WELCOME TO THE SAHARAN UROMASTYX WORLD!
(Beginner Lizard)
We will go over the care of your Saharan Uromastyx Niger locality in this sheet! I have owned reptiles since I was six years old and have had a deep fascination with lizards. I have had years of researching, reptile-common-sense, and experience to debunk the false care info and put together a care sheet to educate people about their needs and enrich their lives.
Amazon List:
- Thermostat with probe is essential to regulate the correct temperatures.
- Dual Lamp to be able to provide a UVB and Heat bulb.
Depending on cage size the heat bulb wattage can vary, your options are 25w, 50w, 75w, 100w, or 150w. The thermostat will protect the reptile from burning, but if you purchase a weak bulb you wont be able to heat the enclosure properly. - Digital Thermostat and Hygrometer to monitor.
- Variety of substrates are available, but we recommend tile or sandmats.
- A water bowl that allows them to be able to lay in it.
- Hides and decor for the reptiles comfort.
- Here’s a starter enclosure for a baby, but if you are looking for something different there are these.
- Tongs for tong feeding and a worm dish to keep insects in a bowl for feeding.
- Calcium Powder without d3 or with d3
What to consider before purchasing a new buddy:
Information:
Uromastyx geyri
Also known as the spiny tail or spiny tail agamid. These agamas can get to 15-18 inches long. They typically live up to 15 years but they can get 30 years old, but in correct care they have lived 60 years in captivity.
Enclosure:
These lizards require an enclosure that is bigger than you would think. Even the babies require a 36in x 12in x 12in. Adults require 6ft x 2ft x 1ft enclosure. This would be their final cage upgrade, but if you want to go bigger, you can. Just add a lot of clutter to make smaller lizards feel secure.
Substrate(Flooring):
They are desert lizards that will utilize burrowing so desert sands and a clay mixture will be preferred. Paper towels is a good substitute for their substrate. Some people will even use birdseed, which is dual purpose as they will also eat it. I would avoid birdseed, because seed is in their diet and you do not want them accidently eating their poop or some mold since it is their substrate too.
Décor:
You should give them a spot to cool down. You can add a deep cave with cooler bedding like soil on the cool side. If you don’t want to go that route there is a more creative way. You can make a box and put it on the bottom of the enclosure, add a tube to allow the lizard to get inside, and fill enclosure with substrate around the burrow. They also need to bask on a platform. Add a tile on an elevated space for basking. Have a water bowl on the cold side (reduces bacteria), and you can put a hide on the hot and cold side. Add a bunch of clutter. Refrain from cardboard. It molds super fast!
Co-habbing isn’t a good idea.
Humidity & Temps:
10-20% humidity. 80-86° cool side 115-120° hot side starting with basking. Get a lamp that holds two light bulbs so you can easily add a UVB light in their enclosure or consider getting a UVB light bar fixture to put the long UVB bulbs in. This species will look its best with UVB added in its life and helps prevent MBD with calcium powder. Put a basking light on a thermostat for accurate temperature control.
Handling:
They can be flighty in the beginning. Always approach your lizard slow and low. Regular handling will keep them tame.
Feeding:
Babies eat daily and Adults eat four times a week. They do not drink from their water bowls very much, but if you spray their meals with water it will suffice. Agamas eat green plants, seeds, and once a week some veggies. VARIETY IS KEY! All veggies and greens must be chopped up for them. The veggies you can add in their weekly diet are squash, carrots, cactus pads, watercress, broccoli, beet tops, okra, green beans, peas, pumpkin or sweet potatoes. Mazuri Tortoise diet, or any food pellets meant for tortoise or green iguanas are a good choice too only once a week. High protein diets need to be avoided so not feeding them too many beans will avoid those issues. Their almost daily foods can be collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, dandelions (entirety), endive, radicchio, arugula, carrots, peas, green beans, green leaf lettuces, and squash. Bi-Monthly you can offer a couple of insects for more variety but never give them too much or it becomes toxic to them. Small amounts of birdseed is acceptable. Also lentils can be feed bi-weekly. Never feed one thing too much always change their diet.
Foods to rarely give: Tomatoes, lettuce, beet greens, spinach, parsley, swede, swiss chard, brussels sprouts, corn, soybeans, and anything citrus. Foods to completely avoid: avocado, gatlic, eggplant, chives, rhubarb, potato, tomato leaves, juniper, bracken fern, azalea, buttercup, mushrooms, or castor beans.
Vitamins:
A light dusting of calcium without D3 a week is required. Unless you have no UVB then you need D3 in calcium.
Cleaning:
Please clean the monitor’s poops & pees once you see them; they can get sick if you don’t! Every six months, deep clean & replace the substrate.