Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Iám Marion and I have two Uro acanthinura from 4 months old.
Sometimes one of them start to blow up it's body.
They live seperate from each other so it can't be stress or something like that. Why do they blow up their body?
Is it because they can take a lot of heat in a short time like bearded dragons can do when they make their body flat?
I hope you can read this because my englisch is not so good but I try.
Greetings Marion from Holland

Bearded dragons and Uromastyx

I try it again

And another one

Firstly, you have a beautiful little uro there. Are you sure it's acanthinurus? It looks like a Mali to me, but I could be wrong.

I'm not sure what you mean by "blowing up" their bodies. Do you mean they puff up? Like they are full of air? Mine often do that when you first pick them up- it is a defense mechanism that makes them look bigger to predators.

Other than that, I haven't noted any other "blowing up" on uros
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1.3 Uromastyx Maliensis (Ricky, Quinn, Anna, Drusilla)
0.2 Varanus Timorensis (Zealot, Willow)
1.1 Varanus Acanthurus (Eddie, Roxie)
0.0.2 Uromastyx Aegypticus (Kronk, Yzma)
0.0.2 Ceratophrys Ornata (Mojo, Jabba)
0.1 Geochelone Carbonaria (Turtle)
1.0 Rhacodactylus Ciliatus (Smeagol)

Emily
www.egomantra.com/npoh

Hello Emily,

Thank you for your answer.
Yes, I mean the same thing as you do. If I want to pick them up, they make a movement with their tail, and sometimes they find it good. I don't pick them up often. They like people,because they come to your hand and lick on your hand.
I have them from a breeder, he said that it was the acanthinura nigriventris.

They are 100% U. acanthinura nigriventris.
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Hello from the Netherlands... this is my Uro-Website

They fill p with air to look bigger when they are scared. It makes sense because if a snake thinks it can't swallow you, it won't eat you. They also flatten out their bodies when sunbathing to take in more heat.
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Mark Martinez
University of Florida

They fill p with air to look bigger when they are scared
That's the reason that I hear too. But they are alone, so they have no reason to be afraid.
Can it be that they are practice a lot because they must grown up??
How did you find the picture?
That's the smallest of the two.
I can try another one.
Greets Marion

Sometimes they inflate themselves when they haven't acclimated to their new home yet. Even the presence of an unfamiliar person can upset them and make them puff up in defense.

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1 Mali Uromastyx named Ra

Sometimes they inflate themselves when they haven't acclimated to their new home yet

Thats why I don't touch them often. But they come to my hand by themselves. They eat out of my hand. I will put another picture here if I could. Than you could see the difference.
The first picure is the smallestnamed Cloë, the big one is Benji ( he's the same age)

What Marion means is that they show this inflating behavior when there is no-one or nothing in the neighbourhood that scares them.

My acanthinura-female does this also every now and then. She is adult and afraid for nothing.
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Hello from the Netherlands... this is my Uro-Website

Hello Fons,
Good to see you here.
Now every one understand what I mean.
Did you know you can post your pictures here too!
Greetings Marion