Spinach is one of the few foods that should be avoided in a uromastyx’s diet. Uromastyx lizards can technically eat spinach, but in large quantities this can be harmful, so it is best to keep consumption to a minimum or avoid it altogether.
Despite being a nutrient-rich dark leafy vegetable, spinach has an extremely high content of oxalates, which bind to calcium and prevent its proper absorption. Calcium deficiency can lead to a range of diseases, from tail rot to metabolic bone disease, potentially lethal to reptiles.
One cup of raw spinach can contain 700-800 milligrams of oxalates, an amount too high for safe consumption by reptiles.
Things to consider
- Spinach contains huge amounts of oxalates, a compound that can impede calcium absorption. Regular consumption of spinach can lead your uromastyx lizard to experience calcium deficiency or, at worst, metabolic bone disease, potentially lethal to reptiles.
- A better alternative? Kale should be the ideal dark leafy food for uramastyx lizards. One cup of raw kale contains less than 20 mg of oxalates, so it can be fed much more regularly than spinach without problems.
PetsWithScales.com is an informational website about big lizard pet care. We collect and provide information from different sources across the web on how to keep and care for reptiles as pets. The species we mainly deal with are tegus, monitor lizards, skinks and geckos. Our aim is to provide high quality information to help pet owners make better, more informed decisions about their animal’s diets, health and life.
