Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, I'm new here to uros and this forum. I recently adopted a pair of Malis from a friend who got them in as a rescue. We thought the female was gravid, only to come to the conclusion that she's just fat! The male, on the other hand, is very thin. Do any of you have any advice for foods to put weight on him? Thanks in advance!

when i first rescued helga, it was recommended to me to give her some fresh soybeans, which definitely helped her gain weight but now i limit her intake on them just because it's alot of protein. also vitamin dusted peas are good too. just try lots of foods and find his favorites and give him lots of those. has he been checked for parasites?
good luck and congrats on your new uros
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vonnie
***There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it. Mary Wilson Little ***

Thanks- they're awesome- I just love them!

Yes, he has been tested for parasites and came back clean. He's very, very active (as in a little psycho ) and I wonder honestly if he's just burning off everything he eats. Does anyone here do the 16 bean mix?

>> Does anyone here do the 16 bean mix?

I do a ground up bean mix and all the uros love it. I have it in the cage most of the time, though sometimes I'm lazy and just throw in whole lentils and split peas when I don't feel like grinding beans. As long as they're eating plenty of fresh greens, the beans are great. Good for protein, too, though they're high in phosphorus.

For weight gain, you can also try Mazuri tortoise food (soaked in hot water and mixed with veggies like peas and chopped green beans). It's supposed to put weight on animals fast if you can get them to eat it.
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Torey
Eugene, Oregon, USA
1.1 Uromastyx geyri (Joe and Arthur)
3.0 Uromastyx dispar maliensis (Tank, Turtle, and Spike)
1.0 Uromastyx ornata (Scuttlebutt)
2.1 Anolis carolinensis (Bowser, Sprocket, and Leeloo)
0.1 African dwarf frog (Sheila)
1.0 Betta splendens (Mr. Miagi)
1.1 Felis domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)

That's great- I have the tortoise food already too. Now I can combine everyone's advice and give him the tortoise food mixed with peas and soybeans! Thank you all so much for your good advice!

If you have them together some of the weight issue with the male may be stress. Is your female more aggressive towards the food? Can you ask the previous owner if there were problems? What is the age of the animals?

They are together. She's actually much more submissive with the food. But you make a good point. My friend (who had them for about three weeks in her rescue) tried to separate them and both were quite stressed- refusing to eat, pacing, rubbing their noses on their enclosures. I am also very careful to offer enough food that there isn't a shortage.

adding to the question...
would kicking in the number of crickets per week help out with weight gain? or is it best to stay away from feeders as much as possible?

If the only goal is to put on more weight I'd try waxworms, but keep trying to discover the initial problem.

;p

I've never tried it. They are very soft and pliable. If the can get it in their mouth they can eat it.