Lizards
Meet Our Reptiles
Conker - Bearded Dragon
Conker(2011)'s owner went back into nursing in early 2020 and soon found himself working 18 hours shifts. He didn't think that was fair on Conker, so started looking for a new home for her and was pleased to learn that she would be doing education work with us. On her first visit to our garden she appeared to be terrified of planes overhead, but with careful positioning of canopies at open-air shows she seems to be coping well. She's a very determined lady who is good at getting her own way, and is quickly becoming a popular member of our team.
The term "bearded dragon" is most commonly used to describe the Central Bearded Dragon. Members of this genus live in the arid, rocky, semi-desert regions and dry open woodlands of Australia. They are adept climbers, spending time on branches and in bushes, even found on fence posts when living near human habitation. Pogona bask on rocks and exposed branches in the mornings and afternoons. The species are found throughout Australia.
Cobalt - Blue-tongued Skink
Cobalt joined us in 2014 and quickly became a favourite with the public. He's an extremely laid-back lizard with a penchant for strawberries (which we discovered when someone put their bowl down on the table at his first show). He's often to be found wandering around the table at shows, as we know he won't try to jump off - and if it's quiet enough you may hear him whistling!
Blue-tongued skinks comprise the Australasian genus Tiliqua, which contains some of the largest members of the skink family (Scincidae). They are commonly called blue-tongued lizards or simply blue-tongues in Australia. As suggested by these common names, a prominent characteristic of the genus is a large blue tongue that can be bared as a bluff-warning to potential enemies. Blue-tongued skinks are bred in captivity and sold as house pets.
Most species are diurnal, ground-foraging omnivores, feeding on a wide variety of insects, gastropods, flowers, fruits and berries. All are viviparous, with litter sizes ranging from one to four in the pygmy blue-tongue and shingleback from five to twenty four in the eastern and northern blue-tongues.
Harry- Leopard Gecko
Harry (2015?) was a much-loved pet, but her owner needed to downsize. He's a little nervous when first handled but soon calms down. He will probably only go to short shows.
The leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularia) is a ground-dwelling lizard naturally found in the deserts of Asia and throughout Pakistan, to parts of northern India. Winter temperatures in these areas can be below 10 degrees Centigrade, forcing the animals underground into semi-hibernation, called brumation, living on fat reserves which are stored in their tails. Unlike most geckos, they possess moveable eyelids.
Leopard geckos feed on crickets, waxworms, mealworms and other insects, and pinky mice (although these have fatty livers). Calcium and vitamin D3 are also very important for their diet.
Valentine and Galen - Tokay Geckos
Valentine and Galen came to us from a family who concluded that they were not suitable pets in a household with young children - and we agree. Like all Tokays, they are lightening fast and rarely seen with their mouths closed!
The Tokay Gecko (Gekko gecko) is a nocturnal arboreal gecko, ranging from northeast India and Bangladesh, throughout Southeast Asia, Philippines to Indonesia and western New Guinea. Its native habitat is rainforest trees and cliffs, and it also frequently adapts to rural human habitations, roaming walls and ceilings at night in search of insect prey.
It is the second largest Gecko species, attaining lengths of about 11-15 inches (30–40 cm) for males and 7-11 inches (20–30 cm) for females.They are distinctive in appearance, with a bluish or grayish body, sporting spots ranging from light yellow to bright red. The male is more brightly colored than the female. They have large eyes with a vertical slit pupil. Eyes are brown to greenish brown and can be orange or yellow.
Males are very territorial, and will attack anything else in their territory. They are solitary and only meet during the mating season. Females lay clutches of one or two hard shelled eggs which are guarded until they hatch. Tokay Geckos feed on insects and small vertebrates. The typical lifespan is 7–10 years, however in captivity some Tokays have been known to live over 18 years. Tokays are renowned for their loud vocalisations.