Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What is the minimum size (length & weight) for a MALE Saharan Uro (u. geyri) to be able to successfully breed?

Also, I recently aquired a uro with some toe issues. Some toes are slightly bent, others are partially missing, and some are not as wide as they should be. Is this something that I should get taken care of immediately by a vet? She is supposed to be CB but with those toes I'm thinking she's really WC. Any advice is appreciated.

i don't know about geyri's. but the animal with toe problems could be in fact CB but by someone with extremely poor husbandry. also quite probably poor quality breeding animals. missing toes could be a few things, but twisted toes is a sign of metabolic bone disease. again, poor husbandry. vet trip is a good idea if you want to save it. don't feel bad, i just recieved an entirely unacceptable CB, myself.I will stick to the big boys(and girls)for my cb needs from now on. we all know who they are.

I'd say that it is from overly dry conditions. Mainly, a lack of tight hides where the animals squeeze into them (literally flatten out and squeeze), which would make reduced airflow, which would allow them to conserve moisture. That, or that in combination with too much airflow in the rest of the cage itself.

How to prevent it? Reduce airflow in the cage itself, by covering most, if not all, of the top with something solid, like wood, glass, plastic, or even aluminum foil. Make sure the hides provided are very tight. And lastly, I, myself, would put a deep layer of dirt in the cage to allow the animal to construct hides (burrows) of its own design.

Some people will disagree with what I said above about reduced airflow in the cage and dirt. All I can say is, the successful monitor keepers have been doing that for a very long time (Frank Retes for a couple decades, and he actually developed these methods with other reptiles first). I personally keep my adult acanthurus monitors (like uros, a desert species) in metal livestock troughs with a solid plexiglass lid, with a good foot of burrowable dirt. They are doing terrifically and laying clutches every month or so (no brumation periods here). In fact, I'm expecting to dig up a clutch from my adult female any day now. My juvenilles are only 4 1/2-5 months old, and already at a potential breeding size. And, shall I ever obtain a pair/group of uros, I plan on keeping them the same way.

Oh yeah, Robyn of Pro Exotics kept some ornates in this manner recently. The grew faster than pretty much any uro kept in 'standard' conditions, and were multiclutching without any brumation periods, which are supposedly 'necessary' to breed most reptiles (false).

Opps, I kinda got carried away. Sorry if that was a bit TMI. I guess I'm kind of bored.

Cheers,
Ryan
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Please excuse my childish-sounding user name. Unless I created a new account, I can't change it.