Baby uromastyx care! Do baby uromastyx have a special care requirements you should know about? Do you have to master some techniques to be a better keeper to your baby uros? Perhaps yes. This article seeks to provide you useful tips on how to care for your baby uromastyx.
Uromastyx lizards, also known as spiny-tailed lizards, are a perfect reptile that you can keep at home due to their unique appearance, temperament, and diversity. However, the best way for a beginner reptile keeper to own an uros is by buying baby uromastyx.
A baby uromastyx is usually about 3-4 inches in length and you can house it in a 20-gallon terrarium. Anything less than this can cause an issue because you will not be able to get a proper temperature gradient.
Furthermore, uros are active and they need a lot of space to explore.
Before you decide to bring a baby uromastyx lizard home, you will need to know how you can care for it. In this article, we have highlighted eight tips that you need to know before you buy a baby uromastyx.
This article has been reviewed by Dr. Gospel. Read more about our knowledge control process here.
Contents
What To Know Before Buying A Baby Uromastyx?
It is very easy to find a baby uromastyx lizard for sale because they are getting popular among hobbyists. However, it is also easy to find a uros that is unhealthy or illegal. Furthermore, the best place to buy a baby uromastyx is from a reputable private breeder.
Baby Uromastyx Price
Baby uromastyx lizards will usually cost about $100 to $200. However, you will find some species that are more expensive and can cost up to $499. You will also need to budget around $250-$500 for a suitable enclosure with the necessary accessories for your uromastyx.
Choosing Healthy Uromastyx
When buying a uromastyx, it is important that you choose a healthy uros that will enjoy a happy and long lifespan in its new home. Here are a few things to check for:
Signs That They are Healthy
- It is alert and reactive to your touch
- It has bright eyes and skin
- It is active and has good posture in its enclosure
- It is standing up with all four legs
- It moves easily and has a strong body with thick legs.
A healthy uromastyx will also stand up or walk with its four legs.
Signs That They Are Unhealthy
- It has watering eyes.
- The uros is trembling or has deformed bones.
- There are superficial burns on the body
- Their skin is red and patchy
- There is inflammation around the corners of the mouth.
Where To Buy A Healthy Baby Uromastyx?
Uromastyx lizards are popular reptiles and there are several options where you can buy them based on your location.
Independent Breeders
The best place that you can buy baby uromastyx is from a reputable reptile breeder. The main reason is that independent breeders take pride in their lizards and you will be sure that you are buying a healthy uromastyx.
Furthermore, they are bred in captivity and will do better in an enclosure than those sourced from the wild.
Pet Stores
Another place that you can buy a baby uromastyx is from a reptile pet store with USDA-registered breeders. Furthermore, they are usually knowledgeable and have experience in caring for uros. You can find pet stores both online or in your neighborhood.
They also have all the required supplies that you may need to keep your uros happy and healthy.
Reptile Shows
Going to a reptile show is a suitable place where you can buy a baby uromastyx. You can find reptile shows close to you by checking your local Facebook groups or visiting the US Repticon or Canadian Reptile Expo websites.
The best thing about reptile shows is you can take your time to check different uros species and talk to the breeders in person. You can then ask as many questions as possible before you decide to buy it.
Buying Online
You will find lots of websites that sell uromastyx and you can opt for this option if uromastyx are not available locally. However, you need to choose a reliable website that complies with any legal requirements in your country.
You should also check user reviews, the return, and shipping policies before you buy your baby uromastyx.
Note: uromastyx sourced from the wild can have difficulties adapting to captivity and may not survive if you keep them in an enclosure.
Best Baby Uromastyx Habitat
Uromastyx lizards are considered to be desert species. They prefer hot temperatures during the day and need mild temperatures at night. Furthermore, baby uromastyx lizards will thrive well in a habitat that mimics their habitat in the wild.
Housing And Set-Up
Glass terrariums are a suitable housing for baby uromastyx because it is easy to clean and sanitize it. You can keep a baby uromastyx in a 20-gallon terrarium. However, once they reach full maturity, you will need to put them in a 40-gallon terrarium.
Furthermore, uromastyx lizards need plenty of hiding spots that they can explore. This means you will need to place branches and rock formations in their tank to help mimic their habitat in the wild.
Lighting
You will need to provide UVB light for your baby uromastyx 10-12 hours per day. Uromastyx uses UVB for processing calcium and they can develop health problems like metabolic bone disease if it is not provided in their enclosure.
You can place the UVB lighting directly on top of their metal mesh tank covering. Furthermore, you can install the UVB light bulb into the hood that contains the light bulb socket.
Heating
As stated above, uromastyx lizards live in the desert and they need a high temperature to stay happy. The daytime tank temperature in a baby uromastyx enclosure should be around 85oF. However, the nighttime temperature of their enclosure should be around 75oF.
You can use multiple digital thermometers to ensure that the ideal temperatures are maintained in their enclosure. You will also need to provide a specified rock for basking in their enclosure. The temperature of the basking area should be more than 100oF.
You can buy ceramic heaters, direct heat bulbs, or under tank heaters to help provide the temperatures that your baby uromastyx needs.
Humidity
Uromastyx lizards require little humidity and you should ensure the humidity in their tank does not exceed 35%. Your uros will get sick if the enclosure is too humid. You should avoid misting your uromastyx directly but you can mist their greens and vegetation.
You should also ensure you buy a high-quality hygrometer to help measure the water vapor levels in their tank.
Substrate
be care not to allow your uros to ingest sand along with its food.
Many hobbyists believe that the ideal substrate for uromastyx is the sand. This is because it allows them to bury themselves, especially when intimidated. However, you should note that commercial reptile sand is quite different from the ones in their natural habitat.
If you keep your uromastyx on the sand, the sand can get into their food, water, and eyes. Furthermore, the intestine of a baby uros can get blocked causing impaction if it takes in too much sand.
This is why it is best to use reptile carpet, paper towels, or shredded newspaper as a substrate for your juveniles to help prevent digestive issues.
Tank Cleaning & Misting
The substrate in your uros tank should be changed weekly. Furthermore, you should try to remove everything from their terrarium at least once a month and clean it thoroughly with hot water and unscented soap.
You can also use commercial terrarium cleaners to clean their tank thoroughly.
Baby Uromastyx Setup Tips
- Secure 20-gallon terrarium with a screen lid.
- The UVB light should be turned on for 12 hours a day.
- The basking area should be more than 100F
- The humidity in the tank should not be more than 35%
- The substrate should be reptile carpet, paper towels, or shredded newspaper.
Last update on 2022-12-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Baby Uromastyx Noises
Uromastyx lizards usually make some noises when they feel threatened. One of the common noises that uromastyx lizards can make is the clicking sound. This is used as a form of defense when you are trying to handle them.
Baby uromastyx can also make a clicking sound when you try to introduce them to a new lizard.
Baby Uromastyx Diet
Although uromastyx lizards can be classified as omnivorous animals, their main diet is green plants. Some of the things that you can feed your baby uros are stated below.
What Does A Baby Uromastyx Eat?
The main diet of baby uromastyx lizard is green plants like dandelion greens, collard greens, turnip greens, mustard, etc. However, the availability of the diet usually varies with location and season.
You should also ensure that you avoid feeding your uros with greens that contain calcium-blocking oxalates like kale and spinach. When feeding baby uros, the plant matter should be chopped into smaller pieces before offering it to them.
You can then place the food in a shallow dish so your uros can easily see the food. Uromastyx lizards also find yellow, white, and red flower blossoms stimulating.
You can also grate some vegetables like carrots, squash, or sweet potatoes and mix them with greens to feed your baby uros.
Uromastyx lizards also love to eat seeds. You can feed baby uros with dry lentils and numerous small bird seed mixes that contain grass seeds, and so on. You can also use pellets sold for reptile food to feed your baby uromastyx with relative ease.
Some of the manufactured pellets that you can buy are Rep-Cal brand Iguana Food, Mazuri Tortoise Food, Zoo Med’s Natural Grassland Tortoise Food, etc.
The diets of Uromastyx usually consist of calcium to phosphorus ratio that is more than one. This is why you need to add calcium and mineral supplements to their food weekly.
Baby uromastyx lizards can also take insects readily and you can give them a couple of insects per month.
However, it is best to avoid feeding them with insects as it can lead to Metabolic Bone Disease because they are not getting the required nutrient for their growth.
How Many Times To Feed A Baby Uromastyx A Day?
Uromastyx is not like most reptiles and they generally eat every day. Furthermore, you will need to supply them with fresh feed daily. You will also have to feed a baby and juvenile uromastyx 1-2 times a day.
Here is a breakdown of how you can feed your baby uros per week
- You can feed your baby uros with leafy greens 7 days a week.
- You can feed your baby uros with seeds 6 days a week.
- It is best to feed baby uros with vegetables 4 days a week.
- A calcium supplement should be added to their feed 3 days a week.
Tracking Their Growth Rate
Baby uromastyx lizards are usually two to four inches in length at birth and will then grow to an adult size which ranges from 10-36 inches based on the species. Furthermore, it usually takes about 3-5 years before uromastyx lizards can reach full maturity.
Your lizards will grow quickly if you can take proper care of them. You should also be observant of the growth of your baby lizard in the first year. This is because if you notice that your lizard is not eating or growing then it may be caused by a health problem.
Do You Need To Tame A Baby Uromastyx?
Uromastyx lizards are usually docile and not aggressive towards humans. However, they are not that comfortable with being handled. This means you will need to tame your baby uromastyx before they can get used to handling it.
Taming
Baby uromastyx will need time to get used to its new environment before you can even think of handling them. For about two weeks, they are usually scared and may hide and refuse food.
The first thing to do is to get your baby uromastyx used to you by sitting near the tank or taking it out for cleaning once a week. Once you notice that your baby uros do not hide when you walk past the tank, then you are ready for the second step.
This is to hand-feed your uromastyx. However, you first start by slowly putting your hand in the tank and put it a bit closer to your lizard slowly. Once they are used to your hand, you can build more trust by offering them their favorite snacks like lentils and bee pollen.
You have built trust with your uromastyx if it does not have a problem taking food from your hand. You can continue hand-feeding your uros daily to build more trust.
The next thing is to try and touch the back or head of your uros. You can also just place your hand in the tank to see if your lizard will approach it. If your uros get on your hand, you can then allow it to walk on both hands.
Once it is more comfortable with it, you can then pick up your uros and place it on your knees or remove it from the tank. You should avoid handling your uros for too long outside the tank as they can get cold very quickly.
Note: Avoid stroking or touching your uromastyx tail because it is their main defense mechanism. Furthermore, this will stress out your uros and can try to whip you with the tail.
Know What To Expect
There are several things that you should expect when adopting baby uromastyx. This is why it is important to do some research before you decide to get a baby uromastyx. Some of them are stated below.
- You should expect to keep your uromastyx for around 15-20 years.
- It is ideal to buy an enclosure and set it up. This makes the transfer of your uros easier and you can have temperature and humidity under control.
- You will need to turn on the UVB lights in the morning and off them in the evening every day.
- You will need to feed your uromastyx 1 to 2 times per day.
- Uromastyx lizards may poop 1-4 times per day and it should be solid and well-formed.
- Your baby uromastyx may need time to adjust to their new surroundings.
- You should not expect your uromastyx to be comfortable around you at first.
- Your uromastyx may not start eating once you put them in a new enclosure. However, they should start eating after a day if their husbandry is correct.
- You can join groups on Facebook where you can learn everything about uromastyx. You can also ask a question if you encounter any issues.
Wrapping Up
It is quite simple for beginners to care for baby uromastyx lizards than adult ones. Furthermore, raising a baby uromastyx allows you to understand more about your lizard as it grows. You can easily secure them in a 20-gallon terrarium with a screen lid.