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Red Headed Agama
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The Red Headed Agama is named due to the colour of its head, which is a red to orange colour. They live in groups consisting of one dominate male with several females and younger not dominate males.
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Searched Red Headed Agama in Reviews
Very Stunning Lizard
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What do Agama Agama look like?
Well lots of people like to think that they all have read heads and bleu bodies however this is not true. Males may have a red/orange head but not always for example if they are not looking for a mate or they are startled then their colours will gradually become paler like a shade of brown which is the colour of the females. So it's not really a permanent thing as people like to think, lots of reptile enthusiasts love this species due to their colonial behaviour and colours but it has also attracted along a lot of inexperienced keepers such as children. Due to the colours of these fantastic lizards they were labelled as Spiderman lizards which to no avail drew in a lot of youngsters who just wanted them because they were seen as cool. SO PLEASE DONT BUY THESE LIZARDS BECAUSE THEY ARE COOL, PLEASE RESTRAIN FROM CALLING THEM SPIDERMAN LIZARDS AS WELL. Please think about how long this lizard will live, the cost involved for food, lighting and heating of the enclosure. You must also have someone who is willing to look after your new pet and have knowledge of their requirements if you were to go on Holiday.
Behaviour
Well in many sense these lizards are much like other members of the agama family in that they are relatively docile and can be tamed without too man complications. I would personally say that these lizards can be handled if the owner chooses to but it's probably best not too as they are not so open to handling as say a bearded dragon. They shouldn't take long at all to tame down, but don't be upset if it doesn't take to being handled and constantly runs from you as they are more of a display lizard. These lizards are however amazing to watch much like a bearded dragon they can provide hours of entertainment, it's also fun to watch the way the behave in groups. They are commonly known to be a colonial lizard meaning in the wild they will stay in groups with lots of females and maybe a few males (however only provide 1 male per vivarium as in the wild grievances can be sorted amongst males however in a small compact space it will not fare well for 1 male). So when choosing your Agama Agama keep in mind that you should only get 1 male and would be best to at least get a female for the male as they are colonial lizards.
Captive Environment
Red Headed Agamas should be kept in groups of at least three and provided with plenty of space, they are an active species. To house a trio (1 male, 2 females of course) you will require a 48x24x24 inch vivarium, the more space you can provide the better. I would personally use a soil/sand mix for the substrate and add some rocks around the vivarium to make hides(due to them living in rock crevices so would be best to replicate this), ensuring that they are placed so they do not fall and hurt your lizard. You can also use cork bark, branches, artificial plants and real plants to decorate the vivarium and make it as close to their natural habitat as possible.
Red Headed Agamas like other agamas require high UVB rays within the enclosure, i would personally go with an arcadia 12% uvb bulb as it has enough uvb output to keep the lizards healthy, I would personally avoid the use of compact uvb bulbs as the uvb output is more confined to 1 space which isn't ideal if you will have 3 lizards in 1 vivarium. A basking light is also required this will be used to heat the enclosure (branded bulbs can be pretty expensive but ordinary bulbs from Tesco's and B&Q do the job). You can use a clear basking bulb during the day with a heat mat for background temperatures throughout the night (or a ceramic for heat throughout the day and night maybe used in conjunction with a energy saving bulb as most lizards associate light from above with heat). Red basking bulbs can be used day and night however im unaware if these lizards can see red light as I know other members of the Agama family such as the bearded dragon can. The enclosure needs to have a basking area of around 35C (95F) with an ambient temperature of around 26-29C (80-85F). Allow night time temperatures to drop to between 23-25C (74-78F). The use of a Thermostat is essential to regulate the enclosures temperature day and night. If taken the basking bulb approach a dimmer stat is needed, if taking the ceramic a pulse stat will do the job and also a mat stat for any heat mats used.
Feeding Red Headed Agamas is very easy as the livefood is widely available and not too expensive. Crickets, locusts, mealworms, waxworms, butterworms and of course roaches. Youngsters require daily feeding where as adults can be fed every other day. Providing gut loaded insects along with a vitamins and calcium (about 4 feeds a week dusted with calcium and 2 feeds with vitamins) will help keep you Agama Agama in good health and avoid MBD. Provide clean water daily. Humidity shouldn't be an issue really as it is kept dry so just make sure not to mist the vivarium and keep the humidity down.
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| Liked about it |
1) The colouration of this lizard is nothing short of stunning
2) These lizards are very exciting to watch especially in groups of 3 or more
3) Afterb the initial setup is sorted then they are a relatively easy lizard to care for
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| Didn't like |
1) Mainly only WC available
2) Can be expensive feeding a trio or more
3) As they like to be in groups you will always have to consider them breeding
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| Overall satisfaction: |
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5.0 |
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entertaining little guys
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I have had great fun watching my agama, he makes me smile everytime I glimpse at his vivarium, he is very easy to care for giving the basic reptile standards, uv change every half year or so e.t.c his food preferences are black crickets and mario worms. I will admit mind they needed more space of an enclosure than I anticipated for a small lizard.
Given this though I would say they make an excellent choice pet, even for the expirienced.
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| Liked about it |
I definately like this lizard despite its the majority of the agama relatives with the exception of a few, its colours are what drew me to this curiouse little being and he is always doing something.
Unfottunately my first one had nose rub due to being kept in to small of an enclosure and was an easy mistake to make considering, however given the oppurtunity I would breed these facinating lizards give the chance.
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| Didn't like |
N/A
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| Overall satisfaction: |
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5.0 |
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