Uromastyx: A Road Map

By Phillip Lietz

INTRODUCTION:

Uromastyx lizards (also sometimes known as Spiny Tailed Lizards or Dabb Lizards) have been present in herpetoculture for decades. They are brilliantly colorful, primarily herbivorous, and long-lived desert lizards. Their natural range extends from Morocco across North Africa into the Middle East and ends with a transition into the closely related genus Saara in Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, and India. The range of colors displayed by these lizards is truly breathtaking. Arabesque patterns of blues, greens, yellows, oranges, whites, purples, and jet black occur across 16-22 species and subspecies. In captivity these lizards can become very tame and make profoundly rewarding long term reptile pets. Their care requirements resemble something of a mix between desert tortoises and desert monitor lizards. They have a bright future within herpetoculture in the United States!

Despite a steady increase in demand over the last 20 years in U.S. herpetoculture, a generally low success rate in captive breeding and sporadic importation have led to scarce availability of Uromastyx as a whole with several species having never been imported at all. Erroneous comparisons to bearded dragons made by many pet shops and wholesale outlets has also led to abundant misinformation about their care which further contributes to poor success especially for new and inexperienced keepers. Thankfully captive breeding efforts are starting to gain traction, but because of their slow reproductive rates Uromastyx still have a long way to go before they can be considered widely available and truly established in U.S. herpetoculture.

What follows in this article are the author’s recommendations for some of the most ideal starter species of Uromastyx for new keepers as well as a handful of care, maintenance, and breeding suggestions to help steer new hobbyists towards success in keeping Uromastyx over the long term.

BRIEF AND SIMPLIFIED CARE PRIMER:

BASKING ZONE TEMP RANGE: 115-125F. The lower end of the range for fresh hatchlings while animals 6 months and older should have a large swatch of basking area that reaches 125F.

AMBIENT AND COOL ZONE RANGE: 80-90F. For younger and newly homed animals it is wise to keep the cool end of the enclosure no lower than 85F until a new Uromastyx settles into a regular routine. 

UV LIGHT: Provide high intensity full spectrum UV lighting for all ages of Uromastyx. Like other reptiles, safe and secure exposure to natural sunlight will always benefit the health and well being of Uromastyx.

DIET: 95% Fresh leafy greens, flowers, and hard vegetables. 5% pelleted desert tortoise foods, timothy hay, sprouted lentils, bee pollen, and other treats. Avoid fruits and insects. Most healthy Uromastyx will get all the moisture they need from their rich diet, offering occasional but short warm baths, providing a shallow water bowl, or a humid hide box are other options for providing water to these lizards.

HOUSING: Uromastyx are desert reptiles and thus large enclosures with as much floor space as possible should be provided. Avoid housing Uromastyx of any species in cages smaller than 4ft x 2ft x 2ft. Sand and gravel mixed is an ideal substrate choice for most Uromastyx, but stones, tile, cypress mulch, and topsoil are all acceptable beddings. Securely stacking many stones, slates, tiles, and heavy logs will provide basking and hiding opportunities ideal for these lizards. Aim for smaller and tighter hiding spaces as these are preferred by most Uromastyx.

For more detailed and in depth care information, the author has a care sheet published on his website www.aridsonly.com and click on “Uromastyx Care”.

SPECIES WELL SUITED FOR NEW HOBBYISTS:

UROMASTYX NIGRIVENTRIS (Moroccan Uromastyx)

U. nigriventris, also called Moroccan Uromastyx, have probably been in the pet trade longer than any other species. A Moroccan also holds the current record for the longest lived representative of the genus known so far at 52+ years! U. nigriventris have ebbed and flowed between being readily available in the way of fresh imports to difficult to locate either captive bred or wild caught animals. As with any reptile pet, seeking out and supporting captive breeding efforts is the best choice for the pet owner and the reptile alike.

Many species of Uromastyx exhibit strong sexual dimorphism, but in U. nigriventris males and females both achieve incredible adult color and pattern. They occur in roughly 3 color forms; orange, lime/yellow, and a bicolor showing varying amounts of both orange and lime. Most of the individuals in the U.S. also have bits of sky blue color usually occurring around the neck, chin, and chest but in some animals this blue can patch its way onto the flanks and nape as well. Black netting around the head and neck overlay the bright colors along with squiggles and splotches of black that stretch in a faint banded pattern down the backs of these lizards.

This species is larger than the average with most adults not exceeding 18 inches, making them the second largest species of Uromastyx along with U. d. flavifasciata. Moroccans often learn very quickly that their keepers mean them no harm. They are however much less forgiving with cage mates. Among experienced keepers Moroccans have a reputation for being the most aggressive species. Adults can be downright vicious to each other regardless of the sex of the animals. Even babies as young as 12 days have been reported to begin fighting ruthlessly with their siblings and require separation. 

Moroccan Uromastyx are lizard tanks! Along with U. geyri, U. nigriventris also tend to be relatively forgiving of early mistakes. They are tolerant of a somewhat wider range of temperatures than other species. Their larger size makes them somewhat bolder on average and thus relatively easy to acclimate to a new home. This long list of wonderful qualities make Moroccan Uromastyx an excellent choice for new keepers interested in working with Uromastyx.

UROMASTYX GEYRI (Saharan Uromastyx)

Uromastyx geyri is the most commonly imported species into the United States. Hailing from Niger, Algeria, and Mali, this species occurs in either yellow or orange color forms. Occasionally the odd individual will show small amounts of both colors but this is quite rare and never really appears to be a true bicolor like that seen in Moroccan Uromastyx. Like U. ornata and others, U. geyri are highly sexually dimorphic with males being the significantly more colorful sex. Although technically this species can reach the same sizes as U. ornata, U. yemenensis, and U. d. maliensis, most captive Saharan Uromastyx stay below 14 inches in length. Many Uromastyx have colorful belly patterns, but Saharans may be the most intense of any of them. Males especially have extremely bold black striping across the stomach, chest, and chin.

One of the major perks of keeping U. geyri is that they seem to be the major outlier in terms of communal housing. It is far less common to hear stories of Saharan Uromastyx fighting as often or as viciously as other Uromastyx species, but be aware that it still happens! Caution should still be taken when attempting to house U. geyri communally. Always have a backup enclosure ready in case pairs should be split. Watch for signs of a problem such as only one animal dominating activity in the cage, persistent chasing between animals, or bite marks along the nape, flanks, or legs of one or both individuals.

This species is similar to U. nigriventris in being rather forgiving to beginner error. While just about any lizard that is imported from the wild can be very difficult to acclimate to a captive home, many wild caught Saharan Uromastyx seem to settle fairly readily into captive homes. Attempting to find captive bred U. geyri is ideal, but when this isn’t an option imports can be good sources for pets as well. If picking from a group of wild caught animals, avoid individuals that are thin, have sunken eyes, or have a large amount of topical abrasions from fighting with other lizards. Because of their bright color and hardy nature, Uromasyx geyri make an excellent choice for both new and experienced herpetoculturists.

UROMASTYX ORNATA (Ornate Uromastyx)

Ornate Uromastyx are by far the most popular species of Uromastyx and not without merit. Uromastyx in general have qualities that resemble tortoises and varanids, but U. ornata are so colorful that they are like Panther Chameleons that live on the ground! They easily rank in the top 5 most colorful lizards on earth. While there are 2 dominant color forms (blue and green) nearly half a dozen other colors accent each major form. Yellow, orange, purple, teal, salmon pink, and black occur in dots, stripes, gradients, and patches across male and female U. ornata. Even the 2 dominant color forms have distinct variants. Blue males can range from a deep cobalt blue to a soft sky blue where green males can be found in an emerald green to a nearly pine tree green. In most cases males are much more colorful than females on average. With that said, male mimic females do exist and many females develop more and more color coverage as they age.

Many descriptions of Ornate Uromastyx paint them as ‘terrestrial’ desert lizards, but even though they live on stone this doesn’t seem like an apt description. Much like their American counterparts the Chuckwalla (Sauromalus ater) U. ornata are excellent climbers on both stone and plants. In the wild they dwell on the rocky mountainsides and cliff faces of Israel, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia feeding on flowers and leaves of tall bushes and trees. Therefore housing U. ornata should focus a bit more on vertical climbing space when compared to other species of Uromastyx.

Most Ornate Uromastyx reach a modest size of between 14-16 inches. The maximum lifespan of U. ornata is still in question. Some sources have suggested a range of 12-20 years, but this seems rather short compared to other Uromastyx species of similar size. It is likely that over the coming decades their true life span will be discovered as their basic average of care improves.

Ornates are highly active and will take advantage of new ways to explore their enclosures. Occasionally adding new large features and/or lightly rearranging existing features can be entertaining for them. Creative feeding methods like hanging leafy greens from the cage ceiling or hiding dry treats around the enclosure can be good for fun for the keeper and the kept. Like all Uromastyx some Ornates can be skittish or flighty for a while, but once they feel safe and unthreatened by the keeper they show their curious nature. They learn that the keeper brings treats or food and often learn to come running for both!

SUGGESTIONS FOR THE NEW OWNER:

While there are many well known paths that lead to success with reptiles (buying captive bred, annual vet visits, etc) there are a handful of small steps that can be taken with Uromastyx that will help ensure that new keepers start off in the right direction. Neither a tip nor a trick is sufficient to understand or properly care for any animal. The most valuable and versatile virtues are those of patience and resilience coupled with ongoing research. Using those as a compass will always be cornerstones for success in pursuing success with any reptile.

1. RESPOND TO AN ANIMAL’S BEHAVIOR, EACH IS AN INDIVIDUAL.

Learning to respond to a new animal is like learning a new language. With time and patience a reptile’s actions and communication will become very clear to the keeper. The importance of spending time simply observing Uromastyx cannot be stressed enough. Untold amounts of information can be garnered from observation alone. Watch what a Uromastyx eats, what it ignores, how long it basks, where it basks, where it defecates, where it sleeps, where it flees to when scared, etc. There is no care guide or book anywhere that can provide that kind of information!
Remember that a mind is like a parachute, it only works if it’s open! With this in mind, be open and willing to experiment with different methods of care. Continued education as keepers must be a lifelong process.

2. LIMIT PROCESSED DRY FOODS, LENTILS, BEE POLLEN, AND SEEDS

Food items like bee pollen granules, dry red or green lentils, processed pelleted foods, and finch bird seed mixtures are very commonly suggested as treats for Uromastyx. None of these foods are inherently bad or wrong for Uromastyx in small amounts. While many keepers very much enjoy feeding these foods to their lizards, the foods themselves offer only small amounts of nutritional value. One way to think about dry foods and seeds is as “canaries in the coal mine” for flaws in overall care. If temperature gradients are not in an ideal range, if animals are being forcefully communally housed and under high levels of stress, or if another physiological concern is present then excess dry food, seeds, and bee pollen can exacerbate the issue and lead to major problems.

Limit these foods to the warmer seasons to make sure that animals are in peak form when eating them. The cooler winter months already present physical challenges to Uromastyx and adding these foods during that time could lead to health concerns. Pushing this concept even further by limiting these foods to very small amounts when fed is another way to offer the variety desired without adding much health risk. Other modifications that make these foods safer are sprouting any lentils on offer and lightly soaking most pelleted foods before feeding.

While bee pollen is not as potentially harmful as processed foods or excess seeds, little if any data exists on how Uromastyx utilizes its contents which can vary greatly depending on where the bee pollen is harvested from. Therefore it is probably wise to only ever buy organic bee pollen and to restrain feeding to small amounts in the spring and summer. 

3. AVOID HANDLING FOR THE FIRST 30 DAYS

From the perspective of a Uromastyx, being skittish, flighty, or quick to hide is a very safe and powerful survival strategy. These animals live in deserts in which predators are many and hiding places are few and far between. Due to this fact it is very, very common for Uromastyx of all ages, species, and both Captive Bred and Imports to be prone to flighty behavior. Think of this as a sign that a Uromastyx is likely in good health, as a brand new animal that is too friendly or relaxed may in fact be ill.

For the first 30 days that a Uromastyx is in a new home its best to leave the animal alone to rest and settle. This will allow the animal to become comfortable in the new enclosure. Plenty of time will be spent exploring, digging, or rearranging small cage furnishings. Only once the Uromastyx has fully marked and explored every square inch of its cage can it begin the long process of learning to trust its new caregiver.

Once the first 30 days have passed, start the socialization process slowly. The length of time it takes for a Uromastyx to trust its keeper will vary from individual to individual. Some seem to hit the ground running and are tame from the start. Others can take years to fully unwind and trust a new keeper. Thinking about the socialization process in a step by step manner can be illuminating:

Initially just focus on getting the Uromastyx used to the keeper simply being present in the room. Many that become very skittish will bail for the nearest hiding place when a person enters the room. A few ways of making the Uromastyx feel unthreatened and less likely to run away are moving slowly, not looking directly at the animal, and having food in the cage before the animal comes out for the day. The next step is to perform bits of maintenance on the enclosure without scaring the animal into running away. Once again, slow movements are key. After the Uromastyx is comfortable with the keeper cleaning the cage, short hand feeding attempts can begin. Use high value treats like flowers or soaked pelleted foods to entice the animal to come feed from the hand. Dandelions make perfect choices for this as most Uromastyx cannot resist the temptation! Finally, once the animal is comfortable eating from the hand, gentle and brief handling sessions can be incorporated into the routine. Don’t feel rushed or push the Uromastyx too quickly. As stated before, patience is the way!

Remember that changes in enclosure, changes in cage placement in a room, major renovations to the enclosure interior, the presence of other pets like dogs or cats, and stressful events like vet visits can all set back the process of trust building with a Uromastyx. But these animals live 30-50+ years so the goal is to have the long arc of their care and interactions with keepers trend towards the positive. Remaining patient and focusing on routine will ensure a fun and positive life with a Uromastyx pet. 

NOTES ON BREEDING UROMASTYX FOR BEGINNERS:

Because Uromastyx are nowhere near established in captivity there is a need for more people working towards that end. Until something of a “critical mass” is reached in terms of breeding colonies their existence in this industry can only be considered temporary. For those interested in breeding these enigmatic animals, the author strongly suggests that all species of Uromastyx be housed alone for 99% of the year. Uromastyx can be fiercely territorial and very often the signs of aggression and suppression between animals can be very difficult to discern for even moderately experienced keepers. Solo housing ensures that each animal can get into peak condition without competing with others. Animals in top form will breed readily, so eliminating challenging variables like communal housing is a wise move.

Much like many other reptile species, rather strong winter cooling periods are useful in using seasonal change to induce breeding. Observing their native habitats will show that these animals are some of the toughest in the world! Don’t be afraid to let night time temperatures drop into the low and mid 60s for Uromastyx during the winter. Keep daytime basking temperatures in the normal range but allow ambient temperatures to drop by about 10 degrees F. To add effect to this process, cut daytime light hours down to 8 hours of lights on. This combination should send any Uromastyx into winter slumber, although many individuals will do this on their own without any change to their light and heat schedule.

Food variety and amount should also decrease during the Fall and Winter months. Offer less nutritionally useful foods (and smaller amounts of food if the animal is eating at all) such as green leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, or escarole. The transition from nutrient dense foods in the Summer to lower value foods in the Winter will be another way of signaling to Uromastyx that it is time to slow down and rest before the coming breeding season.

Caring for hatchling Uromastyx may be the most enjoyable part of breeding Uromastyx. The hatchings are mostly fearless after a few days and will come running for their food. Be very careful that any greens offered to hatchlings are chopped small enough to bite and swallow. At too large a size, leafy greens present a choking hazard to baby Uromastyx and dry food should not be fed at all to young babies. Especially species such as U. thomasi and U. princeps as these foods can be fatal to small hatchlings. 

Hopefully the information contained here will provide a helpful reference for newcomers to the wonderful genus Uromastyx! 

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