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Identifying species ?

ravenspirit Feb 27, 2007 01:13 PM

I recently purchased a trio of plated lizards, that look just like these -

http://ownersfish.fc2web.com/lizards/lizards/06-lizards/06-06-30oni-01-01.jpg
http://ownersfish.fc2web.com/lizards/lizards/06-lizards/06-06-30oni-01-03.jpg
http://ownersfish.fc2web.com/lizards/lizards/06-lizards/06-06-30oni-02-02.jpg

The male is larger and has a good amount of orange on his side like the first one, (mine is actually a little more orange) and has a bulkier head, and the other 2 are more olive there like the 2 photos below.

Now, My first and main question is, what species are these ? They were sold as "giant plated lizards", which I am sure they are not, and from the reading I have done I have come up with 2 possable species - Gerrhosaurus major bottegoi or Gerrhosaurus nigrolineatus - Though, I can't figure out which they are ?

Nigrolineatus seems in some photos I have seen to have a slimmer snout and smaller girth, but in others...well, they look similar. I can not find much/any info on either species.

They are currently being kept in a large vision cage with sand/dirt sudstrate, 4 hides, some fake cactus plants to breat up sight lines, a medium sized water croc, with a temp around 75 on the cool side and 102 under the basking shelf. They have a desert UVB light. Is this good/ok ? I wormed them the first day I recieved them, and have fed them crickets and superworms a few times so far, which they seem to relish, but they have not touched the greens or fruits like grapes and paypaya offered daily. They are very docile, and while the 2 of them wiggle a but when picked up, all three are calm enough to handle freely.

Any information, or experiances people have had with this species, whatever it may be would be appreciated. Thanks -

Replies (1)

ravenspirit Mar 01, 2007 10:40 AM

And why I came to the "conclusion" they are likely Gerrhosaurus major bottegoi - Plus I figured the site may help clear (or make worse ?) the seeming confusion between the types of plated lizards.

http://www.grisus-welt.de/Gerrhosauridae/Gerrhosaurus/Gerrhosaurus_major_bottegoi/gerrhosaurus_major_bottegoi.html

This page indicates that G. m. bottegoi is the western subspecies of G. m. major and is larger and more sturdy.

(any added/contrary information with photos/sources would be very appreciated)

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