Calotes mystaceus (Blue-headed Dragonfly)

Calotes mystaceus (Blue-headed Dragonfly)
Age: Up to 15 years
Origin: Southeast Asia
Length: 25 to 40 Centimeters
These animals can be recognized by their bright blue head with a large lobe underneath. From their head to tail they have a beautiful crest that changes with the color of the body going from bright blue to orange. They also have orange spots and dots over their body.

Care
Experience: Average lizard keeper
Food: Insectivore
Feed adult: 3 times a week
Feed young: Daily
Water bowl: Yes
Water change: Daily

Power supply
The emerald skink is an insectivore, the insects that can be offered are, for example, crickets, curly flies and buffalo worms. This diet can possibly be supplemented with mealworms or wax moths. The food should be smaller than the Skink's head. Feed young animals daily with small crickets or fruit flies. Feed as much as they can eat in an hour, removing uneaten prey to prevent them from disturbing a resting skink.

These animals also need extra calcium and vitamins. You can give this by always dusting the food animals with so-called calcium and vitamin preparations for reptiles. Fresh drinking water should always be available.

Water
Water must always be available, you can offer this in a small water bowl, but change the water daily to prevent bacterial accumulations in the water. This species receives the most water by spraying the terrarium, so also spray the terrarium daily.

Cleaning
It is important to clean the terrarium properly. Therefore remove uneaten food animals every day and remove faeces before feeding the skink again. Replace the bottom material once a month or a few times a year and then immediately clean the rest of the terrarium (including the interior). If you use cleaning products, it is important to rinse everything well after the time. Always wash your hands thoroughly after coming into contact with the animals or the terrarium, as reptiles can transmit salmonella.

Handling
This species does not like to be handled and would never become an animal that can be regularly removed from his terrarium, but with patience they can be made reasonably tame. When handling the animal, pick it up by gently sliding your hands under its body. Support the lower body and lift it off the floor. While handling, keep one thumb on its back so that it cannot easily run away. It is a large animal with sharp nails so always be careful when handling to avoid injury to you and the animal. During handling it is recommended to hold it above your lap or above a table. This prevents the agam from falling from too great a height. Finally, it is advisable to wash your hands before and after handling. Here you prevent the animal and yourself from getting sick.

Housing
Minimum size stay for an individual: 120x50x100
Day temperature: 20-25 degrees Celsius
Night temperature: 15-20 degrees Celsius
Hours of light: 12 hours a day
Humidity Level: 80-90%
Soil cover: A soil cover that retains moisture well to achieve the high humidity level, Cocopeat, non-fertilized garden soil, beech chips.

Design
This agam is a really climbing species, so a high terrarium with climbing options is a must. In the terrarium you can place pieces of wood or stones that serve as a shelter or where they can lie on to bask. It is important to place enough branches, plants and other climbing possibilities in the terrarium, the skink would make good use of this. However, make sure that everything is firmly placed so that the agam cannot injure itself if something falls.
The enclosure must offer different temperatures. There should be both warmer and colder areas for the animals to choose from. A UV-b lamp must still be hung. In this way, the animals can build up sufficient calcium in their bodies. Without this relief, they can become very ill. Use light bulbs, low-energy light bulbs or possibly daylight lamps and leave the light on twelve hours a day.

Behaviour
Lifestyle: Day active

Character
Like other beautiful dragons, these animals are able to change color. The name is due to the beautiful blue color of the head and throat in excited males

Points of attention
This species requires a high humidity level, so it is important that the terrarium is sprayed daily to achieve this.

Cost and Purchase
Legislation:-
One-off costs: This includes the costs for accommodation, lighting, heating, water bowl and decoration. This can cost a few hundred euros to a few thousand euros in total. The final amount depends on the quality and size of the products.
Fixed costs: Fixed costs include the costs for the feed, which is a few tens of euros per year.