Are Legless Lizards Good Pets?
Are legless lizards good pets? The name ‘legless lizard’ applies to many classes of lizards who have either lost their limbs or diminished them to the point of having little reason for locomotives by evolution.
In appearance, these lizards are snake-like, although distinguishable by their closeable eyelids and fragile, sometimes partially regenerated tails, and their bodies are rather stiff, unlike most snakes.
Interestingly, many elongated reptiles with reduced or absent limbs have one lung that is much smaller or absent for unknown reasons.
It is estimated that about 53 lineages of lizards and snakes have lost one or more bones of their limbs throughout their development. In 2007, researchers discovered a 95-million-year-old fossil that is the oldest known evidence of lizards’ evolution to a legless state.
This fossil has tiny, nonfunctioning front legs (Adriosaurus microbrachis) but still-functioning and normal-sized hind legs. It is the same approximate age as snake fossils with similar vestigial front legs, leading to the conclusion that snakes and lizards lost their legs around the same time.
In relation to whatever spawned both snakes and lizards, the new creature is believed to be the closest. There are several pet lizard varieties. The legless lizards, which in no small extent resemble snakes, are among them.
There are various species of legless lizards that pet keepers can select. Legless lizards are lizards that have evolved to a stage in which their limbs do not operate.
They belong to the Pygopodidae family. They usually have some free-floating hipbone leftovers and tiny rear leg tips, despite their limbs being functionless.
While these lizards have a snake-like appearance, a closer look will show several distinguishing characteristics. For example, their ears are open outside, lack broad abdominal scales, may or may not have long, and have eyelids.
Enclosure for A Legless Lizard
A 20-gallon-long tank should be the minimum recommended scale for most legless lizards. One can still, though, imagine moving larger. To provide climbing areas, it has to include concealed spaces around the enclosure and rocks or trees. As several might have unique requirements, it is essential to recognize the legless lizard’s various populations’ particular needs.
Cages for Legless Lizards
In your enclosure, floor size is essential than height. In a 20 gal long enclosure or Exo Terras 18″ x 18″ x 12, young legless lizards up to about six months of age can be housed.”. They are best kept singly.
Sometimes two females will get along, but not always.
One adult can be housed in a minimum of a 36″ long enclosure, one adult can be housed. The 36″ x 18″ x 18″ Exo Terra or the 30 breeder critter cage of Zilla both work well. You can go more significant if you have the space to give your pet more room to roam.”
They like to burrow in soft substrates to provide loose bedding, such as Zillas Jungle Mix or ground coconut husks. Include a hiding place for them to feel safe when they sleep.
This can be as simple as a piece of driftwood raised enough for them to go under or a reptile hides such as Zillas bark bend. It is also suitable for plants (live or plastic). Several rocks and low branches can make the
Temperature for Legless Lizards
To regulate their body temperatures, legless lizards depend on thermoregulation, similar to other reptiles. It is, therefore, necessary that there be an excellent and warm side to the enclosure. On the one hand, put all heating elements and leave the other as the cooler region. The legless lizards can shift the two zones back and forth when desired. Holding daytime temperatures between 70 F and 85 F is essential.
Temperatures may be decreased by 10o F during the night relative to daytime temperatures. Make use of temperature gauges of a good standard. When heating the enclosure, a heating pad or a basking lamp may be used. UVB lighting is required in addition to the heat to help the lizards absorb calcium and synthesize vitamin D3.
Because these lizards may not get natural sunshine outdoors, they require UVB illumination in a UVB ray emitting fluorescent lamp and buying a light bulb.
Humidity for A Legless Lizard
When it comes to humidity, it depends on the lizard species. And some who live in dry regions, though, require some rain. It is vital to spray light into their enclosure with water in the morning. Later on, it can dampen the surface of the substrate and stay moist for nearly an hour. Make sure it should not get too damp. For the assignment, utilizing hand misters is appropriate. Also, put a bowl of freshwater for the lizard in the enclosure. You need to change it if the lizard defecates in the water. Clean and clean the dish at least once a week to avoid the build-up of bacterial slime.
What Do You Feed a Legless Lizard?
The bulk of adults are fed two to three days a week. Any other day, younger lizards feed. Researching the unique feeding habits of your lizard species is critical. They will eat as much as they want in a single sitting while you feed them. Please put it on a shallow dish instead of putting food directly on the substratum.
Any other meal should be fortified with calcium and vitamins in the feed. There is a broad selection of food that legless lizards can eat, and some recommendations include:
- Live bugs
- Canned insects
- Shrimp,
- Scrambled or boiled eggs
- Snails
- Fruits
- Pinky mice
- Collard greens
- Carrots
- Papaya
- Raspberries etc.
Temperament for A Legless Lizard
Legless lizards do not notice how they are often treated. If they get nervous, they will shed their tails, but it’s uncommon. They become very open to you and tame enough to encourage gentle handling if you keep feeding them. Also, legless lizards are hardy animals and are fun as pets to watch and keep.
Best Legless Lizards for Beginners
While legless lizards are rated as safe pets to keep, they appear to be slightly challenging for beginners. For moderate and advanced keepers, most of them are suitable. Nevertheless, you may get a legless lizard from Hooded Scaly Foot, which is perfect for a novice. In Australia, the Hooded Scaly Foot is endemic.
Western, black-headed, and eastern hooded scaly feet are available in numerous animals. They usually feed on surface-active arthropods and easily be tamed. One major bonus thing is that while maintaining them, they may not need a specialized skill. Nonetheless, having a thorough understanding of their needs remains essential.
Can You Keep a Wild Lizard as a Pet?
A legless lizard is undoubtedly a high-end animal to keep as a pet in captivity. This is an unusual reptile if one ever were. Not much is known about its natural habitats in its native Russia and its natural way of life. So, we see these as imports sometimes. No one in captivity breeds legless lizards. They aren’t so widespread. They can be very ferocious and not tame at all and do not make social pets.
Again, when threatened, they have the practice of breaking off their extremity, their tail. So, when handling them, you have to be very careful because when they’re trying to get away, rough handling or putting your hand over them and they’re going to snap that tail, and in two seconds, the animal will go from this length to that length, and that’s something we don’t want.
It slightly regenerates the tail. It’s not the same as before; it’s all cartilage, it’s no more bone, and it falls back like a tiny stub, and that kind of look makes people notice that it is not quite like the original.
So, we don’t see these very often in the pet world, but it’s a very specialized reptile. They need a nice soft substratum into which they can burrow. They are creatures who can withstand poor weather, and they come from a cold environment. And some like being under the ground over winter. And if that’s what you do to them, they typically survive quite a while.
They are Ferocious eaters. Mice are threatened and snake-like in mouse holes in the wild, so we need to feed them little pink or juvenile mice. They can’t wrestle with a big guy as much as they can with a little guy. So, a legless lizard, for sure, is one for an expert pet owner. I don’t discourage it, but I do advise you to do a lot of research before you try to purchase an imported Russian legless lizard.
How Long do Legless Lizards Live?
Legless lizards will live in the wild for 20 years and in captivity for up to 38 years.
Legless lizards behave like snakes, but they have some features that vary. Unlike snakes, legless lizards have moveable eyelids, belly scales, and the capacity to reject the tail in the event of a threat. Some legless lizards have limbs, but since they share a similarity in the morphology of the skull, teeth, and tongue, they belong to the legless lizard community.
Legless lizards have fragments of hip bones and tips of the hind legs, so they cannot move. They’re crawling. In spring and summer, the breeding season for legless lizards takes place. Fifty percent of legless lizard species lay eggs, while live babies are born to another half. The female packs 6 to 10 eggs for the nest. Elongated and leathery shells (have softshell). The mother protects the nest, but as soon as it hatches, she leaves the infants. From the moment of life, juvenile legless lizards ought to care for themselves.
Do Legless Lizards Drop Their Tails?
These lizards may appear to be snakes, and when threatened, they may hiss and rear, but Legless Lizards are not dangerous. The most useful defense mechanism of the Legless Lizard, apart from camouflage skills, is its ability to drop its tail if attacked.
This is quite a makeover, as three-quarters of its body can be made up of its tail. This is referred to as ‘tail autotomy.’ ‘Autotomy’ comes from ‘self’ and ‘severing’ in Greek words. These versatile lizards can regenerate and grow another tail.
Many, but not all, lizard species can famously lose and regenerate their tail segment (although the replacement is not as good as the original). This is no parlor trick: it is a potentially life-saving maneuver out in the wild.
The whole appendage may break off if a predator seizes a lizard by the tail. This discarded appendage could flail and spasm afterward, distracting the attacker long enough for our lizard to escape. See some images of a glass lizard sans tail in graphic form.
A correlation exists between the habitat of a legless lizard and the length of its tail. There are comparatively short tails for animals that burrow through soil or spend much of their time buried in the sand. In comparison, there are very long ones for those who live on the surface. Oh, why is that?
Longtails may be a nuisance for lizards with underground habits since they produce unnecessary drag during digs. Up off the ground, though, the risks of an attacker snagging a more critical part of the body are minimized by a very long tail.
Do Legless Lizards Move Like Snakes?
The relatively restricted range of action of a legless lizard isn’t just in its dimensions. Whereas a snake can drive itself around the ground with its sides and its belly scales, only its sides can be used for a legless lizard. Its rotation is just side-to-side, and in terms of life is a significant downside.
If it has obstacles to press up against, it does just fantastic, so if it winds up on a perfectly flat surface, it can’t travel at all like a paved path. A legless lizard is only a sitting duck, but a snake will travel around a street until a vehicle reaches it. With more and more growth breaching their environment, legless lizards are gradually dropping short of their average lifespan of 8 to 9 years.
Glass lizards and snakes tend to come from very beginnings, albeit with many of these variations. In 2007, researchers found a 95-million-year-old fossil that is the earliest recorded confirmation of the lizard’s transition to a legless state. This latest fossil has tiny, nonfunctioning front legs but still-functioning and normal-sized hind legs, dubbed Adriosaurus microbrachis.
The fossil is the same estimated age as snake fossils of matching vestigial front legs, which points to the inference that at the same period, snakes and lizards lose their legs. About whatever spawned both snakes and lizards, the latest creature is thought to be the nearest.
Health Problems for Legless Lizards
Lizards will make excellent pets. They come in all shapes and sizes and can be interesting to read about and care for, from bearded dragons to geckos to iguanas and others. Multiple species have differing criteria for temperature, humidity, light, diet, and prospective reptile owners can read about the needs of the individual species they are contemplating before bringing a reptile home to guarantee that they will satisfy these needs.
Since legless lizards (and all reptiles in general) have such sluggish metabolisms, they sometimes do not exhibit illness symptoms when they get ill until the disease has spread, and often not when it is too late to be handled.
Therefore, until the animal is too far out for medical therapy, reptile owners must know what signals to watch for to say that their pet is sick. What lizard do owners lookout to show that their animals are sick and that they should see a doctor as soon as possible? Here are five symptoms that show that a lizard might be ill:
1) Lack of Appetite
In general, lizard lizards love to eat. Also, the bugs should be eliminated, or they may chew on the lizard if a lizard avoids insects in its tank and does not eat them after a few minutes, causing severe trauma and infection.
Lizard owners can closely track their pets’ appetites and send them to the veterinarian as soon as they detect any improvement.
2) Fewer Droppings
The droppings of reptiles have two components: a white portion consisting of uric acid or intense feces and a green or brown portion consisting of poop. Less development of stools typically indicates less consumption of food. Therefore, he or she can pay particular attention to the pet’s appetite as soon as a lizard owner has fewer droppings in the tank.
A lizard passing fewer feces should be washed in freshwater to keep it hydrated and checked out by a doctor as soon as possible if the pet’s reduced stool output is attributable to decreased appetite constipation.
3) Lethargy
Generally, healthy lizards are bright-eyed and lively, jumping about their tanks and climbing on rocks or trees and basking in the sunshine, depending on their species. They can respond to items they see and hear and appear alert, pressing up on all four legs in a ready-to-go pose.
On the other side, sick legless lizards will sometimes remain lethargic for hours or can even disappear beneath lizard bedding or other things in the tank. They might be too frail to lift their bellies to their knees, so they slither about like snakes if they step at all. The animal should be checked out promptly by every reptile owner who observes this sort of action or finds a vulnerability in their pet.
4) Sunken Eyes
Healthy snakes, in general, have wide-open pupils, wet gums, and supple skin. When they soak, reptiles consume water from the food they eat and through their skin. All dehydration symptoms can be observed by sunken pupils, oily mucus in the mouth, and preserved, non-shedding skin. To have quick hydration, a lizard displaying either of these symptoms should be soaked/misted with warm water and should be checked by a veterinarian to ascertain the root cause of the dehydration, such as a primary disorder, forcing the pet to eat less or insufficient moisture in the tank of the lizard.
Syringe fed liquid feeding formula can be used for a legless Lizard in this condition. dehydrated from not eating, and those that are dehydrated from exposure to overly dry weather, such as that which occurs in cool, indoor climates during winter, should be supplied with extra lizard by regular soaking and misting.
5) Weight Loss
Until they have lost a large amount of weight, weight loss in legless lizards is not often noticeable. There are several body alterations that lizard owners should watch out for to suggest weight reduction, including tail thinning (a place lizards typically store fat) and rib prominence. Some reptiles also indicate that skull bones are more characterized by the lack of fat on their heads.
Lizard owners who encounter either of these symptoms should get their pets tested as soon as by a veterinarian that has reptile experience, to determine the weight loss source and to resume dietary supplementation before the pet is at a more acceptable weight.
Since certain reptiles will go without food for months and remain alive, lizard owners are too frequently waiting to see whether their pets will eat again and recover their weight.
The pet grows smaller and thinner and less likely to combat the disease that triggers their reduced appetite while they wait, eventually contributing to death from starvation and hunger. If you believe that your lizard is progressively dropping weight, don’t wait for it; get him checked as soon as possible by a veterinarian.
A Knowledgeable Owner Makes for a Healthy Lizard
Reptiles usually get sick from being inappropriately housed or fed. All reptiles have a preferred optimum temperature zone, or temperature range, in which they thrive, including legless lizards. To create vitamin D in their skin that allows them to absorb calcium from their food, many lizards also require daily exposure to ultraviolet light (unfiltered by the glass).
Lizard owners frequently overlook these temperature and lizard lighting criteria because they can not provide their pets with suitable environmental conditions, and the animals eventually get ill.
Typically, lizard lizards housed indoors should also be supplemented with calcium and vitamin D and provided with various foods to ensure that they get adequate nutrition, depending on their species.
Feeding a lizard only one form of food (whether it’s an insect or a vegetable) over and over will contribute to starvation, a frequent mistake many lizard owners create.
Learning about the lizard’s nutritional and environmental needs and adequately setting up its tank can help prevent illness before it occurs.
When it is first collected and then regularly after that, getting your pet tested by a reptile-savvy veterinarian can not only deter complications from arising but may also recognize infection before it first happens, until it is too late to handle.
Final Thoughts
Legless lizards are clever and easy to care for. They do not grow to immense proportions, which makes them easier to handle. They are clever animals with a healthy appetite. Manipulation is feasible and allows resilient hostages, depending on the animal. They are also resistant to the most common reptile-affecting diseases.
