hey everyone i think i want

[EdgyExoticReptiles]

to get into lizards and i have lots of questions, i might be receiving 2 female and 1 male Green Amievas and i was wondering if anyone could give me some info like,
1.What substrate should i use in their enclosure?
2.how hot should the heated side be?
3.what do they eat and how many times a week do they eat it?
4.do i have to burmate them to make them breed?, if so how do i do that?
5.how many eggs do they have?, how should i keep the eggs after theyve been laid? Thanks,
Reed

[Ameivaboy]

Reed,

if you want to get into breeding lizards I would suggest an easier species to start with.

first off, Ameivas are all w/c.
that means they have usually endured horrid conditions be the time they reach the united states. those horrid conditions result in stress levels that weaken the immune system which lets parasites that they can carry with no problem take control and turn into large numbers that will take the animal down quickly. fecal checks on all animals is needed for long term keeping of any ameiva species in captivity.

ameivas as a group of some 30+ species are tropical in nature. most species will fare well with a basking surface tempertature of about
110-115 f
the cool side of the terrarium should be around 80 or so.
night time temps should seldomly drop below 60.

the terrarium substrate needs to be a deep layer (depth is dependant on species, ameiva ameiva i would go with at least 6-10 inches)
of a burrowable substrate such as dirt,mulch,eco earth etc etc.
this substrate must hold a burrow and moisture for their humidity needs which should remain above 50% (though 60% or above is prefferred)

Ameivas are insectivores to the extreme, eating every feeder insect I have offered them (including ones that other lizards wont touch such as dermistid beetles and mealworm beetles)

When I was super into tiger ameivas (hence the name) I could not locate any record of anyone successfully (intentionally) breeding them in captivity.

I have noted 3-5 eggs per clutch average in ameiva undulata (tiger ameiva) though i had several egg clutches varying reasons the did not hatch (from improper incubation method to nests being raided by other females)

Ameivas are very nervous animals are are display lizards that will learn to accept hand feeding at best as far as "tameness" if you have one that is "tame" I would consider it stressed and sick. the terrarium would be better off to be a wood cage with a solid top to prevent heat and humidity loss, you will need multiple basking spots for each lizard and multiple hides as well. they can be aggressive with one another so you must make sure the cage is large enough (these are very active lizards that are runners by nature so bigger is better) alo, ameivas are prone to 100mph mad dashes into the sides of glass tanks another reason solid cage is better
Most ameivas seldom last more than 6 months in captivity.


Kevin


here's an old mating pic
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/Ameivaboy/idunno.jpg

[adamanteus]

Hi Reed, I agree with Kevin that Ameivas aren't the easiest species to start off with lizards. Maybe Leopard Geckos first? Whichever you choose I would recommend some seriously heavy reading before you make your purchase. Good luck.:)

[Stefan-A]

Some skinks are also pretty easy and especially Hemidactylus spp. geckos.