Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So my Mali started his first shed probably a week ago... his head was a little bit lighter shade and I could see the first bits start to come off.

Since then, the shed has only gotten off of the first inch or so of his head. It seems pretty well attached and is closer to his regular pigment than I would expect.

So my question is, it's been more than a week, only a little bit of his head has started shedding and I can't see any evidence of a shed coming on the body/tail, what do I do? Is it common for uros to take a very long time to shed, or is something wrong?

Dare I ask for your opinions on soaking?

Uros sometimes shed very slowly, and usually not the whole body at once. They'll shed the head, then later the feet or back, sometimes the tail. I wouldn't worry about him or bother with soaking. If it feels like one of mine is having a difficult time shedding, I will sometimes give them a light misting of water on the shedding area to soften up the skin. Keep an eye on toes when he sheds the feet - sometimes there's problems with stuck shed cutting off circulation in the toes.
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Torey
Eugene, Oregon, USA
1.1 Saharan Uros (Joe and Arthur)
3.1 Mali Uros (Spike, Turtle, Tank, and Lilly)
1.1 Ornate Uros (Scuttlebutt and Shazzbot)
2.1 Green Anoles (Bowser, Sprocket, Leeloo)
1.1 Felis domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)

That's good news, thanks.

Also, when I took him out to get a better look, I noticed a good size chunk on the cage and as he ran through my hands, a few more bits fell off of his legs.

Guess I was just worrying too much... Thanks for the info.

Torey's correct. Lizards shed in pieces, unlike snakes where an imcomplete shed signals a problem. As long as you are satisfied that hydration isn't an issue, you should be in the clear. It's normal.

That's interesting, never knew that about lizards.
I'll try to up his water intake until he finishes up.

Here he is on the hind legs jumping for some greens. Pretty nimble for a fatty.

My uro has been shedding for 2 1/2 months now and it's his tail now and then he'll be done until next shed which probably won't be long as he's eating 2 full dishes of food a day.First to shed was his head then the back then his legs and last the tail.You could mix some romaine(2-3 times a week) in with his other greens for hydration as romaine has a high water content.I feed mine 2-3 times a week and it keeps him nicely hydrated and when he sheds it seems to help.Plus they don't really ever drink water when you give it to him but they'll eat the romaine no problem!
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Cajit

URO'S RULE ALL!!!

1.0 Mali Uromastyx (OZ) DOUG DIX