u/The_Bearded_Herper

I do love when they shed and I get to see that fresh coat of paint

Since he is an Arabian giant named Drax, I wanted something that resembled the Arabian desert but also had an alien landscape feel. Hence, the strange black pyramids and eclipsing planets paired with a field of lavender to the right, which blooms in the Arabian desert in the spring, and mostly flat desert with a rocky terrain.

My newest addition has been named. He's adjusting quickly and eating well. Getting braver each day and hiding less each day.

When you have new reptiles that don't know or trust you yet one of the most important things you can do is put in the time. Spend time time around them without harrassing or chasing them. Just be in their presence and become a non-threatening part of the environment. Be still and quiet, and eventually, they start to explore despite your presence. You can offer specialty food items/treats to get them to associate you with positive interactions and slowly build that trust. Eventually, you can sit with your hand in the enclosure and let them explore it on their own time. Put food in your hand and let them come to you. They should eventually lose their fear of you, and if you're patient and slow, you'll gain a new friend.

Uromastyx aegyptia microlepis

Some growth in Fractus's enclosure. And some aerial roots growing from the weeping fig ficus trees

Some growth in Fractus's enclosure. And some aerial roots growing from the weeping fig ficus trees

Was harvesting yesterday's hibiscus flowers and saw this teeny tiny gray caterpillar

I'm not 100% sure which species of spitting spider this is as I does not quite match any I've found. It has features similar to several. Found in Las Vegas NV where we have both the native, Scytodes thoracica, and the non-native Dictis striatipes.

I know the first one is an echevaria of some type, the last two are straw flowers, and I don't remember what the second one is.

My wife got me this fella for my birthday/anniversary, and he arrives next Thursday. Sold as an Arabian giant, which would be Uromastyx aegyptia microlepis, but there has been some debate on other sites that he may be the Egyptian (Uromastyx aegyptia aegyptia).

I welcome anyone with significant uromastyx experience to share their thoughts as to which it is, but please explain why you think whatever it is you think as well.

Reposting this with what I believe is the correct species name Dictis striatipes

An Australian species that has made its way across the sea to inhabit the southwest US. Spitting spiders spit a silky sticky venom blend from the fangs to immobilize prey (small insects). They are harmless to people.

We get several of these in our house every year. Spitting spiders use a sticky venom they shoot out of the fangs to disable and start digesting their prey. Scytodes thoracica. This one was found in Las Vegas, Nv

This little fella is an anniversary gift from my wife and will be here next Thursday. Can't wait to meet him... He is an Arabian giant uromastyx (Uromastyx aegyptia microlepis). A subspecies of the Egyptian uromastyx that can attain lengths up to 30 inches. 30 inches isn't that long in the scheme of all things reptile, but these guys are built like a howitzer tank.

(Ctenosaura conspicuosa) San Esteban Island spiny-tailed iguana. I'm still working on handling and desensitizing him to touch.

Ctenosaura conspicuosa

Feeding Desperado, my Ctenosaura conspicuosa, aka San Esteban island 🏝 spiny-tailed iguana. Too many soft bodied insects like silk worms, horned worms, wax worms, etc. can lead to a weak jaw and poor dental health. If you have a lizard that eats insects, it's a good idea to make sure you mix in crunchy bugs like roaches, beetles, grasshoppers, etc. Of course, you should also dust appropriately with a good calcium and mineral supplement

Fractus is finally starting to snap out of his little food funk. He has started eating a little more each sitting, and he's showing interest in bugs again, which he hasn't been for the past 2 months. He has mostly been concerned with breeding as this is his first spring as a sexually mature male. Unfortunately, my female is not big enough or old enough this year, so he had to wait it out. less

For anyone wondering, this is normal behavior for many reptiles as they enter breeding season, and their primary focus becomes finding a mate. Most will still eat, but they do so far less often. Many will stop feeding completely for weeks to months, depending on the species and the individual's body condition going into the breeding season.

Well, it looks like Fractus is finally starting to snap out of his little food funk. He has started eating a little more each sitting, and he's showing interest in bugs again, which he hasn't been for the past 2 months. He has mostly been concerned with breeding as this is his first spring as a sexually mature male. Unfortunately, my female is not big enough or old enough this year, so he had to wait it out.