Central netted dragon (Ctenophorus nuchalis)

Short answers

Central netted dragon: How big does the enclosure need to be?

100×50×40 cm.

Central netted dragon: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 30–37 °C, basking spot 48 °C, at night 16–21 °C.

Central netted dragon: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Essential (UVB 10.0–12 %).

Central netted dragon: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 5–8 years.

Central netted dragon: Is it suitable for beginners?

Rather not – it is considered an intermediate species (difficulty: Intermediate).

Climate

Daytime temperature

30–37 °C

Night temperature

16–21 °C

Basking spot

48 °C

Humidity

25–40 %

UVB

Essential (UVB 10.0–12 %)

Enclosure

Minimum size

100×50×40 cm

Substrate

Sand-loam 10–15 cm for digging, flat stones

Feeding

Food

House crickets, crickets, roaches, a little greenery

Feeding interval

4×/week

Key facts

Adult size

15–20 cm total length

Life expectancy

5–8 years

Origin

Central Australia – desert

Protection status

Export from Australia is prohibited

Brumation

A cooler dry spell of 8–10 weeks

Cohabitation

Harem (1,2) – Männchen strikt getrennt. Der Grund: mehrere Männchen kämpfen um Revier und Wärmeplatz, bis eines verletzt ist oder dauerhaft in der Ecke sitzt. Weibchen vertragen sich meist, brauchen aber je eigene Wärme- und Versteckplätze; bei Größenunterschieden getrennt füttern.

Notes

It digs its own burrows; the substrate has to be correspondingly deep and compactable. Extremely heat-tolerant – the basking spot may well be very hot, as long as cool zones exist.

Do you keep this species?

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Related species

• Ring-tailed dragon (Ctenophorus caudicinctus) – Intermediate
• Painted dragon (Ctenophorus pictus) – Intermediate
• Military dragon (Ctenophorus isolepis) – Intermediate
• Western netted dragon (Ctenophorus reticulatus) – Intermediate
• Lake Eyre dragon (Ctenophorus maculosus) – Intermediate
• Oriental garden lizard (Calotes versicolor) – Intermediate
• Spotted butterfly lizard (Leiolepis guttata) – Intermediate
• Common flying dragon (Draco volans) – Expert

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Central netted dragon (Ctenophorus nuchalis) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (100×50×40 cm), substrate (Sand-loam 10–15 cm for digging, flat stones), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.