Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've been keeping lizards for a very long time, but I'm new owner of Uromastyx (couple of yearling U. ocellata). Since I have them, I noticed quite unusual behavior: when I'm feeding other lizards in my collection with insects, uros go absolutely mad - banging into front glass and clawing frantically in attempt to reach the insects (giant mealworms especially seem to trigger that kind of behaviour). I have red number of books about both natural history, and keeping requirements of this lizards and I have found very controversial informations regarding feeding them insects. Apparently, ocellatas do eat insects in the wild - they are associated with rocky terrain with accacia trees which they regularly climb to forage. Their body is generally more sleek (especially in males) comparing to other members of the family, so they are more adept in climbing and hunting for insects. Texts about keeping in captivity, however, often claim that no animal protein should be given to them whatsoever, especially in newer books. Whole thing is quite confusing, so I would like to hear does anyone have long term experience in feeding insects to this species?

Best regards,
Nino

Hi Nino,

I have seen your posts on the Lacertids forum.

10 years ago everyone was suggested to feed all Uromastyx insects.

Nino wrote: “Apparently, ocellatas do eat insects in the wild - they are associated with rocky terrain with accacia trees.”

Was there a study of wild U. ocellata ocellata that you know of? I would love to read it.

The only study I know about was a study of wild Uromastyx, the study of U. ocellata ornate by Ben David Osnat and Molco Danny and it was 4 Years and 700 hours of field watching the Ornate Uromastyx and they concluded that Ornate Uromastyx only eat insects by accident when a few little ants were consumed while eating Acacia flowers and it was less then 1% of there diet. The study also concluded that feeding insects to Ornates is harmful to there livers. In the wild Ornates live on alluvium bed between the mountains and climb Acacia trees to feed much like U. ocellata ocellata.

I keep Saharans, Sudanese, Philbyi, and Ornates and do not feed any of them insects now a days. They all would gladly eat insects given the chance but I do not for fear of harm to there liver.

I have written one of the author's of the wild ornate study to see how many and what type of insects they observed in the wild Ornates range and if during his study if he ever observed Ornates passing up a chance to feed on insects, but I have not gotten a response yet, but I will let you know if I do.

Please let me know if you know of any other studies of wild Uromastyx as I would be very interested to read them.

Kindest regards,

Troy

troy- here are two papers on microlepis in the wild.

zfmk.de/web/ZFMK_Mitarbeiter/WagnerPhilipp/Publikationen/wi_2009_2.pdf

asiatic-herpetological.org/Archive?Volume 09/09_06.pdf

that question mark after the word Archives in the second address should be a slash /

Neither of your links work? With the slash / it still does not work?

Can you please email me a copy of the studies?

My email: troy@uroranch.com

Thank you!

Troy

just sent them.

Thank you!

Thank you all for the answers!
Troy, I appreciate your experience with Uros, and I will certainly take your opinion in consideration.
I must point that U. ornata and U ocellata are different species though (although they do fall into same complex, along with macfaydeni, benti, and yemenensis), and their natural history might be quite different. I'm planing to buy a book "Uromastyx: Natural History, Captive Care, Breeding" by Thomas Wilms,(sept. 2005.) which aparently has strong scientific background, and natural history data should be suported by competent field studies.
In the meantime, I have found a website owned by mr. Gert Wetfahl (http://www.uros-warane.de/), a well-known german breeder of U. ocellata who keep this lizards for decades, and has produced very many generations of youngs. In the caresheet for the species he claims: babies/young lizards' diet should consist of up to 70% of insect matter, while adults should be fed up to 30% insects - the rest of the diet is vegetable matter, of course. I tried to contact mr. Westfahl, but he didn't answer my e-mail yet. Other Uromastyx breeders from France, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany I had oportuity to talk to, also include insects in the diet of their ocellatas, although to a lesser extent. There seem to be quite a bit of difference in approach between European and US breeders - but the results are much the same: animals seem to thrive and breed in any of described conditions.

Best regards,
Nino

My opinion on this subject has always been, that it may well be that Uros will eat insects in the wild, if the opportunity presents itself, but that that opportunity is probably very infrequent. So infrequent that their bodies have not evolved to cope with a constant intake of animal protein.

I relate it to human nutrition in this way - we can eat cake, cookies and candy, as well as drink soda and sweet drinks a few times a year, with no ill effects. However include those foods as part of your regular diet and in time, you may find your health adversely affected.

Since Uros can be kept healthy on a strictly vegetarian diet, why take the chance feeding them animal protein?