Common Names(s): Peter's sandfish; Madagascan Plated Lizard; Peter's Keeled Cordylid

Classification                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Family: Gerrhosauridae
Subfamily:
Genus: Tracheloptychus
Species: petersi
Subspecies: N/A

Etymology [if applicable]                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Trachyloptychus comes from the Greek Τραχελοσ (trachelos) meaning "neck" and 
petersi is named after German herpetologist, Wilhelm Peters (1815-1883).

Distribution                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
Type Locality: Madagascar (St. Augustins Bay)
Southwestern Madagascar. Most of the specimens in captivity are collected in/around the city of Toliara
 

Habitat/Ecology                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
Found in dry forests and semiarid regions of South-West Madagascar usually on sandy soil. 
Size   :                                                                                                                    
Males are approximately 65mm SVL, with females being slightly smaller

Enclosure Size                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
An enclosure measuring 24''x12''x12''/60cmx30cmx30cm will house up to 1.1 (see Behaviour & Compatibility). Juveniles can be kept in smaller, though giving them more space would result in healthier animals.
Groups containing multiple males and females should be at least 36''x18''x24''/90cmx45cmx60cm, with 48''x24''x24''/120cmx60cmx60cm being more suitable.

Temperature/humidity                                                                                                                      

                                                                                               
Cool side: 75-80°F/24-27°C
Warm side: 85-95°F/30-35°C
Basking spot: 120-140°F/49-60°C
rH: 50-60%
Burrow/hide humidity: 80-95%

Maintenance                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
Should be kept with at least 8'' of sand or substrate which allows and holds burrows. Provide rocks and branches for basking and visual barriers, ensuring any heavy objects are secure and won't fall on the inhabitants.
These animals like to burrow, so providing a deep sand bed (18''+/45cm+) would be ideal. Spray the top layer/decorations multiplestime a week to provide a source of water. A thin (1-2''/2.5-5cm for <12''/30cm of sand) layer of moist sand should be provided at the bottom of the enclosure to provide a moisture gradient.

Diet                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
Not much is known about their wild diet, though it is suspected to be primarily insectivorous. Captive observations seem to back this statement, with captive individuals eating insects readily, while ignoring greens, vegetables, flowers and fruits. More field work is needed to know for sure.
In captivity, the diet can consist of crickets, locusts, roaches, spiders, mealworms, and other species of larvae. Make sure all feeders have been gut loaded and dusted as needed. Frequency depends on prey size, however based on anecdotal evidence in captivesituations, they are not heavy feeders, and tend to only eat once or twice a week. 
In captivity, Tracheloptychus have been known to prefer larvae (Mealworms, superworms, etc.) and small roaches over crickets. Small prey items are preferred due to their skull structure.

Behaviour & Compatibility                                                                                                                                                                                     
For the most part this species is fairly calm.
This species is relatively aggressive to conspecifics if not given enough space, and will often (but not always) fight eachother until there is only a pair remaining in the enclosure. For this reason, it is advised to only keep a pair per enclosure, unless the enclosure is big enough (see above) and contains a deep -- more than 12''-- sand bed.

Sexing                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
Sexually Dimorphic. Males are generally more havily built than females, have wider heads, and thicker tail base. Males also tend to have slightly more blue on their heads.

Breeding/Reproduction                                                                                                                                                                                                                
Not bred in captivity, though attempts are being made. This will be updated as things progress and are figured out.