Reptile & Amphibian Forums

How often does an adult Regal Horned lizard need to eat ants?Also how many does it need to eat?

They need to eat every day. They need to eat hundreds per day. I have 4. They eat no less than 200 per day each, and average 300. I average using almost 1000 ants a day feeding just these 4 HLs.

If you look at the threads already discussed below, you will see a discussion on that very matter that took place just days ago.

Ants are going to be scarce to unavailable in the winter, and this is the worst time you could pick to take on a solare or any other HL. I would suggest that if you caught this wild, you let it go back where it was found so that it can hibernate as expected this winter.

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www.groups.yahoo.com/group/HornedLizards
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Wichita Falls Reptile Rescue
Harvester Ants

FS. Your comment has generated and interesting thought for me. I'm wondering how much does 1000 of your ants weigh, and what is the weight of your HL's that eat this many on a daily bases. Any idea of these numbers? Have you done any weight related comparisons on daily intake versus animal weight that you care to share?

Thanks,
Roger

1000 P. barbatus here runs between 11-12g depending. On comparisons I'm not sure what you are asking for exactly, but my HLs are normally recorded for weight after defecation and before feeding for the day. They are also recorded after fasting for 1-2 weeks, just before hibernation, and recorded occasionally during hibernation. Last year my heaviest solare was over 90g upon going down( about 97g if I recall, I don't have the notes in front of me for last year ). There were two more adults, one weighed in the 70s and the other in the high 60s. I had recently received them from a collector in WA. and they had only been here a couple of months. He was feeding them small pogos from WA, and was not getting enough for them. This year they are both above 70g.

My youngest solare is a 2 year old female, and she is nearing 40g. I'm away from my own computer and don't have the exact weights now, but I just weighed them for panacur treatment last week so I recall the ballpark figure I used to dose them.

I have a recent platyrhinos calidiarum rescue who is the best barbatus eater of all my platyrhinos, and he weighs in the mid 30s. Since he is pretty good size at over 3" SVL, I expect him to top near or over 40g before long.

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www.groups.yahoo.com/group/HornedLizards
www.youtube.com/user/PhrynosomaTexas
Wichita Falls Reptile Rescue
Harvester Ants

I heard a while ago that adding some supermarket vinegar supplements their need for ants. This is done with a medicine dropper several times a week. Apparently this covers the formic acid derived from an ant diet.

Has anyone tried this?

Mike