Reptile & Amphibian Forums

As someone who is also new to Uro's & the board, I would like to see an answer to Brendolino's 3/9/07 feeding questions please. I would like to know the quantities as well. And where is the best place to find dandelion greens? I'm here to learn & want to do what's best for my uro Thank you in advance!

lizard_chick
1 Bearded Dragon, Bonsai
1 Mali Uromastyx, Slash

Bredolino wrote:

Alright...so I've seen the err of my ways.

I went and bought about $25 bucks worth of veggies. I got turnip, collard, and mustard greens, srping mix(that I removed all lettuce from) for the endives, bok choy, snap green beans, kale (didn't see it on the list, but it falls in with greens, so if its bad, let me know). I got 15 bean soup and removed all kidney beans (are lima beans good?), split peas, and lentils.

I plan to pick up some escarole ( think some came with spring mix, but wasn't listed ), and dandelion.

I am moving him into a 30g breeder that I was building for my ball pythons, until I can build the 4X3X2 that I will eventually permanently house him in. I got parakeet seed that I will use for substrate.

Now for the questions...

All the care sheets say WHAT to feed them, but not how, and in what quantities. I mixed all the greens, and mixed all the beans/peas, and put a small handful of each into 2 feed trays in his tank.
Are the beans served dried, or should I soak them?
Is there a ratio of mixture for the greens?
Where is the best place tofind some of the other ingredients (buckwheet, oat groats, mung beans, etc)?
And how much of each should I feed each day?

I know these questions are better asked BEFORE getting the animal, but in this case, I didn't just go buy him. A friend couldn't keep him and was desparate to find him a home.

Sorry for the trouble, snappy responses, and general lack of prior research.
Brendo.

what I would do until I got to know Slash:
always keep a full bowl of fresh greens for him at all times
spinkle some HULLED millet or other small seed on top
sprinkle some bee pollen on top
I would stay away from beans until he eats and poops regularly
no better place to get dandelion than from the ground if you can ensure no pesticides or fertilizer for at least 1 year
Dandelions, Bee Pollen, and hulled millet can be found around here in a supermarket called Whole Foods. This is an "organic-health orientated type of supermarket". Dried Bee Pollen can also be found at GNC but I think the fresh kind is better.
I also wait until they are eating and pooping before any supplements are used. No more time right now, sorry..

ok i have a few minutes...
for the greens, you will find some will be eaten and some maybe not. Sometimes you will have to choose between wilted old "staples" and fresh crisp "occasionals" Use these times as an opportunity to serve "occasional"
Staples: dandelion, endive, escarole, raddiccio, watercress
Occassional: mustard greens, baby lettuces, chickory, spring mix
you can crush juvenile iguana or tortoise food and sprinkle on top as well. I limit peas as much as possible but when i give them i pop them out of the skins, (very)lightly dust w/ Calcium, and i also add some probiotic like benebac or nutribac,and sometimes i crush juvy iguana food to dust and roll the peas in that. If they eat good without it I don't give it to them. If your mali and your beardie are housed together-you should separate them a.s.a.p.

What wonderful parent your Uro has! Keep asking questions!

I have found that the amounts depend a lot on the time of year, and the Uro itself. As well as the food you are offering, since they each have their favorites. Feedings uros can be very complicated, or fairly simple, so its ok if you start off with good staples and then add things along the way. One thing that will make a big difference is whether your Uro is wild caught (WC) or captive bred (CB). If it is captive bred, and already eating greens well, then you are well on your way! If it is WC then there may be some additional steps you have to take.

Ok, amounts. If you have a juvenile I would start with 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup of chopped up greens. I was told once that a good rule of thumb is "nothing bigger than the space between their eyes". I didn't know exactly how to measure that then, and I still don't, but it will at least give you an idea! There is a school of thought that feeds whole leaves... but I always cut mine up. For your specific uro you could feed a half cup in the morning, and give him more if he has eaten a lot of it by the evening, or start with a bunch and sort of cut back until he seems to eat most of it. Mosca is a small egyptian, and it constantly astounds me how much he can pack into his belly! (He will often polish off a 10in plate full of his favorite greens now!)

I feed once a day, and leave the uneaten greens in the cage until I feed again. My observation is that they will oftentimes munch on the dried greens as a snack, but some schools of thought have you remove uneaten greens after a certain amount of time. For my schedule, since I am most decidedly NOT a morning person, and to help Mosca's "bonding" with me, I feed in the afternoon, right after I get home from work. The way his lights are set up he still has 5 hours of light after that time, so it works out fine (seemingly). I think the main thing to remember is that they can't digest food as efficiently when they are cold, so you want to feed them when they will still be "day-time" warm and toasty for at least a few hours afterward.

Since I only have the one lizard, it can get irritating (and smelly) to buy a bunch of different greens every week that are going to go bad long before I can feed them, so I rotate each time I buy greens. Though relating lizard and people husbandry is generally a bad idea, I do the same thing for my own diet. As long as they are getting a variety over time! I have difficulties finding a lot of the greens (particularly dandelion greens) around where I am, the grocery stores do carry some of them, and oftentimes what Mosca gets that week is dependant on what looks the best at the store. If it doesn't look good enough I would eat it, I don't consider it good enough for him.

I personally supplement his food with calcium and a multivitamin, if you got your uro from a breeder they can tell you how many times ea. I usually do 3 times a week with the multi and twice for the calcium.

Anything on top of the greens like summer squash, organic edible flowers (YUM!), the occasional pea, or the very occasional thin apple slice (as a treat, my last uro would do just about anything for a sliver of granny apple) is gravy! As you get more sophisticated with your Uros diet there are all sorts of things you can add and play with. Bee pollen used to be used mainly as an appetite stimulant, though I have noticed people feeding it more and more as a staple.

I also fed pretty bird finch food as an occasional supplement when Mosca was a juvenile (the completely not natural looking, bright colored kind, smells like fruit loops). As an adult, juvenile iguana pellets are more suited. Though Mosca isn't a big fan, so he occasionally gets some of the bird seed, since he seems to really like it.

So, I have probably added to your confusion, lol. Summary: Get the basics down, feeding lots of yummy greens, and a good supplement regimen (imo - I use herptevite brand personally). Then you can start adding new things in! If your Uro isn't eating well, then there are other things to try.

I hope that helped a *little*. I at least gave you some tentative amounts!

Elizabeth
-----
1.0 Mali Uro Archimedes (May he rest in peace)
0.0.1 Egyptian Uro Zuberi Mosca Khu (Mosca)
0.1 Sulcata Minnie
1.1 Iguanas Flik and Loki
Madison, Wisconsin

Now that's the kind of details I like, you guys are fabulous! Thank you! I have to be quick because I'm still at work, but no my uro & beardie are NOT housed together. I've had my beardie since he was 8 weeks old--he turned 2 in November. So I've done my share on research--I can find tons on beardies, but there's a lot less on uros. I just got my uro 2 weeks ago, so he's still adjusting--he's a young adult. He has white millet for substrate. My next quick question is, do they perfer a plate or dish for their greens? I tried a plate, but he walked thru them so much and drug them all over, so then I tried a deeper dish which he still walks thru I'm just wondering which is easier for them &/or what is perfered. I don't want to keep changing things around when he's still trying to get settled in. He's eating some and but not a lot, but he's had normal bm's about every other day. Thanks again!

Use what you prefer. I personally use bowls for my guys, the plates are great because they are disposable. No matter which you use, they will somehow find a way to scatter the food all over the place! Also, make sure the bowl is low enough for them to easily access the food.

I have 2 beardies and 1 uro and soon to have many beardie babies. So what i do is cut up all the leafy greens and put them in a ziploc bag usually a big freezer bag and i do the same with the veggies i just make 2 seperate bags of them. I also use collard greens endive and escorole as staple greens every week and i will add something different each week-----for instance they may get bok choy and then the following they will get parsley. Veggies always varry. It's whatever will mix well together. I also don't want like carrots and just cucmbers or something like that. I have always had a big variety like,----carrots, mango, plums, yellow squash, zucchini, seedless cucumbers, apple, banana, acorn squash, tomato......that about how much i use weekly and i have to go to the store every friday and i only spend about 20.-30.00 on it all, so it's not too bad but it for sure is an expense.