Mali Uromastyx Care Sheet
July 9th 2009 18:33
Housing: You can house a hatchling in a 10 gallon tank, but it will only last for about a month, so it is best that you start hatchlings off in at least 20 gallon long aquariums. When the Mali Uromastyx is about half grown, you'll want to go ahead and move it to its permanent, adult sized enclosure, which should be at minimum a 50 gallon aquarium for ONE adult. It is best that you consider bigger is better for an adult because you will need to provide basking places, hiding spots, and things to climb on; plus considering that these guys can range from 11" to 16".
Lighting/Heating: You want the basking temperature to be well over 100F- 120F is preferred. You can keep the cool side of the tank around 85F, but in general Mali Uromastyx like their temperatures to be hot.
As for lighting, you'll want to consider lighting from above. I've found that the ceramic heat emitters are a great choice, as they provide heat and lighting, but you'll still need to consider a digital thermometer with a probe to accurate gauge the temperatures so that it's not TOO hot or too cold.
You'll also want to use a full spectrum UV source. The UV/heat bulbs are perfect; they can be a little expensive, but they're going to be your BEST choice. These last longer than the UV tubes, which have to be replaced every 4-6 months, and they lessen your cords and electrical products, since you'll be able to provide UV and heat with the one bulb. Plus, the UV tubes do not produce the same quality of UV, and the health of your reptile is greatly determined by the light and UV.
Substrate: Because sand can be ingested and can potentially cause fatal impaction, it's a good idea to consider paper towels (which are cheap), reptile carpet (which is reusable and washable), slate tiles, or roll-out tile. If you feel that you HAVE to use a loose substrate, such as sand, you want to go with a very fine washed playsand. You want to avoid any of the "digestible" calcium-based sand.
Decorations: You want to provide numerous hides and shelters to make your Mali Uromastyx feel secure. It's also a good idea to provide rocks for basking, but never use heat rocks. Logs and fake plants can also be a nice addition to the enclosure.
Feeding: Mali Uromastyx are primarily herbivores. You want to offer greens, such as collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, and dandelion greens, as the staple. Avoid kale, spinach, and iceberg lettuce as much as you can as they can cause health problems. You should also add other vegetable to the diet, such as carrots, lima beans, peas, and corn; feed fruits occasionally as treats. You want to avoid foods that can be too acidic.
Mali Uromastyx will also enjoy crickets and mealworms on occasion but only to adults and only rarely.
You want to make sure that your Mali Uromastyx has a healthy appetite for greens.
Water: It's not suggested that you spray the enclosure as this can cause the humidity to rise and mold to form. Most of the moisture and water that your Mali Uromastyx will need will all be obtained by the food that it eats- fresh vegetables are high in moisture. You'll also want to consider warm baths occasionally; just make sure that the uromastyx is dry before returning it to its cage.
Supplementation: You want to supplement your Mali Uromastyx food with both vitamins and a calcium supplement. It's a good idea to use a calcium D3 supplement, but the level that you do provide will vary depending on how much you expose your uromastyx to natural sunlight or mercury vapor bulbs.
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Comment by Anonymous mali pal
Head to tail: 8 1/4 inches
Head to vent: 5 inches
Is this healthy or correct, 1 really want her to grow!
Comment by Whitney
The Female View
Pet Advice
Tech Stripe
Alternative Look
The myth that they only grow to their enclosure isn't accurate, but in some cases when the enclosure isn't large enough, it can drastically affect growth, as you've seen.
Comment by lisa w
Comment by Whitney
The Female View
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The dark coloring is generally a sign of the tank not being hot enough.
When is the last time you've changed the UV lighting?
What is the temperature in the tank as measured by a digital thermometer?
What is the reptile eating?
Comment by Anonymous
Comment by Whitney
The Female View
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Give the animal a few days to a week to adjust. There are sometimes times where it takes a few days for animals to adjust to the new environment before feeling comfortable enough to eat.
Comment by PatiGirl
Comment by PatiGirl
Comment by new Mali owner