Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Our Muppets are doing great. They’re a little confused about this weather. It started to cool off in September, and a couple of them started to dig caves, but then it warmed up again. Their appetites vary with the day-to-day weather, some of them choosing to sleep through their afternoon meal. If it gets overcast or cold, they’ll just burrow into the warmer sand and take a nap. They are still drinking well. These days, they will drink right out of a plastic spoon full of water when offered. It’s quite a ritual.

All eight of our SHLs went to the Vet this week and got a good check-up. They all passed. They should be good to go for hibernation if it ever cools off.

If you reference the photo, these are our Muppets:

1. Ms Piggy 3 ½ yrs old 69mm SVL 31.3g
2. Janice 2 ½ 57mm 24.8g
3. Kermit 2 ½ 47mm 9.6g
4. Gladys 1 ½ 63mm 26.9g
5. Lolita 1 ½ 65mm 20.6g
6. Tinker Bell 1 ½ 60mm 17.9g
7. Cookie Monster 1 ½ 52mm 11.9g
8. Jon 1 ½ 48mm 9.8g

That’s right! Number eight is Little Jon, who earlier this year was on death’s doorstep. Little Jon ain’t so little anymore. He’s all growed up. He’s bigger than his Dad, Kermit. That’s him in the second photo, Big Bad Jon.

Bluemax1969

They look great! So, how exactly do they hibernate? You mentioned digging a hole?
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Phrynosoma.Com

I put stainless steel legs on pieces of sandstone and set them in their enclosures and let the HLs do the rest. When the temperature gets cold enough in the garage where their indoor cages are, they will dig themselves a cave or burrow underneath for the winter. By having the legs, I can lift the cover rock off to check on them and replace it just like it was without crushing the little guys. I cut a flat edge on one side of the rock and placed it against the side of their tank and some would burrow right up to the glass and stop. This worked out well because I could watch them without disturbing them. I tape a piece of black paper on the outside of the tank to prevent light from entering but it's a simple thing to lift the paper to check.
Here are three photos to show you how this works.

That's pretty neat Randy. How do you attach the legs to the sandstone?

Last year I was able to buy about 20lbs of that excavator clay on clearance for about $1 a bag. I used it to build an adobe style clay house which I built into the corner of one of my platyrhinos tanks. They like to burrow as well. They took to it and hibernated in there last year. I molded the house with one small entrance to it, and an open top. Then molded a separate square lid in a baking pan so that I would have a lid to remove and check on them when I wanted. I tried to set it up to let them burrow thier own dens, but the excavator clay just dries like concrete and no DHL is going to put a dent digging in that.
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www.groups.yahoo.com/group/HornedLizards
www.youtube.com/user/PhrynosomaTexas
Wichita Falls Reptile Rescue
Harvester Ants

Thanks Randy and Mike. That is pretty innovative of both of you. Good ideas. I like the idea of a hard top vs just digging in the sand. It would stand to reason that it might hold moisture in better over the long haul.
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Phrynosoma.Com

I drill a hole in the sandstone with a concrete bit and epoxy the legs in.

Right, the critter that can burrow through excavator after you follow their instructions must be one tough hombre.