Madagacar Blue Rock Iguana??

LizardLover · #1 (**permalink**) 05-04-2005, 12:18 PM

I was reading some of the previous posts on this site after I just happened to glance at a listing for a Madagascar Blue Rock Iguana on the California Zoological Supply's inventory list. (http://www.calzoo.com/lizards.html) (Now can't seem to access the msgs/pics that were briefly mentioned when I was reading over some of the discussions before joining though.)

Anyway, I have never heard of this type of iguana before. I did a whole lot of research and finally came up with 2 pics of igunaids indigenous to Madagascar. But if this particular type of iguana is so difficult to even find information about, then it strikes me as a little strange that it would be available to herpers. Anyone else have any info on this particular iguana?

tachichick · #2 (**permalink**) 05-04-2005, 06:39 PM

Being as I am the one who owns a Madagascar Blue Rock Iguana, you probably read all my questions about my little fellow.
I do know that they are more like a spiney tail lizard rather than a true Iguana. One huge diffference is that they are insect eaters not veggie eaters. Another is that they like to have more of an arrid , rocky environment.
There is a professor of Biology at Appalachian State University that also owns one who has posted photos of his lizard that he purchased from the same pet store that we got ours, but I havent been in touch with him since early fall to see how his lizard is doing.
Ours is managing to live against the odds of losing his tail twice, his toes on his front legs gone because the wire screening we used in the cage to keep the crickets in rubbed them off, being lost in the house, after escaping for 3 days before being found by one of our cats. This poor little guy has been thru the wringer and still hangs on.
I am going to have to see if I can find those photos I took and re-post them so you can compare it with others you found.
I think that PetCo has a caresheet on them. If you do searches for them make sure that you use their scientific name Oplurus Firerensis, many of the sites that I found are out of Germany.
From what I have researched they dont get very big 1 1/2 to 2 ft long STL, ours hasnt quite reached that length and he just turned 1 year old in April.
Hope that any of this helps,

tachichick · #3 (**permalink**) 05-04-2005, 07:15 PM

Try this link to see the photo of the one the professor at App State has, looks like the one I have.

www.embl-heidelberg.de/Opluridae.html

Or you can do a google image search for oplurus and you will find several photos of what one looks like
I am still searching for where my photos are.

LizardLover · #4 (**permalink**) 05-06-2005, 06:16 AM

Wow, thanks so much for all of the info!

Hmmm...the link didn't work, but I will definitely do some more searching. My curiosity has definitely been piqued.

Any idea why they seem to be so rarely kept as pets?

In your experience, what is their temperment like?

LizardLover · #5 (**permalink**) 05-06-2005, 07:42 AM

I'm curious, does yours have the really obvious "third eye" on the top of its head?

tachichick · #6 (**permalink**) 05-09-2005, 08:38 PM

Yes my "Elvis" has the third eye on top of his head. His temperment is sweet and loving, though he does get hyper at times. It is fun to watch him go into hunt mode for crickets... he will bob his head up and down before snatching up a cricket.
Once you get him out of the cage he tends to calm right down and enjoys getting his ears rubbed... falls right to sleep. When we get him out to soak in the sink, he puffs up to float, then falls asleep. He has only a couple of times spazed out and lept out of our hand because the cat wants to play with him.
I am not sure as to why they seem to not be a popular lizrd to keep, because they are so easy to keep. I make sure that there is a cave to hid in, a UVB bulb, a regular light bulb for heat, a hot rock which he likes to lounge on as well as a water dish. A couple of pieces of potato for the crickets and you're set. As for substrate, we use a piece of carpet on the bottom of the tank. The professor I talked wth used sand. I have never seen my little guy taste with his tounge so I dont think that using sand would be a problem like with green igs.
Their skin is soft like leather and it only gets rough (scaley) at the tail and the legs. They are a pretty shade of blue with purple when they are not shedding,they they turn a gray brown color.

Hope all this helps,

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