Science and Nature in Harmony
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Tuning Fork Reptile Company
Uromastyx Care
Intro- We are serious about uros. We believe they are
the ultimate pet lizard. Their care is simple as long as you are
dedicated to it. Their diet is readily available, they don't get too
huge, they are easy to handle, and come in a variety of amazing colors.
This guide is to give you the basic info you need to succeed with these
animals. Our advice comes from years of working with uros and other
reptiles, but it is not the final word on uro care. As the hobby grows,
the science of herpetology changes; new information is discovered and
new husbandry practices are developed. We strongly believe that the
only way to truly give any animal the best care is to never stop trying
to learn about them.
Natural History- Uromastyx are in the
Agamid family and are also known as spiny-tailed lizards or dabb
lizards. Their natural range extends through most of North Africa,
through the Middle East, South Central Asia, and into India. This is a
range of over 5000 miles and through 30 countries! They are actually
considered a delicacy and eaten in many of the places they naturally
occur. There is not much know about the longevity of uros in captivity
or the wild. It is not uncommon for captive animals to live 10-15
years, but many experts believe that life spans up to 35 years is
possible. A uromastyx' only defense is it's spiny tail which it will
swing at it's attacker. This behavior is uncommon in captivity.
Aggressive uros are actually a rarity. They will also use their tails
to block the entrances to burrows or rocky crevices where they sleep.
Heating-
This is probably the most important part of Uro keeping. These guys
like it HOT!!! Basking sites should be between 110-125 degrees. The
cool side of the cage should be between 80-90 with a night time drop of
about 10 degrees. Heat lights are essential to providing the proper
temps. Uros are baskers so stay away from hot rocks. Under tank heaters
are fine but don't expect them to get any where near hot enough to
provide your main heat source. You need to provide a thermal gradient
where the cage is hot on one side and cooler on the other. This will
allow the lizard to chose what temp it wants to be. Adding some rocks
or driftwood under the basking site will also provide a verticle
gradient.
Diet- Uromastyx are primarily vegetarians. They will
eat the occasional insect but too much protein should be avoided. Their
diet is very similar to a tortoise diet. We feed mixed greens and
millet every day, sometimes twice a day to babies. Frozen veggies and
tortoise pellets can also be used as supplements. We recommend
sprinkling a quality calcium/vit D3 powder over their food a couple
times a week. This mixture will do the same job as UV lighting and is
way less expensive. As we mentioned before, a cricket or meal worm is ok
every so often, but too much is not healthy. You could also run the risk
of your lizard getting spoiled to bugs and refusing to eat it's greens.
Uros get the water they need from the veggies they eat. A healthy uro
does not need a water dish. It is important to remember that if your
uro is not eating well it will dehydrate quickly. In this case we
recommend a shallow dish of water or pedialyte.
Caging and
Substrate- A good size cage for most adult uros is a 40 breeder. You
can get away with a smaller cage temporarily or if you have a baby, but
we would not recommend going smaller than a 20 long. It is just too
difficult to provide the thermal gradient uros need in a small tank.
We house our groups in 125 gallon tanks. You can't really go too big.
Our first choice in bedding is millet or calcium sand. Millet is cheap,
edible, and easy to clean by sifting. It also produces no dust.
Calcium sand is fine. It is similar to their natural habitat and is
safe if ingested in small quantities. Stay away from quartz, sugar, or
play ground sand. Ingesting it is potentially fatal due to intestinal
impaction. Some people also use dry coconut husk bedding (bed a beast).
It is beneficial to provide low hides for your uros. They should be just
tall enough so that when your uro goes in it's back touches the top.
Put one on the hot side and one on the cool side.
Available Species
Mali
uromastyx (Uromastyx maliensis) Mali's were by far the most commonly
available species, but Mali has recently closed its borders for export. We usually carry babies to adults. Adult males can
become impressive bright gold and black lizards. Females tend to be a
sandy brown. Adults usually average about 16-18 inches
Saharan
uromastyx (Uromastyx geryi) Also known as Nigerian uromastyx because
the bulk of imports come from that country. These guys come in two
distinct color phases, yellow and red (or orange). Good looking males
are exceptional lizards with near fluorescent red or yellow covering
their entire bodies. Females also show color but usually on their
stomachs and flanks. Adults average 14-16 inches.
Egyptian
uromastyx (Uromastyx aegypticus and U. a. microlepis) These are the
largest of the uros with adult sizes reaching up to 36 inches! They
tend to be fairly drab lizards, both males and females are grey to
brown. These we among the first uros imported into the US. Their large
size and docile natures helped put uros an the map.
We were
also lucky enough to get a few of the only known sub species of
Egyptian uros. Microlepis comes from Saudi Arabia. They get just a bit
smaller than Egyptians but they keep some of their juvenile pattern and
color. Babies are black grey with rows of bright orange spots.
Rainbow
Uromastyx (Uromastyx benti) These guys come from the mountains of
Yemen. They are considered "ornate uromastyx". They are incredible
animals with rows of white spots over yellow, orange, and even blue
backs. Benti usually average about 12 inches. Experts believe that
there are two distinct subspecies of Benti. Orange benti which are from
lower elevations and rainbow benti from higher elevations. These are
among the rarest species in most US collections.
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