I have kept various lizards as pets over the last 40 years but I am not a uromastyx owner. I have had friends that have owned them. I’ve talked to breeders about them and have often considered buying one myself. Recently I wanted to take a closer look at these amazing lizards so I did some research. Here’s what I found.
Uromastyx lizards make great pets for beginners including children. They are friendly, docile, interesting to watch, easy to care for and easy to handle.
They are truly amazing lizards and have become very popular pets. They are often listed on “top lizards to have as pets” lists along with bearded dragons, crested geckos, blue tongued skinks, and others. Before we talk about all the reasons why let’s learn a little more about them.
Uromastyx lizards are part of a large “family” of lizards called agamids. Often, they are referred to as “spiny tailed” lizards, not to be confused with “spiny tailed iguanas”. This is because of their large tails which are covered in sharp looking scales that protrude out like spikes.
They are native to parts of Africa and the Middle East as well as parts of Asia. There are about 18 species. Some are a drab natural brown color while others can range in colors from greens, yellows and splashes of blue to bright oranges and reds to deep blacks.
They are a heavy bodied lizard that grows up to 10-24 inches depending on the species. They have wide flat bellies, heads that resemble a brontosaurus (or Godzilla) and as mentioned above, they have a broad and beautiful spiky tail.
With proper care they can live up to 10 or more years in captivity.
There are many reasons why uromastyx are considered a great choice for a pet lizard. We’ve listed a few of these below as well as some considerations you should be aware of before buying one.
Why Uromastyx Make Great Pet Lizards
Uromastyx Are:
- Easy to Care For
- A manageable size
- Interesting to watch
- Friendly
- Easy to handle
Considerations
- Need it very hot
- Require special lighting
- Can be expensive
Easy to Care For
Uromastyx are very hardy lizards. They are almost exclusively herbivores and feed on greens various veggies and seeds. All of these can be easily obtained at your local grocery store.
This eliminates the need for frequent visits to the pet store which makes it much easier and more convenient to feed them.
You will need to provide a substrate. Where they live in the wild the ground is usually very rocky but not sandy. Many keepers have kept uromastyx on sand without problems.
Others strongly believe that sand is not a very good choice as a substrate for these lizards and isn’t really highly recommended for any lizard.
They can accidently ingest sand and become impacted which can lead to serious health concerns or even death. This does tend to be rare but it can happen. I had this very thing happen to one of my bearded dragons and she died.
It’s up to you. If you decide to use sand children’s play sand is a good choice. You can find it relatively inexpensively at the hardware store.
Using gravel and rocks similar to what you might use for landscaping is a better choice for a substrate. This replicates their natural environment. Bird seeds are also a good choice.
Since they eat bird seeds, they will always have food available to them when they want it, and you eliminate the risk of them becoming impacted.
Larger rocks are also a good choice to add to their enclosure. This gives your uromastyx some opportunities to climb and adds to the naturalistic look of their habitat.
Uromastyx come from very arid regions with very little water. They are highly adapted to these kinds of conditions so generally speaking, you won’t need to provide a water bowl in their enclosure.
As long as you are providing greens and veggies on a regular basis your uromastyx will be able to stay properly hydrated. This is one more thing that makes taking care of your new uromastyx lizard easy and manageable.
Uromastyx are larger sized, active lizards, because of this they will need a large enclosure. The good thing is, large enough enclosures are available commercially or you can just build your own.
A Manageable Size
They are big enough to be impressive yet small enough to handle even for children. They do need a larger sized enclosure but unlike large monitor lizards or green iguanas the enclosure doesn’t need to be huge.
Interesting to Watch
Uromastyx are active during the day.This is one thing that makes them great pet lizards. Some reptiles sit still motionless all day long. This can be uninteresting or even boring to some people.
If you want a lizard that moves around and is interesting to watch the uromastyx is a great choice for you. They explore their cage and are not constantly hiding.
Friendly
If any lizards are considered friendly the uromastyx would certainly be one of them. They seem to have a very inquisitive personality about them.
They are not high strung and constantly trying to bite, scratch, whip you with their tail or run away. This makes them exceptional pets.
Easy to Handle
Along with their friendly personalities uromastyx are easy to handle even for children. They are big enough to be tolerate some rough handling that may happen accidently with beginners or children. They also have smaller claws compared to other lizards so they won’t scratch as much.
As with any pet, the more you handle them to more they become accustomed to it. Uromastyx seem to be born that way. They are laid back calm and don’t bite. This makes them a great choice for a pet lizard especially for beginners and children.
Considerations
Need it Very Hot
Uromastyx come from arid regions where ground temperatures often reach 115 to 120 degrees ferinheight. This means that in order to keep your wonderful new pet healthy and happy you will need to replicate this in the enclosure.
To achieve this, you will need a very strong heat bulb and a good basking area. These kinds of bulbs can be expensive to buy and take a lot of electricity to run.
It is highly recommended that you use a temperature reading device such as an Infrared Non-Contact Digital Temperature Thermometer so you can accurately read temps in the cage. This will help you make necessary adjustments.
Such a device is really an essential tool for keeping any lizard or other reptiles. Fortunately, they are not very expensive.
Require Special Lighting
As with providing high temperatures. You will need to provide special lighting. All basking lizards need full spectrum UVB lighting to properly synthesize vitamin D3 as well as aid in calcium absorption which prevents metabolic bone disease.
If you are planning to have a lizard for a pet that depends on the sun for its health, this is something you will need to provide.
Bulbs and fixtures can be expensive but compared to taking your lizard to the vet for poor health issues or the pain of loosing a beautiful animal and friend, it really isn’t that much.
Can be Expensive
Uromastyx range in price from just under $100 U.S. dollars to over $300 dollars depending on the species.
Keep in mind you are going to pay as much as that just setting up a proper enclosure. This is before you ever even buy your new lizard. It’s important to factor in the total cost of your new uromastyx as part of your decision-making process.
Conclusion
Uromastyx make excellent pet lizards for many reasons. Some people consider them one of the best pet lizards in the world.
They are easy to care for, look incredibly interesting and are a joy to handle and interact with. They make great pets for children and can be a wonderful addition to the family.
If you are considering a uromastyx we hope this information has been helpful.