My Lizard

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Yesterday I found a lizard under a rock being attacked by ants. He was a bit scared. he in only a very small baby. I put him un a container with peat moss and a small inadiquate glad ware top of water. we went to the local hay and grain and got 4 tiny crickets. I feel we need to go to a regular petstore and get some things. a suitable water sish, proper dirt and crickets. My mom claims that this is enough and that he doesn't need crickets everyday(according to the care guide he does!) and He'll die if he doesn't have enough water. what should I do???

Show her the care guide. Also feed the crickets carrots. Slice them up thin with a potato peeler. That frovides some extra nutritional value to the lizzard when the crickets aren't starving. Most lizzards also need lots of calcium, and the supplements are available at most pet stores.

the most important thing you need to deal with is the temperature. they regulate their body temperature by moving around in their environments, and if they do not have adequate temperatures in their cages, they will be unable to digest the things they eat. for most CA lizards a basking spot of 90-95 degrees F is good, although a couple of species need a basking temperature un excess of 100 degrees F. have you identified what kind it is? if you post a picture of it, i can tell you what it is and give you more specific information on how to keep it.

and, like Sean said, it will need to eat everyday.

good luck, and keep us posted.

If it's only a small baby I'd recommend turning it back out into the wild (preferably where there's no ants). Baby lizards need a far more varied diet than you can offer them in captivity, and they also need sunlight and proper temperature and humidity. They are actually very fragile animals.

If you do decide to keep it, it will need food everyday. Temperature is critical, and this depends on the species. If you are not sure, go for 90 degree tops during the day and 70-75 degrees at night. Moisture is also important. Most anoles, geckoes and skinks will need some humidity and access to drinking water. A lightly damped small sponge (like 1" x 1" X 1" piece) placed on a clean plastic lid from a yogurt tub, for example, would be ideal. Small reptiles often drink dew, condensation and raindrops rather than standing water so I'd recommend getting a spray bottle and lightly misting the cage in the morning to form droplets on the glass where the lizard can drink them off. Be sure that the cage get can so air circulation (but not so much it drops the temperature) and isn't too damp, or mold, bacteria and fungus will grow.

Lastly, if you caught this animal in California, be very sure this isn't a protected species, since California has the highest number of protected reptile species in teh States. While that's not likely it's portected if you caught around your home, it's important to be sure. If the species is protected you must surrender it to an agency that is allowed by law to handle and reintroduce protected species, such as an ASPCA or state certified wildlife rehabilitator.

Get a lamp.