Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just moved to FL. Is it okay to house the Uros outside or is it just too humid for them? I have them set up with a heat lamp inside and they are doing fine but i'm just curious if I can set up a big outside tank?? Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

ISH

i am not sure but i think florida is way to humid for them. I go to clear water beach every summer for a month and every time i go it rains atleast 5 times a week or everyday. I would say take them out to get a little natural sun when it is not humid, unless you have a drought i would not let them stay in a outdoor cage. This is just my opinion.
Mike

They seem to be doing okay. I asked Doug Dix and he seemed to think it would be okay if I didn't let them stay wet. Like last night we had a big storm. I thought I had their cage covered but I guess enough of it blew off that I came out this morning and they were swimming in three inches of water. So I took them out, dried them off and have them indoors in a box until the weather dries out and I can get them some dry substrate. They've been out for two months and seem to be quite healthy. -Lucy

In Florida you also have to be concerned with other critters getting in. The cage must be not just sturdy enough to keep the lizard in but also prevent rats, raccoons, dogs, kids, and worst of all fire ants from getting in. I assume you don't mean a glass tank -- the greenhouse effect of a glass tank in the Florida sun could get hot enough to kill even a uro.
Lindsay

They ARE in an aquarium but I wasn't going to put them outside in it. I already discovered the red ant problem with my red eye tree frogs yesterday. Man those thing work quick. I suppose if I can't keep the ants away what is to stop bigger critters. I guess it is best to just leave all my animals inside. Thank you for your response.

ISH

Just curious, where is it in Florida that you moved to? I thought about taking my uros outside for the summer because I have no A.C. in the house but I changed my mind after I thought about the humidity. Just kept 'em in the bedroom with the fan on and windows open. If you did put them outside the cage would have to be situated off the ground if it was made of wood because it rains so much the bottom would rot away.

I had a plated lizard killed in a reptarium, although that was before they had the plastic liner bottoms, which help somewhat. My uros are in a plastic tub with a wire top. It doesn't heat up as hot as a glass tank would, although it does get about ten degrees hotter than the outside, so I keep a thermometer in it and if it starts to approach 100 I move them in the shade, since the humidity is high here and I'm not sure how much that might contribute to them overheating. I've only once seen one of the females with her mouth open briefly as if she was hot. I have some beardies outside in large cages with wooden bottems and strong metal small mesh screen sides. -Lucy

I am not an expert but I do own a uro and from what I've read and researched, FL would be way too humid. They aren't even supposed to have a constant dish of water in their cage because it might make it too humid so I would definitley think FL would be too humid. That's just my opinion though.