Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello everyone!

I just stumbled on this site quite by accident today, and I am very excited about having such a wealth of information available as well as other like-minded people to chat with. Lizard people are few and far between in my neck of the woods, so my delight at finding this website goes beyond words.

I am a long time lizard lover (and a fan of quite few other warm and cold blooded critters) and I long ago fell head over heels for collareds. In the past I have owned quite a few of the charming little beasts, but about about five years ago a devastating and as-yet-undiagnosed illness wiped me out. It's taken me all this time to get over my loss, but I think I am finally ready to move on and enjoy those little guys again.

Armed with what I know will be priceless advice from the members here, I want to take the plunge and get a couple of collareds. One problem that I am faced with is that I live in a state where they are not native, and the pet shops rarely, if ever, offer them for sale anymore. Therefore, I'm turning to you guys for advice on how to find a pair. Any suggestions?

Also, though this may seem like a dumb question, bear with me: what do the numbers that are posted in some sig. lines mean. For example:

"0.1.1 collareds"

Try as I might, I can't figure this out. I assume they have to do with the number and/or sex of the animals a person owns, right? Forgive me if I sound stupid--I am likely to come up with even more stupid questions in the future, but I figured this one was a good one to break the ice.

Thanks in advance for all your help and for providing a forum that truly feels to me like I've come home.

élan

hey there and welcome. i am glad you stumbled across us. everyone on this forum is really nice and will be happy to answer your "stupid" questions. they answer mine all the time.

i am so sorry that you had a bad experience with your lizards a while back but you have to learn from what happens, so you can make sure it never happens again. it is great that you have decided to get some collareds again. you can try the kingsnake classifieds, they normally have some on there. perhaps someone else can suggest a breeder. my collareds have always been pet store lizards.

and you were pretty much right on with the whole 0.1.1 thing. the first number is male, the second is female and i think the third is reserved for unknown sexes
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vonnie
***There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it. Mary Wilson Little ***

Thanks so much for responding. It's nice to see my suspicions about the third number representing an unknown sex were founded. I appreciate your putting that question to rest.

I completely agree with you about learning from my bad experience so I can prevent something like that from happening again, and I sincerely wish I could have learned from this one. The problem is that we never figured out what it was that killed the lizards. I made so many trips to the vet that he and I got to be pretty good friends. Despite all our efforts, including numerous fecal exams and administering every medication known to veterinary kind, we never had any success with treatment. I lost them all.

It was because of our inability to find any answers that I stayed away from getting more collareds for so long. By now I hope that whatever bug it was that killed my precious collareds is long gone and that it will never resurface again.

I will check out the classifieds. Thanks for the suggestion.

élan

hmm...that is very devestating. but on the good side, five years have passed and perhaps now vets know more and could possibly do more.
so are you looking for just good old collared lizards, i think it is C. collaris ( i hope the taxonomy police don't get on me ) or are you looking for one of the other types?
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vonnie
***There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it. Mary Wilson Little ***

I'm somewhat partial to baylei--that's my favorite color, but actually, the most important characteristics to me are that they be fat and laid back. That said, some of my favorite pets were the bicintores, even though they tended to be more lean than the others, but they had great, easy going peronalities.

To answer your question . . . I guess any ol' collared would do.

élan

well, i have only ever owned 1 bicinctores, kaiser berg, and he is the most spastic thing i have ever laid eyes on. he has never learned to trust me and he still opens his mouth anytime i am near him and he is the only one to hiss at me! but i love the little booger and i pick him up and hold him till his throat "calms down" i will win him over yet!

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vonnie
***There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it. Mary Wilson Little ***

I know what you mean by the "throat calming down." I used to refer to it as "gulping," like a person (usually one acting in a "B" movie) might do in a state of panic.

I used to have one bicintores, Doc, who would hiss at me, and even bit me once or twice, if I startled him while he was cold. Otherwise, when warm he was one of the sweetest natured lizards I had. He sure was beautiful, too.

élan

Hello Elan,
Welcome to the best place to research Collareds.
I might be able to help you out. I have some captive born Aquaflame Collared available if you are interested. E mail me privately
jstyner@princetonpartners.com
John Styner

My wild captured adult male baylei, Otis, is the most mellow guy. He seems to enjoy hanging out with me and actually seems to mope around the cage on days I don't handle him much. He went on a trips with us this past summer, and he was a lot of fun. He went camping with in the RV and ate bugs from all over 2 states. He will sit on the dashboard and track things as they fly by. His head will turn with the object he is following until it is out of sight, then he snaps his head back to find another one. He likes to ride in Sam's shirt pocket with just his head and front legs sticking over the edge. He will drop down into the pocket for a nap but soon his head is sticking out again. He also rides on my shoulder, under my shirt next to my skin with just his head poking out and will stay there for hours if I let him. He sometimes goes to the pet store with me for crickets and will look at the lizards, frogs and snakes while we wait. He seems interested and not afraid. He also likes elastic waist bands, he will ride around with half of him poking out. The girls are another story, they are always poking around and looking for something to explore. (Or an escape!) They don't get near the freedom he does, but he is just a happy, mellow guy who likes to snuggle.
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Valerie

We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now.
--Martin Luther King, Jr.--

God bless the USA

oh that is so cute, walter segundo would probably be that way if i tried. he loves to escape from his cage but he never goes anywhere once he is out of it. one time i let them get some sun on the porch and walter figured out how to open the top and when i went to check on them, he wasn't there. i finally found him sitting between the wall and the rosemary plant. and yes he did smell like rosemary when i picked him up and kissed him
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vonnie
***There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it. Mary Wilson Little ***

Valerie,

I just saw this post today. Sorry I didn't notice it earlier. Your lizard sounds like my dream collared! I used to have a baylei who was laid back like that. I sure miss her. I tried to get another like her from a person who bred them, but was sent a hybrid that wasn't nearly as calm. I found that with collareds (like any other lizard, I guess) it's the luck of the draw when it comes to personality. The babies I have now are too interested in climbing and exploring to sit still for very long.

Do you have a picture you can share?

élan
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1.1.0 Collareds
1.0.0 Mali Uromastix
0.0.1 Butterfly Agama
1.0.0 Green Anole
1.0.0 Chinese Dwarf Newt
2.0.0 California Newts
0.0.1 White's Treefrog
0.0.1 Fire bellied toad
0.0.1 American Bullfrog
0.0.1 Midland Brown Snake
1.1.0 Felines
0.2.0 Canines
1.0.0 Equine

There are some AWESOME resources here, some great people, some really cool pictures.......and Johne !

Sure made a great decision to get back into these awesome beauties. Be waiting to see your new friend or perhaps frends pis on here real soon.

And NO question is stupid here, we have either asked them or have answered them all ourselves at one time or another. And no matter how long you are into lizards, you NEVER stop learning, geesh always changes.

The people here are very COOL, even JohnE hahahhaha, thats just the forum JOKE, hes a good guy too!

Very glad your here, stick around

* Lots of my kids *

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Eve / PHEve

Thanks for the welcome, and I love all the pictures you've posted. You have some lovely children.

élan