Questions about Green-Crested Lizards

Question
Hi,

I have a green-crested lizard, and I would like to know about how to take care of them properly. I feed it house crickets. Should I put sand inside the aquarium, and how humid should the aquarium be? And I was wondering, whether they like leaves or tree branches better?

I also want to know what their common diseases are and how to deal with them. Because I had another green-crested lizard a few months back, and recently it died because suddenly it did not want to eat at all. And it looked very weak during its last days.

My last question is, do green-crested lizards hibernate? Because my lizard has been sleeping a lot lately, and it doesn't eat as much. But a few weeks back, it did eat a lot. Is this normal?

Thank you in advance for your answers.

William

Answer
Hello William,

How large is your green crested?  Is it male or female?  
Do you feed in the tank?  I would not put sand in especially if you feed in the tank due to impaction.  I would use non adhesive shelf liner, tiles, or reptile carpet.  You can use moss, leaves & branches, etc though since they love to climb.  
You will need to keep the humidity up to at least 60-75% by misting the tank daily & keeping a water dish in.  The temps need to be 85 for the ambient temps & he will need a basking temperature of 90-95 & the cooler end around 80.  You will need to cool the tank down to around 70 during the night.  
The tank needs to be around a 55 gallon & should have a little bit of height so you can put branches in it for climbing.
Be sure to use a digital probe or a temp gun to make sure the temps are accurate.  They can get overheated if you are not careful.  
Do you supplement with calcium several times a week?  They do require that to help keep their bones strong.  
What type & brand of UVB are you using?  That is very important.  What about a basking light?  Is it a bright white one or a colored one?  
Yes, they can brumate, especially during the wintertime months.  It is normal for them to slow down when it gets cooler outside & to slow down on their eating.  They will sleep more as well.
Some common diseases are usually Metabolic bone disease, gout, toxicities, egg stasis complications.  

Let me know how it is going.

Tracie