Note for our armata keepers..............

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Posted by FroggieB on May 06, 2003 at 22:12:48:

I have meant to look up the specifics on groups of armata because I though there was some note about not keeping them in groups. I finally got a chance to look it up and though you might be interested in what I found.

According to the book Agamid Lizards by Ulrich Manthey and Norbert Schuster the breeding group should consist of only one male and one female because the weaker animals will be suppressed and will possibly not survive. The book states that Armata does well when kept with crucigera, Gonocephalis species (except for grandis), and amphibians from the same area. "Because the agamids are voracious, the food intake of other terrarium inhabitants must be controlled. The same is true of juvenile prickle-napes, of which groups of no more than four or five animals of the same size can be reared successfully."

So, if you are to breed these guys you may want to get several groups or house each animal separately and introduce the females, individually, to the male�s terrarium to avoid social problems.

This is what I am doing with my capra with the exception that I am able to house the females together. I keep each male in his own home and introduce the females when I want them bred. I listen for the typical scuffle and chasing and then remove the female and hope for the best. In four months if no eggs are produced I try them again. I leave the female in with the male for 2-3 weeks and write on the males enclosure which females were introduced and when. Then when I see a female getting ready to lay her eggs all I have to do is look on the male�s tanks to see which one is the dad!

Anyway, just though I'd share this before you go throwing a bunch of females together and have something bad happen.

Good luck and hopefully I'll have a pair one of these days. Have to pay off the loan on the store first! ; )

By the way, I have noticed that a lot of people don't seem to like my detailed caresheet so I wrote a shortened version as a jump start basic care guide. You can check it out at http://www.froggieb.com/MHDshortcare.html. Let me know what you think of it!

Marcia

Follow Ups:

Note for our armata keepers.............. Joe 05/06/03 (2)
- Note for our armata keepers.............. Netti 05/07/03 (1)
  - Ahhhh yes.............. FroggieB 05/07/03 (0)