Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi
Saw some Chuckwallas in the reptile store and thought they were amazing .not in a position to own any yet ,but am very interested in finding out as much as i can about them ,so can you guys recomend any good web sites .Many thanks choppy

Hey Choppy,

Just type in 'chuckwalla caresheet' on the Yahoo main page and you'll get some hits. You can also look back thru these posts and get some good ideas how to care for chucks.

Basically, chucks are fantastic little creatures with unique personalities. Some are incredibly friendly, probably mostly dependent on how much time you spend interacting with them, though some seem innately calmer than others. They're desert lizards and need access to very warm spots within their enclosure so they can heat themselves up sufficiently to digest their food. They also need cooler spots so they don't overheat.

I won't pretend to be an expert, as I mostly regard my chucks as great little pets, but I can share some general information. Though problems arise with EVERYTHING humans try to master, I've had pretty good luck keeping my chucks alive, healthy and seemingly content over the course of 15 years, so you can too. I don't live anywhere near a desert. Most of my chucks don't get any natural sunlight and yet have lived and are still living very long lives. BASICALLY, you have to give your chucks the right foods (collard greens are my MAIN food, with a variety of other things added), a basking light, a UVB light (if your chucks won't get any sunlight), caves to hide in at night, and a little vitamin/mineral supplementation. The serious chuck breeders can tell you a lot more about chuck care, including separating males and females except during the breeding season and hibernation and lots of different enclosure substrates (I just use newspaper). Keeping chucks can be as simple or complex as you want to make it, keeping in mind the bare essentials of appropriate heat, proper food (high calcium/low phosphorus ratio), and UVB lighting (to allow vitamin D3 production necessary for calcium metabolism).

Good luck if you decide you're cut out to be a chuck person. Chucks rule!

Sue

cheers Sue