painted dragons

[vadnappa]

hi, im interested in getting some painteds but i read that they are mature enough to breed in 12 months but then they die???? this book said ocasionaly you can keep them alive for 2 years but never for more then one breed. does anyone know anything about this? i am really hoping it isnt correct.

 

[junglepython2]

When I was looking at getting them I heard the same information, at least for the males. Would be interested to hear from people who keep them.

 

[insectovor]

This is true in the wild, but sometimes males make it up to two years. In captivity I have seen animals making it to 6 years of age(extremely old). The other thing is that they breed like crazy, so you should have enough off spring to keep your colony going. They are sexually mature within 12 months

Same story with some of the other Ctenophorus sp. like The Military Dragon

 

[junglepython2]

Mmmm not the best pet if you are one who gets attached easily

 

[insectovor]

No.......but they are great to keep...just keep naming them the same

 

[vadnappa]

is it same with red barred or peninsula?

 

[Simon_Archibald]

It is true that most of the Ctenophorus species are similar to this, so yes that would include Red-Barreds (C.vadnappa) and Peninsulas (C.fionni).

In captivity, if kept well, these species can live for 5+ years but the most I've heard of is 7 years of age. They are very small dragons (in case you think they were bigger) and are not animals you could get out and handle. They are extremely fast so an enclosure with top access is a must...otherwise you'll probably be watching your animals run out the enclosure and the front door as well (or under the front door).

They are rewarding animals to keep...I've kept and bred the Painteds and they're great.

Simon Archibald

 

[Glimmerman]

They are top lil critters to keep. Full of character. You can have a nice little colony in a 2x2x2. Most ppl I know say approx 5 yrs in captivity with 2 - 3 clutches per season.

SImon's right though, try to avoid sliding glass front enclosures or do all your schedules cleaning etc when they are asleep. I'm speaking from experience, they are hard to catch in house :lol: