Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My ornate pounds his greens but doesn't seem to be gaining much weight, at least not visually. Is this a typical sign of parasites?

I'd also appreciate any thoughts on my husbandry below. Thanks!

Care Notes:

- He is around 6"-7" long. Captive raised by Lindsay Pike.

- Cage: 36"x18"x18" wooden cage, bright white interior. (On the small side, I know, but I have been getting very consistent temps with a good gradient.) Cage located in a quiet home office.

- Substrate and furnishings: 1/4" deep washed playsand. Lots of low hides from dark slate rocks.

- Temps: 128* at the hot point on his basking spot, down to around 115* on the sand below. Ambient at 98* on hot side, 85* on the cool side. Temps measured with a temp gun and two digital thermometers that provide highs and lows for a 24-hour period. Lows of 75*-82* at night.

- Lamps: 75-watt halogen flood, 45-watt ceramic emitter, Reptisun 10.0 in a 24" fixture. 12 hr on/12 hr off timers.

- Food: Alternating between endive and spring mix. Supplemented with Reptivite twice a week.

- Handling: I haven't handled him since receiving him from Lindsay around 2 months ago. He seems to be settling in nicely and doesn't flee when he sees me or when I place food in his cage. I haven't tried petting him or anything.

Its always a good idea to get a fecal done if you have a good herp vet. If they do have parasites, that could keep them from gaining.

You can also add ground beans and finch seed to their diet. Leave off kidney beans, but lentils, soy beans, breen beans and peas are good, and I also ground up the Mazori tortoise pellets for them. Someone suggested getting the 16 bean soup (dry), remove the kidney beans, and grind the rest up in a coffee grinder. I do that, add the finch seed, and keep a bowl in their vivs separate from the salad and they snack on that a lot.

Then there's the flowers. Taz pouts if he doesn't get a dandelion bloom every day. There weren't any this morning so he dug all of the salad out of the bowl and then went back in his cave! LOL!

At what age/length should uros eat ground beans and seeds?

Well, my 3-4 inch baby eats the ground beans, and the seed should be fine at any age as long as its finch seed. When I grind them in a coffee grinder there is nothing but tiny pieces and dust. He digests them just fine. Taz is adult size, so I'm not as careful about the size. You can also soak the beans to make them softer, or I also feed them cooked beans when I make bird mash.

You may not notice visually any minor weigh gains. Best thing to do is get a digital scale (like the one offered at deerfernfarms) They are accurate and you can tell how much they are gaining.

I didn't notice (visually) much of a weigh gain in mine until I got a scale. Both of mine have gained a decent amount since I got them.

Ditto on the fecal check AND the digital scale. You don't want them gaining huge amounts of weight all at once. It's healthier if it's a slow, steady gain, provided they aren't death's-door thin to begin with. The scale will make sure gradual changes are tracked accurately.
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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)