Care Sheet for UromastyxAverage Rating Given To This Care Sheet Is 2.50 (1=lowest, 5=highest) Last Updated: 04/15/2009 |
Main Category: | Lizards |
Sub Category: | Uromastyx |
Care Sheet Submitted By: | Blake258 |
Years Experience: | 1 to 2 Years |
Species: | Uromastyx |
Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover: | In general most Uromastyx require relatively the same amount of care. |
Sexing and Characteristics: | The simplest answer to this question is that males usually have wider jowls,usually are more bright in color, and have a wider tail base, and have more pronounced femoral pores (found on the inside of the upper thigh). This may not help you much if you don’t have anything to compare it to. I would recommend looking at the pictures on line or in a book to get a general idea.. |
Mostly Active During: | Day |
Substrate and Water Needs: | Water is not needed if you give them fresh greens daily. Being from a very hot climate area and rarely getting water, they get most of their fluids through the vegetables. I would recommend tile, paper towel, butcher paper, or newspaper for Uromastyx under 7 inches, due to the possibility of impaction. For Uromasytyx over 7 inches I would recommend Pool Filter Sand, Washed play sand, millet, or birdseed(NO sunflower seeds). With millet and birdseed though they may just eat the seeds and ignore the vegetables, also it is harder to see the feces in birdseed. And if your Uromastyx went to the bathroom on birdseed and then you cleaned it up and later on your Uromastyx ate some of the birdseed that its fecal matter was on it may not be very sanitary. |
Lighting and UVB: | Uromastyx need UVB Light source and a heat light source. You can buy Mercury Vapor Bulbs (MVB) that have both UVB and heat, but for the UVB rays to be effective they need to be at a set distance that the manufacture recommends. Some manufacturers MVB that they produce have way to much or little UVB. I would recommend a Mega Ray MVB. You can also use just a regular basking light with a UVB Fluorescent tube but for the tubes you need to be a minimum distance of 12 inches and have nothing obstructing the UVB rays (Screen lid, glass, etc.) If you want the full benefits of the MVB also you need to have nothing obstructing the rays. |
Temperatures and Humidity: | Night: 70 to 80 F (general temp inside cage), if this night time temperature can not be achieved, i recommend using a ceramic heat emitter or a heat pad. Do not use red or moonlight bulbs for at night time, it will mess with there sleep patterns because of the light.
Basking: 120 to 140 F (measured at their daytime basking site)
Retreat: 85 to 90 F (measured at the opposite side of the cage)
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Heating and Equipment: | For heating you can use specially made basking lights, Mercury Vapor Bulbs, and sometimes a heat pad for supplemental heat. Be sure to get the right size fixture that holds the wattage of the bulb you have. Also, their should be no way for the Uromastyx to have contact with any of these heat sources. If you would like to boost the temp about 5 degrees or so I would recommend just a standard incandescent light of some sort. |
Caging Provided: | The caging that I provided was a 48x24x18 Showcase cage. I would recommend this size to be the minimum size for a Full grown Uromastyx, some say a 40 gallon breeder to be minimum but i disagree because it is quite difficult to get the right temperature gradient for a smaller cage. |
Diet: | Herbivorous |
Description of Diet: | Staple foods: Endive, Dandelion Greens, Escarole, Spring Mix without spinach.
Foods that can be added every few days: Bok Choy, Chopped Cilantro, Bell Peppers (all colors), grated squash, zucchini, soaked lentils.
Food to be given rarely: Mango, apple, blueberries, peas, cut green beans, carrots, corn, lima beans.
Edible Flowers: Pansies, Rose Petals, Nasturtiums, Violas, Orchids, Violets, Lemon gem and tangerine marigolds, hibiscus, and dandelion blooms. |
Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: | If you have the right set up their really should be no need for supplements. If you did use any supplements I would recommend Miner-All, sprinkle it lightly on food every day. Also, you can use bee pollen about once a week. Some people also use Uromastyx Dust, I would recommend this once a week but sometimes it can cause constipation in some Uromastyx. Some people also grind up Mazuri Pellets and sprinkle it on the food about once a week or twice. |
Maintenance: | If using sand spot clean with a mesh scooper or kitchen sieve. Discard any uneaten food, remove feces and urate. Empty food dish, clean with hot, soapy water. Use a clean sponge and hot, soapy water to clean all surfaces on cage including the roof and walls. Also, you can use hot soapy water to clean the furniture in your Uromastyx cage. Sticks and branches should be washed with clean water and stuck in the oven for 25 minutes on 200- 250 degrees (This is what I did awhile back for my Uromastyx. About every 6 months or so I recommend completely changing the substrate if it is sand. |
Some Words on this Species: | Most Uromastyx are active, and shy. I would not handle these often, only when cleaning cage should you take your Uromastyx out and put it in a temporary cage. |
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