Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I got a new mali uromastyx from my local pet store yesterday. It is only 4-5 inches long, so its pretty young. I was wondering if you could sex them when they are young and how you would go about doing so. Currently I have him/her in a 30 gallon tank, which I know it will outgrow. I'm goinf to buy a bigger cage so I would like to know how big the cage should be for a single animal. Thanks, this is my first uro so any help would be appreciated.

General rule of thumb is 4 x length of Uro for length and 4 x it's width for depth.They grow fairly quickly at first but at about 1 1/2 years they slow down dramatically.Probably not reaching full size for 3 - 5 years.That's how mine have been growing.
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Mike
1.3 mali
1.3 central banded gecko
1.1 veiled chameleon

Depending on the gender (which you won't be able to tell this young, most likely), it will eventually get to be from 11" to 16" long. The smallest cage size I would recommend for a single Mali is an 80 gallon. You will hear people suggest 40 gallon breeder cages. I believe that's too small for a Mali - other smaller species it could be ok, but Malis are fairly large and need space. It'll be ok in the 30 gallon for a little while, but upgrade as soon as you can.

Congrats on your new buddy! Can't wait to see pictures! (hint, hint!)
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Torey
Eugene, Oregon, USA
1.1 Uromastyx Geyri (Joe and Arthur)
2.0.1 Uromastyx Dispar Maliensis (Tank, Turtle, and Spike)
1.2 Anolis Carolinensis (Bowser, Leeloo, and Sprocket)
0.1 African Dwarf Frogs (Sheila)
1.0 Betta Splendens (Mr. Miagi)
1.1 Felis Domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)