Reptile & Amphibian Forums

1. a normal day ?
wake up around 11AM and soak up the heat, really wake up and run around/active for 1-2 hrs, snooze on/off the rest of the day

2. I read somewhere on here that it is not normal for a uro to sleep in the open. mine likes to sleep behind the basking rock. he digs in back there into a contorted position. he never goes in his hide log. I have now dug the log down deeper into the sand to make the ceiling lower and the space smaller to provide more a sense of security. at the pet shop I do not recall any hide in the tank he was in (with 2 others). should I just give him time to adjust? i'ts only been 6 days that I have had him here.

3. I want to make a burrow at some point (prob out of 3" pvc). would a good place to have it start be behind the basking rock and end/exit into the hide log ?

1. The day schedule doesn't sound too weird. Mine sleep a lot sometimes and run around a lot sometimes. To be on the safe side, a fecal check with a good reptile vet is a good idea (if you haven't already done so). Parasites can affect activity and appetite, and eventually health.

2. If he's jamming himself behind the basking rock, he's not really in the open, so no worries there. He may not recognize the hide for what it is yet. I caught mine and held her nose in front of her new hide when I got it. When I turned her loose, she zipped right in (she's pretty wild).

3. For the tunnel thing, I've not done anything exactly like that, but I did just make a sleeping burrow (and potential nesting spot) for the kids recently. It's like on Doug Dix's site - a rubbermaid 3.3 gallon bin with 3" ribbed drain tubing as the tunnel into it. The tunnel starts near the basking area and the box is all the way at the other end. They took to it like ducks to water. Now they bolt in there if I so much as come into the room. But they're happy with it, anyway.

Hope this helps! Others may have other suggestions for the hides and tunnels, etc.
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Torey
1.1 Uromastyx Geyri (Joe and Arthur)
1.1 Uromastyx Maliensis (Tank and Turtle)
1.1 Anolis Carolinensis (Bowser and Leeloo)
1.1 African Dwarf Frogs (Bruce and Sheila)
1.0 Betta Splendens (Mr. Miagi)
1.0 Sunset Dwarf Gourami (Sideshow)
0.0.1 False Spotted Corydoras (Spot)
0.0.2 Metae Corydoras (Frank and Jesse)
0.0.1 Dwarf Sucking Oto (Tootsie)
1.1 Felis Domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)

I gotta see that thing!

I actually don't have a digital camera - I have to mooch off of friends. But you can see what it looks like on Doug Dix's site:

link

It's about halfway down the page.

It's actually very ugly and now the tank is very crowded, so I'll have to do some remodeling soon! It gives them an area of contained higher humidity that they can seek out if they want. They still have their two old hides, too. But they really, really like it!
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Torey
1.1 Uromastyx Geyri (Joe and Arthur)
1.1 Uromastyx Maliensis (Tank and Turtle)
1.1 Anolis Carolinensis (Bowser and Leeloo)
1.1 African Dwarf Frogs (Bruce and Sheila)
1.0 Betta Splendens (Mr. Miagi)
1.0 Sunset Dwarf Gourami (Sideshow)
0.0.1 False Spotted Corydoras (Spot)
0.0.2 Metae Corydoras (Frank and Jesse)
0.0.1 Dwarf Sucking Oto (Tootsie)
1.1 Felis Domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)

The hide may be too cool.
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Mark Martinez
University of Florida