Slender glass lizard (Ophisaurus attenuatus)

Short answers

Slender glass lizard: How big does the enclosure need to be?

120×60×40 cm for one animal (ground-oriented, wider than tall).

Slender glass lizard: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 24–28 °C, basking spot 30–33 °C (basking spot), at night 18–22 °C.

Slender glass lizard: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: UVB recommended (Ferguson zone 2, UV index 1–3).

Slender glass lizard: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: approx. 10–15 years (a related glass lizard is documented at up to ~15 years).

Slender glass lizard: Is it suitable for beginners?

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

Climate

Daytime temperature

24–28 °C

Night temperature

18–22 °C

Basking spot

30–33 °C (basking spot)

Humidity

50–70 % (offer a humid hide)

UVB

UVB recommended (Ferguson zone 2, UV index 1–3)

Enclosure

Minimum size

120×60×40 cm for one animal (ground-oriented, wider than tall)

Substrate

Loose sand or a sand-soil mix they can dig in (at least 8–10 cm) with leaf litter, dense planting and hides

Feeding

Food

Arthropods (crickets, locusts, beetles), snails, earthworms, occasionally small vertebrates or reptile eggs

Feeding interval

adults 2–3×/week, juveniles daily

Key facts

Adult size

approx. 55–105 cm total length (a very long tail portion), legless

Life expectancy

approx. 10–15 years (a related glass lizard is documented at up to ~15 years)

Origin

The central and south-eastern USA; dry grassland and open sandy woodland, burrowing

Protection status

Not in CITES; no special protection requirements in Germany. In some US states it is protected under state law

Brumation

A winter rest is recommended: several weeks at about 10–15 °C, matching their temperate origin

Cohabitation

Single housing. There is no experience with groups in the care sheets on the eastern glass lizard; they advise against keeping animals together generally, and in the wild the animals defend no territories, so no benefit of company is known.

Notes

Barely in the trade; published husbandry data are sparse – the figures are derived from field ecology and care of the eastern glass lizard (and are partly uncertain). Very skittish, and it readily sheds its tail under stress (autotomy). Good escape-proofing is needed.

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Related species

• Moroccan glass lizard (Ophisaurus koellikeri) – Intermediate
• Eastern glass lizard (Ophisaurus ventralis) – Intermediate
• Madrean alligator lizard (Elgaria kingii) – Intermediate
• Asian glass lizard (Dopasia gracilis) – Intermediate
• Slow worm (Anguis fragilis) – Intermediate
• Hart's glass lizard (Dopasia harti) – Intermediate
• Italian slow worm (Anguis veronensis) – Intermediate
• California legless lizard (Anniella pulchra) – Intermediate

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Slender glass lizard (Ophisaurus attenuatus) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (120×60×40 cm for one animal (ground-oriented, wider than tall)), substrate (Loose sand or a sand-soil mix they can dig in (at least 8–10 cm) with leaf litter, dense planting and hides), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.