Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I posted on a different message board, but can only get advice for iguanas, and i want to know about the conehead lizard specifically if anyone knows. I got a male conehead lizard two weeks and three days ago at a local mom and pop pet store. It wasn't really eating since I brought it home and today when I came downstairs this morning there were a bunch of solid chalky round eggs in the bottom of the tank. SHE looks just fine, but much thinner. He is a SHE. Anyway, I took the eggs and put them in damp vermiculite, with damp spagnum moss on top in a container with a heating pad under it. I could not get ahold of the petstore. I did complain a few days after I got the lizard that it wasn't visably eating. I was reassured that it probably is about to shed, that it was eating fine there. I don't really know how long they had the lizard there. It was there at least two weeks, but i beleive it was alone. Could it have gotten fertilized before they got it? What should I tell this pet store, or should I? They will probaby argue that it has been alone since they got it. How long does it take for a conehead from mating till eggs? Do you think they are fertile? Will they all hatch at once? Can babies be in the same tank when they are small- away from mom? How long till they hatch if they will? How do I care for the eggs/ or young? I was not expecting this this morning.

First, I am by no means a conehead lizard expert, or even very familiar with them.

1) Is it probably wild-caught and bred prior to the petstore getting it--- yes.

2) Are the eggs fertile, I'd say 50-50. Incubate them and find out.

What to do? Make sure you're well versed in this species husbandry and follow it to a tea. The female you have is stressed from being moved from place to place, and having just laid eggs. Optimal husbandry is necessary, and supplement calcium incase this animal is deficient because of the eggs.

Don't worry about the petstore... do what you can, and you'll have a happy healthy female conehead lizard. They don't need to know their sexing mistakes, and likely won't care.

I wish I could offer you more specific care advice, but this just isn't one of those species that I'm very familiar with.

Ian

Unfortunately, the same care sheet, which has minimal information is the only thing you can find, copied and pasted on every reptile site. I sure wish there was someone that has them out there that could tell me more.

and see what I can find...

Ian

Of course I found the caresheet from Reptile City... the one I'm sure you already have, thus I didn't post a link. For what it's worth, it does seem to have a good baseline to start from. Also look at other similar sized arboreal lizards from central and south america for similiar habitat simulations.

Other links to info...

http://forums.petlovers.com/vb/archive/index.php/t-10684.html

http://www.petreptiles.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=3843&sid=ec785788ded3ca96f5f1c6647f6d3547

I couldn't find a discussion on them in kingsnake.com... I hope they don't delete my links to other forums for this reason.

The fact is that many reptiles available as pets just don't have a lot of published information specific to them. All is not lost in their care however, you just have to be more tenacious in your husbandry developement.

Start with the info in your care sheet and the discussions I posted for you. Research the animal's habitat in the wild, and learn what the central american rainforest is like. Use this to form your enclosure, and remember, bigger is better to allow room for error.

I hope this helps, let me know if you have any problems to troubleshoot

Ian

Thank you very much for finding this. I printed it all out to refer to.

It sounds like you have either Laemanctus longipes or L. serratus. Their care would be similar to the Cortyphanes group (Basilisks). They are primarily insectivores. Sounds like yours may have been wild caught; thus, the egg-laying.

I would provide a similar set-up, but probably more arboreal (with plants)& water. Everything else should be like basilisk care.

*Since it was most likely WC, you may want to have a vet check for parasites.

Goodluck

sorry for the typo.