Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Tex, my bluestar male, is a bachelor, due to losses of several females in a row. And I've been watching the ads for an adult or sub-adult female, but so far, all I have found available is males...

and I keep wondering... is he lonely? Or does he LIKE having the viv to himself? It's hard to know, cause no one can know for sure what they think... does anyone have an idea on this?

KITKAT

I have my doubts that collared lizards experience loneliness, at least in the same capacity as do humans and other primates. Remember that in their natural habitat these lizards must compete with fellow Crotaphytus - as well as many other animals - for food, preferred basking sites, shelter, etc. In such environments where survival is at a premium there would seem to be little, if any, benefit derived from living in pairs/groups. To that end, these lizards are well adapted to a solitary existence. In fact, the only time collareds appear to actively seek out "companionship" is when male Crotaphytus pursue females for the (very immediate) purposes of breeding. In my opinion there should be no reason to expect any different behavior in captivity... Just my two cents...

Brock

running in the room I have for them. I have rocks set around all over in different places, kind of supported rock piles !

Anyway My Kong usually is out alot. Out of all the rocks in that room, he always picks the same place and rock to crawl under late in the after noon. Every day, I know where he is sleeping.

If I leave a female out to run with him for the day , I will go back, later in the afternoon, to find them both sleeping under his rock. Any female who is out with him, will always go under the same rock with him.

She may stay up longer, but when she retires for the day, its right beside him. And as I say there are alot of different places and rocks she could choose.

Why do you think that is Brock ? Does she smell him there?

Are they used to doing that in the wild, as Kong does, always goes back to the same place?

Just curious, , its a good size room and inevidibly they will end up together ! ?????
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Eve

but I suspect you're not far off in suggesting that individual collared lizards may have a specific location/hidespot which they utilize on a regular basis in the wild. While I'm fairly certain that your females are aware that Kong is present when they seek shelter, I somehow doubt that his presence alone is the reason for their choosing that particular rock. You may want to experiment by leaving Kong inside his enclosure one afternoon and see if the females select the same location. Or, perhaps place Kong under a different rock late in the day and observe how the lizards respond...

Brock

I have a feeling (just a feeling), that sometimes companionship can actually help a collared adjust to captivity. For example...if you have a long term captive, and acquire a new lizard, that just does not seem to adjust.

I often wonder, that if that instinctive competitiveness can actually coerce a collared into eating again. When an individual sees Collared "X" gobbling up crickets, then suddenly upon next feeding, he may decide to grab up a couple crickets...the stresses of captivity may still exhist but are overpowered by the genetic drive to compete for food. Just rambling thoughts...

Just analagous to the young child that hates his new toy...will not play with it for nothing. Now you through Child "Y" into the equation and you get, "MY TOY!!!!!." LOL

I agree with Brock on the rock issue, Eve. I would put Kong under a rock in a different location, or simply move rocks around the room. Put Kong's preferred rock in a different location and see if it is still preferred, or is the location itself a preference? Is the window light better in that area, not as drafty, etc. Who knows?

John

John I have to agree with your ideas on one collared helping to stimulate another,
I will even go one step futher and say the one who may be wc seems to learn to trust the human by watching how the long term captive responds. I have seen it.

As far as the location of the certain rock Kongs picks each day to retire under, is interesting. I have a basking site on the floor for him, you saw it last week in a pic.

But when he goes to sleep late afternoon, he goes across the room away from the basking site, and the window area.

To almost the middle of room (less light) and heat, because all the other tanks along sides off wall their lights are still on.

So his sleeping rock would be in a less warm area, and with less light !
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Eve

My caged collareds (not-so-spoiled) resort to their hides away from the light/heat when they are ready to sleep. Mine usually retire to their hides long before the lights go out in the tanks. Pretty weird. My collareds all all asleep by 5:00.

I can't wait to get them outside, yada, yada, yada LOL

John

I have some who are sleeping early in the afternoon, but them=n a few that are late nighters, hehehe, they are afraid they will miss somthing ! Always the same 2 up late, both are GIRLS !!

Chinook and Kachina, And Squash has now been asleep for 3 days, dont know what thats all about, weird, like hes brumating late !

Always new things to learn and observe about these guys, ya never get it down, so to speak, LOL

Hey Johneee bet ya can't wait to get yours outside, heheheheheh LMAO John Eddingtons' last words

" He could not wait to get them out in the pen "

Package on the way Sockhead !
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Eve

I don't know if that will help or not. I think it's really no use at this point. We'll see though.

John

help alot, if you hold him in it or even saturate a cotton ball with it and then squeeze out the solution on to the foot and leg area !

I would soak that sucker 3- 4 times a day ! I had to do that one time when Chinook my yellow cutie pie, got her leg slashed on a funrniture staple.

It just torn it open, I was devastated,
I soaked her in that 3 -4 times aday applied neosporin after, kept her on paper towels, until healed it never got infected either.

That is when the lizard room became THEIRS with no furniture, just their stuff !

Anyway I love that provodine iodine solution

Hope he heals soon.
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Eve

i used it on a gecko,a waterdragon and a dwarf tegu,all rescues in bad shape,with cuts and bruises galore and there was no infection to be seen,even when i had to keep the gecko with another gecko on sand substrateFunny,because of that gecko i got into collareds,after rescuing the gecko from its ruthless,clueless keeper and getting it back into shape(she gave me 8 clutches in one season)i part xchanged her for a pair of collaredsAnd so be it,here i am today pestering you all with my story's instead of on the gecko forum
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see yah laterz people
jason
"the road to excess leads to the palace of wisdom for you never know what is enough until you have too much"