Uromastyx geyri
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Category:Uromastyx - DO NOT COMPLETE THE CATEGORY LINK UNTIL THIS PAGE HAS BEEN FILLED OUT COMPLETELY
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Classification
U. Geyri is better known as Saharan Uromastyx.
Description
U. Geyri are born approximately 2.75-3" in total length. Given proper living conditions and foods, they grow at a rather rapid pace for the first 2 years of their life. With a CB specimen, you will see that within the first year they will almost double in length, and increase their weight to 30-50grams (depending on the individual). By the time they are 2 years old, they will grow up towards 8-9" in length and 75-80grams. As they begin to reach adult size they will reach a length of us to approx. 13". Weight of course will vary based on the individual, enclosure, diet, etc.
Colouration
There are 2 main types of color variation within the U. Geyri species, Red and Yellow. Of course the brightness or shade of these colors may vary in individual Uro's. Males are often brighter in color, females often have a deeper or darker coloration. There have been a select few successful cross breeding between red and yellow U. Geyri, but there is no conclusive information yet as to what colouration this may bring. Most of the babies born of the cross breeding are only 1-2 years old and have not developed full adult colouration. It will be interesting to see if this may bring any variation such as the white Ornata.
Temperament
U. Geyri have become more readily available as captive bred over recent years. Most of them floating around in trade seem to be Wild Caught specimens, which are very unpredictable. They have a tendency to crash for no apparent reason. Of course improper care often leads to the decline in health for WC specimens. They are very intolerant to handling, and often will flee straight for their hides at the sight of people.
Captive bred specimens on the other hand, are significantly more calm. U. Geyri is one of the most active species of Uromastyx during the summer months. Some owners have observed their CB specimens to be highly active for 7-8 hrs a day. They are very fast and also very calm. Some are more easily handled then others, but in general are more tolerant when being weighed or measured then WC specimens are. They may be one of the smaller sized species, but will eat quite a bit of food and can put on some serious weight as well.
Related species
U. Geyri are similar in size to U. Ornata and U. Ocellata reaching adult sizes of around 13".
Geographical disperion
U. Geyri come from the central Saharan desert region. This includes the northeast corner of Mali, the northwest corner of Niger and the southern tip of Algeria. They are commonly found in rocky and mountainous area of this region, often using rocky crevices as their hides. *1
Sources
- 1 Wilms, Thomas. (2005): Uromastyx
- [source2 source2]
- [source3 source3]
