Tail

From UroWiki

An uromastyx' tail is one of its noteworthy features. It is both a defensive, and when necessary, an aggressive feature. Not only is it where the lizard gets its name from, and extremely beautiful, but it also assists the lizard with climbing and balance, as well as storing the majority of its bodily fat reserves. Uromastyx can often be seen sleeping in their caves, curled in such a fashion that their spiked tail obscures the entrance, to discourage predators from trying to attack.

Tail rot

'Tail rot' is a situation that can occur when an uromastyx gets water trapped between the spines of its tail, causing the skin of the tail to rot. This can lead to infection and even loss of the tail. This is sometimes confused with long shed times on the tail; an uromastyx will typically shed its body about two times before it will complete a tail shed. Shed on the tail will be lighter in colour (much like other shed skin), while tail rot will be dark brown, almost black, and with a bumpy texture.

Tail rot can be a form of bacterial and/or fungal infection and should be treated by a qualified veteranarian. If left untreated in a lizard with a weakened immune system, the infection can move into the body and eventually kill the uromastyx.