Reptile & Amphibian Forums

PLEASE HELP ME! I HAVE A HORNED LIZARD. I HAVE HAD HIM (I GUESS IT'S A HIM) FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS. I LIVE IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND HE CAME FROM THE ARIZONA DESERT (FROM THE WILD). I DON'T THINK THAT HE'S BEEN EATING. I PUT SOME CRICKETS IN HIS TANK AT FIRST BUT HE NEVER ATE THEM. THEN, I PUT HIM OUTSIDE CLOSE TO AN ANT BED. HE'S GETTING WEAKER AND SKINNIER. HE'S NOT VERY ACTIVE, AND I THINK THAT HE'S SHEDDING. I HAVE A HEAT PAD UNDER HIS TANK THAT I HAVE FILLED WITH SAND. I HAVE A WATER BOWL DOWN IN THE SAND IN THE CORNER OF HIS TANK. I HAVE FOUND HIM SITTING IN HIS WATER BOWL TWICE. IT SEEMS THAT HIS EYES ARE ALWAYS CLOSED. I HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THESE ANIMALS. I REALLY LIKE HIM, AND I DON'T WANT HIM TO DIE. PLEASE HELP ME!

Could you describe more details about your setup?
How long have you had it?
What kind of lighting?
How big is the tank?
Is one side cool, one side hot?
What have you been feeding him?
-----
Phrynosoma.Com

Could you describe more details about your setup?
How long have you had it?
What kind of lighting?
How big is the tank?
Is one side cool, one side hot?
What have you been feeding him?

Okay.. it's a 10 gallon tank, and I have it filled with sand. I have a heating pad under the tank. One side is heated and one side is not. I have a water bowl on the side that is not heated. The water bowl is round with a diameter of about 4 inches. I have been trying to feed him but he won't eat. I gave him some crickets at first but he never ate them so then I tried to feed him some ants. I am not sure if he ever ate any of the ants. He has had one bowel movement since I have had him. I have no lighting which may be the problem.

You have a few challenges in front of you. First of all a 10 gallon is not enough space for any horned lizard. You should have a 40 gal minimum. A 10 gallon just does not offer enough space to provide a warm side and a cool side. The small size also adds to the stress level of your HL, which will also cause him to lose his appetite. You rightly guessed that the lighting is a second problem. Good lighting will do two things. It will offer the heat necessary to stimulate appetite and will also provide the necessary UV radiation needed to help your HL metabolize properly. He should eat both ants and crickets, but depending on species it should be mostly ants. You can use a standard house bulb till you can get the right lighting. You probably don't want to use it in the 10 gallon as it will probably make the whole tank too hot unless its a very low wattage bulb. (It is very important for his long term health that you get the right lighting).

Do you know what species you have? If not, maybe where you bought/caught him will help.

How long have you had him?

I have a basic care sheet and other info on my web site. Click the link below.

TTYL
-----
Phrynosoma.Com

I have some bad news. He died today. Thanks for the tips though. Most of the time I didn't have him in his tank. I would put him out in my yard in the sun close to food sources. I am gonna miss him. I had him for about 3 weeks. I appreciate your help. Thanks! LaTrell

PS. I have a glass snake (legless lizard). I have had him for about 3 or 4 months I think. I got him out of my yard. He has been doing real good. I will post some pictures of him on the site if I can figure out how (lol).

Sorry to hear that. HL's are beautiful creatures that take almost as much attention as a child. (well, maybe not that much )
In the future it's a good idea, for anyone thinking about obtaining any animal, to study study STUDY the species you are thinking about. Find out if you can provide the right environment, food, and time for it and learn all you can before actually getting it.
By the way, how did you get a w/c horned lizard from az when you live in CS anyways?
Good luck in the future!!

YEAH.. USUALLY I DO STUDY BEFORE GETTING A CREATURE BUT THIS HL WAS BROUGHT BACK FROM ARIZONA BY A FRIEND. USUALLY I GET ALL OF MY ANIMALS WILD CAUGHT.(SO I DON'T HAVE TIME TO STUDY ABOUT THIER SPECIES BEFORE I GET THEM.) WELL, THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP! LATRELL

PS. WHERE DO YOU LIVE?

I live in Southern California.
I know what you mean about not having time to study about a w/c animal because you never know what you're gonna get in the wild! But as soon as I get it home, my nose is buried in the reptile field manual as well as the internet studying their habits and needs, and from there I decide weather or not I can provide a good enough life for them. Usually not though. Most of the time (especially if the animal is an adult) I end up letting them go because, quite honestly, w/c animals usually make the worst pets. But if they're babies, than usually you can work with them better!

Since your HL was w/c in Arizona and brought back to SC, it would be my guess that the car trip (assuming it was brought back by car) was what stressed him and led him to dying. That along with not providing that right UV source. It seems like HL's are one of the most easily stressed animals I've ever worked with.
Happy hunting!
-Ryan

WELL.. SINCE MY HL IS DEAD, AND WE PROBABLY WON'T BE TALKING MUCH ABOUT HIM ANYMORE.. DO YOU WANT TO EXCHAGE E-MAIL ADDRESSES AND CONTINUE CHATTING THAT WAY? I MEAN BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO FILL UP THE HL FORUM WITH OUR CHITTER CHATTER. (LOL) YOU CAN E-MAIL ME @ mendozal9010@octech.mailcruiser.com

LATRELL

PS. HOW OLD ARE YOU? TELL ME MORE ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR ANIMALS.