Defining Characteristics:

• Olive to dark brown base color with regular yellow to orange dorsal spots
• Small, robust body with relatively short limbs

Name: Lepidophyma flavimaculatum, the Yellow-Spotted Night Lizard or Yellow-Spotted Tropical Night Lizard

Recommended Enclosure Size & Setup: A single adult should be kept in at least a 20 gallon long (30×12 inch) with secure lid and good ventilation. Pairs are not generally recommended due to aggressive nature.

Use a deep, moisture-retentive substrate like Josh's Frogs Tropical BioBedding, multiple hides, cork flats, and shallow water dish. Live plants and leaf litter help maintain microclimates. 

Check out our Yellow-Spotted Night Lizard Complete Habitat Kit with all the items you need to set up a great enclosure for your lizard!

Temperature (°F): The ideal ambient temperature is 68–78°. You may also offer an optional warm hide with a temperature range of 82–86°. Monitor temperatures with a digital thermometer.

Humidity: Aim for 60–80% . Measure humidity with a digital hygrometer.

Size: Adults can reach about 6–8 inches. At the time of sale, they are about 2 inches.

Age: Captive lifespan estimates vary, but there are reports of animals living up to 10–15 years in captivity with good care. At the time of sale, they're at least a couple months old.

Feeding: Their diet in the wild includes small invertebrates (insects, arachnids, centipedes); In captivity, they'll eat crickets, roaches, mealworms, and can be offered waxworms as treats.

Feed hatchlings appropriately-sized crickets—the rule-of-thumb is to shoot for feeders equal to or slightly smaller than the distance between the animal's eyes. Juveniles should be fed every day or every other day, while adults should be offered food every 2–3 days. Dust feeders with calcium at most feedings and a multivitamin weekly/monthly. 

Check out this feeder bundle we've put together for your convenience!

Sexing: These lizards reproduce via parthenogenesis, an asexual method where females produce offspring from unfertilized eggs, essentially cloning themselves. This means that populations are almost entirely female—it's extremely rare to encounter males of this species.

Color/Pattern: Hatchlings resemble adults but with proportionally brighter spots; juveniles retain yellow spotting which can fade or change contrast with age; adults show the characteristic yellow/orange spots on darker background.

Social Behavior: Best kept singly, individuals are solitary and will harass/attack others if housed together

Breeding: Some populations are reported to reproduce parthenogenetically and/or by live birth. breeding records exist but captive protocols are limited; breeding seasonality may follow environmental cues (temperature/humidity cycles). Clutch sizes are small. 

Natural Range: From central Mexico through Central America to Panama; humid lowland and montane wet forests.

History in the Hobby: Relatively uncommon/rare in the hobby.

Links of Interest:

• Reptiles Magazine - Yellow-Spotted Night Lizard Information and Care
• Wikipedia - Yellow-spotted tropical night lizard
• Digimorph - Lepidophyma flavimaculatum, Yellow-spotted Night Lizard