New lizard!

[Allthingsterrarium]

Hiya guys! I just thought I'd share some great news! I've been pretty lucky lately in finding specific animals I'm looking for and I just posted about my new giant Asian mantis who I have since named Lee (long story.) Now I got an email a couple days ago that a species of lizard I've been waiting to be available for a long time was back in stock and I ordered one! For anybody who might not know this lizard is native to the American southwest, Northern Mexico and some parts of the central/eastern U.S. It's an eastern collared lizard! Though technically it's called a common collared lizard but many people just sell them as easterns despite the fact they barely live in the east. The adult males are incredibly beautiful with blue and yellow coloration and attractive patterns and though I hope I have a male the lizard is too young to tell yet and even females have the same patterns if not the color so I'm happy either way. Color wise this has been my favorite lizard since I was a kid and I saw one in a book I had. If I could confirm the lizard was male I was originally going to name him Cochise after the legendary Apache chief since this is a very southwestern lizard but for the sake of being gender neutral I went with Yuma after Yuma Arizona with it's long frontier history.

 

[Dave Jay]

Nice! He/she is a good looking lizard even in juvenile colouration, which I would guess is very similar to female colouration, so I think you're a winner either way!

 

[Enn49]

Now that is one little cutie

 

[Tortoise Tom]

Congrats! Another of my favorite species! Keep us posted as he/she matures.

 

[Allthingsterrarium]

Nice! He/she is a good looking lizard even in juvenile colouration, which I would guess is very similar to female colouration, so I think you're a winner either way!

Thanks! I was actually thinking that myself earlier. Even at this age it looks like this one is going to grow into a stunning adult.

 

[Allthingsterrarium]

Now that is one little cutie

Thanks! I know right?! I'm surprised he/she's not acting afraid of me for being so small and having just met me. Must have had some pre-socialization of some sort.

 

[Allthingsterrarium]

Congrats! Another of my favorite species! Keep us posted as he/she matures.

Thanks! I most certainly will post updates! I'm going to assume male for now and I'm very excited to see just what he grows into!

 

[sschind]

Thanks! I know right?! I'm surprised he/she's not acting afraid of me for being so small and having just met me. Must have had some pre-socialization of some sort.

They just might be my favorite lizards. I've had a few over the years and I really want to get a few more. In fact when I first got into reptiles my plan was to breed several species of collared lizards. i even had a business name picked out U.S. Desert Reptiles. One of the top 5 lizards on my list is a Crotaphytus ****ersonae https://imgur.com/gallery/uevvw

I got a batch of newly hatched babies once and pretty much from day one when I would put my hand in the tank they would jump on me. I don't think they are afraid of much.

 

[Allthingsterrarium]

They just might be my favorite lizards. I've had a few over the years and I really want to get a few more. In fact when I first got into reptiles my plan was to breed several species of collared lizards. i even had a business name picked out U.S. Desert Reptiles. One of the top 5 lizards on my list is a Crotaphytus ****ersonae https://imgur.com/gallery/uevvw

I got a batch of newly hatched babies once and pretty much from day one when I would put my hand in the tank they would jump on me. I don't think they are afraid of much.

Wow that is amazing! It would be a dream to breed reptiles, especially ones you don't usually see in local stores and really contribute to the local hobby. I never heard of the ****ersonae species and that is absolutely gorgeous! Just as beautiful as the collaris species. I love the blue! I want one now! There's actually another very beautiful European lizard I'm on the lookout for called a jeweled lacerta or ocellated lizard.

 

[Allthingsterrarium]

Wow that is amazing! It would be a dream to breed reptiles, especially ones you don't usually see in local stores and really contribute to the local hobby. I never heard of the ****ersonae species and that is absolutely gorgeous! Just as beautiful as the collaris species. I love the blue! I want one now! There's actually another very beautiful European lizard I'm on the lookout for called a jeweled lacerta or ocellated lizard that I personally think is the 2nd most beautifully colored lizard in the world after the collareds.

 

[sschind]

Wow that is amazing! It would be a dream to breed reptiles, especially ones you don't usually see in local stores and really contribute to the local hobby. I never heard of the ****ersonae species and that is absolutely gorgeous! Just as beautiful as the collaris species. I love the blue! I want one now! There's actually another very beautiful European lizard I'm on the lookout for called a jeweled lacerta or ocellated lizard.

I guess the ****ersonae is a Mexican species so technically it wouldn't fit into my plans but I think I would make exceptions. If you want a more readily available blue collared there is always the Aquaflame morph of the eastern collared. It's not quite as blue as the ****ersonae but stil very colorfull. I don't think the ****ersonae are common in the US right now though innovative ectotherms has some pictures of babies hatching on their facebook page. If they are available they are pretty expensive. Several hundred each for babies.

I've seen the jeweled lacerta as well. Very pretty. Also much rarer now than it used to be. A guy named Bert Langerwerf used to breed them, along with several other species, in large outdoor pens in Alabama years ago. When he closed his operation things got pretty pricey. I used to be able to get Australian water dragons for under 100.00 now they are 300.00-400.00

 

[Tortoise Tom]

I miss Bert.

 

[Allthingsterrarium]

I guess the ****ersonae is a Mexican species so technically it wouldn't fit into my plans but I think I would make exceptions. If you want a more readily available blue collared there is always the Aquaflame morph of the eastern collared. It's not quite as blue as the ****ersonae but stil very colorfull. I don't think the ****ersonae are common in the US right now though innovative ectotherms has some pictures of babies hatching on their facebook page. If they are available they are pretty expensive. Several hundred each for babies.

I've seen the jeweled lacerta as well. Very pretty. Also much rarer now than it used to be. A guy named Bert Langerwerf used to breed them, along with several other species, in large outdoor pens in Alabama years ago. When he closed his operation things got pretty pricey. I used to be able to get Australian water dragons for under 100.00 now they are 300.00-400.00

We can certainly hope to that the ****ersonae will become more widely available in the not too distant future! I just looked up the aquaflame morph you mentioned and that's more or less what I'm hoping mine will grow into. It's really confusing. I've heard only male commons/easterns become blue and yellow but I don't know his gender yet though I have a feeling male because of how vibrant he already is yet still I'm not sure if only certain males develop that color or only when in breeding condition or something or if they all do. I sure hope they all do but regardless he'll still have the beautiful patterning all collared lizards have no matter what gender or individual circumstance.

As for Lacertas I'm still on an email list for several places when they become available so I know it will happen just not when. That's the thing though. With harder to find, fast selling species like lacertas and Australian water dragons I think that just makes them that much more valuable and that much more of a real treasure when you finally get one. Especially if you have to wait months on end or save up a lot of money

 

[sschind]

We can certainly hope to that the ****ersonae will become more widely available in the not too distant future! I just looked up the aquaflame morph you mentioned and that's more or less what I'm hoping mine will grow into. It's really confusing. I've heard only male commons/easterns become blue and yellow but I don't know his gender yet though I have a feeling male because of how vibrant he already is yet still I'm not sure if only certain males develop that color or only when in breeding condition or something or if they all do. I sure hope they all do but regardless he'll still have the beautiful patterning all collared lizards have no matter what gender or individual circumstance.

As for Lacertas I'm still on an email list for several places when they become available so I know it will happen just not when. That's the thing though. With harder to find, fast selling species like lacertas and Australian water dragons I think that just makes them that much more valuable and that much more of a real treasure when you finally get one. Especially if you have to wait months on end or save up a lot of money

I get that. My problem is that I have had Australian water dragons in the past and now they are so expensive. I've had viper geckos when you couldn't give them away now they are 100.00 for babies. I've bought sthenodactylus geckos for 5.00 each now you can't find them. I could go on and on. I'm not complaining about the price now mind you rather my having gotten rid of them. Rankins dragons, I bred hundreds of them 10-15 years ago and never thought to hold any back. Same with blue tongue skinks (didn't breed hundreds but had pairs and let them go.

Please don't get the impression that I'm only in it for the money. The reason I had those animals was because I really liked them and the reason I got rid of them was because something else came along to replace them in my heart at the time. Now I just know it is going to be much harder to replace them if I ever want to get them again and its difficult to get past the thought that if I hadn't been so impetuous I might still have some of them.

 

[Allthingsterrarium]

I get that. My problem is that I have had Australian water dragons in the past and now they are so expensive. I've had viper geckos when you couldn't give them away now they are 100.00 for babies. I've bought sthenodactylus geckos for 5.00 each now you can't find them. I could go on and on. I'm not complaining about the price now mind you rather my having gotten rid of them. Rankins dragons, I bred hundreds of them 10-15 years ago and never thought to hold any back. Same with blue tongue skinks (didn't breed hundreds but had pairs and let them go.

Please don't get the impression that I'm only in it for the money. The reason I had those animals was because I really liked them and the reason I got rid of them was because something else came along to replace them in my heart at the time. Now I just know it is going to be much harder to replace them if I ever want to get them again and its difficult to get past the thought that if I hadn't been so impetuous I might still have some of them.

Oh absolutely! I know just how hard it is to have multiple commitments and hold everything together with rising costs. You did the right thing I'm sure it wasn't easy. I hate even thinking about letting any of my animals go. I've let go some aquarium fish I've had in the past because I didn't feel like they were getting the best quality of life and since you don't really interact with fish I often see them as more ornamental than true pets but even that made me feel bad.

 

[Allthingsterrarium]

Well guys I tried picking Yuma up and handling him today for the first time. That didn't go so well. For such a young and currently small lizard you would be amazed how powerful his jaws are and just how sharp his teeth are. I now have two tiny marks and a faint red area on my left index finger. He literally would not let go for almost five minutes until I got him back in his tank and even then he held on for a while. Every time I tried to lightly wrestle my finger free he would just chew into it harder. This is going to be a loooong and difficult taming process. Maybe even worse than my bearded dragon who was an unusually irritable juvenile. I'm actually wondering if he was wild at some point. If so there's nothing I can do about it now even if it does make taming so much harder. He's small and vulnerable though. In nature at his size he might be eaten by anything from a large tarantula to a hawk to a coyote so he's probably just being defensive. I have faith in him.

 

[sschind]

Ouch, I know how that feels. Try simply placing your hand in the tank for several minutes at a time several times a day before trying to pick him up. Once he gets used to your hand being around he may not feel as threatened when you try to pick him up. Try placing your hand in front of him and see if he crawls up on it. Just be careful he may decide your arm is a nice exit ramp and bolt up out of the cage.

Where did you get him from? It may not be a WC but many people are hatching out babies from eggs laid by WC females. I shouldn't affect his behavior one way or the other but it would help in determining if he had any socialization along the way.

 

[Allthingsterrarium]

Ouch, I know how that feels. Try simply placing your hand in the tank for several minutes at a time several times a day before trying to pick him up. Once he gets used to your hand being around he may not feel as threatened when you try to pick him up. Try placing your hand in front of him and see if he crawls up on it. Just be careful he may decide your arm is a nice exit ramp and bolt up out of the cage.

Where did you get him from? It may not be a WC but many people are hatching out babies from eggs laid by WC females. I shouldn't affect his behavior one way or the other but it would help in determining if he had any socialization along the way.

Well I ordered him from Lllreptiles. It's my first time ordering from them but apparently they are a highly respected dealer. As long as the animal arrived alive and healthy I won't judge them. It was weird though they only had 6 in stock. Unless they only used one breeder with one clutch you would think they would have a lot when they first come back in stock so that combined with his temper made me wonder if he was wild. But yeah I was definitely thinking of simply letting him get used to my hand in there. Maybe I'll get him some small mealworms or wax worms and see if he'll take them from my hand and if he sees the hand as a harmless food dispenser he might become less aggressive. And oh yes I am for sure going to be careful about him running up my arm and escaping! He's already one of the most hyper lizards I've ever seen running around constantly, jumping and clawing at or trying to run up the glass from time to time. When he gets bigger I might have to really weigh the lid down if he still has his crazy energy.

 

[sschind]

Well I ordered him from Lllreptiles. It's my first time ordering from them but apparently they are a highly respected dealer. As long as the animal arrived alive and healthy I won't judge them. It was weird though they only had 6 in stock. Unless they only used one breeder with one clutch you would think they would have a lot when they first come back in stock so that combined with his temper made me wonder if he was wild. But yeah I was definitely thinking of simply letting him get used to my hand in there. Maybe I'll get him some small mealworms or wax worms and see if he'll take them from my hand and if he sees the hand as a harmless food dispenser he might become less aggressive. And oh yes I am for sure going to be careful about him running up my arm and escaping! He's already one of the most hyper lizards I've ever seen running around constantly, jumping and clawing at or trying to run up the glass from time to time. When he gets bigger I might have to really weigh the lid down if he still has his crazy energy.

you want to see some fun throw a live fly in with them. They will jump up and try to catch it out of mid air. That is if you want to feed a wild prey item. if not buy some housefly pupa and hatch your own. Its a riot the way they jump all over.

 

[Allthingsterrarium]

you want to see some fun throw a live fly in with them. They will jump up and try to catch it out of mid air. That is if you want to feed a wild prey item. if not buy some housefly pupa and hatch your own. Its a riot the way they jump all over.

Excellent idea! There just so happens to be a couple big flies that have gotten inside and are being annoying. That's one way to solve that problem!