Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, thanks for taking the time to read this.

I had two horned lizards, Maximus and Banjo, both males. Banjo just recently passed away A few days ago I bought another horned lizard, this time a female. Maximus is very depressed however, and just lies there. Before Banjo's death he was very energetic.
Is there anything I can do to cheer him up? I feel really bad for him.

Thanks so much.

Hi there, sorry to hear that Banjo passed away.

There are many factors to consider when a Horned lizard
"poops out".

Obviously, to keep any HL alive for any period of time, he is going to need a good heat source. They need it very hot in their basking spot (around 105 F), and room in their enclosure to escape the heat as necessary(around 85F).

another thing: is he eating enough? Sometimes a lizard will flat out refuse to eat, appear healthy, and then just deteriorate until they die. Put a few (2-5) ants in at a time. Gauge his response to offered food.

Also, think about this time of year. If Maximus (cool name BTW) is a WC, he'd be getting ready to hibernate right now. It is my opinon that even when kept at normal temperatures, a lizard will still become lethargic when its biological clock says "hibernate". Check some links to cable's website to find out how to accommodate him if he is entering a hibernative state.

Make sure he has enough water as well. Too many people overlook this neccessity when considering desert lizards.
If all else fails, take him to a vet.

I hope he perks up. Good luck with your HLs, and let us know how things turn out.

-Phil

I believe it was the fact that I was supplementing his diet with ants rather than supplementing it with crickets. I have ordered ants now instead of gathering them myself and I hope that will help him out. I'm going to make sure he eats and if not consult the forums again. The heat should be fine. I have a 75w bulb on one side with the UV bulb running across the cage.
Water is on the far end of the heat lamp. I'm hopin he will snap out of it soon.