Week #14 Cordylus giganteus or newly described as Smaug giganteus

So, here we are, only 14 weeks into the year, and already I have posted 3 lizards from the Cordylus genus!  Or Smaug for this weeks species if you are into the new classification, or the hobbit, or better yet, both.  There are obvious reasons as to why I've chosen these amazing lizards for the countdown.  They are rarely seen in captivity, and are the largest of the genus.  They are notoriously difficult to breed in captivity.  I'm not even really sure how many have had success in breeding their captive populations (wikipedia states only one person has successfully persuaded theirs to do so), so this species is just for those that love the animal itself, and not for those looking to make their 'investment' back.  That being said, they have been farm bred in South Africa where they are native to.  Check out the feeding video below, and again, special thanks to Steve Cemelli at www.leapingleachies.com for letting me photograph and video record his collection for the sole purpose of the countdown, and for the viewing pleasure of those of you that care to venture onto this blog.  It is appreciated!  Have a good, and safe weekend!  Oli

Naultinus grayii born just hours ago!

Hey everyone, I just figured I'd take a break in the regularly scheduled weekly broadcast to show some cool pics on what's going on over here. Last evening I was misting some of my geckos when I saw a little tail poking out of the brush. This is what I found to my surprise!  

Aside from this New Zealand green gecko "Naultinus grayii" the breeding season is in full swing. Eggs incubating and currently hatching are as follows: Nephrurus amyae, wheeleri, and levis. Pachydactylus vanzylii, and rangei. Strophurus ciliaris and taenicauda. Chondrodactylus angulifer. Tokay geckos. And of course Mourning geckos.  I may have forgotten a species or two, but that's the general jist of things. Here's a picture of last years N grayii that was birthed from a different pair than the one pictures above. 

Week #13 Cordylus rhodesianus!

This week I'm bringing to you another Cordylus species that I recently acquired.  Being that I enjoy the Cordylus cataphractus a lot, I figured, why not add another Cordylus species to the collection.  This lizard is commonly known as the Rhodesian girdled lizard.  It has yellow checkered patches on it's back.  The male has a more vivid yellow coloration, while the female is a larger lizard.  These lizards are from Mozambique, Malawa, and Zimbabwe.  They live in between rocks.  They are relatively flat so that they can fit into tight spaces securely.  In the videos below, you can see the female eating crickets.  The male is a little more shy, but he normally is also an aggressive feeder.