Reptile & Amphibian Forums

are sandfish breedable to the intermediate herper. and if so what are the incubation temps and procedures to get them to mate.

I used to keep sandfish although I never bred them. I did do a lot of research into their natural habitat though so I might be able to give you a starting place to work with. These lizards aren't really bred in captivity - they are imported heavily and not very popular as a pet because you never see them.

They are a Northern Africa desert species so they need to be kept hot and dry. As with most desert species, they get the bulk of their hydration through their prey. You can offer water, but I'm betting it won't be taken. I never gave mine water at all and had no problems.

I kept mine on 3 inches of clean playground sand in a 10 gallon tank with a large flat rock underneath a 100 watt bulb. I did not use a UVB light as they still spend much of their time under the sand. I did dust crickets with calcium powder a couple times a week.

If you get a pair and want to encourage breeding, your best bet for cycling them is to shorten the daylight and drop your nighttime temps more than your daytime temps.

To be honest, I'm not sure if they are viviparous or oviviparous. I am trying to research that now. I'm guessing they are ovivparous. For egg laying spots I would use small potted cactus/succulents which would be kept slighly damp. Since these are not bred in captivity you're treading a whole new area here, so creative thinking is a must.

If I find out anything more in my research I'll let you know. I always liked these lizards when I did presentations. They are such a perfect example of an animal well-suited for its habitat.