Gallotia gallotia......gone!

We had a spare vivarium (used to house our hatchling Storr's monitors until they were sold) - it seemed the right time to utilise  this space and introduce a new captive bred species.

I had my eye on a member of the Lacertidae family (true lizards) and narrowed down the options until I reached a really cool, rarely encountered, insular species - Gallotia galloti. Inhabiting Tenerife in the Canary Islands they are an unusual Lacertid, eating significant amounts of plant/vegetable matter. In fact the adults are almost entirely herbivorous. 

Male G.galloti

Animals are often trapped or poisoned by farmers because they eat significant amounts of grapes from the vineyards. Gallotia galloti is a sizeable lizard and our native Zootoca (formerly Lacerta!) vivipara is dwarfed by the adults of this species. G.galloti is itself dwarfed by the Gran Canaria Giant Lizard (G.stehlini), which also inhabits those mysterious, volcanic isles. The latter can reach sizes in excess of Eyed Lizards (Timon Lepida/Pater) and are also primarily herbivorous - if G.galloti annoys farmers by helping itself to a grape or two, then adult examples of G.stehlini will really have them up in arms!

Male Gran Canaria Giant Lizard (G.stehlini)

Not offered for sale very much, and at sensible prices when they are, it seemed a decent opportunity to work with an unusual species. 

The male of the species has a blackish background with blue spots down the flanks. These spots become more vivid during the breeding season and seem to be associated with attracting the opposite sex. The females may or may not have blue spotting, but it is generally less noticeable than the males and physically they are smaller with more refined heads. 

Female G.galloti

Sadly this species proved less than ideal for our circumstances. All animals kept in our collection must be suitable for handling by children. The kids are of an age where they really love to be involved in the captive care of our pets and enjoy the interaction. 

The animals were perfectly tame, once captured and sitting on the hand, but they were too flighty when people came into the room. I knew the species could be wary when young, but it was far more extreme than I had been led to believe. They would dive for cover at the slightest sound and often remain hidden in the substrate for hours or days. They were also impossible for the boys to catch and one of them would surely have shed its tail if they tried.

The two main tanks reside in the boys' room and it is important any pets are relaxed and on display. Unfortunately this pair was not going to cut it and we did not have the luxury of waiting years for potential improvements. G.stehlini can become dog tame as they mature and, whilst G.galloti will settle with time, the result is more variable.

So I had to look beyond my own interests and move for a different species. The lizards quickly found a new home and I turned my attention to alternatives. Previous blog entries reveal the cuplrit and we will soon hear more about this replacement. 

For now the genus Gallotia (very underrated) remains, for me, as obscure and distant as Teidae volcano on the island they inhabit.