Need Input! Thinking about getting Uromastyx :)

[StudentoftheReptile]

I never sprayed mine. I soaked new arrivals and the female after she laid eggs a few times, but that was it. They get all they need from their food (one of the few reptiles this is actually TRUE for, unlike tortoises!).

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Uros require high basking temps and absolutely no water the scales on their tales can and will mold if they come into contact with water it is my opinion that they should not be kept with other species especially blue tongues they require a lot higher temps

Who said blue-tongues can't have those high basking temps? I gave mine a 120'F+ basking spot and he used it frequently! People also said baby sulcatas don't need them, but mine routinely used it every morning. The key is having a proper temp gradient for them to cool off, of course.

Generally, I do not advocate mixing species. But I have heard of people having good success mixing BTS with beardies. Remember that these are both Australian species that come from similar environments, and have similar diets.

Keepers like Philippe De Vosjoli, Robert Mailloux or the late Bert Langerwerf were keeping and breeding these species before most anyone on this thread was born. Again, I'm sure the key factor is providing a LOT of space & habitat furnishings, and only putting animals of similar size together.

 

[lisa127]

I have kept a uro before. I have a blue tongue now that I've had for 13 years. I do not believe housing the two together is a good idea. My blue tongue has basking temps between 100 and 110 degrees, btw. Anyway, I love uro's. They are adoreable, easy to care for and easy to feed. My blue tongued is ridiculously easy to care for and feed as well. And the hardiest reptile I've ever kept too. You can't go wrong with either lizard.

 

[Deac77]

Yea I'll get some pics when I get home (in vacation) honestly I wouldn't mist them either getting the tail wet is risky.

As for keeping them together blues require some humidity (depending on which species of blue) and humidity can be bad for desert reptiles as for the basking temp I offer my beardie the same as my monitor 140 degrees but I wouldn't house them together (he'd eat the beardie :O) lol also the humidity requirements are very high for monitors keep in mind most blues are from new Zealand and new Zealand is a lot more tropical not saying it can't be done but probably not the best idea

 

[lisa127]

Most Blue tongues are from Australia, with a couple subspecies being from New Guinea. Also, they do not require any extra humidity.

They were discussing housing a blue tongue with a uro. Not smart IMO. Blue tongues grow and get big quickly. Uro's grow slowly. In most cases the blue tongue is going to be much bigger than the uro. It's not even recommended to keep blue tongues with other blue tongues honestly.

http://www.bluetongueskinks.net/

 

[StudentoftheReptile]

Most Blue tongues are from Australia, with a couple subspecies being from New Guinea. Also, they do not require any extra humidity.

It is true that most species of BTS are native to Australia. However, Deac77 is more accurate in saying that most of the BTS available IN CAPTIVITY in the U.S. are imported from New Guinea, Irian Jaya and New Zealand, because of Australia's strict laws against exportation of their native fauna.

They were discussing housing a blue tongue with a uro. Not smart IMO. Blue tongues grow and get big quickly. Uro's grow slowly. In most cases the blue tongue is going to be much bigger than the uro.

I agree with not keeping a Uro with a BTS.

However, as with the common misconceptions with sulcata husbandry, I think a lot of people have a misunderstanding on what exactly a true "desert" is. Bearded dragons don't really live in straight desert environments, although they can be occasionally found in and around that type of habitat. They don't live on pure dry sand/grit and with no water 24/7 like a Uromastyx does in North Africa. They live in scrublands, forests, cliffs, etc...a variety of different habitats; the same kind of habitats a lot of species of BTS are found in.

It's not even recommended to keep blue tongues with other blue tongues honestly.

That's because they are the same species. Many animals are more likely to combat with conspecifics than they would with an adult of another species. Take betta fish for example. You can keep a male betta with small tetras or zebra danios fine, because none of those fish closely resemble another male betta. But you obviously couldn't mix a male betta with fancy guppies, or black mollies, or another betta because THOSE fish he would perceive as a threat.

An adult BTS really has no reason to tangle with an adult bearded dragon. They're not natural predators of each other, not are they major competitors for the same food items (while they can found in similar habitats, they occupy different niches within those habitats). Both are instinctually equipped to identify the other as a non-threat to territory or harem. Given enough space, I maintain they would probably fare okay.

Granted, I would not put an adult BTS with a hatchling beardie, or visa versa (although I seriously doubt an adult bearded could chomp down a newborn BTS...they're so big!).

 

[AustinASU]

Lols i never planned on even mixing species with uro's! Thats just asking for one of them to be missing a tail when I get home lols. Does anyone know how old it takes for instance a Moroccan to hit sexual maturity...i know theirs no science to it....maybe a rough size for a male and female.

 

[acrantophis]

Lols i never planned on even mixing species with uro's! Thats just asking for one of them to be missing a tail when I get home lols. Does anyone know how old it takes for instance a Moroccan to hit sexual maturity...i know theirs no science to it....maybe a rough size for a male and female.

Sorry! I think the mixed species thing was my fault ;-). I have kept adult blue tongues with adult uros for many years without incident. The enclosure was large 12'x4'x 4'. Originally used to house rescued iguanas it had many large stout branches. The uros would climb and bask. I have heard of many keepers housing these two together. The size must be similar. Bob mailloux and phillipe de vosjoli live very close to me and they keep many species together outside. I have never heard of blue tongues from new Zealand. Tiliqua Gigas is from new guinea and t. s. scincoides and t. s. intermedia are from central and northern Australia. There are many other subspecies but those are the 3 most commonly kept species.

 

[AustinASU]

I plan on having about 8-10sqft of running room for the guy. Lols ill admit those egyptians are awesome but itd be a bad day to get bit by one.