Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello everybody, my name is Chandler and this is my first post.

For the past three weeks I've been raising an unsexed baby Uromastyx of unknown age and species. Due to the rarity of this kind of reptile in my area I am assuming the little one (dubbed Afro) is a Mali and have been treating him as such. Now, Afro is tiny, about as long as my index finger, and was fed on collard greens for the first two weeks, but I switched over to Dandelion greens recently when I heard rumors of iodine absorbtion through collards. He shows no interest whatsoever in insects at this point, but eats very well and is gaining some weight. Also, I do not provide Afro with a water dish because I read it was unneccesary for most species, and he seems to be doing fine without one.

I am new to this Uromastyx game, and would like to make sure that the setup I have made for Afro is acceptable. He is currently in a 5.5 gallon tank with mixed bird seed substrate. He was on paper but I thought the seed would work well to supplement his diet, plus he loves to burrow and kick it around and seemed bored with no loose substrate. As for heating, he has a 75 watt reptile UVA bulb and an undertank heater. There is a basking piece of granite on the hot side and two plastic shelters on either side of the cage. I'm not sure how severe the temperature gradient is, but I know that it is about 110-115 on the basking spot, mid nineties in the middle, and mid seventies on the unheated side. When the light goes off at night it gets colder, about 70-85. I have heard that a higher temperature range is ideal, and wonder if any other enthusiasts know tricks I can use to get the cage warmer for Afro. I also chose not to use UVB lighting because of concerns I have over its actual effectiveness and possible harmful effects from mercury vapor bulbs. Instead, I spray Afro's greens daily with a D-3/Calcium supplement. The spray had no specifications as for how often it could be used, so I've been doing it daily just to be safe and to make sure Afro can make strong bones.

Now for my concerns...

I noticed that for a short while after I acquired him, Afro began to become somewhat lazy. After adding more heat and providing more objects within his setup, he began to liven up more, but his daily routine still consists mostly of eating, napping, and short energetic spurts in between. Is this normal for a baby? Also, I have had trouble identifying his species due to the fact that he has minimal coloration. When I first got him he was a light chalky grey, as if near a shed, but he soon turned to a darker color. Now he is a mostly unvariated dark grey with three or four rows of pale yellow spots developing on his back, and two or three very faint broken black lines in between. His head and tail show no pattern, but maintain a kind of 'weathered' look. I know that a picture would be more helpful, but until I get a hold of a camera, can anyone estimate the species from this description? Also, while Afro doesn't seem to mind being handled, whenever I take him out of the cage he seems to sit still for a moment, closes his eyes, and starts to fall asleep. Even when I take him out just to set him on the floor and let him explore, more than half the time he doesn't, or takes a few minutes to 'sleep' first. Any ideas on why this happens?

I'll admit, at this point I have very little experience with the Uromastyx. I came here to seek advice and any input about my post, positive or negative, will be appreciated.

For your comment on Afro showing no interest in insects, that's good in my opinion. Don't offer them any more; it's not worth the risk. My baby mali died of worms, which he got from crickets that the pet shop fed him daily. I've never raised one as small as my finger, so i wouldn't know if the 5.5 gallon is large enough. However, when my baby was small he had loads of energy. He would nap throughout the day, on and off, but mostly ran around digging. I'm not sure if that's all hatchlings or if every baby is different. I'm sure someone else here can make more informed suggestions. Goodluck with Afro.

P.S. if you have a camera, taking a picture could help others to help you identify his subspecies.

Wow, thanks... I never even considered complications from an insect. That just blows my mind. I guess he'll have to be a vegetarian for now, it just doesn't seem worth the risk. I'm sorry to hear about your little one.

Chandler

i offer water occasionally, not very often and sometimes hugo will drink but helga never seems interested and my new guys haven't cared far any so far either but that could be because they are still shy.

was that a typo and should really be fifty-five gallon and not five point five gallon tank?

i don't know how old your guy is, but if he is young, the bird seed could cause an impaction.

for my lighting, i use a 90 watt flood light from the home depot or wal mart. i have on the "cool" end another light to help keep the temps in the higher 80s on the cool side and so it doesn't look so dark in there. i think it is a 45 or 50 watt bulb. i would definitely recommend upping the temps, having the basking spot to at least 120

i don't know much about D3. i know they need it to absorb calcium but i think there is a possibility of them having too much D3, but i will let someone with more experience talk about that.

is your uro a wild caught? have you ever had a fecal done on him? sometimes lizards can get parasites/worms and it can cause lethargy. however also it is winter time and that can make lizards slow down a little. all of my guys sleep more this time of year.

uros can take a while to shed. right now xoco is very dull. his head is peeling and i am waiting for him to start elsewhere

try reading deerfernfarms.com if you haven't before. he has lots of nice pictures of uros too. most people advice against insects, it can cause kidney or liver damage in the long run.

helga and hugo, malis

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vonnie
***The scientific theory I like best is that the rings of Saturn are composed entirely of lost airline luggage.
— Mark Russell***

Welcome Chandler and Afro!

My first comment is substrate. Bird seed is what I use and I do so because I have followed the Deer Fern Farms suggested care sheets for years and have been happy with the results. I would not, however, use bird seed with such a tiny one. I use paper towels until they are at least 6 inches long. It isn't attractive, but I feel it is the safest for babies. Next comment is cage size, I am hoping it is not a 5.5, that's way too small to get a good temperature gradient. Even my little guys are in a 20 long, not so much because they "need the room" but so I can offer a lot of temperature flucuations for them to choose from. You can raise basking temps by using a higher watt bulb, try a 90. An excellent, inexpensive tool is a temp gun. Many sell it, but I bought mine years ago from Pro Exotics for $25. It is a very valuable tool when setting up cages, redoing cages and trying different light combinations. Stay away from insects, uros do not digest animal protein all too well and they can get parasites from crickets. Stick to high quality greens dusted with calcium and vitamins. An excellent source of information is www.deerfernfarms.com. These are just my opinions and my practices. Everyone does things differently, you have to find what works the best for your animals. Best of luck with Afro. I also tried to view your picture and all I saw was the x in the box.

Pam

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2.3 varanus acanthurus brachyurus (Dorado, Oro, Dora, Freckles & Amarillo)
1.1 varanus acanthurus acanthurus (Tabasco & Sprite)
1.1 u. macfadyeni (Amani & Abeba) RIP Ayana
1.2 u. ornata (Husani, Zari, & Bintu)
1.1 u. ocellata (Zuhri & Ashai)
0.1.1 u. a. aegypticus (Zahra Urbi & Halima)
1.1 hyla chrysoscelis (Pudge & Squirt)

You can also pick up a infrared temp gun at Radio shack. Its an inventory item, use catalog number 22-325. Asking a clerk for one in my area is useless, all i got was a blank look.