please? I don't want to mess anything up, so I'd like to know anything you can think of that I should do for my future uro.
Hi Sammy, Welcome to the forums. Uro's although fairly small DO need a large tank/vivarium, unless you get an Egyptian uro, these need an even bigger tank, 72" x 24" x 24" The recommended minimum size 48" x 24" x 24" Two reasons for this. 1) They love a lot of space and will use every inch of it. 2) Because of the high heat needed for uro's, it's far easier to get the correct gradient in a 48" long tank. Temperatures Directly under the basking lamp 120°F to 130°F Ambient temp at warm end (where basking spot is) 95°F to 100°F Cool end 80°F to 85°F Night time drop no lower than 75°F. Summer isn't so bad but if your house is cold in winter then a CHE (Ceramic Heat Emitter) may be needed. Lighting A good quality UVB lamp is needed, can be either an MVB (mecury vapour lamp), these not only give off the UVB but also a good deal of heat, or the fluorescent tube type, the best being ReptiSUN 10.0 UVB. If you use the tube type then Halogen daylight spots can be used for the required heat temps. If you use tubes then they should be able to get within 6" to 8" of it, MVB's the minimum distance should be 12". All reptiles need a "photoperiod", Day and Night cycle. Usually it's 12 hrs day and 12 hrs night. NO lights at night, if heat is required then use CHE's, (none light emitters) PLEASE NOTE There should be NOTHING between the UVB and the Uro, ie, (mesh screens, these can block up to as much as 35% of the UVB) so he gets MAXIMUM benefit from the UV. NOTE You cannot control MVB's or tubes by thermostats or dimmers. Other lamps, spot, CHE's can be used on household dimmers, will make it easier to control the temperatures. Substrate Young uro's under 7" long should be kept on papertowel or non-adhesive shelf liner. Over 7" long they can be kept on good quality playsand (free of rocks and lumps) or pool filter sand. NEVER USE CALI-SAND despite what it says on bag, it is NOT digestable and can cause impaction (intestine blockage) Alternatively you can use tiles or reptile carpet, this can be used for young and adult all the time. Other never to use substrates are walnut shell, beech chips or any small loose substrate, all can cause problems if ingested. Some people do use millet seed, this is ok but has it's problems. 1) They will eat it and may refuse the greens etc if they eat too much. 2) it's also hard to keep clean, remove feaces etc. Diet The main staple diet is good quality greens, some are better than others. Endives, Escarole, Dandelion leaves are favourite with other types mixed in on a rotational basis An excellant site for nutritional food can be found HERE, although it's for Bearded Dragons it's also good for uro's. The only things mentioned on that chart that SHOULD NOT be fed to uro's are the insects Other needs are At least 3 hides, warm, middle and cool end, these need to be very low just enough room for uro to squeeze in, they like to feel cave on their back when stood up, makes them feel more secure. Lots of rocks to bask on, specially under the UVB and heat. ANY structure you make in there should be secure on floor, NOT on sand if you use it, they will dig and under mine it, big risk of injury if they do. Uro's DO NOT NEED water bowls, they get all their water needs from the veggies. You will also need a good thermometer, digital ones with a probe are the best, you can also use Infra-red temperature guns, these will give good reflected readings off the surface you point them at. DONT be tempted to use the Dial type or Stick-on type, these are very inaccurate and can be as much as 20° out. This is the basic care needed, obviously you can tweak it as needed, to suit you conditions at home.
thanks for the help. He seems right around 7 inches, including tail, but I don't know how old he is. He's a Mali, but he doesn't seem colorful to me...I don't know. Right now he's in a 24x12x12 setup, and he seems comfy, anyways. I own a bearded dragon as well, so I'm rather surprised that so much of this is similar. -sam
Hi Sam, First you ask HOW to keep a uro properly and I gave you a detailed reply on the basic needs. You now post saying you have it in a 2ft tank. It is totally impossible to get the correct temps in there. With a basking spot of 130F, you not cannot get the other end down to the mid 80's. Even at 7" long he needs a 48" long tank now. Please make the changes as I described in my other post, he will NOT look colourful, if he's not moving around much and he looks "comfy", that's because the setup is wrong and he will suffer poor health. Both Beardie's and Uro's are "sunworshipers", both require high UVB and heat except uro's need to hotter than a beardie. The other main difference is beardies eat both insects and veg, whereas a uro is strictly a veggie eater. Another thing is their lifespan, beardie's average 10 yrs, uro's can live up to 20 yrs. If you dont make those changes he wont even live that long. You chose to keep him so it's up to you to make sure he has all the proper care he needs.
I'm sorry, it's all I had at the time. I AM looking for a bigger tank, and I have been. I'm not trying to seem ignorant, I really just am learning these things, which is better than never asking.
Welcome to the world of Uro ownership!!! And welcome to the forums also I recomend checking Deerfernfarms.com and looking at their caresheet, its one of the best! Bruno is spot on with all of his info so i am not going to bother to repeat it all :-D
