frilled lizard, domestic lizard, photo, maintenance, food, reproduction - 4.8 out of 5 based on 8 votes

frilled lizard

Frilled lizard (lat. Chlamydosaurus kingii) is a lizard from the agamidae family. In the genus Chlamydosaurus is the only species. Frilled lizard leads a solitary wood image life. Males are much larger than females, so an adult male can reach 100 cm in length and weigh up to 870 g, adult females are smaller than males: 80 cm in length and weigh up to 400 g. The color ranges from yellow-brown to black-brown. The frilled lizard owes its name to the special skin formation covering the animal's neck - a membrane, covered with flat scales and jagged along the edges.

This collar is a thin membrane of skin, inside which there are cartilaginous outgrowths of the hyoid bone - two on each side. Under the action of a special muscle located on the animal's throat, the cloak can rise and fall. In a calm state, the collar is folded and pressed against the lizard's body. At the moment of danger, the animal opens its mouth, and the collar automatically opens. And if you fail to scare the predator, the frilled lizard can bite hard. In captivity, lizards quickly get used to people and rarely show off their “decoration”. Another purpose of the protruding collar is to regulate body temperature. In the morning the lizard catches them sun rays, and in case of severe overheating, it helps the lizard to cool down. It also plays an important role in attracting females and fighting rivals. Features of the frilled lizard are a long tail, making up two-thirds of the body length, and movement on its hind legs.

Frilled lizards require a vertical or cubic terrarium with a height of at least 2 body lengths of an adult lizard. It should be installed so that its center is at eye level. It must be remembered that a domestic lizard kept outside a terrarium is at constant risk colds(as a result of drafts and lack of heating), injuries and can easily escape.

You can use sand, soil, coconut shavings or special mats as soil. Newsprint convenient for cleaning, but not aesthetically pleasing. Large pieces of bark, which in the case of spruce are very dusty, can be washed and dried. They are generally too large to swallow, but can cause irritation to the limbs of digging lizards. A good option is ready-made shavings for rodents - they do not attract the attention of lizards, they are convenient and inexpensive to replace. If the lizard is actively interested in the substrate or pieces of it are found in the feces, it is necessary to change the soil. Flower soil used in a terrarium should not contain fertilizers or additives. It is practically harmless if swallowed, but produces too much dust in dry terrariums and produces too much dirt in wet ones. Clumping cat litter is not acceptable.

IN wildlife Frilled lizards spend most of their time on trees and bushes, so it is necessary to install several thick branches in the terrarium, then the animal will feel safe. Pine bark can be attached to the walls of the terrarium to imitate tree trunks. In this case, the bark should have a fairly rough texture. You can also use cork climbing plates, artificial stones and plants as decoration. Living plants in the terrarium should be non-poisonous, have no thorns or slippery surfaces, and branches should not break under the weight of the lizard. Make sure that the plant can withstand the temperature and humidity conditions required by the lizard. To make cleaning your terrarium easier, use potted plants. Artificial flowers may be coated with a film of toxic water-soluble agents and are not recommended for use in terrariums.

During the day, the terrarium must provide the necessary temperature change from the hot zone (no more than 37 ° C) to cold zone(about 30 °C). At night, the temperature in the terrarium should not be lower than 21 °C. External heat sources are required: incandescent, infrared or glass-ceramic lamps. Heating of the substrate can be done using heating mats. The brighter the lighting, the better. It is also necessary to install an ultraviolet lamp in the terrarium. If you organize several heated areas in one large terrarium, you can keep several frilled lizards at once.

To provide the necessary humidity, a container of water must be placed at the cool end of the terrarium. For small animals, you need to use a smaller bowl of water or put a stone in it so that the lizard can easily get out of the water. Humidity is very important factor, which often does not receive enough attention. A humidity range of 50 to 70% is suitable. At high humidity and temperature, pathogenic bacteria and fungi begin to actively develop, but this can be avoided with good ventilation. Low humidity can be corrected by placing damp sponges in the terrarium or by frequently misting the soil and surfaces.

If the terrarium is large enough (for example, width 1000, height 1000, depth 500) and has several heated areas of large branches, then in this case several young animals, up to 4 teenage lizards, or 1-2 adult animals can be kept together. But do not keep young and adult individuals at the same time.

Depending on their age, animals can be divided into several groups: babies - 0-3 months, teenagers - 4-12 months, young animals 13-19 months and adult lizards - about 20 months and older. When keeping several young and adult lizards together, it is necessary to carefully monitor them and, in case of aggression towards each other, promptly seat them. It is not advisable to keep several males together - dominant males will show aggression towards more submissive individuals.

After handling the lizard, you should wash your hands with soap.

Frilled lizard food

Diet: insects, spiders, crickets, zoophobes, mealworms, small mammals, other lizards, bird eggs. You can use a mixture consisting of 40% chopped meat, 40% finely grated carrots and 20% finely chopped lettuce. All this must be thoroughly mixed and added essential vitamins and calcium.

Tamed adults can climb down on their own and eat the mixture from the bowl; for feeding babies and adolescents, it is necessary to use tweezers or a clamp.

Adult lizards need to be fed twice a week in winter and three times a week in summer period. Young lizards up to six months of age must be given food daily, animals up to two months summer age– three times a week in winter and four times in summer. Feeding should be done when the animal is most active. At joint content children or teenagers, the animals must be fed separately in order to avoid damage to the leather fold - the cloak, since when eating the cloak rises and falls, this movement attracts others and can lead to bites. It is also necessary to ensure that the animal eats the food offered, otherwise insects can get under the lizard's skin fold and cause harm to it. If your pet does not eat food for a week, then there is no need to worry under two conditions: getting enough water and the lizard being in good condition.

There should always be a bowl of water in the terrarium, which must be changed at least once a day (since lizards like to climb into a bowl of water and defecate there).

Lizard Reproduction

Before breeding frilled lizards, you need to make sure that the pair is mature and healthy. The female must be at least two years old. Of course, they are capable of reproducing earlier, but this can be dangerous. Young females have a high probability of egg binding due to the lizard's small stature. The production of eggs takes a lot of energy and calcium from the lizard’s body, which is also growing. Early motherhood will likely shorten the lizard's lifespan. Males are able to reproduce without problems at one year of age. To stimulate reproduction, it is best to provide a slightly cooler dry season followed by a warm wet season. Usually during the dry period, frilled lizards sit on branches with eyes closed and inactive. With the arrival of warm weather wet season their appetite and activity increase. After about a month of warm, humid conditions, mating games. After successful mating, the female buries 8 to 14 eggs in a damp hole in the sand. After about ten weeks, the offspring hatch.

The pregnant female needs to be transplanted into a separate terrarium with a 200 mm layer of soil consisting of mixed peat, soil and moss. To prevent the eggs from getting wet (when the lizard is about to lay eggs), the container with water must be removed. If the animal stops eating, make sure that the pet is not suffering from dehydration. Females are not inclined to dig numerous holes and spend a long time searching best place for laying, this is why it is important to have a ready area, otherwise egg binding may occur.

Once all the eggs are laid and buried, we remove them and place them half buried in damp vermiculite. The incubation temperature should be between 28-29 °C, but not more than 30 °C, as this will lead to the destruction of the eggs. Incubation period is approximately 70 days. At lower and higher temperatures, exclusively female individuals develop.

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The agamidae family. Lives in the north of the Australian continent and the south of Island B natural conditions can live up to 5 years, in captivity lives up to 10 years.

The frilled lizard grows up to 80 cm in length, with more than 50 cm in the tail. Weight can be up to 0.7 kg. Its body may have a pinkish tint or dark gray. Transverse stripes run along the tail and back, more noticeable in young individuals. The entire body is covered with scales that perform a protective function.

The lizard got its name due to a thin membrane of skin around the neck, interrupted at the back of the head and dismembered under the throat, reminiscent of a collar or cloak. covered with flat scales, slightly thicker at the edges and supported by two long cartilaginous outgrowths. When the muscles supporting the outgrowths are tense, the cloak can rise and fall when these muscles relax. In a calm state, the collar of lizards is little noticeable.

The males' cloak is brightly colored, since in addition to scaring off enemies, it also serves to attract females. mating season. With the help of the collar, the animal can regulate its body temperature: in the morning, the protruding cloak catches the sun's rays, while elevated temperatures it promotes cooling.

The frilled lizard lives in trees, but can descend to the ground in search of food. The prey is various invertebrates and small reptiles, and less often small mammals.

The frilled lizard is vulnerable to enemies (snakes, cats) in open areas. Therefore, she has developed her own special defense mechanism. When meeting an enemy, she freezes, hoping that she will remain unnoticed. If she is nevertheless seen, she sharply straightens her collar and makes hissing sounds. The more the mouth opens, the more the collar unfolds, which in adult males can reach a diameter of 20 cm. As a rule, the enemy retreats from surprise. To enhance the effect, the lizard exposes its teeth, rises on its hind legs and twirls its tail. If all intimidation fails, she flees or attacks the enemy. When attacking, it can bite painfully and deliver significant blows with its tail covered with spiny scales. When running away, the frilled lizard moves only on its hind legs, using its tail to maintain balance.

During the breeding season, the male nods his head in a certain way, invites the female to mate. During sexual intercourse, the male holds the female with his teeth. Later, the female, having made a hole in the wet sand, will lay 8-14 eggs in it. The offspring will hatch in approximately 10 weeks.

There are hobbyists who keep lizards at home. The terrarium must have driftwood and a drinking bowl with clean water, in which you need to put a stone so that you can get out of the bowl. required. The temperature must be maintained at 30 °C and the terrarium must be sprayed periodically, at least once a day.

Lizard food can be purchased at pet stores. You can also feed your pet live insects, small mammals, bird eggs. Domestic lizard will not refuse the prepared mixture consisting of meat, grated carrots and chopped lettuce in a ratio of 2:2:1. It is advisable to add vitamins and calcium to this mixture.

frilled lizard (Chlamydosaurus kingii) is a lizard belonging to the agamidae family (Agamidae). The only species in the genus Chlamydosaurus.

Description

The name of the lizard appeared due to the special membrane that covers the neck of representatives of the species. It is jagged at the edges and covered with flat scales. Inside this “collar” - the skin membrane - there are cartilaginous outgrowths of the hyoid bone - two on each side. Under the influence of the muscle located on the animal's throat, the cloak rises and falls.

When the lizard is not alarmed by anything, it is in a calm state, the collar is folded and pressed tightly to the body. But in case of danger, the lizard opens its mouth, which leads to the automatic opening of the collar. If the collar has no effect on the predator and does not frighten it, the lizard resorts to more radical methods of defense - it bites. It is curious that in captivity, lizards rarely show off their decorations, because they get used to their owners and do not perceive them as a danger.

Another function of the collar is to create optimal temperature. So, in the morning hours, the lizard uses the membrane to catch the sun's rays, and on hot days, on the contrary, the collar helps to cool down in case of severe overheating. The collar is also an important participant in mating games. It attracts females and helps fight rivals.

The peculiar features of frilled lizards include a long tail, which makes up up to two-thirds of the body length, as well as movement on the hind legs.

The color of these lizards varies from yellowish-brown to brown-black.

Males are significantly larger in size than females. An adult male can reach a length of 100 cm, weight can be up to 880 g. Females are significantly smaller than males. It is approximately 80 cm in length and weighs up to 400 g.

Terrarium

If you decide to get a frilled lizard, first of all, get a terrarium (cubic or vertical) with a height that is at least twice the body length of an adult lizard. Soil (without additives or fertilizers), sand, coconut shavings are poured into the terrarium, or a special mat is placed. You can, of course, use paper or large pieces of bark. Another affordable option is rodent shavings.

The terrarium should be installed so that its central part is at eye level. If you keep a lizard without a terrarium, it may become ill, injured, or escape.

In nature, frilled lizards spend a lot of time in trees, so your pet will be grateful if you install a couple of thick branches in the terrarium. This will make the lizard feel “at home.” You can imitate trunks using pine bark, which can be attached to the walls of the terrarium. When choosing bark, give preference to rough bark.

To decorate your pet's house, use cork climbing frames and artificial plants and rocks. Of course, the plants should not pose a danger to the lizard, they should not have thorns, and the branches should perfectly support the weight of the lizard without creating a danger of slipping. It doesn’t hurt to make sure that the plant you choose tolerates the optimal temperature regime for the lizard. Place plants in pots to make cleaning easier.

During the daytime, it is necessary to ensure temperature dynamics from the hot zone (up to 36 ° C) to the cold zone (30 ° C). At night, the thermometer should not fall below 21 °C.

External heat sources such as glass-ceramic or infrared lamps or incandescent lamps should be used. The soil can be warmed up using heating mats.

Remember: the brighter the lighting, the better. You also need to place an ultraviolet lamp in the terrarium. The ability to arrange several heated areas in one large terrarium allows you to keep several frilled lizards at the same time.

Particular attention should be paid to humidity, which must be maintained at 50-70%. The desired humidity can be achieved by placing a container of water at the cool end of the terrarium. The size of the water bowl depends on the size of the lizard. The pet should be able to get out of it easily. However, it is important not to overdo it in this matter, because too high humidity invariably leads to the appearance and spread of pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Therefore, also take care of good ventilation. To increase humidity, you can use damp sponges, as well as spraying.

Age

Lizards are divided into age groups:

• cubs – 0-3 months
• teenagers – 4-12 months
• young individuals - 13-19 months
• adults – from 20 months and older.

With a significant size of the terrarium (for example, 1000x1000x500) and the presence of several heated areas, you can simultaneously keep several young lizards or four growing individuals or up to two adults. It is strictly not recommended to keep lizards together of different ages. The only exception, perhaps, can be done for young and adult lizards. However, if they are kept together, they must be closely monitored. If aggression occurs, it is better to separate the individuals. It is also not recommended to keep males together - it is obvious that soon some will suppress and “harass” the others.

Feeding

Adults are fed twice a week at winter period and three times a week in the summer. Young lizards are given food daily until they reach six months. Then they switch to three times a week in winter and four times in summer time(and so on until two years).

The lizard's diet consists of insects (mealworms, spiders, crickets), as well as bird eggs, small mammals, and other lizards. You can use the following healthy mixture: 40% finely grated carrots, 40% chopped meat, 20% chopped lettuce (mix, add vitamins, calcium).

You need to feed your lizard when it is most active. If you keep small lizards and juveniles together, feed them separately. The food must be eaten, otherwise the insect may harm the lizard. If the lizard is not eating well, but is active and consumes a lot of water, there is no need to worry. By the way, about water. There should always be a bowl of water in the terrarium. It needs to be changed at least once a day.

It should also be noted that tamed adult lizards can eat from a bowl on their own, but the “youth” need to be fed from tweezers.

After “communicating” with your pet, you must wash your hands with soap.

Lizard Reproduction

A cool dry season followed by a warm wet season is best for breeding. During the dry season, lizards are inactive, but with the onset of the warm, wet season they become more active and begin mating games about a month later.

After mating, the female buries 8-14 eggs in the sand. The appearance of offspring should be expected in about 10 weeks. A pregnant lizard needs to be transplanted separately - into a terrarium lined with a soil mixture with the addition of peat and moss (layer 200 mm). It is better to prepare the area for laying yourself, because the lizard will not dig and search for a long time.

Once the eggs are buried, they should be removed and placed half-buried in damp vermiculite. The incubation temperature is maintained at 28-29 °C, but not higher than 30 °C. Eggs mature in 70 days.

When the lizards hatch, you need to transfer them to a separate terrarium with a high temperature and spray it two to three times a day. Where possible, access to natural sunlight. You need to give them calcium every day and vitamins 3-4 times a week.

In distant Australia you can observe a very interesting picture. Enough large lizard she quickly climbs up a small hill, stands on her hind legs, and then suddenly a huge bright “collar” opens around her head, like an umbrella. She begins to angrily hiss and open her huge mouth, and then turns sharply and runs on her hind legs to the nearest tree. This whole show was started by a frilled lizard.

You can meet it in northwestern Australia and southern New Guinea. These reptiles live in forest-steppes and dry forests. They spend most of their time in trees. It comes down to the ground only in search of food or to climb a nearby tree.

This is a fairly large lizard belonging to the agamidae family. The length of her body is approximately 80-100 centimeters, 2/3 of which is occupied by the tail (50-70 centimeters). Their color depends on environment. Most often, the body color matches the color of fallen leaves - brown, golden, yellowish, gray, etc.

The tail occupies 2/3 of the body

The frilled lizard boasts strong limbs and sharp claws that help it move quickly through the trees.

Tenacious paws

Now let’s figure out why the lizard got its name. If you look closely at it, you can see a large leathery fold around the head and neck. In the absence of a threat, this fold is folded, but as soon as danger appears, the animal instantly opens its “collar” with jagged edges and immediately takes on a frightening appearance. It is for this huge fold, which somewhat resembles a cloak, that the lizard got its name “cloak-bearing”.

Leather fold folded Open collar

The collar opening mechanism is directly related to the opening of the mouth. The wider it is opened, the more the leathery fold will unfold. This occurs as a result of tension in the throat of a special muscle that activates the processes of the hyoid bone. When unfolded, the diameter of the resulting “umbrella” can reach 30 centimeters, in the center of which there is a huge open mouth. A terrifying picture, no doubt about it.

To be more convincing, she rises on her hind legs and raises her head and body high. If the enemy does not retreat, then she goes on the attack - she begins to attack, bite hard and inflict serious blows his long tail. These techniques work well on snakes and dogs.

As soon as it becomes clear that the enemy is confused, the lizard quickly runs away on its hind legs into the bushes or to the nearest tree. The raised tail serves as a balance stabilizer when running.

In addition to its protective function, the open leathery collar helps regulate body temperature. In the morning, while it is cool, the lizard uses it to “catch” the sun’s rays, and when it overheats, it cools down.

Also, with its help, males attract the attention of females during the mating season. After mating, the female lays 8 to 14 eggs in a shallow hole dug in damp sand. After 10 weeks, offspring are born.

Frilled lizard eggs

They look for their food in trees or on the ground. They feed on various invertebrate animals, small mammals, reptiles, insects and spiders. Bird eggs are their special treat.

The frilled lizard is a reptile from the agamidae family of the suborder of lizards of the squamate order.

Appearance of frilled lizard

The lizard's body may have a dark gray or pinkish color. The entire body of the animal is covered with scales. There is a pattern of transverse stripes on the back and tail. This pattern is more pronounced in young individuals.

Around the neck of the frilled lizard there is a kind of leathery membrane that resembles a cloak in appearance. Thanks to this detail, this type of lizard got its name. This collar divides below the throat and breaks off near the top of the neck. Closer to the edges, the collar skin becomes thicker.

The shape of this “cloak” is supported by two cartilaginous outgrowths of the hyoid bone. When the muscles supporting these cartilaginous outgrowths relax, the cloak falls. If these muscles are tense, the cloak rises accordingly. Usually this collar is lowered and not conspicuous. In males, the collar is painted in bright colors, which not only helps them scare away ill-wishers, but also helps to attract the attention of females during the breeding season.

This cloak is also directly involved in thermoregulation. At high temperature environment, it creates additional area for cooling the body, and when there is a lack of sun or in the morning it helps to better capture the sun's rays and, accordingly, heat the animal's body.

Range and habitats of the frilled lizard

The natural habitat of this reptile is located in Southern Guinea, as well as in North-Western and Northern Australia.

Within its range, the lizard is found in wooded areas, hot open forests, and also in savannas overgrown with trees and shrubs.

Lifestyle and nutrition of the frilled lizard

The lizard spends almost all its time in the trees, but in search of prey it can descend to the ground. This prey, as a rule, is small reptiles, invertebrates and mammals.

This lizard's hunting method is to patiently wait for its prey. During drought, when there is an acute shortage of food, the lizard is able to climb into the crowns of trees and wait there for about 3 months. The fact is that in the shade of a tree in conditions of lack of heat, the metabolism of this animal decreases by 70%.

In open areas, the frilled lizard has a lot of enemies. This various types cats, snakes and even birds of prey. Under these conditions, the lizard developed its own special defense system. Seeing an enemy, the lizard freezes, trying to hide and remain unnoticed by the enemy. If this does not work, the animal proceeds to the second stage, namely, hisses and opens its collar, and also twists its tail and rises on its hind limbs. As a rule, the enemy gets lost and retreats.

If these measures prove futile, the frilled lizard retreats. She quickly runs away on her hind legs, while maintaining balance with her long tail.

Reproduction of frilled lizards

For these lizards, the breeding season begins with the arrival of the warm, wet season. In nature, females begin to reproduce at the age of about two years, and males at one year. Mating is preceded by mating games, during which the male tries to attract the female with special head movements, similar to nods.

After mating, the female lays 8 to 14 eggs in wet sand. The incubation period lasts for about ten weeks, after which offspring are born.

These lizards can be kept either individually or in small groups. It is worth remembering that frilled lizards are territorial animals. For this reason, two males should not be placed in the same terrarium. The terrarium for keeping these lizards should be quite spacious. It should be located in a quiet place where there is no strong vibration or sudden loud sounds.

The terrarium for this lizard can be either cubic or vertical type. To keep two individuals, a terrarium with a height of 2.4 x 2.4 x 2.4 m is required. For each additional individual, the volume of the terrarium should be increased by 20%. It is also advisable to place a pool with warm water for regular bathing of lizards.

Lighting and Humidity

To produce the proper amount of vitamin D in the lizard's body, the terrarium must be equipped with special lamps that emit the full spectrum of UVB radiation. Such lamps should be placed approximately 30 cm above the lizards, as their effectiveness decreases as the distance increases. Such lamps must be changed every year.

To maintain optimal level relative humidity(50 – 70%) it is necessary to spray the terrarium twice a day, or install a special sprinkling installation.

Temperature of keeping frilled lizard

The temperature throughout the terrarium should be 24 – 27 °C, and at the heating point 35 – 38 °C. This temperature regime is very important for the life of frilled lizards, since they are cold-blooded animals and need external regulation of body temperature. At night, the temperature in the terrarium should not be less than 20 °C. To heat the terrarium, you should use special night lamps or ceramic heaters.

It would be a good idea to install a special thermometer in the terrarium, the readings of which will display the temperature in different parts of the terrarium. This will allow you to promptly notice the discrepancy between the current temperature and the standards and adjust the heating devices. You can also install a special thermostat to automatically regulate the temperature.

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