Are sheltopusik (legless lizards) being bred in captivity?

I see very little information on captive-bred legless lizards, although I do see a number of sources offering advice on HOW to breed them in captivity. I also see very few wild caught animals available—probably the fewest of anything I’ve looked at. What is the situation with them? Just a niche interest, without much demand? Extremely hard to breed? Issues with importing wild-caught individuals? Different sources say different things, but it strikes me as bizarre that I can’t even FIND any for sale, outside of a few shady-looking websites with hundreds of bad reviews. >_<;

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I’ve seen them occasionally at expos, but they definitely don’t seem to be very common. Not sure if the ones I’ve seen were captive bred or not. Neat species though.

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The family owned pet shop I buy from had one several months ago that someone was looking at but I didn’t pay much attention to it at the time. This pet shop always has some unique animals that one would not see at the big box stores….

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From what I understand, they still haven’t been bred in captivity yet. I have seen a couple here on MorphMarket for sale. I believe the reason they are harder to find is because they have a higher demand. Not a ton of them are imported at a time (from what I have read) but a lot of people want them so they get snatched up relatively quickly.

This is just from what I have heard and seen so I am not sure how accurate it is but it seems to line up with what I have personally seen.

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Hmmm… I know I read an article about a major zoo breeding them successfully, but I have no idea if any of the animals were available for sale to the general public. I also read an article somewhere that encouraged anyone who kept them to breed them, to help establish a CB population (and reduce reliance on wild-caught). If they really sell out so quickly due to more demand than supply, it seems like someone would want to capitalize on that. :thinking:

Since they aren’t at risk in the wild, I’m not opposed to buying a WC sheltopusik… but I obviously worry about parasites or other health risks. :frowning: Most of what I’ve read puts emphasis on how they make “hardy captives”, and there are even reports of them making it 50+ years in captivity… so maybe they handle the transition better than some other reptiles? I’m certain the WC aspect is where the reputation for being “feistier” or less tolerant of handling comes from, though. I hope there will be interest in captive breeding them in the future—they’re such a unique and beautiful species. :heart:

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From what I remember the sources I read were from a couple years ago so they definitely could have been produced since the articles were written. But if it is true, than that is great! I was thinking about getting one but didn’t want to get an import. So maybe they will be available CB sooner than I thought they would!

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Here’s what I found: Two European Glass Lizards Hatch At Smithsonian’s National Zoo - Reptiles Magazine

It looks like they produce very small clutches (only two hatchlings in this case), so I can see where breeding them might be considered unproductive, from a purely monetary standpoint. I feel like a CB individual could command a much higher price tag, though. Well worth it, IMO!

Absolutely in love with these guys—they’re like little, mythical mini-dragons. :laughing: The body movements are snakelike, but the way the head lashes sideways to snap up prey reminds me of a crocodilian, almost. Face is very skink-y, which is adorable. XD

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