Sinai agama (Pseudotrapelus sinaitus)

Short answers

Sinai agama: How big does the enclosure need to be?

100×50×60 cm (one animal; a pair from ~130×50×60 cm).

Sinai agama: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 28–32 °C (cooler areas / floor ~25 °C), basking spot 45–55 °C, at night 22–25 °C.

Sinai agama: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: UVB essential, high (desert-grade UV, Ferguson zone 3–4, UV index 4–6; e.g. Bright Sun Desert or Vitalux).

Sinai agama: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 5–10 years.

Sinai agama: Is it suitable for beginners?

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

Climate

Daytime temperature

28–32 °C (cooler areas / floor ~25 °C)

Night temperature

22–25 °C

Basking spot

45–55 °C

Humidity

30–50 % (dry, rising slightly at night)

UVB

UVB essential, high (desert-grade UV, Ferguson zone 3–4, UV index 4–6; e.g. Bright Sun Desert or Vitalux)

Enclosure

Minimum size

100×50×60 cm (one animal; a pair from ~130×50×60 cm)

Substrate

A sand-loam mix with securely built, stable rock structures and room to dig

Feeding

Food

Insects (crickets, house crickets, beetles, locusts, termites); occasionally a little plant food or flowers

Feeding interval

adults 3–4×/week, juveniles daily

Key facts

Adult size

up to ~18 cm total length (the tail approx. two thirds)

Life expectancy

5–10 years

Origin

North-eastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula (Sinai / Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Oman among others); arid rock and desert habitats

Protection status

Not listed under CITES; IUCN "Least Concern"; no special registration duty in Germany. Often wild-caught in the trade – prefer captive-bred animals.

Brumation

No real winter rest; an optional short, milder dry or cool spell (a few weeks with reduced temperature and lighting) to stimulate breeding

Cohabitation

Single housing. Males are strongly territorial and can injure each other seriously, and during the breeding season females also defend territories and egg-laying sites; one animal per enclosure avoids this. A pair or a male with females is mentioned in husbandry reports only for large, structured set-ups; the drawback is that females still compete for egg-laying sites in the breeding season.

Notes

A desert species with a high warmth and UV requirement and a strong temperature gradient; conditions that are too damp or too cool are the commonest mistake. The males turn brilliant blue in the mating season. It drinks dew droplets (light morning misting). Many wild-caught animals – check for parasites and quarantine. The husbandry figures come from keeper reports (the DGHT forum, schoepfung.eu), and the field data are well documented.

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Related species

• Sinai agama (Pseudotrapelus aqabensis) – Intermediate
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• Common flying dragon (Draco volans) – Expert
• Green crested lizard (Bronchocela cristatella) – Intermediate
• Himalayan agama (Paralaudakia himalayana) – Intermediate
• Horsfield's salea (Salea horsfieldii) – Expert

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Sinai agama (Pseudotrapelus sinaitus) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (100×50×60 cm (one animal; a pair from ~130×50×60 cm)), substrate (A sand-loam mix with securely built, stable rock structures and room to dig), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.