaces of stones and branches. Average duration life - about 20 years.
Blue-tongued skinks are considered to be quite unpretentious animals compared to others when kept in terrariums; they tolerate various lighting, heating and humidity conditions well, and quickly adapt to changing conditions.
To keep them comfortable, a terrarium of sufficiently large volume is required (minimum 140 liters). Artificial peat, tree bark or paper and newspapers are placed at the bottom. It is not recommended to use cedar substrate because of its toxicity, wood shavings from pine or aspen. Also, gravel should not be placed because it causes intestinal obstruction in lizards.
Large lizards are odorless, but the terrarium should be cleaned at least once a week, depending on the type of bottom covering.
It is better to keep skinks alone, because they do not like company and immediately begin to fight, regardless of gender. Therefore, to keep several lizards you will have to install separate terrariums. It should also be taken into account that skinks do not like movement from above, because in nature they always expect an attack from this side, as a result of which the lid of the terrarium must be placed on the side.
You should definitely install shelters (boxes, houses, etc.) in which the skink will hide; it is advisable to plant plants, install 1-2 driftwood, or make a shelter out of stones.
Special lighting
For normal living conditions, skinks need additional lighting, preferably an ultraviolet lamp. Such special UV lamps of spectrum A and B are sold in pet stores; they are optimal for keeping large lizards, promote the production of vitamin D3 and are beneficial for the nervous system.
Daylight in nature lasts at least 12 hours, the temperature during the day is +26...+30ºС, under a heating lamp - up to +35ºС, at night - +20...+22ºС.
It is better to install the lamp on one side of the terrarium so that the skink can move around inside, regulating its heat exchange in the body. Once a day, it is recommended to spray the inside of the terrarium with warm water to maintain required level humidity.
Nutrition
The diet of a giant blue-tongue skink in captivity should consist of plant and animal food, which includes vegetables and fruits (2/3 of the diet), meat, eggs, insects (cockroaches, locusts, grasshoppers, etc.), mice, seafood. One of my favorite delicacies is snails. Mealworms and crickets will be useful for young people. Some owners successfully feed skinks with canned food intended for domestic cats and dogs.
Main rules when feeding:
- Adults need to be fed 1-2 times a week, growing youngsters - daily, females expecting offspring - 4 times;
- give monthly vitamin supplements, as well as mineral supplements (crushed eggshells, calcium);
- feeding should be carried out in the daytime, as warm as possible, since the digestion process in lizards is carried out only at high temperatures;
- they do not know how to control their appetite, so the owner must do this;
- Be sure to install a drinking bowl, the water in which must be changed every day.
Reproduction of skinks
Determining the gender of skinks is a rather problematic issue, since outwardly they do not differ in gender. Most reliable way determine sex: a method of sexing in which during the breeding season lizards are placed alternately in pairs. Another more labor-intensive method is fluoroscopy.
The placement of males and females is usually done in the spring (in our hemisphere - September-November), after a course of vitamin “E” lasting 2-3 weeks. Immediately after mating, the newlyweds should be seated in different terrariums. It is better to repeat the process 1-2 more times to get the expected result.
Pregnancy lasts 4 months, usually 5-20 cubs are born, weighing 10-20 g, about 13 cm long, which independently eat their afterbirth immediately after birth, then hide in secluded places or shelters.
Usually the young animals are placed and fed small insects and porridge with fruit. Babies grow very quickly and by 8 months they are the size of an adult, capable of reproduction by 2-3 years.
Hibernation
In nature, the life and behavior of skinks depend on the changing seasons. Therefore, in conditions of captivity, for favorable well-being and successful breeding, animals are also given periods of rest during the winter months, which in southern hemisphere fall in our summer. The lifestyle of the blue-tongued skink from June to August is determined by a period of rest. During these months there is a gradual decrease daylight hours, and then the animal goes into hibernation.
At home, owners should do the same, gradually reducing the lighting intensity. When they reach 6 hours of daylight, they stop giving them food, turn off the heating, and keep them in this state for another week. The skink is then placed in a special cage with sawdust, which is well ventilated but impenetrable to light.
In this state, the lizards “sleep” for 2 months, and then the reverse process of exiting is done with a gradual increase in light and heat in the terrarium.
Character and communication with a person
Blue-tongued skinks are not at all aggressive animals; they are easily tamed and even recognize their owner. Because of their good nature and friendly character, they are called “domestic cats.”
Such a lizard may well become tame; it can eat from hands or from tweezers; the main rule when training it is to remain calm and have a friendly attitude.