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Before you buy that Wild Caught reptile, read this!

Mountain Horned Dragon (Acanthosaura species)

So, you don't want to learn everything you can about your MHD yet. This sheet was to help you to get your new MHD established and to help you to identify your new MHDs needs and basic care quickly.

First things first;
FORGET EVERYTHING THE PET STORE TOLD YOU!

1. MHDs CANNOT BE KEPT IN A 10 OR 20 GALLON TANK!
   • MHDS NEED A TALL ARBOREAL TANK OR ENCLOSURE
   
   
2. IF YOU USE A 100w HEAT LAMP ON A 10 OR 20 GALLON TANK YOU WILL COOK YOUR MHD!
   • MHDs DO NOT NEED A HEAT LAMP!
   
   
3. YOUR DRAGON IS WILD CAUGHT (WC)!
   • PET STORES WILL TELL YOU WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR, NOT NECESSARILY WHAT IS TRUTH.
   
   
4. THE EMPLOYEES AT THE PET STORE DO NOT KNOW THE AGE OF YOU MHD
   • THEY ARE ONLY GUESSING, THAT IS ALL ANYONE CAN DO WITH A WC REPTILE!
   
   
5. YOUR MHD PROBABLY HAS NOT BEEN SEEN BY A VET
   • A FECAL EXAM SHOULD BE DONE BY A VET TO CHECK FOR PARASITES.
   
   
6. YOUR MHD DOES NOT NEED A HEAT ROCK, THEY DO NOT BASK!
   • REMEMBER, THEY LIVE IN TREES.
   
   
7. YOUR MHD DOES NOT NEED A HIDE
   • IT WILL NOT USE IT UNLESS IT IS VERY ILL OR IS DYING!
   • REMEMBER, THEY LIVE IN TREES NOT CAVES OR BURROWS.

NOW, ON TO THE BASICS:

• Selecting your new MHD
  • Select a MHD that is climbing rather than lying on the floor
  • The MHD should be fairly active (tries to run or jump)
  • skin doesn't look loose and flaky
  • Color is not extremely dark brown to black.
  
  
• Acclimating your new MHD.
  • Make sure you have a vet do a fecal exam as soon as you have purchased your MHD.
    • It is almost a guarantee that your new MHD has parasites.
  • Pet stores sell WC MHDs. Most are very stressed & dehydrated.
  • Females are often gravid and care must be taken to assure that she will be able to dig a proper nest.
  • Problems to be concerned with are:
    1. Parasites (don't treat with Ivomectin)
    2. Intestinal, respiratory, and oral infections.
    3. Eggbinding in females.
  • Your new MHD will be stressed.
    • Allow time for your MHD to feel comfortable with you.
    • Keep sessions of handling your MHD short until he feels more relaxed while being handled.
    • Provide areas of dense foliage cover so he can hide if he likes during the acclimation period.
  • It is not normal for your MHD to spend most of the time laying on the ground. If he does he is very ill and needs the expertise of a qualified reptile veterinarian
  • Always wash your hands thoroughly before handling your MHD and ALWAYS remember to thoroughly sanitize your hands after handling any reptile.
  • To find a herp vet in your area CLICK HERE
  • For details on Health CLICK HERE
  
  
• THE ENCLOSURE:
  • Acanthosaura species are medium sized arboreal lizards and require a cool rainforest enclosure.
    • Minimum size requirements are a minimum of 130 cm (4 feet) high, 100 cm (3 feet) long, and 50 cm (1.5 feet) deep.
    • If keeping more than one Mountain Horned Dragon (MHD) this should be increased to allow each to establish his own territory.
    • Provide lots of vertical climbing space.
    • Multiple females can be kept together but it is recommended that only one male should be kept in an enclosure to prevent fighting.
  • Humidity should be 70-75%.
    • Use a large water dish that the MHD can swim in.
    • An airstone is recommended as most MHDs will ignore standing water.
    • Misting several times a day is beneficial and helps maintain the desired humidity.
  • Daytime temps should be 78-82 F and Nighttime temps should be 68-74 F.
  • It is recommended that you use a good UVB bulb and replace it every 6-10 months.
  • For more details on Housing and Humidity Click Here
  • For more details on Heating and Lighting Click Here
  
  
• Feeding
  Mountain Horned Dragons are completely insectivorous and will eat most of the commonly available feeder insects.
  • Favorite food seems to be nightcrawlers and silkworms (including pupae).
  • MHDs will also eat dusted superworms, crickets, roaches, silkworm pupae, moths, and earth worms.
  • When feeding insects dust with Sticky Tongue Farms Miner-All I or other vitamin powder at least once a week and with calcuim once a week.
  • For more details on Feeding Click Here
  
  
• Temperament:
  MHDs are a fairly inactive lizard.
  • If you want an active reptile so you can enjoy watching its activities then you don't want an MHD.
  • MHDs are easy to handle but watch that you don't give it the opportunity to leap and run from you.
  • Generally adult males are more calm than females.
  • Most pre-adolescents tend to be testy.
  • Gravid females can be very testy.
  • For more details on temperament Click Here
  
  
• Breeding: Click Here
• Egg Laying: Click Here
• Incubation: Click Here
• Caring for Hatchlings: Click Here

  ***This Caresheet is the property of Marcia Bradley and FroggieB Dragons. Feel free to use this caresheet or to link to it from your web page. No part of this Caresheet is to be copied in any form without the explicit permission of its owner. ***

  Suggested Reading
  Agamid Lizards by Ulrich Manthey and Norbert Schuster
  Agamid Lizards: Keeping and Breeding them in captivity David J. Zoffer

  This page last updated May 4, 2003.

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