From UroWiki
For as long as I have done research on uromastyx, from before I purchased my first one up to today, I have seen far too many uromastyx keepers pictures with "basking areas" that are pretty useless for a uromastyx. Some people believe that the basking place is simply an area of the sand where the basking bulb is located above and heats that area more then other areas. Instead, a basking 'Platform' should be created. There are several simple ways to accomplish this.
But why need a platform and not just a spot on the sand? The answer is simple. Uromastyx need a basking platform, where the surface temperature (measured by IR temp gun) is between 120-130F. This cannot be accomplished by the use of sand. There are various materials available for basking platforms, lets take a look at each and see why they may or may not be suitable for your uromastyx.
Driftwood
Pet stores will always try and sell people driftwood, which in most cases is fine for most reptiles. However, this will not hold any sufficient temperatures for a uromastyx. Use of driftwood for general enclosure use is good, it gives the uromastyx something to climb on, but is not very suitable as a basking platform.
Slate/Tile
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Probably the best option, in my opinion, due to its ability to absorb and maintain heat. Natural slate, pavers or tile will all heat up well when placed under your main basking bulbs. These materials all maintain heat very well, which will allow your uromastyx to not only soak up their heat on top of your basking platform, but maybe the platform is elevated and they can go under the platform for use as a hide at night, or just a place to hang out during the day where the temperatures are warm, but they are not taking in UVB. The only things to be careful with when using these materials is:
- Stability - Be sure that your uromastyx can NOT move or knock over any piece of the basking platform. You may want to invest $5 in a small tube of aquarium silicone to use as an adhesive and make a stronger platform that the uromastyx have no chance of harming themselves with.
- Coating - Be sure you are not buying tiles with any type of coating or polish. The chemicals used in the coating could begin to overheat and may emit hazardous toxins into your uromastyx enclosure. Best thing to do is stick with natural stone tile or slate, which uses no additional coating.
Notice the platform in the picture has been put together with aquarium silicone and provides a raised basking platform as well as a hide underneath.
|  Notice along the inside edges there is a bead of aquarium silicone |  Can be used for a basking platform and a hide |
Rock
There is a massive variety of rocks that could be used for reptiles, doing a little bit of research into what materials other keeps use should give a general picture of what can be safely used. Again, like tile avoid anything that has been treated with any kind of chemicals that out emit toxins at high temperatures. AND! very importantly, be sure to go back and get the aquarium silicone to glue them together. Nobody wants a rock slide in their enclosure that will harm their uromastyx. You can also get large rocks that can be stacked like in the picture that can be utilized as a basking platform.
The rocks do not hold heat as well as slate does, and may require high wattage bulbs to bring the basking temperature to the proper range, but also do give the enclosure a different look and feel then slate does.
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 Rocks that happen to fit together without moving, but are glued additionally for strength |
