The Uromastyx, also called the Spiny Tailed Lizard, is an excellent choice for beginner hobbyists. This is because of their intelligent nature, unique appearance, and docile temperaments when kept in captivity.
One of the most commonly available Uromastyx species is Egyptian Uromastyx. The Egyptian Uromastyx is known as the largest Uromastyx species in the world as they can reach about 30 inches in size. Furthermore, they are fairly inexpensive to get, and they are easy to keep.
In this article, we will talk about Uromastyx Egyptian, where they originate from, their cost, how to care for them, their tank requirement, and the common health problems associated with them.
Contents
What are Uromastyx Egyptian?
What is This reptile?
The Egyptian Uromastyx is among the most common spiny-tailed lizards that you can get. They have a large spiny tail used for protecting themselves against predators in the wild.
Furthermore, they are regarded as the largest uromastyx species in the world. They are also one of the favorite Uro to keep as a pet because of their docile nature and ease of feeding.
Where Does it Come From?
The Egyptian spiny-tailed lizards originate from the Middle East. They are commonly found in Egypt and in other countries like Yemen, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Israel, Iran, and Kuwait. They prefer living in a desert and plain region with a coarse substrate and scattered vegetation.
Furthermore, you can find them near sea level, and you can track them with their fecal pellets and burrows.
How Much Does it Cost?
The Egyptian spiny-tailed lizards are common pet lizards, and you can easily find them in pet stores. They are fairly inexpensive, and their cost ranges from $100 to $400.
How Big Do They Get?
Although most adult uromastyx can grow to around 10-18 inches in length, Egyptian uromastyx can grow more than 30 inches in length. However, Egyptian uromastyx hatchlings are usually about 3-4 inches in length.
Care Level Required
The Egyptian spiny-tailed lizards have a great personality and are very intelligent. It is easy and relatively cheap to care for and feed them. Because they originate from the desert, you need to ensure their cage is hot during the day and with mild temperatures at night.
Egyptian Uromastyx Colors
The color of adult Egyptian uromastyx is dark brown to black, while baby uromastyx color is dark grey with yellow spots or broken bands across the back. Although they have a dull color, you will find their personality amazing and interesting.
The Egyptian spiny-tailed lizards experience color change according to the temperature. This means that their color looks dull and dark during cool weather, but it becomes lighter in warm weather.
How Much Do Uromastyx Egyptian Cost?
The Egyptian spiny-tailed lizards are common pet lizards, and you can easily find them in pet stores both online and offline. They are fairly inexpensive, and their cost ranges from $100 to $400.
Here is a list of some online breeders and how much they sell their Egyptian Uromastyx
| Breeders | Price |
| Snakes at sunset | $149.99 |
| Underground reptiles | $349.99 |
| Blackwater reptiles | $399.99 |
Basic Care For Uromastyx Egyptian
Caring for uromastyx is usually different from the numerous popular tropical lizards in the reptile trade. However, Egyptian spiny-tailed lizards require low-maintenance and are beginner-friendly. Egyptian uromastyx requires high temperatures for their optimal growth.
You need to ensure their basking area is between 120-140oF while the remaining tank temperature should be about 80-90oF. However, the temperature can drop to about 65oF at night.
Uromastyx Egyptian Lifespan
The Egyptian spiny-tailed lizards are not only the biggest Uromastyx lizards; many believed that they have the lengthiest average lifespan among Uromastyx lizards.
However, it is quite hard to predict their lifespan in captivity. This is because most of the species that are kept as pets are taken from other countries without knowing their exact age. Uromastyx Egyptian can live for more than 30 years, and their average lifespan is 15 years.
Does Uromastyx Egyptian Require Any Special Care Compared to Other Uromastyx?
All Uromastyx originate from extreme hot regions and they need the same care in captivity for them to grow and stay happy.
Tank for Uromastyx Egyptian
Uromastyx is an active, diurnal lizard, and they need to be kept in a large enclosure. You can keep hatchling Egyptian spiny-tailed lizards in a 20-gallon long tank, but anything smaller can be problematic because it will not allow a proper temperature gradient.
Although you can use a 40-gallon tank for a single adult, a larger enclosure is preferred. However, you will need a 75+ gallon tank when you are keeping a breeding pair together.
Furthermore, the length of a tank is crucial than the height because Uromastyx are terrestrial reptiles. Uros are also burrowers by nature, and you can place artificial burrows or hide boxes in their tank.
Uromastyx Egyptian Diet
You need to keep your Egyptian spiny-tailed lizard in strong health to maximize its lifespan. One of the important aspects of the care for Uros is their diet. Uromastyx species are more herbivorous animals but can feed on bugs if they get access to any.
You can feed your Egyptian spiny-tailed lizards with veggies like carrots, kale, dandelion greens, collard greens, peas, etc. However, you will need to supplement their foods with additional nourishment like calcium and multivitamin for their optimal growth.
Furthermore, spiny-tailed lizards are unlike most reptiles as they can eat every day. This is why you must feed them with fresh feed daily.
How often should you feed Egyptian Uros?
- Leafy greens should be fed seven days a week
- Vegetables four days a week
- Seeds six days a week
- Fruits should be fed only as a treat
- Bugs it should be fed only as a treat
Any difference between baby & adult diet? You can feed hatchling uromastyx species with the same diet as the adult. However, the food should be chopped into smaller pieces.
Do Uromastyx Egyptian Need To Drink Water?
No. Spiny-tailed lizards usually get all the water that they need from their diets. However, you can offer them water occasionally in a small container that cannot be tipped over. You can only leave the water in their tank for a few hours.
Do You Need To Bathe Your Uromastyx Egyptian?
You should avoid bathing your Uromastyx Egyptian. This is due to the fact that they originate from a region with low humidity. Furthermore, high humidity levels can cause medical conditions like tail rot and respiratory infections.
The fluid intake by Uros is usually gotten from their diet, and a responsible keeper needs to ensure the humidity in their enclosure is always low.
Common Diseases of Uromastyx Egyptian
Egyptian Uromastyx are hardy creatures and have a long lifespan. Here are some common health issues that can happen to your lizard.
Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD): MBD is a common health problem for captive reptiles, and it is mostly diet-related. Egyptian spiny-tailed lizards can have MBD if it has a calcium deficiency.
Tail Rot: This is a health problem that occurs when your Uros enclosure is too moist, or you fail to dry them off after giving them a soak. This will then lead to the build-up of fungi or bacteria in the tail crevices and cause rot.
Impaction: This occurs when undigested food or foreign objects block your Uros digestive system and cause an impaction. Some of the signs of impaction are lethargy, inability to defecate, and your Uros is not eating, etc.
Photo-kerato Conjunctivitis: This is a health problem where your Egyptian Uromastyx experiences eye irritation or even blindness, and faulty UVB bulbs usually cause it.
Other diseases: Although Uros are hardy creatures, improper husbandry or exposure to infected reptiles can lead to bacterial, viral, or fungal infections. You can easily prevent these by following proper quarantine measures when getting a new pet and taking your pet to a qualified reptile vet when it appears ill.
Wrapping Up
Although the Egyptian spiny-tailed lizards are exotic pets, they are also very easy to care for. The Egyptian Uromastyx is a perfect option for you if you want a beautiful and durable reptile pet.