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

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