It Came From The Desert

We have seen that the Gallotia did not work out and a vivarium was free and just asking for a new inhabitant. 

The G.galloti pair were purchased because we wanted to work with a herbivorous species. Our spotted pythons' diet consists completely of rodents and the Storr's monitor lizard is equally focused on meat.

Carnivorous or omnivorous lizard species outnumber completely herbivorous examples. True iguanas are perhaps the best known saurian herbivores and in recent decades the green iguana has been readily available. This species can reach 2 metres in length, however, and vast numbers found themselves re-homed when they became too big and aggressive for their owners to handle. Admittedly two thirds of the length is tail, but this appendage can be used as a highly effective weapon and the claws are razor sharp. Yes there are very tame green iguanas, but this is not an ideal species for children to work with - not once it reaches a certain size. 

Other truly herbivorous iguanas include the galapagos land iguana, rhino iguana and marine iguana (also of the galapagos). The latter is never found in captivity on account of its protected status. Even if it was available they would need marine conditions to thrive and, being large animals, this is completely impractical. This is one animal best off sitting on the salty rocks of those strange islands. 

The galapagos land iguana is a large species sometimes encountered in zoos, but never in private collections. It is also protected and too large to make a simple pet. The rhino iguana is certainly available (and very expensive) but also bulky and powerful. If we are seeking something suitable for young children to handle then none of these fit the bill. 

Galapagos Land Iguana

There are Fijian iguanas, absent from captivity for a long time and now produced in reasonable numbers, but they remain very pricey and also need sizeable, arboreal enclosures. I tend to prefer desert species because they are rugged, hardy and able to look after themselves well enough if you go away for short periods. 

Cunningham skinks (Egernia cunninghami) and certain other members of the wider family tend towards herbivory as adults and I did own a lovely pair of Cunningham's skinks years and years ago. These were extremely tame, but that is the exception rather than the rule. The species is, more often than not, flighty and not ideal for handling. 

That left me with two possibilities - the chuckwalla (genus Sauromalus) or the spiny tailed lizards (genus Uromastyx). Both are plump, sensible sized animals, which often have calm temperaments. 

Chuckwalla (Sauromalus ater)

Neither of these species are offered with any regularity and a decent adult, with an equally decent temperament, is hard to come by. So I was pleased to source a beautiful yellow phase 3 year old male Saharan uromastyx (U.geyri). He was part of a trio and had successfully fertilised a previous clutch, but only one of these three was female and our little fellow had started biting his rival quite badly. As the other two were red phase, the keepers decided to focus on them and move him on. Their loss and my gain, because he ticked every box and I quickly struck a deal. 

The boys love him and we have worked hard to create a naturalistic setup, which includes a burrow below ground level. These are desert animals and rarely, if ever, drink water. All their moisture requirements come from the vegetation they consume, they even have nasal glands designed to excrete salt and maximise water retention. 

Feeding him has been remarkably cheap thus far, because spring has delivered a bounty  of edible weeds like dandelions. The flower heads, stalks and leaves are all extremely nutritious and ideal as staple fodder. 

Many Uromastyx are shy and skittish and don't appreciate their backs being touched. Oogwe, as we have called him, is not too bad and that is absolutely essential for the kids.