Uromastyx care sheet by Troy Jones

Uromastyx care and breeding by Troy Jones

Last modified 01/23/2011

I have been keeping Uromastyx off and on for the last 10 years and there have been many improvements over the years.

Here is a care and breeding outline covering many of the improvements that have been discovered over the years.

Feeding;

Feeding a mix of Spring Mix, Endive, Escarole, Dandelions, Dandelion Greens, Mustard Greens, Turnip Greens, Collard Greens, Bok Choy, Moringa oleifera leaves and some Kale. I remove the stems and tear the greens into small pieces and bag them in one gallon zip lock bags. I remove the stems and tear the greens into small pieces and bag them in one gallon zip lock bags.

Before:

After:

It is also good idea to add edible flowers to the mix such as Dandelions, Hibiscus, Hollyhock, Rose petals, Nasturtiums, Dahlia, Day Lilies, Geranium, Pansies, Violets, Cat's Ear, Birdsfoot trifoil, borage flowers, arugula flowers, and mustard flowers, chrysanthemums, marigold, Etc. I usually feed green peas or thawed mixed vegetables about once a week to give them a break from greens. About once a month I lightly dust their food with indoor version of Miner All calcium supplement. I also keep a small bowl of uncooked (ground up) Red lentils, Green/Brown lentils, Split yellow peas, Split green peas, Millet seed, Sesame seed 15 bean soup mix (remove large red kidney beans). It has been suggested (I believe by Audrey Vanderlinden) to occasionally add pure bee pollen granules to the ground up green peas, lentils, various beans, birdseed mix.

Studies of Uromastyx in the wild show they are completely herbivorous, and insects are harmful to their liver in the long term. Studies of wild hatchlings show no evidence of them eating any insects either. That being said if you place a cricket, meal worm, super worm in a Uromastyx enclosure they will feed on them voraciously. It makes me wonder how many and what types of insects they are exposed to in the wild that they do not feed on. I do not offer my Uromastyx insects as I feel one of the greatest things about Uromastyx is that they can survive and thrive without insects as my wife can not stand insects and she is much happier if I do not bring them into our home, plus with the warnings about insects hurting Uromastyx livers it is just not worth taking a chance feeding them to Uromastyx, especially when we have so many high protein foods we can use in therein there place.

I do not offer my healthy Uro's water, they get all the water they need from the above mentioned diet. I have spoken to some breeders that suggest some species of Uromastyx benefit with access more then others. If you do choose to offer water occasionally, offer in a solid container that can not be easily tipped and only leave in the enclosure for a few hours. Water spilled or left for long periods can raise the humidity in the enclosure which can cause health problems.

Housing;

You can use Custom Wooden Enclosures, Plastic Enclosures, PVC Enclosures, Aquariums, Tubs, Metal Stock Tanks, Etc. The main thing is the more room you can provide your Uromastyx the happier it will be. Approximately 2 Ft X 4 Ft for one animal, 2 Ft X 6 Ft for two to three animals.

Above is a picture of Elizabeth Lynch, Animal Plastics Uromastyx enclosures.

Debb Wolfram Design "The Uromastyx/Bearded Dragon Cage"

I house most all of my Uromastyx separately 100 percent of the time. Most Uromastyx live alone in the wild in cracks on rocky cliffs and some species live in borrows but most wild Uromastyx do not share living quarters. I find with 90% of my Uromastyx that I have better growth rates and healthier animals when I house them singly, but you also need to pay attention to your Uromastyx. I noticed that my Philbyi male is feeding and basking more now that I have added a female to his cage so I may try housing them together for awhile. If you do house in pairs make sure you have two complete cages set up, in case you witness aggression and have to separate the Uromastyx. Make sure to offer at least one hide per Uro to be housed together. I keep a hide in the hot end of the cage and one in the cool end of the cage. This gives the Uromastyx a choice of temperatures that they can hide under. I keep 120-140 degree basking and a gradient of 75-85 degrees on the cool side. I use a good UV florescent type light and reflector type light for the basking spots. If you have a big enough enclosure and are housing 3 or more Uro's you may even want to provide two basking lights just make sure to give a gradient so they can escape the heat if they want.

Above are a pair of my vision 422 enclosures purchased off craigslist.org for $150-$200.00.

Substrate:

It is suggested to used Millet, Birdseed, Sand, Rock, Tile, Bare floor, Etc. All substrates have drawbacks and I have yet to find a perfect substrate.

Rock, Tile, Bare floor eliminates the worry of the lizard ingesting any substrate but it also be very messy when a lizard poops, walks through it and drags it all over the floor, and all over the lizards bellies. It can be a chore to clean up rock, tile, bare floor enclosures especially if you are rising a couple dozen Uromastyx all in separate enclosures.

Above is a bare floor Vision 622 I purchased off craigslist.org for $150.00.

Sand is a favorite but If you choose to use sand make sure and wear a face mask if you decide to sift it. Elizabeth Lynch pointed out that most playsand and pool filter sand is made up of 93.2 - 93.6% silica. Elizabeth Lynch wrote: "Inhalation of Silica can cause Silicosis. Silicosis is a serious lung disease that can lead to pulmonary failure. The frequency and amount inhaled Silica can effect the severity, but it is certainly a real risk with using these substances in our hot and dry enclosures. I know a lot of people say the pool filter sand has no dust, but the problem is- the particles of silica may be so fine that you cannot see them. Silicosis can happen regardless of how much dust you can see, or not see". So if you decide to use sand make sure you wear a face mask when you are stirring it up or sifting it.

Millet is great for male Uromastyx and female Uromastyx that you are not planning to breed. Female Uromastyx that lay there eggs in Millet cause a nightmare. It is almost imposable to dust off the Millet off the eggs and once the eggs are placed in the incubator and left for a few days the Millet will sprout and damage the eggs. I had one of my WC U. O. Ocellata lay 6 eggs and she just laid them on top of the millet which stuck to the eggs. I was afraid to wash them off in water so I dusted off as much of the millet as I could and put the eggs into the incubator and several days later the millet sprouted and I ended up loosing the eggs.

I am still in search for the perfect substrate for the last 6 months all my cages were Rock, Tile, Bare floor and now that we are closer to egg laying season I am adding sand and sand/ miracle grow mix to adult female enclosures to give the females a place to lay there eggs and I must admit that is nice to have a substrate in some cages again. If you decide to use sand, bird seed or other loose substrate make sure and completely change it out every 4-6 months. Spot clean your substrate daily and deep clean any problem cages weekly.

Newly acquired Uromastyx;

When acquiring new Uromastyx always try to purchase captive breed from a reputable breeder. Captive breed Uromastyx do better in captivity, they have do not have any parasites and by purchasing captive breed you are not supporting harvesting from the wild and importation which many Uromastyx do not survive.

If you decide to establish breeding pairs of Uromastyx is the one time it is acceptable to purchase wild caught Uromastyx. Setting up Uromastyx breeding pairs or breeding projects is the one time it is acceptable to purchase wild caught Uromastyx as the goal in such situations is to establish breeding groups of Uromastyx that will produce captive breed hatchling Uromastyx and hopefully decrease or eliminate harvesting Uromastyx from the wild and importation.

If you are purchasing from a broker or a importer always make sure and meet them in person to hand pick your Uromastyx. If you can not meet with the broker or importer yourself then pay someone you trust to meet with them to hand pick them. It is worth it to pay a little more for a hand picked animal. You end up with a healthier better looking Uromastyx.

The main thing to avoid when acquiring wild caught Uromastyx is purchasing gravid females, It may seem like a good idea as there is a chance you could get eggs and produce hatchlings, but in reality wild caught gravid Uromastyx do not adjust well and quite often will not lay there eggs witch ends up killing them due to being egg-bound. If you get the chance to choose which wild caught Uromastyx you purchase it is suggested that you get young hatchlings or juveniles as they seem to adjust to captivity better. If you are purchasing adults look for ones of good weight that appear healthy. Check there vents for feces smear and stay away form ones with an unclean vent.

It takes 3-6 months for a Uromastyx to settle in. During this accumulation period do not handle the Uromastyx except to weigh it. If keeping in a glass enclosure cover all 4 sides. Feed your Uromastyx and clean it's cage before the lights go on in the morning and or off at night. Do not feed insects, this is the advantage of Uromastyx they do not require insects to be healthy. Feed a good diet of greens and edible flowers. Only dust with Miner All calcium supplement once to twice per month if at all. With proper diet and proper UVB they really do not need it. Keep a small bowl of uncooked (ground up) green peas, lentils, various beans and birdseed. Occasionally add pure bee pollen granules to the ground up green peas, lentils, various beans, birdseed mix. Do not offer the peas, lentils, various beans and birdseed if the Uromastyx is less than 6 months - 1 year old.

As far as acclimating Uromastyx;

House them separately. Make sure and provide an enclosure of at least a 2 Ft X 4 Ft enclosure for each Uromastyx.

Provide 120-140 degree basking and UVB lighting.

Cover any of the see through sides of the enclosure.

Here is an example picture of one of my covered enclosures.

Make sure there are hides under the basking spot and on the cool side of the cage.

Feeding a mix of Spring Mix, Endive, Escarole, Dandelions, Dandelion Greens, Mustard Greens, Turnip Greens, Collard Greens, Bok Choy, and some Kale. Also offer edible flowers such as Hibiscus, Hollyhock, Dandelion, Cat's Ear, Birds Foot Trifoil, Etc. Lightly dust their food with indoor version of Miner All calcium supplement once to twice per month if at all. With proper diet and proper UVB they really do not need it. Keep a small bowl of Red lentils, Green/Brown lentils, Split yellow peas, Split green peas, Millet seed, Sesame seed 15 bean soup mix (remove large red kidney beans). Occasionally add pure bee pollen granules to the ground up green peas, lentils, various beans, birdseed mix. Do not offer the peas, lentils, various beans and birdseed if the Uromastyx is less than 6 months - 1 year old.

Weigh your Uromastyx every month to assure it is not loosing weight.
It should steadily gain weight or at least maintain weight once it gets used to its soundings.

I do not treat my Uromastyx for parasites unless they are sick or loosing weight. If you chose to treat your Uromastyx, make sure and take a fresh fecal to a qualified veterinarian and let the veterinarian test for parasites and follow veterinarian instructions for type of medicine and dosage.

For me the secrete of acclimating Uromastyx is housing them separately, providing proper cage size, lighting, and food.
Not feeding any insects and not handling the Uromastyx except for cleanings and weighing.

Uromastyx Maturity;

Depending on the species Uromastyx mature in 3-5 years depending on care and environment. At around 3 years or so they become old enough to breed and reproduce. All my U.ornate females that have produced eggs for me so far have weighed at least 200 grams. My Ocellata was only 120 grams and she laid eggs. So it depends on the species you are working with when it will be mature and ready for breeding.

Audrey Vanderlinden actually bread 1 yr. old U.ornates.
See the UROMASTYX HOME PAGE -The Captive breeding update on Ornate Spiny Tailed Lizards.

Above picture is a 4 year old mature U.ornate.

Uromastyx are a long lived species and have been reported reaching 10+ years in captivity. I believe with proper diet
and care they can far exceed this, maybe even go to the 20+ years old range.

Uromastyx Brumation schedule;

2010 Brumation schedule;

December 6th 2009; Stop feeding all who are going to brumate this year. Vacuumed allseeds and extra food in the enclosures of those to going to brumate this year to make sure that absolutely no food or seed is left in enclosures of those going to brumate this year.

** Need to give them a couple weeks to pass the food in there stomachs, prior to turning out the lights

December 19th 2009; Turned off basking and florescent UVB lighting on those to going to brumate this year.

January 9th 2010; Reset Lights, Start Feeding and resumed normal feeding and light schedule

I did offer 4 hours of basking lights and florescent lights every Saturday or Sunday but no food was offered for the whole period.

Warning: There is always risk when hibernation or brumating Uromastyx. Please do not hibernate / brumate unless you are serious about breeding Uromastyx. There is a health risk and hibernation / brumation has even resulted in death in some Uromastyx collections.

2011 Brumation Schedule:

I am going to try something different this year as I am to scared to stop feeding and turn out out lights altogether as I have done in years past due to most of my Ornates are fresh imports that I just got this year. My white Ornates are captive breed but I would not be able to replace them if I lost them during brumation, so I am going to put all my adults through a lighter brumation.

This is basically Elizabeth Lynch method that she explained to me in a email last year. Her Uro's have always successfully cycled and bred with this method so I am going to give it a try.

November 6th 2010; Vacuumed all seeds, sand and extra food in the enclosures of those to going to brumate this year. Stop feeding all dry foods, seeds, peas, lentils, beans, etc. I will feed greens for the entire brumation, but no dry foods.

November 13th 2010 Reduce all lights to 10 hours per day.

November 20th 2010 Reduce all lights to 8 hours per day.

November 27th 2010 Reduce all lights to 6 hours per day.

January 22nd 2011 Increase all lights to 8 hours per day.

January 29th 2011 Increase all lights to 10 hours per day.

February 5th 2011 Increase all lights to 12 hours per day.

February 12th 2011 Increase all lights to 14 hours per day.

February 12th 2011 Start feeding dry foods, seeds, peas, lentils, beans, etc

Mating rituals;

My female keeps flipping on her back when I put her in the males enclosure. Are they mating? Yes this is mating behavior, but it is not mating. The female flipping on her back is her way of saying not tonight. If the male circles around on the females belly and lays on top of her, they are not mating. The male circling on the females back and or circling on the females belly is like a pre breeding activity. The male will also do push ups and case the females around the enclosures. Many times a white substance is left on the females back during these per breeding activities and unsuccessful breeding.

Once the male is serious about breeding and the female is ready the male will bite a fold of her skin around her neck and hang on to it.

Picture of U.O Ocellata mating.

He may even pull the female around the enclosure by this fold of skin. Once the male has the female wore out or the female is ready to breed, He will position himself on her back. He will wiggle his tail by the side of the females tail until she gives in and raises her tail, he will then wrap his tail under hers all the while still biting and holding on by the skin around her neck. He will position his vent over hers and insert his hemi penis, He will hold her in this mating position for 2-10 minutes.

If the breading is successful and the female becomes gravid, she will lay her eggs in 4-6 weeks. Uromastyx mating can be violent and is not for weak of heart.

Egg Laying preparation;

Once your female Uromastyx becomes gravid (Pregnant) , or you suspect she is gravid, I advise you move her cadge mate to there own separate enclosure. That is if you are housing them as pairs. Females become aggressive once they become gravid, and they will defend the egg laying site quite viciously. I have even seen a case where the female caused fatal wounds to the male being housed with her, when he got a little to curious
about her egg laying site.

Picture of Gravid U.O Ocellata.

Around mid January to the first of February, I add egg laying sites to my adult female cadges. This year I am using a mix of playsand and miracle grow dirt and I am just placing it directly on the cages to allow the females a more natural setting to lay there eggs in.

Above is my vision 622 with a mix of playsand and miracle grow dirt.

I add the egg laying site some time between January to the first of February to give the females a chance to get used to them being in there cadges. If I notice gravid females not willing to visit the egg laying site on the cool end I move it to the warm end of the cage. I had a female Uromastyx that laid an egg, just out in the sand. She was looking very miserable and lumpy and would not even go in her egg laying box. I was talking with Mark Walsh and he mentioned trying warming the box or move it to the hot end of the cage. Since I did not have any hand warmers, I moved the site to the warm end of the cadge. I had only relocated the site about a hour before and the female U.ornate was already digging in it like crazy. She laid 13 eggs that evening.

I also increase the calcium intake to my adult females around this time of the year. I dust there foods a couple times of week, some of the other breeders use Neo-Calglucon (calcium glubionate). They administer via an eye dropper. This is to increase the calcium levels in females to hopefully aide in egg formation.

Around mid January to the first of February I begin introducing the females into the males enclosures for brief visits. I watch them closely and if any breeding is witnessed I document date and which of Uromastyx breed. It will be around 4 to 5 weeks from the time of breeding to when she lays her eggs. Females will some times dig for days or even weeks to get there egg laying site the way that satisfies them. Once the female is comfortable with her site she will lay her eggs. The females may lay there eggs over several hours, I have had females lay some one day and finish laying the next day.

Once you discover the female has laid her eggs. Usually the female is noticeable deflated right after laying. I ware rubber gloves and carefully remove the eggs from the egg laying sites, being very careful to gently place them in the incubation plastic containers the same way that they are laid. There has been some speculation turning eggs can sometimes harm the eggs. I space the eggs a inch or so apart in the incubation container. Once all eggs are transferred to the incubation contained I seal the lid and place the in the incubator.

I offer water to females after laying there eggs, to try to rehydrate them. Egg laying really take a toll on the females, but usually within a week or two they gain back most of there weight and begin to resume normal feeding and basking.

Egg Incubation;

Picture of U. Ornate eggs 1999

Get your incubator and plastic containers well ahead of when Uromastyx is expected to lay her eggs. Set up your incubator a few days to a few weeks ahead of time to make sure it will maintain temperature. Prepare your plastic containers, poke one small hole in the side or lid of the plastic container for oxygen exchange. Add large vermiculite to plastic container about half full. Add distilled water at a 2:1 vermiculite to distilled water weight ratio, add the distilled water to the bottom corner of the container with a syringe and cover the distilled water with vermiculite. The vermiculite in the containers will be almost dry. Be sure to weigh your trays with a digital scale for accuracy. Prior to adding eggs microwave the plastic containers filled with moist vermiculite for about 25 seconds, this will sterilize the vermiculite.

Fertile eggs have a distinct red circle visible at the time the eggs are laid. Orient the eggs in the container so the position the red circle is facing the same way the Uromastyx laid the egg, red circle is usually to the side or top of the egg and place the eggs into the plastic containers the same way they were laid.

Start the incubation temperature at 92 degrees for the first 50 days and then raise 93 degrees for the duration. Weigh your plastic containers once a week to track evaporation levels, maintain 2:1 vermiculite to distilled water weight ratio. My first egg incubation plastic container this year contains 360 grams vermiculite and 180 grams of distilled water. The rubber made container and lid weigh 222 grams.. Container including eggs weighs 916 Grams. Vermiculite should be damp enough to clump up in your hands. A day or two after eggs are added to plastic containers moisture should built up on the sides of the plastic containers if not you will need to add more water. Weight egg filled container weekly and add back how ever many grams evaporated that week. I also have placed an open container of distilled water at the bottom of the incubator to assist in humidity. Eggs should hatch out in 60-70 days.

It is also suggested to put something under your plastic container on one end so that it sits at a slight angle in the incubator. This way all the condensation water that forms on the lid runs to the end before dripping down. Condensation water dripping directly on the eggs can cause them to mold and kill the embryo.

For 2010 I used a Natures sprit incubator with a Herpstat proportional heating controller. I purchased it off of craigslist for $200.00.

This is my first year with the Natures sprit incubator, I have hatched Ornate Uromastyx for several years in a row in the past using a Hova-bator, but this year I was expecting more eggs so I was needing something that can handle several clutches.

One thing I did notice about all my females is that none of them laid this year until I moved they egg laying site to the hot end of the cage. They would dig and dig but never lay, as soon as I moved the egg laying site to the hot end each of them laid within a day.

I got 3 clutches for the 2010 breeding season, 2 each Saharan Clutches and 1 Rainbow Benti clutch. I treated all 3 clutches the same. The 2 that failed were laid by unproven females and they laid them out in the open. Makes me wonder if the females knew they would not hatch so why bother burying them.

The Saharan clutch that did hatch out took 53 days and hatched on July 4th.

My plan for 2011 breeding season is to extend the winter brumation for a couple weeks longer then last year and I plan to introduce my females to my males sooner next year then I did last year. That being said I have high hopes for next years breeding season.

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Mark Walsh incubation method;

Here is Mark Walsh incubation method Danny Molco the author of (Data from Wild Populations) Ornate Spiny Tailed-Lizards by Ben David Osnat and Molco Danny (Copyright 1999) feels that his method is the best.

05/14/2001 Mark Walsh egg incubation is as follows:

The substrate is a 50/50 mix of perlite and the fine vermiculite, I start with 60/40 ratio for the first two weeks and then let it dry to 70/30. A good tip, when getting the trays together, put them in the microwave for about 20 seconds, this will sterilize the substrate. Be sure to weigh your trays with a digital scale for accuracy. After adding the eggs cover the trays and leave one small hole (approx .125")for oxygen exchange. I start the eggs at 93° for the first 30 days and then go to 94° for the duration. At the time of expected hatching I raise the temp to 95°. I am currently using a Helix incubator which uses forced air heating, this helps keep the heat consistent through out the incubator. I keep the humidity at 80%, this keeps the trays from drying out too fast and having to add water all the time. It is a good idea to weigh your trays once a week to track evaporation levels.
With all of this maintained, your eggs should hatch in approx. 60 days.

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09/11/2009 Thomasi2 from Taiwan incubation method.

I use Hova incubator, but I don't use it's auto-heating system
I use heat tape to continue heating to maintain Temp to about 33~35*C
About humidity , out side the eggs container the water is filled so it's humidity is very high.
But in the container the humidity is very low , the weight of substrate : water about 5:1
almost dry, I also put the mix in the button and a little dry substrate on it
But in the late phase, especially when babies is coming out, I will add humidity or put some well moistened paper towel with the eggs.

Thomasi2 complete incubation method and pictures.

Above are pictures of Thomasi2 hatchlings.

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Hatchling care;

Once hatched Uromastyx hatchlings start feeding in the first day or two. They are fed the same basic greens as the adults only all stems are removed and the greens are finely chopped. You may want to offer hatchlings access to daily water in a shallow container. Make sure it can not be tipped over and only leave it in the enclosure for a few hours a day. I do not offer water, but some other species seem to benefit from it. If I notice an animal looking dehydrated I will offer water. I do not offer crushed seeds, lentils, peas, beans or any of these type dry foods until hatchlings are 6-12 months of age.

Picture of U.ornate hatchlings 1999.

Danny Molco the author of (Data from Wild Populations) Ornate Spiny Tailed-Lizards by Ben David Osnat and Molco Danny (Copyright 1999) states "It is very important to put a parent's dry drops (fecal) in the hatchling cage for the first few days." This may aid in the hatchlings developing stomach flora. Make sure if adding the parents fecal to the hatchlings enclosure that the parents have been tested for parasites, so nothing is unintentionally passed to the hatchlings. I have raised hatchlings that had access to parents dropping and others that did not and I did not notice any difference in growth rates or health of the hatchlings. So it is up to the breeder weather to add parents droppings to hatchlings enclosure or not, but if you decide to add parents droppings make sure parents have been tested for parasites, so nothing is unintentionally passed to the hatchlings.

My hatchlings are housed each in there own separate enclosure with similar basking and gradients as the adults. 120-130 degrees basking with a gradient to 75-85 degrees on the cool side. If your hatchlings are looking dehydrated back off your basking temperatures a little and or offer some water in a shallow container.

I house the hatchlings on paper towels, tile and bare floor. Do not try other substrate until the hatchlings are at least 6 months to a year old.

I will continue to update this document as I learn new methods for keeping and breeding Uromastyx.

If you have questions, comments, or would like to add to my care sheet please send me and email troy@uroranch.com

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