Long Tail Grass Lizard
(Takydromus sexlineatus)
Habitat: Well-planted Savanna    Diet: Insectivorous    Adult Size: 8-12 inches (mostly tail)   
Lifespan: 5 years or more    Native To: Southeast Asia                    
 

Did You Know:

  • True to its name, the Long Tail Grass Lizard has a tail that can be three times (or more) longer than its body.

  • The Long Tail Grass Lizard's tail is prehensile, like a monkey's, so it can wrap around branches and other objects.

  • Fast and agile, this lizard will cover a large territory while foraging for food in the wild.

The material below is a general guideline, and is not intended to serve as your sole source of pet care information. Visit a veterinarian trained in caring for reptiles and consult a broad range of literature to ensure that your pet receives adequate care.
 

What You Should Know About The Long Tail Grass Lizard

The Basics:

Agile and active, yet calm and tolerant, the attractive Long Tail Grass Lizard makes an enjoyable pet for anyone willing to invest the time and effort in caring for it. This is a very slender greenish-brown lizard with various stripe configurations. Its tail is considerably longer than its body. In nature, it spends most of its time moving through tall grass or areas of thick low-lying vegetation in search of insects. However, it will also climb trees. A docile lizard, it can be kept in communal enclosures, but some males can fight one another, so they should not be housed together. The Long Tail Grass Lizard is most active during daylight hours.

Vertical Space Essential:

Long Tail Grass Lizards are excellent climbers, so a vertically
oriented enclosure with lots of climbing branches is a must. It's also a good idea to place cork bark on some enclosure sides to provide added climbing opportunities. In nature,
Long Tail Grass Lizards thrive in areas with thick vegetation, so plenty of plants and vines (real or artificial) should be kept in their enclosure. The enclosure should be at least 20 gallons in size for a single specimen, but a larger tank is preferable. (Bigger is always better with these active lizards.) Any enclosure used should have a secure screened top
for ventilation. Hiding places are also essential.

Substrate:
Moisture-Retaining Material:

Since humidity is so important to the health of this species, it is essential to select a substrate that retains moisture without promoting the growth of mold, such as peat moss and bark chips (provided they are not made from aromatic woods like cedar and pine.)
Lighting:
Full Spectrum: 		Like other diurnal (daytime active) lizards, the Long Tail Grass
Lizard must be exposed to UVB and UVA light for 10-12 hours a day. Exposure to UVB rays is critical in allowing the Long Tail Grass Lizard to synthesize vitamin D3 and absorb calcium. If the lizard isn't exposed to an adequate level of UVB lighting, it will develop a metabolic bone disorder. There are a variety of fluorescent tubes available at PSP that emit UVB light. Fluorescent tubes that produce UVB rays should be replaced every six months. Glass blocks out UVB light, so overhead light sources should be kept behind a wire mesh cover, not a glass or acrylic tank top. This light source should be within 12 inches of the animal. Important - see the Note About Day/Night Light Cycles and Heating below.

Temperature:
A Thermal Gradient:

The Long Tail Grass Lizard must be provided with a
thermal gradient so it can regulate its body temperature. Daytime ambient temperatures in the enclosure should range from 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit, with a basking spot in the
90-95 degree range. At night, temperatures can be lowered to 65-70 degrees. Heat can be maintained through a combination of lamps. Nighttime temperatures can be maintained by ceramic heat emitters, which do not produce light. Follow directions carefully with ceramic heat emitters, use fixtures with porcelain or ceramic sockets and to protect
against fires, do not place them by dry wood or flammable fabrics. Since Long Tail Grass Lizards spend much of their time off the ground, under-tank heat pads should not be used
to maintain enclosure temperatures. Thermometers should be positioned in the warmer and cooler areas of the enclosure as well as in the basking spot. Enclosure temperatures
should be monitored at branch level as well as ground level. Important - see the Note About Day/Night Light Cycles and Heating below.

Note About Day/Night Light Cycles and Heating:

All reptiles, including this pet, must have distinct day and night periods in their enclosure to maintain their biological rhythms. (See the lighting entry above for the specific length of this animal’s day/night cycle.) The day period must be light; and night must be dark. A timer should be used to set day/night periods. If a heat source is required to maintain correct nighttime temperatures, use heat mats or strips mounted below or on the side of the tank, infrared heat lamps, ceramic heat emitters, or a combination of these products. This will allow the enclosure to be heated while remaining dark. Follow directions carefully with all products. If ceramic heat emitters are used always choose fixtures with porcelain or ceramic sockets and to protect against fires do not place them by dry wood or flammable fabrics. Ceramic heat emitters must be kept out of the reach of children and all pets, including dogs and cats.

Humidity:
High Levels Are Essential:

Maintaining a humid enclosure is essential to
maintaining the health of the Long Tail Grass Lizard. Daily misting with chlorine-free water and a shallow bowl of chlorine-free water should be used to keep the enclosure's humidity at 70-75 percent. A drip system might also be considered. A hygrometer should be used to measure humidity levels. Like many lizards, Long Tail Grass Lizards will often drink by taking droplets from leaves and other surfaces. However, a bowl of fresh chlorine-free water should always be provided.
A NOTE ABOUT WATER: All water given to this pet for drinking, as well as water used for misting, soaking or bathing must be 100% free of chlorine and heavy metals. (Not all home water filtration systems remove 100% of the chlorine and heavy metals from tap water, so check your system's specifications before using it to filter water for your pet.) We recommend that you use unflavored bottled drinking water or bottled natural spring water and never untreated tap water. If tap water is used, you should treat it with a dechlorinating treatment. Do not use distilled water, which can cause severe medical problems, since it lacks minerals that are essential to important body functions.
Diet:
Insects Every Other day: 		Long Tail Grass Lizards are insectivorous, so they should
be fed a variety of insects, such as commercially available crickets, fruit flies, mealworms, earthworms, and the occasional waxworm. Offer food to these lizards every
other day, unless they're growing juveniles, in which case they can be fed once a day. Adults and juveniles should be offered 3-6 appropriately sized insects every meal. Insects should be gut loaded and dusted with a supplement before being offered. Important -- It is necessary to provide calcium and vitamin supplements as part of the diet. Please read the supplement section below:
A Note About Gut Loading Feeding crickets a nutritious diet will pass on vital nutrients to your reptile. When reptiles eat these insects they are able to absorb the nutrients. This is why it is important to gut load crickets at least 48 hours before offering them to a reptile. Commercial cricket foods provide a convenient way to gut load crickets. (Always follow manufacturer’s directions.) Crickets should also be provided with water, preferably in the form of oranges or a commercial water gel product designed specifically to hydrate feeder insects. Putting a shallow dish of water in the cricket holding tank will result in insects drowning and promote the spread of bacteria.

You can also create your own gut-loading formula. Our vet recommends a mix of ground up dog food, cereal and fresh greens with oranges or a commercial gel for water.
Supplements:

Dust insects with calcium supplement and vitamin supplements. As a rule, a growing juvenile's food should be dusted more often than an adult's. Follow product label directions when applying supplements, and avoid over-supplementing food. The following is a possible supplementing schedule for this reptile. Our veterinarian recommends dusting insects with a plain calcium supplement every time they are offered to the pet. (Avoid using a calcium supplement with added phosphorous, unless specifically directed by your veterinarian, since this can promote kidney disease.) Our veterinarian also recommends dusting insects with a D3 supplement once a week and a vitamin supplement two times a month. This is only one recommendation, consult your veterinarian for specific directions on supplementing your pet’s food, since there are many variables that go into determining the best supplementing regimen for a given animal.


How to Handle A Long Tail Grass Lizard
This is a delicate lizard that should be handled only when absolutely necessary. When handled, it must be treated very gently to avoid injury. Approach from the side, speaking to the lizard in a soothing voice. Grasp with one hand on the section of the lizard where you can straddle across its back at the front legs. Use your other hand to take hold of the hips. Care must be taken to ensure that the lizard does not "grab" hold of any objects with its long prehensile tail when it is lifted. Always wash your hands before and after handling a lizard.


Look Out For This:
The Long Tail Grass Lizard is a calm and hardy lizard with relatively straightforward care requirements. However, the reptile keeper must be careful to maintain relatively high humidity levels (at least 70%) in its enclosure while avoiding the fungal growth that can result from overly humid tanks.


Recommended Long Tail Grass Lizard Supplies:

  • A top-loading, screened enclosure that provides plenty of vertical room for climbing

  • UVB and UVA emitting light

  • Live plants

  • Heating element to maintain enclosure temperatures

  • Three thermometers, so temperature can be monitored at both ends of the enclosure, and in basking area

  • Appropriate substrate

  • Shallow water dish

  • Spray Bottle

  • Climbing and basking branches

  • Hiding areas

  • Calcium and vitamin supplement

  • Hygrometer to measure humidity levels

  • Thermostat and rheostat to regulate heat