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Saharan Uromastyx (Red Phase)

Uromastyx geyri "Red Phase"

The Red Phase variant of Uromastyx geyri is a natural and polygenic color form native to the arid and rocky regions of the southern Sahara, particularly Niger and Mali. Specimens belonging to this line display a dorsal coloration dominated by vibrant red, bright orange, or deep rust tones, which create a striking contrast with the typically grayish or dark head and tail. This color is particularly evident and saturated in mature adult males during the breeding season, while females and juveniles tend to show duller or sandy tones with only slight orange hints. To maintain this beautiful coloration and ensure the animal's well-being in captivity, it is essential to reproduce an extreme desert environment. The terrarium must be equipped with a very hot basking spot (reaching temperatures of forty-four to forty-five degrees Celsius) and very high intensity UVB lighting, which is vital for their metabolism. The diet is strictly vegetarian and consists of wild herbs, dark leafy greens, seeds, and dried legumes, avoiding insect intake in adults to prevent kidney diseases.

Taxonomy
Class:Squamata
Order:Squamata
Family:Agamidae
Subfamily:Uromastycinae
Genus:Uromastyx
Species:Uromastyx geyri "Red Phase"

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Environment

Terrestrial

Humidity

20 - 30 %

Day temperature

28 - 32 °C

Ambient temperature

32 °C

Night temperature

18 - 22 °C

Basking spot

55 °C

Adult size

19.7 cm

Minimum enclosure

>= 400 L

UVB

High

Species description

Geographic Origin and Habitat: No additional source-verified editorial notes are available about geographic origin and habitat for Uromastyx geyri "Red Phase". Consult this record's parameters and sources.
Taxonomy and Genetics: No additional source-verified editorial notes are available about taxonomy and genetics for Uromastyx geyri "Red Phase". Consult this record's parameters and sources.
Behaviour and Habits: No additional source-verified editorial notes are available about behaviour and habits for Uromastyx geyri "Red Phase". Consult this record's parameters and sources.
Morphology and Sexual Dimorphism: No additional source-verified editorial notes are available about morphology and sexual dimorphism for Uromastyx geyri "Red Phase". Consult this record's parameters and sources.

Care, breeding and tankmates

Terrarium Setup: They require enormous space despite their medium size. Minimum 48x24x24 inches (120x60x60h cm), strictly made of wood (OSB) or materials that retain scorching heat (screen or full glass terrariums dissipate too much heat). They absolutely need a dry substrate to dig in (mix of desert sand, clay, and gravel) and innumerable faux rock hides, or stacks of securely fastened slate slabs (collapses are fatal) to build the basking spot.
Lighting and Heating: THE KEY TO SURVIVAL. The Uromastyx MUST cook under the lamps. The basking spot on the surface stone must register between 120°F and 130°F (50-55°C), a temperature that would kill snakes or geckos. The cool end of the terrarium settles at 82°F (28°C). This massive thermal gradient is achieved only with 100-150W halogen flood lamps. A battery of fluorescent 12-14% UVB tubes over the entire enclosure is ABSOLUTELY MANDATORY. Without this infernal sun, they refuse food, turn black, and die.
Humidity and Hydration: Saharan humidity: it must be kept constantly between 20% and 30%. The terrarium must NEVER be misted and A WATER BOWL MUST NEVER BE PLACED (except for malnourished gravid females). If they inhale stagnant humidity, they succumb in a few weeks to Acute Pneumonia and Respiratory Infections. They derive 100% of their water from the fresh greens they eat.
Feeding and Supplementation: Strict and rigorous herbivores. It is a lethal mistake (often made by novices) to feed them crickets or mice: an excess of animal protein devastates their kidneys causing visceral gout and a painfully agonizing death. The daily diet consists of dark greens (chicory, endive, escarole), softened dry lentils, peas, and millet (bird seed) scattered in the enclosure. Calcium supplementation without D3 must be abundant.
Compatibility: Strictly solitary. Males challenge each other in flashy but bloody biting battles. Females may barely tolerate each other, but the golden rule to avoid severed tails and infections is single-enclosure keeping per animal.
Health and Common Diseases: Lethal hydration: do not bathe or mist the Uromastyx. MBD (rubbery bones, jaw malformation, and muscle tremors) destroys the specimen in the absence of powerful UVB rays. Another common problem is severe dorsal burns if the 130°F lamps are placed too close without a protective wire mesh guard and the animal stands up on its legs and touches them.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

This species originates from: Nord Africa.

Origin

Africa and Madagascar

Reptile profile

Diet
No verified data available
Life expectancy
No verified data available
Adult size
19.7 cm
The catalog's scalar value is 19.7 cm. The ReptTraits v1.2 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 19.7 cm for this species, recorded as snout–vent length (SVL). These figures are not interchangeable: the first is the profile's editorial reference, whereas the second is a published maximum under a specific measurement convention; differences among sources can reflect sex, population, life stage and measuring method.
Lifestyle/Microhabitat
No verified data available
Activity cycle
No verified data available
Sociality
No verified data available
Reproduction
No verified data available
Handling tolerance
No verified data available
Brumation
No verified data available
Molting
No verified data available

Image gallery

Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.

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Last updated: 08/10/2026
Saharan Uromastyx (Red Phase) (Uromastyx geyri "Red Phase") Care Guide & Terrarium Setup | Atlarium