Reptile & Amphibian Forums

my mali is shedding for the first time since i got him in jan. he hasn't been out of his hide much the past few days,except to eat and bask a little bit. i'd really like to give him the 'once over' to see if alls well. my question is, do they become irritable during a shed? after reading the previous posts i'd rather not risk a bite. should i be handling him at this time? also,(different topic) is it o.k. to be feeding spring mix? i read further down that someone with 14yrs experience feeds spring mix often. i'm certainly not questioning a veteran uro-keeper, just wanted to get more feedback. much thanks for your replys! laura

I'm not sure about all uros but I do know that my mali gets pretty moody when he's shedding. He hides more (sometimes he'll rub off the shed using the low ceiling in his hide) and is quite grumpy if I pick him up. Keep feeding greens since the extra water during this time helps them with shedding.

Hope this helps

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1 Mali Uromastyx named Ra

When Arthur was shedding, she got downright nasty. She hissed and tailslapped, but never bit. I would recommend leaving them alone as much as possible - it seems shedding is uncomfortable.

I don't know what all is in spring mix. It probably doesn't hurt, as long as you remove most of the spinach, and are feeding enough other nutrient dense foods as well.
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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)
0.0.3 Dwarf Sucking Oto (Tootsie, Dum-Dum, and Sugar Daddy)
1.1 Felis Domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)

I agree that they tend to get irritable, so the best is to not bother them if you don't have to.
As far as the spring mix, I use it as a base for my salad and each time I buy the other greens I get a different dark, leafy type to add. I also add the thawed frozen mixed veggies, squash, sweet potatoe, and a piece of apple on occasion. It is always sprinkled with the uromastyx dust (just switched to that) and bee pollen. They really love it. I had noticed when I used a lot of the dark, leafy stuff that they didn't like it as well, I seem to have created a nice mix for them that they actually eat. If you are feeding good quality veggies with the proper supplements, it should be ok.

Spring Mix Package:
Tango, Lollo Rosa, Red Oak, Red Bibb, Red Romaine, Green Romaine, Brunia, Mizuna, Red Mustard, Tat Soi, Spinach, Arugula, Frisee, Radicchio, Red Chard, Beet Tops, Green Oak, Green Bib, Seville and Granada.

My bag is 1#, a great variety, with not too much of one thing. I buy it at Sam's Club for $3.86. They really go for the red stuff. Hope this helps.

Pam

thanks for your advice everyone. i saw ZION today and it seems that his entire body didn't or hasn't yet shed. i did see some shed come off his thigh. is this the way a shed process goes, in sections? over to the spring mix, i got a huge tub from costco. he seems to be liking it. i switch on and off adding kale, dandelion greens and collard greens. he has been eating mango with it too this week. i always include a few lima beans and peas and sprinkle with multivitamins and calcium wd-3. i'm trying my best to vary his diet so he doesn't get bored, i just WISH he wasn't so SCARED of me. torey, i think you mentioned you had this going on also and like you, for now i'm just really happy that he seems to be thriving. oh one other thing, i'd like to offer the bee pollen, where do i get it? thanks guys. laura

Hi Laura,

Here's my 2 cents:

My Spike is really cranky when shedding, and I pick him up anyways. He's never tried to bite me, except when he once missed, taking a bean from my fingers. So, if it were me and Spike, I'd not worry about picking him up, but I think it depends on Zion's own personality and habits. Also, I would avoid stressing him out or ticking him off by picking him up too much while in shed.

Taming, as others have said, just takes time and patience, and older uros are definitely much tamer than young ones.

As far as bee pollen, I get mine from a health food store downtown. You could also try a bulk-food store.

Hope this helps. Glad to hear that Zion appears to be healthy, that's the most important thing!

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

>>torey, i think you mentioned you had this going on also and like you, for now i'm just really happy that he seems to be thriving.

Yes, Arthur and Joe are a couple of maniacs. They are the farthest thing from tame, and if they stay visible when I'm in the room, I consider myself lucky. It's worsened since I put the digging/nesting box in there.

I had quite a battle with two kinds of parasites and with mouth infections pretty much ever since I've had the uros. The only thing they associate me with is syringes full of medicine. Quite frankly, I don't blame them for running. Now that that's over, I'm giving them time to settle again, then the taming process will really begin.

I also get bee pollen granules in the refrigerator part of the vitamin section of the local health food store.
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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)
0.0.3 Dwarf Sucking Oto (Tootsie, Dum-Dum, and Sugar Daddy)
1.1 Felis Domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)

You said that your uros have now associated you with syringes full of medicine and they won't really cooperate with you now. This was a concern of mine when I first got my mali. I figured that if I had to do something unpleasant to him, he'd associate me with negative intentions. I try to counteract that by giving him some of his favourite treats (like a cricket or two, I usually give him peas) after it's all over and done with. They seem to remember the treats more than the unpleasantness of medical treatment and may even tolerate treatment in order to get treats. I also find that he'll calm down a bit when I talk to him in a gentle voice (something I always do, even when he's running around his tank).

Good luck with your uros

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1 Mali Uromastyx named Ra

Thanks! I'll give it a try! There's very little that they will take from me, though. Maybe dandelion flowers...
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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)
0.0.3 Dwarf Sucking Oto (Tootsie, Dum-Dum, and Sugar Daddy)
1.1 Felis Domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)