I'm Holly. Sorry to keep you waiting

Due to the busy meeting with teachers in Beijing this week, and the promotion of CAI's new book "Sichuan Reptile Identification Manual", so I have been delayed until now.

In this issue, I'm going to introduce a species that is often overlooked, but is actually very valuable for science - the tapping lizard/flying lizard.

Because of the similarities between this species and many lizards, I thought it necessary to tell you more about it. I will divide their stories into three parts:

Fat man

Sauromalus is the Latin generic name for the quake-wall lizard, meaning "flat lizard". Americans call them chuckwalla or chuckawalla, and Mexicans call them chacahuala. These names are derived from the indigenous names for them: Caxwal or Tcaxxwal. The Cavila and Shoshone Indians of the southwestern United States have long called them "fat lizards."

The Chinese name "tapping lizard" is not known for its origin, but I suspect it comes from the way it communicates by nodding its head on the wall of a stone (although this behavior is found in many lizards).


The "fat" of the tap lizard is obvious to all. What about "flexibility"?

Quake-wall lizards live in 150-million-year-old red gauze clumps in the southwestern United States and near Mexico. They can run and jump at amazing speeds among tall rocks. Their long claws allow them to stay on the steepest rock walls. Their keen daytime vision allows them to quickly sense danger and fly into the nearest crack in the rock wall.

Is it enough to shove yourself in? They'll breathe in and expand, just like the shield lizard and the cookie tortoise we talked about earlier at the Landau Crawl House, and get stuck in the rock. Because of its high friction scales, even if you can reach it, it is difficult to pull them out. Although the original habitats are not exactly the same, these animals, thousands of kilometers apart, have evolved similar strategies to avoid enemies, which is really wonderful.

But as nature's demons - humans will always find a way to get them out. The natives would use a hoe, or a stick with a curved hook to puncture their sides and deflate them, then hook them out. No way, because of their high density, tapping lizards were once an important source of protein for locals.


Sun, but not all the time

In order to keep their body temperature within the optimal range of 35-40 ° C, they need to switch the frequency and duration of basking at any time according to the actual temperature. In the long run with the hot sun of their origin, they become more dependent on the high-heat, high-ultraviolet environment. Therefore, the quake-wall lizard is a Ferguson-4 species.

In its native region, UV intensity and temperature are often positively correlated, so when they are warm, they are also absorbing UV rays. But just because demand is high doesn't mean they need to stay in the sun. Because their body temperature can not exceed 40℃. Once they approach this threshold, they must run to the shade nearby to cool off.

For example, at noon in summer, the temperature of the rock and air under the sun is well over 40 ° C. At that time, the tapping lizard will interrupt the foraging behavior many times, eat two bites to run to cool down, and then run out to eat a few bites, so many times, in order to eat a full meal.

Therefore, the tap lizard does not have to be exposed to the sun all day, but at any time to enter the surrounding multi-level rock area. The natural temperature gradients created by these environmental structures are important for this species that lives in hot regions. Therefore, people interested in breeding these lizards should not just look at the surface, not the essence - do not blindly heat, because they are not only afraid of cold, but also afraid of heat.

Without sufficient environment, it is impossible to arrange the temperature range. Given their size, if an average household wanted to house them, there would be no room for other species.

Because they are social, it is best to keep them in pairs or groups. And the environmental needs of a group of dragon may be more than 2 square meters +1 meters high. The sheer size of the space might dissuade most hot-headed people. If you don't ask me to leave? Then it's time to look at the cost of electricity.

Always remember to refer to the standards of Ferguson District in the layout of lamps, for zone 4 species, electricity is difficult to save. Usually want to arrange a suitable lighting environment in such a large environment, often need a combination of 3 lamps and above, such as: 70-150W sun lamp x2, T5 HO lamp x1, more than 100W gold halide lamp x1. Half a year open 8 hours, half a year open 12-14 hours (because LED UVB lamps are still growing. To be on the safe side, only traditional lamps are currently recommended)

What to do if you want to save electricity? You may need to buy a property in an area with good light and heat conditions... If you can move to a place with a similar latitude or climate, transform the top of the environment into a metal mesh cover, and let natural light shine directly on them, then the above electricity costs can be basically saved.

However, whether it is full indoor feeding or open-air feeding, [overheating] is a problem that must be considered.

As mentioned earlier, they don't let their body temperature rise above 40 degrees. Even in the northern latitudes of China, the temperature of the remaining summer direct sun will easily exceed 40 degrees. So be sure to shade according to the actual situation; Or monitor the temperature under the lamp for a long time and adjust the irradiation distance at any time.


The above description of the temperature requirements of the tap lizard applies to many lizards, the most common of which is the bearded lizard. There are countless bearded lizard larvae that are baked to death every year, and I hope this issue can provide a reference for the majority of breeders such as bearded lizard, rock lizard, and positive lizard.

Next time, we'll take a closer look at the dietary needs of the tap lizard. This will also be a great help for other vegetarian lizards, so remember to check it out!