What lizards would you put in paludarium style enclosure??

[xsdox]

I was looking for input on what others would put in a paludarium style enclosure similar to images attached.
I was looking at getting a lizard, not snake (as a member of the household is terrified)
I love geckos but don't know of any that live in this sort of environment and have also looked into frogs but have owned them before so was looking for other options unless someone could suggest one that would use the water a bit and swim (not green tree frogs as they are poor swimmers so usually dont even try, in my experience anyway)

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated

I have owned green tree frogs, bearded dragons and a spotted python for a short time
I obviously wouldn't be getting the lizard for quite a while yet as it will be a few months before the enclosure will be fully set up and plants to grow, as well as a lot of research on whatever animal i choose

 

[dragonlover1]

an enclosure like that would be perfect for Boyds forest dragon or southern angle head dragon

 

[kingofnobbys]

How about a colony of eastern water skinks ?

Only additional things you'd need to add are :
a pond for them swim and dive and splash about in (put some little fish or yabbies or shrimp in it and they'll have an alternative food source), they love water
a UVB150 and basking globe so they can bask and get some UVA and UVB.

I think a colony of water skinks would love such an enclosure and thrive and they are have very interesting communication behaviours and can become mega tame and are super inquisitive. A bunch of females and a male would be perfect.

 

[eipper]

We have Concinnia amplus in with Litoria infrafrenata in a cage similar and Eulamprus quoyii with Litoria splendida in another- this needs to be much drier to accommodate the frog choice though than what you hope to accomplish.

 

[xsdox]

i was interested in eastern water skinks but couldn't really find any caresheets anywhere? did you know what to feed them, how much and how often?

thanks heaps for the advice everyone

 

[Buggster]

i was interested in eastern water skinks but couldn't really find any caresheets anywhere? did you know what to feed them, how much and how often?

thanks heaps for the advice everyone

http://www.coburgaquarium.com.au/sheet.php?id=1588

thats one care sheet I found on them- there doesn't seem to be all that much on them at all!

your best bet would be to find a breeder and ask them all your questions or where to get your questions answered.

I love these guys, I have one big colony in my backyard hiding away in a rock crevice. Poor me was sorting out my mealworm tubs outside when one bugger decided to leap into the tub, snag a few worms then scramble back out again!!!
When it's warmer outside this little guy comes out and waits for me- same time every day to get his fix of worms. I try not to give him too many worms, but if he thinks he's not had enough he'll jump right into a tub and sit in it and have his fill- not even bothered by me anymore, and I don't like to disturb him, so I'll leave him be.

Ive gotten to know around a half dozen individuals of that particular colony (who all have their own 'names', Cheeky, Stumpy, Burnt-back, Red) and they've just started coming out again this year.

The wild colony outside was unintentionally tamed by me- I would sit outside for hours at a time doing little things in the yard, and would spend about 30 mins sorting my worms just below a crack in the stone every day. From that one that made the first move, all the others have been pushing for their share of worms (although only one will dive into the tub) and since they have very little fear of me will exhibit all their natural behaviours, they're a real joy to watch.

I won't claim to know anything about their care, but from what I've gathered watching my group, really curious little guys, very inquisitive. I would imagine they could be a pain to handle as they are just so darn quick. I've seen them eat all manner of bugs and whatnot that they find on the ground, and they love mealworms like nothing else.
I would imagine they would need high humidity (these ones live under swimming pool so it's usually very humid), and if it does get particularly dry I spray the area down and the place will stay muggy for hours regardless of how hot it might be.


best of luck- and a stunning set up you've got there!

 

[pinefamily]

We have one in an enclosure with two large water bowls to splash around in, fake plants to hide in, and two flat rocks. Substrate needs to be something they can burrow in; we use a mix of coir peat (kritter krumble) and sand. try and use a sand that holds together better, so they can burrow easier. We have a water bowl virtually under the basking globe, so humidity is not a problem.
They eat most small insects; ours eats mainly crickets and mealworms, with occasional woodies if we get small enough ones. I read somewhere that they also eat berries, but gave up after ours showed no interest at all.
They seem to not like it as hot as other lizards; we run a 75w globe in our enclosure. With the 100w's they hid away all the time. And don't forget a UV light.
They are little characters. Ours will climb onto my hand on occasion, and bobs its head almost as if to say thank you when I feed it.

 

[pythoninfinite]

Xdox, just wondering what material the plants are rooted into - it certainly looks fantastic now and I can imagine how it will look when it's more grown-out. Please post more photos as they progress!

Jamie

 

[kingofnobbys]

i was interested in eastern water skinks but couldn't really find any caresheets anywhere? did you know what to feed them, how much and how often?

thanks heaps for the advice everyone

Think : mini - bluetongue skinks regarding care and feeding for eastern water skinks.

Our old girl water skink Wriggles was a joy to interact with and she was mega tame , really loved snuggles and very cleaver and inquisitive. She recently died of old age at about 7 - 8 years old.

She loved mealworm lavae , pupae, beetles , silkworms , crickets , roaches , bits of hard boiled egg (loved the whites), softened rep-cal juvenile beardie and vetafarm pellets mixed with grated carrot + sweet potato and chopped raw peas and had a real taste for bits of strawberry, raspberry, blackberry and blueberry (cut to her size bites). Loved to be handfed.

She loved to really splash about in her water dish/swimming/bathing pond, would go bonkers in there and was obviously having a ball when in her water.
Those occasions I bathed her , she often wanted to go straight back into her bath in the luke warm water (about 30oC) if took her out too soon..She even came when called and would put herself back to bed after she'd had enough snuggles. She loved to watch TV and was tame enough that she's let visitors pet her.

She liked her heatpad set to 35oC and her basking spot under a 60W incandescent spotty and a 13W UVB150 provided her more than enough UVA and UVB.

I had an area of mixed peet coir mixed with medium kitters crumble and playsand (she loved fossicing and tunnelling through the stuff) and an area of paper towel lined loose ceramic tiles where her hide and water dish were.


Care was very easy.

I wish I'd had a breeding pair or group ( 2 or 3 girls and a boy) of water skinks .... they produce live babies (and they are super cute when really little). I hope to locate a local EWS breeder this summer so I can replace Wriggles with a mixed sex group . I really miss Wriggles.

- - - Updated - - -

http://www.coburgaquarium.com.au/sheet.php?id=1588

thats one care sheet I found on them- there doesn't seem to be all that much on them at all!

your best bet would be to find a breeder and ask them all your questions or where to get your questions answered.

I love these guys, I have one big colony in my backyard hiding away in a rock crevice. Poor me was sorting out my mealworm tubs outside when one bugger decided to leap into the tub, snag a few worms then scramble back out again!!!
When it's warmer outside this little guy comes out and waits for me- same time every day to get his fix of worms. I try not to give him too many worms, but if he thinks he's not had enough he'll jump right into a tub and sit in it and have his fill- not even bothered by me anymore, and I don't like to disturb him, so I'll leave him be.

Ive gotten to know around a half dozen individuals of that particular colony (who all have their own 'names', Cheeky, Stumpy, Burnt-back, Red) and they've just started coming out again this year.

The wild colony outside was unintentionally tamed by me- I would sit outside for hours at a time doing little things in the yard, and would spend about 30 mins sorting my worms just below a crack in the stone every day. From that one that made the first move, all the others have been pushing for their share of worms (although only one will dive into the tub) and since they have very little fear of me will exhibit all their natural behaviours, they're a real joy to watch.

I won't claim to know anything about their care, but from what I've gathered watching my group, really curious little guys, very inquisitive. I would imagine they could be a pain to handle as they are just so darn quick. I've seen them eat all manner of bugs and whatnot that they find on the ground, and they love mealworms like nothing else.
I would imagine they would need high humidity (these ones live under swimming pool so it's usually very humid), and if it does get particularly dry I spray the area down and the place will stay muggy for hours regardless of how hot it might be.


best of luck- and a stunning set up you've got there!

I too have a colony of these wonderful and very beautiful and highly inquisitive little guys in my yard and under my house and in my shed.

I've taken a real fondness to them and regard them as defacto pets, and under my protection, some have become so tame wrt me that they will come up to me and even sit within a inch of me when I'm sitting on the steps or on the grass or paths while doing some gardening or sorting my feeder insects for the pet lizards , I give the wild water skinks (and brown garden skinks) in my garden the left over grated salad vegs and pellets each day (better than wasting this stuff by binning it) and sometimes take some mealworms outside to toss to the wild water skinks who absolutely love them and a few of them will even take a mealworm or a crickets or a roach from my hand.

My interactions with wild water skinks after I retired and had the time to notice and observe them inspired me to start keeping pet lizards and Wriggles was my first captive bred pet lizard.