Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I collected a chuck on a hike a this last weekend. It appears to be a female because it is about 11 inches total length and fairly dark colors but banded tail still. I put her in with a calm collared lizard and they get along fine.

Today when I went to give the collared a superworm he ignored it and it crawled over the rock precipice to the sight of the chuck. She imediately approached it, licked it a few times,(it was dusted) then chased it as it fell off the rocks to the sand, caught it, shook it vigorously for several seconds in the sand and then ate it! I thought "this has to be a fluke" so I threw another in and she approached it, licked it but did not eat it, only eyeing it until it disapeared in the substrate.

She then climbed up to the bask peak and closed her eyes, to savor the process I guess.

Anyway, I understand they are herbivores, and only accidentaly ingest insects. But this was a pursuit and attack.

Any ideas? By the way it has not expressed much interest in the dandelions and other leafy weeds/flowers I've been putting in, though I don't know if it has been eating when I am not looking.

Thanks,
John

A lot of juvie chucks like insects. My female isn't intersted in them, but my little male would stuff himself with them if I let him. So far, I've given him mealworms, superworms and waxworms and he's attacked all with equal gusto. In terms of getting your chuck acclimated and eating the greens, if you scroll down, there have been a lot of posts on that recently that might help.

-Alice

I saw those AFTER I posted, along with others that eat insects. Thanks for replying though. Good information!

John