This video is what convinced me to purchase a uromastyx and I love Clint so this is not any type of criticism. unfortunately after buying the set up and joining some uromastyx specific communities I've discovered that the advice Clint gives is about half right. A big no is keeping them on Millet substrate. Millet absorbs humidity and moisture and encouraged the growth of bacterial and funguses which can lead to illness and respiratory issues. Experienced Uro keepers keep them on plain tile with a dig box that is a mix of play sand and cocofiber. But this can vary, the big consensus is millets is a big no because of it's microbial harboring enviorment. They need lots of hides, and at least a 4'x2'x2' because they do roam. Following Clint's advice won't put your animal in immediate harm or anything like that, and a lot of his advice is good, but always always do research. It's hard for even the experts to know all the fine details if every species out there.
You won't regret it getting a uro! I use playsand for substrate. His basking side is about 120 f. Cooling is 90 f. He has huts he can go under to hide in and sleep.
I've never handled one in person, but by looking at how they look I always thought they were mean and all out to take a piece out of you.. but after watching this, man, they almost seem like the perfect pet, lol. The substrate-eating however... xD As always, great content, Clint!
I have an Uromastyx and they're great with humans as the more you handle them the more docile they become. I've had no trouble with Oscar and he loves his vivarium at 32 to 34 degrees Celsius. They're easy to keep the only downside is that they require a lot of attention or they become skittish with you if you haven't handled them for a while.
I am sorry but the beat substrate is plain old prewashed play sand from Lowe's. Seeds can cause impaction IF the temperatures are too low and the variation of greens offered are not correct. Insects are not the best for them either. I have kept Nigerian/Geyri Uromastyx for over 4 years now. The same as the two he is handling.
Could you do a reptile room walk through and show off all your pets? That would be really awesome!! Love your show, love your content keep up the good work!
Hi Clint, having them on millet as a substrate is an unfortunately outdated idea. It's basically going to the bathroom and eating in the same space, which is not up to current keeper hygiene standards. Most keepers recommend a sand and soil mixture, with the soil being rich in clay so it can hold up burrows they dig.
I’ve been taking care of my friends Uromastyx for the past two years while she is away for college. I didn’t know about the bird seeds, I will definitely have to upgrade him. I have fallen in love with these guy.
You’re killing me man! After watching your videos I feel like I need every lizard lol they’re all so cool! I have two Bearded Dragons. (First was planned the second was an adoption of a MBD case that someone returned to my brothers petco) but after these cool guys I can’t help but think lizards are the best pet ever lol much love and please keep making Videos, you’re the best!
Tip: I use a sand mix as substrate :/ But a pro: I mix this with other sorts of substrates to keep their holes intact when they dig them... its perfect
What types of Uromastyxs are they? Also, should I get a baby one or should I adopt an adult? I fell in love with Tegus about 2 years ago but since I never had a reptile before I thought I should start with smaller ones and Uromastyx just seem to be perfect for many reasons. I love your videos by the way, you are the absolute best!!
I Kept my Uro on a crushed walnut blend, honestly this is the first time ive even heard someone mention bird seed or any type of seed to feed them. I tried to give him mealworms but he wouldn't touch them so i gave up, until i was holding him one day eating roast beef and he stole it (i know i shouldn't give him deli meat but he ate it so fast nothing i could do about that) after he ate that i tried again with silk worms and crickets... nothing, but he loved dandelions and being held he'd come to my hand in the tank for feeding and being picked up. Also you never want to keep water in or around the enclosure they need a very dry hot desert climate and adding water will place moisture in the air and can cause them to get a very fatal lung infection. I had Spike (i know so original) for 6 years, but i moved across the country and asked my friend to keep him for a few weeks maybe a month until i got moved in, well she gave him away after 2 weeks and he died a month later.
Help! I have no idea what substrate to use for my new Uromastyx. Everything is so confusing online. Some, like Clint, recommend seeds. But some say that's not a good idea as they may not eat their greens if they eat a lot of seeds and they need the leafy greens to hydrate. Some say play sand, some say to avoid all sands due to impaction. Some say tile, but then they won't have anywhere to dig. Some say a mat but then some say they can trap parasites over time. Someone recommended aquarium style pebbles but now I'm worries my little one will end up eating one. I honestly don't know what to do. Why is substrate so confusing? I could really use some help...
Don’t use seeds or solid substrate. A deep layer of a soil/playsand/clay mix would be best. It mimics the substrate of their natural habitat and holds their burrows. Impaction is caused by improper husbandry, not loose substrate. As long as their husbandry is correct they’ll be able to pass it no problem. The website reptifiles has a care sheet with more information.
I would like to point out that not all uromastyx species are the same size. Egyptian uromastyx can get very large, well over two feet in length and weigh several pounds. Not huge, but still bigger than you may expect. If you purchase a uromastyx (and you should, they're great) know exactly what species it is first.
Hi Clint I'm a bit confused by kale binding calcium, while collard greens are fine. Both vegetables are cultivars of exactly the same species - Brassica oleracea. Are other cultivars of this species (cabbage, cauliflower, brocolli, brussel sprouts etc) notorious for calcium binding as well?
A Cheetos substrate would be so messy though. "My Midwestern Camera Operator is just the best. He needs an expansive setup, though, and the up-front costs are very steep. You know, very few people know this, but the Midwestern Camera Operator is not actually orange. That's just his substrate! Let's find out more."
Yes! I use repti-carpet for mine and it allows for me to easily clean her messes, though I also provide a cave with substrate for her to dig in. I use sand since she does not eat in that area and it has been six years without a problem. A humid hide for them to dig in would also work however.
I'm trying to decide if a uromastyx is the best pet for me. I'm interested in the oscellated uromastyx. I know that care is specific to the species, and I'm having trouble finding good, reliable care sheets. Do you have any resources you can recommend?
I had one of these for almost 16 years. He was very laid back and friendly. He would greet me when I came home and used to love hanging out on my shoulder and in my lap for hours. He would pout and hide if I didn’t remove him from his enclosure and play with him when I got home.
Google hot dry deserts. That gave me some kind of ideas. Just remember no sand! I think that they make some kind of molding clay that works well as a substrate.
My uro loves his enclosure its 4ft long , 2ft deep, 18inches tall. 75 % of his substrate is ceramic tile with hides and rocks on the hot side , the other 25% of substrate on the hot side is a lil sandbox but of 3 inches of millet seed with a hide ther as well
My first reptile is a Uromastyx. When I got him, the pet store told me they didn't need much care and sleep on there backs. (That sales guy was fired shortly after I already made my purchase.) Looking online I was so scared that I wasn't going to be able to care for him. But watching your videos helped give me confidence! I'm happy to say I've dobe the research and he's in a very large enclosure, with the proper heat and has been happy with me these few months. Thank you so very much for your videos.
Maru Menendez clint had mentioned it in a different video featuring the Uros i believe but they very occasionally bite, but are not prone to bite. so much so that you may own one that is born, lives, and dies without ever biting you. but it all depends on husbandry and care and the individual reptile as well. TLDR; not really
I got a Mali uromastyx when I was 15 and I'm 30 now. I love him! He's never once acted aggressive, loves to be handled, lives in a dry climate, and lives off of veggies and birdseed. Once you get the tank set up with lights... they're pretty low maintenance in the long run and so fun to interact with. He also has the cutest face and chubby cheeks.
I got my male Mali as a baby and he’s 17 now. He’s been miserable since day 1 (unless I have a handful of dandelions, in which case, I’m his best bud). He just wants to be left alone and will dash into his hide as soon as he sees anyone approach. I guess it’s just his personality, but not a lot of fun. It’s a shame.
i told my husband i wasn’t watching this because I’m secretly planning on adding a Uromastyx to our home with a beardie and tegu already.... I may have been lying i mean, my tegu out grew her 40G B sooooooo it would be a WASTE to have an empty one just sitting around, am i right?
Uromastyx is an amazing pet :) I have two of them. I got them as a present when I turned 18 years old and I just love them. They are siblings, but two very different personalities. The boy is very calm and well just like the yellow one in this video, while the female I have is... very scared. I had them for soon 2 years and I know she will never be happy for handling. So to all the people out there thinking about getting a uro, if u can, u should meet it/handling it first, so u know what kind of personalty you are getting. I do love my girl
@@marukuchita other Uros, for sure. But you, never lol and even if it did, it wouldn't even break skin lol. Barely a pinch.. Also what she said is wrong. You can tame any animal that isn't a predator.. And even a predator you can tame, I just don't like doing it with Monitor Lizards or big cats lol. If I had her female, I could change it's behavior in like 2 months. People don't put in the time or effort, they just like to complain. Some are super easy just like people and others are a bit tougher exterior but you can still "break" them lol. Daily handling, sitting with your hand in the tank for 10-20 mins, doing activities around the tank. ALSO THOUGH... When you house two lizards I do always find one thrives.. I bet if you gave the female her own enclosure and did daily handling she would change personalities completely.
Mine is a juvenile and when I put my hand in the tank, he wiggles not too crazy, but he also runs really fast. When we grabbed him in the pet store, he was calm. Now he’s not. He’s been in this tank for almost 2 months. Any help?
This video helped me decide on a uromastyx as the perfect pet lizard for me! I did extra research as well (because more knowledge is always a good thing) which helped me decide to get an ornate uromastyx instead of the kind shown here, but I adore my little lizard!
i love uromastyx so very much, probably my favourite lizards to handle. but wow clint is NOT LYING about their enclosure needing to be hot, we had to give these guys their own little room at work cos their heat lamps were making the other enclosures nearby too warm!
the humidity in my apartment hovers around 60%... i live in houston and have fish tanks and lots of houseplants. I wonder if that’s too high for a uromastyx?
Yes 60% is way too high for uros, anything over 40% is too high, ideally you'd wanna be in the low 30s inside the enclosure, I don't know if that'd be achievable for you though.
@Heterandria4mosa You could always try a dehumidifier in the uro enclosure, if you get a well built wood enclosure it'll help with humidity too, just a thought! If you're happy with you current pets no to change it :))
I love seeing the enthusiasm when people talk about exotic pets like this. It genuinely makes me smile. I think one of these dudes is gonna be my first venture outside of an aquarium. Thankyou!
Clint , can you do a video about the Rankins dragon and the clown agama/ painted dragon ? They are like little BD's. The are good for people who don't have space for a 4/6 foot tank for a BD.
A rando: I want an Ackie, but I don't have the money. Clint: Then you my friend, should get a uromastyx. A rando: what the heck is a uromastyx? Clint: I am so glad, you asked.
You think you could do a video over a small iguana species? I can't find ANYTHING over a specific species. It's like searching "mali/saharan/ornate uromastyx" but it's generalized to just "uromastyx" and I have trouble differentiating between them. Also, great video as always! As soon as I get the tank ready, I'm getting my own uro. I want to watch them dig!
You definitely don’t wanna have them living on seeds, seeds dehydrate them, they will poop and pee on the birdseed substrate and can make them sick….seeds every now and then are good though !
Hello Clint, I LOVE your channel and think that you're doing really great work providing information on proper reptile care. I was hoping you could maybe post an updated video on the care of these amazing lizards? Your video is the first that comes up when I search "Uromastyx" and while I'm sure it was very well researched when you originally posted it, a lot of the information is very outdated and no longer considered to be best practices. For example, though it was thought that bird seed was a great substrate for them it's since been determined that birdseed is one of the worst substrates. It does not compact well so they don't get great grip, if any moisture gets in there you can end up with mold growth and eating nothing but bird seed can cause other health issues. Another issue is that it is absolutely not recommended to offer insects, even as an occasional treat. Uromastyx are strict herbivores, and do not benefit at all from insects in their diet. While some owners may offer the occasional insect as a treat, too much protein can result in serious health problems. Love your channel and I can't wait to see what critter you introduce us to next!
Good information, other than substrate... seeds tend to be very bad as they can poop and pee in the substrate and then they can end up eating their own waste. Uromastyx Club on facebook has many breeders and very knowledgeable people and they always highly discourage seed substrates.
Using seed as a substrate is a big no no in the uromastyx community. Play sand Dirt and rock it the proper substrate for uros. They need to be able to burrow and have good footing. This doesn't happen with seed. Seed can also mildew and rot and they will end up eating their own poop along with the seed. Loose seed substrate can also cause stress because it is unstable.
I used to own a beardie, but he passed away about a year ago. Today I went to a reptile expo looking for a new one, and im coming home with two uromas! Just like the video..one orange and one yellow..I named them Bert and ernie 🤣 for anyone curious about getting one these guys are so cute! Also they love head rubs..
Since you already did a head-to-head video of these guys vs. bearded dragons, you should do one of these guys vs. blue tongued skinks. I'd be interested to hear how you feel they compare!
I've been waiting impatiently for this video :) They're so stinkin cute I can't wait to see if repticon has them next year. As always, excellent video, very entertaining and informative. Keep up the great work!
ReptileMan 0912 really? I see them everywhere in tampa tbh, theres a pet shop in oldsmar that has them and i saw so many at repticon and learned about them there.
I'm new here-- Hi!! Great info. There is 1 hot fact about the uromastyx you didn't mention. When their temperatures are on point-- their bodies change colors. I have a yellow Niger u. geyri-- and if the temp is incorrect, hew will be a muddy color. When the temps are proper-- bright yellow . Very cool. They also love dandelion greens and the yellow flowers. Millet seen is great for substrate, and if you water the seeds on 1 side of the tank, they sprout. Uros love those sprouts too.
2 years later and I have to tell you I’ve seen some reptile stores have babies now that are captive bred so I can tell you it had moved up to a 3 out of 5 now!
Love this! Would disagree on score though. More like 4.2 out of 5. Not sure availability is as big a problem and set up is a small pain to set up but once done they are SUPER low maintenance . Anyway love the vid and all your points, thanks Clint!
"That's like if I lived in--" "Cheetos!" Amazing. Had no idea these cuties could be housed on seeds. Definitely bumps them up the list! Just need to find a breeder, and enclosure, and ... well, someday.
Hey Clint, I've viewed gobs of your videos and this thought only just now hit me: Isn't it sort of not super relevant to base handleability scores on how the critter would do with small children? Hear me out. Small children handling reptiles does of course occur, but as a special case. It's definitely relevant to mention in your videos in my opinion, but to use it as a primary influence to handleability scores? Seems like overkill, to the point of biasing your scores not only to people with small children, but to people with small children who are considering allowing their small children to handle their pet reptile. So, a special case of a special case. I don't know, maybe this has been discussed by you or others before but thought I'd add my two cents. As always, great channel, great content, love your work!
Small children aren't a major factor in determine their score. That said, animals that are very easy to handle could even be handled safely by children in many cases.
I know this is 3 years old and I couldn't hold hard feelings against you clint (love you) but one thing I'll say is that, from a current keeper of a uro, DO NOT go with seeds as a substrate. Its too lose to get solid footing which stresses them out and won't hold a burrow, and the fact that they can and are encouraged to eat it at any time is super bad because it can be fattening, cause constipation, and is just super gross. Why would we encourage them to poop and pee in material that we also expect them to eat? Just do sand or stone/tiles. Or just nothing.
I completely agree that seeds are a bad substrate. They shouldn’t have solid substrate or nothing, though. Burrowing enrichment is very important. A soil/playsand/clay mix would probably be best since plain sand doesn’t hold burrows.
The stool thing is so true! If my beardies haven't pooped before I get them out I'll often give them a quick soak in a luke warm bath just to avoid the possibility of having to potentially change my whole outfit (its totally happened before); an issue that never occurs with my uromastyx (Odo). Not that I handle her too frequently though because she's pretty wild still haha. *edit* Also, I agree with the general sentiment pertaining to field collected specimens. However, a local pet shop had her and she's the only one they've ever carried and since she stayed there for two months with no sign of anyone taking her in I opted to bring her home since they're husbandry wasn't quite right for her. Love your videos as always Clint, great work!
not like a bearded dragon at all. ive had both and yeah when its cold that uromastyx will say on your hand, but in the open they want to hide (under) things. in general i find the uromastyx very stupid and no personality . bearded dragons are more temperamental handling at first. but once they associate you with affection and explore time, they actually become depressed when your gone a couple of days. your body and smell is a safe high up place, and your shoulder and hair is were they wanna be. "to be fair, this is my personal experience."
Thank you for sharing. That is what I thought. I'm trying to decide between a Rankin Dragon and a Uromastyx but the Uromastyx don't seem quite chill/mellow when in a shoulder for example
May I ask you which species it's the Red one, please? It's beautiful. In Switzerland, by law we need a Terrarium from 150x80x100cm and this for the smaller Uromastyx as for example the Ocellata. 😅
I currently live in their native environment, I looked them up because I kept seeing wild ones that are much much larger than these guys. Temperatures out here reach 115-125F and despite what you might think humidity out here actually can reach almost unbearable heights. If hell exists these lizards would thrive there.
Your the damn bill Nye of reptiles. I love it! We just got our little buddy this week. Hes a little grumpier than yours are, very tounge and tail flicky.
Just got a uromastyx! I wanted another bearded dragon but in the end decided on one of these little guys because I loved the fact I wouldn't have to deal with insects!
Another quality video! You got me so hyped up about these I may just have to go look for one this weekend at the Cleveland reptile show! Just love these little guys!
I had my uro on seed bedding at one point. he would only eat the seeds and not eat his actual meals and he didn't go to the bathroom for a super long time and when he finally started to, it's was full of undigested seeds. so I don't really recommend using that.
Clint please make a video on how to make skittish reptiles more comfortable with humans that's the case with my Uromastyx he is very skittish despite being captive bred
I'm pretty sure if they dropped their tails they'd be defenseless in the wild, based off the information you said, so it's not surprising evolution forced them to keep it.