Cretan wall lizard (Podarcis cretensis)

Short answers

Cretan wall lizard: How big does the enclosure need to be?

100×50×60 cm for a group.

Cretan wall lizard: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 24–30 °C, basking spot Basking spot, locally 40–45 °C under the lamp, at night A night-time drop to 18–20 °C.

Cretan wall lizard: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Essential (UVB 10.0 — these species bask for hours).

Cretan wall lizard: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 5–10 years.

Cretan wall lizard: Is it suitable for beginners?

Partly – manageable with some prior knowledge (difficulty: Beginner with some knowledge).

Climate

Daytime temperature

24–30 °C

Night temperature

A night-time drop to 18–20 °C

Basking spot

Basking spot, locally 40–45 °C under the lamp

Humidity

40–60 %

UVB

Essential (UVB 10.0 — these species bask for hours)

Enclosure

Minimum size

100×50×60 cm for a group

Substrate

A sand-loam mix with stone slabs, a dry-stone wall and a few plants

Feeding

Food

Crickets, house crickets, roaches, wax moths and the occasional fruit, dusted regularly with calcium and vitamins

Feeding interval

adults 3–4×/week

Key facts

Adult size

16–20 cm

Life expectancy

5–10 years

Origin

Western Crete, west of a line at the latitude of Rethymno, plus small offshore islets and isolated occurrences as far as the Heraklion area; 0–2000 m altitude

Protection status

Bern Convention Appendix II — proof of origin required

Brumation

A mild rest period of 6–8 weeks at 10–15 °C, lighting off and no feeding; no cold overwintering at 5 °C. Without this rest, breeding won't happen.

Cohabitation

1.2 or 1.3; never keep males together. The reason: several males fight over territory and the warm spot until one is injured or spends its life in a corner. Females usually get on, but each needs its own warm spot and hide; feed them separately once they differ in size.

Notes

An island form, so warmer and drier than the mainland species.

Do you keep this species?

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Related species

• Aeolian wall lizard (Podarcis raffonei) – Expert
• Erhard's wall lizard (Podarcis erhardii) – Beginner to intermediate
• Lilford's wall lizard (Podarcis lilfordi) – Expert
• Bocage's wall lizard (Podarcis bocagei) – Beginner with some knowledge
• Carbonell's wall lizard (Podarcis carbonelli) – Beginner with some knowledge
• Geniez's wall lizard (Podarcis virescens) – Beginner with some knowledge
• Guadarrama wall lizard (Podarcis guadarramae) – Beginner with some knowledge
• Ionian wall lizard (Podarcis ionicus) – Beginner with some knowledge

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Cretan wall lizard (Podarcis cretensis) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (100×50×60 cm for a group), substrate (A sand-loam mix with stone slabs, a dry-stone wall and a few plants), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.