The location in your home is one consideration for housing your lizard. Like other animals, lizards will not do as well when exposed to lots of sound vibrations from televisions or stereos. Too much human traffic in the area of its cage may also cause stress to the lizard.

Most lizards will need a terrarium in which it will be easy for you to control the lighting spectrum, temperature, and humidity levels. The cage should also be fairly easy for you to clean. Materials like glass or plastic are preferred, since they are non-absorbent and will generally not harbor bacteria. Keep in mind that metal wire may abrade your lizard's nose if it frequently rubs up against this material. Unsealed wood may be difficult to clean and may even splinter. Should you use wood it should be waterproofed with a sealant such as fiberglass resin, and allowed to air out. This way there will be no toxic fumes present from the sealant when you place your lizard in the enclosure. For viewing, you may also wish to use a wood enclosure that has one or more glass walls.

The main goal in housing your lizard should be to reconstruct as closely as possible the environment where your lizard would naturally be found. The size of the enclosure you obtain should be dictated by the size of your lizard. Be sure it can perform the same basic activities in the enclosure as it would perform in the wild. Is the cage large enough to allow for a basking area and a cooler hiding place? If the lizard needs a water bath, can the enclosure accommodate it? The cage should be of a material that water cannot soak into or through. It should also be sturdy and inescapable. Many lizards are small and it may be difficult to find them again should they manage to get out. Enclosures will need to be ventilated. Generally a screen-topped enclosure will do nicely for lizards with low humidity requirements, but if a solid lid is employed to trap humidity, an allowance should be made for air holes or vents. If you do use a glass or plastic enclosure with a solid top, it may reduce the amount of ultraviolet rays available to your lizard from outside the enclosure. In this case, you should use flourescent lighting that provides direct exposure to compensate for this. Slide-top terrariums are available, and these may be a good option for many animals. It is possible to utilize such an enclosure horizontally for ground dwelling lizards, and it can also be turned on end for arboreal species.

Most lizards need special types of light in order to remain healthy. There are several types of lighting available, and you should determine which is correct for your lizard. Full spectrum ultraviolet lighting will usually be necessary for diurnal (active during the day) lizards that need the UVB spectrum in order to be able to metabolize calcium correctly. Lights are available which provide both UVA and UVB spectrums, although UVA is generally not as critical. Most diurnal lizards will do fine with fluorescent lamps that emit UVB. Although unfiltered or direct sunlight is best, leaving your lizard in a sunny spot in your house may not be a good idea. The glass in your window panes will filter out most of the beneficial ultra violet light required by your lizard, and the unnecessary light that does get through may overheat your lizard's enclosure. When possible you should open the window to allow the beneficial ultra violet rays through. Artificial lights for your lizard's enclosure can be attached to a timer, regularly simulating day and night. There are even some timers available which will automatically simulate the seasons by varying the length of light per day. For example, winter days should be shorter than summer days.

Since lizards are cold blooded, they cannot produce their own heat. This means that the body temperature of the lizard will essentially match the temperature of its environment. Many lizards will need a heat source to generate a general, or ambient, cage temperature and a basking spot that should be kept at an elevated temperature. You should also try to have a cool and possibly shaded area of the terrarium where the lizard can move to should it become overheated. It is advisable to keep a thermometer in the enclosure so you are sure of the temperature. Many experienced lizard owners keep one thermometer in the warm end and another in the cool end of the enclosure. A wide variety of thermometers are available to buy; some are simple mechanisms, while others have digital displays. Under-cage heaters such as heat tape or heating pads are available, and over-cage heat lamps or ceramic heaters may also be utilized for basking areas. If you choose to use both, you should place both in the same area of the enclosure. Although some people choose to employ hot rocks, these have been known to cause serious burns and even death; experienced lizard keepers generally never use them. A good way to create your lizard's basking spot is to aim a heat lamp or ceramic heater onto a branch or rock. The general rule for determining whether or not your basking spot is too hot for your lizard is simply to place your hand under it. When you place your hand where the lizard will be basking, it should feel the same as the temperature created by noon day sun in summer. The heat should be gentle and even. It should be safe for your lizard to fall asleep under the basking lamp without becoming overheated. The basking temperature required for each type of lizard will vary. Keeping the nighttime temperature a bit lower than the daytime temperature will also help keep your lizard healthier.

Most lizards need a water bowl in their cage at all times. Be sure the bowl is not large or deep enough that your lizard could become trapped or drown in it. Other lizards, such as chameleons, might not drink from a bowl. Some of these lizards will accept water from eyedroppers or other instruments like syringes. Others may lick water droplets off of plants. If you are placing live or silk plants in your lizard's enclosure, you may wish to purchase a drip system to create water droplets on the leaves. Some people prefer to construct their own drip systems. Place a bowl of water above your lizard's cage with a tube or wick running from the bowl to the enclosure. The water will slowly drip from the bowl to the cage. Others place a container full of ice cubes on top of a screen-topped enclosure. The container should have holes in it to allow the melted water to slowly drip into the cage. Frequently misting the plants is another way to keep the leaves wet. Some lizards will prefer a full bath or pond available for them to soak in. Although it may not be aesthetically pleasing, many will do well with a simple paint tray of water, which allows a shallow 'beach' area and a deeper area. Also, a soaking area such as a paint tray is easily removed for cleaning. Bacteria and mold can quickly build up in wet or moist areas, so clean these areas often. Elevated humidity levels can be achieved by misting the cage at regular intervals or placing plastic wrap over screened areas of the cage. Using distilled water will prevent water spots from forming on the sides of the enclosure, but water intended for water dishes or bowls should not be distilled. If you are trying to achieve a specific humidity level, there are special gauges available for purchase that can help you determine the moisture level of the air in the enclosure. Some lizards that are native to desert areas may need a minimum of humidity. In order to create pockets of humidity, for example in a hide box, damp peat moss can be used.

Providing a substrate, especially a disposable one, in your lizard's cage can assist you in cleaning the enclosure, maintaining humidity levels, and keeping the lizard itself clean, dry, and healthy. One consideration you may need to make in choosing a substrate is the possibility of your lizard ingesting it. Even if the animal does not eat the substrate intentionally, it may accidentally ingest material on food items that have rested on the substrate. Ingesting larger substrate pieces may choke a lizard, but the more common danger may be of substrates such as sand, dirt, or gravel, causing impactions in the lizard's digestive system. Even materials that are supposed to be digestible might cause such impactions. Usually, layers of newspaper work well as a substrate for your lizard's cage. Wood chips are another option, but you should not use cedar or redwood. Also, the wood chips should be large enough so that the lizard cannot easily ingest them. Some people use cypress mulch or peat moss as a substrate. Others prefer a mixture of many types of substrate. In some cases, sand or soil may be appropriate. Astroturf is good for many species of lizard. It is easy to clean, and you may use one piece while cleaning the others.

You should try to keep the natural habitat of your lizard in mind while choosing decor or accessories for the enclosure. If your lizard likes to burrow, you may decide to choose a substrate that will allow for such activity. Arboreal lizards will appreciate climbing options like branches. Rocks, wood, or shelves may also be nice, especially in and around the basking spot. If you do keep heavy items like rocks in your lizard's enclosure, be sure they are secured. Many burrowing lizards may excavate areas under rocks, which could fall on them, resulting in injury or death. Hide boxes are another item that may be added to the lizard's enclosure. This will allow the lizard an escape if it feels stressed. Generally it is good to have one hiding area at each end of the lizard's enclosure so it can choose the warmer or cooler end, as it feels appropriate. Multiple hiding areas are often preferred by experienced lizard keepers, especially in enclosures where a number of lizards are kept together.

Cleaning your lizard's enclosure comprises a large part of good husbandry practice. In order to help your lizard remain healthy, you should keep it in a sanitary environment. There are two types of cleaners available for use: mechanical cleaners and disinfectants. Both types are important in maintaining a clean environment for your lizard. A mechanical cleaner will aid in physically removing dirt or other soiling. A disinfectant will aid in killing germs. You should use the mechanical cleaner before the disinfectant. Many people prefer to use a bleach and water solution to clean their lizard's enclosure. Some will use commercial cleaners recommended by their veterinarians. Commercial household cleaners should generally be avoided, as they may contain ingredients that are toxic to reptiles. No matter what you use, be sure that you rinse the enclosure thoroughly, since remaining residue may be unhealthy for your lizard. Also, wait until the cage is relatively dry before putting everything back in.

When keeping more than one lizard in an enclosure, usually it is better to keep lizards of the same species together rather than attempting to combine different species. To avoid injury and possibly death due to territorial aggression, it is generally best to avoid keeping more than one lizard in each enclosure unless you are breeding them, or know for sure that they are compatible. However, many lizards, like most types of geckos, can do well when housed together. You may also want to allow for a larger enclosure if you plan on using it for more than one lizard.

Part One - Introduction	Part Three - Diet
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