How to Care for a Red‐Headed Agama

Last Updated: November 16, 2020

Red-Headed Agamas (Agama agama) is a species of lizard that is found in Africa. They are known for their beautiful colors which got them the nickname of rainbow agamas. Agamas are popular in the pet trade and a great intermediate pet.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Gathering Necessary Equipment

1
Have a proper sized tank. A single adult agama needs a minimum of a 40-gallon tank. A pair of agamas need a minimum of a 100-gallon tank. Agamas don't climb much, so you don't need the tank to be too tall, 16 inches high will do.
2
Keep proper temperature and lighting. Red headed agamas need to have a basing area of 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celcius) and a cool area of 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celcius). At night, you can let the temperature drop down to 75 degrees Fahrenheit (24 degrees Celcius). To achieve these temperatures, you will need
- A reptile bulb (60-80 watts)
- A heat mat
- A UVB bulb (to aid in acquiring vitamins)
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3
Have the right humidity level. Red headed agamas are from the desert, so they need a low humidity level. A humidity level between 10 and 25 percent will be fine. You will also need to give them a small bowl of water to drink.
4
Have a proper substrate. You want the substrate to be similar to what you will find in an agama's natural environment. Some commonly used substrates in agama tanks are:
- A sand and woodchip mix
- Peat moss
- Newspaper
5
Use the right amount of decoration. You should have at least three places to hide for your agama throughout the cage. You should also make sure that you give your agama many rocks and branches to climb on. Make sure all decoration that you add is sturdy and not sharp, to prevent injuries to your agama.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Feeding

1
Feed them insects. Red headed agamas love to eat insects like crickets, mealworms, superworms, and butterworms. Agamas should be fed 2-3 times a week with large feedings. You should give adult agamas either 15-20 crickets or 7-10 superworms each feeding.^{[1]
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2
Feed them properly sized foods. All crickets that you feed your agama should be smaller than the width of your agama's head. If they are bigger, your agama could choke on the cricket.
3
Gut load and dust all foods. Everything that you feed to your agama should be gut loaded to give your agama a nutritious meal. You should also dust all meals with a calcium powder to keep your agama healthy.
- Gut loading is the process of feeding your agama's prey nutritional foods, with the intention of passing that nutrition onto the agama.^{[2]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Breeding

1
Sex your agamas. It is very easy to sex adult agamas. Male agamas should stand out with bright blues and orange colours over their body. Females, on the other hand, are a tan color with a little bit of orange.
2
Choose your pair. Make sure your breeding candidates are sexually mature and that they are old enough. Generally, when your agama reaches two years of age they can breed.
3
Pair your male and female. After you chose your pair, you should add your male in with your female, so they get accustomed to each other. It will take a while for your agamas to breed, so when you see your female becoming round, you should move your male out.
4
Care for the pregnant female. After you move out the male, put an egg box in the female's tank. This egg box should be plastic and be full of dirt. Make sure to increase the amount fed to the pregnant female and give her extra vitamins to keep her healthy.
- You can feed your pregnant female a pinky mouse to help increase her weight.
5
Care for the eggs. Once your female lays her eggs, move the eggs into an incubator. You should keep your incubator at 85 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celcius). After around three months in the incubator, your agamas should begin to hatch.
6
Care for the hatchlings. After your agamas hatch, move all them into a 15-gallon tank with a newspaper or moss substrate. Feed your hatchlings 5 small crickets a day. Once your hatchlings grow big enough that you can sex them, you can sell them or move them into separate tanks.

Community Q&A

Question

Why must you move the male out?

Bishwadeep Dhali

Community Answer

This is needed because there are chances that the male will eat or break the eggs. So, definitely move your male agama out once your female becomes round.