Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey everyone, I'm keeping my Uro's on dirt....but they're always dusty and dirty n all.....is there any way to keep them clean besides washing them 5 times a day? lol
A diffrent substrate perhaps that's still good and alows some digging but doesn't cover them?
You gotta love the bright colors of the Saharans......but it's hard to see that color under an inch of dust lol.

-Matt-
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0:2:1 Bearded Dragon (Jimmy, Peach, Andre)
1:1 Yellow Nigerian/Saharan Uromastyx (Rhyno, Raven)
1:2 Red Nigerian/Saharan Uromastyx (Fire, Pyro, Bigshow)
1:1 Leopard Gecko (Mofo, Geckemo)
1:0 Columbian Red Tail Boa (Slash)

Ahhh, the great substrate debate.

I have used a variety of substrates and have found clean, round, dry, play sand to work the best with my Uro. I had him on crushed walnet shells for a long time, but then the concern that they had such sharp edges became quite the topic of discussion, so I switched to millet. There were quite a few problems with the millet, not the least of which was that 1) my Uro apparently prefers millet to ALL other types of food and 2) it is really hard for them to walk on and impossible for them to dig in. I then went to playsand and have not had any problems. It is a little dusty (though nothing like what you are describing with the dirt), so I watch his respiratory health quite closely, particularly right after I have changed the sand, or cleaned his cage. However he can dig holes and they stay put. Obviously tunnels are another story. I am sure a lot of people will have had other experiences. For some Uros I have been told impaction can be a problem when they are on sand. So, as with any change, it is important to watch them very closely for a while after changing substrates.

I hope that helps somewhat. Good luck!

Elizabeth

Elizabeth,

When using millet as a substrate it is recommended that you use only enough to cover the bottom of the cage. It is not intended for digging nor should it be deep enough to cause problems walking. If your uro had difficulty walking on millet, I suspect you had too much millet in the enclosure.

It is too bad your uro decided to view millet as a primary food source. I have found its long-term use as a substrate very beneficial.

Hi Elizabeth,

I also have used millet and it has worked well for me. You can put a dig box with dirt and a tunnel running into it so they can use that to dig and then use millet or a different substrate in the rest of the cage. Of course it also depends on the size of your cage as to how it can be set up. Good luck.

Pam

I am sure it is a good substrate for many Uros, and I definitely had too much millet in the tank if you are just suppossed to have a fine covering of it. In this situation though it really will not work for Archie, he will eat it exclusively when it is available. I have found the sand to work very well for us, and will probably stick with it. So far the only problem I have had is LIFTING the sand bags to the tank when I do the bi-annual complete tank cleaning!

Thanks for your thoughts though, and of course if there are impending health concerns with the sand I will look into switching again.

Elizabeth