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Desert Moon Reptiles

Calico Chuckwalla Basic Care Sheet

 

Calico chuckwallas are a cross between the Angel Island chuckwalla (Sauromalus hispidus) and the San Esteban chuckwalla (Sauromalus varius).  They are iguanids, not native to the U.S., and their care is much the same as green iguanas and  native chuckwallas (S. ater).  They are very hardy and do quite well in captivity with proper care.

 

Enclosure:

 

Babies and juveniles should be kept in a minimum 18x18x36-inch tank with a screen top, with a basking light at one end (placed on the outside metal screen top). Chuckwallas require UVA and UVB for calcium absorption; recommended bulb is an 80 watt ZooMed PowerSun. An elevated basking area consisting of both flat and non-flat rock material should be placed under the light, no closer than 5-6 inches. The rocks should be secure, to avoid movement and falling, potentially inflicting injury to the chuckwalla. Lighting on the cooler end of the tank is provided with a lower wattage basking bulb (50-watt) placed on screen top over a flat rock placed inside the enclosure. An appropriate size hide should always be available. Household temperatures are adequate with lights on 9-10 hours per day. No additional heat is required at night.

 

Diet:

 

Chuckwallas are herbivorous and typically only accept greens, vegetables, flowers, and some fruit. Recommended foods are:

 

Greens:  Dandelion, mustard, turnip, collards, occasional lettuce (no iceburg), finely chopped. No spinach or other greens containing oxalic acid.

 

Vegetables:  Carrots, squashes, finely chopped; frozen thawed peas. Add to chopped greens. No broccoli or vegetables containing oxalic acid.

 

Flowers:  Dandelion, squash, desert willow, roses, cactus. 

 

Fruits:  Cactus (no skin/spines), tomato, strawberries.

 

Dry Food:  RepCal Juvenile and Adult Iguana pellets. Dish of appropriate-sized pellets provided at all times. Always provide fresh water when feeding pellets, since it is a dry diet. It is very important to feed fresh food; pellets are supplemental. 

 

**All food should be pesticide free, including systemics. Home-grown or store bought is safer than picking from public areas.

 

**These are guidelines for care we provide to our Calico and Angel Island chuckwallas. We recommend you do your research. Please feel free to contact us at dsrtmoonreptiles@aol.com if you have questions.