Reptile & Amphibian Forums

just got my saharans yesterday and the male is thin compared to the female. i have been adding water to their food to help with hydration but as far as weight goes what is the best foods and regime to add weight to them?
i will get actual weights and pics as soon as they are settled ina few weeks.
adam
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" a.k.a. farfrumugen "
When I die, I want to go peacefully like my Grandfather did, in his sleep -- not screaming, like the passengers in his car.

I know everyone always says insects are no good...

BUT, I give skinny animals giant mealworms or Locust and that makes them add weight really quick as they need protein to add weight.. fibre alone from greens wont help much.

So if you have a skinny animal I would recomment some insects.

Probably not a good idea to feed a compromised animal something they have difficulty digesting. Many Saharans tend to be wildcaught, therefore having a heavy parasite load (as DoubleMom stated in a previous post to another member). The first thing you should be doing while getting their enclosure and husbandry things perfected would be to get a fresh (less than 8 hours old) fecal sample of each one to the vet to check for parasites. Don't forget to label each sample so you remember which one goes with who! Shouldn't be too hard since they should be in seperate enclosures. Other than getting a fecal to the vet, just feed the staple greens and in time they will start gaining healthy weight.

Shouldn't you also be feeding ground beans? Doug Dix also recommends the Mazuri Tortoise pellets ground with the beans in a coffee grinder(just not kidney beans) and then add small bird seed or small bird pellets like Prety Bird brand. These are vegetable sources of proteins and nutrients, and are working fabulously in a baby that was surrendered to me fairly underdeveloped. He is growing super well now. If you go for the bird pellets, I would opt for the natural if possible, but the color isn't really toxic and it might actually attract the uros, and a thinnish surrendered adult.

I would opt for these options over bugs, because I have read that bugs are just not found in the feces of wild specimens, but these other things are. Here is a very good care sheet if you haven't already read it:
http://www.deerfernfarms.com/Uromastyx_Care.htm

Here is a link to a very well respected herp researcher:
http://www.anapsid.org/uromastyx.html

My apologies for my awful grammar in that last message. I have a headache and am neck deep in student papers!

I meant that I have a baby and an adult mali, both of which were both thin when they came in, and the salad plus the ground beans and pellets is doing wonders.

I would definitely avoid the insects. You want healthy animals, right? Not just fat ones? Rapid weight gain from heavy protein ingestion (plant or insect protein) is NOT healthy. Deal with any parasites as mentioned above. Provide a large habitat with a good heat gradient, good UVB, and a varied diet with dark leafy greens as the base. Add in small amounts of shredded veggies, a little bit of protein like lentils and crushed beans, seeds, dried grasses, bee pollen, and edible flowers. You'll have chubby, healthy lizards in good time.

Before:

After:

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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)

to answer some questions
yes both are wild caught right now each is in their own 36x18x16
enclosure basking temps are 125-130, hot temps are 96-102 and cool side is 82-86 and night temps drop to 75-78
they each have a reptisun uvb 5.0 and are currently on excavator clay substrate(not sure if i like it yet or not)
the female is eating dandelion greens and blooms the male has picked around a little but not eating quite like the female is.
he is also lethargic most of the day with any activity being right at the end of the night just before the lights go out.
he is my main concern right now. she is doing fabulous as fas as i am concerned.
thanks again and i will update as nessecary
adam
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" a.k.a. farfrumugen "
When I die, I want to go peacefully like my Grandfather did, in his sleep -- not screaming, like the passengers in his car.

Would you consider replacing the florescent UVB with a Mercury Vapor or at least a higher rated tube? The UVB bulb you have is a bit weak for a desert reptile. The Reptisun 10 is the only florescent tube that I recommend for desert and semi desert species, but I use Mercury Vapor bulbs exclusively. They are the uvb source that most closely replicates the sun. Switching to a Mercury Vapor like a Solar Glo, a T Rex Active UV, or a Megaray might make a huge difference in his appetite and behavior.

I would also get the fecal. Parasites can really make them feel bad.

Ditto on all of the advice given above, except for feeding insects. Wild caught geyri usually have a lot of parasites, and insects also carry parasites, so when you feed a cricket or a mealworm, you are risking re-infesting with parasites. Besides, these animals are herbivores and they are just not designed to digest animal protein. Go with soaked lentils or a pinch of bee pollen once a week instead. I would also move up to a 10.0 Reptisun UV light... Uros are the ultimate desert dwellers and need really good UV to do well. Also, ideally, they could really use 4' x 2' enclosures, what you have them in is do-able, but the absolute bare minimum size. Keep offering a steady daily diet of greens, edible flowers, shredded squash, and up the UV to a 10.0, and be patient!

My Gizmo was thin, but not in horrible shape, when we got him. He's put on a lot of weight over the last year and looks really really good right now, and he's never had a single insect.

Keep us posted on how they're doing

Andi