Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello,
I just recieved a new uromastic named Annabella last thursday from a friend who was moving away to go to school and was worried she wouldn't have the time to take care of her. Since I'm home most of the day I made a perfect candidate for a new dad. She's an aegipticus(sp?). My friend told me she's about 2 years old and she's around 8-9 inches long. I'm sorry if some of the things I ask are easily found on this forum it's just that her apitites only been getting worse and she's been realy grumpy. I've read that a loss of apitite can be a downward spiral for a uro. I've also read that dandilions and some other flowers can help their apitite but their's none growing around right now. Is their any food that might help befor she becomes too dehydrated to eat? My other big concern is that her tank is beside our living room and my parents tend to make alot of noise. At night my dad wakes up alot and watches tv. I'm wondering if she gets woken up by him because she sleeps alot during the day. How much human contact will help her get used to me or more so is healthy at this point? The first day she was a little shooken up but seemed fine, I greeted her with a lima bean(her main food it seems), she took it from my hand and seemed to be getting used to me. When I go near her she gets scared and untill I pick her up and make her face me she's crazzy! After I look at her in the eyes she seems to calm down but I can't tell if it's because shes scared or confused or what... All I can judge from the last few days is that she gets woken up and scared at night. I just don't know what to do right now. I've read alot about te types of food uros eat but nothing that tells how much and in what sorts of moderation they should be given. I just don't think she's getting enough nutrition from lima beans. At the moment she won't eat anything unless I can get her to eat a lima bean from my hand but I don't think she's eaten anything today. So far I've tried dandilion greens, lettuce, clover, peas, and some seed that they gave me with her. Any help would be great and if anyone could give me a list of a well balenced meal that will help boost her apitite me and especialy Annabella would be very greatfull.
Thanksin advance Josh.

hi there and welcome. you probably going to get different responses on this forum but see which one works best for your uro. a decrease in eating can be a sign of sickness but it can also be a sign of stress or maybe that she is going to shed soon. in this case it is probably stress. just be patient with her and try not to handle her too much and let her get adjusted to her new home. try not to pick her up but do offer her treats from your hand so she can learn that you are not a threat to her.
does she have a hide spot in her cage? like a rock or something where she can hide? this will help her not be so stressed and your dad should not wake her up. also if she is in a glass tank do you have the back and sides covered? it helps them not be so stressed if they only have one pane of glass to look through.
as for the food, lima beans are not good as her staple. i feed all fresh veggies to my uro and she loves mustard greens, squash, zuccini and peas. i also offer her 15 bean dried soup in a separate container. just keep buying and trying different lettuces. regular iceburg will do nothing for her. stick with the more "exotic" lettuces, endive, escarole, collard greens, etc.. there is a link at the top of the main uro page of deer fern farms or something along those lines and they have a great page on food and nutrition. they do like dandelions but beware of picking them out of a yard as they could have pesticides on them. some natural food stores will order them for you. also in a vitamin store, they will have granulated bee pollen. this is also an appitite stimulant but its effectiveness decreases over time but it might be good to try it now. as for a balanced meal, well i give mostly lettuce greens and add the other veggies for flair. as for an exact amount, i have no idea. i have just learned how much she will eat over time. make sure she is getting a calcium supplement too.
what are her temps like in her cage? how do you keep her warm and offer her "sunlight" and what size is her cage?
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vonnie
***Marriage is a great institution, but I'm not ready for an institution yet. Mae West ***

Thanks for the reply.
She has a calcium suppliment that was given to me. I gave up iceburg too awhile ago It's hard to say what the temp is under the flood light because the tank has one of those thermometer stickers on the oposit end. On that side though it says it around 84F so I figured that since it also has an under tank heating pad on the same side as the flood light it's probably good. At the moment I don't have anything else to to check the temp on that side short of scraping that thing off.
With just the flood light though when it was near the sticker (that is over it but not facing it) it read close to 100f.
The back has a cover and when I first put it on it fell off a couple hours later and I did actualy notice that this tromatised her. I think the tank must be about 3-4' by almost 2' and at almost 2' high. Seems most of the standards are covered just her diet and maby the UV
My freind told me she just finished sheding so she probably wouldn't for a while. On her leg their was still some coming off but two days ago it looked kind of like the whole leg was working towards her body. I'm sorry cause I don't know how they shed and I'll look tomorrow to see if it's fallen off but do you think maby she's shedding again?
It's kind of a releif to hear that the fact that she's still shedding is adding to this and she hopefully isn't as stressed as I thought she was.
I'm not shure if the light is a UVB light but I think I'm going to move her tank up to my room where she'll be right in front of a bright window. My only concern was I keep the humidity up high in my room because I'm a plant fanatic! My plants don't need the high humidity but they definitly like it. I also have a shop light and plan on putting full sectrum lights in it over top of the tank. The grow lights I have in it now (due to my plant fettish) also say they have types for animal life to so I think I'll go back to that store and see if they have anything that can help.
Oh and she does have a simulated semi-circular hollowed log to hide under. Just to clairify did you meen that my dad should avoid waking her up or that it's not likely he does?
Thanks again Vonnie

another question, under her spot light are there actual rocks for her to sit on. they reflect the light better or something and it makes the temps higher. alot of people use those thermometers where they can take readings inside and outside so that way they can use the "arm" for the outside part to take readings in the basking area and other areas of the cage. her basking temps need to be up at like 120-130 and the cooler side of the cage closer to 90 but those strip thermometers really are not that great so you could be reaching those temps.
as for uvb lights, you are talking about the long strip lamps right? well i know alot of people like reptisun 5.0 or higher. it has been recommended to me many times. just remember to change them every 6 months. i am not sure what your room looks like but maybe the plants could be on one side and her on the other. be careful sticking her glass cage in the sun because it could really raise the temps in the cage. if the sun has to go through glass then it filters out all the UV stuff, however i feel it makes them happier when they can see real sunshine just in moderated amounts so they don't cook.
just remember i am no expert and these are my opinions and be sure to read everything you can on the guys. pro exotics is also another link at the top of the page and they have a really good questions page so check them out too.
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vonnie
***Marriage is a great institution, but I'm not ready for an institution yet. Mae West ***

Yes she has two rocks to sit on under the light. They're those heat rocks but I've heard that they're bad and don't turn them on for that reason. It's very noticably much hotter under the light then beside it so concidering the thermometer thing is attached to the out side of the tank I think it's good. My friend and her family were very caring of her and I think they knew what they were doing they just gave in to Anna's love of limabeans!
She's alot more curious today but still scared and hasn't eaten. I think I'm going to give her some time today and see if she'll come out compeatly of her burrow to eat. When she see's me walking around in the kitchen she always pops her head out but once I go near her she just gets scared. She aparently doesn't look out when my parents are near so I think she likes me You've calmed my nerves about this so thanks again.
Wow!!! I'm not kiding she's had her head out since I was in the kitchen and where I'm sitting I have a good veiw of her. She just walked over and started eating!! I just looked over and was holding down the shift button and the computer made a crazzy bleep noise that scared both me and her. She's back in her burrow now with her head out again. Ok I'm going to stop being wierd and typing everything!!!LOL It's just good news she's eating.

well i am glad that they cared for her well. i have heard bad things about those heat rocks too and having it plugged in and under a heat light would be way too much heat. i think the instructions even say not to place them under other heat products. i do have one that i bust out sometimes in the winter if it is an exceptionally cold day.
i am glad to hear that she is being curious and eating. i think soon she will be well adjusted.
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vonnie
***Marriage is a great institution, but I'm not ready for an institution yet. Mae West ***

I would readup on all the caresheets people recommended. www.deerfernfarms.com and others. Uromastyx need to have very very high basking temps. I would get rid of the stick on (these are notoriously inaccurate - 20 degrees) and get one of those digital ones at the hardware store. Get the basking temps up to 120 degrees .Your uro probably quit eating for awhile due to the stress of the move, but less than adequate basking temps can cause them to improperly digest food and not eat. The grolight bulbs do not have any UVB, and therefore your uro cannot synthesize vitamin D3. I would recommend reptisun 5.0 or exoterra 8.0 (you might need to order off of the internet). If your basking temps are too low you can kill two birds with one stone and get one of the UV heat brand mercury vapor lamps. These get very warm and make lots of UVB. I noticied the difference in my uros shortly after getting one(eating more, brighter colors, more active). How big is your tank? egyptians get very large for uros and therefore need a very large enclosure to thermoregulate(again may be why not eating). Again diet of nice staple greens (no lettuces!), proper thermal gradient (80-125 range from one side to other), and get some uvb. I know it's a lot, but your animal will appreciate it !
Dex
4 wonderful uros

Thanks,
I've got her upstairs now. I still have a bit to do befor the set up is right but she's eating alot better. I think she likes blueberries! My mom got an electrolyte and vitaminD3 that you diluet in water and spray on her food. I'll look into those lights.
Josh.

If your friend had her since she was a baby, then the uro could be depressed (in my opinion, i'm not an expert). Well if she likes to eat lima beans by hand I'd say give her them. She could be brumating as well so...

If you have any dogs or cats in your house she could be getting woken up at night by them or by your dad. I'd suggest if you have a dresser or desk big/long enough to hold the terrarium I would put her up there. A little less traffic is a good thing. They like to be in quiet places sometimes *in my experience mine likes to be alone but he also loves to be held*

Hope she gets better for ya!

She had her for a little less then a year and was told that she was about a year old. My friend and her family seemed like very loving people so I'm shure Annabella must be at least some what depressed. If you read the other post i just wrote she has gone to eat today!
I found he shedding from her leg and I'm pretty shure it was just left over from the recient shedding not the starting of a new one.
Thanks for your responce.