Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have had a healthy young male Mali for about 9 months now and I am looking for some experienced uro owners with some information on whether providing tank mates is a good idea. During a reptile show a few weeks ago, I spoke with a breeder who has been in the business for quite some time and has a very good reputation in industry. I inquired about getting a female tank mate for my male and he seemed to think it was a perfectly acceptable idea since mine was so young. Before I purchased my Mali he was kept with tank mates but for the past nine months he has been alone. I have researched tank mates until I am blue in the face and have not come to any conclusion as opinions vary as to whether it is a good idea or not. I would greatly appreciate anyone with experience on this subject to please share their opinions and experiences with me. Thank you for all you help!

What it boils down to is this:
They don't in any way need a tank mate. They aren't particularly social and don't need company.

Sometimes a cage mate works out, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it works fine for years, and then suddenly something changes for no reason you can see, and you have an injured lizard on your hands. Sometimes there are dominance behaviors happening that we can't see until the sub ends up very sick from the stress.

You'd need to find a confirmed female. If yours is male, it can't go into a cage with another male. If yours if female, assume someone sexed it wrong and you actually have a male. One of my uros came to me advertised as the opposite sex. Surprise!

Two uros need a lot more space than one. If your enclosure isn't gigantic, then it will probably be too stressful for them. They need separate basking areas, feeding areas, and hides so they can each do their thing without competing for space.

If you do decide to try a roommate for him, you MUST have a complete second enclosure ready. You'll need to quarantine a new uro for at least a month - I've learned that one the hard way. You'll need it later on as a hospital tank in case one of them gets sick or injured. And you'll have it on hand for if (when) you have to separate them permanently.

If you aren't ready to have two full sized, separate enclosures, don't get a cage mate.

Hope this answers your questions!
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Torey
Eugene, Oregon, USA
1.2 Saharan Uros (Joe, Arthur, and Hitch)
3.0 Mali Uros (Spike, Turtle, and Tank)
1.1 Ornate Uros (Scuttlebutt and Shazzbot)
1.2 Collared Lizards (Ripcord, Thiamine, and Riboflavin)
1.0 Green Anoles (Sprocket)
1.1 Housecats (Roscolux and Jenny)

Thank you for the wonderful information. I truly appreciate the time and quick response. I think I will remain on the safe side and keep my guy as a solo. It is human nature to want companionship and we sometimes imagine that all creatures great and small aspire to the same thoughts and feelings. Thank you again for the help.

My experience with cage mates is that they will fight from time to time... All of the reptiles I have own do this and so you should keep an eye out for any sign of aggression in a community tank. I hear Uro will maim each other very badly if kept together.