Hart's glass lizard (Dopasia harti)

Short answers

Hart's glass lizard: How big does the enclosure need to be?

100×50×50 cm (woodland-like, deep substrate).

Hart's glass lizard: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 20–26 °C, basking spot 28–30 °C (small warm spot), at night 16–20 °C.

Hart's glass lizard: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: UVB not essential (forest-dwelling and burrowing), weak UVB (Ferguson zone 1) recommended.

Hart's glass lizard: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: probably 10–20 years (barely documented in captivity).

Hart's glass lizard: Is it suitable for beginners?

Rather not – it is considered an intermediate species (difficulty: Intermediate).

Climate

Daytime temperature

20–26 °C

Night temperature

16–20 °C

Basking spot

28–30 °C (small warm spot)

Humidity

70–85 %

UVB

UVB not essential (forest-dwelling and burrowing), weak UVB (Ferguson zone 1) recommended

Enclosure

Minimum size

100×50×50 cm (woodland-like, deep substrate)

Substrate

A deep, loose forest floor of humus, sand and leaf litter with moss and leaf mould (diggable, slightly damp)

Feeding

Food

Earthworms, slugs, insects, spiders and other soft-bodied invertebrates

Feeding interval

adults 2–3×/week, juveniles more often, almost daily

Key facts

Adult size

approx. 40–50 cm total length (a long tail portion), legless

Life expectancy

probably 10–20 years (barely documented in captivity)

Origin

Southern China, Taiwan, northern Vietnam; montane forest at 400–2,600 m, also farmland

Protection status

Not in CITES; no special protection requirements in Germany, though proof of origin is still advisable. Rarely legally in the trade

Brumation

A cooler rest period (several weeks at about 12–16 °C) is recommended, matching the montane forest climate

Cohabitation

Keep them singly. Poorly documented; egg-laying (the female guards the clutch) – to be safe, keep them singly or put them together only for breeding

Notes

A very rarely kept East Asian glass lizard; husbandry data are barely published – the figures are derived from field ecology and its relatives (uncertain). Fossorial and secretive, needing plenty of hiding options and digging substrate. One of the few egg-laying anguids.

Do you keep this species?

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Related species

• Asian glass lizard (Dopasia gracilis) – Intermediate
• Madrean alligator lizard (Elgaria kingii) – Intermediate
• Slow worm (Anguis fragilis) – Intermediate
• Italian slow worm (Anguis veronensis) – Intermediate
• California legless lizard (Anniella pulchra) – Intermediate
• Moroccan glass lizard (Ophisaurus koellikeri) – Intermediate
• Imbricate alligator lizard (Barisia imbricata) – Intermediate
• Eastern slow worm (Anguis colchica) – Intermediate

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Hart's glass lizard (Dopasia harti) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (100×50×50 cm (woodland-like, deep substrate)), substrate (A deep, loose forest floor of humus, sand and leaf litter with moss and leaf mould (diggable, slightly damp)), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.