Geyri is 2 years old on June 27. She is growing, and shedding now; a hard process for them that goes on for maybe a month, shedding in patches, unlike a snake. She is healthy and loves her new, bigger enclosure. I have studied what it looks like in the part of Africa where her species comes from and try to make it as close to that as I can, in an artificial environment. She was bred here and has never been to Africa, but her instincts tell her what her home should be like.
Now at 2 she is like a teen-ager, and has gotten more brave about things like climbing in her tree. So, I had to move things around for her and give her more wood to climb on. Today she sat up in her tree for 2 hours, the way a uro in the great desert might do. She can survey her whole world from up there.
I need to go on a soap box now, to discuss the ways people can get a uromastyx if they want one. Geyris come from southern Algeria, Mali and Niger. 12 or so other species that are imported to this country come from other parts of North Africa and many countries in the Middle East. Some of those countries have now banned the legal export of uromastyx, but poaching and illegal export run rampant.
Uromastyx are caught wild from their burrows, thrown together into containers and might spend a month or more in transit to this country and other countries. During that time, they don’t have any of the specific needs of uros: proper heat, UV light and food. Many uros in the wild carry a light load of internal parasites, and they are manageable in the wild. But the stress of their shipment increases the load of parasites. So many of these animals arrive in this country sick, injured, and near death.
I have a friend who lives in Algeria, in the heart of the Sahara. In the area where he lives, a species larger than Geyri, called Moroccan uros, used to be all around out in the desert. He could walk out and see them. Now, the collection of the uros has been so bad that he needs to travel 40 miles before he can see any. People collect them and tie ribbons around them so they can carry them around and handle them without being bitten, since these are wild and frightened animals. My friend showed me this picture of an adult Morrocan in an animal market in his city several days ago. This uro is gravid with eggs.
This one was badly injured by others in the capture and hold process.
When uros are imported to here, they are sold at expos and in pet stores. They are sick and some cannot be rehabbed at the point they are for sale in stores, and will die. Many pet stores do not have any good information about the specific needs they have, and they sell them to people who also don’t know how to treat this amazing reptile. People buy them, follow the instructions they were given, and then the animal often dies.
So, this soap box is saying, if you want to get a uromastyx, do a lot of research about how to set up their new desert home, before you get one. And, buy one from a trusted breeder in this country, a person who has rehabbed wild caught ones and developed good healthy breeding stock from them, and is producing healthy captive bred uros. Geyri came from a breeder who is now the top breeder in this country, Phillip Lietz at Arids Only. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxHfAWMAvtY474gBqYnm9aw aridsonly@gmail.com
There are many other good breeders, and they all know how to ship uros safely, clear across the county and in one day. If you are on Facebook, I would recommend you joining a uro group there called Uromasyx Club. https://www.facebook.com/groups/396395070428291 It has so much information about every aspect of uro life, from experienced uro keepers across the world, including a list of breeders in this country and others.
So, soap box over. This has become a passion for me as I learned more about my own little uro, about what a wonderful species uromastyx are, and what horrible conditions go on for some people to be able to obtain them. Captive bred uros are available, and you will be very happy if you get one of them: healthy, happy and ready to spend the next 15 or so years in your good care.
Geyri wanted me to write about this for her birthday, so that more animals like her parents can live in peace in their desert environments, and everybody who wants to have a uro can have a captive bred one. Too many species of animals are being wiped out by different forms of human greed. I’d like to speak up for this species.
So, Happy Birthday Hatch Day to Geyri, my dear little uro, here enjoying the little oasis in the cool end of her desert home. And a video of her now willing to let me touch her frequently.
Sarasin's thoughts....... 
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GEYRI! Geyri is gorgeous! I used to like watching the reptiles at Petsmart many years ago. I remember the Gecko’s and their interesting toes. Remember when Iguanas were very popular then they were turned loose when they became to large? There are videos on YouTube showing them in trees and on telephone lines in Florida. When the temps get cold, they just fall out of the trees. Very sad how people just discard animals like that. Thanks for sharing! I hope you are doing well. 🙂
I am doing well and hope the same for you. Yes, people who turn animals loose should not have animals to begin with. I’ve seen those videos of iguanas falling from trees. Little Geyri is a wonderful and interesting pet for me to have. Her desert home looks a lot like where her parents came from, and she’s a happy uromastyx. She gets good food and has a feeling of security here.
Well, she probably knows how lucky she is to have such a good caretaker to provide her needs.
Thanks. It’s important to do your homework to keep such a unique animal happy and healthy. She has her own mini Sahara here. 👍
Oh, I should not have stopped to read. That first picture is quite scary, but the rest is SO saddening! Wow, I really could have done without that. Anyway, that last video is not so scary at all. She looks like a polite lizard.
She is a polite and adorable lizard. I wanted to speak to the issue of capture and depletion of the species in some areas. Greed drives that and greed ruins so much now. I’m glad you are ok after that first picture. 😉
Well, I still would not want to run into here out in the garden, or worse, while in Tokyo.
You’ll be safe in Tokyo cos she won’t be going there. 🙂 You’ll be safe if you meet her in the garden, cos even full grown, she’ll only be about 12” long.
Oh, I have no intention of going to Tokyo. I just figured that is where her kind like to go. I still won’t mess with her, even if she shows up in my own garden. The little guys, or little girl dinosaurs, are the ones you need to be careful with!
Oh Tony it’s good, you always make me laugh.
Well, I doubt that all those frightened people of Tokyo will be so amused.
They could take her picture and make her look real big, and fierce.
You’ve already accomplished that.
Ha, that picture was small!
but it was a close up!
It was! I think it is her best picture ever.
Best, or scariest?
Yes, depending on your opinion of her. 🙂
Scariest
Although she looks so cute and cuddly in the video.
She is actually cute, not so cuddly, but adorable just the same. You would like her if you could get to know her. But she won’t be coming to visit you.
good!
. . . but don’t tell her I said that. I most certainly would not want to offend!
Nah, she won’t be offended. She doesn’t even know where California is.
Well, she should, but it’s good that she doesn’t.
She knows that uros come from Africa, not California, so she doesn’t care.
?! WHAT ?!
No Tony, she doesn’t care about CA, so she won’t be visiting you. 😉
I would suggest that you remind here of how very important California is, but then, she might take an interest.
No, she really just doesn’t care. I told her you wanted her to know, but no.
Well then, she can go destroy Tokyo instead.
Nah, she’ll just stay in her little desert. You and Tokyo are all safe.
I dunno. Tokyo still has that other scary dinosaur to worry about.
I hope he stays over there.
I hope he gets enough prickly pear and nasturtium.
Thanks for this great post! It was fun to see Geyri in a video. I enjoyed all the information about this beautiful and amazing animal.
This blog system recently made it harder to post videos, but I figured it out. You’re welcome. I thought if anybody out there wants a uromastyx, think about the plight of the wild ones in the desert. She is amazing, and adorable! You can love a lizard, yes.
I hope Geyri had a very happy day, I suspect she has a great day every day because of her loving mother. It is an honor to see more human/lizard loving relationships. Do you mind if I share this, via link, on our website within the next week?
Please share, thank you. Oh I see your website, and will follow it now. That is cool, Geyri can be more famous. I believe in giving every captive animal their best life!
Not only is Geyri beautiful & sweet, also, that you love her so is touching. I love knowing how lizards are treated like family, rather than pests or novelty items to just look at in a cage. They are sentient and often loving beings. Thank you for the opportunity to show others another example of how special lizards are to their parents, and thank you for following us. You’ll be seeing a new post within a week where we’ll be linking some posts showing genuine love for lizards.
That sounds great, thanks. I do love her, and do all I can to make her life just right. The whole concept of wild capture is an enormous problem that Uro lovers will never solve. But if we keep educating people about the horrors of that and about the wonderful breeding programs in this country and other countries, maybe we can make a small dent in the problem. It’s interesting and also awful to know that the big ones, Egyptians, 3-3 1/2’ long as adults, are eaten as a delicacy in parts of the Middle East. Everybody eats and this is part of their culture, so we can’t tackle that. But the wild capture to provide pets for people is actually a bigger problem than the ones being eaten. I’ll be watching for you post. Cool!
You are quite correct. It was so cool to see that you covered wild capturing. It has terrible affects on many counts and very much so on captured individuals. I posted a YT video showing how those people treat the animals they are to transport & “care for”. This includes reptiles and amphibians. Disgusting humans certainly walk among us. If you have the stomach to handle it, here it is: http://lizardplanet.com/2019/07/25/if-we-love-animals-we-must-not-support-the-people-behind-the-animal-mills/
I can’t recall if I’ve been able to watch the entire video.
I read of medieval Arabs eating Uromastyx, and Nicaraguans eating Iguanas :’ – ( but am unaware these continue to be commonplace. It’s heartbreaking to think of, but really, same goes for all animals we decided it’s alright to eat.
There are so many homeless reptiles. It is my hope people will do less purchasing everywhere for some time, just to give these darlings a chance of love. There are too many lizards and not enough homes.
And thank you, there’s no guarantee I’ll show up, I’ve been following you (& others) and sometimes I must go searching for them because new posts don’t pop up, and I suppose maybe I overlook email notifications. But, I randomly came acrossed your site on an old post you liked, I checked you out & am so glad I did. Best to you and Geyri.
I didn’t even attempt to watch it. My friend in Algeria describes it to me and has shown me videos. They are a different kind of people, those who do that.
I followed you, so I will see it in the Reader. 🙂
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Thanks foor sharing this
You’re welcome.