Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have had my mali for about two weeks now. I went in this evening to check on him as I have been away overnight I lifted the log to check on him and when I went to touch him he whipped his head around at me really fast and then kinda slithered his belly and hissed for a little while until he hid again what am I doing wrong he is very scared and runns and hides every time we walk in the room. forget picking him up! he is a year old and about 6 to 7 inches in length I just got him from deer fern farms aroun a week and a half to two weeks agou how do I tame him I want him to be a niced pet
amy

It takes time, hes acclimating to his new home, to new people, smells, sounds, everything !

They are scared when they first arrive, can be for quite some time. Until he learns to trust you, and begins to feel safe.

He will slam his tail at you also, heheheheh !

You can offer him food by hand, (watch fingers) hand feeding is a good start in taming. They love to grab superworms from you,

Just go slow, then soon he will stay out when you are there. And then later you will be able to touch him.

But 2 weeks is still real soon, its pretty normal the way hes acting ! Don't worry ! We have all been there. LOL

Your time and patience Will pay off ! Lots of luck with your new friend !

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Eve

it depends where u got him from, deer fern farms is a big place and doug is one of the biggest breeders i don't think they get alot of attention in like handling wise and stuff with humans, they are one of the most respected uro breeders and everything they have some of the best uros but i don't see them being able to interact with them alot they must have alot of uros, she will most likely calm down within time u haven't had her for long , is she eating good and everything? , i got my uro an egyptian occelated from urotopia but she came as tame as a dog, by far the tamest lizard i have, she'll most likely tame down nicely , u'll see just give her time, good luck

hi amy, my mali runs and hides all the time. i've had him since jan. 11. he has been getting better though. i try to handle him at least once a day.i find that knowing his schedule helps. i try to feed him at the same time every day. this way he knows when i'm coming, i'm sure he'll be getting more used to me when he knows i have the food. maybe he will associate me with food which is something he likes. also don't get me wrong, i'm not suggesting that you invade his space too often, but when i go to handle him i remove him gently from his hide, i just think it is less stressful than chasing him around his tank. hope these tips help. good luck. laura

Amy,

I would not suggesting handling or trying to hold any uromastyx while it is adjusting to a new home. This is a very stressful time and too much stress can lead to some serious health issues.

I agree with Eve that offering some greens by hand (without attempting to touch or capture) can be a great way to get your uro used to you and start the taming process.

I received a shipment of new uros from Doug about a month ago. One was an adult female mali which tamed down quite quickly. I simply started feeding some greens and pelleted bird food by hand. Within a week I could raise my hand slightly and the female would climb on to my hand to eat the pellets out of my palm. She is quite tame and almost a nuisance now when feeding.

All uros are different so do not expect yours to necessarily climb into your hand within the first week. However, I bet if you keep offering food without trying to capture your uro, he/she will tame down in no time once adjusted to you and the new enclosure.

it can take some time for them to acclimate before you can even consider them calming down. Give it more time, and when you see him start to come out and bask, and be more social, then you can maybe start trying to hold, tame, etc.

Think about how you'd like to have some HUGE hand reach down at you while hiding out! Pretty scary!

Good luck!
Renee