Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Well, I'm almost positive I am going to get a uromastyx. I just need to decide which kind I want. I am not looking to spend a ton of money. I am looking at a mali online right now. I really like the looks of the nigers though. Which one do you think has a better temperment? Oh and is $69 shipped to my door good for a about 12" mali? Thank you

Chad

Hello Chad,
Your in for a heck of a great time if you get a uromastyx!
Out of the two species that you mentioned, the Mali is the best for a beginner. Malis almost always have a great disposition and they are pretty much the hardiest out of all the other species. They tend to acclimate best to new environments.
On the other hand, the Saharans (also called Nigers) are in my opinion a bit more desirable. However, the Saharans are probably not the best beginner species. They tend to be a bit more difficult to acclimate if they are wild collected and they always seem to be a bit flighty. I would definatly recommend that you go with the Malis. Also, 69 bucks is very cheap, esp. if its shipped to your door. From my experiences, you are looking at wild collected animals; I would suggest that you look for captive born. Even though they cost more, you will still be saving a lot of money. It would be a total shame if you bought a lizard for 70 bucks then found yourself spending 2 times that much in vet bills. When purchasing an animal try and find out as much as you can from the person selling it to you and whether or not they have any guarantees or things of that nature. Also, a great place for research and info on both species is available at
www.deerfernfarms.com and
http://www.kingsnake.com/uromastyx/
This should get you off to a good start,
Good Luck and enjoy!
-Nathanael

At $70 shipped, keep in mind that overnght UPS is about $45 and USPS is about $30 so somewhere around half of the bill is just shipping costs (not including packaging, heat, etc)... IF it is being done properly. Most guarantees I've read cover the animals price and not shipping.
If you can manage to find something locally you'll at least have someone "physical" to deal with and you'll know the condition of the animal from the start.

I agree on not going with the WC geyri (Nigerian). That's what I started with and, although it took some (extra) effort and the animals are doign fine, they are the flightiest groups I have. Of five, only one is outstandingly social and that was someone elses mis-sexed "LTC" that still isn't really big/old yet.
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uromastyx geyri (Saharan/Nigerian), hardwickii (Indian),
macfadyeni (Somalian), ocellata (Sudanese), ornata (Ornate), benti pseudophilbyi

I have been emailing back and forth with this person and they said they all have great dispositions and captive born. They are having a blow-out sale on their malis that is the reason the price is so low. The place is called Bay Area Reptiles in Tampa Florida. I have never ordered an animal off line before so can somebody tell me if they are a good source. Thank you

Chad

My husband and I purchased some tortoises from Bay area reptiles the other day. Ray is a great guy, we picked up the animals in person being he's local to us. I saw the uro's he had and they were all fantastic looking and were friendly. You won't have any trouble buying any animals from him

Thank you! You don't know how releaving that is. I will feel very comfortable to order from him now. Thank you.

Chad