Uromastyx ornatus - diet
By Danny Molco & Osnat Ben David

Uromastyx. O is absolutely herbivorous! His diet bases mainly on the flower & fruit of perennial plants:
Ochradenus baccatus shrubs & Acacia trees, (Acacia raddiana, Acacia tortilis,), Which is 84% of
their eating time. We found that the lizards are agile climbers, which get to the top part of the shrubs- trees
in order to get their favorite food, easily.

O. baccatus flowering / fruiting all a year around.
Acacia trees flowering from April till October.
Picking from the ground done mostly under O. baccatus shrubs and Acacia trees, which is 7% of their
eating time.

The rest 9% consist of other perennial and annual plant like:
Fagonia arabica, Zilla spinosa, Tephrosia apollinea, Capparis sinaica,
Iphiona scabra, Heliotropium arbainense, Hammada salicomica,
Pulicaria incisa, Zygophyllum coccineum and Forsskaolea tenacissima.

Flowers and fruits attract insects, So they eat them too, but it is lees then 1% of their diet.

Water: all they need come form the plants that  they eat! They can’t lick any dew off leafs, the U. ornatus
start his day 5 hours after the sunrise. So it is really hot out there!
 

Images list: Click on below highlighted to view images.
Uro. Ornatus – diet, Diagram cake.
Ochradenus baccatus male flowers.
Ochradenus baccatus female fruits, she got flowers too.
Ochradenus baccatusdistribution map.
Acacia trees flowers.
Acacia raddianadistribution map.
Acacia tortilis distribution map.
Tephrosia apollinea.
Pulicaria incisa.