I would personally go with the ornate. I currently have two mali's and I had a nigerian awhile back. The nigerian was wild caught and did not thrive or survive long in captivitiy. Within two months he was dead. Ornates tend to be captive bred and I have read they are much more prone to allow handling. Nigerians can be nervous and not like handling much. The fact that most are wild caught can lead to problems down the road and they may do well for several months before crashing. The males of either species will be more colorful. Male nigernians can be stunning with their bright yellowish green or orangish red coloration. Ornates are probably thought of as the most colorful of the uros and the females may be better colored than female nigerians. My choice would be the ornate.

For a baby uro, you may get by with a 20 gallon LONG aquarium, but an adult ornate or nigerian will require a cage with a floor space of four foot x two foot. The large cage is required to provide the appropriate temperature gradients. With a basking spot of 110 to 120 F, the space is necessary for the uro to get to a cooler temp in the upper 70s to low 80s as desired. This cannot be done with too small a cage. You can turn the lights off at night as long as the temps dont fall much below 70.

Good luck with your choice!!

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