Reptile & Amphibian Forums

later most likely end of the week im going to be buying a Nigerian Uromastyx.
currently i been trying to find sites to look up the best information as possible
( they told me hes a male ) she looks like on the skinny side a bit but thats ok ill get a stool and send that in right away from reading they get parasites alot as im reading on.
anyone have suggestions ? or can give me a general idea of what the cage should be like ? temps should be ? ive read 115-130F and cool side 80 degrees ( what about night temp ? can i use a red light on these guys ?
ive read they get plenty of water from there food. but im sure soaking them is fine too ?
what kind of hides should i use? and yes substrate?
I have and iguana beared dragons leopard geckos/... and i really want just 1 uro this guy has red and black in him like hes flames.
any information is helpful or links to a good site ? or maybe a book i could buy ?
thanks for reading i just want to be ready for his arrival

christina

I am getting a euro once my reptile guy finds one i am getting and egytian but needless to say i have been doing some research. One problem with the nigerian seeing its your first uro is that they are all wild caught pretty much all have parasites and can have trouble sometimes adjusting to captivity. I could be wrong but may not be the best starter. temps sound good and you can drop temps at night no water in cage raises humidity to much get water from diet can use sand as substrate when it gets older but most sugest to keep hatchlings on paper towel.
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Tom
1.2.0 Leopard Gecko (dot, spot, leo)
0.0.1 California King Snake (booboo)
0.1.0 Sulcata Tortoise (tank)
0.0.2 Russian Tortoise (tito and lulu)
0.0.2 Red Ear Sliders (bernie and ernie)
0.0.3 Painted Turtles (larry, curly and moe)
1.0.0 Bearded Dragon (marshmellow)
0.0.1 Savannah Monitor (beef)
1.0.0 Peachfront Conure (kermit)
0.1.0 Australian Shepheard (layla)
2.1.0 Crazy Cats (babe, sabastian, tinkerbell)
0.1.0 Lion Head Rabbit (daisy)
0.1.0 Ferret (jordan)
0.2.0 Guinea Pigs (lilly and petunia)
0.0.1 White Tree Frog (dumpy jr.)
0.0.2 Fire Belly Newts (spork and blaze)
0.0.1 Fire Belly Toad (ferdinan)
0.0.1 Red Spotted Newt ( red)
0.0.2 Bull Frogs (goliath and tubby)
0.0.1 Rainbow Ameive (jack)
0.0.1 Spectacled caiman (wilbert)
Lots Of Fish

Well, my first recommendation is to buy from a reputable breeder to make sure you're getting a healthy animal. This species is sensitive to stress and can be difficult to acclimate.

If you insist on getting an animal you know is thin and presumably carrying parasites, make sure your vet knows uros. Get the fecal check as soon as possible, and have your vet help you right away if the uro doesn't seem to be doing well.

Get a very large cage (at least 4ft x 2ft footprint) as wild caught geyri do not do well AT ALL trying to acclimate in smaller cages.

Do not use a night light. If you need night heat (to keep it around 75 or so), use a ceramic heat emitter. For the daytime, basking surface temps should be 120-130F, a good part of the cage between 95-100F, and a cool area around 85F. Don't guess at your temperatures - be sure to get quality digital and/or infrared thermometers to moniter the cage. Be sure you have a quality UVB light mounted an appropriate distance away.

Don't soak your uro. But when you first get it and during any medication, offer a small, shallow dish of water for a few hours each day to make sure he can drink if he needs to (not uncommon with wild caught geyri).

Use low, snug hides - in other words, not commercially purchased hides. The best ones are made with paver bricks and slate tiles. They like hides that they can feel against their backs. 1-1/2" is a great height - more or less depending on the size of the uro.

Uros should eat primarily plant matter. Don't feed bugs when you first get him. If you choose to feed bugs once he's healthy, only feed very sparingly (as in one or two bugs in several weeks). Do lots of research on good nutrition, as it's very complicated.

Do plenty of reading. Here are some good places to start:
http://www.kingsnake.com/uromastyx/index.html
http://www.deerfernfarms.com/Uromastyx_Care.htm
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Torey
Eugene, Oregon, USA
1.1 Saharan Uros (Joe and Arthur)
3.0 Mali Uros (Spike, Turtle, and Tank)
1.1 Ornate Uros (Scuttlebutt and Shazzbot)
0.1 Collared Lizard (Rorschach)
2.0 Green Anoles (Bowser and Sprocket)
1.1 Chubby Housecats (Roscolux and Jenny)

thanks for the info ,... ill read up more.
i know what diffucult can be sence i have a iguana and shes alot of work herself

As long as you know what's coming and are ready for it, uros are great lizards. They're active and curious and fun to keep.
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Torey
Eugene, Oregon, USA
1.1 Saharan Uros (Joe and Arthur)
3.0 Mali Uros (Spike, Turtle, and Tank)
1.1 Ornate Uros (Scuttlebutt and Shazzbot)
0.1 Collared Lizard (Rorschach)
2.0 Green Anoles (Bowser and Sprocket)
1.1 Chubby Housecats (Roscolux and Jenny)

I ditto everything that El Toro has said, it's very good advice from someone who has a lot of experience with Uros

thanks i prefer to learn from people that have the pets then the internet site.. im fasinated by them im really going to injoy one
everything is going to be set and either thursday or friday im going to get the critter ill post a picture of him.
( of corse he my not be in his best condition. to prior home but ill fix him up and make sure hes happy the rest of his life.