©Brittany Motkowicz
February 11, 2021
A Uromastyx Happily Ever After
- as seen by -
Brittany Motkowicz
Saying goodbye to patients is the hardest thing that a veterinary technician has to do. We invest time, energy, and hope into the animals in our care every day so that they can return to health, and when they leave us, only a beloved memory remains.
The ornate uromastyx (Uromastyx ornata ornata), above, was part of a United States Fish and Wildlife confiscation that we cared for at the Wildlife Health Center at WCS’s Bronx Zoo. Despite medical problems in the group, a number of them recovered with the treatments and care that we provided to overcome their medical challenges.
After two years of caring for this confiscated group of uromastyx, the USFWS found permanent homes for them. I am happy to report that these colorful lizards are not only surviving, but thriving in their new homes. Last spring, one of the pairs, “AO” (short for Annie Oakley) and “J”, performed mating behavior, and AO is producing follicles. This means she is highly likely to lay eggs for the first time since she was confiscated.
The pair is happy and healthy, which is all I could have ever asked for.
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