Source: Wikimedia Commons
Ornate Uromastyx
IntermediateUromastyx ornata
One of the most colourful mastigures: males are green, blue or red with dark brown bands and yellow spots, while females are plainer, pale brown with light yellow crossbars. Total length is about 35 cm.
Difficulty
Intermediate
Lifespan
Over 25 years under good care, with 60 years considered possible
Size
Total length about 35cm; up to 37cm in U. o. ornata and 34cm in U. o. philbyi
Humidity
20〜30%
Diet
Leafy greens, wild plants such as dandelion and clover, birdseed and prepared herbivorous-lizard diets
About
Uromastyx ornata is an agamid of rocky habitats in the Middle East and one of the most colourful mastigures, with a total length of about 35 cm. Colour is sexually dimorphic: males have a green, blue or red back crossed by dark brown bands filled with yellow spots or transverse rows, while females are plainer, pale brown with light yellow crossbars, and the belly is whitish. The tail is long and slightly flattened with 20-23 rings of well-developed spiny scales. A few enlarged scales sit on the front margin of the ear opening and small spines cover the upper surface of the thighs. Two subspecies are recognised, the nominate form and U. o. philbyi. It is diurnal, lives alone or in small groups of one male and several females, and digs burrows up to a metre deep. It is herbivorous, eating leaves, flowers, fruit and seeds.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Lifespan of the Ornate Uromastyx
The Ornate Uromastyx lives Over 25 years under good care, with 60 years considered possible.
Size of the Ornate Uromastyx
The Ornate Uromastyx grows to Total length about 35cm; up to 37cm in U. o. ornata and 34cm in U. o. philbyi.
Basic Info
Origin
Eastern Egypt including Sinai, southern Israel, Saudi Arabia and northwestern Yemen, in rocky arid country
Lifespan
Over 25 years under good care, with 60 years considered possible
Size
Total length about 35cm; up to 37cm in U. o. ornata and 34cm in U. o. philbyi
Care Specifications
Semi-aggressiveGroupBreeding: Moderate
Sources: ReptiFiles: Uromastyx Care Sheet / Reptiles Magazine: Uromastyx Care Sheet / Wikipedia (Japanese): Uromastyx / Reptile Database
References & Sources
Edited & verified by: BreederDirect editorial team
The taxonomic, regulatory, and husbandry data on this page are compiled and verified against the authoritative primary sources below.
Primary sources
- Wikipedia
- CITES Appendices
- Ministry of the Environment: list of invasive alien species
- Order for Enforcement of the Act on Welfare and Management of Animals (designated dangerous animals)
- ReptiFiles: Uromastyx Care Sheet
- Reptiles Magazine: Uromastyx Care Sheet
- Wikipedia (Japanese): Uromastyx
- Reptile Database
Taxonomy & Authority
Accepted name: Uromastyx ornata Heyden, 1827
Synonyms: Uromastyx ornatus Heyden, 1827, Uromastyx ornata philbyi Parker, 1938, Uromastix ornatus (Boulenger, 1885)
Authority databases: Reptile Database
Nomenclature follows global taxonomic authority databases.
Regulations & Conservation Status
CITES Appendix II
Uromastyx spp. has been listed under Washington Convention Appendix II, effective February 4, 1977. Because it is listed under Appendix II, no registration certificate as an internationally rare wild animal or plant species is required. It is neither listed as a specified animal under the Ordinance for the Enforcement of the Act on the Welfare and Management of Animals, nor designated as a specified alien species. In its native habitat, it is consumed as food, with the meat of its thick tail considered particularly delicious.
Sources: CITES Appendices / Ministry of the Environment: list of invasive alien species / Order for Enforcement of the Act on Welfare and Management of Animals (designated dangerous animals)
Regulations may change. Always verify the latest information with the relevant authorities.
Ornate Uromastyx Listings
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