A uromastyx runs hotter and drier than almost any lizard you'll keep, and won't tell you the basking spot has dropped or that the cage is getting too humid. baskr watches the pattern across your logs, temperature, humidity, weight and feeding, and shows you what needs attention before it becomes a problem.
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Uromastyx
Basking spot drifting cool
43°C for 5 days vs the 49–54°C range. Check the bulb or thermostat.
Basking spot
49–54°C · 120–130°F
Cool side
26–29°C · 79–84°F
Humidity
20–30% (very dry)
Ideal ranges for Uromastyx spp., the same targets baskr scores your logs against.
Basking and warm figures are surface temperatures at the spot; cool and ambient are air. Measure with a probe or infrared thermometer at the animal's height.
Diurnal
Active by day
Deserts of North Africa and the Middle East
Wild climate. Blistering hot, bone-dry desert.
Why the care is what it is. This is why it needs one of the hottest basking spots of any pet reptile (48 to 54°C) and takes its water from food, not a bowl.
Logging is the input. The product is spotting when a single off reading becomes a pattern worth acting on.
49–54°C (120–130°F) over the basking spot
Uros run hot for a reason, a cool basking spot quietly stalls digestion, appetite and activity.
A cool side of 26–29°C (79–84°F)
Without a big hot-to-cool spread a uro can't thermoregulate across such a wide range.
20–30%, one of the driest setups you'll run
Persistent damp is a real respiratory and skin risk for a true desert species.
Steady gain in juveniles, stable in adults
A downward trend across two or three weigh-ins is an early red flag.
Daily leafy greens, seeds and flowers
A run of refusals that isn't a seasonal slow-down is worth checking warmth and weight for.
A gradual cool-season dip with weight holding
baskr separates a normal seasonal lull from an off-season decline you should act on.
Safe to include
Avoid
An arid setup suits a few hardy, drought-tolerant succulents and edible plants, no misting-loving tropicals. Rinse anything they might nibble and skip anything you can't confirm is non-toxic.
Staples
Occasional / treats
Never feed
Supplements. Lightly dust greens with calcium a few times weekly and offer a reptile multivitamin occasionally; with strong UVB and a varied plant diet, needs are modest.
Good to know. Uromastyx are herbivores, seeds, leafy greens and flowers, with minimal to no insects as adults. Keep the diet dry and high-fibre rather than watery.
The right kind of kit, pick brands you trust.
UVB lighting
A high-output T5 HO UVB tube (~10–12%, Ferguson zone 3–4) spanning about two-thirds of the enclosure, a sun-loving desert species needs strong UVB. Replace every 12 months even if it still lights.
Basking heat
One or more white basking (halogen) lamps on a thermostat to hold that very hot 49–54°C basking surface, hotter than most reptile setups.
Thermostat
Non-negotiable, it controls the powerful heat source so the enclosure can't overheat.
Thermometer + hygrometer
Digital, with a probe read at the basking surface, not stick-on dials. Confirm both the very hot spot and the low humidity.
Enclosure
A 4×2×2 ft (or larger) front-opening vivarium with enough ventilation to stay genuinely dry.
Grounded in your own logs and the ideal ranges above, plain language, never a diagnosis.
Basking spot read 43°C for 5 days, well below the 49–54°C a uromastyx needs to digest. Check the bulb wattage, height or thermostat.
Humidity has averaged 48% this week, high for a desert species. Improve ventilation and remove damp before it turns into a respiratory issue.
Sahara has refused greens 4 days running, and it isn't a seasonal cool-down, keep an eye on weight and basking warmth.
Enter your own readings for an instant care score, the same check baskr runs for you every day.
Enter a reading or two above to see Uromastyx's care score.
A quick guide, not a diagnosis. Ideal ranges vary with age, morph and setup, and individual animals differ, so confirm anything critical with an experienced keeper or a reptile vet.
Very hot, roughly 49–54°C (120–130°F) at the basking surface, among the hottest of any kept reptile, with a cool side around 26–29°C (79–84°F). baskr checks the temperatures you log against this range and flags a sustained drift, but always verify with a good thermometer at the basking surface.
Adults are essentially herbivores, seeds, leafy greens and flowers, and need minimal to no insects; too much animal protein is linked to gout. baskr tracks what you feed so an unbalanced pattern stands out, but confirm specifics for your species against a care sheet.
Low, around 20–30%, one of the driest setups in the hobby. Persistent damp is genuinely risky for a desert species. baskr flags humidity that stays elevated so you can improve ventilation before it becomes a respiratory problem.
Avoid regular insects and animal protein for adults, avocado, rhubarb, and large amounts of spinach or iceberg lettuce, and don't make watery fruit a staple. Stick to leafy greens, seeds and flowers, and dust lightly with calcium. For anything concerning, see an exotics vet, baskr is a husbandry assistant, not a diagnosis.
Log your uromastyx's care in seconds and baskr does the watching. Free for your first 3 animals.
Start freeLast reviewed August 2026. General husbandry guidance, not veterinary advice, and ranges vary with age, morph, subspecies and setup. Confirm anything critical with an experienced keeper or an exotics vet.