Thick-tailed whorltail iguana (Stenocercus crassicaudatus)

Short answers

Thick-tailed whorltail iguana: How big does the enclosure need to be?

100×60×100 cm for a pair.

Thick-tailed whorltail iguana: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 23–28 °C, basking spot Basking spot 31–34 °C, at night 20–23 °C.

Thick-tailed whorltail iguana: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Essential (UVB 10.0).

Thick-tailed whorltail iguana: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 6–12 years.

Thick-tailed whorltail iguana: Is it suitable for beginners?

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

Climate

Daytime temperature

23–28 °C

Night temperature

20–23 °C

Basking spot

Basking spot 31–34 °C

Humidity

60–80 %

UVB

Essential (UVB 10.0)

Enclosure

Minimum size

100×60×100 cm for a pair

Substrate

Forest-floor substrate with climbing branches; for the dry-country species sand-loam with stones

Feeding

Food

Crickets, roaches, locusts and house crickets; the larger species also take plant food

Feeding interval

adults 3×/week

Key facts

Adult size

18–25 cm

Life expectancy

6–12 years

Origin

Peru

Protection status

Not listed under CITES

Brumation

No winter rest; somewhat cooler in winter

Cohabitation

Keeping them singly is least stressful. There is little evidence of male rivalry for this species itself; anyone wanting to keep several should put one male with one or two females in a sufficiently large, richly structured terrarium and watch for compatibility.

Notes

Andean foothills; cooler than the lowland species.

Do you keep this species?

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Related species

• Fringed whorltail iguana (Stenocercus fimbriatus) – Intermediate
• Barahona curly-tailed lizard (Leiocephalus barahonensis) – Intermediate
• Bibron's tree iguana (Liolaemus bibronii) – Intermediate
• Blue tree iguana (Uracentron azureum) – Expert
• Painted tree iguana (Liolaemus pictus) – Intermediate
• Thin tree iguana (Liolaemus tenuis) – Intermediate
• Chilean tree iguana (Liolaemus chiliensis) – Intermediate
• Spiny-tailed dwarf iguana (Hoplocercus spinosus) – Intermediate

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Thick-tailed whorltail iguana (Stenocercus crassicaudatus) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (100×60×100 cm for a pair), substrate (Forest-floor substrate with climbing branches; for the dry-country species sand-loam with 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.