I have a 40 gal (36×18×18) exoterra terrarium, and I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for it besides a bearded dragon. It has a screen lid so I’d need a lizard that doesn’t require a higher humidity amount, albeit I could get plexiglass to cover part of the screen to hold more humidity. I was thinking about a steppe runner, and while it would enjoy the floor space the terrarium is tall and from what I’ve read about steppe runners they aren’t the most avid climbers, I also can’t find one for sale from a reputable place. I live in the US
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For a 40 gal you could keep 2 or 3 leopard geckos easily, but of course you should just house females together unless you plan on getting babies by housing a male with a female.
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I don’t want come off as condescending, but even housing only female leos together is dangerous for the animals. Females will still fight each other when kept together because they’re a solitary species and I don’t want to risk injuries to my lizards. Leos have also been an “everything that moves is edible” species in my experience. I have a male and female that are housed separately that I’m planning on breeding when the female is big enough. Thank you for the suggestion tho!
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Oh no worries, I dont mind getting corrected if I’m wrong. Well another desert lizard i would think that could fit in a 40 would be a uromastyx. Only down side is that they need a extra hot basking area
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Steppe runners are really fun. I have a few as pets.
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Desert iguanas are a nice hardy species that don’t need humidity. Despite their name they are extremely docile lizards. Even the wild ones don’t bite. They are native to the Mojave desert, and I don’t see them captive bred very often. Wild caught specimens are more common, but depending on where you live they may not be legal and I wouldn’t recommend them unless they are captive bred. Another lizard that shares the same wild range is the collared lizard.
If you can handle a bit of humidity upkeep then a jeweled lacerta or a green keeled lizard would work. A pink tongue skink would also be good.
I recommend searching the “Other Lizards” category on MM if you want to find something unusual.
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I’d second collard lizards. You may want to consider alligator lizards as well.
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alligator lizards are EVIL!!! they bite so hard
I agree with Nate. I’ve been kept a uromastyx in the exact same enclosure. They do very well and being a lizard that only eats greens it’s an easy species to keep. As Nate stated tho, you will need a very warm basking spot. They love 120 degrees or more on one side and the other side around 80-90 degrees. It makes for a very hot enclosure and if you keep snakes, it will raise the temp around your reptile room if you keep them to close together. That was the only downside of keeping Uros in my opinion.
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I agree that Uromastyx are a great choice, and they usually have great personalities. If you go that way, be sure to buy captive bred.
I’ll also recommend collared lizards. They are small enough that you could keep 1.2 or 1.3 in a 40g. There are some very colorful ones out there such as the aquaflame. Collared lizards have interesting behaviors and can become quite docile. They also breed well in captivity.
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