Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey guys... I have had my mali uro for about a year now, and he is still the same 7" he was when I got him. I'm trying to pinpoint what it might be...He's in a 40 breeder, with great temperature flux (120 left side-80 right). His average diet is a salad of collard greens, dandelion greens, peas, broccoli, carrots, etc, with 10 crickets once a week. What should I do to get the lil bugger to grow?

whoa hold up, brocolli a big no no, and not too much collard greens, as a staple on the greens use turnip and dandelion greens, and way too much crickets , 2-3 crickets a week is ok

Broccoli is perfectly fine. Very high in Calcium. In fact, if you steam it before feeding it to your animal, they absorb even more calcium.
I’ve been feeding broccoli (both steamed and raw, at the same time) to all my Chuckwallas and Uromastyx.
I use a base of Spring mix with Dandelion greens and add thawed Peas, the Broccoli combo, cubed firm Tofu, grated carrots, grated squash.
Been using this diet for over 14 years and seems to work very well!

Hope this helped a little

Broccoli is very high in calcium and is good very occasionally. It's also high in oxalates, I believe, and as such, prevent absorption of calcium.

It's fine sometimes, but shouldn't be fed every day.
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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 heard it binds the calcium or something

That's why you steam it or boil it. It breaks down the oxalates which makes the calcium more readily available.

I've been using the same diet for many many years and have NOT had any problems. I've had a male Chuck for almost 8 years now.. fed that diet.. and no problems!! Health as an Ox!!

I must say that I feed more steamed/boiled then I do Raw.

Why don't collard greens make a good staple?They make good staples for beardeds why is it different in uros?

Collard greens (and kale too) are a member of the cabbage family, and contain more oxalates than is recommended for staple greens. I guess beardies can tolerate higher oxalates than uros can. The good staple veggies are the ones in the endive family, like escarole and radicchio (and regular endive too).

Hope this helps
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1 Mali Uromastyx named Ra

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Hi!

Is he eating lots? Have you weighed him? Maybe he's getting slightly bigger, and just rounder at this stage of his life? If his husbandry is ok, and he's eating and pooping ok, I wouldn't worry about it too much. He'll grow on his own, when he's ready.

Nicki

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0.0.2 Uromastyx geyri (Saharan Uromastyx) - New babies!
1.1.0 Uromastyx dispar maliensis (Mali Uromastyx) - Spike and Lizzy
1.0.0 Lampropeltis mexicana thayeri (Variable (Thayer’s) Kingsnake) - Kavi
0.0.1 Lampropeltis triangulum campbelli (Pueblan Milksnake) - Callia
0.2.0 Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis (Red-Sided Garter Snakes) - Spot and Fluffy

I had a similar concern about my Uro, all the books said he should mature at over or around 12 inches, yet he was only about 7 or 8. Since he was otherwise healthy I just assumed I had a small Uro and went on with life. Archie is now 6 (I have had him since he was about a year old) and a funny thing has happened over the last 2 years, he has EXPLODED! Growth spurt deluxe, it is like trying to keep a toddler in clothes. He is now around 13 inches long and appears to have slowed down a bit. Thank goodness, I have already gone through 3 cages! I assumed that he had finished growing by 4, but I was wrong. Maybe your Uro is just a late bloomer as well.

Just a thought from an empathetic Uro lover.

Elizabeth