Nate,



2 inches in 3 months is quite impressive I haven't heard of a growth rate that fast, so keep on doing what your doing. The longest published record for a HL staying alive on a diet with no ants is 2 years (Wade Sherbrooke, 1987 Captive Phrynosoma solare raised without ants or hibernation - Herptological Review 18(1). Ants are probably not a requirement, just convienient. HLs have adapted to eat numerous small prey items and fair much better on appropiate sized prey. Many HL species will be noticibly sick the day after eating a bunch of large crickets or mealworms.They will refuse food for a couple days and decline in weight. P.asio, P.hernandesi are a couple exceptions, ants make up a small part of their natural diet with large grasshoppers and beatles making up the majority. My P. asio can eat large prey and not become sick but the same can't be said for P. platyrhinos.



3 months is way too short to see the negative effects of having no UV lighting. Many studies have shown UV lighting is required for calcium to be utilized. Powdered D3 didn't work. Signs of calcium deficiency takes years. It is most notecible in offspring produced by calcium deficient females. You would change your mind if you saw your SHLs limping around on soft limbs. My observations on short term effects conclude UV lighting increases activity, induces more natural behavior, and increases sexual activity during the mating season. After 15 minutes in the sun a healthy sexually active male will be chasing anything that moves.

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