Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,, I'm fairly new to reptiles having owed a Bearded Dragon for almost a year. And, of course, now I'm hooked on reptiles. So I've decided to get a Uromastyx as my second lizard. I've moved the beardie into a new 6' enclosure so i have his old 36"X18" tank sitting empty (old as in less than a year old). So, first off, I have been doing my reading and have been lurking here for a while. I did contact a local breeder and they do have mali's available and they are attending the local reptile show in a few weeks. So now the questions,,,, first off I was considering using the birdseed substrate but the breeder i was in contact with said that they use washed playsand. Any other feelings on this? I already have the playsand (bought it for the beardie and changed my mind---still new and in the bag)... and I want to double check on the age/size that I should move it to the substrate... if its a hatchling its my understanding that no substrate is the general rule. I have non-slip shelf liner for the tank that I will use. And how often do people offer live prey to their uros? Do you have to give them any at all? I'm sure I've got the heating and other diet questions coverend (as well as uvb). Please fire back as many comments/critizisms. I want to do this right and make sure I have a healthy and happy lizard. Oh, and I already have the vitamin/suppliments. Thanks for any info you can offer me. Lo
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0.0.1 Bearded Dragon (Eddie)
2.0.0 Dogs (Black German Shepherd-Nicholas, Black Lab-Cooper)
1.1.0 Budgies (Kia and Simon)
0.0.1 ?Fiddler Crab (Crusty)
0.0.25 Various Fishies (Freshwater)
2.1.0 Hubby and kids (Boy and a Girl)

Ok, I have 2 different set ups for 2 different types of Uro's.

1 set up has washed playsand, and it's going fine with the uro that is in there.

1 set up has bird seed in there, it seems as though the uro that is in that one, loves to pick out a little piece of bird seed he thinks tastes good and eats it.

If it is a baby, then yeah I think the rule is no playsand or birdseed but like paper towels, news paper or a thin towel (like a hand towel).

I'd try that.

I offer my animals live prey 1 time each week, unless it's wax worms, then 3 times a week after they eat their greens.

Usually crickets, no larger then the space between their eyes.

Hope this helps, good luck and take pics of the cutie and post them here for everyone to enjoy!

If it's a baby and you're new to Uros, I'd recommend paper towels. When I got my first uro, he was a juvie, about 6 inches in length, now he's about 9 inches total. I house him on a mix of sand and soil that holds burrows.
Honestly, I offer prey rarely, so rarely, in fact that they hardly respond to it. When I do offer, I give 2-3 pinhead crickets or a mealie. I used to do it biweekly, but now I hardly ever do.
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April
1.0 Mali Uromastyx- Embrodak,
0.1 Saharan Uromastyx- Scheherazade
2.1 Mountain Horned Dragon- Beren, Luthien and Tinuviel
3.0.5 Hermit Crabs- Violet, Polly, Jennifer, Trogdor, Hedwig, Penelope and Sinistra
1.1 Five lined Skink- Leela and Fry
1.0 Bettas-Nuala

I offer birdseed in a dish once they've finished their main meal (I also leave more greens and some mixed veggies in all day). I think seed is a bad substrate because they might not differentiate between clean seed and seed they just crapped in, and wind up making themselves ill.
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April
1.0 Mali Uromastyx- Embrodak,
0.1 Saharan Uromastyx- Scheherazade
2.1 Mountain Horned Dragon- Beren, Luthien and Tinuviel
3.0.5 Hermit Crabs- Violet, Polly, Jennifer, Trogdor, Hedwig, Penelope and Sinistra
1.1 Five lined Skink- Leela and Fry
1.0 Bettas-Nuala