Giant Plated Lizard Care Sheet
Lizard
18 - 24 inches long
8 - 10 years
Insectivore
Diet & Nutrition
Giant Plated Lizards are insectivores. Offer a variety of live insects including crickets, mealworms, waxworms, superworms, and cockroaches.
Feeding Schedule
Feed babies twice daily. At 2 months of age you can reduce to once daily.
Adults should also eat daily. Dust food with calcium powder daily & a multivitamin once a week. Feed them the amount they will eat in 10 minutes.
Housing & Habitat
Giant Plated Lizards are from the Southern and Eastern Africa. The environment should be kept hot and dry. Provide hiding places along with plenty of flat surfaces for basking. Giant Plated Lizards may be kept alone or in pairs.
If housed together Giant Plated Lizards should be of similar size to avoid injury.
Never house two males together in the same tank. Two females generally get along well. A male and female will likely breed if housed together.
Enclosure Size
A baby must have a minimum cage size of 30" Long x 12" Deep x 12" High.
Adults require a space that is 36" Long x 18" Deep x 16" High.
Substrate
Acceptable substrates are ground walnut shell, sand, or cage carpet.
The main concern with walnut shell and sand is the possibility of impaction. If the lizard consumes large amounts of the substrate, it could cause intestinal blockage. Cage carpet is the safest option, however, it is difficult to clean easily.
Ground walnut is the preferred substrate of The Tye-Dyed Iguana.
Temperature & Lighting
Temperature
A Giant Plated Lizard's basking spot should be 95°F. The cool end of the tank can be as cool as 70°F.
Lighting
Since this is a diurnal species, it requires two light bulbs. One is the heat lamp which also emits UVA. The second is a UVB lamp. The UVB lamp will specifically say UVB on the box. If the box doesn't say UVB, it's not UVB.
Plant and Fish bulbs are not UVB bulbs.
Humidity & Watering
Humidity
Some keepers prefer to mist the environment, although this is not required. Humidity levels should be between 50% - 55%.
Watering
Provide a bowl of fresh drinking water at all times.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What do Giant Plated Lizards eat?
Giant Plated Lizards are insectivores. Offer a variety of live insects including crickets, mealworms, waxworms, superworms, and cockroaches.
What size enclosure does a Giant Plated Lizard need?
Giant Plated Lizards are from the Southern and Eastern Africa. The environment should be kept hot and dry. Provide hiding places along with plenty of flat surfaces for basking. Giant Plated Lizards may be kept alone or in pairs. If housed together Giant Plated Lizards should be of similar size to avoid injury. Never house two males together in the same tank. Two females generally get along well. A male and female will likely breed if housed together. A baby must have a minimum cage size of 30...
What temperature and lighting does a Giant Plated Lizard need?
A Giant Plated Lizard's basking spot should be 95°F. The cool end of the tank can be as cool as 70°F. Since this is a diurnal species, it requires two light bulbs. One is the heat lamp which also emits UVA. The second is a UVB lamp. The UVB lamp will specifically say UVB on the box. If the box doesn't say UVB, it's not UVB. Plant and Fish bulbs are not UVB bulbs. Humidity: Some keepers prefer to mist the environment, although this is not required. Humidity levels should be between 50% - 55%.