# need help with my orange spotted agama



## jembookie (Feb 22, 2012)

Hi all I have had my orange spotted agama for just under a week now but he has hardly moved he has ate just 3 small crickets nothing else all his temps and lighting is right should I be worried or could it just be him getting used to his surroundings all help appreciated as I'm finding it hard to find care sheets etc


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## Arcadiajohn (Jan 30, 2011)

Hi what actual species is it? I guess it's a sinai agama!

We can then advise

John


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## jembookie (Feb 22, 2012)

Sorry its a laudakia stellio


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## Arcadiajohn (Jan 30, 2011)

This is potentially a very nice animal, there are thousands of these arriving as WC animals at this time of year. Some do very well, and some do not.

They will have traveled a very long way and of course the stress is a factor. 

These animals are daytime active and come from a very high UV index area. The diet like most agamids will consist of insects, small eggs, other reptiles, some plant matter and small amounts of seeds. They are very adapted to life in a very harsh environment and due to the gift of tetrachromacy and the third eye make full usenof the environment.

As with all reptile keeping we need to try and re-create the wild habitat. 

So look at the wild UV and light index. It is around 7-8 look at the average temp in the day and night.

Youncan then use very high power lamps to re-create this environment. You will usually find that if it's possible to re-energise an animal it will happen when the correct energy is provided. Some just won't repined no matter what you do.

So a wide suplimented diet and a useful thermo and photo gradient, would make all the difference.

Use rock work or a tunnel system which can be easily designed with those excavtor clay type compounds. The animals will then self regulate as natural behaviour. 

That is a very short guide for our experiences with these.I'm sure some of the other agama keepers will also have some tips.

John


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## colinm (Sep 20, 2008)

Johns got some good points.I suspect that your animal is Laudakia stellio picea ,which if it is will be captive bred.

I keep mine in a glass vivarium in the top shelf of my hot room which gets to around 100f in the daytime and 70f at nightime.I dont think that the nighttime temperatures are too critical though as these are a desert species and they have cold nights in the wild.The room is heated so the only lighting that I use are two 12% U.V.B. tubes.They are quite active lizards and mine each crickets,locusts,cockroaches ,mealworms and waxworms.In fact most livefood that I throw in there.

I would guess that the inactivity is due to too low temperatures.They do like it hot,please check on this.A mercury vapour bulb may be necessary and of course this will give your animal U.V.B.

Have a look at www.dragonfarm.co.uk Your little one probably came from there,Mark breeds plenty of them.


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## Benji-le3 (Aug 4, 2008)

To be fair it is likely wc I haved these for years and RARELY come across cb.
That being said aslong as you have everything set up correctly there isn't much more you can do, Only thing I can really add to Arcadiajohn's reply is that these can stress out in too big of an environment. try adding more hides or even sectioning off part of the viv for a while. Also I would always recommend putting an rep that doesn't seem right onto paper towel as a substrate. One last thing if possible keep away from other reps if you have any even in another room if possible and ALWAYS wash your hands after handling him because if he is wc which I suspect he is he could have any parasite etc that could possibly effect you whole collection


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## Dragon Farm (Aug 7, 2009)

Orange spotted agama would usually refer to Laudakia stellio picea as Colin correctly said. I have been in the reptile trade for around 10 years and I have NEVER seen any WC picea offered for sale. Other Laudakia stellio subspecies are a different matter. 

But none of the other subspecies could be called orange spotted like this.... (one of mine)

I hatch around 100 of these a year, and most end up in UK reptile shops. It is very likely this lizard was one of mine.


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