How Do I Care for and Feed Alligator Lizards?

According to PawNation, alligator lizards require ample tank space and a regular diet of small invertebrates. Alligator lizards do not have any special heat requirements aside from a heat lamp placed at one end of the tank.

According to Anapsid.org, alligator lizards thrive in semi-moist living conditions. Add plenty of substrate, such as a combination of organic potting soil and cypress bark, so the lizard can burrow. Ideally, a small area of the substrate should be kept damp. Place a few branches in the tank for climbing and various plants or sphagnum moss in the tank for hiding. Add a water bowl to the tank the lizard can climb in and out of easily.

Alligator lizard tanks need to maintain a temperature of around 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and around 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit at night. The area of the tank under the heat lamp should have a temperature of around 85 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Alligator lizards eat mealworm larvae, crickets, earthworms and other small insects. According to Reptic Zone, alligator lizards typically eat 3 to 5 crickets per day. Gut load the food before giving it to the lizard. Pet lizards require a light dusting of calcium and vitamin supplement every couple of weeks. Do not feed an alligator lizard insects larger than the space between its eyes.