Reptile & Amphibian Forums

well, i just thought i would update everyone on my new uros and how they are doing.

well, first the sad news. one of the 3 (uri) did not make it. we found her in the cage under a rock. i am pretty sure she went digging, and the rock was not secure enough (no matter how hard i tried), and ended up falling on her and suffocating her. i was so sad. so, of course, i removed all of the slate rocks and sand, put in millet, and found a better, safer way to make basking spots (a large slate rock on top of an unmoveable cat litter box).

as far as torch and spazz, i do believe they are WC animals, but they are thriving very well! they have both put on weight, eat like pigs, and are very active. torch has more "lazy" days than spazz, and has a tendancy to fall asleep out of nowhere during her activities - its rather funny to watch. one second she is running around like crazy, the next, dead asleep right where she was digging. i am keeping a very good eye on them and their progress, and think they will do well. i have learned a big lesson about purchasing WC animals though, and will not do that again! their "uro mansion" as we are calling it should be done and ready for move-in this weekend (there is a post in the cages forum regarding that).

also, we have a new addition! matt and i were at the pet store to get supplies, and, as always, started browsing the herp room, just to see (of course) what they had. well, we turned the corner, and matt stopped dead, and went "baby, we are taking him home" - a cute little 5-6" baby uro with the most gorgous oranges ever! so of course we got him out, checked him over well, and then went cage shopping. i am NOT usually the type to do impulse buying on any animals, but at least i knew what to do asap to get him set up. so, we now have little lightening added to the group. he is just over 5", 20 grams, and a little spitfire! he is set up in a 20L with hides, branches and a basking spot (avg. 124 temp). he has been with us since saturday night, and he has eaten like a pig, taken to the dried beans, and is already settled in nicely.

here are new pics. the first 2 are torch having a good posing day, and the 3rd is our newest addition. hope you enjoy, and any advice on bringing up a baby uro would be greatly appreciated!

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Kelly S.
OffBeat Dezine
1.1 Mali Uros
1.0 Bearded Dragon
2.8 Leopard Geckos
1.3.1 Crested Geckos
0.1 Red Footed Tortoise
1.0 Ball Python

As a side note for the future, you can stack rocks for hides safely, you just need to use something like "gorilla glue" to cement them together. It is crazy messy stuff, but once dry generally forms a really good bond. Double check that the stuff you get is appropriate for rocks if you go that route, since I think there are some different varieties. You may want to consider gluing the slate to the cat box as well... though I can't really picture that. Pretty much anytime you have something just set on something else glue is a really good idea. Uros are strong and inquisitive little buggers!

Elizabeth
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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

Very Very cute!

Yes, a very, very cute emaciated Uro. As dehydrated as it appears, I wouldn't recommend a dry seed substrate.

danny,

were you referring to the baby or the pics of the larger one on the rock? i do know that the larger ones are not up to weight standards, as they are WC animals and i am working with them. they are fed twice a day with fresh greens, and soaked twice a week at this point, and have already started putting on weight/girth. unfortunately i was duped by a breeder into thinking they were just a bit small i think...
as far as the baby, he is rather plump and healthy in person, he was just laying very flat in the pic. if you are referring to him, what do you think would be best as a substrate, and what is the best thing to do for him to get him up to speed?
anyone else have any advice/opinions? thanks for the help in advance!
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Kelly S.
OffBeat Dezine
1.1.1 Mali Uros
1.0 Bearded Dragon
2.8 Leopard Geckos
1.3.1 Crested Geckos
0.1 Red Footed Tortoise
1.0 Ball Python

Baby---I would use papertowels or a clay like substrate to imitate the natural habitat. I would never use sand or recommend it personally, but i especially wouldnr recommend it for a baby. I use papertowels with everything just cheap and easy to clean. Just keep up the good work.

I was referring to the last picture, the one of the youngster on the millet. My concern was (is) what seems to be dehydration ( the narrowness of the tail base & the skin folds on it's back). If it is truly dehydrated &/or undernourished, I'd strongly advise against a millet substrate ( super dry diet ) & lean towards a fully greens diet until things are back to normal.
You can kick back to a paper or sand substrate in the meantime. While a few on the forum reject sand substrate, it has been used for many years by myself & several breeders with simply fine results. Far from perfect but works well when you don't have museum quality set-ups!
Best of Luck!!

thanks for the tips guys. i personally stay away from sand with all my gang mainly because of it being a royal pain, and very dusty. even the adults are kept on millet. i need to find a better pic of the little one (or take one), because i think that pic may be misleading - i dont THINK he looks that bad when hes up and about, and he was pretty flat and chilling in that pic. i may be wrong though, and will take into consideration what you guys are saying. i will start twice a week soaks with him, and maybe do a small water dish and see if he uses it. he is on a solid veggie diet, eating a full bowl twice a day, so that should help too. i will find a better pic so you guys can judge better....thanks!!
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Kelly S.
OffBeat Dezine
1.1.1 Mali Uros
1.0 Bearded Dragon
2.8 Leopard Geckos
1.3.1 Crested Geckos
0.1 Red Footed Tortoise
1.0 Ball Python

Sounds good. I too personally would not use sand especially if trying to get better sand can irritate skin, eyes, and they can eat mouthfulls as some people feed right on the sand.

Well, yeah, placing food directly on the sand would certainly be a fairly dumb thing to do, especially if moistened. All I'm saying is that we've been keeping various species of Uros for the last 6 years, all on sand, & have never had a single issue. We've tried millet & came away thinking of it just as you do sand. In the long run they all have pros & cons & none seem to replicate their natural environment. You have to go with what work's best for you!
Regards,
D.

Looks like he's in good hands but know you're getting conflicting advice. Only natural on the forum.
Here's mine. Don't do twice a week soaks. Or even once a week. Where is there ANY proof that soaks are hydrating? Everything I've read says no.
What I personally have proof of is how soaking stresses the lizards. You're taking a desert animal & immersing it in an aquatic situation that it would NEVER encounter in the wild & hoping for the best that it'll hydrate when all the literature says that it won't work.
Lizards we've had that needed hydration have almost always responded to Romaine as a kick start. Not much nutrition but enough water to get things turned around. Hydrate, then work on the vitamins & minerals.

danny, i appreciate the advice and the compliment! this is my first time dealing with uros, and it seems i got somewhat of the short end of the stick - first with 3 WC animals, and now a baby that is not up to par! i am used to dealing with animals that are not always the best at first, and have had good luck, so im hoping i will with these guys.
i have decided against the soaks before reading this, for all of the same reasons you listed. especially with him being so tiny. instead, i have added one of the "water well" water dishes on the cool side of the cage, and he seems to have taken to it already. also, i am making sure the veggies are a bit wetter after rinsing that i normally would.
so, any other advice or opinions? i really appreciate all the help thus far, and look forward to more input!
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Kelly S.
OffBeat Dezine
1.1.1 Mali Uros
1.0 Bearded Dragon
2.8 Leopard Geckos
1.3.1 Crested Geckos
0.1 Red Footed Tortoise
1.0 Ball Python

I have to say i agree with danny as far as bathing. You may soak him 1 a month to get him clean for your liking only. It really doesn't do much but scare your uro and make him very stressed. They also can get tail rot if tail is not properly dried after being wet.

I use paper towels, and they have stuf called excavator which is like a clay mold stuff not sure if anyone has used it yet but i think i may try a little bit of it as it is a bit expensdive but it imitates ther enviornment as far as hard clay soil areas.

You're on the right track & I'm sure he'll be fine. For what it's worth, I've been keeping herps for about 50 years now & I don't think I've ever kept any that are as hardy as Uros. Desert animals have to be tough to survive. They, with common sense care, seem to always come around. I'm glad you decided against the soaks. Romaine is a better vehicle. Some call it "crunchy air" & say it's of little benefit. I call it "crunchy WATER", which, in the immediate sense, outweighs nutrition when you're trying to turn around a dehydrated animal. IMHO.

Yea. For hydration yes i would assume that would be good, I don't feed any romaine i feed collard greens, endive, escarole,parsly, the occasional, bok choy, cilantro, and spinach. I also feed my veggies and he gets an occasional treat of a mealie or a crick.

Yeah, what you list are staple diets. Romaine is useful when you've got a lizard that's refusing all that. Often, they'll accept Romaine when rejecting all the more nutritious items. It can be your transitional key to a good diet. I've never understood why this approach is so controversial. In a nutshell, it works.

Yes yes! I do agree with you! Some people have just been doing things for so long that if there is not researches out and says something is ok, they will deny it because they are stuck in their old ways. Just the way the world goes round! LOL