Shingleback lizard set up

[Fauna Gacha]

I'm new to keeping lizards and i had a few questions


1 can I use a substrate such as ceramic for a shingleback or would a loose substrate be better

2 does anyone have a specific cage recommendation that will have enough space / ventilation

3 Im struggling to find good resources for diet and what supplements i need (d3 calcium etc) and if i supplement D3 do i need a Uv light as well?

any advice or resources for me to research more are really appreciated, thankyou.

 

[LizardGirl]

I'm new to keeping lizards and i had a few questions


1 can I use a substrate such as ceramic for a shingleback or would a loose substrate be better

2 does anyone have a specific cage recommendation that will have enough space / ventilation

3 Im struggling to find good resources for diet and what supplements i need (d3 calcium etc) and if i supplement D3 do i need a Uv light as well?

any advice or resources for me to research more are really appreciated, thankyou.

I'm looking for info on shinglebacks as well, but from what I can gather, it is similar to the set up for a bluetongue.

 

[Sdaji]

I'm new to keeping lizards and i had a few questions


1 can I use a substrate such as ceramic for a shingleback or would a loose substrate be better

2 does anyone have a specific cage recommendation that will have enough space / ventilation

3 Im struggling to find good resources for diet and what supplements i need (d3 calcium etc) and if i supplement D3 do i need a Uv light as well?

any advice or resources for me to research more are really appreciated, thankyou.

1) Loose would be better. They like to dig around, and you'll likely end up with toe/claw problems if they're on a smooth surface and can't wear their claws down. There are alternative ways to keep their claws healthy, but a smooth surface isn't ideal.

2) There are 1,001 different designs you can use. You definitely want a lot of ventilation for these lizards, they are very sensitive to normal humidity levels and need to be kept dryer than most species. Some form of floor heat combined with top ventilation and a small water bowl works well.

3) Calcium and vitamin D3 supplements are definitely a good idea. They're not absolutely essential if you manage their diet very very carefully, but they're a great insurance policy. Many years ago (in the 1900s) I kept Tiliqua without supplements and often had MBD issues. Back then there was very little information available. Eventually UV was suggested, which much to my lament did a grand total of zero to improve things. Eventually I found the supplements and bang, none of the Tiliqua of any species I kept ever had any MBD issues ever again. I'd never bother with UV for skinks (I've experimented heavily and kept and bred many different species of skinks, and never found UV to make any practical difference), but supplements were important for all of them unless I gave them very carefully-managed diets.