Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all, I just had a couple of questions about my eyptian uro. She's about 8" long right now and in a fifteen gallon aquarium at the moment. I was wondering when I should move her to a bigger tank. I was also wondering about humidity. I live in Mn and it's pretty hot and humid right now. Does anyone have any tips on keeping the humidity down (I don't have air conditioning). Would a dehumidifier work? And also when I bought my uro the people at the store told me they'd be feeding her Kaytee brand bearded dragon food. It's dry and made up of red and green little pellets. Has anyone heard anything about it? she seems to like it. I've also been using Herpcare brand calcium & vitamin D3 supplement does anyone know if this is a good product to use (she gets it once a week). Her main diet right now consists of cherries, sugar snap peas, cheese (grated), crushed up multigrain cheerios, kale, rasberries, blueberries, mushrooms, califlower and occasionally crickets. And the dried food I mentioned above. She doesn't get all these types of food at once, but these make-up her diet thus far. I was just wondering if it seemed balanced or if anyone saw any problems w/ what I'm feeding her. Thanks for your help : )

And also when I bought my uro the people at the store told me they'd be feeding her Kaytee brand bearded dragon food. It's dry and made up of red and green little pellets. Has anyone heard anything about it? she seems to like it. I've also been using Herpcare brand calcium & vitamin D3 supplement does anyone know if this is a good product to use (she gets it once a week). Her main diet right now consists of cherries, sugar snap peas, cheese (grated), crushed up multigrain cheerios, kale, rasberries, blueberries, mushrooms, califlower and occasionally crickets. And the dried food I mentioned above. She doesn't get all these types of food at once, but these make-up her diet thus far. I was just wondering if it seemed balanced or if anyone saw any problems w/ what I'm feeding her. Thanks for your help : )

hello... as for the tank... bigger is better.. they need a TON of floor space... i would move her asap.. I'm not sure if you're aware.. but egyptians get quite large... they are the biggest of all uro's.
Humidity is something I'm still fighting.. i live in boston.. where the humidity is ridiculous.. the only thing i have found to help is ventilation... im sure a dehumidifier would help... i saw one on lllreptile website specifically made for a cage.. (it was pricey) but im sure one in the room would help.
I personally wouldn't offer the dragon food... (i use the same brand for my beardie BTW) If you want to offer a dry mix offer lentils and birdseed (but you MUST take out the sunflower seeds) uros cant digest them and they become impacted) However it is extremely important that the staple of the uros diet is fresh greens... uros do not need standing water(there is a lot of controversy here) They get all the moisture they need from the greens.. Offer turnip, dandelion, mustard,and collard greens as the staple..Stay away from broccoli and spinach.. it makes it so they cant get their calcium properly (i believe)
Peas are okay, but in moderation.. they are very fattening. As for the cheese, cherries, and cheerios ... don't offer them!A little bit of kale every once in a while is okay.. Fruit should be offered sparingly as well... its the junkfood of the uro world.. melon, berries, and banana make nice treats..I'm not sure about the mushrooms and cauliflower.. i dont offer them. Crickets should also be fed as a treat... a lot of uro owners dont even offer them.... A couple a month should be ok should u decide to offer them... Theyre full of protein which can reak a lot of havoc on the uro.
As for supplements.. she needs calcium and d3. you should look for a brand with calicium and no phosphorus.. i use zoomed's "reptivite" for a vitamin supplement....
What are you using for lighting?
Sorry this was soooo long... i hope it helped..

p.s. look in the archives of this site... they are very helpful

Liz

Thanks that helps alot ... diet can be such a tricky thing. She has a heat lamp and a UV light. I've got a 55 gallon that I'll be moving her into soon I just wanted to know if sooner was better. She has soo much energy. I forgot what young lizards were like : ) My last reptile experiance was a seven & 1/2 year old bearded dragon. My uro actually has a hamster ball I let her run around in. She seems to like it and it keeps her safe from getting lost or squished under furniture and helps her burn off energy.

Everything in the first post is true. The only thing is that the relatively low humidity of an air conditioned home should be fine without the need for a de-humidifier. The substrate usually keeps the humidity down even further, and the heat inside the enclosure lowers the "relative humidity" below the level of the already dry air you're feeling now.

Just remember to check the height of the enclosure. If it's over a foot high, you're gonna need something they can climb on to get closer to the light. They are heat worshippers and should have their basking spot 120 degrees F.

Regarding the UV, try and stick with an 8.0 UV bulb. It's more powerful, mimicks their natural environment better, and you'll have to keep it on much less. I only turn mine on once a week, because I give them vitamins. If you are giving them vitamins, the UV is no longer nearly as necessary for calcium absorbtion. It seems to function more as a stimulant now, although I feel the effects are exaggerated.
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Mark Martinez
University of Florida

The other post had some good suggestions. Also you should check out the care sheets on Deerfernfarms.com. You can get some specific requirements for a cage for an Egyption as well as a complete list of the veggies.

Definately change the diet. Just like us, just because we like it doesn't mean its good for us

good luck!
Renee