hi.. i post quite often in the turtle and frog forums but horned lizards are something i am sadly ignorant about.. i know i could probably find previous posts about this but i am short on time and need info immediatley.. i dont actually have one but iwork at a petstore that has, to my dismay, insisted on ordering them.. we got three of them in a week ago, they are "desert horned" if that helps with info.. and they are small enough to fit on a silver dollar..
the guy from sunpet (where we ordered them from) told us that this particular species didnt need ants to survive.. this could be true, but i find it hard to believe..
YOUR RIGHT HE'S WRONG, ANTS ARE NECESSARY AND NORMAL PART OF THE DIET OF THESE ANIMALS, A WELL KEPT AFTER HORNED LIZARD OF THIS SPECIES IS FED ANTS, I AM THINKING AT LEAST 50-70 PERCENT OF THIER NORMAL DIET INTAKE. If YOU FEED THEM CRICKETS DO NOT MAKE THAT THE NORMAL FOOD ITEM, AND FEED THEM CRICKETS THAT ARE SMALL DO NOT FEED THEM BIG CRICKETS, I LIKE TO FEED A CRICKET ABOUT 1/4 TO 3/8 THE SIZE OF THE HEAD, BUT LEAN TOWARDS THE 1/4" SIZE. DUST THEM WITH VITAMIN POWDER A COUPLE TIMES A WEEK.
ANTS CAN BE ORDERED FROM: http://www.infowest.com/life/ YOU NEED NOT USE VITAMIN POWDER ON THE ANTS.
at the moment they are eating phoenix worms (high calcium larva of the black soldier fly) ... we have already sold one and i am afraid that the person who bought it didnt get proper info on them because i am the only person at the store who does reptiles and i wasnt there at the time of sale.. i want to make sure that the other two go home with well informed "parents"..
PLEASE SEND THEM TO PHRYNOSOMA.COM AND HAVE THEN READ ALL THEY CAN. LIGHTING IS CRUCIAL YOU NEED A MERCURY VAPOR OR 7.0 OR LARGER (10.0) uvb FLOURESCENT BULB FOR PROPER HEALTH. THE LARGER THE CAGE THE BETTER, I WOULD RECOMMEND A 40 gALLON CAGE.
HOT SIDE OF CAGE NEEDS TO BE 105 DEGREES , AND COOL SIDE ABOUT 85 DEGREES. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT AND YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THIS IS FOLLOWED THROUGH TO THE "T". USE HOME DEPOT PLAY SAND WHICH IS CHEAP AND MAKES A GOOD SUBSTRATE, DO NOT GO GET SAND FROM OUT SIDE AS IT MAY HAVE MITES IN IT. IF YOUR ANIMALS ARE WILD CAUGHT THEY SHOULD BE EXAMINED FOR MITES, I RECOMMEND USING "REPTILE RELIEF" DO NOT SPRAY ON THE HEAD, USE A COTTON SWAB AROUND THE HORNS AND NECK AND UNDERNEATH OF NECK DO NOT GET CLOSE TO THE EYES.
so here are my questions:
what kind of ants do they need to eat? i live in north georgia and the only ants i see frequently are fire ants.. i am worried that the ants would take down the lizards as ive seen them kill grasshoppers larger than the babies are right now...
YOU CAN CATCH THE BIG RED ANTS THAT HAVE A FLAT CLEAR PLACE AND HAVE TRAILS OF ANTS GOING OUT AND COLLECT SEEDS. THEY ARE THE BIG RED ANTS AND HAVE A NASTY STING? DO YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT? DO NOT USE FIREANTS AS THEY WILL BE A PROBLEM....DONOT USE THEM PERIOD.
WHEN FEEDING ANTS ONLY PUT A FEW IN AT A TIME AND SOMETIMES i EITHER SQUEEZE THEM SO THEY DON'T MOVE A ROUND ALOT, OR I PUT THEM IN THE REFRIGERATOR FOR 20 MINUTES SO THEY SLOW DOWN AND ARE NOT AS ACTIVE. ONCE THE LITTLE GUYS START EATING ANTS TYHEY CAN TAKE UP TO 100 OR MORE ANTS AT A SETTING DEPENDING ON THEIR AGE AND SIZE. aNOTHER THINK IS THE STOOL IN THESE ANIMALS IS USUALLY BALCK AND DRIES QUICKLY AND LOOKS LIKE A PLLET SORT OF WITH A LITTLE WHITE SPOT. iF THEY ARE HAVING WATERY STOOLS THAT ARE LIGHT BROWN AND RUNNY , THIS IS OFTEN A SIGN OF ILLNESS OR BAD HEALTH........
where can i obtain the proper ants from? I LEFT YOU THE URL ABOVE.
how do they keep hydrated? when they came in they seemed lethargic and probably dehydrated.. i soaked them for a couple of minutes in water, which they drank from and perked up, but they never get in the dish in thier cage.. i am assuming they are dewdrinkers, like most desert species, but they never lick up the water when i mist thier cage in the a.m.
TRY USING A SMALL EYE DROPPER YOU CAN GET FROM THE PET SHOP AND PUT A DROP ON THEIR MOUTH JUST AT THE TOP OF THE NOSE, THEY OFTEN WILL DRINK FROM A DROPPER. IF NOT SPRAY THE PLANTS IN THE CAGE AND ROCKS, BUT YOU SHOULD DO IT IN JUST ONE AREA NOT THE WHOLE CAGE AND DO NOT SPRAY THE ANIMALS. IN NATURE THEY DO DRINK RAINWATER AND DEW AS YOU SAY, BUT TOO MUCH WATER WILL SERIOULSY AFFECT THEM, SO MAKE SURE THE CAGE FLOOR IS NOT DAMP, IT SHOULD BE DRY EXCEPT WHERE YOU CHOOSE TO SPRAY. SOAKING MAY NOT BE A BAD IDEA, BUT THEY DON'T LIKE TO BE HANDLED AND EXTRA HANDLING ADDS STRESS TO THE LIZARD. IF THEY ARE EMATIATED FROM NOT BEING HYDRATED THEN YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THEY GET SOME WATER. PLEASE READ THE POSTS BELOW YOU WITH PICUTRES OF A DESERT HORNED LIZARD DRINKING WATER......
is there a good website/caresheet that i can give to the customers who buy them and to improve my own knowledge?
AS MENTIONED PHRYNOSOMA.COM AND HORNED LIZARD CONSERVATION SOCIETY--BOTH HAVE RESOURCES.
anything else i need to know? thus far, i have been treating them like baby bearded dragons.. temp wise, etc...
PLEASE DO NOT ORDER ANY MORE OF THESE. MANY OR EVEN MOST OF THESE LIZARDS DO NOT LIVE BEYOND THE FIRST YEAR DO TO POOR HUSBANDRY, PET SHOPS CONTINUE TO PURPATRATE DEATHS DO TO A LACK OF PROPER INFORMATION.....NO ONE WITHOUT YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND A HEAVY COMMITTMENT SHOULD BE TRYING A HORNED LIZARD FOR A PET. SINCE ANTS (500 AT A TIME) ARE ABOUT 10.00 DOLLARS PLUS SHIPPING YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND MONEY TO KEEP THESE IN ANTS. THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR ANTS IN THEIR DIET, AND WHILE THERE ARE PEOPLE RAISING THEM OR TRYING WITHOUT ANTS, EVEN THOSE THAT HAVE EXPERIENCE ARE NOT HAVING GOOD BREEDING RESULTS AND SOME TIMES THEY WILL LIVE FOR A YEAR OR SO OR TWO BUT EVENTUALLY WITHOUT ANTS IN THEIR DIET I THINK YOUR DOING A DISERVICE TO THE ANIMALS SINCE THEIR SCAT ANYLSIS SHOWS THAT THEY LIKE ANTS AS A MAJOR PART OF THEIR FOOD INTAKE. WHILE THAT MAY VARY AT DIFFERING TIMES OF THE YEAR, YOU CANNOT GET AWAY FROM ANTS BEING AN INTREGAL PART OF THE DIET.
any information is very much appreciated! i desperately want to make sure i can provide the new owners with good advice and care information... i also want to make sure that we dont order them again in my store unless we start selling ants for them to eat..
lAST OF ALL YOU NEED TO FIND A REPUTABLE VETERANARIAN IN YOUR AREA THAT WORKS EITH HORNED LIZARDS. whEN THE DO GET SICK THEY ARE VERY HARD TO NURSE BACK TO HELATH ON YOUR OWN, BEST BET IS TO GET THEM TO A VET--BUT THIS IS THE ISSUE--YOU NEED TO FIND A VET THAT WORKS WITH REPTILES INCLUDING SNALES AND LIZARDS AND TURTLES. mANY VETS DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW TO TREAT REPTILES PROPERLY, AND I HAVE SEEN PEOPLE SPEND MONEY ON A VETERANARIAN THAT DIDN'T HAVE A RIGHT DIAGNOSIS OR CORRECT MEDS TO HELP, SO BE LEARY--FIND SOMEONE THAT IS EXPERIENCED WITH REPTILES........
I APPRCIATE YOUR CARE AND KINDNESS TOWARDS THESE LITTLE GUYS, BUT THE BEST BET IS NOT TO HAVE THE STORE ORDER ANYMORE OF THESE. HOPE THIS HELPS. PLEASE POST ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR PROBLEMS. pLEASE READ UP ON HORNED LIZARDS AND GET A FULL UNDERSTANDING AT THE HUSBANDRY ISSUES INVOLVED...
thanks in advance!
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