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help please !!!

2K views 31 replies 8 participants last post by  cathki 
#1 ·
we have just bought a pallid agama lizard, and canot find any info for it any where the shop where we got it said to treat it as a bearded dragon. also i think it may have red mites any help would be apriciated. luv cath x
 
#5 ·
here you go....... mellisa kaplins care sheet is well respected. I suspect that the Palid is a name that has been slapped on it by the shop (although i may be wrong), if you can post a picture then I can try and identify it for you.
 
#6 ·
this is the only name we have been given i thiught that was the propper name (blushes)i have heard it may be a pale agama but still struggling to find anything significant the reptile shop is usually real good where we got him but he looks like he has red mites on him which were there when we got him so i am desperate for info thanx for taking the time to help me look.luv cathx
 
#12 ·
i cant get our old digi camera to work so i will get the new one out after and take some pics and post them i have to go out soon for some jabs ready to start my nursing course on mon. thanks for all the help you have given me i will be back soon and would love for you all to help me solve this mystery. luv cathx
 
#18 ·
Agamas

©1996, 2000 Melissa Kaplan






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The Agamidae are Old World lizards. The agamas are a genus of the Agamidae, comprising some 60 species and many subspecies.

Range
Africa; southwestern to central Asia. A. stellio may be found as far north as southeastern Europe.

Habitat
Native to dry areas bordering forest edges, rocky steppes, and sand deserts.

Genera Physical Characteristics
The blunt triangular head is typical of all the genera, though the proportion may vary. Spiny/spiky scales along the back of the head and thighs. Some may be dorsoventrally compressed. Some may have spiny or shingled tails with laterally compressed bodies. Males have anal pores and typically have larger heads than females.

Color
Usually brown or gray. Male breeding colors may be red, blue or yellow. Like many lizards, some species may undergo color changes in response to temperature changes or stress.

Niche
Terrestrial in nature, but some are semi-arboreal.

Diet
Most are carnivorous, feeding on a variety of invertebrates. Some may be slightly omnivorous, feeding on greens or fruit. Gut load insects before feeding. Larger specimens may be converted to day old pink mice.

Social Structure
Many species live in colonies and thus exhibit territorial behaviors (head bobbing). Males often highly territorial and will likely need to be house separately or in harem groups.

Breeding/Reproduction
Females play an active role in selecting mates by courting males. Oviparous, females lay 2-20 eggs per clutch and may lay several times a year. Incubation takes from 1.5-4.5 months depending on species.

Captive Environment
A spacious, dry terrarium that can be set up, depending on species, as desert, steppes or dry woodland. There should be some humidity, best provided by a damp sand substrate under a dry sand later (in desert setups) or by non-toxic potted plants embedded in the substrate in one corner of the steppe or woodland setup. Hiding place throughout the gradient must be provided (these wild-caught lizards are nervous initially, though many will eventually acclimate to being observed).

Hints: An environment suitable for a collared lizard (Crotaphytus collaris) will suit most agamas. If your agama of unknown species does not thrive, you can try warming the basking area and nights up a bit. If that doesn't work, you can try a more woodland (such as for blue tongue skinks (Tiliqua scincoides intermedia) or montane, such as for Jackson's chameleons (Chameleo jacksonii). Of course, you must have the lizards checked by a reptile veterinarian for problems associated with parasite infestation, dehydration and systemic infection as well as fine tuning the environment!

Temperatures
77-90 F (25-32 C) during the day; warmer basking spot required. At night, temperatures should drop by 10 degrees across the gradient. Species from the colder northern part of the range may require a 2-3 month brumation/hibernation period. Montane species should be kept at 50 degrees during this time. Follow safe hibernation practices (do not hibernate first year in captivity, stop feeding 1-2 weeks before dropping temps, etc.) See the Lighting & Heating article for the types of products that can be used to provide day and night heating.

Water
Spray plants, rocks, or walls daily. May learn to drink from a shallow dish if initially provided with sound/sight cues (let an ice cube melt from overhead to drip into the dish).

Lighting
UVB lighting essential during the day.

Species Identification
Most species have numerous subspecies.

A. agama
Common Agamas. Africa. To 16 in. (40 cm). Grayish brown with small crest. Vivid color changes to red, yellow, blue and other markings. 3-8 eggs.

A. agilis
Slender Agamas. Southwestern to central Asia. Savannah. 12 in. (30 cm). Up to three clutches of 8-10 eggs a year. Winter rest period. Susceptible to parasite attacks during acclimation period, otherwise generally easy to care for.

A. atra
Black or Rock Agamas. Southern Africa. 8 in. (20 cm). Very dark. Must be kept relatively warm.

A. atricollis
Blue-throated Agama. Kenya. Forest edge, semi-arboreal. 10 in. (25 cm). Grayish brown with white, yellow or greenish dot pattern. Keep relatively moist. Keep terrarium relatively warm at night.

A. caucasia
Caucasian Agamas. Caucasus to northern Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan. Montane (up to 6500 ft (2000 m.) elevation). To 14 in (35 cm). Stocky, flattened dorsoventrally, spiny tail. Brown to olive-gray with darker patterning. Minor color changes. 6-14 eggs. Winter rest recommended.

A. hispida
Spiny Agamas. Southern Africa. 12 in (30 cm). Conspicuous dorsal spines, keeled abdominal scales. Grayish brown to glossy green. 12-20 eggs.

A. impalearis
Atlas Agamas. Northwestern Africa. Montane. To 12 in. (30 cm). Grayish brown with conspicuous color changes. Two clutches of up to 12 eggs each. Difficult to maintain due to significant temperature reduction required at night.

A. lehmanni
Turkmenian Agamas. Central Asia. Montane up to 11000 ft (3500 m) to 14 in (35 cm). Winter rest period required. Hardy.

A. mutabilis
Desert Agama. North Africa to southwestern Asia. Rocky and sandy deserts. 10 in (25 cm). Smooth scales, yellow to reddish brown with spotted pattern. Strongly diurnal. 5-10 eggs. Somewhat difficult to maintain.

A. planiceps
Red-headed Agama? (No common name noted in Obst, et al.). Southwestern Africa. Mountain regions. 14 in (35 cm). Spines on nape of neck, shingled tail. Red head and thorax, rest mainly blackish-blue. Substantially herbivorous.

A. stellio
Hardun. Southwestern Asia to northeastern Africa, some parts of Greece. Rocky habitats. Over 14 in (35 cm). Spiny, strongly compressed dorsoventrally. Gray to almost black with light colored spots. Up to three clutches of 8-12 eggs each. Winter rest recommended.

Sources:
 
#20 ·
it would be a bit aquard taking it back as the owner of the shop is kind of a friend,we went to school together,and im a soft bugger.are there any reptile vets in the wigan area or near wigan that any 1 knows of that dont rip you off. thanx luv cathx
 
#21 ·
red mites, mean they have had a nice meal and are full, you should put the lizard in some water and try and wash off and kill some of the mites. i think alot of people here use frontline to get rid of mites. i use Repel Permanone. which is 0.5% permethrin, 99.5% other ingredients.

change your substrate and put the new substrate in the cage. take the lizard and water bowl out of the cage and take the lizard totally out of the room. spray the new substrate till it fogs. cover the cage totally and let it sit like that for an hour (leave everything else in the cage also). uncover the cage totally and let it air out for an hour. put the lizard and water bowl back in the cage. it will kill any mites on the lizard. in case of eggs do this again in 2 weeks.

thats the way i do it, like i said most use frontline here, im sure someone will post how to do it, im not totally sure
 
#25 ·
if ur baby has mites hun scrap ur substrate altogether and use newspaper or kitchen roll as sand makes a very very easy place for tiny mites to hide, and also on white kitchen roll they are easy to spot and substrate should be changed DAILY until the mites have gone xx
 
#26 ·
mites

Hi cathki

the best way to kill mites is to drown them. bath your lizard including his head. mites tend to live in the creases of skin around the ead and face of the lizard so you need to submerse his head aswell. Just dont drown him!
 
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