WANTED! Coast Horned Lizard

[Superduner]

Hello I'm really interested in obtaining a Coast Horned Lizard ..

I had one a while ago for about 5 months but i had to move and i took her back to where i had cought her. Great pets :D now i moved back ( ironicly) and would like to get another one since i still have all the housing and heating and all that stuff that my other ones used to live in. So if anybody has one for sale ( preferably young one) id love to hear from you

I'm in SAN DIEGO.. CALIFORNIA

Superduner_06@hotmail.com

[mightymo]

The coastal horned lizard is an endagered species and therefore illegal to keep. I'm glad to hear that your last one survived the 5 months you had it. Many to most horned lizards don't survive very long in captivity. Go to www.phrynosoma.org for more information.

[Superduner]

ohh wow.. that sucks... ok well thanks for lettimg me know =D

[aliceinwl]

The coastal horned lizard is an endagered species and therefore illegal to keep. I'm glad to hear that your last one survived the 5 months you had it. Many to most horned lizards don't survive very long in captivity. Go to www.phrynosoma.org for more information.

The coast horned lizard is not listed as endangered, it is listed as a California Species of Special Concern, but it is still illegal to keep.
-Alice

[Superduner]

Still not really good news for those who would like ot have one of these? NOW i got a question... what if i were to get one but keep it at my syster's house in Tijuana Mexico... Would it be ok if i bought one online or whatever and get it deliverd to my house here in SD (since they cant be delivered to my systers in tj :P ) and take it to her house. the terranium is lareayd set up with everything im jsut missign the pet :( so would that work out ok? or no... Just curious

[aliceinwl]

Because no one is captive breeding coast horned lizards, and collection in CA is illegal and it is not legal to export herps from Mexico, you won't see them for sale on-line. If you were to track some down, they would not be legal animals. There are, however, several other horned lizard species that are readily available on-line. Desert horned lizards are offered for sale pretty regularly. Round-tails are offered occaisionally. I've even seen cb Texas horneds on rare occaisions. If you have your heart set on a horned lizard, I would go with a legal more readily available species. I have no idea what the regs are in terms of bringing herps into Mexico.

-Alice

[mightymo]

Ok, I thought they were listed as endangered, guess I was wrong. In the end it still amounts to the same thing as they can't be collected or kept. If anyone finds the regs for taking herps I'd love to know. I'm looking at moving down there and I'd really want to take at least one lizard with me.

[Superduner]

hmm desert horned lizarD? i think they look exactly the same as the coastals don't they? and are the deserts' legal to keep how are they different from the coastals they seem to both live in a desert like climate....

[mightymo]

www.phrynosoma.org has information on all the horned lizard species. Desert HL's are legal to keep. They are still hard to care for and keep alive. Coastals don't live in the desert. There used to be populations around san diego but with the sprawl and the argentine ants most of that has been killed off.

[Superduner]

wow.. well if i cant have the coastal theres this oen i saw in that page ( it was a good reference page) thanks . well if i cant have the coastal then the REAGAL (solaris) horned lizard seems pretty close to the coastal id like to have one of those then. anybody know anyone who sells those or give them out or what not. if apreshiate the info . THANKS AGAIN GUYS!

[mightymo]

Solares are going to be mostly in arizona. Mark on the forum keeps some solares. Talk to him on the phrynosoma forums. Their crown does look pretty cool

[Superduner]

could you please send me his link so i could contact him somehow i was'nt ale to locate him sorry

[Fireside3]

The Coastal Horned Lizard is a species of special concern in Ca., but as far as the State of Ca. Fish & Game Dept. is concerned, this means "endangered" in statute law. There is a difference between state endangered and federally listed as endangered. They are not always the same lists, but as far as legality and permits go in Ca., the P. coronatum ( CHL ) is unlawful to possess or transport without permit. In fact, it is unlawful to collect any wildlife species in the State of Ca. without permit. Attempting to go through an inspection or customs station into Mexico with a horned lizard would get you detained and the animal seized ( best case ). Worst case, you could face fines and extended detention, especially on the Mexico side as they are particularly nasty about such things.

One should really study these lizards for some extended time before trying to obtain one. They are not what I would consider a beginners reptile, and do not do very well in captivity without extensive preparation and understanding. I get emails from very many beginners who have tried to keep a horned lizard, only to have it die within months due to improper care.

[ernsburns]

for one there not as hard as everyone says they are ive owned one it was fairly easy i jus feed it ants and small crickets and there habitat is aslo fairl easy i used i think it was vitasand and had a heat rock and a bowl for water and i had him for almost a year till i sold him

[Fireside3]

I defer to my own knowledge of them with nearly 23 years of reptile experience, and the opinions of people like Dr. Wade Sherbrooke and Dr. Richard Montanucci who say they are difficult. Professional herpetologists from both the Nasville and Ft. Worth zoos are members of my yahoo list, and I know many other zoos who have given up keeping them, or who will not try them for very good reason.

“Horned lizards are among the most difficult lizards to keep in captivity because they have specialized dietary and thermal requirements, and they are susceptible to disease.” -Dr. Richard Montanucci, professor-Emeritus Clemson University, Herpetologist & author of “Maintenance and Propagation of Horned Lizards in Captivity”.

"Unfortunately these lizards are frequently collected from the wild for pets. They usually die in captivity because of a lack of proper husbandry. This is an incredibly delicate lizard, subject to stresses which include handling. For this reason, it should be viewed only, and not handled at all." David Cooper of the North Carolina Herpetological Society

[ I provided my care manual on horned lizards to the NCHS, which superseded the one written by David Cooper. ]

They are as hard as people say they are. You probably just got lucky, but then again, just because you say you kept it a year does not indicate that it was healthy when you sold it. Some species can be kept relatively healthy in captivity given proper conditions, if you are versed in their care, vigilant, and have the time and resources for them. If you are not any of those things, they are going to die before their time. I will stand by my statements that in my opinion these are for advanced herpers and beginners to reptiles should not try to keep them.