What kind of Lizard is this?

[Lioth]

I'm not really sure if I am in the right forum, but can anybody classify this lizard?
Note: these photos are from the internet, it looks the same and the description says that it is from Liberia but if you want, I can take a picture of it with my camera tomorrow.

 

[maverickgrl79]

Agama (genus) look this up there are many types from all over but there is a list of all of them under this name on wiki.

 

[Lioth]

Tan

Agama (genus) look this up there are many types from all over but there is a list of all of them under this name on wiki.

Thanks for giving the genus and yes it seems to be it, but what is the name of the specie? I'll post a picture tomorrow because the pictures above are from the internet.

 

[Caleb C]

It's just a common agama
Agama agama

 

[Amanda1]

Also called a red-headed agama.

 

[Lioth]

Thanks, but can it be kept in captivity? Is it harmful or dangerous?

 

[Caleb C]

There are many types of agamas that look different, some having very intense colors. They'd need a pretty big tank.
Just google up some information, they seem pretty interesting, and only require a basking spot of around 90 degrees.

 

[Lioth]

Wow thanks, I'll catch some tomorrow but they seem to be very fast. I've been working on some traps but they don't work very well. They seem to be about $20 (http://www.generalexotics.com/lizards/agamids-for-sale/red-head-agama-p-166) but I would also prefer a pet that when you free it, it doesn't escape.

 

[Caleb C]

http://chasinglinnaeus.com/2011/09/liberia-part-ii/

 

[Lioth]

http://chasinglinnaeus.com/2011/09/liberia-part-ii/

I've read this post before, but I just looked at the pictures. Sorry 'bout that, should've known that it's an A. Agama.

They seem to be very fast, probably the fastest ones that I have ever encountered.

^I'm trying to do this, but it still doesn't work.
I have no idea how, I can't catch up with its speed. I am agile but whenever I plan to catch it or just stare at it with low movement, it just sprints away. So it's kind of impossible to even put a stick in front of it.
Any idea of traps or techniques?
Thanks in advanced.

 

[Caleb C]

I've done that before with some success. I'm not sure if it would work with an agama though, they can be pretty big. The stick of grass or whatever you're using has to be pretty long, and you'd have to use gloves, or they might take a bite out of you once you catch them.
How big are the agama's you're trying to catch?
Are you trying to get them to keep for a while, then let go?

 

[Lioth]

I've done that before with some success. I'm not sure if it would work with an agama though, they can be pretty big. The stick of grass or whatever you're using has to be pretty long, and you'd have to use gloves, or they might take a bite out of you once you catch them.
How big are the agama's you're trying to catch?
Are you trying to get them to keep for a while, then let go?

Thank you! That's exactly what I wanted to hear. I think that agama's are not really the fastest, but they probably might be the one of the most hyperactive lizards. It's their instincts. That was when I thought of making a longer blade of grass with a round tip on its edge to surround the head around it, although it still doesn't work. At the moment that they see me, they just stare at me for minutes. If I stop moving, it doesn't react much but their respiration does seem to become quite faster than before which might have been due to nervousness. I don't want them to see me, I have absolutely no idea to catch it. I'll try something new tomorrow.

Edit: Sorry, I forgot to answer your question. I think that I can handle the reptile, I'm an extremely-careful pet owner. I'm keeping it in captivity for quite a long time. How long is its life span? I also have emperor scorpions.

 

[Caleb C]

10-15 years, I believe. Did you even get a chance to get one over their head? It's pretty hard for me, since my hand seems to shake a little. I just slowly walk over to them, I heard that moving a little back and forth helps, since it makes it seem like you're swaying with the wind, don't know if it really helps though. Being wild, they probably won't be as docile as they say they are online, since they haven't been bred in captivity and raised around human interactions. Try to put as much space between you and the lizard, I usually try for 3-4 feet. I end up smacking them in the face because it gets hard to control the grass.

 

[Josh2]

Wow that's a pretty cool youtube video! I'm going to go lizard hunting (and releasing )!

 

[Caleb C]

Make sure to wear gloves when herping, a 6 inch fence lizard took a bite out of me and broke the skin.

 

[Lioth]

Well this is the first time I've tried catching a lizard and with that method (blade of grass). They're very sharp and sensitive, I couldn't even touch a single cell. Like other videos say, a normal lizard wouldn't mind a single grass to touch their head or even get poked by it numerous times. But the agama is different, once it sees and senses you; it runs away. I think that all of the lizards here (I think are still agamas but have the basic color of black in their whole body) are pretty much same. I saw a big fat lizard from a deep hole of garbage where agamas are supposed to live. It was quick as heck. At the moment it sensed me coming in, it quickly climbed up from the whole even though I was concealing my whole presence while holding myself back from breathing. How am I supposed to catch them? In Liberia, they don't have much stores and goods here. I'm not even in the capital city.

Watch this video, this is one of the reasons why I feel like getting a large lizard lol. It beats my emperor scorpion.

Again guys, I kind of need your ideas on catching them. TY in advanced.

 

[Caleb C]

Idk, wild animals usually don't make good pets anyway. Bearded dragons are great pets, but I would never feed an anole or scorpion to my pets. I think he's entertaining himself more than he's feeding them. What made you want to live all the way in Liberia? Do you have access to tanks, heat bulbs, and uvb bulbs?
I guess you could dig some kind of hole in the dirt near where they hang out, cover it with something, and place mealworms on top, when they try to go eat the mealworms, they fall in.

 

[Lioth]

Idk, wild animals usually don't make good pets anyway. Bearded dragons are great pets, but I would never feed an anole or scorpion to my pets. I think he's entertaining himself more than he's feeding them. What made you want to live all the way in Liberia? Do you have access to tanks, heat bulbs, and uvb bulbs?
I guess you could dig some kind of hole in the dirt near where they hang out, cover it with something, and place mealworms on top, when they try to go eat the mealworms, they fall in.

Yeah, I actually felt sorry for the scorpion back there.
I guess you can say that I was kinda forced to come here, I left my country when I was a kid. My family works in a university here, I had to join and live here too-since nobody would take care of me back then. I'd actually prefer to go back right now since I'm quite sick here, no cities and stuff. I need to entertain myself in all ways and I love reptiles and arachnids- mostly all animals. This is why I want to keep some pets too, so that's why I took Africa as an advantage of getting cool animals. I mean, people always say about something like Africa has the best animals in the world. They think it's right, I don't think it's wrong either. Well, Liberia is not much of an entertainment of animals compared to other countries of Africa- but it was supposed to be one of the best countries of Africa for me. It was because of corruption, stealing money and other stuff. And because of the war, the animals ran away- but not all, of course. The emperor scorpion can only be found in certain parts of West Africa, and they also have them in Liberia. Wild animals are USUALLY not good pets, but not really all of them! >:3

Thanks for the trap guide, I'll try it tomorrow. And nope, I don't have access for tanks, and UV or heat bulbs. I don't think that I have to worry for that, I research before I get an animal. I don't want it to die early. I will take care of the tanks, we'll make one but it's probably gonna have to be big- about a 48" x 18" x 18" container, that's what they said. I don't know about the uv and heat bulbs. It's possible to make one though, if you have the resources. I've been trying to do so for my scorpion before, too.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2064224_care-agama-lizard.html

>Again, traps & techniques guys, traps n' techniques please.

 

[Caleb C]

:\ If you don't have access to uvb and heat bulbs, it will be hard to keep them healthy and alive. You also need access to a good amount of insects you can feed it.

 

[Lioth]

:\ If you don't have access to uvb and heat bulbs, it will be hard to keep them healthy and alive. You also need access to a good amount of insects you can feed it.

I have no problem for the insects, I can just create a cricket trap. I've done that before and it worked very well.
As for the uvb and heat bulbs, I've recently discovered that they sell them somewhere in town. I don't know if that's true though, I'll check it up today- but if I don't get one, then I'm gonna have to do the hard way. >:3
Heat bulbs are very necessary though, I don't want to go outside early in the morning carrying its vivarium..