mali uromastix

Question
Do you know the normal behaviors of this species? My husband has recently purchased a baby (about 5 inches long)from a local pet store and she doesn't seem to be very active. She hides in her cave for almost the entire day and night and I have yet to actually see her eat anything although there has been fecies I have cleaned from the tank. She is in a fourty gallon glass tank with a heat rock and heat lamp on top of the tank and sand substrate. Any help would be appreciated.

Answer
Hello Lindsey,

Well, that is not normal for a baby Uro to be hiding in the cave during the day.  They are not nocturnal animals so she should be out all day long.
What type of lighting are you using?  The heat lamp, is it a bright white light, or a colored light?  Are you using a UVB light?  
What are your temps?  What type of thermometer are you using?  The recommended basking temps for Uros are 120-130 with several gradients & then the cool side should be around 80.  
I would be very careful with the heat rock.  They can malfunction & burn them.  They do not have heat sensors on their belly so they don't know to move away when they get too hot.
What are you feeding her?

Tracie