Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just rescued egyptian uro or thats what it said on the sign...anyways he seems quite skinny and some of his skin is shedding....i have a 20 gallon long tank for now but what can i do to get him "alive"...he doesnt move much and seems very weak...help please....

Get him out of that tank immediately. It will kill him slowly. Uro's in general need a tank 48"x18" footprint, although 48x24 is much better. However, if you do have an egyptian, they need a tank at least 72"x36" or larger. You need a proper basking spot, as well has ambient heat gradient. Are you providing uvb? what kind of diet? etcetc. The more info you provide the better, but that tank has to go now.

And step two is to get him to a vet. If he's as lethargic as you say, chances are very good he has parasites or another issue that will need to be dealt with by a qualified reptile vet.
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Torey
Eugene, Oregon, USA
1.1 Saharan Uros (Joe and Arthur)
3.0 Mali Uros (Spike, Turtle, and Tank)
1.1 Ornate Uros (Scuttlebutt and Shazzbot)
1.1 Collared Lizard (Ripcord and Rorschach)
2.0 Green Anoles (Bowser and Sprocket)
1.1 Chubby Housecats (Roscolux and Jenny)

The first step is to get him into a bigger enclosure and get him a basking spot that is around 120 degrees. I wouldnt worry about style right now. Go get a big rubbermaid tub about four feet long and 1.5 to two feet wide. They are only about 20 bucks. Then set up a basking lamp on one side. Once again, UVB would be better, but for now just get a halogen bulb or any high watt bulb that will get his basking site temps up. Get a ceramic base clamp lamp from Home Depot or something. Uros are VERY lethargic without the proper heat. Mine goes into seclusion if his basking site is below 100 degrees. Offer him various greens and chopped veggies, especially peas. I heard peas will put weight back on Uros pretty quickly. The main objective is to get his heat requirements in order and get him feeding. You wont be able to achieve the high temps in the 20 gallon tank without overheating the entire tank. Thats why size is important for their enclosures. The sooner you can get his temps up and enclosure set up the better. Thats why I suggested not being fancy as large tanks, lamp fixtures, etc. are pretty pricey and not really needed.

Best of luck.

If you have a tank place some bedding which you can get from the pet store. Provide a heat light and UVB light which you can get from any petstore. Tell the pet store about your situation someone there must know about lizards that can help you with the materials you will need. For food: buy some crickets and lizard pellets and provide some water and green peas. Shedding is natural. Next, pray and hope. If all fails, you've tried.