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The Black Agama Lizard, also known as the Orange-Spotted
Agama Lizard, (Scientific Name is Laudakia stellio piceais.)
is a strikingly beautiful lizard and makes an excellent pet.
The Black Agama Lizard upon maturity will reach twelve
inches in length on average. Despite its name, the Black
Agama is not actually black, it is a variegated dark brown
to black with orange splotches and stripes, making it look
like a little bed of lava that has cooled for a bit.
The orange splotches, sometimes merging and becoming stripes
or spots, run down their backs, tails and even their legs.
They have muscular legs for climbing over rocks and debris,
and distinctive scales across their legs that are beautiful.
Their feet have sharp, long claws, their tales are spiny and
they have a spiny ridge going down the top of their back.
This is all topped off by a triangular shaped head and
distinct neck. As the males mature, they lose some of the
spotting and during the mating season adult males have a
dark blue throat patch.
A breeding pair of Orange Spotted Agamas will need a
vivarium of at least three feet long, eighteen inches wide
and one foot high, with a substrate of sand and with
branches and rocks to climb on. Add the normal heat and UV
lamps for Agamas, and turn them off at night. As Spring
begins to arrive, drop the temperature even more at night to
stimulate breeding condition in the males.
Keep in mind that during the time the female is pregnant you
will have to seclude her until she lays a clutch of eggs
around June. A second tank will be needed for the male after
he is done mating with the female.
The female will also have to be fed more food more often
while she is in her gestation period, before she lays her
eggs. Once she lays her eggs she can be put back with the
male. The female will usually lay from six to eight eggs.
These eggs will incubate for two to three months and hatch
sometime between August and September.
Never put the babies and the two bigger lizards together in
one tank unless you want the babies crushed or eaten. The
baby Black Agamas eats the same thing as the adults just in
smaller chopped up portions. Never feed the babies anything
bigger than they can handle. Food in pieces that are too
large can cause gut impaction and they can die.
Black Agama lizards are primarily insectivores but will eat
some vegetable matter. Mealworms, crickets and waxworms
sprinkled with a vitamin supplement are appropriate food,
and small amounts of dandelion flowers and new leaves,
grated carrots, or other edible greens may be given daily.
The Black Agama Lizard eats three to five times a week,
depending on their age. Feed the young five times per week
and the adults three times per week. Never overfeed your
lizard; a fat lizard is an unhealthy lizard. Clean water
should be provided daily. Hatchlings are very small, about
one inch long, but grow rapidly on small crickets dusted
with reptile supplement. Be sure to place only a little
water and small rocks in the hatchlings' water dish so they
won't drown.
The Black Agama lizard is recommended as a great pet for
owning and for breeding, but don't breed your Black Agama
Lizards without first researching and seeking advice from
other breeders. This can save the lives of your female
lizard and babies.
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