Sawtail lizard (Holaspis guentheri)

Short answers

Sawtail lizard: How big does the enclosure need to be?

60×40×50 cm.

Sawtail lizard: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 26–30 °C, basking spot 33–35 °C at the basking spot, at night 18–22 °C.

Sawtail lizard: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Recommended (UVB 5.0).

Sawtail lizard: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 7–8 years.

Sawtail lizard: Is it suitable for beginners?

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

Climate

Daytime temperature

26–30 °C

Night temperature

18–22 °C

Basking spot

33–35 °C at the basking spot

Humidity

60–80 %

UVB

Recommended (UVB 5.0)

Enclosure

Minimum size

60×40×50 cm

Substrate

Sand-soil mixture, at least 5 cm deep, with moss and pieces of bark; cork tubes and branches for climbing

Feeding

Food

Small insects up to about 1 cm: crickets, house crickets, roaches, flies, Drosophila, aphids, small stick insects, occasionally a small mealworm; predominantly ants in the wild

Feeding interval

Adults 2–3× per week, juveniles more often; all feeder insects under 1 cm and regularly dusted with mineral powder.

Key facts

Adult size

12–15 cm total length (snout-vent about 6 cm)

Life expectancy

7–8 years

Origin

West and Central Africa, from Sierra Leone through Ghana and Nigeria to Tanzania, Mozambique and Angola

Protection status

Not listed under CITES

Brumation

No winter rest

Cohabitation

Pair (1.1), in large and densely structured enclosures also 1.2 or 1.3. The reason: several females become aggressive towards each other over egg-laying, which can only be managed with many separate laying and basking spots. Always keep males separate.

Notes

The species glides up to half a metre from branch to branch — height and plenty of horizontal and vertical climbing routes are worth far more here than floor space. The size given is the calculated minimum from the source, which explicitly recommends considerably more. Second point: these lizards can flatten themselves extremely and slip through gaps as narrow as 2 mm — the enclosure must be completely sealed.

Do you keep this species?

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Related species

• Erhard's wall lizard (Podarcis erhardii) – Beginner to intermediate
• Large psammodromus (Psammodromus algirus) – Intermediate
• Pamphylian green lizard (Lacerta pamphylica) – Intermediate
• Lilford's wall lizard (Podarcis lilfordi) – Expert
• Balkan green lizard (Lacerta trilineata) – Intermediate
• Bosk's fringe-fingered lizard (Acanthodactylus boskianus) – Intermediate
• Spiny-footed lizard (Acanthodactylus erythrurus) – Intermediate
• Gran Canaria giant lizard (Gallotia stehlini) – Intermediate

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Sawtail lizard (Holaspis guentheri) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (60×40×50 cm), substrate (Sand-soil mixture, at least 5 cm deep, with moss and pieces of bark; cork tubes and branches for climbing), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.