Feeding Lizards Out of Their Home

[NennaMeerkat]

I know there is a HUGE debate on substrates for lizards. As there is for snakes. And it all comes down to them accidentally eating it when they are hunting (for the most part). For snakes everyone says to just feed outside the tank when possible. Why not do the same for lizards? Simply have a separate container for them to eat their crickets and worms from. You don't HAVE to feed a lizard in their tank do you? I mean wouldn't a lizard eat outside their tank in a feeder box if they are hungry?

[infernalis]

I use green cage carpet for my Leo, Chomper chases bugs in his enclosure, but he eats his shrimp & worms out on the reptile room floor.

[ilovemypets1988]

um feeding lizards outside of there tank is alittle difficult becoz they hunt for there food (mostly) and wont eat a full load of food in 1 sitting, they will usually eat over a period of a view days (comparing to a tub of large locusts - what i feed my girl on) and as such, if you were to feed outside of the tank, the lizard will be out of the tank for majority of the time, the only exception that i can think of where u would feed outside of the tank is when you feed your lizard the occassional traet e.g. waxworms, which u can feed while the animal is out on your lap with tongs/tweezers (although i do it with my bare fingers as i do with my snakes) so to answer your question, no i dont think it would be appropriate

[stephanbakir]

If you want to feed them in their terrarium(which i do) try putting the food on a plate, some monitors take the food to a wall and smash it around a bit, if yours travels with their food you may want to place cage carpet on the floor or something during eating time.

Ingesting most small pieces of substrate generally bad, its when they take in allot of it, or sharp pieces when the issues get really bad

[NennaMeerkat]

I was told with my bearded (though I don't practice this anymore with him) that you feed them only the amount they would eat in a 15 min. period and generally avoid leaving crickets in a tank overnight. My guy is big enough now that if a cheeky crickets wants to annoy him that he will just chomp on them and spit them out...

But for smaller lizards like Leos and other geckos I would think it wouldn't be a good idea to leave crickets in. Thus why not do the same thing in a safe box. After 15 min. move the lizard away from the crickets...and what you can easily do it daily.

[Lankyrob]

I feed my lizards and snakes in their vivs, the snakes get a plate but the lizards get to chase the roaches around a bit for some exercise. The substrate for both lizards is 75% of the floor reptibark and 25% reptisand, the sand being an area around the basking lamp. I watch them eat the majority of the roaches as it is interesting seing them do it, especially the monitor running around bashing the roach against anything he can find before eating it, but neither of them have ever even got close to eating the substrate.

[ilovemypets1988]

Originally Posted by Lankyrob

I feed my lizards and snakes in their vivs, the snakes get a plate but the lizards get to chase the roaches around a bit for some exercise. The substrate for both lizards is 75% of the floor reptibark and 25% reptisand, the sand being an area around the basking lamp. I watch them eat the majority of the roaches as it is interesting seing them do it, especially the monitor running around bashing the roach against anything he can find before eating it, but neither of them have ever even got close to eating the substrate.

my gecko is on 100% sand and shes never eaten any, infact she waits for the locusts to get off the sand before kind of "striking" at them lol

[NennaMeerkat]

Originally Posted by Lankyrob

I feed my lizards and snakes in their vivs, the snakes get a plate but the lizards get to chase the roaches around a bit for some exercise. The substrate for both lizards is 75% of the floor reptibark and 25% reptisand, the sand being an area around the basking lamp. I watch them eat the majority of the roaches as it is interesting seing them do it, especially the monitor running around bashing the roach against anything he can find before eating it, but neither of them have ever even got close to eating the substrate.

Hey Lanky do you think a mixture of sand and Sani Chips would be a okay thing? Right now in the tank (checking out how it holds heat and such) I have just Sani Chips but thinking about buying sand to mix.

[stephanbakir]

Originally Posted by Lankyrob

especially the monitor running around bashing the roach against anything he can find before eating it

What kind of monitor do you have? I'm planning to pick up a water monitor and wanted to see a few vivs before i start planning mine out

[sickvenom]

Originally Posted by NennaMeerkat

I know there is a HUGE debate on substrates for lizards. As there is for snakes. And it all comes down to them accidentally eating it when they are hunting (for the most part). For snakes everyone says to just feed outside the tank when possible. Why not do the same for lizards? Simply have a separate container for them to eat their crickets and worms from. You don't HAVE to feed a lizard in their tank do you? I mean wouldn't a lizard eat outside their tank in a feeder box if they are hungry?

lizards have an easier time spitting out something foreign. once a snake has latched on to its prey, anything attached to it will also go down the hatch. lizards can use their legs to dislodge foreign objects.

[Lankyrob]

Dont see why not, i dont mix my two substrates, they are separated by a line of rocks ( tho the lizards do a good job of mixing it up!!). The sand holds heat longer than the wood so they have a choice of evening spot to lie down after the light is off, and it also gets around 10f hotter with the light on, again giving them the choice of where to hang out.

[NennaMeerkat]

That is very true Sick. Thanks for reminding me of that fact.

[NennaMeerkat]

Originally Posted by Lankyrob

Dont see why not, i dont mix my two substrates, they are separated by a line of rocks ( tho the lizards do a good job of mixing it up!!). The sand holds heat longer than the wood so they have a choice of evening spot to lie down after the light is off, and it also gets around 10f hotter with the light on, again giving them the choice of where to hang out.

Okay I will plan on doing that then. I do want a nice basking spot for my Leo and certainly want something that will hold the heat well. Thanks for the advice. Been stressing minorly on trying to find a loose substrate or blend of substrate since I don't want to use paper towels or slate ect. They just don't allow for some natural behaviors ya know?

[Lankyrob]

Originally Posted by stephanbakir

What kind of monitor do you have? I'm planning to pick up a water monitor and wanted to see a few vivs before i start planning mine out

Spiny tailed monitor, check out Profile : Arthur in the monitor section

(gonna have to learn how to link threads some day!)

[infernalis]

Chomper always wipes the sides of his face, even when he don't need to.

we caught a huge pile of night crawlers after the rain storm, he's going to be one happy lizard.