Red-Backed Chuckwalla Pair

[pamnsam94]

Who else keeps these vegetarian desert denizens? These guys are so cool! The male wasn't fully warmed up yet when I took the photo so his red/orange coloration isn't as intense as it sometimes is. I once kept 4 together and I always found it funny the way they stack up on one another, even though there are multiple basking sites. Both readily take flowers and greens out of my hand and will stand up on their hind legs to get to dandelion flowers that I hold between my fingers. Because their care is easier, they sure give me a lot less worry than chameleons, though I love keeping them both. I have 8 eggs cooking right now that are about 60 days away from hatching, a first for me.

Perry

 

[laurie]

Perry they look a lot like a uro. How big are they? It is hard to tell in a picture. They sure look like they could be a cool pet.

 

[pamnsam94]

Their care is similar to a Uro, but for some reason, I prefer "chucks" in general and I really like the looks of the red-backed, carrot-tailed, and granite chuckwallas, three color variations of the common chuck. Just a personal preference I guess.

Sauromalus ater, the common chuck, is the mainland species and can get up to 18", although the male in the photo is only 12". Chuckwallas are often touted as the second largest species of lizard in the U.S., second only to the Gila Monster. The island species of chuckwalla get even larger. S. varius gets up to 30". Following is a link with amazing photos showing a good size comparison between a common chuckwalla and an Angel Island chuck, S. hispidus. http://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1685153,1685153

I find it interesting that the common chuck has been known to hybridize with the larger island species, despite the size difference. S. ater, S. varius and S. hispidus are believed to have been brought to one of the islands off Baja CA by native Americans to be used as a food source. Evidence supports that all three species have interbred there.

 

[waynek]

very cool . I have always liked chuckwallas . a really nice native lizard .