Archives of The Cold Blooded News

The Newsletter of the Colorado Herpetological Society

Volume 30, Number 10;   October, 2003

Desert Lizards, Captive Husbandry and Propagation

Reviewed by Glynn Tate, CHS Vie President

{Back Cover Text} Desert lizards have gained popularity as pets and study animals. Within this book there are specific chapters on simulating desert environments in captivity, feeding, and captive propagation. Detailed species accounts for spiny-tailed lizards, horned lizards, chuckawallas, desert iguanas, collared lizards, and geckos include discussions about taxonomy, natural history, care in captivity, and reproduction. With 60 color photos and 14 tables, the book contains current husbandry and reproductive information as well as new data for some of the desert lizard species found in private collections.

Chapter 1: Deserts, describes the general characteristics of the desert environment along with some of the constraints imposed on the organisms dwelling there. It goes on to a general overview of some ways lizards have adapted to overcome the extremes of the desert environment.

Chapter 2: Simulating Desert Environments in Captivity, provides a varied overview of the various methods utilized to house desert lizards. Sections on indoor caging, substrates, cage landscaping, temperature and lighting, water, outdoor caging and social behavior provide a useful introduction to setting up proper enclosures. Quality photos reinforce the text throughout and there is even a table comparing the UVA/UVB output of eight common full-spectrum lights.

Chapter 3: Feeding Desert Lizards, overviews insect food (including maximizing nutrition), feeding omnivorous lizards and vitamin and mineral supplementation.

Chapter 4: Captive Propagation, provides a primer on sexing lizards, hibernation, nesting and egg incubation. This chapter is defiantly overview in nature. The individual species accounts beginning in the next chapter cover more detailed accounts of genus and species-specific requirements.

Chapter 5: Spiny-Tailed Lizards, is the first of six genus-specific chapters providing more in-depth information for the hobbyist. Discussed are the taxonomy and natural history of spiny-tailed (uromastyx) lizards (including a handy species distribution table). Individual sections on Egyptian, Moroccan, Mali, Ornate, and Bent's Spiny-tails provide a guide for the most commonly kept species. Additional sections include Care in Captivity (caging and feeding) and Reproduction (includes a handy table containing clutch size, incubation temperature and incubation time for 5 species) of this highly-variable genus.

Chapter 6: Chuckawallas, follows a similar format, as do chapters 7 through 10. Taxonomy and Natural History, along with a species and distribution table, followed by species accounts including Piebald, Spiny, Western, and Arizona Chuckawallas are included. Similarly, sections on Care in Captivity and Reproduction follow for this fascinating, but often overlooked genus.

Chapter 7: Desert Iguanas, sticks to the now familiar format excepting the single species account for this monotypic genus.

Chapter 8: Horned Lizards, provides similar information for these more challenging desert lizards. A species and distribution table is present, but no individual species accounts are included (presumably due to the similar care requirements for all species?).

Chapter 9: Collared Lizards, is written in the familiar format by contributing author Dan McCarron and provides essential information on these attractive and active desert lizards. Again, the species and distribution table is there, but no species accounts.

Chapter 10: Geckos, is written by contributing author Tim Tytle and rounds out both the genus-specific chapters and the book. The species accounts cover Web-Footed, Frog-Eye and Burrowing Geckos.

This book is well-written, contains exclusively high-quality color photographs and assembles a unique collection of knowledge. Some readers may wish for more in-depth species accounts, but as an "overview" book, there is a wealth of information for the current or prospective hobbyist. This is definitely a must-have title for anyone keeping or interested in desert lizards and provides plenty of overflow information to be useful for anyone keeping any desert species. If nothing else, the concise text and engaging color photography will probably start or re-kindle an interest in these fascinating herps.

This title is available through Krieger Publishing of Malabar, Florida for $27.50 through mail order or the web at the following address:
Krieger Publishing
Krieger Drive
Malabar, Florida 32950

http://krieger-publishing.com/html/herpetology_stack_17.html