Right please excuse my excitment (im easliy excited) but when i discovered a forum just for uro's and thier lovers i had to join in the fun. iv had a love for uros and thier cheeky charm ever since i saw one in the pet shop several years ago. being told that they are not for beginers i opted for the usual beardies and leos... until this week i managed to track down a 2month old uromastyx ocellatus. i named him Alvin and love him to bits! i am slightly concerned i havent seen him eat yet, but he is healthy and active so im just giving him time to settle in. he hasnt found a hide he like yet have offered him a few but he is still undecided. i am having the age old substrate issue though. as he is so little im worried about the whole sand impacting his gut thing, but apart from a solid ground covering, what options are there? i have seen lucky reptile cannabis bedding, but i dont want him high either?? also zoo med excavator cly, but im guessing that has the same issues as sand? can someone help out please
I just use non-adhesive shelf liner with my uro - he does fine on it, no impaction risk either. Some folks use millet seed - its difficult to clean, but very safe as millet seed is a large component of their diet anyway. Check out www.deerfernfarms.com for the best uro care sheet ever The fact he is active is good - Uros should be very active! It may take him awhile to pick the right hide - make sure you have the correct type of hide for him. Uros like low, secure hides - it should be barely taller than their backs and just wide enough that they can wedge themselves in. Hides that are two large and roomy will not work. I have found the hides that my Uro likes best are ones i constructed out of paving stones and slate. As for the eating thing...just continue to offer greens daily and make sure you hacve a dish of seeds/pellets/beans etc in the cage for him to nibble on at his leisure. Welcome to the forums!!!
Welcome to the world of uro's and to the forum. For a happy healthy uro you need the following. Terranium 4x2x2. minimum even for a baby. Temps,...hot end 100F with a basking spot of 120-130F, cool end 80F and no lower than 70F at night. Diet should consist of endive, radicchio, dandelions leaves along with bird seed, millet is good, and maybe tortoise pellets, squash, other veggies in moderation. MimC stated that low hides are essential they love to squeeze into tight places, makes them feel more secure. It will take time for him to settle in, could be months, depends on individual lizard. Only handle him when taking out to clean or weigh etc, they are a very timid lizard and dont take to a lot of handling. Until he's at least 6 months old keep him on paper-towel or butcher paper, easier to clean etc and no impaction problems, after that washed playsand or pool filter sand is ok, never use cali-sand this can cause more problems with compaction if swallowed, despite what they claim. If you need any more help just post and we will do our best to help you.
good stuff guys thanks for the advice. i picked up some mixed seeds from sainsburys and also some red lentals, but im a bit confused about if im meant to cook them, soak them or just put em in there???? he has just picked at the seeds, doesnt seem to actually eat any.
what type of mixed seeds? are they? If the seed you bought is a bird seed mix im not sure if thats ok or not - i've only ever heard of millet seed being fed. With the beans/lentils - you just give them to them raw...but its best to grind them up a little. I use a coffee grinder and grind them till some of them are powdered and others are just small. Your Uro may not be eating them because they are too big. Here is an outline of my Uros diet: in a dish - i provide him a mix of: millet seeds, pretty bird finch seed, rep-cal iguana pellets, 10-bean soup mix - i also add some bee pollen granules to them once every few weeks. He picks at this dish throughout the day. The Uros tend to really enjoy this mixture. Veggies are offered daily in a dish as well. Definately check out the deerfernfarms caresheet - it was a ton of excellent info As long as your Uro has the appropriate hides, good diet, a nice hot basking spot of 130degrees, and high quality UVB he should start to eat soon. Secure hides and high temps and good UVB are the most important aspects of keeping Uros
Hi, I see you have got "mixed seeds" are these wild bird food, from Sainsbury's it probably will be. I use parakeet/cockateel mix from a petshop, it contains millet, which is good and some others, not sure what, but have been told on a UK website breeder, thats what he uses. My uro nibbles at them often, until he buries them with substrate or "goes" yuk, in the deep dish I keep in viv all the time. Something else I use, tortoise pellets, these are good, not high in protein, just soak them till they swell up then let them dry a little and crumble into a small dish and again leave in viv, mine eats them ok. As you are in the UK, same as me, the salad veg I use is called "mediteranian salad", come in prepacked bags about 100grams, these contain all the best vegies for uro's, frisee (endives) escarole, radicchio, oak leaf. Get through 2 bags a week, just make sure they dont have Red Chard or spinnach in them, these contain oxylates that prevent the absortion of calcium. At about 99p a bag, good value for money and no waste. Mine is thriving on it, he's gone from 42gr to 180 grs and grown from 5 inches to 10 inches in the 6 months I've had him. That's him in my avitar pic
Great tip about the tortoise food! I will have to give that a try too - its been awhile since Scuttle has had anything new
the mixed seeds are seeds for human consuption (maybe being paranoid but if we can eat em i guess he can) they have no added salt or anything like that just pure seeds and they consist of: sunflower seeds pumpkin seeds hemp seeds golden linseed sesame seeds the veggies i offer varies. i have been giving green cabbage, carrot, a few peas. i brought some dried veg mix meant for tortoises and uro's from lucky reptile that has dandelion, peppermint and nettles in it (although most of it seems to be twigs) have looked at the 10bean soup mix but the ones iv seen have barely in and wasnt sure about that. sorry for being so anal about this but iv wanted him for oh so long and i love him to bits so just want to keep him healthy and happy. have looked over the deerfernfarms caresheet and thanks for pointing me in that direction. and bruno he is gorgeous! u should be proud
The seeds should be ok as far as I can see. I would change the cabbage to the salad I mentioned. What cabbage is it? Not too many peas either, there's a lot of sugar in them and not good for uro's, carrot's as an occassional treat, and grated. Do that and you will have a much happier, healthier uro. Thanks for your comment about Spike, you can see him here along with my other family Did you get my message about chatting ?
Definately i would add a better variety of veggies - cabbage isnt a great staple. Collard greens, dandelion greens, turnup greens, mustard greens, endive and escarole are all great staples.
right back to sainsburys for me tomorow its green cabbage. okay so hopefully im pretty muh sorted. hopefully with a touh of luck will have him munching down plenty. can see iv got a message will just have a butchers now. thanks guys
