Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello,

Does any one here know anything about the leiolepis Belliana or Guttata? What temperatures they should have (in each month), what their humidity should be and other important things?

And are all lizards which are sold wild caught or are there also breeders of them? I have only seen WC at the moment.

Willem
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1.1.0 Ctenosaura melanosterna

does nobody know something about these lizards?
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1.1.0 Ctenosaura melanosterna

They are cheap and often start robust looking.
But they are stress sensitive delicate little creatures which compared to their size need gigantic enclosures.
Housed innappropriately, many specimesn do seemingly well for 4-8 months and then rapidly decline and die.
They are very quick and jumpy and need a lot of space to run. Like 6 x 3 ft ground space are about the minimum.
In about 2/3 of the tank you should provide Uromastyx temperatures. They do not digest well, unless heated up to extreme temps.
Bright lights -metal halides are a must- are needed as well.
In the other third of the enclosure you should either provide a system of artificial tunnels and hide boxes or a thick (at least 20" layer of a clay sand mixture which allows them to dig tunnels by themselves.
Leioleüpis are social but males are territorial. Also not every male gets along well with every group of females.
They should be fed for 30-60% about the same diet as Uromastyx. The rest should consist of the usual feeder insects.
Some -in fact very few- Liolepis keepers so far had breeding success. Afaik, all these cases dealt with either gravid imports or a large outdoor enclosure in a southern area.

Hope that helps.

Ingo

P.S.: They sometimes do not tolerate fenbendazol well.

okay thanks,

This is helpfull. But why does no-one breed with these animals? are they that hard to keep? How old do they usually get when you take care of them properly?

And if you or someone else have more information about them, it's always welcome.
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1.1.0 Ctenosaura melanosterna

Hello Willum:
Ingo is right. These lizards are very tough to keep and quite often will never feed. They are not a beginners animal and they have proven to be problematic for experienced keepers.
Impossible to work with? I don't think so. The main problem in learning proper husbandry techniques is to look up what little info there is and take good notes yourself. Inevitably you will come across a few things that work and you can share the info with others. Right now these animals are considered pet trade "regulars" and as such most breeders would not spend the time to work with them. One day they will be hard to get (there already is nowhere near as many available as there once was) and that is not the time to try and learn best methods. They need to be worked with while they are still fairly readily available.
I talked to one of the exporters that deals in this species and i was told they are burrowers. creating false caves for them is probably a good idea. A few drier loving plants wouldn't hurt either. These lizards are fast moving so a larger cage would work better for them. Many of these type animals are difficult because while they might like a drier surface temp inside the burrows they make may have a fair amount of humidity. This must be taken into consideration when planning their setup.
They like to have their dry, HOT, basking spot but need to be able to get into a secure place as well. This will help them to adapt better and begin feeding sooner. If they are stressed they will certainly languish and die.
I have kept a couple over the years but that was before I knew more about them. One lived just over a year, the other only a couple months. They were fond of Hibiscus flowers and some insects. They seem like mealworms better than crickets (at least mine did). L. belliana is the smaller of the two species generally available and it is that one that I feel is the more practicle to keep first.
I'd like to see more work done with them so we could exchange ideas and maybe even get a few of them to breed. I saw a couple half-grown L. belliana at a show this weekend. They were really cute. I think I'll set up a small group myself this summer.
Remember; if you get them, keep accurate notes on their care.
Hope this info helps. Have A Great Day!!!

thank you for the information. There are a few people over here, who want to try to captive bred these species. So all information for us is welcome. If you have a group of animals for yourself, don't forget to exchange the information you find with us (me).

Have a nice day too.
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1.1.0 Ctenosaura melanosterna

Hello Willum:
I will be setting up a group by summertime and I'll let you know. There are a few available right now but there will be more when it warms up a bit.
Have a Great Day!!!

okay that's fine.
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1.1.0 Ctenosaura melanosterna