Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I adopted a juvenile Mali Uromastyx from a pet store I was working at in May. They had no UV light on him, and only fed him crickets on his calcium sand substrate. Needless to say, he got severely impacted, and the vet says that he developed a neurological disorder from this (he didn't have control over the movements of his head; he looked like a little bobble-head doll). They took him off the sales floor, put him on newspaper, but continued to feed him crickets only. I did some research about this time, and fixed his environment immediately. He did seem to perk up some, but about this time they decided they could not sell him. So, they were going to put him to sleep, but I stepped in and adopted him.
He is probably about 5 inches long, and has not grown since he arrived at the store in October of last year. His favorite foods are hibiscus petals, collard greens, mango, canteloupe, and green beans (cut into little pieces and soaked in water). I have noticed, though, that he will go up to four days without eating. I replace his food every morning to make sure it is fresh, but he ignores it most of the time. He goes from very bloated to incredibly skinny; mostly I see him going to the bathroom right before he eats.
I am trying to get a routine that will work for him down pat, but we can't seem to be in sync. Is he sick, or is this just picky uro behavior? He'll sleep for days on end. Thanks for any help you can give me!

You haven't mentioned what the temperatures are in his cage. Sounds like he might be too cold. It also wouldn't hurt to take a fecal sample to a vet to get that checked!
Great of you to take him! These guys that we rescue are always extra special to us. Hope the best for you both!
Beth

The little boy (or girl, I'm not sure yet) lives in a 20g long aquarium, and I keep a 100W basking light on one side and his UV strip light covering the rest of the aquarium. He little cave is on the UV side, and he often hides in it. I figured this meant he was a) scared to death or b) too hot, so I kept the cave on the UV side. I thought about getting an under-tank heating pad, but I wasn't sure how effective it would be with 4 inches of washed playsand substrate.

So...should I move his cave, if you think he is getting too cold?

Do you have a thermometer in the tank? In my apartment I do have my Uro in a bigger tank, but have to keep a 150w heat emitter and a 100w light on in addition to the uvb light in order to get even close to hot enough temperatures. So it could be that the little "guy" just needs more heat. I cannot remember the exact temps you are looking for but I believe he should have a basking spot that is at least 115 degrees and the warm side of his tank should be around 100... these are the temps that seem to work the best for my Uro, but I am sure that the other people on here can give you better and more specific temp guidelines. I am constantly astounded at how hot Uros like it! You may also want to consider giving him an occasional soak in shallow hot water to make sure he is staying hydrated, though that may remedy itself once the temps are hot enough and he starts eatng more regularly.

Good Luck with your new friend, please keep us posted!

Elizabeth
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1.0 Uro Archimedes
0.0 Fish
0.1 Sulcata Minnie
1.1 Iguanas Flik and Loki
0.1 Newfoundland Jasmine
0.1 Feline Winter
Indiana & Wisconsin

Good for you for taking him in! Another thing to keep in mind is that a 20 gallon is too small - you will have to get a good thermometer and monitor his temperatures VERY carefully until you can get him a larger home. In addition to the temps already mentioned, his cool side should be around 85F or so. It's hard to do that in a 20 gal, but it's good that it's a 20 long!
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Torey
Salem, Oregon, USA
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)
0.0.2 Dwarf Sucking Oto (Tootsie and Dum-Dum)
1.1 Felis Domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)

He's so little, I think he'd get lost in anything bigger than a 20 long. He's about as long as my hand. If I can get some digital pictures taken, I'll post them, so you can see how tiny he is.

Also - I know Uros live a *long* time...is there any way I can age mine according to his/her size? And at what age do males start getting their black/yellow coloring?

I keep my mali in a 40-gallon breeder tank and will be upgrading him to a bigger tank soon. Ra is almost 2 years old (2 years on Aug. 24th) and his colours have really come in lately. When I first got him, he was about 5 inches long. Now, he's almost 9 inches long. Young uros grow very quickly and will need a lot more room than what you've got right now. He'll outgrow it in less than a few months.
Thermometers are a definite MUST in a uro tank. There's no way to get the temps right unless you've got a good one. Temps are tricky to get right so don't give up on it. It took me a few months to get the temps perfect.

Hope this helps.

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1 Mali Uromastyx named Ra

What is your opinion on perfect temps?

I believe that perfect temps are one of the most vital factors in proper uro husbandry. Without them, the animal will not thrive, maybe not even survive. It's difficult to say exactly what temps are perfect as each animal is different. In Ra's tank, the cool end is 90F, the hot end is 100F, and the basking spots (his stack makes different temps possible) range from 110F, 120F, to as high as 130F. Directly beneath the red heat light, the temp reaches 140F. Ra spends some time each day in each of these temp zones. His thermoregulation is excellent as he is eating well and "doing his business" on a regular basis. He has grown quickly and is very healthy and happy.

Please feel free to comment.
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1 Mali Uromastyx named Ra

Thats about what I have my temps at, I've still been playing with the temps having put her in a new cage I built (a little over 6' long). She's eating and doing her business very regularly but she hardly ever basks. I have a modified Retes stack made out of granite pieces. The temp's usually about 134 degrees, but she'll only stay there for a minute or two before she's off runnin around again.