Starter Kits Special Offer! -50% OFF ALL LIVESTOCK

Due to its immense popularity last year, we are continuing with our 50% OFF ALL LIVESTOCK when purchased with one of our full starter kits. This covers any animal/group of animals up to £300 in value, for animals over £300 you still get £150 off their standard price when purchased with a full starter kit. Offer valid 01/06/25 until 30/09/25.

Uromastyx nigriventris the Moroccan uromastyx, used to be classified as a subspecies of Uromastyx acanthinura the North African Uromastyx. In older literature they sometimes also go by the names of Dabb lizards, Spiney Tailed Lizards or Mastigure Lizards but these days they most often get referred to by the slang term “Uro’s”

As the name would suggest they are native to Morrocco and neighboring Algeria, inhabiting arid rocky scrubland, specifically rocky outcrops within the Saharan desert such as the Atlas Mountain range. They mainly bask in the mornings and late afternoon but avoid the intense midday heat down their burrows. In the wild they would dig their own extensive burrows, potentially a few meters deep to escape the intense heat during the day and their burrows can then provide shelter to several other species making them an important participant in their local ecosystem. Primarily herbivorous by nature they will eat a wide variety of plants but if the opportunity arises, they will also eat insects, however these make up a comparatively small part of the wild diet in adults. Seeds also make up an important part of their diet and there are well documented reports of a slightly grotesque behavior where Uromastyx have been recorded scratching through the feaces (poo) of larger herbivores to eat any seeds that have passed through the digestive tract intact. Its clearly a tough environment for them to live in…

Uromastyx are perfectly adapted to this desert lifestyle and have almost zero requirement for water, they obtain all the water they need from their diet, so they are the only group of lizards for which we do not routinely provide a water bowl. Elevated humidity within their environment can lead to skin problems so we tend to keep them bone dry except for areas of deep slightly moistened substrate for them to dig burrows in.

Moroccan Uromastyx naturally occur in a few different shades of yellows, oranges and reds, these babies are the most popular form which will grow into vibrant red/orange adults, generally referred to as “Morrocan Flame” Uromastyx.

Although capable of moving at speed when alarmed they are normally very chilled out and are incredibly popular due to their personable nature. Captive bred Moroccan Uromastyx are innately tame from the point of hatching and all Uromastyx have a hugely popular fanbase within the reptile keeping hobby.

Moroccan Uromastyx are one of the larger species attaining a size of around 14in (35cm) as adults and due to their active nature and requirements for blisteringly high temperatures they will need a relatively sizable enclosure to live in, a 4ft x 2ft would be the bare minimum but larger than this should really be provided for them when adult.

With the correct environment and a good diet of varied plant matter, seeds, bee pollen and a treat of occasional insects they are incredibly hardy pets. They are bordering on the “bulletproof” category in terms of hardiness. The only thing to be wary of is that babies can potentially get stressed from over handling but as juveniles and adults they can be frequently let out of their enclosure and handled.

Uromastyx take a long time to mature and are only normally capable of laying a single clutch of eggs each year following a complex series of steps to condition them for breeding. This means the demand for Uromastyx always outstrips the supply, so they are one of the more expensive beginner species of reptile. That said, they are worth every penny given their stunning appearance as adults and their outstanding personalities, they are literally some of the friendliest reptiles in existence. We have a number of different breeding projects for Uromastyx in an attempt to make them more readily available for people to enjoy.