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7- Sceloporus variabilis, commonly known as the rosebelly lizard : 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Sceloporus variabilis, commonly known as the rosebelly lizard, is a species of lizard, which is endemic to Central America and North America.

Rosebelly lizard

Conservation status :

 

 

 

 


Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]

Scientific classification :

Kingdom:Animalia

Phylum:Chordata

Class:Reptilia

Order:Squamata

Suborder:Iguania

Family:Iguanidae

Subfamily:Phrynosomatinae

Genus:Sceloporus

Species:S. variabilis

Binomial name :

Sceloporus variabilis
Wiegmann, 1834

Synonyms :

  • Sceloporus variabilisWiegmann, 1834

  • Tropidolepis variabilis— A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1837

  • Sceloporus variabilis— Boulenger, 1885[2]

Geographic range :

 

 It ranges from the United States in southern Texas, through eastern Mexico, and into Central America as far south as Costa Rica.

 

Description :

 

S. variabilis is one of the smaller species of the genus Sceloporus. Adults may attain a snout-vent length (SVL) of 54 mm (2.1 in). With unbroken tails, they may reach a maximum total length of 140 mm (5.5 in).[3]

 

Dorsally, it is tan or olive, with a double series of dark brown spots. There are two yellowish dorsolateral stripes, one at each side of the back.[4] Males are darker on the side below the dorsolateral stripe.[5] Ventrally, it is dirty white or yellowish. Males have a large pink blotch on each side of the belly, which is bordered with dark blue, and they also have a black mark on the axilla.[4]

 

The supraoculars are small, and they are bordered medially by a row of small scales, which prevent them from contacting the median head shields. The dorsal scales are keeled, pointed, and spiny. There are 58-69 dorsal scales from the interparietal shield to the base of the tail. A postfemoral pocket is present. Males have 10-14 femoral pores.[5]

Subspecies :

 

The three recognized subspecies of S. variabilis are:

 

  • S. v. marmoratus Hallowell, 1852

  • S. v. olloporus H.M. Smith, 1937

  • S. v. variabilis Wiegmann, 1834

Some sources consider S. v. marmoratus to be its own species, and some sources also consider S. v. olloporus to be merely a local variation of S. v. variabilis, and not an actual subspecies.

For the external links , refrences  click here to read the full wikipedia article 

Video : 

Sceloporus Variabilis

Care Articles :

 

 Pink Bellied Swift
Sceloporus variabilis

 

The Pink Bellied Swift is a small to medium species growing to an adult size of 100-150mm (4-6 inch). They can be found living in rocky terrains in arid and semi-arid environments in North America, this lizard is found from South Texas to northeaster Mex .

1- Sceloporus variabilis 

Pink-bellied Swift (adults)

 
 
Price: $19.99
 

 

Species:

 

Sceloporus Variabilis

 

Origin:

 

This animal originates from some parts of Central America from Mexico to Costa Rica.

 

Size And Longevity:

 

This animal is use too dry arid regions and are a beautiful but small size lizard and they all seem too make a pretty nice starter lizard as they are pretty hardy and all though they are pretty shy at first with proper care they seem too tame pretty well, they are also fun too watch as they are very interesting and very active animals, this makes a great starter lizard for those who want your' first lizard.

This animal is a small size lizard and full grown only gets a size of 4 to 6 inches in length, and are very active, these animals are also diurnal meaning they are mostly active at day and are usually a brown in color with a bright pink and blue underside females are greyish to brown color, they are a great choice for one with not much room, these animals have been known too live up 6 to 8 years in captivity and seem too become pretty docile.

 

Habitat And Caging Requirements:

 

This species is usually quiet easy to keep as they do not require a large amount of space to keep and seem to do well at a temperature of around 75 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit, 1 or 2 adult animal can be kept in a 15 or 20 gallon tank or vivarium and are best kept with 1 male per setup.

 

You can decorate the tank with wood, live plant's, sand substrate and rock's, this species seems to do best in a desert or tropical like aquarium or vivarium type setup with a basking area and some moss, chola wood for hiding places, and a water dish large enough too climb into, and keep the water clean by changing it every other day, also keep a water spray bottle handy to mist down the setup every 2 to 3 days and this will also help with your' pet's shedding, they also enjoy a basking area, some people also use a small heat pad at one end of the setup so the animal can move to and from heat as it needs.

 

Temperature And Lighting Requirements:

 

You want to use low wattage bulbs' for best results' to avoid over heating of your' pet as over heating could cause your' pet to dehydrate, these animals' seem to fair well at temperatures of (75 to 84 degrees F.).

 

Sexing Your' Animal:

 

The male is larger and brighter brown with 2 pink patches under his belly surrounded by dark blue rings.

 

Feeding And Nutrition:

 

For feeding your' pet it is no problem as they are veracious feeders' and will readily eat crickets', meal worms, super worms, fruit flies, and wax worms.

 

Handling And Care:

 

"Alright for the care and handling of your pet", I know these little guys' are so cute that your' going too want too handle them all the time right?, but when you first get them it is a good idea put them in their new home and mostly enjoy watching them get use to their new home and feed them well for at least a couple of day's which is really a good idea for any new pet that you get of any kind and then gradually start too handle them from time to time, this is called acclimating your' animal which cut's down stress which in turn make's you have a happier healthier pet, this species is pretty docile, it will just take a little while for it to get use to it's new owner so start handling them a little at a time.

 

 

 

 

2- HOW TO CARE FOR A PINK BELLY SWIFT LIZARD :

courtesy to :  animals.mom.me/care-pink-belly-swift-lizard 

Pink belly swift lizards (Sceloporus variabilis) colloquially go by several different names, including pink-bellied swifts and rose-bellied spiny lizards. Native to arid parts of North America from Texas to Costa Rica, these semi-arboreal lizards are agile climbers. They generally grow to between 4 and 6 inches long and can live for upwards of five years, if you take proper care of them.

 

 

Home Sweet Vivarium :

 

One or two of these lizards can be kept in vivarium with a minimum capacity of 20 gallons. Ensure it has a securely fitting lid to prevent escape. If you plan on keeping a pair, remember that two males can't live together or they'll fight. The tank should have a temperature gradient—one end needs to be warmer than the other—with the warm end at around 95 degrees Fahrenheit and the cooler end at around 75 degrees. Nighttime temperature should be kept at around 70 degrees throughout. Radiant heat is best, so use an incandescent light or ceramic heater to warm your vivarium.

 

Get Kitted Out :

 

Once you have your vivarium, it needs to be kitted out with the right equipment and accessories. You need a lighting system that provides UVB rays with full-spectrum fluorescent light. Keep this on for 10 to 12 hours each day. Your pink belly swift also requires substrate in his tank. Sandy substrate is preferable, but he'll also do well with pellet or mulch varieties. As this species is naturally semi-arboreal—it spends a lot of time in the trees—provide nontoxic plants, branches and logs for him to climb. Make sure he has plenty of hiding places, but keep them away from his heat source.

 

Grub's Up :

 

The pink belly swift lizard is generally a good eater and will devour a variety of foods, including crickets, mealworms, superworms, fruit flies, wax worms and maggots. These foods need to be fed live or he may not accept them. You should also provide a daily calcium supplement and a weekly multivitamin and mineral supplement to ensure proper nutrition. He should be given a shallow bowl of water, large enough for him to fit into. Not all pink belly lizards will drink from a water bowl—many prefer to get their water from moisture on plants and decorations—but it's a good idea to provide one anyway.

 

Care and Maintenance

 

Mist your pink belly swift and his environment daily to help keep humidity high in his tank. You want it at about 60 percent. If his environment isn't humid enough, it may infringe on his ability to shed his skin. Feel free to handle your lizard, as long as it doesn't distress him, but always wash your hands thoroughly before doing so, to avoid making him sick. Clean your swift's tank and all its furnishings with nontoxic cleaning products once a week and completely replace the substrate. Clean out and refresh his water bowl daily.

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