Warren's girdled lizard (Smaug warreni)

Short answers

Warren's girdled lizard: How big does the enclosure need to be?

120×60×50 cm.

Warren's girdled lizard: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 27–33 °C, basking spot 45 °C, at night 15–20 °C.

Warren's girdled lizard: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Essential (UVB 10.0–12 %).

Warren's girdled lizard: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 20–30 years.

Warren's girdled lizard: Is it suitable for beginners?

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

Climate

Daytime temperature

27–33 °C

Night temperature

15–20 °C

Basking spot

45 °C

Humidity

35–50 %

UVB

Essential (UVB 10.0–12 %)

Enclosure

Minimum size

120×60×50 cm

Substrate

Sand-loam, stacked stable stone slabs with narrow crevices

Feeding

Food

House crickets, crickets, roaches, beetles

Feeding interval

3×/week

Key facts

Adult size

25–32 cm total length

Life expectancy

20–30 years

Origin

South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique – rock

Protection status

CITES II

Brumation

A winter rest of 8–12 weeks at 10–15 °C

Cohabitation

A colony is possible. Two males will not work together — they fight over territory and the warm spot until one is seriously injured or spends its life in a corner. One male with several females, on the other hand, works reliably. What matters is several warm spots and hides so that subordinate animals can get out of the way, and separate feeding as soon as the animals differ in size.

Notes

A flat-bodied rock-crevice dweller, live-bearing. It inflates itself in the crevice and wedges in place – narrow, defined crevices matter more than open space. Very long-lived.

Do you keep this species?

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Related species

• Breyer's girdled lizard (Smaug breyeri) – Intermediate
• Flat girdled lizard (Smaug depressus) – Intermediate
• Mozambique girdled lizard (Smaug mossambicus) – Intermediate
• Sungazer (Smaug giganteus) – Expert
• Drakensberg crag lizard (Pseudocordylus subviridis) – Intermediate
• Common crag lizard (Pseudocordylus melanotus) – Intermediate
• Jones' girdled lizard (Cordylus jonesii) – Beginner
• Cape girdled lizard (Cordylus cordylus) – Intermediate

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Warren's girdled lizard (Smaug warreni) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (120×60×50 cm), substrate (Sand-loam, stacked stable stone slabs with narrow crevices), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.