Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

jim_radley · Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2005 11:10 pm Post subject: The Ultimate lizard

Thorny Devils are in my opinion are one of the best lizards in the world, both physically and asthetically. It's too bad that they have specialist needs and are banned from export.
I know a guy who supposedly used to keep one of these a long time ago.

Sonny Hynes · Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2005 9:27 am Post subject:

Awww! I also adore Thorny Devils, i have never known of anyone keeping them in captivity tho. What sort of specialist needs do they have?

jim_radley · Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2005 7:11 pm Post subject:

Their requirements are similar to that of the Desert Horned lizard, in that they need ants in their diet and they like it HOT. They need a higher percentage of ants than most DHLs and they like a basking spot of around 120*F. So their requirements aren't too much of a challenge for a experienced herper, but Australia has banned their export and even breeding or owning them in Australia requires authorisation.

Sonny Hynes · Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2005 7:21 pm Post subject:

ok cheers mate. I don't think that Desert Horned Lizards seriously need ants in their diets in captivity, as i have been reading up on them and a lot of breeders feed them almost exclusively on crickets. Are there any CB ones for sale anywhere in the UK?

Jas · Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2005 7:37 pm Post subject:

In the wild a big portion of there diet is ants,and as ants produce formic acid im not sure if they have just become immune to the acid or if they have become relliant on a certain amount of formic acid in there diet to survive long term in captivity.

jim_radley · Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 8:04 pm Post subject:

Desert horned lizards in the wild seem to adapt to eating ants. They seem to rapidly become tolerent to the formic acid. Some people believe that they need the formic acid to neutralise alkalines that are naturally produced by the DHL's. Nothing has been proved, but several generations of DHLs have been producted without the inclusion of ants in their diet. I'm guessing that Thorny Devils probably work on a similar principal to the DHLs, and don't require ants. In the wild they eat both ants and termites.

Does anyone know of anyone else lucky enough to have one of these lizards?

Scott W · Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 8:12 pm Post subject:

did I dream it or was there an albino thorny devil found? (I may well be thinking of some else Embarassed

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Please DO NOT pm orders for reptiles, send email instead scott@captivebred.co.uk

jim_radley · Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 8:20 pm Post subject:

It's possible. I saw a picture of an albino Jacksons chameleon the other day.

Sonny Hynes · Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 8:23 pm Post subject:

Just searched for albino horny devil on google and only came up with adult content lol. Jim, do you have the link to the pic of the albino Jacksons cham? I'd love to see it. Smile

jim_radley · Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 8:51 pm Post subject:

Luckily I saved the picture.