Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok is it normal for my mali to be hiding constantly?I turn his lights on at 7:30 then leave for school and get back at 3:30 and when I come home he is always hiding.Although he poops and eats.I am just figuring he is still shy.I have some other questions though.He is shedding right now and he is very skittish so how can I help with ease of shedding?Also what symptoms do uro's show when they have parasites?Lethargy? runny poop?not eating?

thanks

hey,
mine tends to try the same thing. he used to alot (hide when i came home) i build him a more secure basking spot/cave and now all of a sudden he comes out sometimes when i'm home...more every day.

do you have a pic of your set up? so i could see what his hides are.

also, when they are shedding you don't want to help them shed...helping can rip the skin in some cases. the only thing you could do is to soak him or to let him go...he should be fine on his own...but if you really want to help, just give him a bath.

if he has dead stuck on skin, i was told a great tip by my friend veronica from www.beautifuldragons.com, that if they have this put a small amount of baby oil on the spot and it will help loosen the skin.

you can often tell by their poop...runnier poop...sometimes with little tiny rice looking shapes in it. other times by just monitering weigh...whether they start to loose it or aren't gaining any weight over a period of time. most will continue to eat.

i'm sorry i can't help you too much on this cuz i haven't had (knock on wood) many parasite problems.

hope this helps

trevor

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Ok is it normal for my mali to be hiding constantly?I turn his lights on at 7:30 then leave for school and get back at 3:30 and when I come home he is always hiding.Although he poops and eats.I am just figuring he is still shy.I have some other questions though.He is shedding right now and he is very skittish so how can I help with ease of shedding?Also what symptoms do uro's show when they have parasites?Lethargy? runny poop?not eating?
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Trevor Bennett
E-mail: yruemailinme15@yahoo.com
yahoo SN: yruemailinme15
location: Salem, Oregon

Ok is it normal for my mali to be hiding constantly?I turn his lights on at 7:30 then leave for school and get back at 3:30 and when I come home he is always hiding.Although he poops and eats.I am just figuring he is still shy.I have some other questions though.He is shedding right now and he is very skittish so how can I help with ease of shedding?Also what symptoms do uro's show when they have parasites?Lethargy? runny poop?not eating?

Well, Pacman101,

hiding-behaviour is normal behaviour for Uro´s. As you say, he eats and poops, so there are also moments that he is active.
My uro´s are often around 3.00 - 4.00 hours in the hidingplace. And they are not shy but very "tame".

Shedding can be helped by moistening the hidingplace a bit. This helps. Do not remove the scales manually if it is not absolutely neccesary. Their skin is very sensitive.

Those three things you mention are indeed symptoms that can point to internal parasites. A vet can examine it and than you are sure.

Greetings

Fons
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Hello from the Netherlands... this is my Uro-Website

When I asked how I could help with the ease of shedding I meant if there was another way besides giving him a bath cause he'd probably have a heart attack.

You might be surprised. I thought Ra would totally flip out about a bath (first time I'd ever given him one). I didn't put in very much water. As long as the water temp was where he liked it, he stayed put. He liked it best at 115F, he stayed there with his eyes closed, enjoying the warmth of the bath. At 100F, he opened his eyes and moved only a little. At about 90F, he started quickly climbing my arm to get the hell out of there! So if you want to make sure your uro doesn't have a heart attack, make sure the water isn't less than 100F.

Good luck with your new guy
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1 Mali Uromastyx named Ra

If I my memory serves me correctly someone said when lizards close their eyes for extended periods it means they are stressed/uncomfortable.Least I think thats what someone posted anyone know?

If there are little spots that won't come up, you can dab mineral oil (baby oil) on the spot. If you just want to help the shed along in general, you can make a hide for them with slightly higher humidity and make sure there are plenty of rocks and rough surfaces to rub on.
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Torey
Salem, Oregon, USA
1.1 Uromastyx Geyri (Joe and Arthur)
1.1 Uromastyx Maliensis (Tank and Turtle)
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