Steppe Runner lizard

[Spikeleebd]

i recently bought 3 of this little guys. 2 females and 1 male ratio. i have them housed in a 55 gallon tank. with 4 inches of prewashed playsand because these guys love to dig. i have various hides placed around the tank on the basking side and cool side. on the basking side it reaches 95-100 and on the cool side the temps are 80-85 at night temps drop to about 75. i have a 10.0 uvb tube attached to the wall above the basking site. i have fixed the uvb tube under the basking spot because after so much research i have found out that uvb tubes last for a year instead of six months when mounted inside the cage so that it is not disturbed. i have various size rocks so that the steppes can pick and choose were they want to bask, at the highest rock temps reach 105. i know these guys are new to the pet trade and thats why i wanted to jump on them quick to start breeding because for those who love monitor lizard but can't afford to get one because of the size or who cant find ackies these lil guys are perfect. they have that forked tongue and love to dig and are very curious guys like monitors and are very entertaining to watch eat.

 

[luvpetz27]

Hi and welcome

 

[Tom]

I think we need pics.

 

[Spikeleebd]

i will take pics of set-up and her she is quite skiddish. she's starting to come out more and more everyday

 

[mattgrizzlybear]

Play sand could cause impaction. Grae though!

 

[Vegasarah]

I agree with mattgrizzly, sand can easily cause impaction. If you are keen on keeping it you can always feed outside the enclosure to take the risk down. Though all that tongue flicking can cause ingestion as well. I would suggest something like aspen shavings- I know it may sound a little silly but because the pieces are big and dry if they accidentally chomp down on one they will probably spit it out. Plus it is easy to clean and AWESOME for lizards that love to burrow. Do they need humidity? Aspen can be a little dry but not impossible to keep humid if you mist and have a closed chamber enclosure. And yes, I would love to see pictures!!!

 

[poison]

Childrens washed play sand is 100% safe IF your animals is well hydrated it will pass right through with no problems. But sand alone is a horrible substrate imo mixing it with soil will do great

 

[Floof]

Steppe Runners sound like great little lizards! Really looking forward to pics.. I'd love to see how you have them set up!

(On the sand thing--I imagine a sandy soil would be more appropriate for them than straight sand. But, then, I'm another of those die-hard sand haters. Lol! Just make sure you're weighing the pros and cons and considering all viable options before you settle on any one substrate.)