Steppe Runners

[SpitFyre]

I saw that REPTILES magazine was having a Steppe Runner raffle. I entered.
However, their caresheet included lots of stuff that beardie owners have had problems with, such as
-Compact UVB bulbs
-Sand (some love it, some don't. I'd like opinions!)
-Infrared night lights
-Mealworms (Sepecially for such a small lizard!)
Also, the Exo Terra terrarium kit looks inadequate for the "terrestrial" lizard. It's a small glass cube.

Has anyone had experience keeping these? Their requirements sound similar to beardies, but I'd like to know if the things I listed aren't a problem for them, or if they are, what I should do instead.

Oh, and I was looking at the Excavator clay by Zoo Med. Would it be OK as a sustrate? It looks good, and helps
that "naturalistic" look without the use of a loose substrate.

 

[sweetiepie9]

I didn't notice this until just now but found a decent care sheet on them. They sure are tiny, smaller than geckos but daytime reptiles. They get about 6" in length total. So here's the link http://www.reptilechannel.com/care-sheets/steppe-runner-lizard-care-sheet.aspx and there were other care sheets, too. It's a desert reptile, so don't see why sand wouldn't be fine, but would use playsand, not the calci sand. Did you get one after all? Anyway, I know I'm over a month late answering your post, I'm going to have to check out these threads more often!
Deb

 

[SpitFyre]

It's just that the caresheet you linked didn't seem very accurate. Have you seen the stuff they recommend? Horrible. Calci-sand, red night light, compact UVB bulbs, mealworms, etc. Stuff that has been known to cause problems (Or has the potential to) for years. I had come to think of them like beardies, only smaller(and insectivorous. Bye-bye, superworm colony. Reptiworms? Horns? ). If that stuff isn't good for beardies, why should it be good for another desert lizard with similar requirements? Granted, maybe steppe runners aren't as inquisitive, and don't lick everything, or maybe they do. I don't know. Plus, they're so small....I would worry about impaction. And the other kit is a glass cube. Would you keep a juvie beardie in that? Me neither. If I got the lizard, I would see if I could request the glass cube, 'cause I could sell it, and use the stuff Yoshi's outgrown to make him a terrarium. If they love to dig, then maybe I'd put that excavator clay in, some hardened for caves, and some loose to dig in.

 

[sweetiepie9]

From what I read, they don't dig, they like to run around up & down steps & hide behind them. Plus they're so tiny, 2" at birth and about 6" full grown. But they are from desert regions, which explains the sand, but I wouldn't give any reptile anything but playsand, which doesn't cause impaction that I've ever heard, it's that darned repti-sand that causes impaction. They do sound alot like beardies, though, even though being so small, the adults are just a couple of inches bigger than baby beardies, so I would think repti-worms would be the only beardie worm small enough for them, even baby hornworms or silks would have to be really small, newborn even. The care sheet I read recommended a 10 to 20gallon with lots of brick sort of rocks on angles and lots of hiding spots. Don't know anything about a cube, wouldn't want that at all, a 20gallon would be the best thing, I would think. They need UVB & MVBs were recommended but I'd never use one of them in a 10 or 20 gallon, just way too hot. So Reptisun 10.0 would be the best with a basking light. Seems they like hot basking spots, too. So yes, they sound alot like beardies, so I'd use the same things. They sure are cute! And live up to 10 years in captivity, but very new. I've never seen or heard of them, wonder where they would be found?

 

[SpitFyre]

From what I read, they don't dig,

Funny. I read a lot that they DO dig. Hmm... :?

they like to run around up & down steps & hide behind them.

:lol: I think they mean they run around the steppes of Asia. (Not your stairs) :lol:

I wouldn't give any reptile anything but playsand, which doesn't cause impaction that I've ever heard, it's that darned repti-sand that causes impaction.

Oh. I am still gonna stay away from sand. They're so darned small, I'd worry a heck of a lot about impaction. People here always scream the 16-inches-for-superworms-otherwise-your-beardie's-gonna-get-impacted rule. These guys are 6 inches.

I would think repti-worms would be the only beardie worm small enough for them, even baby hornworms or silks would have to be really small, newborn even.

That would be interesting, to see if it would be a viable option to breed silks. They're so dang EXPENSIVE! :shock:

And check out the two kits available via the raffle.
The Exo-Terra Cube Thing (With High Resale Value)
The Absolute Junk Beardie Starter Kit- guaranteed to cause death!
For a beardie-like lizard? JUNK!!!

 

[sweetiepie9]

Baby steppe runners can be housed in specialty reptile terrariums or 10-gallon aquariums with full screen tops. An enclosure with floor dimensions of 10 inches by 20 inches is large enough for an adult, although it’s always a good idea to provide as much room as possible. Steppe runners are terrestrial and prefer floor space over climbing area. Tiered rocks are their preferred hiding and basking areas. When stacking rocks, be sure they are secure and cannot fall onto your steppe runner.
Small groups of steppe runners can be housed in larger enclosures. Provide many hiding and basking areas to avoid territorial disputes. It is best to keep only one male steppe runner per enclosure when females are present

This what I meant, they prefer floor space over climbing & Tiered rocks are their preferred hiding and basking areas.

I agree about the sand, I've always used newspaper as a substrate, so something like that would be better.

Anyway, they are fascinating little guys, that's for sure.

 

[SpitFyre]

They look like teeny tegus! :lol: And I guess we should change their name to the Step Runner.

 

[envivecab]

Ok super !!
Thx...

 

[esn]

Sorry to bring this up from the dead, but I keep a group of steppe runners. I have 5 of them.

I have kept them in a sweater box setup since youth with a layered paper towel substrate (they dig and hide between layers) and many paper towel rolls and other things to climb on. I use a 10.0 uvb bulb and provide a basking range gradient of 90-135 degrees. They like the hottest.

They don't climb much, and prefer to dig. They'll shred through paper towels, but that's a better substrate for them. I have been considering switching to coco fiber, but they've done very well on paper towels. I keep a small water dish in the aquarium, which they will hide under or soak in.

Mine are all in adulthood at about 5 1/2 to 6 inches, and I feed them mealworms. I also feed all my leopard geckos mealworms. I have never had an issue, and there are many breeders who raise geckos solely on mealworms. I have tried small dubias, but they do not go for crawling bugs like roaches or beetles, only worms. They will go for waxworms and sometimes reptiworms, but mostly mealworms is their inclination. They also do very well in groups.

I hope this may help some. Since they're new to the hobby, I'm choosing to experiment with my own care rather than follow caresheets. All mine are fat and healthy and I'm looking forward to eggs soon.

It's a note, though. Not all reptiles are bearded dragons. There are some reptiles that should be kept on sand, and some that are perfectly fine with a diet of mealworms. These aren't bearded dragons, they're an entirely different family of lizard.

 

[spikeleebd]

esn what you said about steppes not eating anything crawling is very preposterous. I have a family of steppes in a 55 gallon tank 3 females and 1 male and they all ravish dubia roaches, orange head roaches, discoid roaches, baby silks,hornworms, repti worms. i feed them what i feed my beardies, geckos, and crocodile skinks. i have them on 4 inches of play sand. now they do not climb but they do dig tunnels. i haven't fed them crickets due to the fact that all my herps are on cricket free diet, but they do love grasshoppers.

 

[esn]

I was only saying that mine don't go for them. I have a large dubia colony that I'd much prefer that they eat from, so of course I try it nearly every time. They just happen to go for mealworms, waxworms, soldier fly larvae, maggots, and other worm-like inverts over beetles and roaches. I do happen to know mine will eat crickets, but I don't feed crickets anymore. I can get a varied diet in worm cultures anyway, considering that I do culture my own pill-bugs and such for newt & salamanders.

I was just stating based off my own experience with feeding. Mine don't like dubia, and will completely ignore them. I feed them the same diet I feed my small gecko species and newts and salamanders, minus the dubia.