Even though most uromastyx are calm and docile when you get them, there are many uromastyx that are not docile or at least fearful in the beginning. In this post, you will learn how to tame your uromastyx and bond with it, as well as find different tips on bonding and building trust.
Is it possible to tame a skittish uromastyx?
Yes, it’s very much possible to tame a skittish uromastyx. Not all uromastyx will be docile and tame straight away. But almost all tame down with time. How tame your uromastyx is often depends on its background, whether previous owners (if any) handled it and whether it’s a wild caught animal or captive bred.
Some species or individuals might not like handling, and some might be shyer than others. In general, most are friendly, but some species such as ocellata and yemenensis might be shy at first (not all). Some uromastyx stay skittish throughout their lifetime, but can still be tamed to an extent.
If your uromastyx was not handled previously, it’s very likely to be skittish. But good news is, that most uromastyx that are not tame, still won’t try to bite their owners. All you need to tame your uromastyx is patience and time.
Uromastyx personalities differ a lot, some might become so tame that they will come to you and enjoy sitting on you, some won’t enjoy it so much. Also, some might take only few weeks to trust you, while some others might take up to a year and even longer.
How to tame a uromastyx?
Tip 1: Get a baby uromastyx or a docile adult
If you really want to invest time in your future uromastyx and have the best chances of making it tame, you need to get a baby uromastyx. This is because it will get used to your presence and handling, if you do it regularly.
Sometimes, sub-adult and adult uromastyx that are kept in shops or even wild caughts do not get enough or any handling at all. This makes these uromastyx skittish. It is much harder to tame out an older uromastyx, rather than a baby one. But please note, that it’s very much possible to tame an adult too. Babies are however more active and can be more skittish than adults, too.
However, some older uromastyx (over 6-12 months old), can be tame and docile. That’s because shop keepers regularly handle them. They also get used to people if there are a lot of visitors and workers.
The best way to know if an older or wild caught uromastyx is tame is to handle it. If this uromastyx is calm, doesn’t hide or run away instantly and sits on your hand calmly, it’s probably tame.
However, make sure that this uromastyx is not cold and sluggish. Some irresponsible sellers make their reptiles cold at Expos or even shops so that they don’t have too much energy to run away or show aggression! As awful as it might sound, this is done to cover up the real personality of some reptiles.
Uromastyx body temperature is normally around 100 F (38 Celsius) and higher. When getting a uromastyx, you can even bring your own handheld infrared thermometer like this, to measure temperatures. You can find ideal temperatures for uromastyx in this post.
Tip 2: Let your new uromastyx acclimatize
Whether you buy or rehome a baby or an adult uromastyx, all of them will stress out in a new environment. Even docile and tame uromastyx will be scared and will mostly hide and refuse food for at least few days.
In general, you should refrain from handling your uromastyx for at least two weeks after you bring it home. However, approach the tank during those first 1-2 weeks, sit near the tank, and take it out for cleaning once a week. Once your uromastyx stops hiding when you walk past the tank, you can move to the next step.
Before you start hand feeding your uromastyx, start slowly putting your hand in the tank. Sit still, and keep your hand in there. Slowly but surely over the days, put your hand a bit closer. You can have some favorite snacks in your hand to attract and build trust – such as lentils and bee pollen. That’s true even if your uromastyx won’t approach to eat anything.
Tip 3: Start hand feeding your uromastyx and offering treats
Offering food is one of the main tips to build trust with your uromastyx. Once your uromastyx is not too scared of you and doesn’t run away when you approach the tank, you can start trying to hand feed your uromastyx.
At first, it might be hard to get your uromastyx to approach your hand and take food. A good tip would be not to put food in the tank before you try hand feeding.
Your uromastyx is more likely to be hungry and therefore approach your hand. If it does, please stay calm and don’t make any movements. Repeat daily until you get your uromastyx to trust you more. You can tempt your uromastyx with its favorite greens or treats- try various veggies, lentils and bee pollen. Also make sure that your uromastyx sees you putting food in the tank.
However, not all uromastyx will eat from a hand. In this case, the next step would be trying to touch the back or head of your uromastyx. Don’t touch its tail, as it will feel vulnerable. Also, never put your hand from the top, as it’s how predators attack. Put your hand in the tank from the bottom and slowly move closer.
Tip 4: Handle your uromastyx
Once your uromastyx takes food from your hand or allows you to touch it, you can start trying handling. Put your hand in the tank, and see if it approaches.
If it gets on your hand, you can let it walk on both hands by switching them. This will lower the stress levels in your uromastyx because it’s not restrained. Once it gets more comfortable with it, you can pick it up and place on your knees, or take it out of the tank. Build up the time slowly.
Do not handle your uromastyx for too long outside the tank, because they get very cold quickly. More than 5 minutes outside the tank will make your uromastyx very cold and calm. But this would not mean that it’s docile. Try to handle in the tank mostly and take out for short periods of time at once.
Tip 5: Don’t stroke the tail at first
When you just start handling your uromastyx and it starts trusting you, don’t stroke or touch its tail too much. This is because the tail is the main defense mechanism of uromastyx. If you stroke it, your uromastyx will start stressing out and will try to whip you. It might take your whole bonding experience one step back.
Tip 6: Take your time and be patient
Please note that building trust and bonding with your uromastyx is not always a quick process. Some uromastyx will be naturally calm if they were previously handled, and some can get used to you in few weeks. But for some, it can take few months – which is very worth the time and work.
Most uromastyx tame out with time. Even if not all become completely fine with handling, they are fine with you approaching the tank, hand feeding them and handling to some extent. Some will become very docile and personable. Most will also depend on how much time you spend with your uromastyx.
If your uromastyx stays calm when you get close to it and doesn’t mind you touching it – you have earned its trust. Please make sure to continue spending time with your uromastyx to keep building the trust and for it to stay docile. And remember, with some uromastyx it can take months for each step, so don’t rush it. After all, you will have years and years to enjoy your uromastyx.
Thank you for reading this post! You can find a lot of other useful guides on uromastyx on this page.