Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hey, i currently have a 6 inch uro that i recieved from doug dix about a month ago. he doesn't look skinny but i havn't seen him eat before and up until now he hasn't been eating alot.

basking temps are 110 and the cool side is about 85.

when i got him he was sheding on his nose area. could this be why he hasn't had a large appetite?

thanks, matt

Have you tried upping the temperature on the hot side a little? Some of the little guys prefer warmer temps before they get real active. Also, does he have a UVB light? There has been some research that not only does the UVB enable the Uros to create D3 but that it possibly increases their "mood" and their appetites. Just a thought on a few things to try.

You say you haven't seen him eat, has he been eating though? ie - Have you noticed food gone, and him regularly relieving himself? Just a few things to note.

Elizabeth
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1.0 Mali Uro Archimedes (May he rest in peace)
0.0.1 Egyptian Uro Zuberi Mosca Khu (Mosca)
0.0 Fish
0.1 Sulcata Minnie
1.1 Iguanas Flik and Loki
0.1 Newfoundland Jasmine (RIP)
0.1 Feline Winter
Indiana & Wisconsin

i have noticed feces, i just havn't seen a good portion of the food gone. This is my first uro so maybe i'm just not used to the eating habits yet. and yes there is a repti sun uv light. i'll try upping those temps tomorrow.

thanks

Acclimating can be very nerve racking!
I had a similar experience with my 1st egyptian.
She waited almost a month before noticible eating began.
I was urged to food processor her food items into a kind of rough salsa(Greens, carrots, dandelion flowers, peas).
She seemed to acclimate concurrent with the food salsa, so I do not know if she just got used to her surroundings or the "salsa" helped.
Good luck with yours.

i am not sure nose shedding counts as shedding, it seems like my uros noses are always peeling, which is weird because they don't really rub their noses on the glass or anything then again, they could just be weird
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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 ***

I have James, a very old, huge, extremely fat egyptian guy. He eats huge portions of his salad of collards and thawed frozen mixed veggies but his true dietary loves are tofu, mealworms, and dandelion flowers. He doesn't get very many worms 'cuz they aren't supposed to be very nutritious, but he absolutely relishes them. They're strictly a treat. Same with the tofu ... I don't know if it's really good for him or not (it's soy protein, so it is of veggie origin).

James is never exposed to natural sunlight but does sit under UVB lights all day. I recently found out that he absolutely requires calcium/D3 supplements sprinkled on his food. I ran out of ReptoCal. A lot of people write that they don't think supplementation is necessary, so I didn't go right out and get more. After a month or so of going without it, James stopped eating very much. Another couple of weeks, he began twitching like crazy. From prior experience with iguanas, I knew exactly what was wrong with him and immediately obtained more ReptoCal. When lizards start this tremoring from lack of available serum calcium, they become anorexic and it's difficult to get calcium in them. Fortunately, I caught it in time that James was still eating worms (but not his salad). I moistened several worms and then coated them with ReptoCal so he ingested large amounts of it for a couple of days. You don't want to overdo it 'cuz too much serum calcium causes the same tremors as too little. I gave him another UVB light in the cage.

After a week, the tremors were gone and he's eating normally again, with a little ReptoCal on his food every day, as all my basking lizards get (when I'm don't run out of it!) James is fine. Close call. Egyptians have the best personalities. James is a real character. Would have been a shame to lose him over something as stupid as running out of ReptoCal.

So, one possible reason your uro isn't eating well is that it needs a little Ca/D3 supplementation on its food. For sure, try to find some dandelions flowers ... all my uros love 'em.