i love simi large lizards and in nov. might be getting a chuckwalla! but i want to know if they are aggressive and what they eat and also how big they get. thank you!
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new chuckwalla
animalkid
Aug 28, 2007 05:36 PM
Replies (1)
aliceinwl
Aug 30, 2007 12:23 AM
Temperment is really going to vary depending on species and whether the animal is wild caught or captive bred. As a rule captive bred animals tend to be tamer and adjust better to captivity. It can take some work to get wild caught animals acclimated and they may never be very tolerant of handling. Angel Island chuckwallas also tend to be calmer than common chuckwallas. Angel islands will also get considerable larger, but they are not as variable / striking likely colored as the commons.
For commons you're looking at a minimum 60 gallon sized tank for a single individual. I haven't kept angels, but due to their larger size they're probably going to require a tank somewhere in the 100 gallon size range as a minimum. You're also going to have to fill the tank with heavy furniture (lots of rocks) and establish a basking site between 100 and 120 degrees with a cool end in the low 80s to mid 70s (you're going to need a big tank to achieve this gradient). UV lighting will also be necessary. Chucks are primarily herbivores so you're also going to preparing fresh salads (salads are going to have to be varied, store bought mixes won't cut it) every 1 to 2 days.
When set up properly chucks are fairly problem free. The initial outlay can be kind of pricy. If you have the space and climate to house outdoors and can build a large secure outdoor pen you could cut down on housing expenses.
For your first foray into chuckwalla keeping, I'd highly recommend holding out for a captive bred animal. Wild caughts can take a lot of work to acclimate, many of those that come to the market are already in poor shape, and they may never become "real pets".
If you do decide to go with a chuck, you should get things ready in advance. Feel free to ask for advice along the way, there are lots of great people lurking around here who are a wealth of information.
-Alice
