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Husbandry

Diet

Cophotis dumabra are insectivorous, feeding on a variety of prey and not being particular of the size of the prey item.  They possess elongated paired forward teeth, much like doubled canine teeth that aid in subduing prey items.  I have witnessed adults feeding  on anything from springtails and fruit flies in the enclosure, to items that would appear to be too large for them to eat.  This can be challenging when feeding the young and having them in “bioactive” enclosures as they do attempt to eat anything they come across.  I have personally seen them try and eat isopods that were too big and had one baby choke on attempting to eat too large of a prey item that I assumed it would avoid due to the size.  They readily adapt to associating you with food and will feed off tongs or wait for you to introduce food into the enclosure.  The bulk of their diet consists of varying sizes in crickets, but I have also regularly fed fruit flies, wax worms, soldier fly larva, small silkworms and hornworms, waxworms and small roaches, and as mentioned they readily feed on isopods and springtails within their enclosures.  All items offered as food were gut loaded and covered in powdered vitamins and calcium.

Cophotis dumbara, Sri Lankan Pygmy Lizard diet
Cophotis dumbara, Sri Lankan Pygmy Lizard diet
Cophotis dumbara, Sri Lankan Pygmy Lizard housing
Cophotis dumbara, Sri Lankan Pygmy Lizard housing

Housing

I utilize screen top glass enclosures that are planted with live plants and extensive branches set up as “bioactive” (drainage layer, soil, leaf litter, isopods, and springtails).  They are also set up with a misting system and lit with natural lighting (UVA and UVB).  No heat is provided other than ambient temperatures in the mid 70F as well as the minimal heat given off from fluorescent lighting.

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In my experience both males and females are territorial by nature and are tolerant to a point with their offspring, that point being when they start becoming sexually mature.  I have never housed more than one male together that was mature but have tried to keep trios (1.2) as a group under two circumstances.  The first was introducing a female from a different breeding group.  This female was introduced into an already established pair’s enclosure that I assumed had enough space for them to work out their differences, being 24”(w)x24”(d)x36”(h).  The introduced female was accepted by the male but constantly bullied by the established female to the point of the submissive remaining hidden most times.  After a few weeks and gradually increasing pressure, starting with body posturing displays but eventually leading to open mouthed gaping, from the established female, I gave up on the experiment fearing it would lead to eventual biting from the aggressor and separated the other female into her own enclosure.

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On the other occasion I had one female that gave birth to a single female.  I decided to raise that female with her parents to see if the interaction I witnessed would be different with a member of their “family”.  They coexisted well with no animosity at all until she started nearing mature age.  Similar bullying displays began subtly so I immediately removed her fearing the same results and didn't want to risk her father breeding her.  My suspicion originally was that family groups most likely lived on the same trees and may be more tolerant, and this appears to be true with their young as they readily rest on their parents and are not preyed up during feeding events.  The parents are cautious when feeding in close proximity to their young and allow them to feed.  I speculate that once they reach a certain age, they are run off to establish their own territory.  What is more likely is that it was just foolish for me to assume that a 12 cubic foot enclosure is enough to simulate a tree in the wild.

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