Adequate housing

[MCHRKiller]

Im tossing around the idea of getting a Uro since Im really falling in love with reptiles after getting my first beardie. I dont want another insect dependent species and would prefer a vegetarian. I have done some reading and there is a lot of conflicting info on tank size for a Uro geyri. Some folks state 40Bs are enough...others say 75G is minimum. Thing is I have a spare 55G aquarium in storage which I purchased 2nd hand and used for fish for several years before becoming concerned about the seams and upgraded my fish to new aquarium. I know their heat requirements are much more extreme than a beard and it is much easier to achieve in a 4ft setup. But is the 55G large enough for a U.geyri?

 

[Mylittlebabytiger99]

It depends on which breed you get. They get different sizes. And think of it like this. Their tank should be 4x their body size. But you could keep a baby in a smaller tank for now since it takes around 4 years for them to fully grow. Youd have time to get or make a bigger tank. And as substrate id go with bird seed since there's a minimal risk of impaction since seeds are part of their diet. Make sure there's enough for them to bury themselves at least like 3 inches down.

 

[Rankins]

A 55 gallon would be fine, U. geryi don't get as large as an Egyptian. I would check out my buddy Doug Dix's web page for some good info. It's http://www.deerfernfarms.com, he has been breeding uros for about 30 years. I was actually the original person that started using birdseed substrate for uros in the early '90s...Doug wrote about it in a few Reptile Magazine articles. It became pretty popular afterwards...I would recommend it as a substrate.
Just noticed he still has a picture of one of my gila monsters on his web page. I got it from him about 3 years ago

 

[ClydesGirl]

I know this post is old, but my reply still might be useful to someone. I have my Saharan Uro in pretty much the equivalent of a 40 gallon breeder (it's a converted coffee table, but very similar dimensions). She is just fine in there. For substrate, I have the full viv lined with shelf liner and then I have a "dig box" at the cool end filled with millet (a type of bird seed). She doesn't really burrow in there, just occasionally likes to throw the seeds all over the place. She usually spends her hiding time under her basking rock on the hot end. The millet is a good option because she just passes it any time she accidentally eats some. Not worries about impaction. Plus I can go a really long time without having to replace it, because it doesn't get gross.