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View Full Version : Mali Handling



filly67
07-15-2006, 11:13 AM
I am looking for some different points of views and opinions regarding getting my Mali Uromastyx used to be handled. I have had him for about a month and he is my first lizard. Except for my many fish tanks all of my other pets have been warm blooded. With any other animal it seemed to be better to handle them a bit every day to help them get used to me. I have been told on other sites that I should not do the same with my Mali. Many people have recommended that I don't try to handle him at all for up to three months. I have been sitting outside his tank "chatting" with him. I only go into his tank to feed and clean daily. I really am having trouble believing that he wont get more used to being not handled for this long period of time. I am afraid that it will make the handling transition more difficult. I do understand that in the end he may not be the type that wants to be held a lot and I am fine with that. But even so I should be able to handle him in case he need to go to the vet or something like that. As I said I am very new to this so I am open to opinions and advice. Let me also say that he seems very healthy, reasonably active, eats well and his tank has good temperatures on both the hot and cool sections. He also has UVB lighting. I bought him at a pet store so I do not have an exact age. He is about 7 inches long and has some nice yellow and even green coming in. Thanks in advance

KundaliniRising
07-21-2006, 02:08 PM
Uromastyx are some of the tamest lizards you can get. Handle him regularly and he will get used to it. They sometimes wiggle and thrash a lot but they get used to it. They don't take very long and eventually they become "lap lizards." I had a fairly large colony of Maliensis and all but one tamed down extremely well. Never did they offer to bite or tail whip.

Make sure your husbandry is right, most pet stores give dated info on Uros. No sand! Use a deep soil mixture and keep it moist. Dry cages make dry animals.

I would suggest looking up the work of Pro Exotics. They are doing really well and breaking ground with Uromastyx care.