Reptile & Amphibian Forums

The new egyptian I got Monday seems to be doing exactly what I was told he would do after arrival: hiding and hiding well. I haven't seen it since Tuesday afternoon. How long should I expect him to acclimate before he starts basking? He's a pretty stout uro, so he'll likely tolerate some time without food just fine. I'm just getting anxious.

My temps are pretty solid. It's 97 ambient on the hot side. The basking spot is at 123 at it's peak mid-day. The surface in the center of the cage floats between 88 and 93. The cool end is between 76 and 80. I've yet to see it go below 74 degrees at night, and I get home from work at 4am when it's as cool as it's going to get.

Probably just need to be patient, but if there's any advice I'd appreciate it. He's a great looking lizard and I'm excited to get to the point when I see him basking and chowing regularly.

Yep, patience is key. Don't pester him. Leave him to adjust. It can take up to a week or two (sometimes even more). If you have reason to worry about his health, then you can bother him for a vet visit, but medical attention should be the only time. Offer him fresh food every day. A shallow water dish is ok, too, as he's getting settled in. Protect him from as much busy house noise as possible, and cover the sides of the cage (if they're glass) if you want. Make sure he has several low, snug hides. The safer he feels, the sooner he'll come out.

Even a long term pet can get upset by changes. My friendliest uro will disappear for a week every time I clean his cage. Some are just more sensitive about this than others.
-----
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)

It took about 2 weeks for both of my Uro to acclimate and come out and eat regular. Even then, sometimes they skip a meal, but I put food out for them everyday.

We have feeding! So excited. He's been out and about a lot lately and yesterday fed on some dandelion greens, endive and spring mix with mazuri tortoise diet. Didn't clean the plate, but ate a good amount for his size. I'm hoping I'm on the right track to some good weight gain and a nice huge aegyptius!