Starter Kits Special Offer! -50% OFF ALL LIVESTOCK

Due to its immense popularity last year, we are continuing with our 50% OFF ALL LIVESTOCK when purchased with one of our full starter kits. This covers any animal/group of animals up to £300 in value, for animals over £300 you still get £150 off their standard price when purchased with a full starter kit. Offer valid 01/06/25 until 30/09/25.

Chuckwalla (Sauromalus ater – including the former species Sauromalus obesus) are a medium sized diurnal lizard from Southwestern USA and Northern Mexico. Although there are 5 distinct species of Chuckwalla (Sauromalus) it is only really Sauromalus ater that is ever encountered in the reptile keeping hobby. Most of the other Sauromalus species are from offshore islands in the Gulf of California and are heavily protected within their natural range. In the late 1990’s and early 2000’s many species from the southern USA and Northern Mexico were regularly imported into the UK and sold in pet shops. Since the banning of their export, lots of these iconic species (Chuckwalla included) have almost vanished from the hobby and have become very rare. We are delighted to have an active in store breeding program for them so that the next generation of reptile keepers can appreciate them as much as many of us “old timers” did in the late 1990’s.

Chuckwalla live in the hot arid environments of the Sonoran and Mojave Desert, specifically favouring old lava flows that are now sparsely covered with Creosote bush. This creosote bush being the primary food source for this vegetarian species. Although some accounts of their care in captivity will state that this species will also eat insects, we dispute this as none of our adults nor youngsters show interest in eating insects even when occasionally offered. Nor is feeding insects essential to their wellbeing as we have been able to successfully keep breed and rear Chuckwalla without providing insects in their diet. There have been reports that too much protein in their diet through attempting to feed insects can be detrimental to them in captivity and decrease their lifespan so we would suggest that this is one of the few truly strict vegetarian species. From a dietary perspective this species will thrive in captivity on a diet of mixed leafy greens with occasional flowers and bee pollen as dietary additives. Their stout “potbellied” appearance is a great indicator to the herbivorous diet of this species, a character trait shared with many other desert herbivore lizards such as the Uromastyx species from Africa and the Middle East.

Given their natural range in the Sonoran and Mojave desert this species requires low ambient humidity with very high daytime temperatures (45-50C+ at the basking site) they will remain active at ambient temperatures up to 39C. During cooler winter months this species will shelter in burrows and go through a winter brumation. This is essential to replicate for successful captive breeding.

Although females of this species tends to be relatively sociable towards one another care must be taken even amongst females to check for signs of dominance issues and bickering. Once sexually mature the males (easily identifiable by their more colourful appearance with reddish hues on their backs) must be housed separately from one another as the males are very territorial and fighting will ensue if not housed separately.

Regarding their sociability towards people, this species is wonderful, they are alert and active throughout the day with many quirky behaviours and will relish human interaction and handling. They have the potential to make a great alternative first pet especially for those that don’t like the idea of feeding live insects. This is an iconic species of pet reptile and one which we hope to make as readily available as they once were 15-20 years ago.

Like most species that we sell, these Chuckwalla were bred by us right here in store.

If you wish to buy a Chuckwalla you can come visit us at our reptile shop or if you want us to ship live reptiles to you we can via a specialist courier, please contact us through our website, social media or by telephone to arrange this.