Care Sheet for UromastyxAverage Rating Given To This Care Sheet Is 3.17 (1=lowest, 5=highest) Last Updated: 04/15/2009 |
Main Category: | Lizards |
Sub Category: | Uromastyx |
Care Sheet Submitted By: | Wexler.Arcade00 |
Years Experience: | 15 to 20 Years |
Species: | Uromastyx geyri (saharan) |
Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover: | N/A. Although this care sheet may cover Uromastyx in general...I believe all 17 species, and subspecies have their own care needs. |
Sexing and Characteristics: | When cold, Uromastyx have a dull/drab look. When they bask rapid colour change is observed red/orange or yellow in colour. Sexually dimorphic, males are more often than not more vibrant in colour than the females. Females in some cases secrete a waxy substance from their femoral/pre-anal pores.
Unlike many reptile species Uromastyx get more vibrant with age, compared to many species of lizards and snakes that hatch with beautiful colour but become drab with age. |
Mostly Active During: | Day |
Substrate and Water Needs: | Substrate is debated. I use washed play sand with pea gravel. Sometimes with zoo-med excavator sand and dried coconut husks with the larger chunks taken out. I like to create a sandy loam effect where there is some variance in the texture and density of the substrate. Many large stones and slate pieces should be added to create high temperature basking spots.
Some people use millet and other bird seeds, some use newspaper or paper towel.
The only things I would definitely stay away from is calci-sand as it can cause an overdose in calcium levels, respiratory issues and in some cases has caused impaction. Essentially it is death in a bag. I also would avoid anything that can rot or mold if saturated with water or urine such as cedar bark and pine chips, as they give off toxic fumes in small amounts.
I only offer water if a specimen is not acclimating well and looks dehydrated, or emmaciated upon arrival to the new home. I have dripped water on the nose and let the specimen lick it up. I don’t offer water bowls in the cage as they get water from their food (herbivorous diet). Also soaking is generally thought of as a bad idea because of the sensitive tail whorls and also uromastyx geyri have been seen trying to breathe underwater which obviously is a bad idea. I bathe mine if they have a wound (in warm/hot water that is sanatized with betadine), or if they have walked through their own urine and feces. If you bathe your uro. geyi make sure to spend extra time drying the tail whorls!.
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Lighting and UVB: | Full spectrum uvb/uva is essential for health, mercury vapor bulbs are best (e.g mega-ray, exoterra sun glow). Lamps must be a suitable distance from the surface of substrate or bask (distance depends on strength of uv emmited, 18 inches is a general distance that many use with mercury vapour bulbs aka mvb).
Heat bulbs are needed to create a suitable basking spot as uromastyx need very high basking spot temps. |
Temperatures and Humidity: | Cool side maintained between 80 F - 85 F, hot side between 86F - 110 F, and basking spots between 120-140’F. At night it should get no colder than 70 F unless brumation is in progress.
A temperature gradient is essential for these animals. Without a gradient animals will either overheat or begin brumating, health issues are sure to follow. The large cage size helps establish a proper gradient.
Humidity levels will be low due to the desert type vivaria needed. |
Heating and Equipment: | I use exo-terra "heat-glo" (the red ones) and exo-terra ceramic heat emitters as well. Mvb bulbs usually give off a nice amount of heat but should not be used as basking spot light due to the proper distances needed for animals health. To much uvb/uva can prove fatal.
Many people also use under tank heaters to improve substrate temperature levels, and also to have a night time heat source, I leave my ceramic heat emitters on 24-7.
Make sure no matter what the heat source it cannot be reached directly by the animal. Heat emitters and lamps can leave severe burns on animals.
Make sure to include several hiding places that can either provide shelter or double as a basking spot. I make my hides by stacking natural rock, but I also have some store bought hide boxes. Another idea to build up the height of your baking spots are to cut a small section of the end of a log, round and flat like a lily pad. Bake it and stack them like little steps. You will still want a rock or piece of slate at the top to conduct more heat. |
Caging Provided: | No less that 4 feet long 2 feet wide and 18 inches high no matter what the case. An adult Uromastyx needs this as a minimum. There is no debate with this, its common knowledge for any uro keeper. I keep my 2 female geyris in a 6 long 2 wide 30 inch high with the lamps suspended down into the enclosure. Animal plastics has a custom uromastyx enclosure designed by one of north americas formost authorities on uromastyx.
You could also look into boaphile plastics or better yet build your own custom enclosure. |
Diet: | Herbivorous |
Description of Diet: | Must be fed daily.
Some fruits, berries, vegetables, and flowers, but mostly greens.
I rarely offer fruits,
fruits include mango and papaya, banana and kiwi, thses are treats only, fed very seldom. Berries are the same, blueberries(I find help with constipation). Blackberries raspberries and strawberries, again these are treats only.
Vegetables include squash such as butternut and summer
peas(treat), parsnip. Flowers include hibiscus, nasturtium and pansies (violets).
Greens include endive, dandelion greens, escarole, these are the main staple of a Uromastyx diet, also, collard greens mustard greens, black kale, red/swiss chard, nappa cabbage, bok/sui choy, and turnip greens.
I also give premium budgie seed, and lentils as a dry food, I’ve also fed juvenile bearded dragon "chow" and iguana "chow" as a topper for their salad. Mazuri tortoise pellets crushed as well as amaranth and bee pollen are common for uro owners to use.
Often while a new specimen is acclimating they will not eat the first few days. To encourage eating, try placing a small amount of greens on a flat natural looking rock at head level to make things easier for them. I find this works well. |
Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: | Miner-all, T-rex (sandfire superfoods) uromastyx dust, oomed reptivite are the supplements I use. Calcium and vitamin d3 should be used, but they are no substitute for uva/uvb lighting. |
Maintenance: | Make sure all cage furiture is sanitized or baked/boiled prior to placing in the uromastyx enclosure. All natural wood and rock I find is baked in an oven or bbq with no exceptions. I’ve even boiled sand then baked it dry. Spot clean daily, or as needed. 3 months is a maximum amount of time I would allow substrate to stay in a cage before a total substrate change. If rocks/slate basking spots are soiled with feces disinfect immediately. Remove chunks of dried up urine soaked substrate. I sanitize everything with betadine, which can be found at most pharmacies. It’s a soap surgeons scrub down with prior to operating on patients. I’ve seen betadine water be injested by reptiles with no ill effects and over time have grown to trust it as reptile friendly.
Uromastyx tend to sneeze and rub their noses on glass while "glass dancing". So wipe down of the glass is often necessary.
Uromastyx like most lizards are messy eaters who will spill and thrash their food around, and thus, cleaning sandy food becomes a daily chore. |
Some Words on this Species: | Uromastyx geyri are beautiful, vibrant specimens within the Uromastyx genus, better left to admire with eyes...not hands. Life span is debated. I’ve heard anywhere between 12-20years if properly cared for. Dont take any care sheet or advice as the be all end all way to care for this species. Do your own research and ask your own questions. Much of the information I’ve provided here is my own experience with these animals. The rest of the knowledge I obtained from asking questions. I recomend searching out uromastyx breeders, most times they are more than willing to give help if/when health issues arise. I would not recommend any species of Uromastyx for someone new to keeping reptiles. They are better left to intermediate/advanced hobbyists. Thanks for reading. |
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