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 #2083598


Mbwrink
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 Excavation

My Mali has taken to excavating under everything he can I had to rearrange cage furniture to make sure he wouldn’t injure himself. Is this common once they have settled in? What if there is nothing for them to dig under should they be provided with something to pursue the craving for it?
10/13/09  07:36pm

 #2083623


Boabab95
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   Message To: Mbwrink   In reference to Message Id: 2083598


 Excavation

first off- in the wild they live in burrows, therefore, their natural instinct is to burrow.
Second- How big is he??? if he is less than 7 inches than newspaper, if over 7 inches- sand, seed, etc.
Tip- make sure there is no possible way for him(uro) to get under the furnishings.
10/13/09  08:55pm

 #2083688


Benedita
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   Message To: Boabab95   In reference to Message Id: 2083623


 Excavation

Yeah, they are diggers.
Glue your rocks together if you must. you don’t want any rocks to shift and land on your uro.
10/13/09  11:41pm

 #2083707


Obi Carl Kenobi
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   Message To: Benedita   In reference to Message Id: 2083688


 Excavation

just make sure they dont end up like this


they make their way into places you didnt think possible
10/14/09  02:03am

 #2083808


Sugar Snap Pea
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   Message To: Mbwrink   In reference to Message Id: 2083598


 Excavation

I use excavator clay and stones to make a hilly area and a burrow entrance for my Mali’s burrowing. I’m in the process of making new ones for the bigger tank. The clay warms up nicely during the day and cools down slowly. It doesn’t add to humidity, but you want to be sure your Mali doesn’t poop on the clay around his den so it stays cleaner longer.

Instead of a hilly area, you could just make a burrow area out of the clay. Take an instant noodle’s black box and cut a hole for the entrance, I use the Nissin Foods Chow Mein one LOL, give it a wash and then fill the inside with as much clay as you like, then cover the top with clay. Voila, you have a burrow ready for your Mali to dig into.

It’s good exercise for all four legs and my Mali’s claws are always nicely blunt, never too long and sharp. Has never needed nail trimming!
10/14/09  11:08am

 #2083825


Mbwrink
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   Message To: Sugar Snap Pea   In reference to Message Id: 2083808


 Excavation

I may do something similar in the long term if the animal show an obsessive need for it. Other lizards I kept did it only temporarily as escape behavior then eventually left of of it.
10/14/09  11:43am

 #2083894


Sugar Snap Pea
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   Message To: Mbwrink   In reference to Message Id: 2083825


 Excavation

Quote:

My Mali has taken to excavating under everything he can I had to rearrange cage furniture to make sure he wouldn’t injure himself



My Mali has never dug under everything, but maybe there’s something about the tank landscape that’s bothering him? Sounds like a sign of "obsessive behavior" in my opinion if he’s "excavating under everything", keep an eye on this, it may give you clues as to what and why your uro is digging?

As well, the "low stress" distances whether it’s 1 yard or 3-4 yards away matters, even cats and dogs have their comfort zones. I only started using excavator clay 6 months after I got my uro, as his nails got long and I notice he tries to dig in his burrow, tossing sand aside isn’t exactly burrowing.
10/14/09  02:47pm

 #2083920


Mbwrink
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   Message To: Sugar Snap Pea   In reference to Message Id: 2083894


 Excavation

It may be just at this point the type of escape behavior lizards show in a new environment. He does occasional glass dancing at this point too. He has a hide cold and hot sides, He chose however to evacuate the substrate under half the cold one and tried to excavate under the brick that is against the tilted slate securing his basking area over the hot hide. I’ve made sure the brick and the low edge of the slate are resting on the tank rather than substrate. If he wants to have enough substrate to actually excavate a borough under the hot hide I may fill that area up with the clay and let him make his own place if that keeps him happy. From what I have read of Ackies who also like extremes of heat they need to have their own place dug out rather than an artificial hide and I was wondering if Uromastyx behave the same way.
10/14/09  04:08pm

 #2084283


Monitormayham
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   Message To: Mbwrink   In reference to Message Id: 2083920


 Excavation

what i do with all animals that like to burrow is fill the whole tank with12 inches of sand and soil put water in it till it clumps in your hand but water dosenot drip out it will hold burrows perfectly your uro will love it
10/15/09  02:16pm

 #2084303


Jbreddawg
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   Message To: Monitormayham   In reference to Message Id: 2084283


 Excavation

I dont think the humidity with that setup would be good for uro’s.



10/15/09  03:16pm

 #2084436


Monitormayham
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   Message To: Jbreddawg   In reference to Message Id: 2084303


 Excavation

it dosent put humidity up at all as long as ypu have ventilatchon with the uros high basking spot it bakes the humidety right out i use it fir berdies an can keep 13 percent humidity
10/15/09  09:01pm

 #2084666


Jbreddawg
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   Message To: Monitormayham   In reference to Message Id: 2084436


 Excavation

If it bakes the humidity right out then how does it keep a tunnel and not collapse in on itself ? Dry sand will not hold a tunnel.
10/16/09  12:19pm

 #2084677


Obi Carl Kenobi
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   Message To: Jbreddawg   In reference to Message Id: 2084666


 Excavation

I dont tend to experiment much with substrate. I used a sand/clay mix from my local dealer and it was great, not for burrows but it was a nice thick substrate. He stopped making it because nobody was buying it so i just went back to the plain old trustworthy sand. Better safe than sorry.
10/16/09  12:56pm

 #2084959


Rattler 98
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   Message To: Obi Carl Kenobi   In reference to Message Id: 2084677


 Excavation

omg is that uro okay
10/17/09  12:19am

 #2084970


Sugar Snap Pea
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   Message To: Mbwrink   In reference to Message Id: 2083920


 Excavation

Quote:

From what I have read of Ackies who also like extremes of heat they need to have their own place dug out rather than an artificial hide and I was wondering if Uromastyx behave the same way.



I don’t know a thing about Ackies, and I wish someone would have replied to you on Ackies so far, but I’ll get back to you in a few months what my uro does in his new tank with the mix of clay, sand and different types of rock. He’s gonna have a few places to dig into, and one of them is gonna be his new burrow. :)

I’ve just seen enough of my uro’s digging habits to know he wants a firmer substrate then sand to dig into for his den... and it’s been good so far having a clay/stone mix for his excavating.



10/17/09  12:47am

 #2085027


Obi Carl Kenobi
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   Message To: Rattler 98   In reference to Message Id: 2084959


 Excavation

Quote:

omg is that uro okay



Yeah i think i was more afraid than she was.
10/17/09  07:18am


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