Posted by:
chandlermonster
at Tue Nov 22 00:40:35 2005 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by chandlermonster ]
Hello everybody, my name is Chandler and this is my first post.
For the past three weeks I've been raising an unsexed baby Uromastyx of unknown age and species. Due to the rarity of this kind of reptile in my area I am assuming the little one (dubbed Afro) is a Mali and have been treating him as such. Now, Afro is tiny, about as long as my index finger, and was fed on collard greens for the first two weeks, but I switched over to Dandelion greens recently when I heard rumors of iodine absorbtion through collards. He shows no interest whatsoever in insects at this point, but eats very well and is gaining some weight. Also, I do not provide Afro with a water dish because I read it was unneccesary for most species, and he seems to be doing fine without one.
I am new to this Uromastyx game, and would like to make sure that the setup I have made for Afro is acceptable. He is currently in a 5.5 gallon tank with mixed bird seed substrate. He was on paper but I thought the seed would work well to supplement his diet, plus he loves to burrow and kick it around and seemed bored with no loose substrate. As for heating, he has a 75 watt reptile UVA bulb and an undertank heater. There is a basking piece of granite on the hot side and two plastic shelters on either side of the cage. I'm not sure how severe the temperature gradient is, but I know that it is about 110-115 on the basking spot, mid nineties in the middle, and mid seventies on the unheated side. When the light goes off at night it gets colder, about 70-85. I have heard that a higher temperature range is ideal, and wonder if any other enthusiasts know tricks I can use to get the cage warmer for Afro. I also chose not to use UVB lighting because of concerns I have over its actual effectiveness and possible harmful effects from mercury vapor bulbs. Instead, I spray Afro's greens daily with a D-3/Calcium supplement. The spray had no specifications as for how often it could be used, so I've been doing it daily just to be safe and to make sure Afro can make strong bones.
Now for my concerns...
I noticed that for a short while after I acquired him, Afro began to become somewhat lazy. After adding more heat and providing more objects within his setup, he began to liven up more, but his daily routine still consists mostly of eating, napping, and short energetic spurts in between. Is this normal for a baby? Also, I have had trouble identifying his species due to the fact that he has minimal coloration. When I first got him he was a light chalky grey, as if near a shed, but he soon turned to a darker color. Now he is a mostly unvariated dark grey with three or four rows of pale yellow spots developing on his back, and two or three very faint broken black lines in between. His head and tail show no pattern, but maintain a kind of 'weathered' look. I know that a picture would be more helpful, but until I get a hold of a camera, can anyone estimate the species from this description? Also, while Afro doesn't seem to mind being handled, whenever I take him out of the cage he seems to sit still for a moment, closes his eyes, and starts to fall asleep. Even when I take him out just to set him on the floor and let him explore, more than half the time he doesn't, or takes a few minutes to 'sleep' first. Any ideas on why this happens?
I'll admit, at this point I have very little experience with the Uromastyx. I came here to seek advice and any input about my post, positive or negative, will be appreciated.
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 Raising a Baby; Seeking Advice - chandlermonster, Tue Nov 22 00:40:35 2005
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