Collared Lizard — care sheet

Intermediate. Not hard to keep alive, but hard to keep RIGHT. Collareds demand a genuinely hot basking zone, strong UVB, a big footprint for their size, and a lot of live insects. They're skittish, fast, and rarely tame down into "handleable" pets. Get the heat, light, and space dialed in and they're rewarding; cut corners on any one and they fade. Not a good first lizard for someone wanting a cuddly beginner.

Insectivore. The bulk of the diet is live insects - crickets, dubia and other roaches, black soldier fly larvae, the occasional hornworm - offered daily to a healthy adult, as much as they'll eagerly eat in a few minutes. In the wild they also grab spiders and even small lizards, but you don't need to feed vertebrate prey. A little leafy greens/flowers can be offered but is a minor extra, not a staple.

36 x 18 x 18 in (90 x 45 x 45 cm) is the realistic minimum for one adult, but 48 x 24 x 24 in (120 x 60 x 60 cm) is a much better home and is what these fast, active runners deserve. Floor space matters more than height. Front-opening with a mesh/ventilated top.

Hot. A basking SURFACE temperature of 104-118°F / 40-48°C, measured on the rock or platform with a probe or infrared temp gun (not an ambient dial thermometer). Build a rock/platform stack up toward the lamp to hit it.

77-90°F / 25-32°C on the cool end during the day, so the lizard can pick its own temperature across a real gradient.

A natural nighttime drop to 68-79°F / 20-26°C is fine and healthy. No night heat is needed unless your room falls below the low 60s°F.

High. This is a Ferguson Zone 3-4 open-sun basker: provide strong UVB with a target UVI of 4.0-6.0 in the basking spot. A high-output T5 tube running roughly half the enclosure length works well - e.g. Arcadia Desert 12% T5 HO or Zoo Med Reptisun 10.0 T5 HO. Mount it over the warm side and set basking-spot distance by bulb (about 8-12 in below if over mesh; farther for a bare bulb). A Solarmeter 6.5 is the honest way to confirm your UVI. Run 10-12 hours a day.

Low and arid. Aim for around 30-40% for the western/desert form; the eastern form tolerates a bit more (up to ~50%). Good ventilation, a mostly dry setup, and just a humid burrow/hide are enough - this is not a misting species.

A naturalistic, diggable desert mix: washed play sand, or a roughly 60/40 blend of clean topsoil and fine sand, packed at least 4 in / 10 cm deep so they can burrow. Add flat rocks and stone piles for climbing, basking, and hiding. Skip loose calci-sand and dusty "desert sand" products.

Dust insects with a plain calcium (no D3) at most feedings, and use a reptile multivitamin that includes preformed vitamin A (retinol, not just beta-carotene) a couple times a week. With strong UVB in place you need little or no added D3, but a light D3 dusting weekly is a reasonable safety net. Gut-load feeder insects well. Replace supplement pots every ~6 months as potency fades.

Roughly 8-14 in / 20-36 cm total length including the tail (the tail is about two-thirds of that). Males are noticeably larger, blockier-headed, and far more colorful than females.

Commonly 10+ years in good captive care, with well-kept individuals reaching 12-15 years. In the wild most only see 4-7 years because of predators and hard winters.

See a reptile or exotics vet if you notice: Not eating for an extended stretch once fully settled, or noticeable weight loss / a sunken, thin tail base; Weakness, tremors, a rubbery or swollen jaw, or trouble walking - possible metabolic bone disease from poor UVB/calcium; see an exotics vet; Sunken eyes, wrinkled skin, thick stringy saliva, or lethargy - possible dehydration; Labored or open-mouth breathing, mucus, or wheezing - possible respiratory infection (often from being kept too cool or too damp); A retained shed that constricts toes or the tail tip, or any wound, swelling, or persistent open-mouth gaping; Straining, no droppings for a long time, or a bulge/prolapse - see an exotics vet promptly.