Reeves' Butterfly Lizard

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Found across Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Inhabits arid grasslands, sandy soils, and open areas where they construct complex burrows.

Taxonomy and Genetics: Member of the Agamidae family. The genus Leiolepis is unique for its side-expanding ribs.

Behavior and Habits: Diurnal and fast-moving. Highly terrestrial; spends their day digging, foraging, or basking outside their tunnels.

Morphology: Features a flattened body with rib structures that allow it to flare its colorful orange-red and black flanks. Males are larger and display brighter colors.

Terrarium Setup: Needs a large enclosure with at least 20-30 cm of sandy soil substrate to allow natural digging behaviors.

Lighting and Heating: Strong basking zone of 35-38°C and ambient of 28°C. High-output UVB is mandatory. Night drop of temperature required.

Humidity and Hydration: Keep humidity low (30-50%). Provide a shallow water dish and spray a corner of the substrate to keep burrows stable.

Feeding and Supplementation: Omnivorous. Diet should include 80% greens/vegetables and 20% live insects. Dust with calcium and vitamin D3.

Compatibility: Territorial. Never house males together. A harem of one male and multiple females is possible in large tanks.

Health and Common Diseases: Metabolic bone disease is common if UVB levels are poor. Keep substrate dry on top to prevent skin infections.