Some herptiles I have kept and bred over the years.
Below is a list of some of the herps I have kept and bred over the years. You will note that there is an extremely heavy leaning towards lacertids although quite a few other families and, indeed, orders have been kept as well. With some you will find links (from the scientific name) to more extensive comments and caresheets about them. As time goes by more of these links will appear. Scientific names are generally current although in the case of some animals I have not kept for some years I may still show the old scientific name.
This is not a complete list, simply a sampler. More would become simply tedious.
| Lizards - Sauria | As the list will show, lizards have always been my greatest interest | |
| Lacertidae | If it can be said that I have a specialist subject then these are it! | |
| Lacerta agilis | Sand lizard | Various sub-species kept since 1965 |
| Lacerta viridis | Green lizard | Kept continuously since 1961. Please note that I do NOT accept the differentiation of Lacerta viridis bilineata and Lacerta viridis viridis into separate species. This is not a valid separation unless the whole definition of species is changed. |
| Lacerta trilineata | Three lined Green lizard | Various sub-species kept at various times since 1980. |
| Lacerta vivipara | Viviparous lizard | A wonderful little animal that thrives in outdoor vivaria. Kept on and off for as long as I can remember. |
| Lacerta schreiberii | Schreiber's Green lizard | Probably the most challenging green lizard to maintain a colony long term. Various times since 1985. |
| Gallotia stehlini | Giant Canary Island lizard | Large, impressive, totally omnivorous and becomes extremely tame. Kept since about 1984. |
| Timon lepidus | Eyed lizard | Kept since the early 80s. I had the good fortune to obtain a truly splendid blood-line. The original male is still with us at about 27 years old. |
| Podarcis muralis | Wall lizard | The "common" Wall lizard is a wonderful outdoor vivarium occupant. Kept since the early 80s. |
| Podarcis sicula | Italian wall lizard | The next species I obtained after Green lizards. With me almost as long. They need spacious vivaria and are extremely territorial. |
| Anguidae | ||
| Anguis fragilis | Slowworm | The first lizard I ever kept. They have always been in my outdoor vivaria ever since. |
| Ophisaurus apodus | Glass lizard. | Kept since 1983. My female I lost in 1991 in a fire. The male, already a fully grown adult, when acquired is still with us and must be well in excess of 30 years old. |
| Agamidae | ||
| Physignathus cocinchinus | Thai water dragon | Kept since the late 80s. Very easy to breed with space. |
| Laudakia stellio brachydactyla | Painted dragon | One of the least nervous of the ground living Agamids - nothing like the type sub-species. Wonderful greenhouse animal. Kept since 1994. |
| Gekkonidae | ||
| Gekko gekko | Tokay gecko | Beautiful but noisy and evil. Kept and bred for many years. |
| Phelsuma madagascarensis kochii | Kotchy's day gecko | One of the loveliest and large Day geckos. Both kept in large jungle vivaria and loose in reptile room. in either case, they breed. |
| Eublepharis macularis | Leopard Gecko. | Little charmers with arguably the most beautiful face in the lizard world. My (no longer) secret shame is that I kept them for over twenty years before I ever bred them! |
| Iguanidae | ||
| Iguana iguana | Green Iguana | Sadly very common in pet shops. I say sadly because these are not at all suitable as pet lizards for most people. |
| Serpentes - Snakes | I have not kept snakes much. Frankly I find them boring and unchallenging in captivity. | |
| Colubridae | ||
| Natrix tessellata | Diced snake | Kept and bred for a while in the 60s |
| Natrix natrix | Grass snake | Kept and bred for a while in the 60s |
| Anurans - tailless amphibians | The frogs and toads of course. I keep a few of these, almost exclusively in outdoor or greenhouse vivaria where they are just left to "get on with it" - generally very successfully! | |
| Ranidae | The "true" or typical frogs. | |
| Rana lessonae | The Pool Frog | Although this is a highly endangered native species the ones I keep originate from continental Europe. |
| Rhacophoridae | Flying Frogs | |
| Polypedates (Rhacophorus) leucomystax | Java Whipping Frog | A foam nesting species, behaviourally fascinating and easy to keep and breed. Tropical but semi-hardy. |
| Bombinatoridae | Fire and Yellow-bellied Toads | |
| Bombina orientalis | Fire Bellied Toad | A popular, easy to keep and attractive species |
| Hylidae | Tree Frogs | |
| Hyla arborea | European Tree Frog | An attractive, albeit noisy, hardy escape artist. Now kept in well sealed greenhouse. |
| Bufonidae | The "true" or typical toads | |
| Pseudepidalea (Bufo) viridis | Green Toad | Very attractive, fairly hardy toad kept in greenhouse |