"Don't Kill My Lizard!" Before you get to the story on how this Mali Uromastyx came into my life, you might want to watch the video above where I detail how to take care of her on a short term basis. This is by no means a "care sheet" on all Uros. It's a "how to take care of my Uro for a week" video. Hope you enjoy it.
I had decided on a bearded dragon. I spent months researching online and even bought and read "The Bearded Dragon Manual" (which I highly recommend for any owner or potential "beardie" owner). I found the BeardedDragon.org forums and sifted through massive amounts of valuable lizard information. Then, I ran into her. She was at a pet store in a cage that was too small and she was not getting enough attention. As you can see from the picture above, she's not a bearded dragon. Not even from the same continent. She's a Mali Uromastyx and we named her BeBe. BeBe? Think SouthPark - the girl with the blonde hair and red shirt. This lizard's a BeBe.
Most people pick animals. Some animals pick people. BeBe picked me. Uromastyx lizards have similar needs to bearded dragons, so all my Beardie research was not in vain. Differences are, Mali Uros like it even hotter than Beardies by about 10 to 15 degrees F. That means that Uros bask at 120 to 130 degrees F. Brutally hot. Also, Uros are herbivores where Beardies are omnivores. That's not entirely true as Uros do eat the occasional insect (but BeBe devours superworms and would probably eat nothing else if given the option).
BeBe's about 10 inches long from snout to tail tip and she'll probably grow another 3 to 4 inches more. She loves going outside and doesn't mind being handled. In fact, she's very much like most Beardies in that respect - good with people. She doesn't scratch, bite or whip her tail. But, she does need a much different kind of care than a dog or cat.
Lizards in general need a specialized environment in order to survive. That environment is much different than say a 10 gallon aquarium with some dirt at the bottom that's placed on a bedroom shelf. And, then, if the lizard actually does survive in such a setting, what happens when it grows up? Some lizards get pretty big. Iguanas look cute when they're 6 inches long. But, how about when they're 4 feet and feisty? Let them go (illegal, BTW)?
If they survive in their new surroundings, we could possibly end up with an iguana invasion or have monitor lizards running about. Those animals then put pressure on the native inhabitants and could even push out some species. That seems pretty extreme, but there are tens of thousands (or more) exotic lizards that now call Florida their home. More than likely, the lizard just dies because it can't adapt.
Don't Shoot! Think I'm kidding? May 2007 - Police in Casselberry, Florida (just outside Orlando) shoot a monitor lizard - twice! Why? The lizard was thought to be a danger to kids and pets. Not that it had actually harmed any (up to the time of the linked story).
If BeBe should escape, please don't shoot her. She's mostly an herbivore, though she loves superworms. No, she won't get to be 80 pounds either so your dogs and children are safe. But, BeBe does love the Florida sun. She's got her own outdoor enclosure which is pretty much escape proof (she has an indoor enclosure too with all the UVB and spot lights). But, lizards are smarter than most of us think. BTW, I take great care in making sure that BeBe stays put.
Still thinking about getting a lizard for a pet? How about catching a wild one and keeping it? Here's my advice:
Don't catch a wild lizard and try to keep it as a pet (and that's coming from someone who does catch wild lizards - but I don't keep them).
If you want to buy a lizard, do plenty of research FIRST! Read that sentence again. Really. Go online. Look up the kind of lizard you're interested in and learn all about it. Different species require different care. There are things called "care sheets" that are available online. Download one from a breeder or a reptile forum such as BeardedDragon.org or Repticzone.com . I strongly suggest NOT depending solely on the information you get from a pet store unless they specialize in reptiles. Find out everything you can on enclosure, lighting, heating, feeding, vets (yes, lizards need to go to the vet too - but they need a specialized vet - not the regular "puppy, kitty" doctor), substrate (the stuff on the bottom of the enclosure), how big the animal will get, and other requirements. If you're not familiar with the needs for your specific lizard, and if you're not committed to providing for them, you're more than likely going to kill your pet. The best thing you can do for you pet is to do your homework!
Unlikely Pals:
Our oldest pet "Stinky" the house cat meets "BeBe" for the first time. They actually get along, but they aren't allowed any unsupervised time together. This video was shot in May of 2007 when BeBe was "fresh" from the pet store - which meant that she had been living in poor conditions and wasn't thriving. After just a few months of some TLC, she's doing great! See the video below.
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| Can I house a Uromastyx and a Bearded Dragon together? Short answer: No Long answer: No! I don't care if you've seen the two species together in the same enclosure at a pet store and I don't care if the pet store "dude" told you it was OK. It's NOT OK. You'll end up with really stressed lizards that will compete for food and territory and wind up injuring or killing their enclosure mate. |