Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,

I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with the California Legless Lizard - Anniella pulchra pulchra. My stepdaughter found one on her ranch and has passed it on to me to use in my educational program. Has anyone had success maintaining this species in captivity? I think I have the environment and temps dowm but need info on feed items. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Ian

Heres a fairly good site, with alot of info including diet, just about the best I have seen.

Sure hope it helps ! Let us know how you make out, maybe a pic if you have the time.

They are very cool looking lizards.
California Legless Lizard

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Eve / PHEve

Thanks for the info Eve. I've had some sucess with some rather difficult snakes - Mojave Shovelnose (Chinoactus ssp), Night snakes (Hypsiglena ssp), and Western Leafnose (Phyllorhynchus), so I'm looking forward to my first lizard challenge.

I'll try and get pictures up when I get a chance.

Thanks,

Ian

the legless lizards were pretty awesome, I love snakes, but being an animal nut, can't feed rodents and things, I would feel badly.

But in doing some research I have found a cool little snake, I may look into. The green rough snakes, pretty, and they eat insects, ehehhehehe the snake for ME !

I have alot of different lizards and froggies, so these rough snakes will be a bit different.

Hey , good luck, and I will be waiting for that pic !
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Eve / PHEve

What are your criteria for "Rodents and things"? Does things include feeder fish? If not you might look into some of the garter ssp. particularly Thamnophis marcianus marcianus. As hatchlings they feed almost entirely on earthworms then transition to feeder guppies and adults can be maintained on feeder goldfish. Just make sure you have a clean supplier as the feed tends to be a little higher in their parisite load. Also when maintained on a fish diet, they are really dirty, smelly animals, requiring a lot of cage cleaning. The amels are awesome though. I loved breeding them.

There are a variety of snakes particularly the smaller, fossorial ssp. that I'm sure could be maintianed on an insectivore diet. The difficulty though is finding them. The only one that comes to mind is the Shovelnose - Chinoactus ssp.

How do you feel about feeding Frozen/Thawed? That avoids the process of feeding live and you don't have to prekill the feed, it is already done. I have yet to meet a snake that hasn't accepted a F/T feeder.

Just a thought....
Ian

the larger snakes Ian, I understand nature, and know things must be killed, for others to eat.

As long as I dont have to see it or, look at a small mice or rats that has been killed for that reason.
I know, it sounds stupid, but I have had both these animals as pets, during my lifetime, and still own a few rodents.

I have a few larger lizards, but thankfully they can eat chopped meat, salads and insects. I also avoid lizards such as monitors, which are totally awesome, but there needs run into the furry feeder catagories aslo,

Thanks for the conversation, and small snake recommendations, I will look them up. Like I say the green rough snakes have my attention, I like them not only because they eat insects, but also look simular(not the face) to vine snakes, which I admire.

Funny the way I am I suppose, I even have a large and still growing african bullfrog, whos favorite pastime is FOOD.

I give him cooked chicken, nice big nightcrawlers, larger insects, but no rodents, small lizards, or FRIENDS of mine,

many lizard friends

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Eve / PHEve