Desert spiny

[marty.twigs]

Cant find one here
so does anyone know where i can get a care sheet for desert spinys?
google really didnt help

[michelle21]

lol, I just replied to you other thread and wrote in it that you probably won't find a caresheet. I might do one on here based on my experiences of having one.

[weelad]

a little bit of info here

Desert Spiny Lizards. (Sceloporus magister)
Including Desert Spinys in my "beginners" section has surprised many of my colleagues. I will agree that Desert Spinys are difficult to catch and bite when handled, but if their requirements are met, they are a low-maintenance reptile. Desert Spiny males, depending on the subspecies, can exhibit beautiful shades of purple, orange and yellow on their backs, and metallic blue and green on their bellies. Desert Spinys eat readily in captivity. Their diet can include pinkie mice, smaller lizards and a variety of insects. They are also fairly easy to breed, with eggs slightly smaller than Collared Lizard eggs and an incubation time a bit longer. If handling is not important, and their physiological needs are met, Desert Spiny Lizards are an easy lizard to keep in captivity, like much of the Sceloporus family.

got that info from here ...CHS Care Sheets - Miscellaneous Articles

[michelle21]

When I got my desert spiny all those years ago, there was nothing on the web about them. I had to learn as I went along basically. So I thought I would put everything I know from my experience of them on here and hopefully help out some others.

Firstly...they do bite, don't believe the pet shop man when he says that they will calm down. The thing is if you persisted with handling i'm sure they would, but the bite they give is so nasty and they are so quick that you would need a strong pain threshold and super quick reactions to even try. Any info you get will tell you not to handle them.

Males have the blue/black/green collar/chin.

As for keeping them this is how I housed mine:

Substrate:beech wood chips (suitable for dry/desert vivs)

Viv: 2ft wide, 2ft high and 2ft deep. They like to jump and climb so we added two ledges for him jump to and from

lighting: UV 12 hours a day

Heat: 85-90F day and 75-80F night time either a heat mat or heat bulb with a guard and thermostat will be fine

Diet: crickets, locusts, meal worms, wax worms etc etc, a small amount of vegetables like BDs. They will eat every day so be careful not to make them porky.

Erm, I did this in a rush so if anyone wants to ask any questions feel free, will do my best to answer them.

[lizardkid]

I have a book containing info on the Desert Spiny Lizard. This is the info it gives...(this isn't a true extract, because I think if I did that I'd be breaking copywright or something).

Life span=3-6 years.
Can grow to about 10 inches.
1-3 specimens can live in a 30-gallon tank.
Substrate=desert sand, with leaf litter strewn over the top.
Decoration=aridalnd plants, rocks, logs, hides.
Temperature=75 degrees F, UV lighting essential.
Compatibility=males fight, females communal.
Diet=Variety of insects, eg crickets, and water dish.
Handling=No; fast and furious!
Hardiness=Very hardy, almost trouble-free.
Similar species; several other swifts; the Crevice Spiny Swift is meant to be particularly hardy.

Of course, i've heard other reports that spiny lizards aren't that good pets, except the Crevice Spiny Swift. If you want, i'll write a care sheet about them on my forethcoming website.