Horned Mtn Dragon (Pics and Caresheet Link)

[stormyva]

We came across this male Acanthosaura Capra to go along with our female in hopes that they will "get along" in the future.
Here are the pics.....
The new male, Makalu:



Here is the female that we have, McKinley:


I also wrote a Care Sheet for these awesome little lizards.
Horned Mountain Dragon Caresheet


_________________
"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." - Lao-tzu

[Samba]

They're cute! How common are these guys in captivity? They look like they'd make personable pets!

[stormyva]

They are really not all that common in the pet trade and most of what is available in the US right now is wild caught. They really make great pets and I am hoping at successfully breeding our pair in the next year.

[lynsey_togofire]

are they anything like iguanas? just curious b/c my bf is looking to get a personable reptile that CAN be free roaming but doesn't get as big as iguanas. i have a male iggy and he loves him but doesn't want the size. good for him or no?

lynsey

[stormyva]

The HMDs are not a reptile to get as a "Free roaming" animal. For one, they will only get to 12-14" long. Two they need high humidity, higher than most homes have. They do make a great "display" animal and if you got a cage set up in the living room with some nice plants an HMD would look great.

[Samba]

Lynsey, I wouldn't suggest you and your boyfriend search for 'free roaming' reptiles. I understand why you would want such an arrangement, but you are going to have to consider many things when making this decision. Is it best for the reptile? What kind of things in your house are hazardous? Does your landlord use, or ever used, insecticides in your home? Having an iguana free roaming is like having a 2 yr. old without supervision. Think long and hard about what's best for the animal, what you want from the animal, and the best way to make the both of you happy. I would suggest a tegu, or another varanid, just remember, free roaming animals can raise hell!

[Phantom]

Those are really nice mtn. dragons, stormyva!
I also have 1.1 acanthosaura capra, but I don't really handle them unless I really have to. I prefer to keep them as display animals. They are housed in a 4ft high viv that I customised. It has plenty of branches ad vines for them to climb on. It's so beautiful to observe them in a habitat that resembles nature. I find it is in those environments that you see the true beaty of an animal!
Anyways, congrats on your new male, it has amazing colors!!

Phantom

[stormyva]

We have setup our cages in a very similar manner. It is on a nice stand and sitting beside the couch in our living room. The female has found a favorite perch where she can sit and watch all of the happenings.

We handle ours maybe once or twice a week for 10-15 minutes at a time. I would not recommend much more than that as they do seem to eat lightly the day after handling which leads me to believe that it does stress them out to some extent.

[Jeff_Favelle]

Mountain Dragons rock! Totall underrated.

[Matt_K]

tonight while at the local pet shop i saw one of these guys! I spent about 10 minutes looking at it and considering. I didnt know anything about it, so refrained. Out of curiosity, what do they cost? The store was asking $70...

[stormyva]

MattK,
I dont know about the market up there and currency conversion so I will give you the averages here..... a healty wild caught rarely ever goes for more that $30 USD and a captive bred will run in the $60 to $70 range.