Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i have put together this FAQ for our site to help folks follow along a bit easier with the discussion we have had here on the forum. this is the only "Uro information" we will have at the site for now, it should be up and running there in a day or two...

What do you guys know about Uromastyx, and how do you take care of the ones you have?

We started a Pro Exotics Uro breeding project with a group of captive born Ornate Uros in the fall of 2003. We thought that the Uros would be an interesting project, and we saw a lot of opportunity to try some “new” things with the Uros that no one else really seemed to be doing.

Basically, our theory is that Uromastyx should be approached as the lizards they are, and we wanted to apply our Monitor lizard experience, husbandry and breeding experience, to the Uros, thinking that with minor modifications (things like diet) they would thrive and breed under those “monitor like” conditions.

No more dry, desiccated cages, no more dry, desiccated animals. We keep the Uros along the same guidelines we use for our monitors, you could in fact take the Ackie Monitor caresheet and use that as the basis for your Uro care, if applied intelligently and appropriately.

We don’t have a specific Uromastyx caresheet, perhaps we will make one up in another year or so, giving us the time to learn and grow with our current groups. Another year to give us time to reach one of our main goals, and that is to captive breed the Uros on the same scale that is possible with quality captive monitors.

The whole approach to our Uro program is GOOD LIZARD INFORMATION is GOOD LIZARD INFORMATION FOR YOU. Meaning, any good, high quality information on lizards, whether it is for Monitors, Uros, or Gilas, can be applied to other similar lizard species. And often to other reptile species, like snakes, as well.

We use a lot of our temperature theory, incubation theory, and breeding theory, across a wide range of species. It is all about taking the info, the theory, the strategy, and applying it to your own situation. APPLY APPLY APPLY!

Of course, you have to be able to tell the good from the bad, and that is often tough. But we have worked with monitors for many years, so we have experience in what can be applied, and what cannot. We are here to try and help you understand and recognize the valuable captive husbandry info that CAN be applied.

I have posted A LOT of info over the last few months on the Uro forum at kingsnake.com. We have had discussions there on a range of basic topics, from heat, temperatures, substrates, breeding, and more. There is still MUCH MORE to be written, and in time, I will chop it all up and attempt to capture it in a more readable, accessible state.

But in the meantime…

In the meantime we have created this page to allow you to follow along with the discussion, starting at my first post, to at least hear about the ideas, theory, and opposition, and make your own choices.

Each link goes to the heading of a thread of discussion, and I have tried to label each one with its very general topic, so you can pick and choose if you like, but it would be best just to set aside a few hours and go through it all, as there is a lot of detail, and a lot of good stuff hidden in there.

Have fun reading, and don’t fall asleep!

Kingsnake.com Uromastyx forum discussions…

And so it begins…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=253289,253289

More beginnings…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=256075,256075

soil discussion…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=258745,258745

impaction question…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=263965,263965

socialization and evaporation…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=263965,263965

soil mixes…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=267196,267196

growth rates…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=274665,274665

breeder participation with discussion…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=275817,275817

struggling with dirt mixes…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=276076,276076

substrate mixes…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=276166,276166

soil progress…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=276194,276194

pvc tunnel alternatives…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=276783,276783

PE pics and wood stacks…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=277055,277055

dirt questions…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=277348,277348

setting up a dirt laboratory…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=277737,277737

eggs and burrowing…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=280195,280195

UVB and supplements…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=281600,281600

Ornate pics…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=282170,282170

socialization…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=286128,286128

PE Uro plans…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=287423,287423

cage humidity…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=290637,290637

“wilding out”…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=292113,293149

halogen bulbs…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=292870,292870

UVB, supplements and bulb choices…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=294736,294736

buying wild caught junk…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=297448,297448

how fat is too fat?
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=300423,300423

wild caught Uros…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=300513,300513

Uro growth rates (loooong post)…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=301147,301147

dirt experience updates…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=302251,302251

dirt questions…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=302335,302335

moisture, dirt and a rant…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=302431,302431

using special reptile bulbs…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=302543,302543

large trough cages…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=302721,302721

dirt questions…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=304736,304736

thoughts and observations on dirt…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=305517,305517

heating and bulbs…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=305770,305770

trough supply…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=306533,306533

setup questions…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=308455,308455

soil mix…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=311929,311929

wood stacks, heat, diet…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=313499,313499

diagnosis and vet help…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=313722,313722

Uro weight…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=314755,314755

cages pics and screen tops…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=315082,315082

dirt questions…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=316010,316010

wood stacks and elevated basking spots…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=316035,316035

cage “furniture”…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=316070,316070

brumation…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=316108,316108

basking and wood stacks…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=316336,316336

Ornate Uro pic…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=317465,317465

cage tops and dust…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=317795,317795

dirt startups…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=318353,318353

substrate and brumation follow up…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=318713,318713

monitoring Uro health…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=318764,318764

dirt discussions…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=318966,318966

hydration…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=319307,319307

bulb choices…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=319342,319342

PE Temp Guns…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=319748,319748

soil and growth rates…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=320273,320273

dirt laboratory follow up…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=320556,320556

dirt experiments…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=320747,320747

more dirt experiments…
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=320847,320847

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robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles

Wow that's a pile of info and readily accessible too.The only suggestion i might make is to have them grouped in subsections to make finding the info easier IE: All the soil/substrate topics under SOIL and SUBSTRATES or something similar.

It's good to see you're opening a few eyes and maybe a few minds on the care of these little guys.Nobody seemed too willing to veer from what was being done by a handful of people already.This is how we make breakthroughs in care, this is how we make discoveries, we ALL end up winners this way when people try and make improvements.

That said i took my guy out of brumation on schedule and just made some modifications and changed over to the soil mix.All seems well so far he's acting as he did before but with a little more energy even.He hasn't started digging yet but it's only been a few days now, when i first got him one of the first things he did was try and dig to the bottom of the cage.I suspect now he may have learned that it didn't do him any good, the old "elephant on a rope" thing, so i started a couple of holes hoping he'll rediscover that.

One kinda funny side effect is that the millet/bird seed dry food that he had dragged through his old sand substrate, that i used as part of my sand in the mix, has started sprouting all over..I now have him growing his own food

the list is chronological, which makes it easier to follow the progression of the discussion : )

remember that digging happens with good recognizable (to the Uro) soil. if the animal does not like the soil, for any number of reasons (dry, wet, rocky, sandy, smelly, temps, fertilizer, etc) it may not dig.

so just "putting in dirt" is not necessarily a good step, it has to be soil that is useful for the animal

if you do not see digging, or productive digging, look again at the details, and see if there is something you can improve

best of luck!
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robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles

Yeah i know what you mean.My soil might be a bit sandy actually but it's right around the 50% Topsoil (no additives at all) 25% Vermiculite, 25% Sand mix.I might have a bit more sand though as it's the only one i "eyeballed" the quantity of since it's what he had in the cage before i changed over.It's also sand that he originally tried to burrow into.

It seems to hold shape when i dig with my hand and seems fairly dry but moist enough to hold shape if i tunnel with my hand.It also is moist enough that stuff is now growing in there lol.My suspicion is that he's become used to not being able to burrow in the past in his sand substrate, just digging enough to create "dens" in both ends of the cage under the rocks and logs.

I will keep trying and making some small modifications hoping that might trigger him to recognise it as suitable.It's settled a bit too so i'll be adding some again and will probably make it a bit more Topsoil heavy of a mix to adjust it some.

Thanks for the input, it's aways appreciated.

Sorry to hijack the thread on the dirt issue, but it seems to be the hot topic lately at any rate

Chronologically makes sense, like i said it's a great collection of the info that's been put forward lately and must have been a large undertaking on your part.I hope it didn't come across as a smartass trying to "correct" you or anything like that, it wasn't my intention.

It's just a suggestion from someone who appreciates the info and discussion, offering constructive organization to maybe make the info a bit easier to navigate.That's a LOT of info, so perhaps chronologically in subsections is an idea too.

It's also perfectly great just the way it is.

Spanky

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My Album

1.0 Ball Python
"Aragorn"

1.0 Kenyan Sand Boa
"Gimli"

0.1 Australian Cattle Dog/Pointer
"Kira"

Robyn - you are a star! Thank you so much. Just waiting on Dino getting up to bask before we set off for the meeting, will be discussing your dirt ideas there too. Wish us luck!

i am no star, just a guy working hard

which meeting were you going to?
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robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles