Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am interested in obtaining a chuckwalla but I seem to be having difficulty finding sufficient information about their care. I have bookmarked several caresheets but am interested in any other sources you might offer. I would like to know which type is the best choice for a beginner. (I have blueys,cresties, a FBT,etc. but this will be my first chuck.) Any advice on finding a reliable breeder of cbs would also be appreciated. Thanks so much for all the info. on this forum---it has been a great resource!

Hi, glad your here and thinking about becoming a chucker, lol

I have 4 chucks, comman chuckwallas or S. ater which include, one male nevada chuck, one male redback, and one disabled nevada female, and one S.varius or San estaban island chuck. I like them all and find with daily handling and letting them out to romp they are all friendly and make nice pets.

Takes time when they are small to get them to trust you. Need alot of patience. My male Nevada chuckwalla named(Chewalla) I got at 12 weeks old, he ran from me for almost 6 months, then one day sat calmly as I stroked is back. From then on he became a lap chuck, :0) A real sweetheart. The redback is tame as is Dapple the S.varius. I hear the Angel island chucks are quite gentle.

As far as who has cb kids now, I do not know off hand, if anyone sees thisand has any available, they can contact you. You may want to keep an eye out in the classifieds. I think I saw some angle island cb's last week.

Below the photo at bottom of page is a link to a site that tells a bit of history of the chuckwallas and shows and explains the different species. You may already have this, it's a good start. Any other questions you may have just fire away, theres many good knowledgable people on here to help. Just a slow forum right now. But we are happy to have you

Enjoy the forum !

Chuckwallas

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PHEve / Eve

Thanks for directing me to that article! Funny, James Wilson is one of the gurus of the blue tongue skink world as well. His article was great and helped clarify several things for me. I'm finally comfortable with the various types available---even though I don't know which is right for me! I'm still delving into old forum threads and that is helping. (Wish I had high speed internet!) I am compiling a reference sheet with everything "chucky" and the threads and links are really helping. Right now, I'm really concentrating on housing. I found several great descriptions on how to furnish a set up but I haven't found a "how to" for building one. I know wood and screen are recommended (for maintaining low humidity) but would a huge glass tank work if the lid was screened? How about melamine instead of wood? I also would like to build an outdoor pen---for supervised outside time. My blueys are taken outdoors daily (weather permitting) and I would like to do the same with my chuck.
Anyone who is anticipating the arrival of captive bred juveniles anytime in the foreseeable future is welcome to PM me. I'm a conscientious owner and I will continue to be a part of this forum. I have friends who own mainland chucks and love them. I can't wait to have one of my own!

OK, I've finished reading the past 3 pages of chuck forum threads. Tons of useful info. and some incredible pictures. I can tell that there are some very dedicated chuck owners out there! How reassuring that will be when I finally have a chuck of my own.
I found plenty of pictures/info about outdoor pens but I'm still a bit fuzzy on how to construct an indoor enclosure. Do most of you design your own or buy commercially available ones? It seems like the weight of the rocks, sand, etc. would be limiting. Also, the tank size to allow for a proper thermal gradient dictates an even heavier enclosure. Island varieties, of course, need a larger enclosure than the mainland varieties. So, could someone show me what I'm going to be looking to build/buy? Thanks so much in advance!

Size for mainland pair would be 2 x 4 feet-minumum. I like 5 by 2 1/2 myself. I believe they make critter tanks(thinner glass and lighter than an aquarium since it doesn't have to hold water) 2 x 4 with a screen top is fine. If an aquarium is used just remember to cover the sides and back as it make them feel more secure. I make all my caging out of 3/4 inch plywood and paint them with a hinged screen top and glass front but malamine would be fine since you don't have to worry about moisture. Just make sure the bottom is supported well for the weight of the rocks and sand. Sand is a pain as chucks are very messy. I just use brown kraft paper now. Rocks are a pain to clean as they crap all over them. They snort all over the glass. The short of it is they are PIGS! Expect a lot of work.

Thanks for the welcome! I like the idea of a wooden tank with a hinged screen top. I have a neighbor who is a carpenter and I'll chat with him about making one. A mess isn't too much of an issue as I have 3 kiddos and I'm accustomed to disorder! I have a bluey who likes to poopoo paint her basking rock and use her food to fingerpaint the aquarium walls. Nice to hear she'll have some competition! Seriously, if these guys have as much personality as I've heard, they will be worth the effort. I'll probably lurk until the new babies arrive this next year. I'm narrowing my choice and I'll probably end up with a mainland variety---due to size and money issues. I can't wait to see what ya'll will have available. I've seen some very pretty chucks on this site!

Welcome! Where do you live? Maybe someone near you would know of some cb babies?? They are SO CUTE! They look like buttermilk pancakes with legs and stripey tales when they are young.

Good idea Maureen! I live in Central Texas---by Austin. We are having a reptile show this weekend and I've never seen chucks there---but it never hurts to ask questions. You are so right---the stripes are adorable. I almost bought an adult male chuck from someone on our blue tongue forum but since he was rehomed with someone else, I will look for a juvie. I want to enjoy the whole experience---stripes and all!

Hi, I'm glad you joined the forum. There is a lot of great experienced chuckers here. I mainly lurk, learn and drool It's been fun talking with you on the STR forum.

Yes, I know about the drooling! I've been rummaging through the old threads (of course you can't pull up all the really old pix) and getting as much info. and insight as I can. Thanks for referring me to this forum! The people here have been so helpful!