From: nvonstein@memstvx1.memst.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
Subject: Re: Uromastyx
Date: 29 Dec 92 10:35:59 -0600
Organization: Memphis State University

In article <1992Dec22.234052.13734@netcom.com>, mhall@netcom.com (Michael Hall) writes:
> Regarding Uromastyx (spiny-tailed agamid), does anyone have suggestions
> for terrarium-mates?  I don't have this beasty yet, but I'm thinking
> about setting up a terriarum and then purchasing one or two and possibly
> one or two other species of reptiles or amphibians.
> 
> Since I'm an amphibian person, I was really hoping for some sort of
> desert amphibian to toss in with Uromastyx.  However, the books
> recommend damp sand/soil for African gray foam-nest building treefrogs
> and spadefoot toads, whereas Uromastyx likes it dry, dry, dry and hot,
> hot, hot.  (I live in Palo Alto, in the San Francisco Bay Area, and
> it's usually dry and mild outside and in my apartment, so I should be
> able to give Uromastyx dry and hot conditions in its terrarium.)  The
> only other desert amphibian that springs to mind is the Australian
> water-holding frog.  Besides, I'd like to have an "authentic"
> terrarium, and I don't think the ranges or habitats of Uromastyx and
> the African gray treefrogs overlap and the others are from completely
> different continents.
> 
Is the Uromastyx an Old World tropical lizard (as the family Agamidae is
described). I'm only asking because I don't know ANYTHING about Uromastyx.  I may be able to suggest one
cohabitant for your terrarium.  At our zoo we have a blue-tongued skink
(herbivore) who shares its habitant with some tiny little geckos (yellow-headed
geckos).  These geckos are about 2 inches long and a rotted log is provided for
them.  The skink's hanging-out place is a man-made rock, sand and limbs (the
skinks sit on the limbs like an iguana would).  I was fascinated that these
tiny geckos lived in this exhibit with the skinks (that in comparison are
probably like dinosaurs to the geckos).  This is a just a suggestion.  I wasn't
even aware the geckos were in this exhibit until the curator pointed them out
to me.  The only other gecko of that size that I had ever seen is the Marico
gecko which comes from the very dry regions of Africa.  I am really fascinated
by these tiny geckos.  

> If amphibians won't do, then how about some other reptile?  The books
> caution that Uromastyx are aggressive towards others of the same species,
> but don't you think that a male and female would be okay in a relatively
> large (55 gallon long) terrarium?  How do you tell the difference between
> male and female?  What about other species?  Would other agamids trigger
> territorial problems?  What are some species that can tolerate Uromastyx'
> hellish habitat and overlap in its range (subspecies in northern Africa
> and southwestern Asia)?  Leopard geckos were my first thought, but they
> too require moist sand/soil.
> 
> How about plants?  Cacti and succulents, obviously.  But I'd like to
> have plants that are edible (i.e., non-toxic) for Uromastyx but
> unappealing (except in a pinch) for Uromastyx to chomp on.  And I'd
> prefer that the plant species come from Uromastyx' natural range.
> 
> There will be a heating pad underneath, and spot lights and uv lights
> sunning rocks above, with a fairly deep sand substrate.  Most books
> recommend using clay pottery pipes places diagonally to provide burrows,
> but it sounds like Uromastyx simply digs into the sand in its native
> habitat, so couldn't I just let it do its thing?
> 
> Thanks for any ideas...
> 
> -- 
> Michael Hall   \ 
> personal account\ I'm an amphibian person dammit, not a reptile person.
> mhall@netcom.com \


Good luck.  
Nancy