MOUNTAIN HORNED LIZARD
- Grow to be 10-15 inches depending on gender and may live 12-15 years old with proper care.
- Mountain Horned Lizards are semi-arboreal, they spend their time either high in trees or shrubs as well as on the ground.
- Native to humid rainforest climates such as Burma, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
Diet
Mountain horned lizards are insectivores. Their diet should consist of insects such as crickets, mealworms, Dubia roaches and occasionally wax worms or hornworms as a treat. Calcium and Vitamin D3 supplements should be used to coat the prey items. This supplement should be used every day for young lizards and every 2-3 days for older lizards.
A large dish of fresh water should be available at all time. Clean the bowl and refresh the water daily. Mountain horned lizards will sometimes not recognize standing water as drinking water, in these cases a water fountain with moving water can be used to encourage proper drinking and hydration.
Housing
Juveniles can begin in a 20 gallon long or 40 gallon breeder aquarium with a large pool of water, many branches to climb on, bedding and moss that hold moisture, heat lamps, UVB lighting, a hide spot, and many plants to decrease stress. Adults can be housed exactly as a juvenile, but should be kept in a tank no smaller than 75 gallons.
Provide an 80ºF basking area and a cooler 72ºF area with a night temperature in the 70’s. A basking light will work well to maintain daytime temps and an under-tank heat mat, heat emitter, or black/red basking bulb can be used to maintain night temps. In addition, a full spectrum UVB light needs to be provided 10-12 hours per day.
Handling & Care
Mountain horned lizards are generally quite docile, friendly and easily handled after they have been hand tamed. When handling your lizard, use both hands, supporting all limbs. They do have sharp claws so always supervise others who are not used to holding them.
Wash your hands with anti-bacterial soap after handling any animal.
Health
Mountain horned lizards are prone to Metabolic Bone Disease, which is easily prevented with a vitamin supplement and UVB lighting.
It is common for horned lizards to become frustrated with small enclosures and they may run into the glass and injure themselves. It is beneficial to offer a large cage, use plant/forest print aquarium background, provide many branches to climb on and many plants to decrease stress.
