Some lizards will need their nails trimmed, especially if you handle them a lot and you become accidentally scratched by their naturally sharp nails. In addition to scratching you, sharp nails can be a hazard to the lizard itself or to cage mates. It is a myth that trimming arboreal lizards' nails prevents them from climbing trees. If you accidentally cut into the quick of the toenail, the lizard will have sensitive nails for a time and may not wish to climb. However, it will quickly recover. The goal in trimming the nails is to simply remove the sharp tip. If you remove more, you may cut into the vein that runs down each claw, causing bleeding. You can obtain nail trimmers at your local pet store and it is good to have a styptic powder on hand. It may be easiest to have someone else hold the lizard while you trim the nails. Simply grasp each toe securely but gently. Clip off the sharp tip of the nail. If you happen to cut too far and the nail bleeds, simply use a swab to cake the area with styptic powder until the bleeding stops. Some lizard owners prefer to file their animals' nails. Others employ large rocks, bricks, or other climbing items with rough surfaces in the enclosures of reptiles with larger nails, because these can naturally wear down the lizard's claws, eliminating the need to regularly trim them.
Lizards, like all reptiles, shed their skins periodically. This is known as ecdysis. Young lizards will usually shed more frequently than older lizards, as they are growing more quickly. In many lizards the skin may change colors before a shed. An oily substance will be secreted by the reptile to aid the shedding process. Your lizard may become darker in color, or duller in color. After it has changed back to a seemingly normal coloration the shed usually begins. Most lizards shed their skin in sections, as opposed to snakes. Some, like Alligator Lizards, may shed in one piece. Generally the heads or forequarters will shed first, and usually the tail is shed last. When your lizard is about to shed, you might want to mist it occasionally to keep the humidity level in its cage up. In dry environments, provide a patch of damp substrate or a hide box with a higher humidity level. For lizards that bathe or come from more humid environments, you should also ensure that your lizard has a place to soak. Some lizards may not eat as much while they are shedding, and some may not like to be handled at this time. Lizards will not shed as often in the colder months, and unhealthy lizards usually do not shed very often. Some lizards, like Leopard Geckos, will eat their shed skin in order to get some nutritional benefit. Occasionally lizards will have problems shedding due to poor health or poor husbandry. This condition is known as dysecdysis. Chronic shedding problems should be checked by a veterinarian.
Captive Sudan Plated Lizards should be provided with a large enclosure with an area to swim in and substrate deep enough to burrow. The temperature within the enclosure should average around 85 degrees during the daytime and about ten degrees cooler at night.
Sudan Plated Lizards can be fed insects such as crickets, worms, small mice, and some fruits and vegetables. Sudan Plated Lizards eat more vegetation than other species of Plated Lizards.
Most lizards should be fed, once a day, items that are as close to their natural diet as possible. Sometimes it is helpful to feed diurnal lizards around noon, as by this time they will generally be warm and active. When this is not possible, try feeding your lizard in the morning rather than in the evening. Nocturnal (active during the night) lizards may not eat while you watch them, and should usually be fed at night when they are more active. Some lizards will not want to eat before breeding, and others may eat less in winter months.
For many carnivorous lizards, choose prey that is small enough to be easily swallowed. This may not apply to some lizards and to some hatchlings, which can require even smaller prey.
Many lizards eat insects including mealworms and crickets. Some people prefer to feed their lizards super worms, which are basically large mealworms. People who do feed super worms usually prefer them because they have larger meat to exoskeleton ratio than do mealworms. Animals who eat a large number of regular mealworms may occasionally experience intestinal impaction due to the higher percentage of indigestible exoskeleton material in the mealworm. When feeding crickets to lizards that are sick or unable to hunt or stalk prey normally, some people will pinch the joints of the insects' hind legs. This will prevent them from easily escaping the lizard. Many people prefer to feed gut loaded insects, or insects which have eaten a meal just before being fed to the lizard. In order to gut load insects, it is advisable to feed them high-calcium cricket food or dry dog food: items that will have high nutritional value for your lizard. Other insects, like wingless fruit flies, caterpillars, grubs, and non-infesting roaches are also available commercially to feed lizards. If your lizard eats larger prey, like mice, they should be pre-killed to avoid injury to your lizard. Not only will live prey fight in its own defense, but it may later chew on a sleeping or sick lizard. Frozen pre-killed prey is usually readily available, and many people find it quite convenient. It may be stored in quantity and helps eliminate the need for you to raise your own prey animals or make frequent trips to the pet store. The frozen prey should be defrosted fully before feeding and, if possible, warmed up to the temperature it would be were if it were alive. Try not to handle your lizard any more than necessary immediately after feeding it, as this can cause it to regurgitate.
Fruits and vegetables are important to the health of some herbivorous lizards. Iguanas are one example of a herbivorous lizard. Some prefer dark leafy greens, while others may eat soft or sweet fruits. If your lizard does eat fruits you should not use them as a major dietary component, but feed them in smaller amounts. Generally, greens low in oxalic acid and high in calcium are a good choice. Collard greens, dandelion greens, turnip greens, and parsley are all good choices. Cabbage and plants in the cabbage family should be fed sparingly. Oxalic acid occurs naturally in a large number of plants. Oxalic acid may combine with calcium, iron, sodium, magnesium, or potassium to form less soluble salts known as oxalates which can not be utilized by the body. Regular consumption of large amounts of foods high in oxalic acid may result in nutrient deficiencies, especially calcium. Examples of food high in oxalic acid that should be fed sparingly are spinach, rhubarb, banana, and mustard greens. Herbivorous lizards need large amounts of calcium rich foods and may be given a phosphorus-free calcium supplement powder. Many calcium supplements contain phosphorus, but it is now known that enough phosphorus can usually be obtained from normal dietary items. You should use caution with vitamin or mineral supplements, since excess minerals or nutrients may cause health problems. Commercial foods like iguana chow are available, but it is advisable to feed these only occasionally or as treats.
Vitamin D3 is important to most diurnal lizards and will be produced by the animal upon exposure to unfiltered daylight or full spectrum light (with UVB) and is not usually necessary as dietary supplements. Vitamin A and some other vitamins can reach toxic levels when given as supplements and it may be easiest to simply to feed a balanced diet and avoid vitamin supplements.
Care should be taken to prevent lizards from becoming obese. Many lizards, such as monitors, will eat large volumes of food if it is available and gain weight rapidly. Obese lizards are much more likely to develop health problems.