The Mali Uromastyx is an enormous Lizard that has a camouflage pattern comprised of white, black with yellow and black spots. It is found in the dry deserts in Mali, Africa, this species is adapted to the hot, dry climate.
Mali Uromastyx can be easy to take care of when they are kept in tanks that are large and have an optimum temperature.
Mali Uromastyx Overview
| Common name | Mali Uromastyx |
| Scientific name | Uromastyx maliensis |
| Natural habitat | Dry, hot, and desert regions that are arid within Mali, Africa |
| Adult size | Between 10 and 16 inches |
| Average life expectancy | Between 12 and 20 years old |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Housing | Large tank that is controlled for temperature control. |
| Experience level | Beginning to intermediate |
See more: Full Uromastyx Care Sheet (Ornate, Moroccan & Egyptian)
Origin
The Mali Uromastyx ( Uromastyx maliensis) is found most often in the desert regions that are located in Mali, Africa. This lizard thrives in scorching dry and dry conditions that resembles its native habitat.
This species is not just well-known as pets. In its homeland the lizard is regarded as to be a delicacy, and eaten by people who live there.
Appearance & Behaviour
The Mali Uromastyx is an average-sized creature whose body colors change as it matures. The young lizard is characterized by an appearance of camouflage, with black spots on the background of a light gray.
As the lizard reaches adulthood, its color changes and the male turns black , with a yellow pattern, while the female develops an intricate mix of dark and light brown. Males often have an unadorned black head and tail and legs, and a yellow-colored body.
With a head that is rounded and a pointed snout, the Mali Uromastyx is a unique extremely flexible, spiky tail that resembles spinal vertebrae.
Size & Lifespan
A mature male Mali Uromastyx can reach the length of 16 inches in length and weights around 15 ounces. The female is between 10 and 14 inches and weighs between 10 and 12 grams.
Mali Uromastyx can live for a time of 20 years when kept in the wild.
Temperament
The male Mali Uromastyx is territorial and can be aggressive with other males. Place this lizard inside one enclosure to prevent conflict between species.
If you keep male as well as female Mali Uromastyx in the same space in a home, the male might continually seek to mate with female, and the female could be irritable. It is best to keep a male and female together if wish to allow breeding.
A baby Mali uromastyx who grows in captivity, learns to trust its caretaker, is calm and is handled with care. The lizard isn’t known to bite, and can warn you by shaking its tail, and then hissing when it is feeling uncomfortable or threatened. When it bites, it will do so in small bites. are tiny nips that won’t cause injury.
Housing Mali Uromastyx
The Mali Uromastyx can be found in the sandy and rocky areas of Mali’s hot and dry desert areas. In captivity, keep the Mali Uromastyx in an enclosed terrarium that has plenty of rocky and sandy hiding spots to recreate the natural habitat of the species.
Size of the Enclosure
Young Mali Uromastyx require a 30 gallon container, while mature specimens require minimum a 50 gallon tank (36 inches x 18 inches x 18 inches). The larger the space that this species has and the better it’s able to be. If the Mali Uromastyx is feeling cramped in an aquarium that is smaller than it needs, then the species could scratch at the glass continuously which is known as glass surfing. This can cause it to get extremely stressed.
Lighting
UVB lighting is essential for the Mali Uromastyx’s tank in order to allow the animal to take in calcium. Without UVB lighting, this lizard is susceptible to developing metabolic bone disease (MBD) that is a result of calcium deficiency.
The UVB light is to be put in the bottom of the tank. It should be it should be left for 12 hours each day. Switch off the light at night, allowing the lizard to rest peacefully.
Humidity and temperature
In its natural habitat In its natural habitat, the Mali Uromastyx thrives in dry, hot conditions. In its tank, which has the basking temperature being 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Utilize a heating pad or a lamp in order to make a warming space on the opposite end of the tank.
Make sure there’s a cooler side of the tank that is between 80-85degF. At night , the Mali Uromastyx likes a lower temperature of 70degF.
Mali Uromastyx thrives in humidities between 10 to 25 to 25 percent. The humidity inside the enclosure must be checked with an hygrometer to make sure that the humidity does not drop too much and cause excessive shed in the lizard.
If there is excessive shed then rehydrate the tank by placing moist moss inside the tank. Do not spray the Mali Uromastyx directly using water because the water could cause the skin wrinkle of the lizard.
Substrate & Decoration
This lizard requires an environment with a sandy substrate tank to allow for digging. This is something it does to regulate the body’s temperature. Mix soil and sand in an 1:1 ratio, which allows the lizard to dig easily.
In the wild In the wild, the Mali Uromastyx loves relaxing in the sun upon hot rock surfaces. Include some rocks inside the tank to give the animal lizard plenty of places to bask and hiding spots. Avoid putting in tiny stones that could be taken in as this could cause serious digestive issues.
Fake plants offer shade to the Mali Uromastyx. A Mopani branch or grape wood can be used to climb. Add a few crumpled pieces of newspaper or paper towels for comfy bedding.
Do not overfill the tank with plants and other accessories.
Cleaning
Use this cleaning routine to ensure that your Mali Uromastyx’s water tank as clean and sanitary as possible:
Set the Mali Uromastyx inside an empty and clean temporary tank, while you clean your main tank. If you do not possess a tank spare utilize a clean, dry cardboard box.
- Weekly — Clean up all feces and debris
- Monthly — Replaces the substrate
- Three times a year — Remove all the debris from the tank and clean the tank using hot water, mild soap and warm. Make use of vinegar or lemon juice to get rid of the stains. Clean the plants and rocks using warm water. Clean the tank thoroughly using warm water to get rid of all soap residues prior to refilling the tank’s contents as well as the Lizard
Mali Uromastyx Care
The Mali uromastyx can be easy to take care of with appropriate equipment. Clean tanks with a good substrate, a moderate temperature with low moisture will ensure that this lizard is at ease.
Food & Water
In the wild in the wild, the Mali Uromastyx can be described as herbivore but it also consumes worms and insects. In captivity a vegetarian-based diet helps keep the adults and young lizards well.
Give the infant Mali Uromastyx small crickets as well as worms. Do not feed vertebrates of baby lizards because young reptiles can’t digest bones. As the Mali uromastyx matures it will require less meat to sustain its diet, and in the end, it will become completely herbivore.
Give the lizard commercial reptile meals and feed fresh fruits and vegetables like lettuce , and other leafy vegetables, peas green beans, small bits of squash, carrots along with turnip, squash and carrot greens. Include some bird seed for variety. Put it in an ice-cold bowl at an area of the tank.
Feed the juvenile Mali Uromastyx each day. limit feeding to 4 or 5 times per every week, for mature specimens.
Serving water in a bowl isn’t needed since the Mali Uromastyx receives enough water by the natural water content of its food.
Handling
The Mali Uromastyx is able to be tolerant and even love being handled. Do not handle the lizard during the first week following returning it to its home so that the lizard is able to adjust to its new environment.
Create trust in a young animal by offering it regularly food directly by your hands. Sit down near the tank and sometimes place your hands in the tank to massage your Mali Uromastyx.
After having a social outing for a few days, place your fingers beneath the lizard’s body, and gently lift it while letting the lizard rest on your hand. Replace the Mali uromastyx with it’s tank in a couple of minutes. Repeat the process several times and gradually increasing the length of period of time that you are holding the Lizard. Your Mali Uromastyx will eventually get used to being held gently and petted.
When you are holding your Mali Uromastyx, be careful of rapid movements and loud noises. Train children to manage the Mali uromastyx in a safe manner without hurting or provoking the lizard.
Common Health Problems
A variety of common health issues could impact the Mali Uromastyx.
- Parasites The sudden weight loss, swollen stool, bloody urine in the stool are indications of parasites and require immediate treatment by a veterinarian
- Dehydration Eyes that are sunken and an inability to eat are the most prominent indicators of dehydration. This could be caused by stress caused by transport, or from a tank that is too hot. temperature. Set the temperature of the tank, and replenish the Mali Uromastyx with an empty bowl of water inside the tank. Spray leafy food items lightly with water to ensure that the lizard has the ability to drink the droplets of water.
- Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) — shakes and lethargy are the first symptoms of MBD which is a condition due to a deficiency in calcium or vitamin D3. Be sure you are using a UVB light produces an output of 10%-14% to promote the production of vitamin D3.
- Tail Rot The black patches on the lizard’s tail can be the sign of tail rot that is due to excessive humidity. Keep the humidity levels within the tank to less than 30% to avoid the rot of the tail. The treatment for tail rot is antibiotics and cleaning the tail 3 times per day using betadine mixed by warm water. Make use of 1 part betadine to 10 parts of water. dry the tail following the treatment by gently patting it down with a clean , dry towel.
Burns
Since the Mali Uromastyx likes heat, this reptile automatically searches for the warmest place within the tank, which is typically near the heater. Cover the lamp’s bulb lamp by a light guard to safeguard your lizard against burns that result from touching the lamp.
If you’re Mali uromastyx is burned and you need to apply burn ointment the area of the burn daily until the burn is healed. If the burn is red, apply an antibiotic ointment for the inflammation.
Breeding
Find out the sex of a Mali Uromastyx, by lifting the tail. Males have a bulge at either the top or the bottom of base of the tail and a flat region that lies between these bulges. Females don’t have bulges and is flat underneath the tail.
Breeding in captivity Mali uromastyx is a complex process and usually only successful when it is monitored by breeders who are professionals. Breeding occurs in captivity once winter conditions are reproduced. Use these guidelines to help encourage breeding:
The Breeding Environment
Make a small container and make a hole in the top. Put in a substrate that is made of half fine peat moss and half sand and then moistened with water. Set the box inside an aquarium for reptiles, at the cool side. Set your tank inside a dim space.
The reduction of daytime hours and temperature
Set up a male and female Mali uromastyx in the tank . Then, you can begin replicating winter conditions by slowly decreasing the temperature and the amount of sunlight each day. Reduce the amount of light by 2 hours per week until you have reached six hours of sunlight a day.
Reduce the temperature gradually over the course of 3 to 4 weeks until it is at 85 degrees in the day, and 60degF at night.
Feeding Schedule
Feed the lizards with moist vegetable leaves each day during the time of cooling the temperature and decreasing daylight hours. Stop feeding once you have reduced to 6 hours of daylight every day.
Brumation
Brumation is the time of year in which cold-blooded animals hibernate. Give yourself 60 days of brumation and then gradually increase the amount of daylight hours to one hour each week, and increase the temperature gradually until normal conditions are restored.
Gestation & mating
Mating occurs after full daylight hours and normal temperature are restored. After mating for four weeks the female will lay between 10-20 eggs.
Transfer the eggs to an incubator
Fill an empty plastic container (11 7 x 4 inches) 2/3 full of vermiculite, a moistened mix of as well as activated charcoal and perlite. The eggs should be placed in the bedding mix and cover them with a layer of bedding until they can be seen. Insulate the pot with an lid.
The eggs should be incubated at 92 degrees F The lid should be removed at least once per week for a short time to let fresh air circulate.
The eggs hatch between 8 and 10 weeks. The babies are placed in a tank and cover them with an unwetted paper towel substrate. Keep a small, shallow dish of clean water inside the tank during the initial 2 months. Feed the lizards two times a day.
Selecting and purchasing the Mali Uromastyx
Purchase a Mali Uromastyx from a trusted breeder or pet store to make sure that the reptile isn’t suffering from health issues. The purchase of a child bred in captivity will give you a higher chances of obtaining an enlightened Mali Uromastyx.
Fully developed Mali Uromastyx available offered for sale are often illegally brought in and carry parasites and illnesses. They don’t thrive in captivity.
Check your eyes with the Mali Uromastyx. Beware of specimens that has eyes that are sunken, as these are usually an indication of illness or dehydration. Select a vividly colored Mali Uromastyx that has no black spots at the tail (a possible sign of rot in the tail).
Expect to be paying between $100-$200 for One adult Mali uromastyx hatchling.
