Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Is it me or are people here feeding their uros way too many insects?
-----
Mark Martinez
University of Florida

my uros only get the occasional dusted cricket as a treat, at the most once a week. actually, deer fern farms condones giving crickets to gravid females because it can help the eggs be stronger??? just a theory of theirs. and it's not like my uros are only getting crickets. they get a big fresh turnip & mustard green dish with some green beans, peas, and carrots every morning with some nice minerall dressing.
-----
3 Mali Uromastyx (Ricky, Quinn, Anna)
1 Yellow Ackies (Roxie)
1 Timor (Zealot)

Emily
www.egomantra.com/npoh

I give an infrequent superworm to my uros. The theory is that too many insects makes too much protein. I will say that I wonder very much about this. If you observe how voraciously my uros will consume these superworms it becomes obvious this must be a natural and highly sought after food source. Some of my very skittish Moroccans will come to take them out of my hand and beg at the door to get one. They would otherwise run and hide when I reach into the cage. I would like to know what kind and how many insects are found in their natural environment, because their behavior is telling us that it is very much a natural food source for them.

In the wild, the most insects that are eaten are beetles and grasshoppers, according to Wilms.

But I guess that they will eat every insect that they can get a hold of.
In desert-like areas you cannot be picky about your food, especially in the months that there are hardly any plants they can eat.
-----
Hello from the Netherlands... this is my Uro-Website

i hear about everybody feeding the occasional insect, but i cant get my uro to eat any vegitables, but he eats ten or more crickets a day, and i dust all crickets w/ reptical everyday. i give him a mealworm every now and then but with just the crickets and dust he does fine, very healthy and active, so i dont know if im doin something wrong, but he does not touch the vegis, let me know if i should try harder w/ the vegis but hes doin good w/ just crickets and mealies,

jd

He will definatly get kidney failure at that rate within 3 years. When you feed them only insects you dont see them within days just get sick and die. It is a slow process. It will definatly shorten your animals life. its like smoking it has horrible long term effect even though at the begining everything seems fine. If i were you i would stop feeding him crix and only do veggies. Uros can easily live a month without eating anything. So just put in veggies and absolutly no crix. While ur doing this give him a few baths every week so your uro stays hydrated. This might take a few weeks so be patient. If you feel bad and give him some crix during this you will have to start all over again. This will work.
Mike

ok, i will try that, what kind of vegis do i feed him then?

jd

Pesticide Free
Cat’s Ear
Hollyhock Mallow
Hibiscus flowers
Alfalfa- (not dry hay)
Pok Choy
Clover leaves
Turnip greens
Mustard greens
Collard greens
Dandelion greens
Peas
Green beans
Corn
Carrots
Rose
Nasturtium

Dry Foods
Lentils
Dried Split Peas
Dried Yellow Peas
Finch Seeds- (for birds)
Springs of millet
Corn
Iguana Pellets- (only flowers, veggies, fruits)
Bird seeds- (No sunflower seeds or other beg seeds)

This list took me about 2 weeks to put together. Enjoy, and feel free to pass it on or print it. You dont have to get every single one of these but just pick a few ever day to keep up a variety of different tpyes. Try to mix up veggies, like i do 3-4 different types of veggies/flowers for my uros everyday. For dry foods i just use bird seeds without sunflower seeds and iguana pellets. I have a veggie/flower dish and a dry food dish. My dry food dish is deeper than my veggie/flower dish so the seeds dont go all over the place.
Mike