Hi, I'm new to owning uro's, but not reptiles (bearded's, leo's, water dragons, house gecko's, ball pythons)...I acquired him/her yesterday under unexpected circumstances, and lets just say I've been busy trying to make him happy...his enclosure is currently bare minimum (maybe a bit small) but have plans to build a bigger one (6x1.5x1.5 stacked with 2 leo habitats...where I'll use the heat from the uro to provide under tank heat for the leos) Long story short, I was in a pet store that doesn't carry reptiles, and this lady dropped him off without caring that the store couldn't provide for him, so the owner just gave him to me , happy dance I went to a different store to get supplies for him and I left with a 160W Solar Glo Mercury Vapor Bulb (which he seems to really love!), it's brought up the tank temp to 80F in the coldest spot in the tank, and the hot spot is unknown as it's above the max reading of the probe thermometer (which is 122F) but from the way he is acting, I don't think it's too hot as he just lays under it, basking like it's the best thing in the world For the substrate they told me the Eco-Earth I had for my leo's moist hide was fine so I put it in the bottom, but I might take it out as he's had a blast today digging in it and trowing it all over...including his food/water dishes...when I put some greens in there today, it was like he had just won the lottery! so my guess is he wasn't fed much of them in the past, although he is nice and plump...I got home tonight and everything is everywhere!!! his seeds are all over, as well as his lentils, and the iguana food, but I see him eating it right out of the dirt so I'm scarred of impaction...I'm thinking of putting a thin layer of playsand on the bottom as a base then covering it all with slate type rocks from the beach (plenty of those here)...the sand acting as a filler for the cracks so he doesn't hurt himself or I might do a layer of plaster of paris, covered with stone spray paint and a good sealant, but might keep that for the larger tank For food I went and bought everything I could find that was on the care sheets on the net which are: iguana pellets, 15 lentil soup mix (which I ground up the larger pieces a bit in a coffee grinder) spring mix (but realized after that the kind with spinach and romaine is supposedly not good?) and collard greens...tomorrow I'll find a nice field and go pick him some dandelion leaves (they don't spray pesticides in our area to control bugs)...I put the spring mix and collard greens in one bowl which he devoured, then proceeded to go eat all the lentils what a pig hehe but didn't touch the iguana pellets that were in the same bowl as the lentils, a third bowl is sitting with Finch Bird Seed in it, and he ate a bit of that too... He's a bit stressed out cause my dog looks at him like he's food or something, and my cats are being curious as well, so he goes and hides when they are too close that's the basics for now...anything I should be doing different? or any ideas on improving his habitat would be appreciated here is a pic of him/her (still not sure) he's (for the sake of not having to type him/her everytime hehe) about 8 inches from snout to tip of tail...and I think he's a Saharan (correct me if I'm wrong)...I bothered him while eating hehe
Wow, poor guy. I'll never understand how someone can just drop off an animal in their care like it's an unwanted inanimate object. Good for you giving him a home and setting him up with the right lighting and everything. Your lighting is great. I would suggest getting a temp gun or digital thermometer that can give you a proper reading on the basking spot though. While it seems to be in order, temps are never something you want to just guess at. I know uros like it hot hot hot, but you can still fry him, so it's important to monitor those basking temps as a safety precaution. Since you are using a MVB, make sure it is at least 12" away from his basking spot and that you replace it annually. (I know you probably already know this from your other diurnal lizards, but I figured I'd mention it just in case.) Replacing the eco earth is a good move. While uros like to dig (as you've noticed, haha), a soil mix will most likely hold too much moisture for these desert lizards. Playsand is okay as long as it is untreated and you've run it through a screen a couple times to sift out any small pebbles and such. However, you still have to be wary of impaction with it. I would either feed your uro outside of the cage, or divide the tank in half with a couple inch tall divider, then fill one half with the playsand, leaving the other half with a non-particulate substrate suce as slate tile or rubber shelf mat. You can then feed exlusively on the non-sand side. (The problem with feeding in an all sand cage is that these guys love to kick up their sand everywhere, including into their food bowls, which is obviously an impaction hazard.) Alternatively, I know a lot of uromastyx keepers keep their uros on birdseed. This allows them to dig, while providing a safely digestable substrate for when it gets kicked around into the food. Just make sure you are cleaning soiled areas immediately. Organic substrates allow mold and bacterial growth to fluorish, so diligent cleaning is a must. A third option would be to use tile or rubber shelf liner, then provide a hide box with an old t-shirt to dig and nestle down in. The DIY style bottom is a good idea as well, but I would probably save it for the larger setup like you said. Make sure you keep the design fairly smooth and simple to allow for easy cleanup. What kind of slate rocks from the beach are you describing? Are they large, flat pieces, or are they smaller fragments? Flat slabs with sand to fill in gaps would be fine, but smaller fragments will be too sharp...and I'd imagine not very comfortable to lay on all the time either. Your diet sounds good--you've got the variety key down pat. Try to stick with mainly dark leafy greens such as collard, mustard, turnip, and dandelion greens, with the lentils, birdseed, and pellets mixed in in moderation for variety. You are correct in saying that romaine and spinach are not good staples, although you can mix them in very occasionaly for variety if you like. Also, I would start dusting his food with a calicium/vitamin D3 supplement 5-7 times a week while he is still young, and every 3-4 days when he is fully grown. A multivitamin supplement a couple times a week is good as well. Rep Cal and Herptivite are good choices. I'm glad he's eating for you already by the way. With the stress he's likely been through, that's a good sign. He looks like a saharan in the picture to me as well, but I'm not really an expert on the different uromastyx. Anyways, aside from the very few minor adjustments I've suggested, it sounds like you are doing a perfect job. I'm always happy to hear of an unwanted animal finding a good home. Welcome to the boards and we hope to see you around!
Nice Uro! Looks good! Mine got used to my cat pretty quick, he even comes out and visits with the cat, who just stares at him lol. Diet is good, but spinach and romaine aren't good for him. My uro loves escarole, dandelion greens and bok choy. I keep a small birdseed mix in there for him all the time (although he loves to dig in that lol) and hand feed him lentils as a treat. He is in sand, and although he does make a mess, I just clean everything out daily and he is happy because he still gets to dig. Welcome to the forums!
Welcome to the forum and congrats on your new little guy! (or girl!) Looks like you've got everything covered pretty well so far! Cammy's suggestions are great - I just got a temp gun from Harbor Freight for $15 and it's helped a lot to pin point exact spots in the tank that I know my little guy loves to lay on and find out which spots are how hot and such. Just for your reference we have a little thread going on what we feed our uros and the quirks of our little pests Here is the link. Also, for a few more ideas on husbandry and general practices on Uromastyx care you can visit Deer Fern Farm's care-sheet at this link. They are one of the largest and longest held breeding facilities in the US that are actually owned and operated by a family that cares about their animals and the future of the species Anyway, hope you enjoy it here and good luck with your new little guy!
Congrats!!!! I'm so happy to see another URO owner I would just rec to use bird seed as your substrate. The seed is easy to clean with a sifter and there isn't any dust. Mr_Andrew and i have experieced toenails getting pulled out. This is from the toenail getting caught in some minor pinching spot. Your rock/sand idea sounds asthetically pleasing, however it may have alot of pinching areas. 8" URO is a great FREE find, probably over125 dollars. Post some more picts in natural day light so we can help with proper identification, also just to enjoy your URO with you
I had to do a double take at your picture. Looks exactly like our Saharan Female. We've had ours for 5.5 years now, and her very loving nickname is Fat & Worthless. She's full grown at 13.5 inches and spends 2-3 hours a day zooming around her large enclosure, and the rest of the time either sleeping or passed out cold under her heat lamp. We use millet as substrate. and our diet comes straight from Douglas Dix. Spring mix with extra Bok Choy (her favorite), and a few water soaked lentils. We then give it a very fine dusting of Mazorri tortise pellet. The lentils are like Crack for her. Obviously she is thriving. She has been a lot of fun for our family. Congrats.
Welcome to Reptile Boards Nines! Lol, that nickname is very.... interesting.... lol. She sounds very "fat and happy!" I think all Uro's do about the same thing... cruise around, nibble some food, pass out in the best basking spot, cruise around, eat more, keep basking, eventually meander over to their hide and sleep for the night. They are such bums! Heh.
