Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello,
I recently purchased a Butterfly Agama. No one seems to know what type of reptile this is. it looks like a gecko kind of.

My question is that what kind of sunstrate do they like? One pet store employee told me Repti-Bark, while another one told me Sand. The agamas are burrowing lizards but when I put my agama in sand, he seemed to pay no mind to it. Right now he is in a cage with my anoles and there seems to be no agression.

The substrate I am using for the anoles and my agama is the repti-bark and he seems to be quite content with it. I read in a book that the agama is a ground dwelling herp. Is that true? Also, my agama hasn't moved from his little house I made for him. Is he gonna be ok? Or is he just adapting to his new home.

If anybody knows what an agama is, please reply

Thanks

Butterfly agamas (Genus Leiolepis) are native to southeast asia, so the repti-bark would be better than the sand. They are somewhat flighty lizards so the hiding is normal and it will probably settle down eventually. These agamas dont have a very good record in captivity. They are ground dwelling lizards. Go to anapsid.org. I think they have a care sheet there. Good luck!

You can also go here for some photos (for comparison) and some husbandry info:
Butterfly Agamas at Deer Fern Farms

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Torey
Eugene, Oregon, USA
1.1 Uromastyx Geyri (Joe and Arthur)
2.0.1 Uromastyx Dispar Maliensis (Tank, Turtle, and Spike)
1.2 Anolis Carolinensis (Bowser, Leeloo, and Sprocket)
0.1 African Dwarf Frogs (Sheila)
1.0 Betta Splendens (Mr. Miagi)
1.1 Felis Domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)

A lot depends on the actual Leiolepis species you have.
In general these agamides are semisocuial and highly monogamic. They are very flighty and extreme quick lizards which need in comparison to their body size giant enclosures to thrive. The prefer sandy habitats and dig complex tunnel systems.
So you should go for a tank of 6 x 3 ft or bigger. height matters less, but you should include a lenghty tunnel system and hide boxes in your setup. The hide boxes have to be kept relatively moist but the basking an running area has to be dry.
They need Uromastyx temps for basking and proper digesting. i.e. >100F at a larger basking area. Also bright lights are a must, so at least one 150 W metal halide should be included in the light battery. Tehy are omnivorous and eat about 20-60% vegetarian matter, depending on the actual species.
They are fascinating lizards, but everything but easy to keep. many seem to thrive for some months or a year and then rapidly decline and die.
If you follow my setup recommendations and carefully deparasitize your lizards, upon proper food and supplements, you have a high chance of keeping them for many years.

Hope that helps

Ingo