The Uromastyx Lizard as an alternative exotic pet

The Uromastyx Lizard also known as the spiny tailed lizard is a small agamid found in North Africa and the Middle East. They are an herbivorous lizard that have a diet consisting of flowers, plants and seeds and tend to spend their time basking by their tunnels in dunes or near rock outcroppings. Their defense is solely based on their spiny tail where they get the origins of their name from and other than their ability to dart into their burrows these docile creatures have no known aggressive tendencies. They come in a variety of bright almost unrealistic colors and have become a favorite alternative to the Bearded Dragon as a small pet lizard. Most of the species available for sale range between ten and fourteen inches in length and occasionally you may find one of the larger species such as the Egyptian Dab Lizard that reach up to three feet.

Finding a pet Uromastyx for sale and what you need to know

Although there are a limited number of baby Uromastyx for sale every year most of the animals available on the market are juvenile to adult wild collected specimens. They are imported from a number of countries in North Africa like Egypt, Mali and Niger as well as the Middle East. The male specimens are always the brightly colored animals and can come in a variety of colors from yellow and orange to blue and green. Some of the more hard to find species like the Uromastyx thomasi have become more available recently due to the hard work of small breeders. If you are considering a pet Uromastyx then it is important to know the essentials of their setup and their dietary needs. This will include high intensity heat lamps and UVB lighting.

Once you have selected and acquired a pet lizard it is essential to provide an enclosure that will allow it to have access to hide spots or borrows if possible. They also need a cage large enough to give them the ability to bask at a hot spot reaching 120 degrees and a cooling area to establish a thermal gradient in order for them to thermal regulate. A diet consisting of dark leafy greens and seeds will ensure that they have a balanced nutritional intake and a dusting with calcium powder is essential. Since they will get their moisture content from the vegetables it is not necessary to keep a water dish in the cage and a quick soak once a week will do the job. Baby Uros like baby Iguanas will eat small insects but on a limited scale and only before maturity. Humidity, heat and diet are the three main concerns when dealing with these animals and once you have the correct setup your new pet will thrive and live a long healthy life.

The Red Uromastyx or Nigerian Uromastyx as it is also called

The Red Uromastyx (Uromastyx geyri) hails from Niger and is sometimes referred to as the Nigerian Uromastyx. As a smaller member of the Genus these beautiful animals tend to reach a maximum length of thirteen inches. They come in a variety of bright colors ranging from tan to yellow and a reddish orange. As other uromastyx lizards the males are always brighter than the females and also bigger in overall size. Along with the babies that are available once a year the adults are most commonly found in the pet trade during the spring and summer months since these are the times of year shipments from Africa are most common. At xyzReptiles we are constantly updating our animal inventory to give our customers a bigger selection of quality reptiles to choose from. We recently added this beautiful and docile exotic lizard to the site and hope to be adding more localities in the near future.