Care sheet - Painted Agama

Common Names: Somali Painted, bush Agama, Sling-Tailed Agama, Painted Agama
Scientific name: Laudakia stellio
Location: Greece & islands (inc. Cyclades, Rhodes & Corfu), Turkey, Cyprus, Egypt,
Israel, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Saudi Arabia
Subspecies:

L. s. stellio: (Saloniki: Cyclades (Mykonos Islands, Delos, Paros, Antiparos, Naxos),

Sporades, Rhodes, Corfu)
L. s. brachydactyla: (N Saudi Arabia, S Israel, Sinai Desert)
L. s. cypriacus: (Cyprus)
L. s. daani: (Salonika, many Aegean islands)
L. s. picea: (SW Syria, S Lebanon, N Israel, NW Jordan)
L. s. vulgaris: (N. Egypt)
Size: 8-10
Sexing: Sexing males and females is easy with this species; the males have a dark
vertical line of raised scales on the underside of the belly. The females do not.
Temperature: Basking temperature of 35-36C and a cooler end to 25C. A night time
drop the temperature down to 23-25C and gives a good temperature gradient.
Lighting: I used to use the Fluorescent UV tubes but found that the lizards were not very
active except at feeding time so I changed over to the Mercury vapour lamp and what a
difference it made. They became much more active and started courtship displays of head
bobbing and leg waving and in general a lot more active. Their colours were also greatly
improved and much brighter.
Agamas are active during the day and are often found scampering around to snatch up
their favourite foods. They can tolerate greater temperatures (35-40C) than most reptiles,
but in the afternoon when temperatures reach around 38C (100F) they will settle into
the shade and wait for it to cool down. Frequent fighting breaks out between males; such
fighting involves a lot of bobbing and weaving in an attempt to scare the opponent. If it
comes to blows, they lash out with their tails and threaten each other with open jaws.
Many older males have broken tails as a result of such fights. Females may sometimes

chase and fight one another, while hatchlings mimic the adults in preparation for
adulthood. It is best to keep trios of one male and two females.
Food: Agamas are mainly insectivores so feed them on Locusts, Cockroaches, Crickets
as a treat Morio worms and Wax worms. Their incisor-like front teeth are designed for
quick cutting and chewing of their prey. I offer them greens and chopped fruits should be
offered once a week also.
Water: It is best to spray them once a day just before the lights comes on. They will
drink from the droplets from the walls rocks etc. They also get water from the food that
they eat and are perfectly adapted to very dry conditions. A small water bowl can be
placed at the cool end if desired but is not necessary.
Vitamins: Dust the insects in Calcium+D3 powder five times a week and vitamins twice
a week.
Top Tip: Put the feeder insects into a plastic bag add a small amount of the calcium or
vitamin powder and shake the bag gently this will coat the insects. Then slowly tip the
insects into the vivarium leaving the excess powder in the bag which can be re used.
Breeding:

Picture 01 Clutch of eggs after 50 days average size of the eggs 33mm long

Picture 02 Hatchling almost out of the egg day 54

Most agamas are polygamous. Males may have a harem of six or more females in their
territory for breeding. During courtship, the male bobs his head to Leg wave and dewlap
flashing to impress the female. Occasionally, females initiate courtship by offering their
hindquarters to the male and then running until he is able to catch up. The breeding
season in the wild is typically March-May with eggs being laid in June-September during
the season after the rains. Eggs are laid in clutches of up to twelve.
In captivity my Painted Agamas are seen courting with lots of head bobbing, leg waving
and flashing of the dewlap from the males. The females lay their eggs late December
March and hatch after 54-56 days at 31C.
John Gamesby (2 April 2011)